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Captain Toy/Michael's Review of the Week

Review of Batman Redux Sixth Scale Action Figure
Batman the Animated Series

Mondo
Date Published: 2022-08-22
Written By: Michael Crawford
Overall Average Rating: 3.5 out of 4

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Batman the Animated Series sixth scale action figure by Mondo

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Introduction

Mondo started producing sixth scale figures based on the Batman: The Animated Series license quite a few years ago. And while it's been a long time since the first, they haven't produced a lot - two versions of Batman, Catwoman, and Mr. Freeze.

But this summer's Comic-Con saw them announce two more - another Batman (redux) and a Joker. While I have the Joker on order, he has not yet arrived, but the Batman hit my porch last week. I'll be looking at him today, and comparing him with the two earlier releases.

There was only one version of the Batman this time, but there is an exclusive for the Joker. The Batman release was $220, up from the price of previous releases, but still in line with most sixth scale figures on the market.

Batman the Animated Series sixth scale action figure by Mondo

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Packaging - ***1/2
The large, flat box is similar to previous releases. The artwork on the front is bold yet simple, capturing the look of the character in an action scene. Inside, everything is packed in a very collector friendly way, and you can easily remove the figure and accessories without damaging anything. The box and tray are also quite sturdy, able to withstand normal shelf wear or storage.

Batman the Animated Series sixth scale action figure by Mondo

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Sculpting - ****
With the addition of the Bruce Wayne head, this version has it over the other releases right out of the gate.

The five heads include the Bruce Wayne unmasked version, the basic unsmiling expression, the scowling expression, the smiling expression, and the H.A.R.D.A.C. head. All five look fantastic, and if this is the only version you have, you're going to have a tough time picking between them.

One thing you might notice is the Bruce head seems slightly bigger. This is due to the animation, and is not an error. If you look close, you'll see all the heads are about the same size from the bottom of the nose down to the chin. The difference in height - minus the hair - comes in the space from the bottom of the nose to the top of top of the eyes. There's less distance on the cowled versions, and that's how he's drawn on the show. But if they were to put his eyes that close to the bottom of his nose without the cowl, he would look very weird, and the Bruce head matches his unmasked appearance on the show. This is just one of those complexities with creating a three dimensional version of an animated character.

The sculpt of the body is great, with the funky proportions matching the source material nicely. That does mean he's hard to keep standing - more on that in the articulation section - thanks to the big upper body and smaller legs, but again, it matches the cartoon.

The ab section of the torso is slightly longer and slimmer with this release, making him a smidge taller overall, coming in at 12".

Batman the Animated Series sixth scale action figure by Mondo

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Paint - ***1/2
One of the areas that needed improvement on the original releases was the paint work. There was quite a bit of slop, and some pretty serious rubs.

This time around the quality is much better. The cut lines between colors are sharp, the coverage is consistent and even, and the bright colors pop against the black and gray. This is the redux version of the second release, and has the shadowing and colors appropriate to the title.

There's still a couple issues with the H.A.R.D.A.C. head, but overall the quality of the paint work improved quite a bit, and is more in line with expectations. The marketing materials say the eyes are glow in the dark, but I haven't had the opportunity to test it out properly yet.

EDIT: Sure enough, I placed the three cowled heads under a bright light for awhile, and all three have glow in the dark eyes!

Batman the Animated Series sixth scale action figure by Mondo

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Articulation - ***
The articulation hasn't changed, but it's much better than you'll get with almost any other version of this particular character. Articulating this cartoon design is not easy.

The ball jointed neck works well, but the cape does limit some of the lean and tilt. The rotating hinge shoulders and wrists work well, and the funky elbows - a unique combination of hinge and cut joints - have an excellent range of movement.

The torso rolls, leans, tilts, and turns just below the pecs, but the chunkiness of the chest limits the movement. The hips are limited as well, with the ball set deeply in the pelvis. The ankles don't have a lot of rocker movement, but they do move forward and back quite well, and the hinge can rotate, and while the double rotating hinge knees don't work quite as well as the elbows. it's really the heft of the upper body that limits the stances, not the joints.

Which is really his biggest issue in this category. The big, heavy upper body makes it difficult for the small legs and ankle joints to hold him upright.

Batman the Animated Series sixth scale action figure by Mondo

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Accessories - ****
With two previous releases under their belt, they were able to give this guy a ton of goodies simply through re-use.

Of course, I already mentioned the five heads, and getting the Bruce Wayne head is a big plus. There's also nine hands in total, including the thumbs up hand that was previously available only with one of the exclusive releases. The other hands include fists, tight grips, grappling gun grips, and batarang grips.

He has two grappling guns - one regular, and one firing the hook on a long wire. There's also three batarangs, based on various looks in different shows. Again, one of these was only available with the exclusive previously.

There are also three accessories right out of a specific early episode - On Leather Wings. There's a tiny black canister Batman uses to spray the area searching for clues, the goggles he wears after spraying, and the cassette tape that's key evidence.

Also from a specific early episode - Nothing to Fear - is the gas mask. It can be worn on any of the three cowled heads.

To go with the Bruce head, there's a cowl that hangs around his neck. It's a nice addition, and makes the Bruce head look better on the body, since the rest of him is still in costume.

Finally, there's a stand in the shape of the emblem and a crotch support rod. While you don't get every accessory released with the previous two - notable is the bat thermos, and the flowing cape for the introduction pose - you do get a nice assortment that are all very useful.

Batman the Animated Series sixth scale action figure by Mondo

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Batman the Animated Series sixth scale action figure by Mondo

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Fun Factor - ***
This is a great release for those that missed out on the original or the second, and I'd bet that's quite a few folks since it's been years since they were released. Getting him to remain standing can be frustrating though, and I bet most folks end up using the stand to keep him upright.

Batman the Animated Series sixth scale action figure by Mondo

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Value - **
The last time they released a figure in this line, it was $150. Now they are $220. There's a couple reasons for that, however. First, the production run on these is going to be pretty low, no doubt about it. And two, prices on sixth scale figures have risen sharply in the last six months, and I'm not surprised these have gone up as well. Still, it's a bit more than I'd like to see at this point, and I'm docking them slightly.

Batman the Animated Series sixth scale action figure by Mondo

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Things to Watch Out For -
I found that you could rub the paint if you weren't careful, particularly around the hips. Take some care when posing though, and you should be fine.

Batman the Animated Series sixth scale action figure by Mondo

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Overall - ***1/2
If you missed out on the first two releases, the good news is that you're getting all the critical bits as well as getting the Bruce Wayne head sculpt. There's a few extras you won't have, and I suspect the extra, large cape will the the one most people complain about. But posing him with that cape is almost impossible, and requires a lot of work. Trust me, you aren't missing out on a lot there.

You're also getting improved paint work, another big plus. The price tag has risen in the two years since their last release, but the quality has gone up as well. Overall, putting this guy out along with the Joker was a smart move, ensuring folks that want the pair have a chance to get them.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ****
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **
Overall - ***1/2

Batman the Animated Series sixth scale action figure by Mondo

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Where to Buy 
You can pick up this guy for $220 at the Mondo online store, where you can also get the new Joker. Online options include these site sponsors:

- has him for $225.

- Entertainment Earth has him for $220 with free shipping.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I covered one of the earlier Batman releases, along with Mr. Freeze and Catwoman.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!

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Batman the Animated Series sixth scale action figure by Mondo

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This product was provided for the review by the manufacturer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.

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