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<\/a>You know it\u2019s Summer when the days heat up, the kids run free, and the stores fill up with all manner of mass-produced, poorly-executed movie toys. Usually, they\u2019re an easy pass for me, but this year Hasbro\u2019s 6\u201d Avengers and Mattel\u2019s Dark Knight Rises Movies Masters have me hooked. <\/p>\nOne of the things about action figure collecting that always frustrates me is the harsh retail climate for supporting cast members. See, I know that my DC Classics collection is never going to be complete. I mean, you always know that no toy company will have the time and resources to get as extensive as we ultimately want them to be. There are always minor characters, fan favorites, great (but short-lived) designs, something\u2026 someone that will get overlooked. But there are also very important characters that are perpetually overlooked. <\/p>\n
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<\/center><\/p>\nFor example, we\u2019re not likely to ever own DCUC versions of Lois Lane & Alfred Pennyworth. At first glance, it\u2019s kinda ridiculous. Think about how crucial both of those characters are to their franchises. Think about how many appearances they\u2019ve made over the years, likely eclipsing even the major villains they help their respective heroes defeat. And yet, getting a Lois Lane or an Alfred figure into Classics is about as thankless a cause as my ongoing desire to see Warlord as MOTU Classics figure. <\/p>\n
The reason for this has been a stalwart explanation for decades. Kids don\u2019t want boring people figures. Parents won\u2019t buy their kids boring people figures. I want to say it makes sense, but it has never applied to me. One of my all-time favorite figures growing up was the Super Powers Clark Kent. I always wanted a Lois Lane to go with that figure. I wanted an Alfred to go with Batman & Robin. Basically, I\u2019m not the right person to try and figure out why well-known, non-spandex characters don\u2019t have market appeal. Why a household name character like Alfred or Lois can\u2019t be made while Captain Atom or Guy Gardner is a lock in multiple scales. <\/p>\n
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<\/center><\/p>\nEven in recent years, as we\u2019ve entered this \u201ccollector\u2019s renaissance\u201d where toys get stuck with little labels like \u201cadult collector\u201d or are marketed directly towards us via subscriptions or costly-to-obtain convention exclusives, that same logic unfortunately still holds sway.* <\/p>\n
* – I never understand why toy companies don\u2019t truly take advantage of convention exclusives. It\u2019s a giant \u201cnerd herd\u201d of the target demographic** of the people that, at least in theory, would buy secret identity or supporting cast figures. And yet, the exclusives still tend to be not much different from retail offerings. It baffles the mind. <\/p>\n ** – I know some of you out there are in disagreement. I\u2019ve been told by collectors before that a figure of Alfred or Lois isn\u2019t something they would buy. I fear that a figure like Lois Lane popping up in the subscription would cause all sorts of havoc. I\u2019d be happy, but would all of you? I don\u2019t know. <\/em><\/p>\n Anyway, I\u2019m recounting all that pent up frustration because I want to make it clear how much I want an Alfred figure. I did once own the TAS version and the DC Direct version, but I sold the first and the latter broke, but that\u2019s neither here or there. I want an articulated figure, capable of doing anything a Batman figure can do, albeit a little slower and probably with a shotgun. I want that Alfred figure so bad, that I\u2019m willing to buy a figure that\u2019s close, but not quite what I want. Namely, a movie-based figure instead of a comic-based one. <\/p>\n If you\u2019re a Batman fan, buying movie-based figures as comic substitutes isn\u2019t anything new. For the 90s my Batman villains were Jack Nicholson, Michele Pfeiffer, Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, and a very inaccurate, but happy Penguin. In recent years, with the success of DC Classics, I haven\u2019t really felt the need to pick up any of the Batman Begins \/ Dark Knight figures. I\u2019ve got the comic line I always wanted and didn\u2019t need the substitutes. I did pick up a few during lean toy times or because I wanted the figure \u2013 the Aaron Eckhart Harvey Dent or the Ghoul Batman, but for the most part, I didn\u2019t need the Movie Masters figures. Continue to Page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n That changed for Dark Knight Rises. An Anne Hathaway Catwoman? Check. A generic, articulated policeman in the form of John Blake? Check. Michael Caine as Alfred? Check. 6\u201d scale, working Build-A-Batsignal? Sold. Matty had me at Hello even if I\u2019m not crazy about the $16.50 price tag. <\/p>\n After the 5\/28 release date, I ran across Bane & Batman more than a few times. I\u2019d find them at TRU, Wal-Mart, and Target, but I couldn\u2019t find an Alfred. Now, he is shortpacked so I don\u2019t think it\u2019s any evidence to turn the conventional \u201cwisdom\u201d on its ear, but it was humorous to see Alfred as the one figure to sell out in those first few days. (He has since lingered alongside the Batmen and Banes). <\/p>\n Even though I\u2019m happy to have him, Alfred isn\u2019t the most technically impressive figure. Below the neck, he\u2019s sporting the same suit body that Mattel\u2019s used for several Dark Knight Movie Masters over the years. Now, this body works so I don\u2019t particularly care or mind, but the part reuse does make me wish Alfred came with a little more. Some type of accessory that says \u201cyeah, we know we just gave him a new head, sorry, here\u2019s a golf club\u201d. It doesn\u2019t even have to have been in the film – a shotgun, a shovel, or even just a glass of Sicilian Orange Juice would\u2019ve been nice. Yes, there is a C&C Bat-signal piece, but every figure has one of those, so I don\u2019t perceive it as an \u201cextra\u201d. <\/p>\n Anyway, since Alfred\u2019s sporting the same base buck, the articulation is standard: ball-joints at the neck and shoulders, swivels at the biceps, wrists, waist, and thighs, single hinges at the elbows, knees, and ankles, and an ab crunch. All the joints are tight and have good range, though the back of Alfred\u2019s head does somewhat limit his ability to look up. <\/p>\n Speaking of that head sculpt, a lot of the figure rests on it as it\u2019s the signature piece. So how does it measure up? It\u2019s close. The Movie Masters line has featured some killer head sculpts for figures like Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart, but also half-hearted attempts like Gary Oldman. This portrait of Michael Caine is a good likeness much closer to the work on Bale & Eckhart, but not quite as good. It could be the sculpt, but I think the figure is recognizable as Caine. I think the problem could actually be the paint. <\/p>\n Unlike the previous fantastic head sculpts in this line, Alfred\u2019s head is molded in a different color and the skin tone is painted over it. While I tend to prefer painted head sculpts, I think some of the sharpness has been lost in this case. It still looks really good \u2013 it sells the figure, but I do wonder if the basic sculpt looks even better. As for the rest of the paint, the collar on my Alfred is a little sloppy, but the tie deco is sharp and everything else is the molded color. <\/p>\n If you\u2019re collecting Dark Knight figures, I think you\u2019ll be pretty thrilled with this Alfred. The body reuse has to be wearing thin, but the great head sculpt means there\u2019s undoubtedly an Alfred on the shelf (I wish we could say the same for Gordon). And, hey, it only took Mattel three movies to make an Alfred figure! <\/p>\n Honestly, I should probably give Mattel a little more credit in regards to suited figures. In addition to the movie villains, the Dark Knight Movie asters line has given us Gordon & Alfred, and a Harvey Dent to boot. While I applaud their effort in that regard, I have to ask, where\u2019s my Lucius Fox? <\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/reviews\/dcimages\/2012\/alf03.JPG?w=640\")
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