Queen Studios Justice League Batman - Behind The Bust

In 2017, a new team of superheroes banded together to save the world from external threats. Inspired by Superman’s sacrifice, Batman (Ben Affleck) led this team consisting of Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash and Cyborg in an epic battle to save mankind.

The 2017 Justice League may have had mixed reviews, with many fans calling for the release of the #Snydercut. But one thing’s for certain, these heroes are as popular as ever.

As huge Batman fans, the team at Queen Studios loved Affleck’s performance as an ageing hero. As soon as we got the opportunity to make the bust, we knew this was our chance to do something special. In this post, we’ll give you the story behind the 1:1 Justice League Batman Bust.

CONCEPT: INSPIRATION AND BACKGROUND

After the Queen Studios 1:1 Wonder Woman bust, we needed a new character from DC to join our new collection of Cinematic Icons. After some heated debate, we agreed that the Ben Affleck Batman should be next. Batman is a pivotal founding member of the Justice League. Once we saw Affleck’s dark and brooding portrayal of the Caped Crusader, we new we could do something unique with the bust and create one of our most artistically driven collectibles yet.

During intense brainstorming sessions, we settled on a concept of a dark and mysterious piece, much like the character we saw in the movie. To tie it all together we knew the base had to incorporate the Grim Reaper that we saw in the Justice League Trailer.

WORK IN PROGRESS: 3D DESIGN

If you’ve followed our work for a while, you’ll probably know that we try to make the base unique and distinctive. During the concept design stage our artist’s settled on a daring knew design. The base would feature the Grim Reaper protruding from the center just like the concept art.

In the 3D Design, the bust sits above the Grim Reaper, with the cloak appearing to be floating behind the Angel of Death as he clutches a shield with the inscription “To Protect and To Serve”. Understandably, when we released the images, many fans were concerned with the the stability of the base. Having such a large curve could make the collectible more fragile, especially while bearing weight.

Our artists understand that the bust needed to be not only artistic, but strong and stable. With the current design, this was no easy feat. Our artists worked hard on the 3D sculpt spending hours trying to master the proportions and size ratio. Should there be the smallest of mistake, the 3D sculpt would collapse and it just wouldn’t work. Luckily, the final design held up, and we were confident we could pull this off.

WORK IN PROGRESS: SCULPT

The final stage before we commission the bust requires a 3D print. At this point we transform the 3D sculpt into a physical model. We also use this stage to test the different colours we’re looking for, and try to balance the shade from the cowl to the suit. From then chest up, the bust is intricately sculpted with detailed texturing on the cape, cowl and suit. And Batman’s iconic Bat Symbol features front and center.

Many regard Affleck as the embodiment of the comic book character. His frame is big and bulky, while his face looks more rugged and gruff. To capture this, we’ve added silicone facial features that accentuate his strong jawline and add a touch of realism. Our artists also added this to the the early prototypes to see how the bust looks as a whole before individually hand-punching his facial hair.

THE FINAL 1:1 JUSTICE LEAGUE BATMAN BUST

Standing 60.5cm tall, the Justice League Batman 1:1 Ben Affleck Bust bows his head with a steely expression and tight pursed lips. The Caped Crusader looks deep in thought as he sits above the Grim Reaper. His cowl, cape, suit and base are made of polystone, while his strong jawline is crafted from top-grade silicone.

The final bust is carefully detailed throughout, and the character is brought to life with glass eyes, hand-punched stubble and even eyelashes. 

It has been a pleasure bringing this collectible to life, and we hope that you like it as much as we do. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

GET THE LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES