Kit: No. 3300
Scale: 1/6
Manufacturer: Revell, 8601 Waukegan Road, Morton Grove, IL 60053-2295, phone: 708-966-3500
Price: $30
Comments: Cast vinyl, 11 parts (I white metal).
REVELL ENTERS the vinyl figure market with the first of three figures from the movie "Batman Forever." The kit represents actor Val Kilmer in the prototype bat suit seen at the climax of the movie.
The eight-page instructions contain several helpful hints for novice vinyl builders. I started by trimming the molding flash from the parts. Using a hair dryer to warm the vinyl allows a sharp hobby knife to easily slice through the excess vinyl. Test fit the pieces often to make sure you don't trim too much. I found a few small air bubbles in the head and cape castings, so I filled them with super glue, then filed and sanded them smooth.
I filled the lower portion of the legs with plaster, let it harden, then attached the legs to the lower torso with super glue. This adds weight to the figure for better balance, and keeps the ankles from buckling. The rest of the figure was assembled with super glue. The parts fit together well, except for the cape and the head.
Before attaching the cape, I sprayed the upper back and inside of the cape with Polly Scale acrylic steam power black. These areas would have been impossible to paint once the cape was in place. The black worked well because these areas are in deep shadow. I filled the gaps around the cape and neck with epoxy putty.
Unlike other vinyl figures I have built, Batman balances on his feet -- good thing, as no base is provided. I temporarily white glued the figure to a wood block so I could handle it during painting.
Solvent-based paints sometimes react with vinyl, so I used Polly S and Polly Scale paints on my model. I airbrushed a mixture of gloss ebony black and Metalline bright silver over the entire figure, except for the cape which I hand painted with grimy black. When these base colors were dry I airbrushed diluted steam power black shading under the arms, inside the legs, under the major muscles, and in the creases in the cape. Next I applied a wash of black oil paint to all the recesses of the figure. When this was dry I added more silver to the base color, and lightly dry-brushed the areas that would be highlighted on the figure.
I applied a base coat of Polly S flesh to the lower face (the only skin area visible), then shaded it with oil paints. I polished the metal Batarang to a high luster with Blue Magic metal polish and a polishing wheel on a motor tool. To keep the metal from oxidizing, I coated it with Future floor polish.
I spent only 12 hours on Batman, most of it painting. The finished figure really captures the look of the movie's "Dark Knight." The small amount of flesh to paint, the monochromatic color scheme, and the popular subject make this an excellent choice for your first vinyl adventure.
John Plzak