Review of Robin 1/4 scale action figure - 1966 Batman Show

Introduction

Regular readers know I'm a sucker for the 1966 Batman television show. I was too young to appreciate it when it first aired, but I saw the re-runs as a kid and loved it.  It's been years since I'd seen the show with any regularity, but thanks to my lovely wife, I'm working my way, episode by episode, through the new deluxe blu-ray edition. It's going to take awhile to cover 120 shows, but I'm in for the long haul!

Getting any merchandise from the show was a miracle of creative licensing, and I've taken advantage of the situation and picked up pretty much all I can. NECA did their terrific 1/4 scale Batman a little over a year ago, and they have followed that up with the Boy Wonder.

I'm also a huge fan of the NECA 1/4 scale figures, so combining that format with a nostalgic show was a sure fire buy for me. I doubt we'll get anything else, although a Joker would be tremendous.  I'm going to be happy we got the dynamic duo at least - anything else is pure gravy.

Robin is currently shipping and will run you around $85 - $90, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***
It's a pretty standard box, and there are a ton of twisty ties. It's not particularly collector friendly either, but the graphics - particularly the cartoon interior of the Batcave on the cardboard insert - are quite nice.

Sculpting - ***1/2
As I said, I've been watching the old show regularly the last couple weeks, and it's given me a better eye for the Burt Ward likeness.

NECA has done an excellent job capturing his portrait, with only a few minor issues. The lower lip is a little big, but the expression is great, and the shape of the nose and jawline look terrific.

The body is svelte of course, and slightly shorter than Batman, coming in at just 17" tall. I've included a photo of the two together for comparison.

One of the interesting sculpting features is the bagging around the knees and ankles. Robin wore tights - no surprise there - and they've sculpted the legs to give them the impression of material stretching and bagging at these two areas.

Paint - ***1/2
Overall, the paint quality is solid. Lines and edges are very clean with little to no bleed or slop, and the colors are bright and vibrant.

I did have a couple minor issues, but they are just that -minor.  First, the eyes are looking off slightly to his right. I'd have preferred a more straight forward gaze. However, the eyes are quite clean, and very well done in terms of paint quality.

Another issue is with the color of the legs. As I mentioned, Robin wore tights in the show, and the new blu-ray transfer implies a slightly green color to these tights. Here, they match the skin tone of the arms and face.  I'm not sure which is truly accurate, but I like the slight color that I'm seeing on the new blu-rays.

Finally, the lower lip, already a bit too big and pouty, is also a bit too dark. Robin wasn't a big fan of lipstick, as far as I know.

These are all very minor issues, however, and overall I'm very pleased with the quality and style of the paint.

Articulation - ***1/2
When plastic 1/4 scale statues first started to hit a decade or more ago, articulation was not the main concern.  Over time, they've managed to find ways to make these more than nerd Hummels, adding in far more useful joints than you might expect.

Robin has an excellent ball jointed neck, as well as NECA style ball shoulders. His arms also sport cut biceps at the sleeve, double pin elbows, cut joints at the top of the glove, and ball wrists. All this arm articulation means you can bring the hands together in front of the body easily, and most arm poses are well within reach.

The torso has a cut waist, and the legs include ratchet ball hips, ball knees, and something at the ankle that allows the feet to turn. The elf booties hide the ankles from close inspection, and also make any joint that's there pretty much just a cut joint. It's the one spot that really holds this guy back from a perfect score, since you can't quite get the stances you want without a bending ankle.

Other than that one issue, I'm extremely happy with the level and design of the articulation. The joints are tight and solid, with no fear of breakage or warping.

Accessories - ****
NECA could have repacked some of the Batman accessories, but they didn't. There's one repeat, but it makes complete sense.

Robin starts out with three sets of hands. There's the usual fists, as well as the expected relaxed pose. Combining one of each, you can get that classic pose with Robin smacking his fist from one hand into the other.

There's also a gripping left and pointing right, and all these hands swap easily without fear of breakage.

He does have a batarang, but it's not the same as the one that came with Batman. Robin's is slightly smaller, more 'robin-sized', and includes the white rope already in place.

Once the criminals are apprehended, Robin can slap the Bat-cuffs on them. These have a real metal chain, and can open and close.

Noxious gases were a common weapon of the villains on the show, and Robin has his special re-breather that fits over his mouth and nose. It is held in place by simple design, no magnets here.

Finally, there's the one re-use - the Bat Communicator. The twin antenna rise and lower, and it fits neatly in one of the open hands. This is the same communicator that Batman has, but obviously they both need one... to communicate!

Outfit - ****
This category is here, as with Batman, merely because of the cloth cape. The rest of the costume is sculpted.

The cape is made from a very high quality, bright yellow material. The tailoring and stitching are excellent, and there are no edges that can fray or ravel. The cape can hang perfectly over either shoulder, completely covering the torso, or it can be folded back over the shoulders once or twice, depending on how far out of the way you want it.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
Kids are going to prefer the more modern look of Batman and Robin, but for us old coots, these classic costumes have that silly appeal.

The accessories are great, and the very solid build means kids could theoretically play with them, and have little fear of breakage.

Value - ***
Most statues in this scale go for several hundred dollars. These are under $100, with excellent articulation and accessories, and solid sculpts and paint. This is a great value, certainly above the average.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing!

Overall - ***1/2
I have quite a few of these 1/4 scale figures, and when you put them all together - across all the different licenses and styles - they make quite the impressive show. Getting Robin to go with Batman was a big concern, since so many months went by before his release. Finally getting him is a huge relief, and having him turn out every bit as good as the Batman was icing on the cake.

I'd love to see more from this license in this scale, but if these are the only two we ever get, I'll still die happy.  Of course, I'd buy a Joker in a heart beat, and I'm hopeful that NECA can find a way to make another release cost effective.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is also at $90.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
You can't have Robin without Batman, who I reviewed back when he came out. 

Mattel has done a series or two of 6" scale figures as well. Check out the Batmobile and action figures from Mattel, including Batman and Robin two pack, the Joker,  and the first wave of figures that included Batman, Riddler, and the Penguin.

Other Batman 66 goodies include busts by DST of Batman and others, and the Hot Toys sixth scale Batman and Robin. If you're into prop replicas, check out the Batbelt from Mattel.

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

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