Action Figure Review: Batman from DC Comics Multiverse by Mattel

   Today I'm checking out the fourth figure in Mattel's last full series of DC Comics Multiverse figures and it's....Batman! C'mon, you knew they weren't going to let a Batman themed series go by without a Batman figure, right? It turns out that there's a catch here, though: This isn't Bruce Wayne! It's actually Dick Grayson from his time wearing the cowl in the Batman: Reborn even that took place after Final Crisis.  As far as I'm aware, this is the first time we've actually gotten a Dick Grayson Batman (I thought this was a Dick Grayson Batman, but I was wrong). That makes this a pretty desirable figure then but, unfortunately, this guy has some issues. I'm usually pretty kind in my reviews, but that's because most of the time I buy stuff I tend to like and that most of the stuff I collect is pretty solid. Unfortunately, this is going to be one of those times that I'm going to be pretty critical. Let's check things out after the break...

 The Facts:

Height: 6 1/2 inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, double hinged knees, thigh swivels, balljointed hips, swivel waist, mid-torso hinge, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, hinged neck, and a balljointed head.

Accessories: 2 interchangeable portraits, mask, and the left leg for the Killer Croc Collect & Connect figure.

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars

 The Positives:


* Overall I do like the look of this costume. It pretty nicely captures the look of Dick Grayson as Batman from Grant Morrison's Batman & Robin run and has the unique utility belt along with the gray and dark blue color scheme. It may not be as immediately recognizable as some batsuits but when you compare it, it definitely captures a very specific period in the Caped Crusader's history.

 * I like the headsculpt here. Dick Grayson was a very different type of Batman and the thinner face and smirk he's wearing convey that nicely. This is a pretty good portrait.

 * The articulation is quite good here, too, allowing Batman to take some great poses. Heck, he can even crouch atop a building, keeping watch over the city below. He's a sturdy, well made figure and if he only had better elbow hinges he'd be perfect.

* Dick comes with a separate cowl piece that he can hold or which can fit around his neck in conjunction with the unmasked headsculpt. It's a cool extra that allows for another way to display Dick on your shelf.

 * Dick comes with Killer Croc's left leg as his Collect & Connect piece. I'm really excited to build this guy. As of this writing I now have all of the figures in the series, so I'll be getting to Killer Croc soon. Croc seems like he's going to be a really good figure. It's been a long time since Mattel's last comic based Croc (well over 10 years) so this guy is a welcome addition.

 The Negatives:

* How cool to finally have an unmasked Dick Grayson and... wait, are his facial features not aligned? Let's be honest: Dicik Grayson is typically thought of as one of the best looking guys in the DC Universe. This isn't that. What happened to him? It's like someone literally rearranged his face. Wow, this is bad, y'all.

* I like the presence of a soft goods cape but it's way, way too thin. The cape doesn't even cover the back of Batman's shoulders, which is a pretty weird look. Dick's cape as Batman was completely normal, so I have no idea why Mattel went with this.

 * Dick definitely has a different build than Bruce. He's much slimmer with a sleek, gymnast's frame. This guy looks really scrawny though. Seriously, the joints and proportions on this guy make Batman look really odd.

   I'm not going to say that Dick Grayson Batman is a terrible figure as he's well made, well articulated, and has a good Collect & Connect piece, but he's definitely the least impressive figure in this series. He should have been a hit, or at least a solid figure, but lots of weird choices like the too narrow cape, the messed up face, and the gangling appearance really make for an Eh and a 1/2 figure. It's a shame because having a Dick Grayson Batman is a pretty nice addition to Mattel's 17 years of DC comics releases but he feels less like a "finally!" and more like a "well, at least we got him."

If you take this as Batman then check out the Dark Knight Gallery where all of my Batman reviews are archived.


If you're looking for more reviews of Dick Grayson/ Nightwing stuff, I've also looked at the Lego Batman: Man-Bat Attack which includes Nightwing, the Kenner Legends of Batman Nightwing, the DC Icons Hush Nightwing, the New 52 Nightwing, the Jada Nano Metalfigs DC103 Nightwing, and Robin from the Teen Titans Go! To the Movies line.

For more DC Comics Multiverse figures, check out the following:
Batgirl (The Batgirl of Burnside)
Batman (Batman: Zero Year)
Batman (DC Rebirth)
Batwing (DC Rebirth)
Batwoman (DC Rebirth)
Bizarro
Clayface (Collect & Connect Figure)
Damian Wayne Robin (Robin War) 
Doctor Psycho (Collect & Connect figure)
Duke Thomas (We Are Robin)
Earth 23 Superman
The Flash: From Page to Screen
Harley Quinn (Detective Comics)
Jessica Cruz (DC Rebirth)
Jim Gordon Batman (Batman: Superheavy)
The Joker (Batman: Endgame)
Justice Buster
Katana (DC Rebirth)
KGBeast (DC Rebirth)
King Shark (Collect & Connect Figure)
The Reaper (Batman: Year Two) 
Red Hood (DC Rebirth)
Rookie (Collect & Connect figure)
Spoiler (Detective Comics)
Superman (DC Rebirth)
Two-Face (All-Star Batman)
Wonder Girl (Teen Titans)

Arrow
The Arrow

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Armored Batman (The Dark Knight Returns)
Batman
Batman & Superman (The Dark Knight Returns)
The Flash & The Atom (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns)
The Joker (The Dark Knight Returns) 
Mutant Leader (The Dark Knight Returns)
Robin (The Dark Knight Returns) 
Son of Batman
Wonder Woman

Batman v. Superman
Aquaman
Armored Batman
Bat Creature
Batman
Batman's Grapnel Blaster (Collect & Connect accessory) 
Batman Unmasked
Knightmare Batman
Lex Luthor
Superman 
Wonder Woman

DC's Legends of Tomorrow 
The Atom

The Flash
Reverse Flash (The Flash TV Series)

Justice League
Aquaman
Aquaman (Toys R Us Exclusive) 
Batman
Batman (Wal-Mart Exclusive) 
Cyborg
Cyborg (Wal-Mart Exclusive)
The Flash
Mera
Mother Boxes (Collect & Connect Accessory)
Parademon
Steppenwolf (Collect & Connect Figure)
Superman
Wonder Woman 

Suicide Squad
Batman
Boomerang
Croc (Build-a-Figure)
Deadshot
Diablo 
Harley Quinn (6 inch) 
Harley Quinn (12 inch)
Harley Quinn (Gold Dress)
Harley Quinn (Toys R Us Exclusive)
The Joker 
The Joker (Toys R Us Exclusive)
Katana
Rick Flag 

Superfriends
Aquaman
Batman 

Supergirl TV Series 
Martian Manhunter
Supergirl 

Wonder Woman
Ares
Diana of Themyscira
Menalippe
Queen Hippolyta
Steve Trevor 
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman (Toys 'R Us exclusive)