Tag Archives: Batman 66

#2163: Batcave (w/ Batman)

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

BATCAVE (w/ BATMAN)

BATMAN ’66 (MATTEL)

So, it’s apparently Batman Day, a fact I know because pretty much everyone keeps saying “hey did you know it’s Batman Day?”  I didn’t realize fictional characters were getting days now, but if anyone’s gonna get one, I guess it makes sense for it to be Batman.  He’s does have like one of everything; it’s only sensible he’d eventually have a day as well.  In the spirit of the day, I figured I’d take a look at one of the very many Batman items I have in my collection, courtesy of Mattel’s ill-fated run with the Batman ’66 license.  Let’s have a look at Batman and Mattel’s go at the Batcave!

THE SET ITSELF

The “To The Batcave” set was one of the last two items to come out of Mattel’s Batman ’66 line, released (initially, at least) as a Toys R Us-exclusive item, alongside the Triumphant Trio three-pack, in the late summer of 2015.  While billed as a playset, what it more works out to is a figure with a larger than average selection of accessories, because that’s just how Mattel do, I suppose.  The figure included here is a standard Batman, who would receive five separate releases by the time the line was done.  He stands right at 6 inches tall (quite under-scaling him when compared to pretty much any other 1:12 lines, since they tend to punch up a bit on size) and he has 23 points of articulation. Despite how many times it would end up re-issued, the Batman sculpt was probably the weakest of the line’s selection of very weak sculpts.  Firstly, let’s discuss the articulation.  DC Universe Classics was never on par with Legends, but it at least offered a workable selection of joints; not so with this line.  In addition to the general lack of joints, the joints included aren’t particularly useful.  The ab-crunch, the knees, and the elbows in particular have extremely reduced range, making even rather basic poses very difficult.  The quality of the sculpt proper’s not great either. While Adam West may not have been a body builder or anything during his time under the cowl, the extraordinarily skinny build on this figure goes way too far, building a figure that really doesn’t look like a real person at all.  Coupled with the already small scale on the figures, it makes Batman downright silly looking when compared to his contemporaries from lines running at the same time.  Additionally, despite being based on a real person, and not a comic book creation, this figure’s level of detailing marked a major step down when compared to prior Mattel output, as the majority of the costume is devoid of any sculpted textures.  About the best that can be said of the sculpt is that the masked head doesn’t have a terrible likeness.  So, that’s the old figure that they threw into the box to take up space.  What about all the new stuff they added that was supposed to actually sell this thing?  Well, the box proudly proclaims that the set includes 15 accessories…which is true, albeit not quite as impressive as the box might lead you to believe.  To go on the figure proper, we get an unmasked Bruce Wayne head.  Kind of an interesting choice, since I don’t believe we actually ever saw Bruce unmasked in the costume on the show.  However, it’s got a decent likeness of West, and it actually looks a little better on the body than the standard head.  The largest piece is definitely the Batcomputer, which is a decent set piece, even if it is pretty simplistic.  At least it’s got its proper label, showcasing 60s Batman’s love of labels.  The piece is hollow, and the back pops off to reveal the “Secret Equipment Storage,” which is where you can stow all of the other parts when you aren’t using them.  The back that pops off is designed to look like the inside of stately Wayne manor, allowing for two different display options, and two different sets of accessories to go along with them.  On the cave side, we get three batarangs (all identical), four cans of Batman Spray Repellent (again all identical), the Batzooka, Bat megaphone, and Bat communicator.  The duplication of the batarangs and repellent is kind of odd, since obviously he can’t use them all at once, nor is there really anywhere to display the extras, making it really seem like Mattel included as many as they did to bump that accessory count up.  Additionally, there’s the ongoing issue with Batman generally just being unable to really hold any of the included extras. The Batzooka in particular is notable, as its size and weight mean that the figure will fall over if its held in any fashion other than at his side.  On the Wayne Manor side, we get the Shakespeare bust with the hidden button for cave access and the red Bat-phone.  The bust is definitely my favorite extra included here, because the sculpt’s really clean, and the hinge works quite nicely.  To complete the two different set-ups, there’s a card with a Batcave illustration on one side and Wayne manor on the other, as well as a stand to hold the card.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

By the time this set hit, my enthusiasm for the line was completely dead.  I picked up everything from the initial run, but only ended up picking up the three-pack when I was disappointed at not getting anything Star Wars-y during the first Force Friday event.  This set, as interesting a concept as it may be, just didn’t excite me enough to drop $35 on it.  However, a friend of mine had gotten one a while ago, and decided they no longer wanted it, and thus it made its way into my collection.  As with so much Mattel did, it fills me with mixed emotions.  There are some cool things in here, and in general it’s a fun concept, but the core Batman’s kind of rotten, and this being the fifth time we got him really hinders the set.  I think if it had been in that first wave of product, rather than pushed all the way to the end of the line, it might have been a bigger hit, but quite frankly there’s a lot of things that could have been done differently to make this line worth while.

#1794: Bookworm

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

BOOKWORM

BATMAN ’66 (FUNKO)

There was a time when any Batman ’66 product at all was something fans dreamed about.  Who’d have ever guessed we might have too much of it?  Well, I guess that’s a highly subjective take on things, isn’t it?  Perhaps I’m a little jaded about the whole thing.  See, when Mattel launched their Batman ’66 line, I was thrilled beyond belief, and preorder everything in the initial assortments.  And then I actually got the figures and…well, they were kind of garbage.  The line failed, what with the figures being kind of garbage and all.  In its stead we’ve gotten all sorts of stuff.  Pops, Hot Toys figures, Quarter Scale figures, Megos, etc.  All possessing their own strengths and weaknesses.  Towards the tail end of it all, Funko came in with a 3 3/4 inch line, which showed a lot of promise.  Sadly, its weakness was one of timing; it hit shelves a few years after collectors had been burned out by everything else.  As such, it too is another failed line, with an incomplete assortment of characters, focusing more on the obscure than the major.  Hence why we have no Joker, Penguin, or Catwoman, but we managed to get today’s offering, Bookworm.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Bookwork is part of the first, and only, series of Funko’s Batman ’66 line, one of the line’s many more obscure rogues.  The figure stands 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 11 points of articulation.  The improved articulation on these figures is still very much appreciated, and Bookworm himself is far less affected by the lack of hip hinges than Batgirl was.  Like Batgirl, Bookworm takes the retro feel of the ReAction line and dials it back just a bit, resulting in a better overall figure that still pays homage to a more vintage style.  Apart from some slight weirdness where the hips and the bottom of the jacket intersect, his sculpt is really quite good.  In particular, I really love the head, especially his glasses.  Glasses are hard to do at all on toys, even more so at a small scale like this.  They could have just sculpted the rims right onto his face and done it all with paint, but they didn’t and the figure is all the better for it.  His head doesn’t have too much of actor Roddy McDowall’s likeness, but given how little of his face is actually visible here, it’s not like he looks unlike McDowall, so I’d say it’s close enough not to hold the figure back.  The figure’s paint is a little on the drab side, being mostly variations of brown.  This is true to the show, though, and at least the application is clean.  The glasses again are the best part for me, with clear lenses *and* cleanly painted rims.  Bookworm is, appropriately, packed with a book, which his right hand has been sculpted to properly hold.  That was a nice change, since Batgirl was unable to hold her accessory.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I have to admit: I was part of the problem.  When they were new, I bought exactly one of Funko’s Batman ’66 figures.  I really liked Batgirl a lot, and was interested in getting more, but after the whole debacle with Mattel, I wanted to see more of what the line had to offer before really jumping on board.  During the TRU liquidation process, I found poor Bookworm, all by himself, package smashed to hell.  I felt sorry for him, so home with me he came.  And then there was the months of waiting to open him, because boy did I pick up a backlog of figures over the summer.  Now that I’ve finally opened him, I’m really happy I got one, but also very sad I didn’t support this line earlier, because Bookworm is a very good figure. 

#1392: Batgirl

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

BATGIRL

BATMAN ’66 (FUNKO)

Fun fact: did you know that the Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl was only created to help sell the third season of the ‘60s Batman show?  Well, sort of.  Carmine Infantino and Julie Schwartz were working on a way to revamp the Betty Kane “Bat-Girl”, when they were visited by the tv-show’s producers, who were looking for a hook for what would be the show’s final season.  They liked Infantino’s early designs for Barbara, and she was quickly introduced in the comics before making her on-screen debut shortly thereafter.  Yvonne Craig’s portrayal of Batgirl in the show is by far the most definitive take on the character, even years later.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Batgirl was released in the first series of Funko’s new Batman ’66 line of figures.  After being left out of the Mattel line at launch, it’s really nice to see Batgirl turn up much earlier in the new line.  These figures are in a similar style to Game of Thrones figures, but this feels like a property that’s more at home in the style.  The figure stands 3 3/4 inches tall and she has 11 points of articulation.  I definitely appreciate the hinges on the shoulders; it’s a shame we couldn’t get similar movement on the hips, but I’ll take what I can get.  The style of these figures has a vaguely retro feel to it, but it’s not quite as hardcore as the ReAction stuff.  The sculpt on Batgirl is somewhat streamlined and more simplistic, but she still manages to have some really incredible detail work, especially on the gloves.  The head actually sports a pretty solid likeness, definitely better than the Mattel version (and I even though that was one of Mattel’s better attempts in their line), and a very crisply defined cowl with her hair billowing out of the back.  The hair is well-placed, so as not to impede the neck movement, which is very much appreciated.  There’s a rubber cape, which is held in place by the head.  It’s fairly light-weight and flexible.  Definitely an improvement on the cloth cape from the Mattel stuff.  The paintwork on Batgirl is decent enough.  The application is all pretty clean, and there’s no real noticeable slop.  The belt has some slight bleed over onto the pelvis, but it’s minor.  I will say, while the flat colors look fine, I do sort of miss the metallics from the Mattel version, and I feel like at the very least, the jumpsuit should have been a little shiny.  Batgirl was packed with a Bat-Communicator, which is cool, though she has trouble holding it.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

When Funko announced they were doing this line, I will admit, I was skeptical.  I went all-in on the Mattel figures, and I was ultimately rather let down by those.  Similarly, I was only so-so on a lot of the ReAction stuff and the smaller-scale Game of Thrones figures.  But, I was at Lost in Time Toys, and they had Batgirl, and I really liked the look of her, so I figured I’d give the line a shot.  I kinda wish I’d waited it out for the Funko stuff, because I found this Batgirl to be a better put together figure than what we got from Mattel.  On top of that, I’m happy to see Funko starting to find their footing in the action figure world.  Here’s hoping they can maintain their niche. 

#0770: Batman

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

BATMAN

BATMAN: CLASSIC TV SERIES (NECA)

Batman66a

So, can we just have it put down in writing that NECA are just the most successful bunch of miracle workers of all time? Because these dudes continue to do the seemingly impossible. Between Mattel and DC Collectibles, the DC license is pretty well tied up for most conventional scales. The best NECA could do was grab the ¼ scale license. That’s cool and their sculpts were always really well handled, but 18 inch figures can be a bit unwieldy for the average collector. NECA’s usual 7 inch scale works much better. Last year, through some crazy loopholery, they were able to get a Michael Keaton Batman released at the smaller scale, thanks to some help from Warner Brothers. This year, they’ve decided to top even themselves, offering three more DC figures, including today’s focus figure, Adam West as Batman.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Batman66bBatman was released alongside Superman and Joker, but there isn’t really one overarching name for the line. He was produced by NECA and distributed as part of a DVD-based promotion by Warner Brothers. The figure stands just over 7 inches tall and has 28 points of articulation. He is, of course, based on Adam West’s performance as the character in the 1960s Batman show. The other 7-inch figures are all more or less just scaled down versions of the 18 inch figures, but Batman’s been tweaked ever so slightly. It’s really just been done to change the articulation scheme. The 18 inch West had a few extra joints, which may not have translated quite as well to the smaller scale. It’s not a huge loss, though, since he’s still on par with the average NECA release, so he’s plenty posable. As far as the actual sculpt goes,this guy’s just fantastic. The likeness on the head is definitely West, and the cowl piece over top is a near perfect replica of that from the show. The body sculpt captures West’s build really nicely (something I felt the Hot Toys version was unable to do), and the level of detail and texturing on the costume is great. The only real drawback to this figure is the cape, which is just a simple piece of shiny blue fabric. Still, it hangs decently enough and looks alright, so it hardly ruins the figure. It seems impossible to talk about this figure without at least mentioning the Mattel version. I’ve included a comparison shot, because the level of difference between these two Batman66dhas to be seen to be believed. Absolutely night and day. Topping off this fantastic sculpt is a pretty awesome paint job. It’s not perfect, mind you. There’s a little bit of slop here and there, and I had to choose the better of the two available paint jobs. However, the overall look of this guy is just spot on, and there are several bits that sport some really great detail work. The 18 inch version of this guy came pretty well packed with extras. This guy understandably notches that back a bit, but he still has a spare set of hands in gripping/relaxed poses, a batarang, and a bat-radio transmitter. That’s a pretty good selection.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Somewhat unusually for someone my age, I love the 60s Batman show. I was really excited when Mattel announced their line of 6 inch figures, but was ultimately a bit let down by the final product. So, when word broke about NECA’s version hitting Toys R Us, I ran right out to get this guy, and lucked into one on my first stop. Little did I know he’d be such a hot commodity. It’s understandable, because this is easily the best figure of West as Batman available.

Batman66f

#0741: Power Loader

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

POWER LOADER

ALIENS (NECA)

PowerLoader1

Okay, everybody, you should know the drill by now. Ethan’s got a new Aliens toy and he’s all excited. Were he not showing restraint, every sentence in this review would be all caps and end in 34 exclamation points. Because this sucker’s pretty darn fantastic.

Two years ago, when NECA’s Aliens line was only just two series into its run, before we had any large items and before the Sigourney Weaver likeness rights were secured, NECA teased fans at how great this line could be. They confirmed that the Alien Queen would be joining the line, but when Toy Fair rolled around, the Queen’s sculpt wasn’t ready to go, so they put something else in the case. The Power Loader, the exo-skeleton perfect for telling female dogs to get away from people. It was the first real indication that NECA might be working on securing Weaver’s likeness and succeeding where every Aliens line before had failed. I mean, why make the Loader without Ripley? Then the Queen and Ripley were shown and solicited and released, and this one just seemed to slip through the cracks. Fortunately, NECA had not forgotten, and was hard at work getting the Loader released. And now it’s here. Let’s do this!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

PowerLoader3Like the Alien Queen, the Power Loader has been released as a deluxe entry in NECA’s Aliens line, filling the gap between Series 6 and 7 of the main figure line. The Power Loader has made its way into several pieces of Aliens media over the years, but this one is definitely based on its debut appearance in the 1986 movie. After getting the downright enormous Queen figure, the Loader is actually a little more compact than I had expected. Once I placed it next to Ripley, I was certain that it was properly scaled, but it is definitely compact. It stands roughly 10 inches tall and has 28 points of articulation, as well as eight actual, working pistons. The range of motion on anything outside of the arms is mostly pretty limited, but that’s true to the film design as well, so one can hardly complain. The sculpt on this piece is nothing short of amazing. For starters, it’s a really great recreation of the machine from the movie. But, just looking at it from a purely aesthetic standpoint, every piece of it is carefully crafted and full of tons of detail; it looks like a working machine.  Adding to that, a variety of different materials have been used to craft it. The main base is hard plastic, but the hoses and tubes, as well as the padding and straps in the spot for the PowerLoader4operator are made from a soft rubber, and the tracks on which the pincers move are all made from metal, so you don’t have to worry about breaking them. If there’s one negative, it’s the netting material used on the top of the harness part. In the film it’s a metal grate sort of piece. It’s forgivable, though, since that sort of piece seams infeasible at a smaller scale, and I definitely prefer slightly inaccurate to broken. The paint on the Power Loader does a great job of accenting the already awesome sculpt. The various small details are all nice and sharp, and there’s plenty of weathering to help make it look more like an actual machine and less like a hunk of plastic. It’s truly outstanding work. The Power Loader is designed with NECA’s Series 6 Lt. Ellen Ripley in mind, so it fits to her pretty well. PowerLoader5Getting the harness to fasten is a bit of a pain, but it stays alright once you get her properly placed. Also, although the Loader includes a spare set of hands for her to hold the controls, getting her hands to hold said controls without popping off of the wrists is virtually impossible. I managed to get the left hand alright, but I just let the right sort of hover there. It makes for easier posing anyway. For those curious, the Loader is really only designed with this particular Ripley figure in mind, so other NECA figures won’t fit right. I’ve included a shot of their recent Adam West Batman operating it, and you can see he’s really squished in there.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This was meant to be my main birthday present from my parents this year, but it ended up getting delayed a few times (which I was actually kind of expecting). It just arrived last week, and I can happily say that it was absolutely worth the wait. Ripley looks right at home piloting it, and the Alien Queen’s shelf presence increases ten-fold when facing off against it. If there’s one must-have item from NECA’s Aliens line, this is definitely it!

PowerLoader2

#0668: Batgirl

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

BATGIRL

BATMAN’66 (MATTEL)

Batgirl66a

I’m sure that a fair portion of my readership has heard about the passing of Yvonne Craig on Wednesday.  For those unaware, she was the actress who played Barbra Gordon/Batgirl on the live action Batman show from the 60s, along with plenty of other roles.  In honor of her, I’ll be taking a look at the Batgirl figure from Mattel’s Batman ’66 line, who was just recently released, almost two years after the rest of the line, due to rights issues.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Batgirl66bBatgirl was released two ways, both through Toys R Us.  She was released solo as a SDCC 2015 exclusive and more widely as part of a three pack with Batman and Robin from the 60s show.  This particular version is the one from the three pack, though the differences in the actual figure are negligible.  The figure is just shy of 6 inches tall and has 23 points of articulation.  The articulation on this figure feels a little outmoded and rudimentary, but, in Mattel’s defense, it keeps her stylistically the same as the rest of the Batman ’66 line.  Take of that what you will.  The Batman ’66 line was mostly without re-use for sculpts, but it’s a Mattel line, so some was bound to show up eventually.  Batgirl uses the upper arms and upper legs of the line’s take on Catwoman. They’re basic enough that it’s not immediately evident that they’re re-used, so that’s good.  The rest of the sculpt is new to this figure.  It’s decent, if not jaw dropping.  The head’s the best piece for sure.  It’s a pretty great likeness of Yvonne Craig, and it fits in really nicely with the other sculpts in the line.  The body sculpt is a little lower quality than the head.  It’s not bad, and there are some really great bits of texture on the gloves and the body suit stitching.  However, the proportions are a little bit off; the arms and legs are really long and lanky and the torso seems oddly long.  Also, the articulation isn’t really worked in very well, so it stands out pretty badly in certain areas.  On the plus side, it seems that Mattel has stepped up to the plate on paintwork in the lull between figures.  Batgirl’s paint is a fair bit nicer than what we saw on the first round of ’66 figures, and it avoids the gloppy-ness that plagued a lot of them.  Batgirl’s accessories are a display stand with “Sock!” written on it and a card with a pretty cool Batgirl illustration.  Depending on how you look at it, one could also count Batman and Robin as “accessories” as well, since it’s unlikely that anyone was buying this set purely for them.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Confession time: this isn’t my figure.  It’s actually my Dad’s.  You know, I’ve reviewed four Batman ’66 figures on this site and three of them have been owned by other people.  I swear I have my own Batman ’66 collection!  In fact, that’s actually why I don’t have this figure.  Since I’ve already got the Batman and Robin included in this set, they add no value for me, and $55 is a bit steep for a single figure.  If I’m honest, Batgirl’s probably the best figure to come out of this line.  Sadly, she’s still a Mattel figure, which means there’s some definite room for improvement.

Batgirl66c

#0459: Robin

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

ROBIN

BATMAN ’66 (HOT TOYS)

Alright, here we are with the second part of our little break into “Ethan reviews someone else’s toys.” Yesterday, I took a look at the Hot Toys version of Adam West’s take on Batman from the popular 60s TV series. It’s only fitting that I follow it up by taking a look at Batman’s partner in (fighting) crime, the only bird more dangerous than a sparrow with a machine gun, Robin the Boy Wonder!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Like Batman, Robin is part of Hot Toys’ Movie Masterpiece Series. He’s figure MMS 219, which places him directly after Batman in the numbering of the line. Robin is about 11 ½ inches tall, which makes him just a slight bit shorter than Batman, and (going by the Sideshow website) he has 30 points of articulation. He’s based on Burt Ward’s portrayal of the character in the 1960s TV show and Movie, though according to the solicitations, he’s specifically movie based.
One of HT’s claims to fame is their incredible likenesses. In all honesty, Robin isn’t one of their more spot on ones. While Batman was very clearly Adam West, the likeness is a bit more debatable on Robin. From certain angles, it definitely looks like Burt Ward, but from others it’s not quite as clear. However, the sculpted mask does a lot to fill in the blanks, so I don’t think anyone will be lost on who this is supposed to be. Overlooking the minute issues with the likeness, the sculpt features all the fantastic detailing we’ve come to expect from Hot Toys. In a similar fashion to Batman, the mask has been done as a separate piece, which gives the head sculpt the right amount of depth and layering. The paintwork on the head is nothing short of amazing. There’s absolutely no slop or bleed over, and the detailing is superb.  It looks like a real person.

Robin’s costume is made up of nine parts in total. He has his signature shirt (with different colored sleeves), a cape, a pair of shorts, and a pair of flesh tone tights, as well as a sculpted belt, boots, and gloves.  Overall, everything is pretty well tailored, though there are a few minor issues. While Ward’s costume was a little off in the movie, the shirt and shorts overemphasize this. The shirt is too short, and the shorts are too long. However, with some futzing, this could be mostly fixed. The cape also seems just a bit too short, which is even more noticeable, given the thickness of the material. The sculpted pieces are all excellent, and they match up pretty much exactly with the pieces from the show. Robin’s body is a better fit for him than the body on Batman was for that figure. Perhaps it’s due to Ward having had a more basic body type, but it seems the standard slim TrueType worked out well.

Robin is armed with a nice assortment of accessories, though not quite as many as Batman (in all fairness, Robin retailed for $15 less.) He features:

  • 8 interchangeable hands
  • Batarang
  • Bat-cuffs
  • Bat-Radio
  • Bat Rope
  • Display Stand

The figure’s hands include the following poses: a pair of fists, a pair for gripping, a pair with a two finger gesture, one looser grip, and one for receiving a fist (to replicate one of Ward’s signature poses.) Unlike Batman, these hands are more meant for posing than for accessories. Each of the hands is well sculpted, and they all swap out pretty easily.

At first, it seems like the Batarang is a piece of re-use, however closer examination shows that it’s actually a different, smaller Batarang than the one included with Batman. It’s well sculpted, and has the same hole for the Bat Rope that the other Batarang has.

The Bat-Cuffs represent another fairly standard Bat-accessory. It’s nice to see that HT thought to give Robin something not included with Batman. The cuffs are nicely done; they open and close like real cuffs, and even have a metal chain between them.

The Bat-Radio and Rope are the same as the ones included with Batman. The Bat-Radio is still a cool little piece and the Rope is still just a piece of string.

Finally, Robin includes a standard display stand. It’s been decorated with his name and the Batman ’66 logo.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

So, this is another figure belonging to my friend Lance, which he’s very kindly allowing me to review. Overall, the figure has its issues, but it’s pretty good. At first, I was a little let down by Robin, especially after the really fantastic Batman. However, placing the two figures side by side, every problem fades away. These two really make for a killer display. For once, I’m rather envious of someone else’s action figure collection.

#0458: Batman

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

BATMAN

BATMAN ’66 (HOT TOYS)

Okay, so today and tomorrow I’ll be doing something a little different for the site. As I’m sure readers are aware, the reviews I post here are of my own personal collection. Of course, I do have the occasional guest review, but that’s still the owners reviewing their stuff. Today, I’ll be doing my first review of an action figure that isn’t mine.

I’m no stranger to Hot Toys figures, and I even have a rather large collection of them. However, in the last year or two I’ve had to move away from them. The figures are rather expensive, and they keep getting more so, to the point that I really couldn’t keep up. This meant missing out on a number of figures I’d been looking forward to, such as today’s subject, Batman.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Batman is part of Hot Toys’ Movie Masterpiece Series, and he’s figure MMS 218 in that particular line. Batman is roughly 12 inches in height and, according to the Sideshow website, he has 30 points of articulation. The figure is based on Adam West’s portrayal of Batman in the 60s TV show and movie. Going by the accessories, this is specifically based on the 1966 movie.

Let’s kick things off by looking at the head. Simply put, the head sculpt is phenomenal work. The cowl is an expert recreation of the one worn by West in the movie, down to the slightly droopy ears, and the underlying face is the spitting image of Adam West. The use of separate molded pieces makes it so that the figure has all the proper dimension, resulting in a sculpt that really looks like a guy wearing an actual mask. The paintwork is just as fantastic as the sculpt. Everything is incredibly clean, and the work on the skin makes him look like a miniaturized person. All of the detail work is done with the appropriate level of subtlety. The cowl has been painstakingly painted to match the actual cloth of the cape in color and sheen, which is certainly no easy feat.

Batman’s costume is made up of nine pieces. He has a basic gray bodysuit, with a cloth cape, shorts and lower cowl, as well as sculpted boots, gloves and utility belt. The bodysuit is pretty well tailored, though some of the stitching is a bit bulky. The shorts seem a little loose, but they’re better than some of HT’s previous attempts, so they’re learning. The cape is decently tailored, though it seems too thick. They’ve also placed snaps in a few places to help with placement, which are a bit cumbersome. The gloves, boots, and belt are superbly sculpted, and very nicely painted as well. I particularly like the actual metal belt buckle, which is a wonderful recreation of the original prop. Perhaps my biggest issue with the figure’s costume isn’t actually the costume, but the body beneath it. HT tries to make use of the current version of their TrueType body whenever they can, which is understandable. However, the body is definitely too fit for Adam West as Batman. So, they’ve decided to add padding to mask this. The thing is, West wasn’t overweight, or anything, just not super cut, so the end result is that the figure looks a bit too chubby for West’s Batman.
Like any good Hot Toys figure, Batman comes with a very nice assortment of accessories. The figure includes:

  • 11 interchangeable hands
  • 2 interchangeable face plates
  • Batarang
  • Shark Repellant Bat Spray
  • Bat-Radio
  • Bomb
  • Bat Rope
  • Display stand

The figure’s 11 hands include: a pair of fists, a pair for carrying the bomb, a pair for doing the Batusi, a pair for the batarang, a hand for the Shark Repellant Bat Spray, a hand for the radio, and a hand gesturing with two fingers. The majority of the hands are made for interacting with the accessories, which they do superbly, and the remaining hands allow for a lot of really fun poses. The hands are all very well sculpted, matching up to the glove pieces very well. They also swap out a lot easier than most HT hands, though they still threw in a spare set of wrist pegs, just in case any accidents happen.

In addition to the regular expression already present on the figure, he includes two more face plates with differing expressions. One features gritted teeth, allowing for a variety of more intense poses. The other is closer to the regular expression, but with the mouth open, as if Batman is about to speak or is in quiet contemplation. It’s a rather signature look for West, so it works. Both faceplates are just as good as the regular one, and they swap out with relative ease.

The Batarang is a rather standard Batman accessory, so it would be criminal for it to be excluded. The batarang is well sculpted, and fits well in the figure’s hand. It has a small hole on one end, allowing for the rope to be fed through it.

The Shark Repellant Bat Spray is one of the two very movie specific accessories included. Essentially, it’s just a spray can, but it’s well sculpted and very well painted. It fits very nicely into the appropriate hand, and it makes for a rather cool display.

The Bat-Radio is a neat little accessory, even if it doesn’t have the gravitas of some of the other accessories. It’s very well sculpted, and very accurate to the source material. It even has an actual metal loop at the top.

The Bomb (which sometimes you just can’t get rid of) is the other movie-specific accessory, and it’s probably my favorite accessory included. It’s a pretty simple piece, but it’s spot on to what it should be.

The Bat Rope is, well, rope. I didn’t take it out, but I assure you, it’s just some string.

Lastly, Batman has a display stand. It’s just the standard display stand, with his name and the Batman ’66 logo on it.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Like I said in the intro, Batman’s not mine. I had wanted one, but I just couldn’t justify spending the money. At my family’s New Year’s Eve party this year, my friend Lance noted that I hadn’t reviewed the figure, and asked if I’d like to borrow his to review. I should point out that he said this while handing me the figure. I believe my response was a series of sounds that approximated a yes. While I’m bummed that I didn’t get one of my own, I think getting to mess around with the figure has helped dull the pain a bit. The figure has a few small flaws, but it’s a fantastic figure, and it’s easily the best West Batman on the market, perhaps even the best Batman period.

# 0035: Catwoman

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

CATWOMAN

BATMAN ‘66 (MATTEL)

Today, I’ll be taking a look another new addition to my collection.  It’s Catwoman from Mattel’s Batman ’66 line, which I have yet to look at on this blog, so this’ll be a first.  Awesome.  I’m going to assume everybody knows Catwoman, but if you don’t know the 1960s Batman TV show this version is based on, you should definitely read up on it.  It’s a lot of fun.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

This figure is obviously based on Catwoman from the 1960s show, but specifically, this one’s based on Julie Newmar’s portrayal of the character.  I’m more of a Lee Merriweather fan myself, but Newmar was the first, the longest running and is typically the best remembered Catwoman by fans of the show, so she was a good choice to do right off the bat.  Catwoman was released in (kind of) the second series of the Batman ’66 line, although she was released separately from the other two figures in the series.  She stands roughly 6 inches tall and has 22 points of articulation.  Unlike many of Mattel’s previous DC lines, which rely heavily on reuse, Catwoman is an all new sculpt.  Admittedly, it’s one of the better sculpts they’ve done, in that it does come fairly close to a real woman’s proportions, which is a nice change.  It’s not perfect, mind you, but not terrible.  The head sculpt is also well done, with more than a passing resemblance to Julie Newmar.  Unfortunately, the paint doesn’t quite live up to the sculpt.  It’s not terrible, but the face especially is really thickly painted, and the eye lashes and eyebrows are painfully obviously patterned designs.  None of this ruins the figure, but I can’t help but think that the likeness would increase ten-fold with a better paintjob.   Catwoman also includes a sound effect labeled stand and a character card featuring a screen cap from the show.  The stand is the same as every other stand in the line, but Catwoman’s reads “CRRAACK!” like the sound a whip would make, making it a good fit for Catwoman.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I acquired my Catwoman figure from Amazon, like the other Batman ’66 figures, when they all went up for preorder.  Amazon has quickly become my go to for ordering toys because it just makes life a whole lot easier!