Hot Toys The Dark Knight Joker DX/Artisan 1/6 Scale Figure

[BrooklynWolf X]

Despite I still hope to get one, I still kind of hope the do. Hot Toys needs to come back to their roots. They were such a passionate and visionary company. Just look what they did with their Iron Man line. They improved so much over the years, that you were basically waiting for blinking and breathing features. Than they started with rereleases and became lazy. So maybe they should screw this up to benefit in the long term…

HT should stick with what they know and do. We have better options today. While HT were busy with re-releases and Disney/Marvel, other companies were filling the holes in our collection and have surpassed them.

What IS promising for me though is from here on out HT HAVE to put in effort into their products. Artisan Anakin is something they should’ve released years ago, but better late than never. If every future SW figure can match THAT, then I as a consumer benefit from it.

I have InArt to fill my DC collection I.e. Joker, Battinson, BVS line. I want LoTR? InArt has me covered. I want anime? I got rocket toys. Final Fantasy? I got GAMETOYS. Live action Rurouni Kenshin? SooSooToys. SW? I got HT…BUT, they need to be of the same quality as Anakin. Anything less and it’s peace out.

We don’t need HT for every IP.

 

[BrooklynWolf X]

What figure is Inart releasing that isn't a re-release of a competitor's?

They’re not re-releases though. InArt are a new company and every figure on their slate is “NEW”. That’s like saying HT’s 1/4 Baleman is a re-release of Enterbay’s 1/4 Baleman. See what i mean?

Say 2 years down the line and InArt announces Joker again with MINIMAL changes, then it’s a re-release under InArt’s brand.

 

[Cocoboloboy]

What figure is Inart releasing that isn't a re-release of a competitor's?

I completely understand where you’re coming from here. Everything IA is doing has been done before at least once by official 1/6 companies if not multiple times so, yes, they are “re-releases” of figures others have already done as you’ve said.

The Batman figure is probably as close to a fresh face as they’ve got since they’re neck and neck with HT on that one.

 

[TheBatman]

What's wrong with having an alternative? Its like saying what has Ford done that isnt a re-release of a competitor?

Its an open market. Do your business, put out good products, make your money.

 

[GaryPool]

So annoyingly I didn't get one, but I wouldn't mind getting the sculpted then paying for a better hair root anyway.

But definitely want to nab Anakin.

Just as a reference, my signal is shocking on my phone, on a farm in a festival, so have to go out a bit to get some signal...

I've rspv'd already, what's the best way to proceed? How did people get in the queue early? Did you just click the link to the figure from the email they sent a couple of days to a week ago?

 

[batfan08]

HT should stick with what they know and do. We have better options today. While HT were busy with re-releases and Disney/Marvel, other companies were filling the holes in our collection and have surpassed them.

What IS promising for me though is from here on out HT HAVE to put in effort into their products. Artisan Anakin is something they should’ve released years ago, but better late than never. If every future SW figure can match THAT, then I as a consumer benefit from it.

I have InArt to fill my DC collection I.e. Joker, Battinson, BVS line. I want LoTR? InArt has me covered. I want anime? I got rocket toys. Final Fantasy? I got GAMETOYS. Live action Rurouni Kenshin? SooSooToys. SW? I got HT…BUT, they need to be of the same quality as Anakin. Anything less and it’s peace out.

We don’t need HT for every IP.

And that’s what I’m loving about this. Even if I sold my IA Joker, I’ve still got my Battinson set coming from them and he’s not going anywhere. I’m getting high quality Batman ‘66 villains after a decade of waiting on HT from third parties and they’re killing it. Mondo’s making all kinds of cool stuff from the classic animation I grew up with (controversial as it may be sometimes), and third parties like LimToys are absolutely killing it with stuff from some of my favorite games like The Last of Us and Red Dead 2. The only ones that make me sad are Sideshow and their Clint Eastwood line. I wish that SSC had some sort of desire or fire in their bellies to try and compete and improve because with a license like that? If they were even on the same level as old HT, I’d be in heaven.

But, to your point, it’s an amazing time in this hobby and I like to see Hot Toys trying. I know they’re big and everybody loves an underdog, but I want to see IA succeed and grow into something amazing while also seeing Hot Toys re-assert themselves and actually give a **** after years of resting on their laurels and coasting off the fact that they were the only game in town. Ultimately, I think this is a damn exciting time to be in this hobby. It’s certainly the most excited I’ve been in years…

 

[Raleig.h]

What figure is Inart releasing that isn't a re-release of a competitor's?

 

[karamazov80]

The more I see pics of this figure, the less I like it. Sculpt isn't a great reflection of Joker's personality, and he looks more bulky and imposing than he should. Not sure what it is, just tailoring, or potentially the posing and sculpt contributing to this. While undeniably an improvement over previous HT Jokers, it also doesn't have nearly as many nifty extras as DX-11 did. While the eye system is superior to the Inart version, I'm not seeing much else that would make this an upgrade for me.

I'm also not seeing how the base supports the figure. Surely they will have something to hold him up.

 

[rayeknor]

Product photos are always distorting, especially the official ones. Dig up some 4k convention footage, he looks great.

 

[BrooklynWolf X]

And that’s what I’m loving about this. Even if I sold my IA Joker, I’ve still got my Battinson set coming from them and he’s not going anywhere. I’m getting high quality Batman ‘66 villains after a decade of waiting on HT from third parties and they’re killing it. Mondo’s making all kinds of cool stuff from the classic animation I grew up with (controversial as it may be sometimes), and third parties like LimToys are absolutely killing it with stuff from some of my favorite games like The Last of Us and Red Dead 2. The only ones that make me sad are Sideshow and their Clint Eastwood line. I wish that SSC had some sort of desire or fire in their bellies to try and compete and improve because with a license like that? If they were even on the same level as old HT, I’d be in heaven.

But, to your point, it’s an amazing time in this hobby and I like to see Hot Toys trying. I know they’re big and everybody loves an underdog, but I want to see IA succeed and grow into something amazing while also seeing Hot Toys re-assert themselves and actually give a **** after years of resting on their laurels and coasting off the fact that they were the only game in town. Ultimately, I think this is a damn exciting time to be in this hobby. It’s certainly the most excited I’ve been in years…

Yup, great post.

Many need to face this fact:

You (a general ‘you’) may want HT to get the license to a particular IP, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re gonna make a quality product. There’s definitely an A team and B team that’s tasked to produce figures based on priority and tier list. For me, something like resident evil is an A tier franchise, but HT tossed the IP to their B team and the end result shows; they are low effort figures.

Would I want a company with that approach to toy design and manufacturing produce figures from Naruto? NO. Let a company like Rocket toys, who clearly has love and passion for the IP, make them. their figures have been PHENOMENAL and I truly do not believe HT could have made anything remotely close to their quality. It’s not speculation. It’s FACT.

Right now, All I can ask for, as a SW fan and occasional marvel fan, is they make every figure from those respective IPs on the same level as Anakin or better. Want me to buy ROTJ Luke 2.0 (aka NOT TRASH VERSION)? Give me 2 portraits without recycling mando and esb sculpt, wool hair, Endor gear and I’ll gladly PO 2.

Want me to get another Cap? Give me a Steve rogers portrait where I don’t need to squint, tilt my head, adjust my eyesight to fill in the blanks to see the Chris evans likeness, outfit that ACTUALLY allows dynamic poses, no pin head, EFFIN TRAPS…then I’ll PO 2.

As I said before, anything less and it’s peace out.

 

[DiostaR]

Managed to order Anakin but not the Joker sadly... Waitlisted tho, there's still hope.

 

[batfan08]

Yup, great post.

Many need to face this fact:

You (a general ‘you’) may want HT to get the license to a particular IP, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re gonna make a quality product. There’s definitely an A team and B team that’s tasked to produce figures based on priority and tier list. For me, something like resident evil is an A tier franchise, but HT tossed the IP to their B team and the end result shows; they are low effort figures.

Would I want a company with that approach to toy design and manufacturing produce figures from Naruto? NO. Let a company like Rocket toys, who clearly has love and passion for the IP, make them. their figures have been PHENOMENAL and I truly do not believe HT could have made anything remotely close to their quality. It’s not speculation. It’s FACT.

Right now, All I can ask for, as a SW fan and occasional marvel fan, is they make every figure from those respective IPs on the same level as Anakin or better. Want me to buy ROTJ Luke 2.0 (aka NOT TRASH VERSION)? Give me 2 portraits without recycling mando and esb sculpt, wool hair, Endor gear and I’ll gladly PO 2.

Want me to get another Cap? Give me a Steve rogers portrait where I don’t need to squint, tilt my head, adjust my eyesight to fill in the blanks to see the Chris evans likeness, outfit that ACTUALLY allows dynamic poses, no pin head, EFFIN TRAPS…then I’ll PO 2.

As I said before, anything less and it’s peace out.

That, of course, is the double edged sword of progress. Now that we know what we’re capable of when they try, it’s gonna be a lot harder for them to slack off and it not be incredibly apparent.

 

[Bleah]

Welp... scouting the Joker PO yesterday proved pointless today for Anakin.

 

[CrystalLakeCamper]

…you mean InArt has ALREADY elevated

Yes, InArt has kicked it off, no doubt. I misspoke. Artisan edition from HT is more affordable in my region so is what I was referring to. My bad.

 

[Gipetto0812]

[...]

I'm also not seeing how the base supports the figure. Surely they will have something to hold him up.

There's a little rod you put around the figure's leg that hides under the pant leg just like with the recent Indy figure. Not the most elegant design and definitely won’t be stable if the knees and/or the ankles give out over time

 

[Godfather1408]

Tbh the leg thing is lame not a fan of that. Doesn't add much stability for the figure.

 

[Chronos1919]

There's a little rod you put around the figure's leg that hides under the pant leg just like with the recent Indy figure. Not the most elegant design and definitely won’t be stable if the knees and/or the ankles give out over time

I'll take that over a crotch-grabber stand. Still prefer the idea of magnets, like InArt is doing. Something that doesn't have a presence that detract from the figure. My least favorite by far are the flexible waist-grabbers that are a ***** to pose and have too much presence.

 

[Gipetto0812]

I’m fine with crotch/waist grabbers. I understand ppl want something less obtrusive, but given how much these cost (with prices rising), I’d rather have them secured from falling over and the risk of extra damage in lieu of no crotch/waist grabber.

If InArt updates how they do the magnets on future releases I can get on board with them, but as it stands, I don’t care for the magnets yet. If I wanted the 1/6 figures I buy to be pretty much forced into one place one a base, I’d buy statues exclusively

 

[DiFabio]

The more I see pics of this figure, the less I like it. Sculpt isn't a great reflection of Joker's personality, and he looks more bulky and imposing than he should. Not sure what it is, just tailoring, or potentially the posing and sculpt contributing to this. While undeniably an improvement over previous HT Jokers, it also doesn't have nearly as many nifty extras as DX-11 did. While the eye system is superior to the Inart version, I'm not seeing much else that would make this an upgrade for me.

I'm also not seeing how the base supports the figure. Surely they will have something to hold him up.

Everyone that went crazy for the preorders are going to come to the same conclusion after they wait two years and get it in hand, especially when the rooted hair doesn’t look as good as the proto (which didn’t look all that great in the first place).

But rest assured, there will be an Artisan 2.0 (Hot Toys Joker 6.0) that everyone will hype up.

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

How many times is HT going to beat this horse?