Scott Snyder and John Romita Jr.’s All-Star Batman is one of the best Batman books of the decade, as it features Batman and Two-Face on a road trip to save the villains soul. It’s an action-packed, emotionally charged comic that features the best of both creators. To celebrate this recent tale in the life of Batman, DC Collectibles has released a Black & White Batman Statue featuring John Romita Jr’s Dark Knight design. Despite how you feel about Romita’s work, his blocky style seems to fit Batman perfectly as this statue oozes personality.
Standing 7.69″ tall on classic Batman emblem stand and sculpted by Paul Harding, this Black & White Batman, is full of sass. With his cape flowing in the wind and standing, leaning on one leg, Batman appears relaxed, nonchalant and has a very “whatever” attitude about him. It’s really a unique look for the caped crusader and a welcomed break from this normally deadpan, stalking stare. But if you don’t like Romita’s style, unfortunately, this piece will not convert you, even though this Batman is sleeker than his past works.
The statue’s detail is really striking considering its lack of color. The head sculpt is simple and sleek, the expression enhances this batman’s relaxed attitude but still instills a sense of focus. The head is nice but what little flaws I do see in this statue live in that part of the sculpt. His eyes are shooting down and appear to be looking at the floor which is a little off-putting. I also found is lip was missing a bit of paint and throws off the symmetry of his face a bit. But the smirk really is all that matters here as it really sells his sassy attitude.
The suit loosely fits on this slender Batman and as he cocks his body you can see the bevy of creases throughout his body. The Bat-symbol is the center of the piece and is very eye-catching as it fills his chest and the suits lines outline while guiding the eyes to it. The utility belt and gauntlet are rather plain but contour their respect parts nicely and aren’t overly gaudy like they can be. This Batman features a much more slender bottom half than most caped crusader fans are used to but the thigh strap pouches and knee pads add some much-needed bulk. The strap is a nice tactical touch in this design and I can always appreciate a nicely placed pouch when done in moderation.
As a fan of both Snyder and Romita Jr. I can’t see not owning this statue, but if you aren’t a Romita fan you may still find this version of Batman not to your liking as its very much his style. If you don’t have an aversion to Romita you will find this piece to be a unique representation of the Dark Knight.