In 1989, Warner Bros released the first movie in their Batman franchise. Little did they know, but it would spawn six more live action films and feature one of the most iconic characters in film history. Jack Nicholson stole the show in that film, outperforming Michael Keaton's title character.
Fans of that movie have long pined for a truly ultimate collectible from that film and Hot Toys has delivered in every way possible. Is it the ultimate Joker collectible ever made? Possibly. Is one of the top 1/6 scale figures ever produced? Could be.
Knowing that Sideshow Collectibles was sending me one for review, I waited for it to arrive, checking my front door on a daily basis. Hey I know I could just check the UPS website, but I still hoped that they would deliver days before the scheduled arrival date (as they have been known to do before).
When I received the package, I could barely control myself trying to rip into the cardboard packing box. Once I pulled it free from its cardboard prison, the figure turned out to be everything I could hope for and then some!
Packaging
The Joker (1989) features a nice box with faded out artwork of the figures face on the front. The front piece folds open to get a look at the basic figure with a list of the features and artists that contributed in the production of this figure. There really isn't anything too spectacular about the packaging, but we really aren't looking at the packaging for this particular figure are we?
Sculpting
Having owned several 1/6 figures and a few based on likenesses of actors, I can honestly say without a doubt, this is the closest to a 100 percent spot on likeness that I have ever seen. Everything from the sculpted pores on his face to exact replica of that crazy smile he had in the film. The sculpt is absolutely perfect!
The hands are sculpted perfectly so that all of the accessories fit easily and correctly. Sometimes the hands for 1/6 scale figures do not work well with the weapons/accessories that are boxed with them, but all of the hands work well. Some of the hands are sculpted to give the opportunity to recreate memorable scenes from the movie.
Paint
Let me qualify this part before moving forward. I usually rate paint jobs on figures (yes even Hot Toys figures) as being sub-par. The ability to get a good paint job from a company that produces these toys in bulk is just few and far between. It really requires expert individuals to completely paint something like this to get that perfect look that you just can't get from an assembly line of painters.
With that said, this could quite possibly be the best paint-job I have ever seen on a collectible. The attention to detail on the face is just remarkable. The eyes are perfect and look like miniature eyeballs. It looks as if each individual tooth was painted with care. It just doesn't get any better than this on massed produced figure.
The only problem I have is with the hair. some spots, especially on the back of the head look streaked. Since this is on the back of the head though, I can't complain much because it will be displayed looking forward.
Clothing
The suits are created with the same care and quality that the figure itself was made with. Sometimes with 1/6 scale figures, clothing can look a little odd. Creating something that small and making it look natural is hard. There are way more misses than success in this scale. Hot Toys has dones something special with this one though. Each piece looks like it should. Cuffs are the correct size, seam lines are non-existant and the fedora fits perfectly on the head.
Overall
Hot Toys is known for creating quality pieces that truly represent movie stars and characters that they are modeled after. I have seen a few (Iron Man Mark III, Captain America) figures that just don't meet the high quality standards that Hot Toys is known for, but this figure exceeds expectations.
This is not only the ultimate Joker collectible in my collection now, but probably the ultimate collectible period, in my collection. There is no way you can go wrong purchasing this one. Whether you want it to display in your collection, or even to hold on to it take advantage of selling it in the future, you are going to want to add it to your collection.
If you ever wanted a Joker collectible and are looking for the ultimate piece you can add to your collection, do not wait order this figure now! It is $264.99, but if you wait and try to get this one next year, you can expect to probably pay upwards of $800.00 for this one.
Order your Hot Toys DX Series Joker Collectible Figure (1989 Version) here.