Holy crossover homage, Batman!
I’m gonna get right down to it without burying the lede: The Batman Jokers Wild figure is one of my favorite Pop! Vinyl releases in a very long time. Now, I’ll explain why.
Released as one of the final items to carry last year’s official Batman 80th-anniversary branding, this Entertainment Earth (EE) exclusive takes its design cues from a different EE exclusive that was released through an entirely different collaboration for an entirely different event. The result is something new that’s not entirely different but is equally awesome.
In 2016, Jakks Pacific issued a 19-inch Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice-inspired The Joker’s Wild Big-Fig. The general concept was that Ben Affleck‘s Batsuit had been vandalized by the Clown Prince of Crime — given an “upgrade” by the Joker — painted white and splashed with crude symbols drawn in what appears to be spray paint. The gigantic action figure debuted at Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) and managed to pique the interest of both Bat-fans and designer toy enthusiasts.
To close out the Batman 80th-anniversary celebration, Funko applied the same design aesthetic to one of its Pop! Vinyl sculpts — a format that perfectly lends itself to customization, whether you’re a sinister clown, a budding artist, or both. Even before Funko came along, designer vinyl figures had a huge audience.
The end result is a unique and striking display piece that ticks several boxes for collectors.
Even the packaging looks fantastic, and that’s the one area that can get a bit monotonous when it comes to Pop! Vinyl releases — you know they’re gonna show up in a simple white box. This one doesn’t!
As someone who tends to be an opener — and I do feel a tiny bit of remorse when destroying some beautiful packaging on occasion — the Jokers Wild Pop! Vinyl is a rare item that I’ve actually considered displaying in its box and have protected with one of EE’s special hard cases.
The commemorative anniversary packaging is a black base highlighted by metallic gold trim and accents on all sides. The illustrations of the figure really pop (no pun intended) against that backdrop. An additional “Entertainment Earth Exclusive” sticker adds to the collectability. One interesting point to note is that while the official product descriptions all have this listed as “Jokers Wild,” the text on the box actually says “The Joker is Wild” in gold foil.
If you think that this piece needs to be in your collection, act now. These are available at Entertainment Earth only while supplies last.
Photos: the Pop Insider
