Tag Archives: Batman: The Animated Series

#0594: The Creeper

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

THE CREEPER

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (DCC)

CreeperTNBA1

DC Collectibles seems to finally be getting into the swing of things with their much anticipated Batman: The Animates Series line of figures. They started off a little bit rocky with a fair share of quality control issues on the first series, causing them to delay production on all upcoming series for a few months. One thing they still seem to be working on getting down, however, is a firm definition of just what figures are in a series. When the QC issues from Series 1 arose, DCC quickly pushed back the release of Series 2 in order to fix some of the problems. They foresaw the potential for more prevalent problems in the planned Poison Ivy figure, so she was removed from Series 2 entirely, and slotted for a later release. It seemed like this just meant Series 2 would be one figure smaller, and I even indicated this in my review of the three remaining Series 2 figures. It would seem I was wrong…sort of. Not long after the rest of Series 2 made their way to shelves, one more figure showed up.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

CreeperTNBA2The Creeper is figure 11 in DC Collectibles’ Batman: The Animated Series/The New Batman Adventures line. For those of you keeping score at home, he’s actually only the eighth figure to be released in the line, but DCC spent all that money designing packaging and printing out those checklists included with every figure, so they certainly weren’t going change things up for pure logic’s sake! Creeper was released sort-of-kind-of as part of the second series of figures in the line. The other three all shipped together, but this guy was late to the party. That said, Series 3 still seems a ways off, so that would put this guy with Series 2. The first series didn’t all ship together either, so I guess that’s just how this line’s gonna work. The figure stands just over 6 ½ inches tall and features 26 points of articulation. My Creeper figure only had 24 of those points right out of the box, as his right shoulder was completely frozen in place. It loosened up after about 20 minutes or so of me prying at it, but wow was it a pain. The Creeper is based on his appearance in the penultimate episode of The New Batman Adventures, “Beware the Creeper.” Seeing as CreeperTNBA4it’s the only time he appeared on the show, I suppose that’s fair. The figure sports a sculpt that is unique to him. It’s a pretty great translation of the show design, which is nice to see. Like with any animation-based figure, there are certain viewing angles that don’t look quite right, but the figure manages to avoid them as best he can. The face seems a tad bit long and the jaw is a little too square, but the overall appearance isn’t bad. They’ve opted to have the boa be a sculpted piece. That’s probably the best possible choice, but it does mean he’s rather top heavy and some of his articulation is a little restricted. Still, it’s well-sculpted, and it makes for an accurate representation of the design without looking too silly, so points for that. Creeper exhibits what is probably the best paintwork I’ve seen yet from this line. It’s still not perfect (especially on the shorts), but things are mostly CreeperTNBA3clean, without too many scuffs or scratches. The head is the best part, with some phenomenal line work on the eyes, eyebrows, and mouth. Creeper is packed with a pretty great selection of accessories. He starts off with three different pairs of hands. He’s got a standard set of fists, gripping hands, and open gesture hands. There’s also the standard display stand, which features his design sheet control art printed on the base. Lastly, he’s got a Batman party mask and a pool cue, which are both really cool episode specific pieces. (EDIT: He also has a rat.  I don’t remember quite what he did with the rat in the show, but I assume it was in the episode.)

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Creeper really snuck up on me. I had heard through various sources that he had been released, but I hadn’t really looked into it. I figured I’d eventually get around to ordering him from Amazon, like I did with the last three. This past week, I was picking up my comics from my local store, Cosmic Comix, and just happened to spot this guy hanging on the rack behind Batman and Two-Face (who I really should get one of these days). Usually the store places new figures up near the front with the new comics, so I almost missed him. This guy is just super covert. I’m glad I didn’t miss him, though, because he may well be my favorite figure in the line so far. He’s still got a few issues here and there, but I really feel like DCC is starting to get the hang of things!

CreeperTNBA5

#0575: Man-Bat

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

MAN-BAT

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (DC COLLECTIBLES)

ManBat1

While I love pretty much every episode of Batman: The Animated Series, there are two episodes I love above all the others.  The first is “Heart of Ice,” the episode that re-invented the character of Mr. Freeze and made him into one of Batman’s most memorable Rogues.  The other is “On Leather Wings,” which is the very first episode of the series, and is responsible for kicking things off with a serious bang.  The episode steered away from the more established Bat-Rogues in order to focus on the lesser-known Man-Bat.  Man-Bat serves as the logical counterpoint to Batman, and allows for a unique way of introducing the audience to the main character.  The episode perfectly established the tone for the rest of the series, and has some of the best writing and animation of the entire show.  It was an important moment for the series, and Man-Bat is a key part of it, so it’s no surprise that Man-Bat showed up in the latest round of BTAS figures from DC Collectibles.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

ManBat2Man-Bat is figure 07 in the Batman: The Animated Series/The New Batman Adventures line from DC Collectibles.  He is the third and final figure in Series 2 (Poison Ivy was supposed to be the fourth, but she got pushed back due to production issues).  The figure is just shy of 7 ½ inches tall, has a wing span of 15 inches, and has 15 points of articulation.  The design of the character means that he’s a little less articulated than some of the others in this series.  That said, he’s actually the first figure in the line to get any torso articulation, and most of the articulation has a pretty great range of movement.  The only point that’s really limited is his head, which really would benefit from the ability to look upward.  As with the Kenner figure, this version of Man-Bat is based on the Kirk Langstrom Man-Bat from “On Leather Wings” as opposed to the Francine Langstrom (wo)Man-Bat from “Terror in the Sky.”  The figure’s sculpt is, generally, a pretty great translation of the show’s design for the character.  The only real mis-step, as far as I can tell, is the figure’s head.  It’s not terribly far off from the show design, but it seems like it’s a little flatter, depth-wise, than it should be.  In particular, the jaw line seems too shallow.  That being said, it’s closer than Kenner’s attempt, and the differences can be chalked up to the show design not translating quite as well to three dimensions.  Man-Bat is a much larger figure than the others in the line, but that doesn’t mean he gets left out of the accessories game.  The most ManBat3important extra pieces are definitely the extra arms, which are sculpted in a more relaxed position. The default arms are sculpted in an outstretched fashion, which can take up a lot of shelf space and limits the possible poses, so it’s good to have the extra pieces.  Now, it’s too bad that DCC couldn’t find a way to work in elbow and wrist movement, but I can certainly appreciate their desire to not hinder the quality of the sculpt.  These make for a decent enough compromise.  In addition to the arms, the figure includes three medicine bottles, a tape recorder, and a display stand.  The bottles and the recorder are episode specific, and pretty nifty to have, even if Man-Bat can’t really use them.  The stand is pretty much an essential piece of the figure, however, due to his inability to stand very well on his own.  But, at least it’s there, right?

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

If you’ve read the last two days’ reviews, it should be no surprise that I got Man-Bat from Amazon.  It doesn’t make for a terribly exciting story, but it’s relatively stress-free on my end.  Man-Bat was a figure I was really looking forward to, mostly due to how much I love the character’s first appearance on the show.  It’s too bad that DCC couldn’t come up with a way to articulate the arms, but the swappable parts do make up for it a bit, resulting in a pretty fun figure, and probably one of the best Man-Bat figures to date.

ManBat4

#0574: Robin

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

ROBIN

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (DC COLLECTIBLES)

RobinTAS1

When discussing the definitive actors for certain characters, Batman: The Animated Series comes up a lot. Usually, it’s in regards to Kevin Conroy’s portrayal of the title character, or possibly Mark Hamill’s Joker. There’s no denying that those two defined the characters for a vast majority of the fanbase, and their performances are rightfully praised. However, for me, there’s one more actor who’s just as definitive in his role, and that is Loren Lester as Robin. When I think of Robin, his voice is the one I hear, and as such his version of Robin is the one I’m most interested in owning a figure of. Fortunately for me, DC Collectibles has just released a figure of that very version of the character!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

RobinTAS2Robin is figure 06 in DC Collectibles’ Batman: The Animated Series/The New Batman Adventures line, and he’s the second of the three figures in Series 2. Robin is 5 ½ inches tall and features 28 points of articulation. The articulation here is better than what we saw on Joker, but the height seems a little off. To be fair, Robin was usually depicted as being a little shorter than most of the other adult male characters. However, this version of the character is meant to be college aged, and at more than a half an inch shorter than Batman, he seems too small. Anyway, this figure is based on the Dick Grayson version of Robin from BTAS. Aside from the issues with scale, the sculpt does a pretty fantastic job of capturing the show design. The proportions are all well-balanced, and everything is rather sharp and clean. They’ve even managed to actually capture Robin’s wacky hair, which always threw off the Kenner figures. Here, it’s got the right shape from most angles (although they had to cheat it in a few areas) and it brings some neat dimension to the sculpt. Paint is the area where these figures continue to fall just shy of expectation. Robin’s paint isn’t all bad; they RobinTAS4managed to match the colors pretty well to show, which is definitely a plus. However, the red and yellow areas of the tunic have quite a bit of bleed over between them, and there are a couple of instances of slop. He’s also got a chip of paint missing on his right glove, which is annoying, and oddest of all, he’s got a strange circle of glossy finish on his left cheek. It’s only noticeable from certain angles, but it’s just weird looking. Robin also suffers from the same painted wrist joint issue that the Joker had, so there’s a bit of green wrist confetti to go with the purple. Yay? Robin is pretty well accessorized. Similar to Batman, he includes two capes; one is completely swept back, while the RobinTAS3other is draped over his right shoulder. Both capes sit well and they can be swapped out by popping off the figure’s head, which is pretty easy. Robin also includes a grappling gun, bola whip, a display stand featuring his character design sheet, and 7 hands: a pair of fists, a pair of loose grip, a pair of tight grip, and a left hand holding the grappling gun. I’m still a little a little unsure of why we need both a loose grappling gun and a hand with the gun sculpted in place, but whatever. Also, the bola whip is too thick, which means it kind of ends up looking more like a sort of wobbly staff than a whip. But, all the other accessories are cool, so no issues there.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Robin’s another Amazon purchase. Nothing super exciting, but it was an easy, pain-free way of getting a figure I wanted. Robin’s probably the figure I was looking forward to the most from this series, and, while he isn’t without issues, I’m pretty happy with the final figure. Now, would it be too much to ask for the TNBA version of this costume from “Old Wounds?”

RobinTAS5

#0573: The Joker

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

THE JOKER

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (DC COLLECTIBLES)

JokerTAS1

It’s pretty much universally agreed that Batman: The Animated Series is not only possibly the greatest thing to come out of the 90s, it’s also one of the best versions of the Batman mythos in just about any medium. One of the series’ biggest strengths was its phenomenal voice cast. In particular, the series is responsible for introducing us to the definitive Joker actor, Mark Hamill. DC Collectibles just released a new figure of this particular Joker. Why don’t we take a look at it?

THE FIGURE ITSELF

JokerTAS2Joker is figure 05 in DC Collectibles’ Batman: The Animated Series/New Batman Adventures line. He’s part of the line’s second series of figures. He stands 6 ¼ inches tall and has 22 points of articulation. Right off the bat (heh!) the articulation has a few issues. He has a fair amount, and what’s there has a nice bit of movement. The issue is what isn’t there. His only ankle articulation is a set of cut joints, and he would really benefit from some movement in his thighs. So, the line is alternating between BTAS and TNBA for designs; the first series was heavier on the TNBA designs, but Series 2 is entirely made up of BTAS designs. This works out in Joker’s favor, as his BTAS design is by far the superior of the two. Joker definitely has one of those sculpts that needs to actually be viewed in three dimensions in order to be fully appreciated. The head in particular looked rather off when I examined the figure in the packaging. Once I took the figure out, however, the sculpt looks much better. It’s not quite spot on (I think the eyes and brow that are throwing it off a bit) but it’s still a pretty strong sculpt. It’s certainly closer than the old Kenner figure. The rest of the body sculpt is pretty much an exact match for the show’s design. One cool touch that’s minor and easy to miss is the bottom of the shirt. Instead of the usual scalloped end, it’s just as straight line. This might seem like a mistake at first glance, seeing as all the promo illustrations have the more involved design. However, if you actually look at his design within the show, he’s always depicted with just the straight line. So kudos to DCC there! The paintwork on Joker is okay, but it does have a few issues. The colors are all very nicely chosen and most of the paint stays where it’s supposed to. There are two main issues. The first is that the left arm has a JokerTAS5scratch of paint missing. It’s not horribly noticeable, and it’s definitely an isolated issue, but it’s definitely annoying. The other issue is that, for some reason, they’ve painted the inside of the wrist joints. Obviously, the joints come in contact with the paint, which means Joker had a stream of fairly steady purple confetti falling from his sleeves for the first few days he was out of the package. Joker is armed with, well, let’s just call it an “interesting” assortment of accessories. The figure is technically based on the episode “The Last Laugh” for reasons that pretty much no one can figure out. So, the figure includes an ice pick, pearl necklace, comb, spyglass, and helmet that are all specific to the episode, and ultimately a bit pointless in the long run. They’re all decent enough, apart from the helmet, which has a very poorly placed assembly seam. The figure also includes a display stand and an assortment of hands. The hands are all pretty nice, but two of them are clearly sculpted to hold a playing card that was ultimately cut from the figure, and none of them are sculpted to hold the included spyglass, which makes them a bit odd.

JokerTAS3 JokerTAS4

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Joker was acquired via Amazon. Not really much of a story there. I paid for it and it arrived. Fun times. I was looking forward to this figure initially, but early packaged shots made me uncertain. I’m happy to say the figure is much better in hand than I expected. Still not perfect, but still good.

JokerTAS6

#0428: Mr. Freeze

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

MR. FREEZE

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (DC COLLECTIBLES)

DC Collectibles (formerly DC Direct) has made quite a splash in the collecting world with their new line of figures based on the much-loved Batman: The Animated Series. Toylines were something of a different beast at the time of the cartoon’s release. BTAS actually had one of the better lines of the time, but the figures were severely lacking in articulation and were often off model in order to facilitate action features and a smaller-scale toy budget. DC Collectibles’ line looks to be giving the characters the proper high quality treatment they deserve.

When it came to BTAS, there were few characters who benefited from the show’s new takes on the Bat-Rogues Gallery more than Mr. Freeze (formerly Mr. Zero). The show took the character from one-note villain to compelling and tragic anti-villain in the course of 22 minutes. So, it’s only fitting that Freeze would be one of the first four figures in DCC’s line.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Mr. Freeze is part of DC Collectibles’ first series of Batman: The Animate Series line. The series ended up not really being a strict “series” as it were, as the four figures ended up being released separately. Freeze here was released along with Two-Face. He’s figure 03 in the line, following Batman’s 01 and Catwoman’s 02. The figure is just a hair over 6 inches tall (making him just a little taller than Batman, which is accurate) and he has 26 points of articulation. Freeze is based on his re-design from the New Adventures era of the show, which was actually one of the more radical re-designs. It’s a pretty sharp design, though it’s a little marred by the fact that it’s only cartoon appearance is the mediocre “Cold Comfort.” Still, the design is sharp, and starting with this one means they can hook people for the inevitable “Heart of Ice” version. Like Batman, Freeze sports an all-new sculpt. It’s a near perfect rendition of the design from the show. All of the details are smooth and symmetrical, and he really looks like the character would in three dimensions. They’ve done a great job working the articulation into the sculpt pretty seamlessly, allowing for a fair bit of movement without marring the design itself. The head dome is perfectly symmetrical and, it should be noted, removable. This allows this version of Freeze to be the first animated Mr. Freeze to sport neck articulation. How cool is that? For Batman, paint was the area where the figure really took a hit. While the paint on Freeze isn’t quite as good as it could be, it’s definitely an improvement. He still has a few spots of bleed over, and the flat black leads to some issues with scuffing. The blue used seems a bit off; I think there’s too much yellow in it. Of course it may just be that I’m used to the metallic blue from the Kenner figure. It’s hard to tell comparing this figure to the show. Freeze includes 6 hands (the pair of fists he comes wearing, a pair of relaxed hands, a gripping right hand, and a semi-gripping left hand), his trusty freeze gun, and a display stand with his character design sheet. They’ve already changed the nature of the clasp that holds the figure in place since the Batman figure, and I can’t say I’m a fan of the new design. It sticks out too far in the back. In addition to all that, Freeze also includes four mechanical spider-legs, which can be plugged into the bottom of his head, allowing for his…umm…head on spider-legs look. The legs are kind of a pain to get in, and the plastic is sort of soft, leading to some stress-marks (which you can see on mine). It’s a nice touch, and kind of essential to this version of the character (even if I don’t particularly care for the whole “he’s just a head now” thing).

 

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Mr. Freeze was another purchase from Cosmic Comix. Unlike Batman, I never needed any convincing on this guy. I’ve been on board for him since the day he was announced. Freeze was always my favorite of the animated rogues gallery, mostly due to “Heart of Ice” easily being my favorite episode of the show (getting to meet Michael Ansara when I was a kid may have contributed to that just a bit too). While I still want a BTAS Freeze, this one’s a really strong figure of a pretty great design. He looks fantastic next to Batman, and I can’t wait to get the rest of this series. It’s really fun!

#0415: Batman

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

BATMAN

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (DC COLLECTIBLES)

Danananananananananananananana na, Batman! Hey guys, you know what’s awesome? If you said “Batman: The Animated Series,” you are correct. Also, you should really stop reading my mind. It’s very rude.

The only thing more awesome than a super cool cartoon is a super cool toyline. The toys released at the time of Batman: The Animated Series weren’t bad, but they were limited by what could be done with toys at the time. Enter DC Collectibles, who have just launched a brand-new line of 6-inch scale figures based on the series. Each figure has a show accurate sculpt, plenty of articulation, and tons of accessories, making these possibly the greatest Batman toys of all time. Today, I’ll be looking at the line’s first figure of the main man himself, Batman!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Batman is part of the first series of DC Collectibles’ Batman: The Animated Series line, which apparently isn’t so much of a series as it is a loose grouping of figures being released around the same time. Batman is number 01 in the line. Batman is about 6 inches tall and features 26 points of articulation. Batman is based on his appearance from the show’s second incarnation, Batman: The New Adventures. This has caused a bit of controversy due to some fans wanting the original look first, but have no fear, that look has been slotted for Series 4. Batman features an all-new sculpt, which simply put is fantastic. Rendering a 2D design in 3D is no easy feat, but this figure manages to be an almost perfect recreation of the design. It’s truly an amazing piece. What amazes me even more is how well they’ve worked in the articulation. Part of the reason the older figures were so under-articulated is that the character designs don’t really lend themselves to sturdy joints, but DCC has really made it work. Perhaps the one area where this figure could stand to be improved is the paint. It’s not terrible, but there are some things that really stand out. The biggest issue with my figure is something I’ve actually already fixed. The paint on the nose of his cowl extended way too far down on the left side. A quick examination of other figures showed that this was a definite fluke, but make sure yours doesn’t have that issue. A quick bit of work with some nail polish remover provided an easy fix, but I’d rather not have to do such things. Other than that, there’s just some general sloppiness, especially on the symbol. Another issue is that since almost the entire figure is painted, there are some problems with stuck joints. The hip on my figure won’t budge. All that aside, the paint is mostly clean, it’s very even, and the finish looks fantastic. When the prototype of this figure was first shown, there was some concern about the cape hanging over the shoulders and blocking the movement of the arms. Fortunately, DCC listened and changed the cape to the swept back look he has now. But they didn’t want to deprive fans of the show accurate over the shoulder look, so that piece has also been included as an accessory. By popping off the head, the cape can easily swap out, with no issues. In addition to the cape, Batman also includes a batarang, a grappling hook (with removable hook), 7 extra hands in varying poses(two relaxed, two gripping, two for holding batarangs, and one with the grapple sculpted in place), and a display stand featuring the character design sheet. The plentiful accessories are a welcome change to DCC figures, which tend to be rather barebones.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I picked up Batman from my local comic store, Cosmic Comix. I went back and forth on whether I wanted to get into this line. I like the idea, but I must admit the early prototype pictures were just “meh.” My opinion changed when I saw them on display at a few of the conventions, and when I eventually saw this guy in person, I just couldn’t say no. Truth be told, this is the best Batman figure I’ve ever owned, and he is perhaps the best Batman ever made.  Sure, the paint could use some work, but other than that, this figure is all win. I can’t wait to get the rest of the line.

#0389: Man-Bat

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

MAN-BAT

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES

Batman: The Animated Series started off with quite a bang (quite literally; it’s one of the first things in the opening credits). The first episode, “On Leather Wings,” showed the full potential of the series, and to this day remains one of my two favorite episodes of the series. One of the most interesting things about the episode was the choice of foe. They steered clear of any of the major Bat-Rogues, such as Joker or Penguin, or even Riddler, and instead turned their focus on Man-Bat, a character who to date still remains foreign to all but the most die-hard DC fans. When people do know the character, they tend to remember the animated incarnation. Today, I’ll be taking a look at Kenner’s version of the character from the tie-in toyline of the time.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Man-Bat was released in Series 2 of Kenner’s Batman: The Animated Series. The figure marks Man-Bat’s very first action figure, though Kenner themselves had planned to release a classic comic version of the character had their DC Super Powers line continued past Series 3. Man-Bat is about 5 ½ inches tall and he features 12 points of articulation, which was stellar for the time. Man-Bat had two appearances on the show, and the look was a little different in each. This one is based on the first version, which is the actual MAN-Bat (Kirk Langstrom’s wife ends up being the creature in the second, resulting in a “Woman-Bat”). Standards for figures have changed over the years, but for the time, this figure was quite good. It’s not a spot on recreation of Man-Bat, mind you. The shape of the head is a little off, the arms are a bit too skinny, and the legs are a bit too small when compared to the rest of the figure. But, as a whole, the figure makes a good approximation of the character from the show. It’s certainly as accurate as, say, Kenner’s Joker figure, so the inconsistencies help the figure blend more with the rest of the line. Man-Bat’s paint work is pretty straight forward. He’s mostly molded in an appropriate brown plastic, with paint for his pants, eyes, and mouth. Everything is pretty cleanly applied, so that’s good. Man-Bat originally included a small length of string and a hook so that the figure could be made to look as if he were flying.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I missed out on the first few series of BTAS figures, due to not quite being into collecting. So, Man-Bat was a figure I didn’t have while growing up. I went through a period immediately after my freshman year of college where I attempted to fill as many holes in my 90s collections as possible. Man-Bat was a rather pricey figure at the time, so I had to hold off on him. As luck would have it, while visiting that year’s Mego Meet, I come across a loose Man-Bat for $2 or $3. Man-Bat was certainly one of the more unique figures in the line, and his presence in the inaugural episode of the show means he holds a special place in the line. Incidentally, DC Collectibles has announced that a more accurate Man-Bat will be released in the second series of their own BTAS line. Until then, this guy’s still pretty important.

#0331: Mr. Freeze

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

MR FREEZE

BATMAN: THE NEW ADVENTURES (KENNER)

FreezeNA1

Batman: The Animated Series is easily one of the best interpretations of the Batman mythos ever. The characters that benefited best from the series were the more obscure Bat-villains, and none more so than cold-themed villain Mr. Freeze. When the series returned under the New Adventures label, all of the characters received new designs. Freeze received one of the most radical re-designs, and the design eventually made its way into Kenner’s then-current toyline based on the show.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

FreezeNAWilsonMr. Freeze was released in the first year of figures from Kenner’s Batman: The New Adventures line. The figure is based on the character’s appearance in the episode “Cold Comfort” which premiered his TNA design. The figure stands 5 inches tall and features 4 points of articulation. He lacks the usual neck joint present on the Kenner figure, thanks to his removable head. The figure sports a unique sculpt, which is meant to capture the Bruce Timm design of the character. The head is the best part, nicely capturing the gaunt look of Freeze, as well as nicely replicating his clear domed look. The body is pretty good, though the proportions don’t seem quite right. The biggest issue is that the legs are a little bit warped to one side. I’d be tempted to think it was just limited to mine, but ever other figure I’ve seen suffers from the same issue. The figure also has a flip down compartment in his torso, which has some pretty nice mechanical detailing on the inside. Like with the sculpt, the head features the best paint work. Everything is really clean and sharp. On the rest of the body, it’s not terrible, but it’s a little bit sloppy. Mr. Freeze included a freeze gun and a set of robotic legs that his head can be placed on.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Mr. Freeze was always one of my favorite characters on the show, so I got Mr. Freeze when he was originally released. I lost the figure’s head, leaving me with a headless body. Recently, I found the head, but because life hates me, the body had gone missing. So, when my local comicbook store, Cosmic Comix, got Mr. Freeze in with a bunch of other loose figures, I just gave up and bought a replacement. The figure is pretty great, and he’s still one of my favorites from the line. I’m glad to have a complete one again!

FreezeNA2

#0249: The Joker

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

JOKER

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (KENNER)

Joker

One of the greatest things to come out of the 90s (aside from yours truly) is Batman: The Animated Series. The series is, in my opinion, the definitive take on Batman and his supporting cast. Since the series aired in the early 90s, it played a decent role in shaping my interests in all this comic stuff. So, it should come as no surprise that I ended up with a decent sized collection of the tie-in figures prodiuced by Kenner around the time of the show. Today, I’ll be looking at Batman’s #1 foe (other than guns and living parents) the Joker. And this isn’t just any Joker, no no. This is Mark Hammil’s Joker, the very best kind of Joker!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Joker was part of the first series of Batman: The Animated Series figures. He stands about 5 inches tall and features 5 points of articulation. He’s based on Joker’s basic appearance in the show, specifically his “old school” look, which is the design from the initial run of the show. The figure featured an all new Joker2sculpt, although parts of it would see re-use on later Joker figures. It’s an alright approximation of his look on the show, though it’s not quite spot on. He seems to be a bit too squat for the character, but otherwise, he looks decent. The paintwork is fairly basic, in fact he’s mostly molded in the appropriate colors, but what’s there is well applied, with little instance of slop or bleed over. The palate seems a bit off, though. The purple seems a little too pale, the yellow seems too dark, and, the biggest issue, his skin tone has an odd green tint to it. Joker was accessorized with an odd water shooting backpack with a gas mask attached. You know, like the one he had all those times on the show….

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Joker was a later addition to my collection. When I was growing up, the version in the trench coat from Mask of the Phantasm was my basic Joker, as this one had long been gone from stores. A few years ago, I tracked one down at a small toy store near me. He’s a decent figure, and he compliments the rest of the Kenner line fairly nicely.

#0038: The Penguin

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

PENGUIN

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (KENNER)

Today, we’re jumping back to the 90s for a bit!  This is a piece from Kenner’s tie-in line for the immensely popular Batman: The Animated Series.  If you’re not familiar with B:TAS, go find some clips online.  You’ll thank me.  Anyway, Kenner produced a line of action figures based on the title character and his many nemeses (Incidentally, Jonathan Coulton’s “Nemeses” is playing on my iPod right now, which is pretty sweet!).  I’ll be taking a look at one of those foes:  The Penguin!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Penguin was released as part of the first series of B:TAS figures, though in all honestly, my version might be a rerelease from later on.  He is, of course, based on the Penguin’s appearance from B:TAS, though I feel I should specify that it’s based on his appearance from before the series was brought back and all the characters got redesigns.  The figure stands about 4 inches tall, which puts him in proper scale with the 5 inch scale of the line (Toy Biz should’ve taken note!).  He has 5 points of articulation, the Kenner standard at the time.  He was a totally new sculpt.  It’s well done, and captures the stylized look of the show’s animation fairly well.  He’s not spot on, but it’s not too bad.  Looking at some images, I feel his head in particular is a bit off.  Perhaps if it were just a touch larger.  For the most part, the figure is molded in the necessary colors, so there’s not a whole lot of paint, but what’s there is applied evenly and consistently.  There’s very little actual detail work to speak of, but it works for the style.  The images I’ve been able to find online of the figure show him including a coat and umbrella, but I honestly don’t remember mine having those, furthering my belief that he was a rerelease.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This figure was a gift from my Nana, given to me one year for Christmas along with a few other Batman figures.  I recall kind of wanting it, though I don’t really know why, as I’m not a very big fan of the Penguin.  Regardless, he spent many hours fighting the caped crusader and associates.