DCClassics.Com Review:
Collect & Connect Bane

The new pieces are nicely sculpted and give Bane all the right little details from the segmented venom line to the zipper on his mask (which I never once thought to question in the various art, but in person I find myself asking why a mask would have a zipper across the top). I’m also quite happy with what the 4H chose to do for the mask. It’s been drawn a different ways to Sunday – all variants around the central theme, but the 4H found the right balance and the mask looks great. The venom line is done in a cool translucent green and is soft enough that it doesn’t obstruct the articulation. It’s also cool that, while the tubing plugs into his head snugly, it comes out easily. If I were a kid, I’d have Optimus Prime or Captain Power ripping that thing out in every fight. Heck, I admit it, I have had Optimus Prime rip it out in a fight.

Articulation is what we’ve come to expect. Ball-joints at the head and shoulders, swivels at the bicep, wrists, and waist, hinges at knees and elbows, the Mattel hips, rocker ankles, and the ab-crunch. Everything works pretty well and has good range. The only posing issue I had with Bane was that he doesn’t have holes in his feet. If the pose you want him in needs a stand, he won’t be able to use it.

A couple paint issues on Bane. The mask and belt are both thankfully crisp and really help to keep the overall figure looking sharp, but there is some slop on the gloves. The main issue with Bane is the difference in plastic between the torso and arms. The color difference is obvious to the naked eye and only amplified by the camera. The airbrushed paint on the torso doesn’t help as nothing that dark appears on the arms making the contrast between them even higher.

Overall, I was pretty happy with Bane. I know that he’s taken some flak for his proportions & anatomy, but let’s face it, Bane’s not really from the “realistic anatomy” department of DC Comics. I think the figure turned out pretty well despite having that intrinsic drawback to being reproduced in three dimensions. I did have to heat up his head to get it on the peg, but I’m excited to finally swap out that crouching camouflaged monstrosity out for a nice, fully articulated Bane figure. It’s just too bad he can’t hold Osito with those fists.

For more DC reviews, check out our
DC Universe Classics Collector’s Guide.

15 thoughts on “DCClassics.Com Review:
Collect & Connect Bane

  1. Bane was the only reason I wanted Creeper, Mercury and Jonah (though I’m warming up to Jonah). He looks so fantastic going toe-to-toe with AzBats. My Bane seems to have a glued-shut ab crunch though. Anyone else had that? I tried tossing him in the freezer, but no avail.

    Still, I love the figure. Most pictures really don’t do the figure justice, especially in the torso (yours were pretty great though!).

  2. I’m waiting on Riddler and AzBats to come in. Then my Bane will be complete! Mwahahaha!

    After struggling with the head for a couple of minutes, I had to heat it up, too.

  3. when they get around to doing a real, huge, all jacked up bane, wake me up. i get why some folks have an affection for a slightly more normal bane, but to me, for the figure itself, i prefer the huge distended jacked up look, ala the arkham asylum bane… though i do think the DCU one will have the distinct advantage of being able to stand up straight.

    that DCD AA bane all hunched over permanently makes my back hurt just looking at him.

  4. oh, and why the riddler bigger than batman? outside of the jim carrey version, when has that EVER happened?

    1. @dayraven,

      Riddler ended up being bigger than bats because of the pelvis they used. Since it has the belt slot, he ends up taller. Same with any other figure that uses a belt.

  5. I’m sensing inevitable scale creep. NO REASON why Riddler (or Creeper) should tower above Superman & Batman.

  6. Bane looks excellent! Today is my birthday I am now 19 years old.Wish me happy birthday NoisyDvL5 =D

  7. I’ll be happy to get him, but part of me wishes that they’d used a bulkier body for the base of this CAC – maybe another re-tool of the Kilowog base? All I’d really be after is a little more size and some bigger arms, though I’d think that buck would be too big in scale.

    It’s all good…I’ll probably be less worried about slight scale problems and more worried about why Optimus would want to rip out Bane’s Venom line…

  8. Bane wanted to break the Bot-man.

    Optimus Prime didn’t want to be broke.

    Great pictures as always. I find this Bane resembling the one from DC Universe Online a lot in terms of proportions which is interesting, but I’ve never been a big enough fan of Bane to care much. I just find it really creepy that he randomly decided the most naked woman he could find is his adopted sister. It’s lucky he didn’t team up with Poison Ivy or Bruce Timm would’ve had Harley and him fight to the death a long time ago.

    http://collider.com/uploads/imageGallery/DC_Universe_Online/dc_universe_online_image_bane.jpg

    1. Thank you, good citizen. Sometimes the obvious proves to be an elusive beast.

  9. The height is NOT debatable, it plain sucks, period. There’s no way 6′ 8” translates into 8 inches, no way. Let’s not make excuses for Mattel. If the Marvel Legends Hulk figures were 30 inches tall, you wouldn’t say “oh, well, some artists make Hulk look like he’s 20 feet tall in some comics, so it’s okay.”

    It was probably just cheaper to do this than retool the DCSH Bane with new legs and artic (which is fine, that’s business). And if it was more expensive to make this cnc version, then everyone responsible at Mattel needs to be hit with a giant inflatable hammer.

  10. Rickcoronel, doesn’t Batman have a belt too? And Creeper has no belt?!?! Are u saying the hip part is taller or that having a belt makes em taller? Cause the latter doesn’t make sense.

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