Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Action Figure Review: Alfred Pennyworth from DC Comics Multiverse by Mattel

    Today I'm checking out the last standard figure in the last series of Mattel's DC Comics Multiverse line and it's Batman's stalwart ally, best friend, and surrogate father, Alfred Pennyworth. Alfred has shown up in many toylines before including DC Direct's Batman: Hush line, Hasbro's Batman the Animated Series line, Diamond Select's Gotham line, and Mattel's The Dark Knight Rises line. Of course, since Mattel has been making comic based DC figures in a similar scale and stlye for well over 15 years, the lack of Alfred Pennyworth in that style has been a noticeable omission. Finally, after all of that time, it's very welcome to get Alfred in the last series of figures. He turned out well. Very well, in fact. Seriously, Mattel gave this guy some incredible accessories that really make him stand out. Alfred Pennyworth has been the hardest figure to find from this series, so let's find out why after the break...



 The Facts:

Height: 6 5/8ths inches

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

Accessories: 4 interchangeable portraits, tray, glass, Batman's cowl, and the right arm for the Killer Croc Collect & Connect figure.

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars


 The Positives:


* Throughout his comic appearances Alfred Pennyworth has a very consistent look since 1943 which Mattel has captured beautifully. There's no doubt as to who this is and his tuxedo is amazing. The body of the jacket is a separate piece, but there's no reason to remove it as the sleeves are part of the sculpt. The suit looks perfect, Alfred's tall, thin frame is captured quite well, and the paint applications are extremely neat and clean. Just like Alfred!


 * I love the headsculpt. Again, it's a very classic headsculpt that captures Alfred's upper class charm. He's got that pencil thin mustache, expressive eyebrows, and a look on his face that makes the figure appear as if Alfred is just about to bust out a witty comment.
 * Wait! What's this? Yes, Alfred has multiple portraits and the second portrait is based on Michael Gough, who played Alfred in Tim Burton's Batman films as well as Joel Schumacher's ......travesties. There's nothing you can say against Gough's performance, though, as his Alfred was always an excellent take on the character. He was warm, charming, and he didn't mind stepping in to assist Batman as needed with some backup (I love the scene in Batman Returns where he helps guide the Bat-ski through the Gotham City sewers). This is a welcome treat, although the only Batman from that series Mattel released was Val Kilmer from Batman: Forever.

 * Wait? Another different Alfred portrayal? Yes! The third headsculpt is Alan Napier, who portrayed Alfred in the 1966 Batman TV Series. This is an excellent sculpt and a great inclusion as Mattel offered quite a few figures from that series back in 2013. Mattel's figures weren't as impressive as they should have been but being able to add Alfred to that line-up is a welcome addition indeed.

 * The last headsculpt is certainly the most unusual: It's Alfred Pennyworth as the Outsider, a villainous, resurrected version of Alfred from pre-crisis continuity. It's a very creepy looking headsculpt and while it's probably the least desirable head in the set, it's still a pretty amazingly obscure accessory. Where have the folks who worked on this series of figures been over the last few years?


* While he's clad in an immaculate tuxedo, that doesn't mean Alfred can't throw down when needed. He's sporting some excellent articulation and feels like a quality figure. Easily the best Alfred figure ever released, hands down.


 * Alfred also comes with a silver serving tray and a clear glass. Despite getting involved in many of Batman's adventures, Alfred still makes sure the Bat-family is well cared for and well fed.

* The last accessory is Batman's cowl. It's flat on the bottom, so it seems designed to fit on the tray. Maybe Alfred is taking it from Batman to be laundered. Or maybe it's included as a nod to the cover of Batman #686 which depicts Alfred grieving over Batman's presumed death, holding the empty cowl and cape in his hands.

* Alfred comes with Killer Croc's right arm as his Collect & Connect piece. I'm really excited to build this guy and I'll be getting to Killer Croc soon (I've already got the pictures taken). 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.
   Alfred is a dream figure. While we've had Alfred Pennyworth figures before, this is the guy I always think of when I think of Alfred. He's well made, has some cool accessories, and, if you're a bigger fan of Michael Gough or Alan Napier's takes on the role, Mattel has you covered, too. This guy is 100% Epic and one of the best DC Comics figures this year. This series has a great character selection, awesome accessories, and great distribution (seriously my local Wal-Mart has restocked this series 3 or 4 times now). Why couldn't Mattel have run the line like this a few years ago?



Surprisingly, this is the first figure of Alfred Pennyworth I've reviewed on Action Figure Barbecue. For more reviews from DC Comics Multiverse, check out the following:
Batgirl (The Batgirl of Burnside)
Batman (Batman: Reborn)
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)
Red Robin (DC Rebirth)
Rookie (Collect & Connect figure)
Spoiler (Detective Comics)
Starfire (DC Rebirth)
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)

2 comments:

  1. "Joel Schumacher's...travesties." Heh-heh. To be honest, though, I did buy a pair of Bathammers and a Batmobile from Ertl's BATMAN & ROBIN line.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have a Christmas ornament of the Batman Forever Batmobile that I do display on our Christmas tree. The Batmobile designs are pretty good from those movies, so I'll give them that.

      Delete

What'chu talkin' 'bout?