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The latest addition to the DC Superheroes 9" line is this version of
Batman, from 1939. This Golden Age representation is Batman at the
very beginning, back to his roots in comics. The figure was designed
with the help of Alex Ross, well known comic artist, and it shows. The
figure is packed with a reprint of Batman #1, and a book on the Golden Age
of Batman by Les Daniels. But the real treat here is the figure - it
is easily the best produced in this series so far.
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Articulation - ***
It's the same 9" body you've seen before. You'll either hate it
or love it - there doesn't seem to be much in between.
Sculpts - ****
I'm not sure who did the actual sculpt, but they did a wonderful
job. No oversized head here, and they captured this early caped
crusader perfectly. Even the tendency for these figures to look down
slightly works to this figure's advantage.
Extras - **
The comic book and hardcover book are nice, but not really a great addition
to the value. The comic is an interesting reprint, but isn't really indicative
of the figure. Something from Detective Comics would have been more
appropriate. And while the Les Daniels book is very nice, with some
beautiful illustrations and great information, it's just the first two
chapters from his much larger and more detailed book on Batman. If you
have his previous book, this one is pretty much a waste. I did notice
a few new pictures, but that's really not worth buying this over. It's
a much better value if you don't already have his earlier work - but most
serious Batman fans already picked it up.
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Packaging - ***
A very nice job on the box. The graphics are bright and attractive,
and it has that 'pulp' feel to it. It's a nice heavy construction,
and looks like it can withstand some shelf wear. Everything comes
out easily enough, but something a little more solid to hold the figure
inside the box would have been a good idea.
 Outfit -
***1/2
Superb work on this costume. The hands are painted purple, which
matches the very early pictures below. The oversized belt works
terrific, and the cape is fantastic. It even has three thick wires
in the material, that can be used to pose the cape. The material for
the black shorts is a nylon, while the rest of the costume is a soft
material that gives you the impression of 'the good old days', rather than
spandex. Everything is hemmed, unlike previous DC 9"
figures. My only complaint is that the bat symbol, while the right
size and shape, is very off center on my figure.
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Accessories: ***
The only real accessory here is the batarang, nicely sculpted. It
fits in the large utility belt, and is a welcome addition since most of
the other DC 9" figures have been painfully lacking in any sort of
accessories.
Overall - ***1/2
This is easily the best DC 9" figure so far. While some folks
will tell you that isn't hard, I've always liked this line. But even
I have to admit that this is quite an improvement. However, I still
had my problems with it - as I said, the symbol on mine is not centered
correctly, and this is an awfully expensive figure for what you get.
If the figure had been $15-$20 for just it, I could handle that. The
reprint comic and partial Daniels book are certainly not worth boosting
the price to $45, and I certainly hope that we don't only get this level of
quality and style on this type of inflated figure. C'mon Hasbro,
give us this quality on a $15 figure!
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