Minifigure Mini-Review #4 – Tartan Batman

Like most white Australians, my family background is closely tied to the British Isles. As a result, Scotland occupies a special (read: heavily romanticised) place in my heart. So when I found out there was effectively a Highlander Batman, I decided I had to add it to the collection.

Batman is dressed how we popularly imagine the people of the Scottish Highlands dressed in ye olden times. He’s wearing belted plaid, which he’s paired with tartan trousers. He’s also wearing a torc around his neck, which is a nice little touch. His cape and cowl are also rendered in brown, rather than black. Naturally, he’s armed with a claymore, though you would assume this be in contravention of Batman’s usual “no killing” rule.  

Though I have no doubt there are questions to be raised about the historical accuracy of the figure*, in truth he’d be a pretty great base for making Highlander Warrior custom. You’d just need to paint over the bat sigil and substitute in a different head. You could even trim the cape to fit if you wanted.

Now if you want to own him, Tartan Batman was originally packed in with a kid’s activity book called Chaos in Gotham City, which was one of the many merchandise tie-ins for The Lego Batman Movie. I have no idea what happened to my copy; I assume I just threw it in the recycling after getting this minifigure. It was published about a year ago, so you may still be able to get a copy – but I haven’t seen it on Sydney shelves in a while.

The face of a man who could not find a Tartan Batman.
Or severe constipation. Perhaps both.

If you missed out, don’t worry too much though. Tartan Batman is a fun figure, but he’s certainly not essential. As someone with a smattering of Scottish background, he’s pretty much been bought for sentimental reasons.

*Pro tip if you’re ever visiting Scotland – most of the locals weren’t really that fussed on Braveheart. If you would like some more advice on what to not say to Scots, you can click here.  

Minifigures Mini-Review #3 – Black Canary & Swimsuit Batman

Black Canary

Of all the figures in this series, Black Canary was the only one I had to have. She’s one of my favourite superheroines, but she’s tended to fly under the merchandising radar in comparison to Wonder Woman, Supergirl or Batgirl.

Originally debuting in 1947, Black Canary’s history has become inextricably bound with Green Arrow. Sometimes lovers, sometimes married and sometimes divorced, they’ve shown impressive longevity as a superhero couple throughout the decades. But she’s no shrinking violet; as well as doing stints in the Justice Society and Justice League, she’s a core member of the Birds of Prey, delivering STREET JUSTICE all the while.

Her outfit has undergone minor alterations since her debut, but with one notable exception has stuck pretty close to her original look – leather jacket, leotard, fishnets and boots. Curiously, this minifigure renders her outfit in dark blue. It may be based on a specific comic look, but it’s not one I can identify. Perhaps it’s just meant to mimic the way highlights on her outfit are frequently drawn and coloured. However, we may well see a black-suited version in a future DC set.

As an accessory, she’s got a microphone with stand. This is a nod to her current incarnation as a rock singer as well as a superhero. It’s okay, but I think a motorbike would have been better, if impractical. She’s also got two facial expressions, neutral and screaming.  

In spite of the odd colour choice, this is still an excellent minifigure. Highly recommended.  

Swimsuit Batman

Though I wasn’t a huge fan of it, one thing I did like about The Lego Batman Movie was its fearless iconoclasm with Batman’s super-serious image. So though I mentioned previously that I didn’t want to buy every single variation of Batman that was released, this one made me laugh quite a bit when I saw it.

This version of Batman sees him bedecked in a Speedo, and wearing goggles over his cowl. This cowl-piece is presumably a new mould, so it’ll be interesting to see if it pops up anywhere else in the future. He’s also equipped with a floaty dolphin (presumably come across from the Friends theme) and the same paddle board that came with the Female Lifeguard, all the way back in Series 2.  

But MOST importantly, Swimsuit Batman has ripped abs and is T H I C C. I don’t know all the ins and outs, but apparently Batman and Black Canary had a bit of a fling in recent comics. With buns like this, it’s not hard to see why.

Though at first glance, she wasn’t so impressed.   

With apologies to @FakeEyes22

Swimsuit Batman isn’t as essential as Black Canary, but he is fun. This one will largely be down to your personal tastes. 

POP! Heroes – Armoured Batman (The Dark Knight Rises)

Series: POP! Heroes

Company: Funko

Year: 2016

The Cold War cast an ugly shadow over the collective unconscious of the world for decades, but few decades showcased it as much as the 1980s. In the dying days of the conflict, the threat of nuclear annihilation was at an all-time high as America and Russia strove to outdo one another in an arms race. The mood of paranoia inspired artists across all manner of media. Amebix channelled it into a raging blend of punk and metal, John Carpenter made Escape From New York and Frank Miller funnelled it into a radical reinvention of the Dark Knight. 

The resulting book, The Dark Knight Returns was fantastic. But it’s also become a bit of an albatross around the neck of the Batman mythos; it was revolutionary when it came out in 1986, restoring Batman to a menacing, dark figure in the public eye, and showcasing some decidedly subversive takes on numerous other DC stalwarts. Naturally, it spawned a bunch of imitators – and as often happens, the imitations were far inferior to the original. They made everything as DARK AND EDGY as possible, without actually paying attention to the many other elements that had gone into making the book so readable. Perhaps the most extreme example of this is the recent Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. If you’ve read the comic and seen the movie, you know exactly what I’m talking about.     

But this year marks the comic’s 30^th anniversary, and so now we’re getting a bunch of merchandise based on it – as well as a second sequel to the comic. Mattel has already pumped out some action figures, DC Direct have re-released some of the figures they put out earlier in the century (feels weird to be saying that) and now Funko has seemingly out of the blue released a series of POPs. So today we look at the (masked) version of the Armored Batman POP. 

Frank Miller’s art always had stylised elements, but by the time he drew The Dark Knight Returns, he had really sort of come into his own. I don’t love his art style – especially in more recent years – but it was unlike most other stuff out there at the time. Much as I love George Perez and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, their style probably wouldn’t have worked for this story. The advantage of this is that it mostly lends itself to Funko’s stylised look rather well.

The relatively simple helmet is certainly accurate to the comics, but the contrast with the highly detailed body is maybe just a little too extreme; it works in the comic, due to the proportionate size of the head, but here it’s accentuated. Batman’s older, wrinkled face can be seen beneath the mask – Superman eventually breaks off the mask during the fight, and so there’s also an unmasked version available, if you’d prefer. It’s cool and all, but even with the slightly odd look of the helmet, I’m happier with this version.

Batman doesn’t traditionally use guns, but every now and then he makes an exception. On this occasion, he’s got some kind of sonic weapon – I don’t remember all the details, but I think it gives Supes a splitting headache or something. We’d see a very similar design in The Dark Knight Rises, when Bats carried around that EMP gun.    

Lastly, the body is covered with body armour that would have looked quite futuristic in the 1980s. It’s not how the future has turned out, of course, but it’s still cool. Lots of Michelin Man-esque padding, rather than straight-up metal sheets like the BvS redesign.  

Ultimately, since there’s already been around 12,000 Batman POPs previously released, it’s great to see that this wave doesn’t just consist of simple repaints. While I don’t think it’s as good as the Armored Batman from the Legion of Collector’s box, it’s a good tribute to a classic comic series, and a solid addition to any DC-oriented POP collection.

Legion of Collectors: Batman Vs Superman Box

Sorry for the big gap between posts guys! The LBC is actually in America at the moment, taking a much-needed holiday and visiting some family. So this post actually comes to you live from Texas!

Subscription boxes are a huge, huge deal in the collecting world these days. If you have a niche interest, the odds are strong you can find a distributor out there who’s created a subscription box to cater to your interest. But this wide availability comes at a price; namely, that not all collector’s boxes are created equal. Marvel has had a consistent run with its Funko Collector Corps box sets (I still regret not ordering that first Hulkbuster box), but other suppliers like Loot Crate, My Geek Box and Nerd Block tend to vary wildly from one month to another. Legion of Collectors marks DC’s first foray into the subscription box marketplace, though they’ve previously provided exclusive items for other providers. Expectations are high, given Funko’s involvement – and the inevitable comparisons to more established players, especially the Marvel Collector Corps boxes. Timed to coincide with the release of Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, this theme may be as much a hindrance as a help to the future success of the subscription. Though it has been impressively successful at the box office, it hasn’t quite made what was anticipated, and critical response has been nothing short of devastating. Though I quite enjoyed the film, it was far from perfect and it’s done nothing to shrug the perception of DC being Marvel’s poor cousin.  

But that notwithstanding, let’s take a look at the product on its own merits. I’m a little late to the party with this review; the second box is due out in the next week or so. Why the delay? Well, currently the subscription doesn’t ship to Australia. However, I have some American contacts who have been kind enough to help me get my hands on it – so let’s open the box and see what’s inside!  

Wonder Woman Embroidered Patch

The logo style is Batman Vs Superman, but the colouring is very comics/1970s-TV show based. This is a nice touch; respecting the past while paying tribute to the future etc etc. I may use it at some point…I have always wanted a patch jacket, but I’m not sure how well WW will sit next to the likes of Immortal or Bathory.

Superman Enamel Pin

It’s Henry Cavill, rendered in a black and white pseudo-Art Deco style! This is a nice nod to Superman’s 1930s origins – like the Wonder Woman patch, honouring the past while paying tribute to the future. I like the simplicity of the design, but I have never really been a pins guy. That being said, I think an opportunity to have a more explicitly “Funko” design was missed here.  

Batman Vs Superman t-shirt

This shirt takes some 1970s-era Batman and Superman art (it kind of looks like Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez's work, but I don’t think it is) and turns it into a retro luchador poster – complete with Spanish writing. It’s a neat concept, but as someone who tends to dress more like the first pic on this page, the light blue colour doesn’t really fit in with the rest of my A E S T H E T I C. No matter; I’m sure it will find a good home whether via eBay or among my circle of friends. If it had been black print on a white shirt, I definitely would have worn it though.  

Kryptonite Superman and Underwater Aquaman Dorbz set

I dunno…I just can’t get on board with the style that Funko is using for Dorbz. I said the same thing about the POP! look a few years ago, and look where that got me, but this time I think I’m sticking with that opinion. That said, if you’re collecting Dorbz, this is a great exclusive set for you. Superman is rendered green, presumably by Kryptonite poisoning. This does make his smiling expression a little odd but perhaps he is opting to embrace his death, in a truly nihilistic inversion of the traditional Superman mythos. Aquaman is a little cheerier, mimicking the underwater look of the Hot Topic exclusive Aquaman POP. The paintwork and sculpt is nice, just not to my taste.  

Batman/Superman # 5

I buy a few select comics, but generally only miniseries these days. Comic-collecting gets out of hand too quickly. This variant cover’s inclusion here is a good bonus for those who are more casual comic readers, but it’s kind of neither here nor there for me personally. It's an older issue from 2013. Nice cover art though!     

Armored Batman POP!

This was the only item confirmed prior to the box’s release, and the hook that convinced me to subscribe. Based on the Batman’s distinctive armour in the new film – which in turn was based on the armour Batman wears when fighting Superman in the seminal comic The Dark Knight Returns – it’s far and away the best item in the box. My only disappointment is that it is such a crucial part of the film, and such a cool POP in and of itself, that it’s a shame it’s been restricted to subscribers. Who knows, maybe some kind of paint variant will eventually find its way out there…though I’m still waiting with that Hulkbuster…   

Funko has obviously been spending some time adjusting the quality of their paint apps for this box. They’re infamous for their average paintwork, but if their usual standards had been applied on this occasion, it could have been a total disaster for the company. While the Legion of Collectors website devotes a good chunk of space to defining what is and isn’t considered “damaged” across packaging and paint, it’s a relief to see that the product appears to have been executed with a higher than usual standard.     

Overall

I probably don’t sound very enthused about the box based on the individual item breakdowns, but taken as a collective whole I think it’s a very solid – if not outstanding – debut from the Legion of Collectors. The Armored Batman POP is already reselling for more than I paid for the box itself, so while I have no interest in scalping I think it’s already proven itself to be value for money. The test will be whether the box can maintain – or even better, improve – on its exclusives with future boxes. The date to sign up for the next box (which is DC TV themed) draws close, so it won’t be long till we find out! 

Harley Quinn: Arkham Knight

Company: DC Collectibles

Year: 2015

Scale: 7"

BACKGROUND

The Arkham series video game figures have been a really mixed bag over the years, yielding up some great figures – but some absolutely dreadful ones too. The Arkham Origins ones were particularly good -- much better than the game they accompanied, which is probably why there are still plenty of Batmans warming pegs in stores around Sydney, two years after release.

So it was with some trepidation that I gazed on the first wave of Arkham Knight action figures. Batman looks a little neither here nor there; Arkham Knight looks intriguing, though I need to know more about the character first, and Scarecrow looks pretty good. But the real star of this wave is Harley Quinn. So after having a particularly big week at work a few months ago, I decided to have a Parks and Recreation-style TREAT YO SELF moment.      

SCULPT & ARTICULATION

Harley has been sculpted with an oddly demure look on her face – it’s a bit of a contrast to her usual sinister expression. Does this mean she’s taking a turn for the better during the course of the game? Possibly, but probably not. (I don’t know all the plot twists and turns – a friend was kind enough to give me Arkham Knight for my birthday a few months back, but I still haven’t finished it – I’ll have to go back to it soon, because it was great fun!) 

In fact, it’s a little too demure, virtually devoid of personality. Though the overall character design is much better than it was in Arkham City, Harley has had plenty of action figures in the past that have nailed her facial expressions better. Maybe it’s just a side effect of the (presumably) digital sculpting that Gentle Giant tend to employ. The other side effect of this seems to be the relative softness of a lot of the details – the pattern on her corset, the lacing at the back, the rings on her sleeves -- little bits and pieces like that. Though it’s not awful or anything, it seems a little on the soft side overall. 

However, she's quite well-articulated, with the following points: 

*Ball-jointed neck

*Swivel-hinged shoulders

*Swivel-hinged elbows

*Swivel-hinged wrists

*Ball-jointed torso

*Swivel-hinged hips

*Swivel thighs

*Double-hinged knees  

*Cut calves

*Rocker ankles

All the joints move smoothly, with the only one not working so well the neck. The high collar and the ponytails tend to get a bit stuck against each other, and the neck itself feels quite tight. The main thing that I think it missing is swivel biceps – it would have been easy to slot them in where the puffy sleeves end and the arms begin, and made a considerable difference when it came to posing.  

  

As the sleeves are so puffy – and sculpted from hard plastic – within a few minutes they’d caused some paint to scrape on the corset buckles. So just be careful when you’re first moving the joints around.

ACCESSORIES

Accessories with figures are shockingly rare in this day and age but amazingly Harley Quinn comes with no less than 6! Two alternate hands, a baseball bat painted like a barbershop pole, a pistol (which can be held in the left or right hand, thanks to the alternate hands), what looks to be a detonator – and best of all, a jack in the box, mounted on a real spring!

The handle on the jack in the box actually rotates, but I would suggest caution with it. It’s pretty fragile and could break quite easily – but that in no way detracts from how cool it is! You can actually position her holding it to wind it up, though this will NOT be a good option for long-term display.  

I assume all of these will have some kind of role to play in the game – the jack in the box is probably some kind of bomb, or maybe a collectible like the Riddler’s question marks in the other games. I'll let you know when I've finished the game (yes, I know I'm months behind...)! 

PAINT

Paint on Harley is great on her face, while the rest of her is adequate but not amazing. I suspect some apps got cut at production stage, as some strange decisions have been made -- shading on the hair and sleeves, but no drybrushing on the skirt, for instance. Some of the issues can be attributed to the soft sculpt, but on the whole lines aren’t quite as tight as they could be. From a distance you won’t mind too much though. Just take a good look before you pick one off the shelf.    

OVERALL

Harley isn’t perfectly executed, but I think she’s pretty good. She’s no NECA Predator, but she’s a few cuts above plenty of Marvel Legends. I picked her up for $39.95AUD – not my ideal price, but considering I recently saw Marvel Legends selling for the outrageous price of $49.95, I think she represents pretty good value on the whole. She’s got a decent unique sculpt and enough accessories to make her stand out from the pack. So overall, not essential but a good gift for the Harley Quinn fan in your life.       

POP! Heroes: White Lantern Batman

Company: Funko

Year: 2015

Series: POP! Heroes

I’ve mentioned before on here that between late 2006 and early 2008 was my prime time for buying comics. It was a good time to join the scene; DC had just undergone a mini-reboot with Infinite Crisis and a few key titles had relaunched at issue #1.

The seeds were being sown for the next company-wide event – Blackest Night. I dipped out of comic collecting for a variety of reasons just prior to its proper beginning, but I’ve read the odd bits and pieces of it in the years that have followed, and it was (like most of these company-wide crossovers) okay but not amazing. The backstory is far too convoluted to get into here, but let’s assume that you’re familiar-ish with Green Lantern. Remember that oath he recites when he’s charging his ring? Specifically, the line about “Blackest Night”? Well, turns out that wasn’t just some ritualistic hyperbole – Blackest Night was a prophecy of a real, and pretty horrific, event to come.   

And so came the era of the “Rainbow Lanterns” – pretty much every colour got its very own Lantern Corps, including the White Lanterns, who arose to save the DC Universe…or something. I’ve got mixed feelings about the story itself, but it did give us a few cool spins on characters – one of them being this White Lantern Batman.

It’s a repaint; as far as I can tell it’s exactly the same Batman that was released back in 2010 (even though the foot is stamped as “2014”), but with a new coat of paint and some glow-in-the-dark moulding. It’s not to my taste as an everyday look for Batman, but it’s an interesting novelty.  

However this novelty should be slightly tempered. Appropriately, given that it’s an old mould, it has some of the “Old Funko” problems too. The eyes are not quite painted properly and there is some overspill of glue on his left leg where it has been glued in. Your mileage will vary according to the figure you get of course, but make sure you check it carefully in the store.

There are currently three White Lantern POPs available – Superman, The Flash and Batman. Wonder Woman is apparently on the way too (as an SDCC Exclusive in both regular and glow in the dark form). Given that it’s a relatively easy repaint, I’d be surprised if we don’t get a few more Rainbow Lanterns in the future.

   

White Lantern Batman is not essential, but the glow-in-the-dark feature is fun. He doesn’t come highly recommended but he is a cool variant for Batman obsessives.  

DC Universe Action League -- Batman and Deathstroke

Company: Mattel
Year: 2011
Price: See below

THE BACKGROUND

The Marvel Superhero Squad style figurines have definitely been influential. They spawned an imitation line of Star Wars figures, and now Mattel and DC have gotten in on the act. I found these bad boys in a Reject Shop near my work. I suspect I missed their initial shipment, as there were only a tiny handful left – unfortunately, the Superman and Wonder Woman 2-pack was missing, if it had ever been there at all. Perhaps even more disapppointingly, no Superman and Bizarro 2-pack! Never mind; but eBay may turn up a bargain yet.

THE PACKAGING

I don’t often comment on packaging anymore, as I am a chucker. But I thought I’d mention these ones, as they are clearly done in homage to the DC Classics Universe – a series I always wanted to buy from, but could never find the characters I wanted. The colouring and blister style is very similar, and the box is also decorated with lots of illustrations of various DC characters – but this time in the Action League style. It’s a nice example of brand consistency.  

SCULPT AND ARTICULATION

The style for these guys is like a shrunken version of the Batman: The Brave and the Bold cartoon, super-cartoony with large exaggerated hands. It’s a cool, dynamic look which gives the figures a lot of personality even before you start moving their arms around to get them into different poses.

Both figures in the set are built around the same basic body shape, but they each have their own individual touches. I’ll talk about each of them individually below.

The first time I saw Deathstroke was in a reprint of a 1980s Teen Titans comic, from the George Perez run on the series – I think it was the Judas Contract storyline where the original Terra revealed herself as a traitor. I wasn’t immediately impressed with the character. But over the years, I’ve grown to appreciate him a bit more – and he was one of the better parts of last year’s Arkham Origins.

This Deathstroke is modelled after his “classic” appearance – blue chainmail and flared orange boots. In one hand he wields a massive sword, with the other bunched into a fist. He's also got his staff stuck to his back, which is a nice touch.

 

 

Batman’s suit is very much like his outfit in the 1989 Tim Burton film, which I still think is one of the best versions of the Batsuit that’s been done. All black, large yellow oval Bat-logo on his chest. He’s got a very lantern-jawed look, serious and determined. He’ s a great little figure and I would have picked this set up on his merits alone. In his left hand he wields a metallic grey Batarang, while his right is bunched into a fist. Batman’s cape is also made out of the same hard plastic as the rest of the figure, moulded into a dynamic pose.

The articulation is pretty basic on these, as might be expected – cut necks, cut shoulders* and a cut waist. It’s more or less what I expected, and does the job just fine.

 

*Batman has swivel-hinged shoulders, whereas Deathstroke simply has cut ones. 

PAINT

Some slop would definitely be forgiven as the figures are obviously quite small. However, the paint is mostly quite crisp and clean, with very few issues. It’s a little thick around Batman’s mouth area, obscuring the (admittedly limited) detail.

ACCESSORIES

Some of the more recent sets of these guys apparently include accessories such as stands, but these early ones don’t – unless you count the weapons moulded to their hands.

AVAILABILITY

As mentioned above, I picked these guys up in a local Reject Shop. The 2-pack was $5, but I don’t know how close this was to their original price or how widely they’ve been distributed (sending friends from the Central Coast looking has proven fruitless). For my overseas readers, The Reject Shop is kind of like a factory seconds shop or dollar store – a lot of discontinued or off-season toys find their way there.

The Action League line seems to have finished in 2012 or maybe 2013, but still seems to be readily available online, though (naturally) at a premium. Maybe one of my American readers could shed a little more light on this in the comments section?

OVERALL

I’ve heard other reviewers talk about “hand candy” – toys that are just a whole lot of fun to play with. The DC Action League definitely falls into this category. Though they’re quite derivative of the Superhero Squad toys, these are cool, fun and stylish little toys. Given the opportunity, I’d quite happily assemble my own little Justice League out of these guys, with a few key villains. I don’t see myself getting obsessively completist about the Action League, but if I come across any more anytime soon, I’ll probably grab them – the day after I bought these, I picked up a Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and White Lantern Sinestro set.

Arkham Origins Batman

Series: Arkham Origins

Company: DC Collectibles

Scale: 7”

Year: 2013

The Background

Batman: Arkham Origins was probably my most anticipated game of 2013. When it finally landed, I had a lot of fun playing it, but I was very disappointed with the storyline, and I traded it in right after I finished the main game.

Still, in anticipation of the game – and having admired, but never picked up any of the Arkham Asylum or Arkham City figures – I requested this figure several months ago as a Christmas present. After my disappointment with the game, I was a little more concerned. This was heightened after I ran across all of the figures except Batman in London’s Forbidden Planet store. They had good sculpts, but their articulation didn’t look great. That’s not such an issue with characters like Black Mask, but it’s a big problem for Batman. Combined with my disappointment with DC Unlimited Hawkman, I had some real reservations about going ahead with this figure. But he was already in the mail, so it was too late to cancel. Were my concerns justified?  

PACKAGING

The new packaging for Arkham Origins deviates significantly from the cowl-shaped clamshell that marked Asylum and City.  Now it’s more like a rectangular NECA clamshell, but with the Arkham Origins logo flaring out at the top. But clamshell haters need not panic – some of the back has been pre-perforated, allowing you to tear it open with relative ease (just keep a pair of scissors handy).  

The fairly plain insert unfolds into a flyer for both the Arkham Origins and City ranges, both of which seem to have been reappearing at retail lately – a clever touch.

Overall, I don’t dislike the packaging, but I think it’s a little bland in colouring and will probably present storage problems for MOCers, just because of the unusual shape.  

SCULPLT AND ARTICULATION

I was never quite satisfied with the sculpts on the Asylum or City figures of Batman. Though mostly great, his head always looked just slightly too small for his body, giving a weird effect. In fact, the whole series was a real mix of fantastic (Harley Quinn) and ordinary (Poison Ivy), which I think may be why I never actually pulled the trigger on buying any of them.

This Batman resolves those issues, and presents us with one of the best Batman toys I think I have yet come across. The sculpting is by Gentle Giant studios, who I understand generally base their work from digital scans of the character model.

I couldn’t say for certain whether it’s 100% screen accurate, but it definitely looks right – the armour plating is all there, the belt’s present and the head is the correct size. The biggest issue that I noticed was that his left bat-ear was slightly larger than his right one, and some of the spikes on his glove are slightly warped. Fussier folk than I may choose to break out the customising tools, but I’m happy to leave him be – I don’t really notice unless I’m looking for it.    

The cape is really cool. It’s made out a soft rubber which manages the delicate balancing act of being neither too stiff nor too soft. It restricts his shoulder movement slightly, but not massively. My only real concern is that it feels quite oily, and I’m hoping it doesn’t fall to pieces quickly.

As for his articulation, he features:

*ball-jointed neck

*swivel-hinge shoulders

*swivel-hinge forearms

*ball-jointed wrists

*ab crunch

*swivel waist

*hinged hips

*swivel thighs

*double-hinged knees

*ball-jointed ankles

"This isn't what I had in mind when I was thinking about 'Predator Encounters'."

One of his ankles was at a bit of a funny angle in the box, but I was able to twist it back into its correct shape easily enough – no boiling required.

All of the joints work well and move smoothly – of all of my “collector” figures, Batman is far and away the most mobile, particularly compared to say, my NECA Predators. There are no complaints here, which is possibly a first for one of my reviews!

PAINT

In the comics Batman typically has a very plain colour scheme – black (or blue) and grey. Accordingly, the figure reflects this, and the accompanying paint job is pretty basic, though it doesn’t need to be any more complex. The exposed half of his face is painted a flesh tone (slightly darker for the lip) then given a black wash for stubble. Up close he just looks kind of dirty, but it’s pretty effective from a distance – and it still works either way.

I could see DC Collectibles giving us a “Battle-damage” repaint at some point – those of you who have played any of the Arkham games know that the Batsuit takes quite a beating over the course of the game, and a banged-up version could look pretty good. If it doesn’t get a release, of course, all it would take is a steady hand and some Citadel paints… 

The only real issue I have is that the paint is already showing some wear marks at a couple of points. Both the cape and cowl appear to have been cast in grey, and then painted black. As a result, there’s already a wear mark on his cape (possibly from the packaging) and the tips of his ears are starting to wear too.

ACCESSORIES

Batman comes with no accessories. I was hoping he’d come with a batarang, but no such luck. Considering his hands are balled into fists, ideally I think the best way to go would have been to would have liked some interchangeable hands, a batarang and/or a weapon – along the lines of the old SOTA Street Fighter II toys.  

If the range goes for more than two waves, I won’t be surprised if we end up with a variety of different Batmans – perhaps unmasked as Bruce Wayne, Batman in a slightly different costume, or Batman incorporating more accessories. But I hope that they avoid this, as there have already been far too many Batman lines already that simply consist of variants of Batman.

Instead, I think it would be better to incorporate more accessories into a base figure – interchangeable hands, maybe a head and some accessories. It might cost a little more at retail, but I suspect that you’d probably sell more figures too – rather than annoying fans by releasing a bunch of largely unwanted variants. 

OVERALL

"Rookie mistake, Jason."

Despite Batman being my favourite superhero from a very young age, I’ve never really owned a good figure of him. I had an Animated Series Bruce Wayne-to-Batman figure in the 1990s – which was okay – and a Batman Begins basic Batman when the movie was out – which was also okay. But I’ve never really seen one that grabbed me and was within my budget (I’m looking at you, Hot Toys DX 12 Dark Knight Rises Batman). 

The lack of accessories is disappointing, but Arkham Origins Batman is definitely one of my favourite figures that I’ve bought this year, despite my disappointment with the game. The sculpt looks good, the articulation is great and he looks good fighting Lava Planet Predator – I would recommend him thoroughly to any Batman fan. He’s a great addition to the collection. 

Side note: At this stage, the only other figure I’m planning to pick up is Deathstroke, assuming he has similar articulation and a good paint job – he’s scheduled for release in April. However, future waves beyond wave 2 may well hold more characters that I’m interested in. The other figures look fine, but they’re just not up my alley.

 

"I don't use guns," said Batman, loudly and pointedly.

"Well, how about you shut up let the real cops do their job?" said RoboCop.

The bust that followed was a success, but it was awkward for everyone.