Was Funko's Founders Gift Statue worth the wait? Read on to find out!
Review by Matt Cummings
When Funko entered the DC space to deliver subscribers an every-other-month box, subscribers who paid for the year in advance (whom they called Founders) would be rewarded with a gift. Well, one year later and Funko has delivered on its promise, and the results are pretty spectacular, even though it doesn't look a thing like a Funko.
The Promise
Before we begin, let's look at the deal again: promising a value of $50, the sub continues the tradition of Funko partnering each time to deliver an exclusive figure and t-shirt without the fluff or filter (their words). Joining at the VIGILANTE MEMBERSHIP, members receive 6 boxes every year, with the promise of an exclusive themed collectible gift on the one-year anniversary of your annual membership pf $150 p sh/h. You can also subscribe at the SIDEKICK LEVEL at $25 with $6.95 shipping. That's literally the same deal as Marvel Collector Corps. And just like Marvel, DC/Funko promised a similar one-year anniversary item with a VIGILANTE theme.
The Delivery
Once we knew that Funko would be shipping a golden statue similar to MCC's Captain America, it was clear who Legion would choose as their first: Batman. But did they get this sculpt right? As always, we use QUALITY and TIMING to base our reviews, so let's see how this anniversary statue stacks up.
Quality
It's clear that any issues I might have had with the golden Cap statue (and I did) are not repeated here. The statue is heavy, with a nice base and a plate that reads LEGION OF COLLECTORS. The sculpt is very static, reflecting the shape of an Oscar, but everything looks proportional. This is Batman in his most pristine state: no ripped cape, no damaged suit. The utility belt is highly designed, and those abs which are such a hilarious part of THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE stand out ready to defend crime all on their own. Even the box - with its DC logo on top - oozes quality. Count this section as a WIN.
Timing
My only real issue with MCC's Captain America was the sculpt itself. The sculpt was just missing something that to this day I can't quite figure out. Perhaps it was the over-sized head and classic sculpt. But it appears DC learned from that lesson with Batman. So the only question here is timing: why did they produce a classic Batman when the series centers around a Funko theme? Personally, I think the question is moot (and always has been): if Marvel wanted to ship me a Legends figure in its set, count me in. If DC wanted to hook me up with any of its new incredible lines, please do so. Therefore, I don't have a problem at all with Bats looking non-Funko. To be honest, a golden statue of a big-headed toy wouldn't look right, which is probably something Funko realized when they began their designs of these statues. For both DC and Marvel, I think their next figures (which have to be Iron Man and Superman respectively) are going to kill it. They're just better figures to produce that will look amazing in gold. For now, count the timing to be a solid WIN, even though it's not Funko themed.
The Bottom Line
DC's Legion of Collectors BATMAN Statue is an impressive and beautiful gift for Founders fans. For something I paid zero dollars to secure, it's extremely nice. The gold chrome is high-quality, the statue itself has a lot of weight to it, and even the packaging is spectacular. I have no problem with it not being a Funko toy, and have every intention of showing this one off in my case. I can totally understand why some are not happy about another golden statue, but I think it's far better than that disastrous Hikari Cap we got with MCC's Year One box. If this is a taste of the lines we'll be receiving from our Founders membership, I can't wait to see what the next rounds look like. This item comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Want to read our other sub box reviews? We've got them all listed below:
MARVEL COLLECTOR CORPS
May
June
August
October
December
February
April
June
August
October
December
DC LEGION REVIEWS
May
July
September
November
January
SMUGGLER'S BOUNTY
January
March
May
July
September
November
Discuss this review with author Matt Cummings at @mfc90125.
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