Mezco’s One: 12 Collective is a new line of high-end 6” scale collectable figures. Combining superior sculpting with an abundance of articulation, the One: 12 Collective figures feature over, get this, 32 points (!!!) of articulation, combining form and function to create a remarkably realistic aesthetic. Digitally sculpted by the industry’s finest artists and painstakingly engineered by Mezco’s production team is a state of the art collectible that holds up to real play. The costuming is meticulously tailored and uses specially selected materials to create the highest standard of outfitting and drapery at the 6” scale. Fabrication, color, drapery, comparative scale and mobility are all closely considered to bring the finest attire achievable. The Batman: The Dark Knight Returns figure sculpts the character from Frank Miller’s seminal graphic novel as a 1/12-scale figure. Batman includes 4 pairs of interchangeable hands (first, holding hats, posing hands and Batarang hands), pistol, grappling hooks, alternate head, a bat-symbol display base, and an articulated figure stand. These accessories are designed to have a “read world” look to further make the figure seem like it has truly come to life. These accessories, also precisely crafted, range from changeable parts to character specific weapons, equipment and props. The cost will be about $80 and it will be released February 25th.
The Dark Knight Returns is a 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries starring Batman, written by Frank Miller, illustrated by Miller and Klaus Janson and published by DC Comics. It tells the story of Bruce Wayne, who at 55 years old returns from retirement to fight crime and face opposition from the Gotham City police force and the United States government.
The immense popularity of The Dark Knight Returns served both to return the character of Batman to a central role in pop culture, but also (along with Watchmen) started the era known as the Dark Age of Comic Books. The grim, seedy versions of Gotham and Batman successfully updated the character’s identity from the campy Adam West version remembered from the 1960s Batman TV Series, which proved critically and commercially successful enough that a new wave of ‘dark’ superheroes were either created, re-popularized, or revamped altogether to fit this new trend.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a two part direct to video animated superhero film, an adaptation of the 1986 comic book The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. Jay Oliva, who worked as a storyboard artist on Man of Steel, Batman: Year One and Batman: Under the Red Hood, directed the movie. Several other Batman veterans were also involved in the film. Even though Rotten Tomatoes gave Part 1 a score of 100% based on review from 5 critics with a average rating of 7.0/10 and IGN reviewer Joey Esposito gave Part 1 a score of 7.5 out of 10, praising the voice performances and animation but he noted that the newscasters’ segments do not translate well to the screen and lacks the thematic punch they had in the comic, making them extraneous at best. He also criticized Batman’s inner monologue and the poor quality of the DVD extras. Kofi Outlaw of ScreenRant gave Part 2 , three out of five stars, criticizing the outdated Cold War subplot as “a major distraction from an otherwise focused narrative”, as well as the toning down of the Joker’s character.
The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller—known also for his excellent Sin City series and his superb rendering of the blind superhero Daredevil. Batman represented all that was wrong in comics and Miller set himself a tough task taking on the caped crusader and turning this laughable, innocuous children’s cartoon character into a hero for our time. This incredible figure is up for pre-order now and will be out next week!
"The Dark Knight Returns is a success on every level. Firstly it does keep the corny elements of the Batman myth intact, with Robin, Alfred the butler, Commissioner Gordon, and the old roster of villains, present yet brilliantly subverted. And secondly the artwork is fantastic—detailed, sometimes claustrophobic, psychotic." – Mark Thwaite
Sources: Mezco; Wikipedia (1); Wikipedia (2); Screenrant; Rotten Tomatoes; IGN