Action Figure Review: Two-Face from Batman '66 by McFarlane Toys

 

   So...I know that right away some of you are thinking: "Two-Face didn't appear in the 1966 Batman TV series, did he?"

   You're correct. He didn't. But he almost did. There were scripts created that would have utilized the character, probably in a fourth season. Most significantly, there was an outline by Harlan Ellison which was adapted into a comic in 2014 and there was an animated movie five or six years ago, too. There is also a lot of talk that Clint Eastwood was tapped to play Two-Face in the 1966 television series. So, where does this guy come from? The Batman '66 comic adaptation of the Harlan Ellison script. Recently McFarlane has been mixing characters from the Batman '66 comic series into the Batman Classic TV Series line which I think is a fine idea, but a number of collectors are frustrated with because all of the TV series characters haven't been made yet. Still, Two-Face. This guy and Egghead really got my attention and caused me to start paying attention to this line. I really wish this Two-Face were in the larger scale of the 7 inch DC Multiverse figures, but he's still pretty nifty. Let's check him out after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge knees, swivel hips, waist swivel, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel wrists, and a a balljointed head. 

Accessories: Coin

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars

The Positives:

* I love Two-Face in these colors. His suit kind of pays tribute to multiple different looks that the character has had with black and white for the regular half and magenta and orange for the corrupted half. The colors are bright, the paint is sharp, and the figure just looks really slick. There's some impressive detail on his shirt like buttons, wrinkles, and a well sculpted bowtie and collar, and the paintwork is perfect. The jacket is a separate piece over the shirt, but it's permanently glued in place, so it isn't removable or anything. 

* The headsculpt is really good. In fact, it's probably one of the best action figure headsculpts of Two-Face I've ever seen. It doesn't look like any actor in particular but it's done in a realistic style to blend in with the rest of the line. Someone looking at just the figures themselves wouldn't realize that this version of Two-Face was based on a comic and not the show. Harvey is a handsome, dapper looking guy while the other half of his face is just plain menacing!

* I love the white hair and the green face. It nicely makes him look appropriately retro. The sculpt is excellent but it does look like it could be makeup, which is fitting for a line based on a vintage TV series. Many of the earlier Two-Face depictions have more monstrous features on the scarred half of Harvey's face, but that probably wouldn't have been how he would have been depicted in the Batman TV series, so he looks like he could conceivably be an actor wearing makeup. I love it. 

* Not only are the colors excellent on Two-Face's suit but he's also sporting two different textures. His black suit has a regular, flat texture, like your standard suit material, but the magenta half has an unusual pattern to it, like it's something custom made and much more flamboyant. You probably have to see it in person to really appreciate it, but it's there and it's really nicely done. It's a detail I wouldn't have missed if it were absent, but having it there really adds something special to the figure. 

* Two-Face comes with a plastic copy of his double sided coin. While I assume it's meant to be a prop replica of sorts, it does fit in his hands. I could see a 1966 version of Two-Face carrying around a massive prop coin, so I dig it. It's a really nicely sculpted faux coin, complete with the reeding on the edge.

* Here's a shot of the reverse side that's all scratched and marred. I loved the coin accessory that came with the Batman Forever Two-Face back in 1995 (I probably carried it in my pocket all summer that year) and this one kind of gives me the same feeling.

* Like the rest of the line, Two-Face feels very durable. The articulation on the the head and arms is decent, allowing for some decent poses on the shelf. From the waist up, anyways...

The Negatives:

*  It's kind of weird that these figures don't have any real hip motion; Just a simple cut joint, though they do have swivel/hinge knees. They're just very static, absolutely meant to just be stood around in the various scenes and playsets made for the line rather than truly put in action poses. 

   Despite his lack of lower body articulation, this is still a really nice figure of Two-Face. I love the design, the colors, and the coin accessory that works well both with the figure or as an inexpensive prop replica item. Two-Face impresses me the most of any of the Batman Classic TV Series/ Batman '66 action figures I've seen. He also seems to be the most difficult to come by new, so it seems plenty of other feel the same way. When McFarlane finally delivers a standard, comic based Two-Face for DC Multiverse, I hope they take inspiration from this figure. He's Great. 





   I've reviewed a number of toys of Harvey Dent/ Two-Face on the site: The DC Multiverse Two-Face (The Dark Knight Trilogy) and Two-Face as Batman (Batman: Reborn), "Dual Destruction" Two-Face from Mattel's Batman: Power Attack line, the Pirate Batman and Pirate Two-Face two-pack from Kenner's Legends of Batman line, the Nano Metalfigs Two-Face DC29 from the 10 Pack Figure Collector's Set and Two-Face DC107, and the Rebirth Two-Face from Mattel's DC Comics Multiverse line.

For more Batman Classic TV Series/ Batman '66 reviews, check out the following:
Egghead
Radioactive Batman