The Good: Cool sculpt, Decent balance, Generally decent detailing, Comparatively inexpensive.
The Bad: Assembled look on arms/shoulders, Head seems off (proportionately)
The Basics: The 2017 The Guardian Of Gotham City ornament does a good job of representing Batman . . . so long as one doesn't stare at the ornament too long.
Every now and then, I encounter an ornament that is very cool initially, but holds up poorly to my continued scrutiny of it. The Guardian Of Gotham City is one such ornament, though the truth is that on its merits it holds up exceptionally well. In fact, for a Batman ornament, there are few with the character descending and his cape flowing behind him that hold up on the balance front nearly as well as The Guardian Of Gotham City. But, as I was making my observations and notes on the ornament, I found myself looking at the ornament's head quite a bit. And when I realized that the head was the same size as the character's biceps and that was a bit off, that was all I could see of the ornament until I stepped away from it! The Guardian Of Gotham City is a cool ornament, but it is not a flawless one, despite the obvious effort Hallmark put into it.
Basics
The 2017 The Guardian Of Gotham City ornament recreates Bruce Wayne in his classic comic book costume for Batman. This is the Batman in his classic gray tights, yellow utility belt and black cowl and cape. The ornament, released in 2017, is exceptional for an ornament based upon a two-dimensional character, featuring decent surface details and coloring. Measuring three and three-quarter inches long from the back of the cape to the front of his fist, four and one-half inches tall and wide, the The Guardian Of Gotham City ornament is one of the few DC super hero-based ornaments released by Hallmark in 2017 and it is one of the best. The Guardian Of Gotham City came with an original retail price of $15.95 and it is worth at least that.
The Hallmark The Guardian Of Gotham City ornament is made of durable plastic. Batman’s costume is colored in muted gray and black and bright yellow. He is ripped, especially in the biceps, and his shoulders feature additional padding for defense. The Guardian Of Gotham City has the traditional Batman bat symbol on his chest and it looks quite good. He is wearing his cowl, cape and gloves which look appropriate to the character. In fact, were it not for the smaller-than-normal head and the deep seams around the shoulders that make the ornament look assembled, this might be a perfect incarnation of the Batman in ornament form.
The Guardian Of Gotham City looks like an animated character. His face is sculpted with sharp angles for the face, but not so severe as to look unrealistic. The coloring, while simple, is generally appropriate to the comic book version of the character.
Features
As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the The Guardian Of Gotham City could have a sound chip or a light-up function. He has neither, but frankly, this is a cool-enough ornament on its own to be well worth the money without the added feature!
Balance
As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake The Guardian Of Gotham City ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate superhero Christmas Tree, the The Guardian Of Gotham City ornament is a good piece with exceptional balance. The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top of Batman’s cape at a surprisingly unobtrusive position. From there, the ornament, when affixed to a tree with a hook, hangs perfectly, making it look like Batman is leaping down to fight crime on the streets. The pose and balance make this ornament look especially dynamic.
Collectibility
Hallmark Keepsake began delving into the collectibles market in 1991 with Star Trek when it introduced the exceptionally limited edition U.S.S. Enterprise ornament (reviewed here!). Since then, they have made ornament replicas of almost all major franchises like DC comics, The Wizard Of Oz and Harry Potter. The 2017 The Guardian Of Gotham City ornament seemed to do quite well in its initial run; several Hallmark stores I went to had sold out of the ornament. That might make it a decent investment ornament if it can be found at all after the holidays.
Overview
Fans of Batman and DC comics are likely to be more excited by The Guardian Of Gotham City ornament than they have by any ornament of Batman in recent years!
For other Batman-themed Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2016 Batman Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice ornament
2016 Batmobile Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice ornament
2016 Catwoman Batman television series (Limited Edition)
2015 The Joker Batman television series (Limited Edition)
2014 Bane The Dark Knight Rises (Limited Edition)
2014 1989 Batmobile
2013 The Joker The Dark Knight Rises
2013 Descending Upon Gotham City Batman ornament
2012 The Bat The Dark Knight Rises Limited Edition Ornament
2012 Catwoman ornament
2012 The Dark Knight Rises
2011 Batman Takes Flight
2010 Limited Edition Harley Quinn
7/10
For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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