This year marks the 40th anniversary of Frank Miller's seminal comic series, The Dark Knight Returns. In the classic Batman story, an ageing 55-year-old Bruce Wayne emerges from a decade of retirement to reclaim the mantle of the Dark Knight in a decaying, crime-ravaged Gotham.
No longer the sleek vigilante of his youth, this brutish Batman fights with raw ferocity against street gangs, Joker, and even a government-controlled Superman, embodying an uncompromising vision of justice in a world gone mad.
The series served as a key source of inspiration for filmmaker Zack Snyder when making 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. However, its influence is still felt well beyond that (including in Marvel Comics' recently released Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell).
Today, Hot Toys has revealed a new 1/6th scale figure based on DC Comics' The Dark Knight Returns. Depicting Batman is decked out in a battle-damaged version of his blue and grey uniform, bleeding from the face, chest, and arm.
The figure also includes an unmasked Bruce Wayne head sculpt depicting the older, gnarled Caped Crusader. It's a stylised design rather than one that looks like a "real" person, but it's clearly inspired heavily by Miller's striking artwork and is very detailed.
Hot Toys also appears to be teasing a Superman figure, as The Dark Knight Returns' take on the older Man of Steel can also be glimpsed in some of the product photos found in the Instagram gallery below.
Hot Toys is thrilled to announce the 1/6th scale Batman (Battle Damaged Version) Collectible Figure. The figure includes a newly developed Bruce Wayne head sculpt with separate rolling eyeballs and blood paint applications that convey the sufferings of combat. An additional blue Batman cowled head comes with three interchangeable lower faces, allowing collectors to recreate moments straight from the pages of the iconic comic. The figure features a specialized muscular body that is built to convey the strength and physicality of this older, battle-hardened Dark Knight.
The gray battle-worn Batsuit is finely tailored in elastic fabric material, complete with realistic tears and blood paint applications. A wired and weathered blue cape flows behind him. The figure also comes with a cowl in a mask-off state that can be attached to the body with the Bruce Wayne head sculpt, allowing for the replication of the look with the cowl removed for an alternative display style. Armed for war, Batman comes equipped with four Batarangs, a rope-attached Batarang, and a rifle. The figure is completed with a specially designed display stand.