Review – Play Arts Kai Arkham Asylum Batman
This Play Arts Kai Arkham Asylum Batman* is very likely already in your collection if you’re a Batman fan. And if it isn’t then grab one right now, because this is one of the better Batman action figures from the last few years (I say this not owning any Hot Toys pieces, so I’m probably wrong if I say this is the “best”) and it’s everything good about the Play Arts Kai series (Amazon.com search*) in one action figure. Plus, it’s Batman!
Play Arts Kai
Produced by Square Enix, and available in the US from many shops including the Square Enix webstore, the Play Arts Kai action figure series is massive, covering all kinds of video game properties. I posted the Metal Gear Solid Jungle Snake a few months ago, and if you saw those photos then you already know what level of detail and amazing work Square Enix pours into the Play Arts Kai series (Amazon.com search*).
The action figures in the series are made up of standard hinge joints and the Play Arts Kai joint which looks and feels a hell of a lot like a Revoltech joint. (See my Revoltech reviews for more info: Revoltech Transformers Starscream, Revoltech Soltic H8 “Round Facerâ€, and Revoltech Zoids Blade Liger) The articulation on the action figures in the line that I own is pretty good, but there are sometimes problems with the hips where the soft plastic waist part that covers the joints doesn’t quite come down and hide everything. The figures also don’t have as much articulation as you would expect when holding them, but the paint and sculpts on these overcome any articulation flaws.
Batman
Based on the Arkham Asylum* character design, this Play Arts Kai Batman*, as you can see from the photos, is a remarkable work of art. Tons of sculpted details — enlarge the photos directly below to see the texture on the cape and body — and everything perfect and very much Batman make me quite happy that I opened and started playing with the toy this weekend.
Batman stands about 9-inches tall to the tips of his ears and his proportions look and feel excellent. He’s bulky without being over the top, while the elongated neck — no doubt designed that was so he can look around without the shoulder-part of the cape obstructing his movement — is the one slight oddity to his basic anatomy. But once I started crouching Batman and posing him I soon forgot all about his long neck.
Articulation
So knowing that Batman uses the Play Arts joint and hinge joints probably isn’t enough for most of you. With that in mind let’s run through the various points of articulation:
- Head – Two Play Arts joints, one just beneath the point where the neck meets the head and the second where the neck meets the torso. Gives the toy FANTASTIC head motion. Really.
- Arms – Each arm has a Play Arts joint at the shoulder, just above the bicep, at the elbow, and at the wrist. (And the extra hands help a lot; Batman has two “fists” and two hands designed to hold his accessories.)
That works out to almost twenty different points of articulation. Not bad at all.
Accessories
In addition to the extra hands the Play Arts Kai Arkham Asylum Batman* also comes with a grapple gun and a Batarang, both of which you can see in the photos further down on the page. Nice sculpts, and perfect extras, but I’ll be posing my Batman on the shelf with his fists and drop the accessories in the box. It’s a personal preference and not that there’s anything at all wrong with the accessories.
Paint
Not quite as good as the toy’s sculpt, but that’s really to be expected when an artist creates the original sculpt and a factory worker (or, actually, workers) paints the toy. But Square Enix didn’t skimp on the paint and there are lots of shaded details and dry brushing that brings out the sculpted texture on the armor and the cape. And that face is excellent, with just a little bleed over from the cowl spilling onto the flesh . . . but you can only really notice it if you stare or enlarge the photos that I shot.
Cape
The above shots show how the cape is made of three pieces, one of which is locked in place and two on Play Arts joints. The joints are just one way that you can pose the cape; Batman actually comes with a replacement cape piece for the left side of the figure so that you can either have the cape wrapping around the toy or flared out. If you click through the various photos I shot for the review I think you’ll quickly be able to spot the differences between the two cape parts. Swapping the parts is easy; just yank and it comes right off of the peg on the joint.
Closing Thoughts
The Play Arts Kai Arkham Asylum Batman* is awesome. Seriously, if there’s one Batman action figure that you buy this year make it this one . . . and maybe the Armored Batman that I photographed at New York Toy Fair earlier this year (photos here) because if it’s anything at all like this one it’s going to be a great addition to any Batman collection.
There are now five Play Arts Kai series (Amazon.com search*) action figures in my collection and I am certain there will be more. If you’ve never played with any of the toys in this series before I think you’ll be impressed if you buy one; the sculpt is cool, the plastic feels great, and everything about the toy is a quality work. Trust me on this one, Batman fans, skip three or four Mattel or DC Direct action figures and grab yourself one of these. You’ll be happy that you did.
Philip Reed needs to rearrange the Batman toys and statues on the shelf so that he can get this guy in a good spot where everyone can see it.
I’ve got that metal gear solid cyber ninja on pre-order. He will be my first play arts kai figure. Based on the cost I’m going to play it safe by waiting until I have him in-hand before I buy another one (although Hastings now has Noble 6 for $25, that’s mighty tempting).
Great review. If I like the ninja as much as I hope I do, then I’ll turn around and get batman too.
It would be totally unfair for me to say “you beat me to it!” since this thing has been sitting on my shelf for weeks, but…
Great review. Mine is coming eventually 🙂
In this age of toy manufacturers cutting every conceivable corner, it’s great that companies like Play Arts are still making REAL action figures of edgy properties in fantastic scale. I own several Play Arts figs, and will get more. Arkham Batman is an example of what a toy company that gives a crap about their customers can do. Batman is awesome!
In this age of toy manufacturers cutting every conceivable corner, it’s great that companies like Play Arts are still making REAL action figures of edgy properties in fantastic scale. I own several Play Arts figs, and will get more. Arkham Batman is an example of what a toy company that gives a crap about their customers can do. Batman is awesome!
@clark – I also want that ninja. The photos look great and at NYTF the sample in the case was amazing. This entire series continues to impress me; I suspect you’ll love it and want Batman.
@Poe Ghostal – Thanks! I managed to get this review up pretty fast, but mostly because I had to get him open and share. It is a very nice figure.
@Zachary – I don’t have a lot of the figures in this series . . . I know I’ll have more.
I got my Gray Fox in yesterday. There are a couple of small issues I have with him, but overall he is incredibly cool. My favorite thing about him is, unlike some other Play Arts Kai figures, how well his joints are hidden within the sculpt. Maybe it’s the nature of his outfit that helps.
Makes me wish Square Enix could make a movie Iron Man or Snake Eyes, since I can’t afford the Hot Toys versions.
@clark – Thanks for the report! That’s one of the figures I have been looking at. What I’m finding with the Play Arts Kai series is that each figure has minor issues, but overall each is so cool that I can overlook the oddities and weirdness.