Wrapping Up 2022: Man-Bat (DC Rebirth) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   Last year I started getting into McFarlane's DC Multiverse line a bit more, particularly because of the release of more characters who look like standard comic depictions of the characters rather than really story specific variants (think Metal, Last Night on Earth, Dark Knight Returns). It looks like we're in for more great releases in the months to come and I've went back and picked up some of the figures I want, mostly Batman centric heroes and villains and characters associated with Justice League Dark. Hey, Man-Bat fills both of those criteria! This version of Man-Bat is a Megafig (oversized deluxe release) and is based on his Rebirth look, so pretty much his mainstream look in the current era of DC Comics. He's a hefty figure and McFarlane's first take on Dr. Robert Kirk Langstrom, so he's particularly monstrous. Ready for a bat man who's more bat than man? Then look no further than Man-Bat! Let's check him out after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 9 inches

Articulation: Hinged toes, swivel/hinge ankles, upper ankle swivel, double hinged knees, thigh swivel, swivel/hinge hips, balljointed waist, balljointed abdomen, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, barbell jointed neck, and a balljointed head.

Accessories: Display stand and art card

Non-Scalper Price: $40 dollars

The Positives:

* Since he's a Megafig, you know that Man-Bat is hefty. Here he is next to the Batman figure from the Batman Family 5-pack. Batman's a decent sized figure, one of the bigger Batman figures in the line, so you can see that Man-Bat is pretty large. Is he overly large? Maybe, but then again, comic characters like this can be drawn all over the place, and I think the massive size just makes him look fantastic. He also weighs well over a pound. 

* Here's Man-Bat! This is a great version of the character with a very physically imposing build and some impressive work on his musculature. There's not a ton of paint but definitely enough to convey the different parts of Man-Bat's body, separating the furry areas from the... non-furry areas, I guess. The texture on the fur is excellent. The furry parts on his upper torso seem to be overlays molded from a different material. It's a great effect.  He's also sporting some really cool jeans with lots of rips and tears. 

* Man-Bat has wings. That's just part of his nature, being a bat man and all (but not Batman, just a bat man), so you always expect his figure to have wings. Well, wings on an action figure can be really cool but really frustrating, especially if you're just trying to display the figure. McFarlane Toys included wings with Man-Bat but they're folded up and he's actually holding the ends of them in his hands, keeping them closed. I actually like this (though I know some folks won't) and I think he displays all the better. 

* Good Dr. Langstrom looks pretty terrifying as Man-Bat, doesn't he? His teeth are ridiculously long and sharp and his ears are incredible. I love his sunk-in eyes, too. This is an excellent portrait for Man-Bat.

* The detail continues all the way around the figure, on both his skin, his fur, and his jeans. He's impressive any way you look at him. 

* Here's a closeup of Kirk's ripped up jeans. The crotch piece is a slightly different color than the rest of the jeans but it doesn't bother me too much here. It looks pretty decent and the sculpt and paint of the denim, particularly the rips and tears, is nicely done. 

* Man-Bat's got some creepy feet, too. Long and thin with some very dangerous looking nails. 

* Here's a close-up of one of Man-bat's wings. They have an excellent texture to them with sculpted folds and veins running allover them. 

* The articulation is very solid. There's not a lot of articulation on the arms to preserve the wing sculpts, but the shoulders move really well. The mid-torso, legs, head, and neck are all excellent, though. They've got a great range of motion that makes posing and playing around with the figure quite fun. 

* I love that all of the figures in the line include a collectible card, especially when they're an image from the comics. The bios are also very nice to have, even for characters you know. There's someone out there who isn't familiar with the character, maybe a kid picking this up as a toy, so it's great extra. Getting a decent bio is kind of a rarity on mass market retail toys these days

* McFarlane Toys includes a display stand with each of their releases these days it seems, even the larger ones who don't really need it. I love the consistency though. It has the DC logo on it and it probably does add a bit more stability to Man-Bat when he's on the shelf. 

The Negatives:

* Man-Bat would stand really well on his own if it weren't for the somewhat loose ankle joints. I haven't seen anyone else complain about this but my Man-Bat's ankles are quite loose, causing him to crumple to the ground unless you balance him just right. I'll have to figure out a way to fix it as it's rather annoying. 

   Man-Bat is a pretty decently sized figure and the fact that you can get him for $40 or less is a pretty solid deal. He's also a really nice figure, too, with a great sculpt and some rather nice paintwork. He's big, he's mean, and he's a really nice standard Man-Bat. I just wish he stood a bit better on his own! He gets a solid Great rating from me, though, and he fills a great spot in a Batman collection. I'm really excited to see more "standard" comic version of the batman villains in this line and this release definitely checks the box for Man-Bat for sure. 

Looking for more reviews of Man-Bat? I've reviewed the DC Collectibles Arkham Knight Man-Bat, the Lego set Batman: Man-Bat Attack, and the Imaginext Man-Bat. 

For more DC Multiverse reviews from McFarlane Toys check out the following:

Batwoman Unmasked

Harley Quinn (The Suicide Squad)