Review : Bruce Wayne Gotham Select (Diamond Select Toys) Wave/Series : Series 3 Released : November 2016
£19.99 - £22.99
While the main story focuses on Jim Gordon, one of the nice things about the Gotham series is to see how the young Bruce Wayne starts to develop into the man that will of course become Batman. In nearly every movie this is dealt with in just a few scenes and flashbacks - but here it is being spread over the lifetime of the show.
Diamond's Gotham Select figures have now reached Series 3, and while the first 2 series focused on the 1st season of Gotham - this new wave now moves to the 2nd season and the first half story line Rise of the Villains.
Bruce Wayne is the first of three figures in this series, being released alongside Mr Zsasz and Barbara Kean. Bruce is packed in the usual large blister style packaging that is a trademark of the Select figures. Being a teenager, and therefore smaller than the other figures to date (except of course Selina) Bruce does look a little lost in this enormous packaging but I do like the consistency for Mint on Card collectors.
Like all Select figures three sides of the front blister are clear plastic and allow a really good look at the figure and accessories within. The right hand side is a wrap round of the card back and it is here the Gotham text logo sits atop a view of the city. Differentiating this packaging from the first two waves is the sub title "Rise of the Villains" (waves 1 and 2 were subtitled "Before the Legend").
Underneath this side panel and as a triangular extension to it sticking out into the blister is the name card "Bruce Wayne" which sits over a portrait shot of the actor, David Mazouz. This same image is blown up and takes up the whole left hand side spine of the packaging - another trademark of the Select figures.
The back of the card is once again headed by the Gotham text logo and the Villains sub-title. The black gloss card then carries a large image of the Bruce figure itself and its diorama bookcase piece. To the left of this as you look is a couple of paragraphs that talk about Bruce's background, the murder of his parents and how he fits into the show and its main protagonist, Jim Gordon.
The card finishes up with the usual "also available" flashes showing both the Zsasz and Barbara figures. Under these sit the various logo's of DC, Diamond and Warner Brothers.
Once opened you see how small Bruce is compared to the giant tray into which he is strapped. He comes with no accessories save a swap out pair of hands balled into fists. Behind the figure sits the bookcase, dwarfing Bruce and looking particularly impressive.
Let's look at Bruce first, who stands a smidge under 6" tall. The height is the first issue really as this height of 6" would scale up to Bruce standing 5ft tall. If you look at cast photo's and the show itself then Bruce, particularly in season 2, stands just half a head or so shorter than Alfred or Gordon. In figure form then Bruce is considerably smaller than Alfred in particular and I think Diamond have used a bit too much artistic licence in his height and stature to represent him as a child.
Size aside, the sculpt is one of the better likenesses I have seen across the Gotham figures to date. It also captured that steely look that Bruce often wears in the show, that look of an age and wisdom beyond his young years. Like all Select figures, the facial paint job is quite plain with a simple flat flesh tone which is perhps a touch too glossy. The eyes are neat with a crisp blue iris. The eye brows above are flat brown and perhaps too bold. The hair, sculpted into the side parting that Bruce wears, is a little soft in form and where there is depth to the sculpt it is lost with the plain dark brown colour.
Bruce is wearing a simple black two piece suit, and this is designed and cast to fit the smaller frame of Bruce whilst not looking oversized or baggy. The torso is made up of two pieces - with the torso itself carrying the white shirt and red and black striped tie. Over this sits the rubberised suit jacket. The shirt, like a lot of the figure, isn't quite as crisp as I'd like it but it is all coloured nicely, particularly the stripes on the tie. The jacket is plain black, but the buttons do appear to be a glossier back colour and do stand out. There is also a white handkerchief poking out of the left breast pocket.
The arms, like the jacket, are a matt black and end with crisp white sleeves and then the hands. These hands are the same flat skin tone as the head, and as we mentioned earlier can be swapped out. The figure comes with an open palm set of hands, and if you want to represent Bruce when he is a little tense or angry, then there is a set of balled fists. Swapping these out is pretty smooth with a satisfying click when the new hands are locked in place.
The legs, like the arms, are a flat black with just the hint of folding and creasing of the cloth they are representing. The figure ends in a pair of matt brown shoes. These are arguably the most detailed part of the figure, with laces and a sole which is painted in black with a slight heel.
Articulation is averaging about 16 points on the Gotham figures, this is consistent on Bruce too. The head is on a ball joint with a pivot. It can turn 90 degrees to the right and the left, but nothing beyond that - not that a human head would move much further. The pivot then gives it a small range of moving up and down, but this is mm's and not noticeable on any poses.
The arms are ball jointed shoulders, moving out to the side and rotating over the head. The elbows are a single 90 degree joint, which then rotate, and as we discussed earlier the hands will rotate being on a push in peg. These pegs also pivot, but do have a tendency to flake the skin coloured paint when they do. Bruce hasn't really got up to much "action" in the show to date, so outside of perhaps putting up his fists for a fight with Alfred - you will be posing young Master Bruce in a neutral pose, perhaps even with his hands behind his back as he receives guests in the Wayne Manor Drawing Room.
You can feel a waist joint under the coat, and this will twist with some force and move the torso a few cm's to either side. The hips are a two way design that swing out to the side and in front of them. Like the waist these are stiff, but with some pressure and thanks to the flexible coat, allow Bruce into the splits, or a sitting and kneeling position. There is a thigh swivel, my old nemesis, just under the groin section. This adds very little as usual, just tweaking the feet out to the side to aid in keeping Bruce standing - once turned however, and as is the case with these joints, you loose the line of the sculpt in the trousers and this can look peculiar. The knees are double jointed, allowing the lower leg to bend to 90 degrees and then more. This will let you kneel Bruce if you wish. The figure ends with the ankle rockers and these are engineered well to keep the feet flat to the floor so that Bruce stands very well. It is worth noting how nice it is to find tight leg joints on a Diamond Select figure, lots of other releases have often suffered with loose legs.
All Select figures (except giant figures like Hulk) are packed with a Diorama piece - either a base or a piece of scenery relevant to the character. Some of the Gotham figures have had superb pieces, while others are a bit rubbish - and undersized. Thank fully Bruce comes with a monster of a book case that is consistent with the set you see used for Gotham Manor, even though it may not be 100% screen accurate. This bookcase stands 9 inches tall and sits 5 inches wide. It is constructed in a hard plastic and is hollow. While the figure had a few soft lines, the lines on this bookcase are sharp and angular. The paint job is also excellent, with a wood effect that does look like antique wood - and with the hooks individually painted in varying blocks of colour. As a background piece it is brilliant, and I can see some fans looking to pick up multiple cases for a library type diorama that would work with a number of figure lines.
The Gotham series of figures is starting to find its stride, and Bruce is a nice addition and a tick to the checklist of main characters. The show in its first two series has been restricted to "men in suits" and Bruce is just a smaller version but as a key character it is nice to have him to pose alongside Alfred. The height is a niggle, but not so much of an issue to make Bruce look under-scaled.
With a good sculpt and a terrific diorama for under £25, there is no doubt that Bruce Wayne deserves a score of 4 out of 5.
