Review of Batman, Robin - Aardman style action figures
DC Nation Wondercon exclusive

Introduction

If you watch DC Nation on the WB, then you're familiar with the animated shorts between shows. One of those is designed by Rich Webber of Aardman Animatins, and is called DC World's Funniest. You'll recognize the Aardman style - they do Wallace and Gromit, along with other classics claymation characters.

DC Collectibles premiered action figures based on Batman and Robin from these shorts back at the New York Comic Con. You could buy a two pack of Batman and Robin there, with Batman in his black and gray costume. There was also one accessory, the batarang. That set was scheduled to go on sale in 2013 at many specialty retailers, for around $40.

At the recent Wondercon in California, DC had a special convention exclusive two pack of these same figures. This two pack has the same Robin, but has Batman in the classic blue and gray of by gone days. There's also a different accessory - the red bat phone made famous on the 60's television show.

This exclusive is also $40, and I suspect we'll see it at all the conventions this year. I don't have confirmation of that yet, but I'd be willing to bet the farm.

Packaging - ***
These come in a box with a peg hanger and large front window. You can see all of Batman, but only have a limited view of Robin.

The package is collector friendly - you'll have to ditch some unnecessary twisties, but that's it, and there's no need to damage anything in getting the figures out.

Sadly, we get another year of this dull white packaging, with this silly new DC logo. While I appreciate the potential beauty in simple design, the white is just boring.

Sculpting - ***1/2
These are supposed to look like claymation figures, and the surface is textured in such a way as to give that impression. It's hard to describe with out calling it 'clay-like'. 

This concept is carried over to other key areas, like Batman's shoulders, which are flattened against the body.

These are fairly large too, with Batman standing just shy of 7" tall at the ears, and Robin coming in at 9 1/2" tall. With solid bodies, they have quite a bit of heft too, and they feel well made and very sturdy.

While it should be pretty obvious that Batman will stand great on his own, it's worth nothing that Robin also stands great without to much effort. The cut ankles help, and you should be able to find the perfect center of gravity that keeps him upright in most poses.

Paint - Batman **; Robin ***
The paint work varies quite a bit between these two figures - I'm betting that's because the Robin has the identical paint scheme as the regular release, and was probably produced right along with them, while the re-decoed Batman was done in much smaller numbers.

Robin's lines are generally clean, with sharp cuts between colors. Each color is also consistent in coverage and tone, and the slightly glossy finish looks great.

Batman isn't as nice - he has real slop around the eyes, teeth and mask, and the skin tone is a tad gloppy in spots. The costume is still fairly clean, but the key areas of the face are lacking.

Articulation - **
These aren't super articulated, but have enough joints to allow the figures to stand on their own.

The joints that are here are all simple cuts - neck, and shoulders on Batman, and neck, shoulders, wrists and ankles on Robin.

Robin's legs also appear to be bendy, as I was able to bend them into a pose and they held it. Not so with the arms, which is a bit disappointing. Making them bendy would have added a lot to the display potential.

Accessories - **1/2
There's only one accessory, which is a little surprising. I figured we'd get the same batarang plus the phone, but instead only got the phone.

It's nothing fancy, but styled in the same Aardman way. It's a flat, cut out red phone, with an easel style support in back.

Fun Factor - ***
While these aren't super poseable, they are a lot of fun. They are designs that kids will like, and adults will find amusing. We really need to see the rest of the DC superheroes though to make this pair really worthwhile.

Value - **
You can pick up the regular deco pair for closer to $30, but this exclusive is $40. It may not be that tough to find him cheaper as the year goes by, however, if this is going to end up sold at every major convention. Had they thrown in the batarang, I would have been tempted to give them an average score, but with just the one rather basic accessory (cute as it is), I had to dock them a bit.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ***
As a big Batman fan, I like odd and unusual takes on the character. Not every one is a hit - I've passed on a lot of the more silly vinyl figures we've seen in the last few years. But I love the Aardman style, and matching it up with DC is a hit for me.

I do hope that this pair aren't the only characters I get for the shelf. The show has others, including Catwoman, Joker and Superman, and this is the sort of style that really requires a group to look best.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is at $40.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I haven't covered much of the past Aardman style toys, but I did look at some pretty nifty Wallace and Gromit figures.

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

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!