Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Action Figure Review: Batman (Batman Begins) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   As I was putting the finishing touches on this review today I learned of the passing of Val Kilmer, AKA Bruce Wayne/ Batman in Batman Forever. This one is in memory of Val, who donned the mantle of the Caped Crusader.   

 You might feel like you're experiencing déjà vu while reading this review, but don't be alarmed! I reviewed the Gold Label fear gas demon version of this figure late last month. This is the standard version, though, and, oddly enough, I found him after I found the Gold Label exclusive version. This is your basic Christian Bale Baman from 2005's Batman Begins and he is a very different figure from the previously released The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises version of the character. This was a great take on the batsuit and it's definitely a figure most Batman fans and collectors will want on their shelf. Let's just jump right it and take a look at this take on Batman after the break...





The Facts:

Height: 7 1/8ths inches

Articulation: Hinged toes, double swivel hinged ankles, double hinged knees, swivel/hinge hips, balljointed waist, balljointed mid torso, swivel/hinge shoulders w/ ballsockets, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, double swivel/ hinge wrists, and a barbell jointed head.
 
Accessories: Collector card, display stand, grapnel gun,  batarangs, and 4 swappable hands.
 
Non-Scalper Price: $23 dollars






The Positives:


* While this figure does share the body with the Gold Label "Fear Gas Demon" Batman, the paint work is actually different. Well, the lack of paint work, I guess. While the Gold Label figure has a unique paint effect to enhance the creepiness of the fear gas inspired vision, this version is your straight up Batman Begins take on Batman. This is still an excellent costume and McFarlane has done a great job delivering a very accurate looking figure. The various textures on the suit look great and the belt (which isn't removable, though it is an extra piece) nicely adds a bit of color to what is otherwise an all black figure. I still think the scenes from Batman begins of Bruce first appearing as Batman and beginning to dismantle the mob are some of the best scenes of Batman on film. 







*  I think the mask looks better here than on the TDK and TDKR costume. The sculpt is very good with clean paint (there's not a lot, but what's here matters) and impressive eyes. While most of the face is obscured you can definitely still see that the Christian Bale likeness is pretty strong here. 







* I love that, the majority of the time, the blades on Batman's gauntlets are nice, sharp, and stiff on McFarlane's Batman figures. I was just so burnt out from years of Mattel's being rubbery and misshaped, so it's been a relief to rarely have to worry about these. The gauntlets on the Begins suit look really good, too. I love how they were inspired by gauntlets from the League of Shadows suit. Which makes me really want a Bruce Wayne and Henri Ducard/ Ra's al Ghul set.







* The suit looks excellent from the back, too. McFarlane is awesome with the amount of textures and such on their outfits in this line and you'll see a bunch of different ones on this one. 













* Not only does Batman come with a soft goods cape but it's also wired, allowing for some really cool poses. Fantastic, really. It has a nice texture, too. Not cloth; more like a sturdy... raincoat or the material umbrellas are made from. I wish I had a good Batsignal for him to stand near.







* The articulation is pretty good, certainly better than almost any other Batman figures that I can think of from another company unless you start getting into Japanese imports and the like (and he's far sturdier than those). The solid articulation works great and there's a great range of motion in most places. The shoulder pads are flexible, so the shoulders have a great range of motion. Make that pose work with the wired cape and you'll get some excellent displays.






* For basic hands, gas Batman only comes with a pistol grip right hand and a left hand fist. The alternate right hand is something really cool, though: It's holding three batarangs at once. They're smaller than the included batarang accessory and look quite cool, like he's about to toss a flurry of them at some mobsters or break out the lights in some filthy warehouse being used for criminal activity. 



* An alternate left hand is included, too. This one has Batman gripping one of his mini-mine grenades. It's not painted but it's typically black, too, so it's not really an issue. 






* Batman's grapnel gun is included. It's the same as the one that came with the earlier version of Bats from The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight rises, but that's accurate so far as I remember. This is a key accessory for Batman, so it's great to see it included.






 * He also comes with a batarang. A wildly oversized batarang, I should think, but it is a batarang. At least with the swappable hand of batarangs, having this one a bit larger isn't so bad. It's like his... special attack batarang. 











* Of course, you're getting a collectible card with the Batman Begins poster (or one of them, anyways) on the front.

* You're also getting a simple disc display stand. It works just fine and is always a nice extras.






      I had no problems with this figure and I absolutely love him. I'm really excited about the upcoming Batman Returns figures as McFarlane is definitely giving us the best assortment of Batman movie figures we've ever seen. I'm hoping that something works out and that McFarlane Toys gets to keep making figures through the DC Direct brand that are direct market to continue offering up great stuff for collectors. This is an Epic version of Christian Bale's Batman and one of the best Batsuits in film. Now.... where's my Ra's al Ghul? 





   I've reviewed so many figures of Bruce Wayne as Batman (or other heroes wearing the mantle of the Bat) that I've compiled them all in The Dark Knight Gallery. 

For more DC Multiverse figures check out the following:
Harley Quinn (The Suicide Squad)
Hugo Strange (Batman: Transference)
 


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4 comments:

  1. CarniviusApril 2, 2025 at 6:14 PM

    It's good if inaccurate in some of the suit texture and the cowl which they reused from the TDK figure when should be new pieces. Doesn't matter anyways since the figure already sold out before I could get one. Same goes for Silver Age Superman I waited past couple weeks for pre-order here in UK, checking sites every day and finally it appears....and sold out immediately. The few times McFarlane makes figures I actually want and it's impossible to actually get them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Barbecue17April 6, 2025 at 8:29 PM

    McFarlane stuff is getting harder to find over here, too. I'm sure nowhere as difficult as for you, but Walmart seems to have stopped carrying anything except certain releases in their collector's sections, and Target has been really lacking in new stuff. GameStop gets new things kind of randomly.

    I've heard Amazon isn't doing preorders on newer basic McFarlane figures, either.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CarniviusApril 8, 2025 at 1:44 AM

      Yeah, the Reeve figures were never restocked here, except the Page Puncher one which I did get and I'm quite happy with... after I modded the awful neck and collar section. I don't know why they made it look like his skin went over his cape. :O But yeah I customised that and much happier with how it looks now. I don't think there's much hope of me finding the Silver Age one (which really is the most all round most perfect comic-book looking Supes that Todd has ever done). Even the three figure bundle of that, Dr Fate and Two-Face are sold out (while Fate and Harv are still in plenty stock by themselves suggesting a lot of people bought the bundle just for Superman).

      Delete
  3. Barbecue17April 23, 2025 at 8:44 PM

    I've seen the silver age Supes a few times but haven't seen any Two-Faces or Dr. Fates since I grabbed my B&W Two-Face.

    ReplyDelete

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