Review of New 52 Batman - Justice League action figure

Introduction

How many times has DC rebooted their world? Yep, too many to count. The latest is the 'New 52', considered a soft reboot by DC but a pretty major change by most fans.

With new suits, new back stories, renumbering titles back to #1 (including titles like Action Comics, which has remained with the consistent numbering system since the 30's), a brand new logo, and many other changes, DC has certainly played up it's importance.

Justice League was the first of the new titles to be released, so it seems appropriate that one of the first action figures is the new Justice League Batman.

These figures are from DC Direct, and are hitting comic shops and online retailers right now. Expect to pay around $20, depending on the seller of course.

Packaging - ***1/2
One of the nice things about DC Direct's packaging is that it's fairly collector friendly. You can remove the figure and pop it back in without any real damage. There are four totally annoying twisty ties, which I recommend tossing out as quickly as possible.

Of course, you'll have to tolerate the new goofy DC logo, and I'm not much of a fan of the largely plain white background they're using. Dull is the nicest thing I can say about it.

Sculpting - **1/2
The basic sculpt matches with the comic art pretty well. He's a large figure as well, coming in at about 7". That makes him a better fit with Masters of the Universe Classics than any of the Mattel DC figures.

The best aspects of this new design are the belt - a svelte appearance that gives a Gaga vibe - and the slender, flowing cape. While the cape is rubber, it's not heavy enough to cause any issues with the figures center of gravity and the snug fit over the shoulders looks terrific.

I also like the sculpted symbol on the chest, but I can really do without the deep cuts on the unitard suit. It's a Tron-like feature that does nothing for me, and doesn't seem like something Batman would include.

I'm also not a fan of the lack of any sort of shorts or pelvic color change. With both Batman and the new movie Superman, this no undies look is all the rage, but I think it looks like he's wearing an old school yoga leotard. Hey, it's Jack Lalanne!

He stands great on his own, but the plastic they've used on the arms and legs is a bit too soft.

Worst of all, he's got some sort of hair lip going on. I'm hoping that this mess up is just a problem with my figure - perhaps something to do with how the figure was pulled from the mold - but I have a bad feeling about it. Figures like these are often bought sight unseen online, and errors like this are that much worse.

Paint - ***1/2
I'm much happier with the paint work than the sculpt. There's a little slop around the edge of the cowl, but the bright, glossy black on the gloves, boots and cowl looks great. The muted skin tone contrasts nicely with the black as well.

Articulation - **1/2
The saving grace here is the ball jointed neck. It twists, it turns, it tilts - it's all around good stuff.

The ball shoulders and cut biceps are decent, with pin elbows and pin knees. I'm not sure what you can do with the knees, since the T crotch joint doesn't let them do a whole lot.

Outside of the neck, the joints are really just there to get the figure standing in one basic pose.

Accessories - Bupkis
Nope, not a thing. At this price point, that's definitely not cool.

Fun Factor - **
No accessories, very limited articulation - this is less a toy and more of a Nerd Hummel.

Value - *1/2
Most action figures are in that $15 range these days, with a few select ones reaching up toward $20. But with no accessories and a rather basic design, this figure is simply not worth that price.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - **1/2
In the box, he didn't look bad, but once he was out the negatives all became much more clear - the weird damage to his face, the lack of accessories, the uselessness of the articulation, all backed up with a high price tag.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is at $18.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other New 52 stuff so far includes the recent Batman Black and White statue.

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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