Figure Review: Play Arts Kai Arkham Knight

The long wait is finally over...

Bad ass AK poster

One of my most anticipated Play Arts Kai figures to hit the shelves this year is the Arkham Knight, and I can say I'm glad that he is now part of my growing PAK collection. As a bit of a character background, the Arkham Knight is a fresh persona for the Arkhamverse, created by Rocksteady Studios and Geoff Johns (DC Comics' CCO and writer) for the 2015 action-adventure video game 'Batman: Arkham Knight'. In the game's storyline, he harbors a vendetta against the Dark Knight, with the intention of eradicating the latter after making him suffer. For him to fulfill the mission, he aligns himself with one of Gotham's most notorious villains, Dr. Jonathan Crane a.k.a. the Scarecrow. Now, I won't spill the beans about the ending of the game's main story, as there could still be others who haven't played it yet, but all I can say is that it has a rather interesting denouement.

And there's that elusive figure stand...

I was definitely thrilled with the figure when I saw the images of its painted prototype (together with the Batman and Harley Quinn figures) from last February's New York Toy Fair/NYTF. I must admit that I really had no idea what the game was all about at first, thinking that the title "Arkham Knight" referred to the Caped Crusader himself. But as it turned out, I realized that he's another character who's set to wreak havoc against Bruce, thanks to the images from NYTF and a little research on the game itself. And for a guy who's dressed up like an anti-Batman archetype, he's got a truly impressive character design along with a remarkable array of weapons.

Still waitin' for 'Daddy's Lil Monster'

My current collection of PAK Arkham Knight figures consists of Batman himself and the Arkham Knight. I passed on the Robin figure because I am not really impressed with its design (I mean, I never saw a bald Robin in the comics or animated films and series before!). I am currently waiting for the Harley Quinn figure that's sporting a uniquely styled costume, which is another impressive take on a classic DC villain. 

Sleek AK packaging

The figure comes in a standard PAK Arkham Knight packaging. The flap/front cover shows an image of the Arkham Knight regally striking a pose, with a shot of the moon obscured by clouds at night behind him. The back of the packaging shows the figure being placed on several cool action stances. Moreover, there's a picture of the Harley Quinn figure (she's 'No. 4') as part of the second wave of this Play Arts line.

Extra info No. 3

Figure/package description:

Enemies from the past attack...
An epic story appropriate for the final chapter.

As the epic conclusion to the BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM and BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY game series, BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT features the return of prominent super-villains including THE PENGUIN, TWO-FACE and HARLEY QUINN. The SCARECROW secretly returns to GOTHAM CITY and unites these adversaries in a plot to defeat the BATMAN once and for all. Beautiful next-gen console graphics, intense action from utilizing BATMAN's unique arsenal of gadgets, and a thrilling storyline makes this title the ultimate culmination of the BATMAN narrative.

A new villain of immense proportion emerges... 
what is his purpose? 

In BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT, previously defeated super-villains, despite their chaotic tendencies, unite to kill the BATMAN. The ARKHAM KNIGHT is a brand new villain that makes his debut with this title, but his identity and mission are still shrouded in mystery. Wearing a bodysuit with a silhouette that bears a striking resemblance to BATMAN, he is cloaked in a veil of secrecy. He delights in tormenting BATMAN... What is the true identity of the eponymous ARKHAM KNIGHT...?

Sticky clamshell

Just like any other Play Arts Kai product, the core figure and the accessories are neatly stored within a clamshell package. As always, it would take some amount of effort to separate the translucent plastic from the dark plastic, which is a good thing. That only means the figure has not been tampered with.

Bulky and impractical... again

Honestly, I thought that the collectors were going to get a different kind of figure stand this time around, based on what was shown during this year's New York Toy Fair. Much to my disappointment, Play Arts is still offering the same bulky and almost useless figure stand as always. I do hope someday they will change this one.

As for the accessories of the Arkham Knight, he's got the following:

1) Three extra (and interchangeable) pair of hands:

Eight hands are better than two

2) A pair of Tomb Raider-esque handguns:

Looks like he stole something from Ms. Croft...

3) A heavy-duty sniper rifle:

Two little bang-bang's never gonna match the sight of this big baby

4) A folded magazine with the catch (interchangeable with the default magazine):

Folded and hung

5) An alternate helmet piece which depicts his default appearance:

Blind as a bat

Now, on to the actual figure:

A knight in gloomy armor

Though the Arkham Knight figure isn't really a perfect piece, I've got to say that it is still one of the best handiworks of Play Arts to date. They have captured every detail of the character based on his video game design, making it a stunningly accurate representation of Batman's new nemesis. The figure is around 11 inches tall, and boasts over 20 points of articulation (which is standard among all of the current PAK figures so far).  

One dope headgear!

The Arkham Knight wears a cowled helmet piece, which for me is the best feature of the figure. He comes with two interchangeable heads: one which recreates his default appearance (my favorite by the way), and the other which gives off a 'glowing eye' effect. In the game, he uses his mask to cover his identity, as well as provide himself with a heads-up display which helps in keeping track of his own forces as they move around Gotham. I've seen some parts of the gameplay wherein the Arkham Knight removes the second layer of his mask after taking some hits from Batman, and underneath it is actually another helmet which is featureless with a reddish hue. It would have been great if Play Arts included that as a third helmet piece, but what are you gonna do, right? 

Say "A"

The Arkham Knight sports a well-designed obsidian costume (or battlesuit), which is actually a militaristic version of the Batsuit. Sources say that this is intended to mock Batman's appearance. Clearly, the character, at first glance, is a dead-ringer of the Caped Crusader himself (without the cape, of course). The chest plate, which bears the 'A' or Arkham symbol, has a dual purpose. Primarily, it is used as a defensive component against certain attacks with its angular design, particularly in deflecting the Batclaw. Secondly, it serves as an intangible weapon, as the Arkham symbol itself could place Bruce at a psychological disadvantage due to the various incidents in Arkham that have somehow affected him. The figure also has some sort of a backpack which blends well with the outfit's design.

Armed to the teeth

The waist section of the figure is filled with several armaments, particularly pouches and canisters. These canisters could be that of smoke and concussion grenades. A large strap is also apparent which would serve as a support for the cylindrical weapons.

G.I. Joe?

As for the lower limbs section, the Arkham Knight wears lightweight camouflage pants that has the same color pattern as the rest of the suit. He also dons a dandy, high-tech footwear that could put Batman's boots to shame.  

More A's

The figure also sports some neatly designed shoulder armor or pauldrons. Just like the chest piece, these components also bear the Arkham symbol.

Nifty gauntlets...

Perhaps the second best feature of the figure is his gauntlets. According to the character designer, these devices are utilized to parry his opponents' weapons, particularly Batman's blades. Despite its bulky design, the gauntlets are actually made of a lightweight material so that the wielder can execute rapid strikes. 

... that remind me of Jacqueline Briggs

The underside of the gauntlets has a more robotic design. Being a collector of Transformers action figures as well, it actually reminds me of a Decepticon figure, though I'm not quite sure which one. Heck, it even makes me think of a Mortal Kombat character.

AK needs a chiropractor

As I've pointed out earlier, the Arkham Knight figure isn't really a flawless piece. Having said that, I only have two minor gripes about the figure. First is the shoulder joint. I would think that Play Arts specifically designed this for positioning the figure while holding the sniper rifle to achieve a wider range of poseability. However, if these joints are utilized to somewhere near their maximum capacity, the back of the figure would certainly look weird enough as some hollow areas are being exposed in the process.

Slit!

Another minor gripe that I have is the slit on the right leg of the figure which enables the lower portion to rotate. Though it's really not something to be frowned upon, I found that the left leg has no slit at all, which makes it a little unbalanced. It's not a big deal anyway, and looking at the Arkham Knight as a whole, these flaws dissolve quite easily in the awesomeness of the figure.

Now for some epic stances:  

"Go ahead, make my day (...or night)"

One more reason for good ol' Bats to watch out for rooftops

Double whammy!

And here he is posed with some of my other PAK figures:

Bad blood

"Die, devil bird!"

The AK's: Arkham Knight and Advent Kid

Final thoughts: In my opinion, the Arkham Knight is one of those PAK figures that give the best bang for the buck. It may have some minor flaws, but it's a solid action figure overall. Additionally, character artist Albert Feliu stated that the materials of the Arkham Knight's paraphernalia (helmet, body armor, gauntlets and boots) were actually inspired by the design of a fighter plane - in his own words: "highly resistant, unreflective, and totally intimidating". So, what's not to like?

'Batman: Arkham Knight' Collector's Edition (not really)

Is the Arkham Knight's design better than Batman's, or is it the other way around? Sound off in the comments below.

Figure Review: Play Arts Kai Predator

The Predator - I'd consider this guy as one of the meanest, coolest, and most badass characters ever created in the history of geekdom. I first saw him in one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's 80's sci-fi/action flicks, entitled 'Predator'. The story follows an elite band of soldiers, led by Arnie's character Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer, sent on a mission in a jungle to rescue an official held hostage by rebels/guerillas in Val Verde (which, by the way, is a fictional country). Upon reaching the place, they are secretly stalked by the Predator (played by the late Kevin Peter Hall), a technologically advanced form of extraterrestrial life who crashlands in the jungle prior to the team's arrival. The big guy (he's a bulky, 200+ pound, 7-footer) kills off Arnie's team members one by one, starting with Hawkins (played by Shane Black - yup, that guy who directed 2013's "Iron Man 3"). Schaefer ultimately faces-off with the Predator in a climactic combat/duel, wherein he emerged as the victor. The Predator wasn't able to accept his defeat and entered into a suicidal "if I die, you die" move, setting off his wrist gauntlet as a mini-atomic bomb (which Arnie survives, much to his disappointment - ha ha!).  

One of my most watched sci-fi flicks

I've got to admit that I've watched this movie a million times already since I was a kid (and which I occasionally do so until now), so I know the story quite well. The film was followed by Predator 2, which was set in the streets of Los Angeles, with Danny Glover in the lead role. Other sequels/spin-off/reboots/whatever emerged, namely 'Aliens vs Predator', 'Aliens vs Predator 2: Requiem', and the latest which was entitled 'Predators'.

McFarlane's Celtic Predator - Cool mask!

There were several toy companies in the past that produced Predator figures. As far as I can remember, Kenner produced one of the first lines of these figures, which included several versions - namely the Scavage, Cracked Tusk, Spiked Tail (I never knew Predators had tails though), and Lava Planet versions, among others. McFarlane's also took their chance in representing the Predators, which they based on the original movies as well as the AvP movies - featuring the Elder, Scar, and Celtic Predators (with some boxed sets too). There's also NECA who, until this day, produces a wide array of Predator versions, which are really cool as well. From Kenner to McFarlane's to NECA, the figures improved, particularly on the sculpt and articulation.

SDCC 2014 Prototype - "Two thumbs up!"

Then along came Play Arts Kai. Now, Play Arts is well-known for their keen attention to detail, and when I first saw the pics of the Classic Predator from the San Diego Comic-Con of 2014 circling around the Web, I was completely mind-blown! I mean, a great company to produce one of the most iconic movie characters/aliens (and not to mention one of my favorites) - that's just plain awesome! I only had one thing in mind: "I gotta have it!". Almost a year later, I now own one of the most outstanding figures ever made in the history of making action figures!

Whew! That was the longest intro I've written so far - ha ha! Now, let's get to the review:

That's one dope packaging!

So first, we have the figure's packaging. The front package art shows the Predator (also known as the 'Yautja') standing in a forest, like he's patiently (or impatiently) waiting to kick Arnie's butt. At the back of the packaging, we see the Predator in several cool poses, along with some English, Japanese and German texts. As a trademark of the Play Arts packaging, it has an open flap which features the backstory of the figure. The figure itself can be seen clearly behind the translucent plastic, along with his various accessories (which I will discuss in detail later).

Extra info...

Figure description: "The result of a primitive culture paired with a supreme intellect, the Predator established itself as a new breed of invader from space. Now the original Predator makes its appearance in the PLAY ARTS KAI lineup. Its raw, organic details as well as the realistic metallic sheen of its armor are both captured in this one figure, to bring out the contrasting primal and advanced technological characteristics of the Predator. 

Utilization of translucent parts in select areas and the intense paintwork application creates the realistic wet look of a living creature, while inorganic elements like the armor and weapons are tarnished and weathered, just like in the movie. 

There are a wide variety of accessories, from an interchangeable face piece and helmet, to a human skull that the Predator has obtained through its hunt. Figure also includes display stand and interchangeable hand parts."

A-little-hard-to-open clamshell packaging

Opening the box and getting its content out, we can see the figure neatly and tightly stored within a clamshell package. It would take some effort to separate the translucent plastic from the dark plastic that encase the figure, but that's how you'll know that the figure hasn't been tampered with (otherwise, if you see the two materials already separated even with the slightest distance, then you need to think twice before buying it).

Bulky and useless

Then we have the "obligatory" figure stand. Like I said before in my Armored Batman review, I really don't utilize the stand as it could take up some space within the cab - it's bulky and I can say that it's useless because Play Arts figures can stand well on their own (unless, of course, you're going to display them sporting some dramatic pose). As of now, I've already got tons of Play Arts stands piled up somewhere, perhaps I'd sell them to interested parties.

Let's get down to the accessories. Now, the Predator doesn't have much accessories, but I think he has everything he needs to be an imposing brute. He's got:

(1) A removable mandible/mouth piece and a cool alien helmet (Bio-Helmet):

Say "Aaaaa"

(2) Two pairs of interchangeable hands:

Hands down

(3) An articulated shoulder cannon (Plasma Caster):

Little boomstick!

(4) The skull of Mac, one of Schaefer's unfortunate buddies:

The skull of old Ben...

Moving on to the actual figure:

Sway!

Like I've mentioned earlier, Play Arts really pays close attention to detail, and all I can say is that they've nailed it - 110%! From head to toe, this Predator figure is sheer perfection. It stands about 10 inches tall, and weighs approximately 480 grams.

"You're one ugly motherf*cker" - Dutch

Let's start with the face. According to Dutch, the Predator is "one ugly motherf*cker", and really, no other words can describe its mug. It's got a face only a mother could love - featuring small yellow eyes that are nearly obscured due to their depth, and arthropod-like mandibles with no visible nose. Other sources speculate that their mandibles may be used in reproduction or mating rituals (yikes!). It sports a reptilian-like, brown/green/black combo complexion, with traces of sweat or moisture all over.

Eeekkk!!!

With its mouth opened, the Predator has a limited number of teeth - two on its upper gum and four on the lower one. As hideous as its visage may seem, Stan Winston really did a great job in designing the creature.

"Ya Mon!"

The Predator is well-known for its signature "dreadlocks" - long, hair-like appendages on its head that are set into its skull. The dreadlocks are crafted well into the figure's head, with a magnificent "swaying" effect. The locks have blackish hue, which slowly become translucent at the tips.

Ze epic mask

The figure features an alternate head - the dark gray bio-mask. In the movies, this is perhaps the most important equipment of the Predator, as it contains several systems to enhance the creature's thermal vision, as well as offer additional vision modes in other electromagnetic spectra (ranging from night vision to ultraviolet and even vibration scanning). The mask is superbly sculpted, with three small dots on the upper right side, which serves as the Predator's triangulation laser sight to effectively wound or kill its prey/victim with the shoulder cannon (also known as the "plasma caster").

Alien dud and some decors

Moving on to the torso area, the Predator sports several neat features. The upper part of the torso is comprised of a strap-on dark gray armor, which resembles that of a gladiator's battle armor. The Predator also wears a net-like suit which is evident on its torso, left arm, and both legs. Furthermore, the figure wears two slings adorned with some bone fragments - particularly a spine and several tiny skulls.

He needs extra-terrestrial pants...

For the waist section, the Predator has a dark gray crotch armor, with two hip plates/guards on both sides. Underneath the crotch armor is a Tarzan-ish cloth piece which has a brown-black color tone.

Jurassic feet

On the lower limbs section, the Predator has a nicely detailed leg armor that serves as shin guards. Moreover, the creature's feet somehow resembles that of a dinosaur's, particularly a T-Rex.

Take a bow

As for its weaponry, the Predator sports a plasma caster on the left shoulder, attached to a large shoulder pack. This device is a ranged weapon that is able to direct plasma bolts at distant targets, which is aimed via the Bio-Mask/helmet.

Snikt!

The Predator also has two gauntlets/bracers. The right bracer serves as a storage for the wrist blades (razor-sharp serrated blades used for close combat).

The last resort (Ka-Boom!)

The left bracer functions as the creature's Sat-Com, which (1) incorporates a touch-pad technology to control its cloaking device, (2) serves as a self-destruct mechanism ('hara-kiri' mode), and (3) remotely pilots Predator vessels (as seen in the movie 'Predators') as well. Moreover, the pad can be opened, revealing some really cool details.

Heroic pose!

Open wide!

The Predator can be posed in several epic stances. But like I've stated in my previous review, I tend not to put my figures in their maximum posing capabilities - once I've placed them in a nifty pose, then that's it.

Time Check!

One of my favorite Predator stance is what I personally call the "time-check pose".

Yautjan soliloquy: "To be, or not to be..."

Final thoughts: When I first saw the SDCC pics of the Predator, I was certainly stoked with it. It's movie accurate, and for a price of around 120 bucks (U.S.), it's absolutely worth every penny. In my opinion, this Play Arts version is what I'd call the best among the rest of the Predator figures out there. It's truly a must have for every Predator fan!

Bloodmatch!

Do you reckon this is the best Predator figure yet? Let me know in the comments below.