Given the modern comic book film renaissance we all live in, it's hard to remember a time when the super powered genre didn’t dominate the box office. The 80s and 90s were full of failed comic book experiments, but one of the most beloved films from that era was Tim Burton’s Batman. The Michael Keaton starring film was one of the first of its kind to take its source material seriously. Over 30 years later, Batman’s still considered one of the best superhero movies ever made and, thanks to the talented folks at Prime 1 Studios, Keaton’s Dark Knight is getting the premium statue treatment he deserves.
The new ⅓ scale Museum Masterline Batman statute comes with two highly detailed figures. One of Keaton is his iconic black and yellow Batman costume and one of the actors as Bruce Wayne all dressed in a tuxedo from the party scene in the first film. Batman comes with a fabric cape, a Batcave themed LED lite base, 3 swappable right hands (including one holding his grapnel gun) and 2 swappable left hands, and one Batarang. The Bruce Wayne statue comes with this uncanny head sculpt of Keaton, a Wayne Manor themed base, and a 80s fabric tuxedo.
Michael Keaton is Beloved as Batman
Keaton to this day is still arguably the best Batman of all-time. From his brilliant duel performance that features two distinct voices to the way he moves in the costume, he’s the definition of Batman. Even though he was seen as “Mr. Mom” at the time, he proved all his critics wrong in the very first scene where he effortlessly threatened a thug while dangling him off a rooftop. There he said the iconic line “I’m Batman” and the rest was movie history. Batman was the first thing to push the character past the campy Adam West Batman 66 show in the eyes of mainstream audiences. Burton’s dark style paired with Keaton’s commitment and Danny Elfman’s iconic gothic score was a match made in comic book heaven. With these two beautiful statues Prime 1 perfectly captured the thick atmosphere surrounding Burton’s films and Keaton’s legendary performance. Keaton’s Batman costume is the definition of cool with many considering it the definitive look for the character.
Keaton would go on to star in the Burton sequel Batman Returns that featured both an updated costume for The Cape Crusader and look to Gotham City. It was a much darker and creepier film that would lead the series to go back to its more kid friendly Batman 66 roots with Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. Keaton would not return for those films. However, after more than 30 years away from the character, his version of Batman is returning for the epic multiverse adventure The Flash which is releasing on June 16, 2023.
While DC fans wait for Keaton’s return, you can view the new Prime 1 statues on their website. Pre-orders will go up on February 2 and the figures will cost $2,799.
Batman (1989) is also streaming on HBO Max now. Check out images of the figure below:
