Thursday, March 9, 2023

Action Figure Review: Bane from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 



     During the time when I was most into comic books as a child, Knightfall was an absolute juggernaut of a storyline and I'll still argue it's one of the best Batman stories ever, quite possibly the best. It's long but it consistently delivers and really tells a layered story worth telling. I'm a fan of Bane and it took me longer than I expected to pick up this DC Multiverse Bane from McFarlane Toys. I managed to find a retail priced preorder at Entertainment Earth for a case which contained both Bane and Nekron for less than most folks are currently selling Bane, so I jumped on it. There was already a Last Knight on Earth Bane build a figure and now there's a Dark Knight Rises Bane build-a-figure, but this is the most classic, comic looking Bane yet, and he's pretty nice. Let's check out Bane after the break...

"KRAKT!"







The Facts:

Height: 9 inches

Articulation: Hinged toes, swivel/hinge ankles, double hinged knees, thigh swivel, swivel/hinge hips, balljointed waist, swivel/hinge shoulders w/ balljointed sockets, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: Disc stand and collectible card.

Year of Release: 2022

Original Retail Price: $40 dollars

The Positives:



* Bane's a Megafig, so he's larger than your standard DC Multiverse figure. He's much larger, both wider and taller. 9 inches tall, to be exact. I initially thought he looked too large but you can take this as Bane hopped up on Venom or just use it as some artistic license. Personally, I think Bane looks perfect overshadowing Batman and his allies. He makes a nice centerpiece figure for a Knightfall themed display or for a grouping of villains. 




* Bane looks massive here and it's one of the most menacing looks for the character. He's clearly intended to be using Venom here as he's sporting multiple tubes flowing with the stuff and his muscles look freakishly huge. Not just built and to the point of physical perfection like Bane has been depicted for a number of years since he quit Venom, but inhumanly. He's wearing his black combat pants, his cool metal belt with a red belt buckle, and his back tank top that barely covers anything. He's also sporting some tactical web gear. There's a lot of detail on his muscles, and even some paintwork to give them more definition. 



* This is an excellent Bane headsculpt. I've owned my fair share of Bane figures over the years but this one is one of my favorites now. He still manages to look intense despite the fact that his head is fully covered by his mask. A well detailed mask, I might add. There's some excellent detail work on the fabric textures and stitching of the mask.




* Bane's venom tanks are attached to his back via the web gear straps and there are multiple tubes flowing from them to his head. The tubes are a bit flexible and don't interfere with his articulation much and they have a great presence on the shelf. 




* There's also a control glove on his left wrist, attached to another tube that connects right into his left bicep. 




* Here's a closeup shot to show off the excellent work on Bane's muscles and bulging veins and the detailed sculpt and paint of his web gear. 






* Bane's boots look like they're ready for action, his tactical pants look ready for battle, and his belt looks ready to hold his pants up. I mean, I'm sure it has other features, too, but it looks like it holds up a pair of pants like a champ. There's lots of excellent detail on the fabric textures on the pants and on the boots which makes the figure just feel more unique and impressive. 



* How's the articulation on Bane? Not bad. He's a big, bulky guy, so expecting him to have fine, acrobat like movement seems out of the question, but Bane definitely has a nice amount of articulation, almost as much as a standard figure, and he looks impressive. He is a super durable hunk of plastic and you could probably take someone out by using Bane in a melee attack on them. It would be extremely painful. 







* The collectible guard showcases some really cool art of Daniel Luvisi's cover for 2011's Secret Six #35. It's a fantastic Bane profile, though this figure isn't really based on that art or anything. Still, I love the cards and I love the bio on the back. 


* Keep counting me as a fan of McFarlane including a stand with each of their releases these days. It's just a simple disc stand with the DC logo on it but it works well and keeps the figure standing upright in most poses.







The Negatives:


* There are a few places where the paint doesn't fully cover the sculpted details, most noticeably around the neck and the strap on Bane's left bicep. Yours could be better than mine for sure, but it's still a little annoying to see. 


   

   I'm really liking this version of Bane and he turned out Great. He's been getting pretty tough to acquire at retail price, probably because of the release or reveals of so many figures from the Knightfall storyline, though it wouldn't surprise me to see him released in some way. He's a really impressive looking figure. I have fond memories of going on a trip with my Grandpa Charlie to McDonald's and to a K-Mart where I ended up with the Batman: The Animated Series Bane, who was new and cool at the time. Even in my adult hands, this Bane figure from DC Multiverse steal feels massive, intimidating, and powerful, just like that vintage Bane did. He's a cool figure and my only complaints would be some of the minor paint apps and I do wish he came with a few different hands, a mixture of fists and grappling hands for breaking the Bat. 




I've reviewed a few other Bane figures including the Arkham Origins Bane from DC Collectibles, Lethal Impact Bane from Kenner's Legends of the Dark Knight line, and the Nano Metalfigs DC59 Bane and DC 105 Bane.

For more DC Multiverse figures check out the following:
Harley Quinn (The Suicide Squad)
Man-Bat (DC Rebirth)

7 comments:

  1. I remember Bane from LEGO Batman, and wasn't as bulky as this one is. After all, LEGO Bane was more boxy than bulky, ha, ha!

    Still, this Bane looks really, really cool. Only thing i miss for Bane is a pair of closed fists. With that this figure would be trully perfect. But anyways is a really cool addition for McFarlane's DC.

    What i imagine that happened after that image you posted:
    Batman: "I'm Batm-"
    Bane: *Breaks Batman's spine with his left knee" SHUT UP, FOR GOTHAM'S SAKE! It's the 1.000.000th time you said it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The lack of fists definitely is missed. I do feel like sometimes McFarlane is doing too much to keep their prices low. Considering that most figures are completely unique sculpts, they're still offering up something that few other companies are.

      Delete
  2. Man, I've been looking everything for this figure! Where'd you get it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Back in January Entertainment Earth had a preorder for a case with Bane and Nekron. It was retail price, so I jumped on it. I've also seen a few instances of collectors still finding these at Target on the shelf, so maybe McFarlane is still shipping these.

      Delete
  3. Bane eventually did kick his Venom habit and swore off of the drug. I think he kept the tubes as a reminder of what he had been through, but they weren't functional. They're such an important part of his visual, though, that I think most artists still draw them.

    I love doing the Bane voice, too. We're watching through the Dark Knight Trilogy with our daughter and will probably be starting the Dark Knight Rises over the weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Really is frustrating me how hard this is to find. I don't understand, did Mcfarlane just not make enough of them? No idea. I refuse to pay $100 like scalper scumbags are asking.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm guessing that McFarlane probably made the same amount of these as most other Megafigs, but he comes packaged one to a case with Nekron. Some of the Megafigs have sold better than others but they don't seem to be produced in as large of numbers as the regular sized figures. Coupe that with Bane's popularity and Mattel releasing quite a few Knightfall themed figures right now and everyone is looking for Bane. Entertainment Earth was actually taking preorders for cases until fairly recently, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Bane make a return at some point.

      Delete

What'chu talkin' 'bout?