Review: Superman/Batman Series 7: The Search for Kryptonite: Batman
I have, at last count, the exact same number of Batman figures most collectors have, which is to say one less than I need. You see, I have lots of Batman toys. Lots. But I'm missing one. I'm missing... the perfect Batman.
You see, there are many versions of Batman. Everything from Adam West to Christian Bale to Frank Miller's art has been adapted. But all of these are just attempts to capture the essence of the character.
The problem, unfortunately, is that there's a great deal of disagreement as to how Batman is supposed to look. Is the cape blue or black? How large are the ears? Is the symbol black or yellow? Are the pouches on the belt metal or canvas?
If you answered that these are up to debate or individual preference, than you're wrong. The correct answers, of course, are black, medium-long, black, and canvas. Other bat-fans may disagree, but those guys are just confused. You got to trust me on this.
At any rate... I've got a "healthy" collection of Batman figures, but I don't feel like I've got a "perfect" one. Yet. You see, I'm convinced that someone will make that figure one of these days. Until then, I've started being a little conservative when it comes to buying Batman toys, so as not to overrun my apartment. But, every now and then, a toy gets made that gets a little closer to that perfect Batman.
And that brings us to series 7 of DC Direct's Superman/Batman line. I read this arc when it came out, and, while the end wasn't as strong as I'd hoped, I really liked the first few issues. That's got nothing to do with why I bought the figure, though. Actually, I was more drawn to the relatively generic version of Batman here.
You see, there are many versions of Batman. Everything from Adam West to Christian Bale to Frank Miller's art has been adapted. But all of these are just attempts to capture the essence of the character.
The problem, unfortunately, is that there's a great deal of disagreement as to how Batman is supposed to look. Is the cape blue or black? How large are the ears? Is the symbol black or yellow? Are the pouches on the belt metal or canvas?
If you answered that these are up to debate or individual preference, than you're wrong. The correct answers, of course, are black, medium-long, black, and canvas. Other bat-fans may disagree, but those guys are just confused. You got to trust me on this.
At any rate... I've got a "healthy" collection of Batman figures, but I don't feel like I've got a "perfect" one. Yet. You see, I'm convinced that someone will make that figure one of these days. Until then, I've started being a little conservative when it comes to buying Batman toys, so as not to overrun my apartment. But, every now and then, a toy gets made that gets a little closer to that perfect Batman.
And that brings us to series 7 of DC Direct's Superman/Batman line. I read this arc when it came out, and, while the end wasn't as strong as I'd hoped, I really liked the first few issues. That's got nothing to do with why I bought the figure, though. Actually, I was more drawn to the relatively generic version of Batman here.
Appearance and Construction: 9/10
DC Direct makes a cross between action figures and statues, and they've pretty much gotten this down to a science. In terms of quality, this is just short of perfection. The bat symbol should really be sculpted instead of painted, the detailing is a bit inconsistent (the muscles on the torso are over-defined, while the leg muscles are too streamlined), and they should probably have chosen a better expression. That's why he's a nine and not a ten.
And that's it for the scoring portion today. Phew. That took a lot less space than usual. So, since I've got all this time, why don't I talk about what I like about the figure. This isn't related to the score: this is personal preference.
The main reason I bought this is the cape. The majority of Batman figures have the cape flowing down the back but not over the shoulders. There's a pretty simple reason for this: if you sculpt the cape over the shoulders, like they've done here, you don't get much articulation. In exchange, though, you get far more iconic poses.
And that's it for the scoring portion today. Phew. That took a lot less space than usual. So, since I've got all this time, why don't I talk about what I like about the figure. This isn't related to the score: this is personal preference.
The main reason I bought this is the cape. The majority of Batman figures have the cape flowing down the back but not over the shoulders. There's a pretty simple reason for this: if you sculpt the cape over the shoulders, like they've done here, you don't get much articulation. In exchange, though, you get far more iconic poses.
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I should mention this isn't the first Batman with a cape wrapping over the front of Batman's shoulders. There have been at least two others recently released from DC Direct: an earlier Batman/Superman figure and the JLI Batman. I considered both of these, but held off. The JLI figure had a blue cape, and the earlier Batman/Superman figure didn't look as good. This cape is close to what I want. To be honest, I'd also like a version with the cape wrapping around the front, only partly open... but I'm patient. The boots aren't quite perfect: I'd like something a bit more substantial, though not quite the heavy-duty military boots used by Frank Miller. Ideally, I like to see a happy medium. I'd also like the bat-symbol to be a bit more slender. And the expression a touch more angry. Also, I'd rather the spikes on the bottom of the gloves were a bit shorter and more curved. The pouches, while a step in the right direction, could be a little lighter in color. And the bat-ears just aren't long enough. I'm not saying they should be huge, but they should be a touch more menacing. And.... I'm going to shut up before I stay up all night nit-picking. |
Packaging and Extras: ----
No toy lasts forever, but, in my experience, most toys last longer than DC Direct figures in these packages:
That said, Batman made out of his package all right, which is more than I can say for some of these. Moving on, I don't really have any complaints about the packaging. The text on the back was pretty much what I remembered from the comic, and the package does show off the figure well. From an aesthetic standpoint, they could have moved the base behind the figure, but that's hardly worth complaining about.
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You get two extras: a base and a batarang. The base is specific to the comic, which I expect will appeal to folks collecting lots of DC Direct merchandise. As someone who buys casually from this company, I'd prefer something less specific. The batarang is a little uneven, but I'm guessing this was done on purpose to get it to fit into Batman's hand. |
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Ultimately, a base and a batarang, while not particularly inspired, are what's required. It they'd tossed in some kryptonite or a grapple-gun or something, I'd have considered a bonus point.
Play and Display: ----
The articulation here is pretty basic, though there's one pleasant surprise this time.
Batman has a ball-jointed head, which is mostly constrained by the cowl, but has a little motion left. He's got ball and peg jointed arms, which wouldn't move much even without the cape, but he can still hold up the batarang in either hand. There's a cut joint above the waist, which works well but becomes obvious if you turn him far. The legs swivel and knees bend, though the lack of an ankle joint makes these joints more or less academic. You can, however, use the cape for balance, so that opens up some options. Also, the base seems capable of holding Batman on one foot, though I'd hesitate to trust it indefinitely.
The surprise articulation is in the wrists, which have a double pin, letting them bend and, in theory, twist. In practice, only right can turn at all, thanks to the sculpted gloves, though both can bend well. The batarang works differently with each hand, sliding into the right and squeezing between the fingers of the left, but it does work.
This is nowhere near getting a bonus point, but it's also safe from any penalties. You get some options, and the sculpt is, for the most part, uninterrupted by the articulation.
Batman has a ball-jointed head, which is mostly constrained by the cowl, but has a little motion left. He's got ball and peg jointed arms, which wouldn't move much even without the cape, but he can still hold up the batarang in either hand. There's a cut joint above the waist, which works well but becomes obvious if you turn him far. The legs swivel and knees bend, though the lack of an ankle joint makes these joints more or less academic. You can, however, use the cape for balance, so that opens up some options. Also, the base seems capable of holding Batman on one foot, though I'd hesitate to trust it indefinitely.
The surprise articulation is in the wrists, which have a double pin, letting them bend and, in theory, twist. In practice, only right can turn at all, thanks to the sculpted gloves, though both can bend well. The batarang works differently with each hand, sliding into the right and squeezing between the fingers of the left, but it does work.
This is nowhere near getting a bonus point, but it's also safe from any penalties. You get some options, and the sculpt is, for the most part, uninterrupted by the articulation.
Price Tag and Final Analysis: 9/10
I paid a premium for this figure when I found him in a small Brooklyn toy store for $19.95. That's a bit more than retail, which should really be closer to $16.
Considering that this is now comparable to what Mattel's charging for their smaller DC Universe Classics, that's hard to argue with. While the articulation on DC Universe Classics figures is far superior, this is almost statue quality, something I can't say for Mattel's offerings.
On the other hand, all of my DC Universe Classics figures are still in one piece, while a large number of my DC Direct toys break after a few years.
At any rate, while it's not a steal at $15 - $20, it's not completely unreasonable these days. This is an excellent piece for a casual collector or a Batman fan, even one who doesn't own any "toys." Even with the cape and extra inch, it can't quite unseat my DC Superheroes Batman as my favorite, but I like this figure quite a bit regardless.
Considering that this is now comparable to what Mattel's charging for their smaller DC Universe Classics, that's hard to argue with. While the articulation on DC Universe Classics figures is far superior, this is almost statue quality, something I can't say for Mattel's offerings.
On the other hand, all of my DC Universe Classics figures are still in one piece, while a large number of my DC Direct toys break after a few years.
At any rate, while it's not a steal at $15 - $20, it's not completely unreasonable these days. This is an excellent piece for a casual collector or a Batman fan, even one who doesn't own any "toys." Even with the cape and extra inch, it can't quite unseat my DC Superheroes Batman as my favorite, but I like this figure quite a bit regardless.
Looking for a way to waste more time? I've got a blog, a bunch of fiction, and even a novel you can buy.
