DC Collectibles' macabre new Batman vinyl figures might just be enough to keep you awake at night.
The figures are designed by sculptor James Groman and are based on an original story he created as part of his process in which Batman, The Joker, Two-Face and Killer Croc become monstrous versions of themselves. Rather than using computer renderings to create the action figures, Groman not only designed each figure and their particularly creepy characteristics but also sculpted them all by hand. However, Groman was initially nervous about the figures.
“When said I was being commissioned to design my version of Batman, Joker, Two-Face and Killer Croc, intimidation set in,” Groman told the DC Comics blog. “Being a monster guy, I wasn't sure that the folks at DC would be open to what I might do with the Caped Crusader and his classic gallery of villains. I was wrong. I was encouraged to do whatever I wanted, to take them in any direction I thought was cool. I think they trusted me to still be respectful to the characters’ history and push it as far as I could without truly changing the characters’ basic DNA.”
In terms of the actual designs, Art Director Trevor Zammit described Two-Face as "a Mad Balls homage." Joker is a twisted jack-in-the-box, while Killer Croc may remind old-school horror fans of Troma Entertainment's The Toxic Avenger, and Batman is a hulking monstrosity. Those four figures were painted by Michael Coward. The line also includes a number of unreleased variants, including Aqua Vision Batman. Painted by Mark Bristow, that statue will actually be available exclusively on DC Universe. You can see those figures below:
"The final result is a line of figures that are some of the most artistically satisfying characters I've ever had the honor of designing," said Groman. "I've spent my life trying to conceptualize and design characters that would resonate with fans and become part of monster 'pop culture.' Batman is as big a pop culture icon as they come. Being able to have my name associated with his incredible legacy is definitely a career milestone for me."
Groman's figures are available for pre-order now.