InebriatedGnome
Super Freak
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2015
- Messages
- 1,455
- Reaction score
- 4
Newer figures have better bodies, the elbow and neck joints in particular have improved a lot. Suit complexity is better for sure, and of course Tony knows a lot more than me about sculpting and stitching.
Against the DKR: the cape attachment is very rudimentary and relatively fragile, but most collectors won't put stress on it, so you don't hear many complaints. Elbow joints are also a weak point because the gauntlet stops any bend greater than 90 degrees, and while the feet are broad enough to provide very stable stances without a stand, the ankle joints themselves suck. Finally, the accessories are very basic compared to the newer stuff, paint quality is much worse.
Where DKR beats out most other Mezco figures is the design and overall quality. Because the suit is simple, they got almost all of it right. The colours look great, the fabric doesn't hinder the articulation significantly, and the stylised sculpt captures the character very well. The later figures' sculpts are more technically impressive, absolutely, but because they're either attempts to capture real people (which even Hot Toys hasn't perfected) or Mezco reinterpretations of characters, few other sculpts compare so favourably to the source material. I think the cape is a standout feature on its own; I have never seen a better cape in this scale, not even on later Mezco figures. Most 1/6 capes don't compare either.
What everyone is forgetting about DKR is the price when it released. Part of why people praised it so highly was that it cost $65 and shipping, so you'd get a super high-quality toy for $75 or so. That value proposition goes out the window today. Sure it's a great figure at $65, and I'd say it still excellent at $90. Is it worth it at all at $150, $200? Absolutely not lol.
Here are my recommendations. If you can get the DKR at $90-100 or a little more, I'd go that route. It's taller and scales better with other non-movie Mezco figures, and the look of the design is brilliant. But it's not worth $150+ for worse design. People still love the DoJ and it's a great figure especially if you can get it cheaper. Finally, if you're going the custom route, get the DoJ. For customs, you just want the best body and joints out of the two, and you can replace the areas where DoJ is a weaker design than DKR (cape, headsculpt, potentially suit) and keep the improvements in articulation.
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