Review of 1966 Robin - sixth scale action figure

Introduction

The 1960's Batman television show is not my favorite version of the character. But it does hold a very special place in my heart as my earliest introduction, and it's goofy, silly comedy effected my tastes in humor for years to come. It taught me not to take things too seriously, and that's a valuable lesson for us all.

Hot Toys has the license to produce figures based on the designs. Is it only for the Batman movie? The accessories included would indicate so...and the fact that Hot Toys only does movie lines might also seem to indicate that the license is from the one movie the show spawned. But then right on the box, clear as day, it says "Batman Classic TV Series". Things that make you go hmmm...

In reality, it won't make a whole lot of difference. There wasn't any major differences for most of the characters or costumes between the show versions and the movie versions, and while doing a movie only line might exclude some of the villains serious fans desire (for me it's Egghead), the film did include all the big names, including Joker, Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman.

We have only had the Batmobile announced so far, in addition to the Batman and Robin figures. I have my fingers crossed for at least a Joker - you can't have a Batman series without him.

Robin is shipping now, and you can expect to pay around $190, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ****
I really love these boxes. They are bright, colorful, and a bit art deco, with a very 60's retro style to the graphics and text. They aren't super complex - pretty much a slip cover over a window box with a couple trays - but they look terrific.

Like Batman, Robin's inner cardboard tray can do double duty as a diorama piece. It has the double pane window cut in the back, so you can pose Robin climbing the wall and another figure leaning out, just like on the show. I didn't shoot a photo of it this time, but I did include one with the Batman review.

Sculpting - ****
This incarnation of Dick Grayson is a tough one to capture - he doesn't have any extreme features. But Hot Toys has done a brilliant job, and the portrait is spot on.

The hair is the most impressive overall feature of the head sculpt, with the finely stranded hair exhibiting some extreme detail.

This figure is done on the smaller TrueType, so Robin comes in at just 11 1/2" tall. This height, and the overall size of the body, seems about right, particularly when standing next to Batman.

Paint - ***1/2
While the paint job is the usual top notch production work, I have to admit that the skin tone is a bit more toy-ish this time around. I also feel that the eyes aren't quite as clean and life-like as I've come to expect. Neither of these issues are horrendous, but they were enough for me to pull the usual four star score down a smidge.

Articulation - ****
This is the small, slender TrueType, and it has all the well designed, useful, articulation that a Hot Toys collector has come to expect.

The ball jointed neck works particularly well here, and unlike Batman, there's no issue with the head popping off at the slightest adjustment. Hands swap easily, and the costume is not restrictive. You can even get a decent range of movement out of the chest and waist, underneath the tight vest.

Some collectors may find the exposed elbows and obvious knees (he is wearing tights after all) visually distracting, but since I'm more of a toy collector than a statue collector, I have no problem with it.

Accessories - ***
The one area where this figure falls short is with the extras. There's not a whole lot, at least not compared to the average Hot Toys release.

There are a good variety of hands. He comes wearing a pair of relaxed grips, and there are 4 more sets to swap. They are designed to work with the other accessories, and they swap easily with little fear of breakage. There's a couple extra wrist posts just in case.

The only new accessory to this figure is a pair of Bat-cuffs, with a metal chain and opening/closing restraints. They look great, but I certainly hope we get someone they can slap them on.

He also has the same Bat-radio and Batarang as his mentor. I included photos of these with the Batman review last week. There's a Bat-rope as well that can be tied to the Batarang.

As I mentioned in the Packaging section, they also have the interior cardboard tray designed to be a building/window diorama. I didn't show a photo of it this time, but again, check the previous review with Batman to see how it works.

Finally, he has a black display stand with his name on it, along with the classic show logo.

Considering the number of cool Bat goodies that were on the show (and even in the movie), I'm a bit disappointed with the heavy re-use.

Outfit - ***1/2
Those that have handled the Batman figure know that his suit can be a bit fragile, and even rough fingers can cause runs and snags. That doesn't appear to be as much of a problem with Robin, even with his tights.

I did end up with a snag in the cape, already there when I took him out of the box.  It's on the inside and fairly hidden, but I would have preferred a damage free cape considering the price point.

Speaking of the cape, there are two snaps on the shoulders, one on each side, that help keep it in place, as well as two on the upper back. While this is an appreciated touch, they are the softer plastic snaps, which can be easy to damage. Take extra care.

The elf boot sculpt looks amazing, as does the hard belt and soft cloth vest. This was always a very funky color combination, and it looks great in this scale.

I did find that the belt is so tight that it tends to pooch up the vest a bit right at the buckle. You can pull the vest down again with some care, but as soon as you start moving the belt around you'll be back in the same spot.

The mask is not removable, and therefore not part of the costume.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
While Batman had some costume fragility issues, Robin seems a bit tougher and more able to withstand handling. You'll still want to take care with the costume, but overall you should have less fear when handling him, thus a lot more fun.

Value - **1/2
I never thought $190 would be a good deal, but considering the ever rising cost of Hot Toys figures - most are over $210 now - this slight price break is a welcome relief. Of course, there's an awful lot of re-use here, and the number of accessories is too light, but overall I felt the price was worthy of an average value score.

Things to Watch Out For -
The tights seem much sturdier than what we have with Batman, which is appreciated. I did have a snag on the yellow cape though right out of the box, so still take a lot of care handling the material on this figure.

Overall - ***1/2
By themselves, Batman and Robin are very well done figures. But as a duo, they're dynamic. Add in the Batmobile, and you'll have one of the coolest Batman displays ever produced. They have a few issues independently, but the overall combination will be tough to beat. And let's be honest - is anyone going to buy Robin that hasn't already bought Batman?

Now if we can just get a Joker...and an Egghead.  Please?

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I just covered the companion Batman for this figure, and other recent 1966 Batman goodies include the Batman prop replica utility belt, the very cool 1/4 scale Batman from NECA, and the Batmobile and action figures from Mattel, including the Batman and Robin two pack, the Joker,  and the first wave of figures that included Batman, Riddler, and the Penguin.

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

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