Figure Details
Total Points of Articulation = 34
Do you have any of these figures? If so, do you have a review to share? Please share in the comments or link to your review.
Today’s review is the DC Collectibles DC Universe Animated Movies: Son of Batman: Robin Action Figure. I was so excited to get this figure. This is exactly the look of Robin I love. Everything about the look of this figure is just perfect. There may be other issues out there, but this thing is perfect looking. This figure is based on the DC Universe Original Animated Movie by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and they got it spot on.
Figures in the Series
Figure Details
Articulation – ★☆☆☆☆
Robin is pretty limited in his articulation. As you can see below, there’s very little number of actual joints on this figure. It does cause a lot of issues. Let’s take a look.
Total POA’s = 13
Mold – ★★★★☆
I often talk about sculpt that causes issues with articulation which I hate. There are some issues with the sculpt of this figure and articulation. The sculpt of the head causes articulation to be quite bad. There is an issue with the shape of the feet that make the figure which is already hard to stand, nearly impossible to stand and pose in any other way than standing straight up. These are some pretty major issues with the sculpt choices of this figure, but the overall pleasing look and feel of the figure drastically out weighs those flaws in my opinion. This is a different style of figure. It’s made to look like a cartoon character, which I feel they really got it spot on. Just look at the two images below. The one on the left is from the movie and on the right is the toy.
At about 5 inches tall, this is a very small 1:12 scale figure, but Damian Wayne is a just a boy, so he’s supposed to be small. As I noted above, the positives are so many that they vastly make the negatives unimportant. Some of my favorite aspects of the sculpt of this figure are the amazing cape, which is soft enough to allow the shoulders to move a little, but has plenty of detail in the black and yellow, it’s just great. I love the head sculpt, even though it causes issues. It looks spot on to the movie look, so I’ll take that over articulation.
The only real gripe I have is the hands are sculpted in such a way it’s a little hard to get Robin to hold his sword. Obviously, you can see I was able to, so again, no big deal.
Paint – ★★★★★
I couldn’t have asked for a better paint job. They wanted to match what was in the movie and it’s clear they nailed it. I had to judge this paint job a little differently than I normally do. Normally I look for a nice amount of shadowing and detail. I usually want a more natural, realistic look (from a superhero action figure, I know, it’s a weird expectation). With this figure, wanted it to look like a cartoon and it really does. The paint they did do was perfectly applied. The lines are straight and clean. The colors are a good match to the show. Everything was just very well done. I have zero complains of the paint app on this figure.
Accessories – ★★★★★
Robin comes with a sword that he uses in the movie. Here again, they did a great job with this accessory. Sure, he could have come with an alternate head as well, or something else, but I don’t feel he needs it. The sword was key and we got it, even better, the sword was well molded and painted. There’s a really nice paint app on this sword. I can even use it with my DC Collectibles Deathstroke since I broke his sword. That’s how nice this sword is. It will work as a cartoon sword or a more detailed sword.
Packaging – ★★★☆☆
Robin comes in a blister package that looks really nice, but of course, it’s gotta be torn open to get to the figure. It’s a really sleek design if you’re keeping your figs in package, but for those of us who wanna open it up, be careful, or you’ll tear it to pieces and the images will be ruined.
Overall Rating – ★★★★☆
The overall average ratings of this figure comes out at a 3.6. I love this figure so much, that means we get to roundup to a 4 of 5 star overall rating. If you love Batman and Robin and especially if you love the Son of Batman movie, this figure is a must. I’m not so sure I need the other figures in the line as I still think this cartoon version of Robin can pair reasonably well with regular figures, it’s up to you whether you need the others. This figure, however is a no brainer. You need to get him, and you should be able to pick him up pretty cheap.
Do you have any of these figures? If so, do you have a review to share? Please share in the comments or link to your review.
Today’s review is the DC Collectibles Arkham Origins Series I Batman. I was really excited when I saw this figure come up on sale on Amazon a little while ago. The Batman I had in the 6 inch scale just didn’t impress me articulation wise, or look wise either. I needed this figure to make up for that. Luckily, it meets my expectations.
Figures in the Series
Figure Details
Articulation – ★★★★☆
I’m not going to rave about the articulation. It’s not stellar, but it’s not bad. It’s middle of the road. I wanted to give it 3 stars, but it’s considerably better than my other Batman figure, that I needed to give it that consideration. It’s also a DC figure, which typically has been a disappointment in the articulation realm, and this figure doesn’t disappoint. Let’s take a look.
Total POA’s = 29
Mold – ★★★★★
I really, really like the sculpt of this figure. They did a wonderful job with the sculpt. Let’s start off with my favorite part which is the cape. There’s not a lot that’s all that special about the cape, but I really like the soft rubbery plastic they used. More so, I really like the way they attached it to the figure. There’s a minimal amount of the cape actually attached to the figure, which allows the shoulders to move freely underneath.
The rest of the figure is sculpted with so much nice detail, I’m not entirely sure where to start. There’s really cool looking details in the armor seams on the legs, and the chest armor really fits well. There are nooks and crannies all over with additional details. I could sit and stare at this thing for hours (well, probably not, but it’d be great if I could).
There are two things that are a little off. Depending on the angle you look at Batman’s head, it may appear a bit small compared to the rest of the body. The body is quite bulky, especially in the thighs and the shoulders. The head is probably the right proportion, but it can seem a bit small.
I’m not the biggest fan of the boots. They are detailed really well, but they look a bit like the old moon boots we used to wear back in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Perhaps it’s just his feet seem a bit small. That’s likely what I’m seeing.
Paint – ★★★★★
There isn’t a lot of paint variation on this figure, but what paint is there, is really well done. It looks really good. The grey does have a little different tone at different angles, that may be the light, but I think it’s the actual paint app doing it. They painted most of the seams I noted in the armor of the figure which really makes the figure stand out.
I’ve notice that my figure has some odd white dust like stuff, almost like rust in some of the joints. I’m not sure if that’s due to the paint rubbing or what, but it actually adds an interesting element to the look.
There is one major issue with the paint app that I know a lot of people do not like. The face paint is painted to resemble facial hair stubble, but it looks a little more like he got chocolate or something else smeared all over his face. From a small distance nobody will notice, but when you’re looking at it closely, your’e gonna think the same thing I am. What’s Batman been getting into? Ha ha.
Even with the weird paint app on the face, I still love the paint app on this figure and am not willing to remove any stars.
Accessories – ★★☆☆☆
This Batman figure comes with no accessories. Had I paid full price for the figure I might have given him zero stars, but in this instance, I don’t have super high expectations. A batarang would have been nice, except having only fists that would have been problematic. In that instance, I wish we had gotten an extra set of hands.
Packaging – ★★★☆☆
I can’t stand blister packaging, which is what this figure comes in. That said, it does look nice. It’s a unique design and visually the images are very nice. Beyond that, however, I just cannot get over the fact that I have to destroy the packaging just to get to my toy.
Overall Rating – ★★★★☆
This figure barely eked out a 4 star rating. The lack of accessories and the questionable packaging put the figure at a disadvantage. In the end, the packaging shouldn’t be a huge contributor to the overall rating, but alas, all my reviews include packaging. Anyway, I highly recommend this figure. There are a million Batman figures out there, and this one is certainly one you should get if you’re a fan of the more modern look.
Do you have any of these figures? If so, do you have a review to share? Please share in the comments or link to your review.
Today’s review is the DC Collectibles Greg Capullo Thrasher Suit Batman figure. I’ve wanted this figure for quite some time, but it was always too expensive for me, but alas, it has been going down in price on Amazon for a while and I snatched him up for a pretty reasonable price.
Figures in the Series
Figure Details
This is a large figure at 9″. Large figures often wind up with poor articulation, simply because of the sheer mass of the figure. DC Collectibles really did a superb job making a large figure with really good articulation.
Total POA’s = 60
Wait! What? 60 Points of Articulation? That’s a typo right? No… no it is not. We’ll get into the details below, but I want to focus your attention on the hands of this figure. Every finger is individually articulated with individual knuckle joints. This alone made this one of the most unique action figures I’ve got in my collection. Let’s take a closer look.
Mold – ★★★★★
There is detail galore on this figure. The sculptors (Jay Kushwara and Jonathan Matthews) did an amazing job on this figure. There’s very little I can say that isn’t just a glowing review of the work they did on this figure. Yes, there are a couple points in which the sculpt gets in the way of articulation which is a big pet peeve of mine, but the issues are very minor with this figure.
To be honest, however, I should mention two things I find a bit displeasing. First, the helmet that comes with the figure. It is very nicely sculpted, but it simply attaches by pressing it on and hoping it will hold its position with a pressure lip at the back of the neck. This is fine, except it doesn’t stay on very well while you pose the figure and you can’t really turn the mask without seeing the opening of the neck area. That’s not a huge issue, but no actual articulation and a poor way of attaching the helmet is a little disappointing since they put so much thought into the overall figure.
The second issue, is more of a reality issue. If Bruce Wayne is supposed to fit into this armored suit, it really shouldn’t be the equivalent of 9 feet tall. In reality, there’s no good place for his legs to match up with the suits leg joints. At least not with the positioning of his head. In the end, I would have preferred they put his head in the chest area with a fully articulated mask in the head location. Maybe a plate in the chest that can open, or don’t even give us the head. If you don’t care about proper anatomy, or can simply look past this, it’s an awesome figure, I happen to be able to look past this, but I find it funny.
I want to touch on the new Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie that’ll be released in 2016 to see how this figure compares to the movie version. We’ve seen some sneak peaks of the Thrasher Suit in the movie trailers and I wanted to do a quick likeness comparison between this figure, the original comic version, and the upcoming movie.
The figure fits the original comic creation much closer than the new Thrasher suit in the upcoming movie. It’s obvious the designers had to address the human anatomy issue found in the toy and original artwork. The movie seems to have dialed the scale of the suit down to about a 7′ suit. They also opened the mast to look a little more like the traditional bat cowl we’re used to seeing. I’m sure that’s so we can still get a glimpse of Ben Affleck in there. Changing the eyes gives it a less sinister look than the original, it humanizes the suit a bit compared to the comic version. Perhaps that was the intent, but I would have liked to see a red eye visor over the blue eye version in the movie. In the end, this design change of the helmet opens Batman up to a vulnerability that the original suit did not have.
Moving to the emblem, we aren’t really able to see the bat emblem on the movie version, but we have to assume that will be different as we’ve already seen the movie emblem and that follows the Dark Knight version a little closer than the version on the toy and comic. I’m not a big fan of the new movie emblem, but I’m also not a huge fan of the one on the toy either.
It’s not really fair, but I figured we should talk about the Bruce Wayne likeness to the movie and comic. Comparing to the comic version of Bruce Wayne, the figure is quite close in resemblance. Perhaps the toy is a little too clean cut, but overall, the sculpt and paint are pretty close to the comic. It’s not fair, but comparing to Ben Affleck, the toy and movie are no comparison. I could see someone casting a Ben Affleck head and replacing the existing one with it, which would be pretty cool.
The toy and comic version of the Thrasher Suit really looks like a full on robot, not a suit. The movie version seems to resemble a suit that someone could actually wear, so for reality points, I’d have to give it up to the movie design. For an all out amazing and dominating presence, the comic version is still so much better. Villains will certainly think twice should they come upon the comic version of the Thrasher suit. The movie version looks a little less impressive overall.
Overall, I think the movie version takes plenty from the original and translates it into a realistic suit that I could see Bruce Wayne actually designing and wearing, though still keeping with the comic version enough to keep most people happy. I’m guessing the purists will have the biggest problem with the helmet change.
I foresee DC Collectibles coming out with a movie version of the Thrasher Suit around the time of the movie. I may be wrong, but why not cash in on the merchandising? If they do, please articulate the fingers like the comic version is. I really like that feature a lot.
Here’s a quick look at one of the trailers out that shows the new Thrasher suit in action.
I’ve been going on and on about how great this figure it. Yes, it’s a great figure, and paint is no exception, though I’m not going to say it’s perfect. The majority of the figure is grey, as expected, and they did a really good job of paint application here. The detail work is superb, though some of the larger flat surfaces seem to lack a bit of the gritty look. It almost seems too smooth on the chest whereas the arms and legs have a little nicer detail look with the lighter greys found throughout. It’s not a huge issue, though I felt it was enough to drop one star. Another issue I’m finding as I play with this figure is the paint in the joints, namely the hip joints is starting to flake off. Luckily, the plastic underneath seems to be black so you’re not going to notice it too much, but that little pile of paint on your table or pants is a little annoying.
I’m on the fence with the utility belt. It doesn’t match the comic belt, which I don’t expect toys to always match everything, but the yellow is, I don’t know, just not super awesome. There’s a bit of a brownish color which I’m assuming is meant to look dirty, but if that’s the case, why is only his belt dirty? The suit has battle damage, but not dirt and grime. I’m knit picking here I know, I’m just not feeling the belt paint as much. I like it, just not as much as I should for some reason.
The face, namely the skin tone they used is very plastic like. It almost looks like the skin color of a Ken doll. They did a great job on the sculpt of the face and they applied the paint really well, it’s very clean, but the tone of the color is a bit off. I like, however, that they made Bruce’s face look a little tired around the eyes. I’ve seen some other reviews that didn’t like that look, but I think it gives him a sinister, yet worn look that I would expect if you’re stuck in a battle suit like this for any amount of time.
In the end, they did a great job on the paint app of this figure, even with the couple weak areas I’m point out. I’m guessing most people can overlook the minor issues I brought up and others will say I’m stupid for even bringing them up. To each his/her own.
Accessories – ★★★★☆
For the size of the figure, I don’t always expect any accessories, so it’s nice to have two different ways of displaying my figure. With, or without the helmet. I’m not sure how I’ll display mine just yet. Overall, the helmet just looks great. It fits the look of the figure well, but has it’s limitations. Keeping the thing on and turning it are the two big issues with this thing, but both can be addressed with a little care. The actual sculpt and paint app on this were done really well. The red visor paint is a really nice metallic red that has a bit of a sparkle to it which is really cool.
Packaging – ★★★★★
I really like the DC Collectibles packaging. The artwork on the packaging is very eye catching and the wrap around plastic window in front allows those who keep their figures in the package a great display box so you don’t have to open it if you don’t want to. I open all my figures, though I do keep the packaging for some reason. I just love the artwork and this package, though very simple, does have some nice images. You also get a good glimpse at the other three figures in the line, which I really need to get. Since the Thrasher Suit Batman is considerably bigger, the packaging had to be bigger as well. The best part about this packaging is it is still square for the most part, so you can store it and stack them much easier than the blister packaging we see from a lot of manufacturers. I really hate blister packaging. Well done DC Collectibles.
Overall Rating – ★★★★★
Overall, the DC Collectibles Thrasher Suit Batman figure gets a 5 out of 5 stars from me. This is a definite must have for anybody who collects action figures. Even if you’re not a huge Batman fan, just having a figure with fully articulated fingers is amazing, especially at this price point. Yes, there are a couple weak points on the figure, but all the positives easily outweigh the couple weak points. This figure has been out there for a while now so you’ll likely have a hard time picking it up at your local retailer so jump on Ebay or Amazon and get him now.
Do you have any of these figures? If so, do you have a review to share? Please share in the comments or link to your review.
It’s Tuesday Toy Review again and this week I’m reviewing the DC Collectibles Batman: Arkham City Series 3 Clown Thug with Knife. This figure is based on the popular Arkham City video game. I’m not a gamer and thus, have never played the game, but all the same, I love the figures that have been coming as a result of the game.
I’ll be honest, I would never have bought this figure, except it was so incredibly cheap on Amazon. I’m happy I did buy it.
Figures in the Series
The articulation on this figure is quite bad. Some of it has to be attributed to the mold of the figure, but in the end, they could have chosen either different joint types, different locations for the joints, or simply added more joints.
Total POA’s = 16
Mold – ★★★★☆
They did a really nice job on the sculpt of this figure. Yes, there are issues, and the issues definitely cause issues with the articulation of the figure, but if this were a statue, this would be a really nice looking figure. There’s a lot of really nice detail on this figure. My favorite is the texture and detail they added to his pants. There was a lot of care put into sculpting this figure, which is a little surprising considering this is simply a Clown Thug figure. I really like it though, which is why I bought him. From the pictures he looked really nice and for $10, you can’t go wrong.
I also really love his boots. The detail of the boots is phenomenal. They even did some sculpt of the sole of the boot as well. Not the whole sole, but enough that when you look at the boots from above, it appears they molded the entire thing.
The biggest issue with the figure is his bowed legs. With no knee articulation the legs look weird. He looks a bit like he’s been riding a wide horse for a really, really long time.
Paint – ★★★★☆
Just like the mold, the paint is really quite good. There’s a good balance of washes and some dry brushing that really makes this guy pop. Again, the paint detail on his pants and boots is amazing.
Even his upper body is really well done, though a little more brushing to make his arms look a little dirtier would have helped. I especially love the Arkham Asylum logo on his tank top. And the red circle on it is a nice touch.
In the end, however, the best part has to be the “crazy” face paint the did.
Accessories – ★★★★☆
The Series 3 Clown Thug comes with a single giant knife. This thing is really cool, and the best part is it actually fits in his hands really nicely. It’s a bit on the large side, but considering he’s a bit of a crazy clown dude, one should think he’s going to choose a crazy big weapon to go with it. The paint is pretty simple with a silver blade and what seems to be a bit of a light dry brush of some black to dirty it up. The hilt is also a very simple black, but I really like it just the same. The sculpt of this knife is really cool. They even got the edge quite sharp (it’s not going to cut you though).
The paint is wearing off a bit so be careful as you use it.
I’m not a fan of the blister packaging that this figure comes in, but it’s the same design as the other figures in the series. My biggest issue with the packaging is that when you open it, you pretty much have to destroy the package to get in. If you’re not going to open yours then it’s pretty nice as the blister portion is shaped like Batman’s cowl.
Overall Rating – ★★★★☆
I really like this figure. He looks like he’s a really high quality figure. Posing is a bit difficult, but otherwise not such a big deal. I hesitate to give him 4 stars, but I don’t think the issues really warrant the loss of 2 full stars. He’s not a must have, but if you’re looking for a good goon figure for your Batman collection, this isn’t a bad option if you can get him around $10.
Do you have any of these figures? If so, do you have a review to share? Please share in the comments or link to your review.
Detective Comics, Vol. 6: Icarus by Francis Manapul
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I love everything Batman and was so excited when I received my copy via the GoodReads First Reads giveaway. The best part is this book is signed by Brian Buccellato which makes this my first ever signed comic.
If I’m being honest, I’ve not had a chance to read the first 5 volumes of this series, so I’m not completely sure what has happened in the story to get to this point. My review will obviously be skewed a bit because of this.
As far as the story goes, not a whole lot happened. Not of a lot of consequence at least. I wasn’t excited to see what was going to happen next. There wasn’t a lot of suspense or intrigue in my opinion. It felt a bit mundane. I know that sounds pretty negative and that was a big reason I only gave the book 3 of 5 stars. It’s an easy, quick read which was ok, just not as much substance as I would have liked. There again, it could be because I haven’t read the rest of the series.
The artwork was good, but not my style. I prefer a little crisper art. There are times it’s difficult to see what is truly happening in a frame. I prefer more distinguished colors which just aren’t in this book. This is still art, and I appreciate it very much. I liked it a lot, it simply isn’t my preferred style.
Based on this volume, I don’t know that I’ll run to my comic book shop to buy the first 5 to see what happened, though I’ll probably check them out at my local library if they have them as I noted at the start, I love everything Batman.
It’s Tuesday Toy Review again and this week I’m reviewing the DC Collectibles Arrow series Deathstroke. This figure is based on Deathstroke from the CW series Arrow. I was so excited to see this figure being released. There were a couple Deathstroke figures I was looking at getting, but when I saw this one, I knew I had to get it. Originally it was set to release on Amazon around May 20th, so I’m not sure how it managed to come so much earlier.
Deathstroke has some really great articulation features. The highlight of the figure are the double knee joints that allow him to literally touch his butt with his heels. The only difficulty you’ll find with this figure is what pose to choose.
Total POA’s = 24
Mold – ★★★★★
This figure is awesome! When I reviewed the Marvel Select Cable figure I thought that was my favorite figure. Deathstroke has become my new favorite figure. The detail is absolutely amazing. Add to it, the different materials used to give texture to Slade is amazing. Even the weight of this figure just feels like it’s made of high quality materials.
In terms of the likeness to the TV series Deathstroke, they got it spot on. Take a look at a comparison. To me, they look so similar. The biggest difference is the action figure is considerably skinnier. In terms of the mold, this figure is nearly perfect. Even his hands are formed tight enough that his accessories are held in a relatively natural look.
Just like the mold, the folks who created this action figure got the paint pretty much perfect. I especially love the blue which has a shinny metallic look that really makes this figure look great on my shelf.
Accessories – ★★★★★
Deathstroke comes with 4 weapon accessories noted below. I really like these accessories and even more so, the sheathes and scabbard that they are carried in by Deathstroke. The softened rubber fits these accessories so well, it’s easy to forget this is just a $22 toy.
I can’t stress enough, just how awesome these accessories are. They fit perfectly in Slade’s hands and they look natural in his hands too.
The packaging that Deathstroke comes in is very well done. It’s not a blister packaging which is a huge plus right away. A simple white box with very high quality images of the 4 figures in the set on the back. On the one side is a close up image of Deathstroke’s face. A very nice preview window so you can see the entire figure should you choose to display your figure in the box. How could you not open this up though just to feel the quality of the figure.
Overall Rating – ★★★★★
Buy this figure! It is such a great quality figure. There was very little I could complain about with this figure. I think this figure has received the most 5 stars from each category than any of my other reviews. This figure will stand up to a kids active play or will hold it’s own next to any of your other action figures you may have on your shelf, and yes, I even mean the more expensive ones.
Do you have any of these figures? If so, do you have a review to share? Please share in the comments or link to your review.
It’s Toy Review Tuesday again and this week I’m reviewing my favorite aquatic sea superhero who gets no respect from anyone, Aquaman. Ok, actually, my favorite aquatic superhero is Marvel’s Namor, but I do really like Aquaman too.
Aquaman and I assume this action figure series is likely not going to impress you too much compared to many of the other action figure lines out there. I’m not real impressed with his articulations. For what I paid, it was totally worth buying, but at the MSRP of $24.99, I would expect so much more. Let’s take a look at what we’ve got.
Total POA’s = 11
Mold – ★★★☆☆
A little bit, it feels there were two different sculptors working on Aquaman. From the head down to the hips, the mold is great. Honestly, the upper body mold is close to awesome for details. The detail of Aquaman’s head is awesome. He looks very realistic.
From the hips down, not so great. I see they were trying to keep his legs smooth for a more fluid/liquid feel, but it just looks and feels cheap. The other issue with the mold I have is the leg shape seems to be a little out of alignment that sorely limits the available poses you can do.
I would have liked to have been able to put Aquaman’s trident in either hand, instead of just his left hand. That would have been nicer than a fist for his right hand.
For those reasons, Aquaman had to lose at a minimum the 2 stars. I was close to dropping a 3rd star as well considering the mold is negatively affecting his ability to do action poses, but the articulation plays a larger role in that limitation.
Due to the mold seeming to be done by two different people, the paint also seems disjointed. The upper body paint is very well done. The detail is on par with so many of the other figures I’ve reviewed. Unfortunately, the lower body is just not very good. Basically, his lower body is just green plastic. No real paint application at all. There is no detail to the color of his legs as well as the gloves.
Accessories – ★★★☆☆
Aquaman comes with a trident that is tethered to his belt via a gold jewelry chain. The chain feature is awesome. It really gives Aquaman a great look. The trident, however, is quite cheap. There is no paint. It is simply a brown/tan flexible plastic. I don’t want to give the impression I think the trident is horrible, but I just think it could have been a little better.
The packaging Aquaman comes in and the entire series he’s a part of is quite nice. I prefer boxes with the clear plastic peek into the contents over the blister packaging with the cardboard backer board. So I have to say the packaging for Aquaman is one of the higher points of this figure. It doesn’t take up a lot of space but definitely allows for display of the figure in box if that is what you desire.
Overall Rating – ★★★☆☆
Overall, I gave Aquaman 3 of 5 stars. I could have gone all the way down to 2 stars, but I thought it unfair since there are definate positives that I love about this figure. Don’t get me wrong, with all those negatives, I still love my Aquaman figure. He’s really cool, but he strikes me more so as a statue than an action figure. For that, you won’t be throwing him into many action poses with your other figures, but to stand him up and display him, this is a decent enough figure. If the price is $24.99, however, pass on it.
Do you have any of these figures? If so, do you have a review to share? Please share in the comments or link to your review.
It’s Toy Review Tuesday again and this week I’m reviewing my all time favorite super hero, Batman. I really feel like I can relate to Batman and Bruce Wayne, because I too… wait, no… I have nothing in common with either of them. But anyway, something has drawn me so much to Batman, so when I had the opportunity to pick up this figure with the Arkham Asylum pack, I had to jump on it.
This Batman figure is a little disappointing articulation wise. Of the 4 figures in this set, Batman has the least points of articulation (POA’s). Thus answers the question of why did I give Batman just 2 stars. Let’s take a look at what he does have.
Total POA’s = 13
Mold – ★★★☆☆
The mold of this Batman figure seems a bit, unimpressive. In the end, what more can you do with Batman? The detail is fine, but not as amazing as I was expecting it to be compared to the other figures in the set. My guess is much of this figure is likely recycled from other versions of Batman or even other figures. What I do like, though, is his cape. This is really cool. It’s a softer plastic which gives it some flexibility. The biggest issue with it, though, is that it makes Batman very difficult to pose as the cape is so heavy that he tends to want to fall backwards. Luckily, the cape is rigid enough that you can use the cape itself to hold him up. Batman’s head is quite good. I liked the sculpt of his head and the cowl especially. I prefer the cowl to have somewhat longer ears. I don’t like the really long of some other versions of Batman, but I also don’t like the shorter either. His cowl was actually a big reason I wanted to get this set in the first place. The mold of his face is quite menacing which is great.
Overall, I gave Batman 3 stars because, though he’s not bad, he’s not that exciting. There isn’t the detail throughout like the other figures.
The paint is decent on Batman. With the lack of details in the mold of the figure, the paint suffers. Because there are very few wrinkles or grooves of any sort, I’m sure it’d be tough to be inspired to paint something amazing on this figure. don’t get me wrong, I like the color scheme. My favorite Batman color scheme is the all black suit, but the next is the grey and black suit which is this figure. The most detail on this figure is on Batman’s utility belt. The gold works well, though the details they put in with hints of silver for the clips gives the appearance of worn paint instead of the added detail I’m sure they were looking for.
The biggest positive on this figure is the paint on Batman’s face. His jaw looks very natural with the skin tone as well as the slight pink lips. The best is his eyes though. We actually get a real eye look, not just the white. This really gives Batman a fierce look.
Accessories – ★★★★☆
Batman comes with two accessories. The most of all the figures in the set. I love the batarang. This is pretty cool. It’s all black and has a joint so it can be folded which is awesome. Getting it to stay in his hand is a bit of a trick, but that’s a mold issue, not an issue with the accessory itself.
He also comes with what appears to be a grappling hook gun. This is a cool looking gun though I have yet to be able to get Batman to be able to hold it. Again, this is a problem with the mold of his hands, not the gun itself.
The packaging that this set comes in is a rectangular box with a plastic window in the front which allows you to see all 4 characters. I prefer this packaging style over the blister/bubble packaging as you can easily stack other boxes on top should you decide not to open your figures. It also protects the figures better in my opinion. As far as the look, the design is nice enough. It’s something I wouldn’t have a problem with displaying, though I wanted my figures out of the box so I could hold them.
Overall Rating – ★★★☆☆
Overall, I gave Batman 3 of 5 stars. I wanted to rate him higher, but I just couldn’t since his partners from the set got 4 stars and they were so much better in the Articulation, Mold, and Paint departments. I love Batman, and I love this Batman figure. I just cannot claim it to be better than an average figure. If you’re a Batman fan buying this set is a great idea.
Do you have any of these figures? If so, do you have a review to share? Please share in the comments or link to your review.
It’s Toy Review Tuesday again and this week I’m reviewing the very creepy Scarecrow.
Scarecrow has some very big limitations with his articulation as a result of his hunched over posture. This wouldn’t be an issue, except for the fact that hunching over forces his face to be looking down. There’s almost no way to stand him upright so you can see his face. This is the primary reason for the 3 star rating.
Total POA’s = 16
Mold – ★★★★☆
There are some real positives and some big negatives to the mold of this Scarecrow figure. The detail on this figure is awesome. From the stitches on his clothes to the freakishly awesome details of his face, this figure screams detail.
This figure also screams inconvenient. Since they made Scarecrow hunched over, it makes it very difficult to get him to stand on his own, at first, that is. I actually like the hunch he has as it makes him look more sinister. The problem is the fact that you cannot see his face when you just look straight at him. He’s always looking down, which wouldn’t be a big deal, except his face is one of the coolest features of the figure.
Paint on the Scarecrow is definitely one of the highlights of this figure. Though limited in palette, the details incorporated into this figure are awesome. Starting with the flesh, which appears dirty and worn, which makes the figure look almost real.
His clothes have a great texture to them from the mold that the paint really accentuates perfectly. His face, though, is where you’re getting your moneys worth. The detail work of the mold was an excellent canvas for the paint to truly make this figure a scary looking dude.
Accessories – ★★★★☆
Scarecrow comes with a single leather bag/pouch. Now, don’t get me wrong, this sounds totally lame, but this bag looks awesome. The mold and paint work are superb.
Technically not an accessory as it’s molded onto the figure, on his right hand is a weapon that appears to be syringes on each finger. Quite the glove. I’m just hoping he doesn’t accidentally scratch his face. Anyway, this is a pretty cool weapon, though it may have been slightly better if it were of a harder plastic rather than the softer.
The packaging that this set comes in is a rectangular box with a plastic window in the front which allows you to see all 4 characters. I prefer this packaging style over the blister/bubble packaging as you can easily stack other boxes on top should you decide not to open your figures. It also protects the figures better in my opinion. As far as the look, the design is nice enough. It’s something I wouldn’t have a problem with displaying, though I wanted my figures out of the box so I could hold them.
Overall Rating – ★★★★☆
Overall, I gave the Scarecrow 4 of 5 stars. Though he’s really lacking in the articulation side of things, his mold, paint, and accessories really make up for it. I can get over the fact that I cannot see his face straight on because my figures are on a shelf above me at work, thus, I look up and I see his face and I shutter, because I’m so terrified (not really, I’m a tough SOB, I would never be scared of a little action figure).
Scarecrow probably isn’t the reason someone should buy this set, but it was a big reason I bought it. I don’t care the much for the character as there are certainly better villains out there, but the quality of this figure is good enough that even if he’s not your preferred character, it’s still worth the money.
TechChucker's Brain Blast 