{"id":31736,"date":"2015-08-26T02:20:43","date_gmt":"2015-08-26T07:20:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=31736"},"modified":"2015-08-26T02:20:43","modified_gmt":"2015-08-26T07:20:43","slug":"dc-collectibles-batman-the-animated-series-6-man-bat-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=31736","title":{"rendered":"DC Collectibles Batman
The Animated Series 6″ Man-Bat Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> “He’s just a theorist. He was afraid to put it to the test. But I wasn’t. I knew he discovered a formula to create a totally new species, neither man nor bat. And once I started taking it, I couldn’t stop. I desperately wanted to, but… *it* took over.”<\/em>– Man-Bat, Batman: The Animated Series “On Leather Wings” (1992)<\/strong> <\/p>\n

Batman has the best villains. This is an immutable fact. Some other heroes may have some stand-outs, but lack the depth of breadth of the Batman Rogues Gallery. Spider-Man & the Flash have impressive rosters as well, but they come up just a little short. No, Batman\u2019s got the villains and one thing that has been incredibly helpful is exposure. <\/p>\n

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The 60s series did wonders for the fab four: Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, & Riddler, but not all the big-name villains excelled or were even featured in that showcase. In some cases, they weren\u2019t created yet, like Man-Bat here. Now, here is where the opinion comes in, while there are certainly some awesome Man-Bat stories in those first twenty-two years (I\u2019ve read more than a few), Man-Bat is one of those characters like Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, etc. that greatly benefited from Batman: The Animated Series. <\/p>\n

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I know, for me, that those early episodes where the first time I really took notice of many Batman\u2019s Rogues. I don\u2019t know that the show did anything substantively different with any of them, but it seemed new & fresh to me and rearranged many of my favorite villains. Man-Bat comes in pretty high on that list. Kirk Langstrom took on a whole new dimension for me after watching his obsession consume him, his family fail him, and then Batman\u2019s intent on saving him versus just taking him down. It\u2019s not the best episode of BTAS, but it\u2019s good enough. When I went back to grab the BTAS figures, Man-Bat was a huge get for me. He was a massive figure, the wing-flapping action was cool, and the smart neck articulation made him fun to fly around. <\/p>\n

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Flash forward twenty-three years later (aren\u2019t we getting old) and that great animated take on Man-Bat has gotten a new figure. The first, great thing about DC Collectibles Man-Bat is that it wasn\u2019t a Deluxe Figure. Look at the box up there again. He\u2019s a standard release with the standard price. He\u2019s nearly 7\u201d tall and he\u2019s got a 15\u201d wingspan with this extended arms. That\u2019s for the same $25 we paid for Catwoman & Batman. That\u2019s pretty awesome right there.<\/p>\n

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Outside the package, the sculpts for this line continue to be the best part. He looks like he walked off the show. He\u2019s an impressive hulking figure that can really visually hold his own as the shelf fills up around him. The head sculpt is similarly impressive and one of the highlights of the figure. The only crime is that he\u2019s sculpted looking down and the lack of articulation hides that great sculpt. The sculpt is so spot-on compared to the animation that it makes me realize how off-model the original toy was \u2013 it doesn\u2019t take anything away from that great old toy, but it\u2019s funny to see what we overlook. I\u2019m still plenty nostalgic for it \u2013 I actually miss that big button on his back to make the wings flap! The paintwork has been solid for the line and Man-Bat isn\u2019t much of an exception. The teeth aren\u2019t as spot-on as many of the other areas like the ears and wings. Continue to Page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n

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The big feature for Man-Bat is the replacement wings. He\u2019s packaged with the outstretched arms and they\u2019re the more impressive of two. I wanted to take some flying shots, but the figure turned out a bit too heavy for any of my flying stands (plus, they\u2019re old). Also included are the \u201cretracted\u201d parts where the wing cans hang down and let the arms be a little more normal. I love getting both and they swap out pretty easily \u2013 maybe too easily at times. I would like for them to be a little snugger, but they feel more durable the way there are and that\u2019s appreciated. <\/p>\n

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The articulation is a really uneven mix. There\u2019s some good spots \u2013 ball-joints at the neck, mid-torso, shoulders, h-hinge hips, & limited hinge knees. There\u2019s also swivel hocks which I\u2019m not sure about. I like that they are there and they do add to the fixture, but the odd angle seems to leave them prone to settling and taking the figure down over long periods. The mid-torso ball-joint is amazing with its range considering that it fits in with the aesthetics pretty well. It\u2019s good for flying poses and cringing transformations. The one area where I really wanted more was the neck. It is ball-jointed, but its\u2019 not capable of looking up \u2013 crucial for a flying pose. <\/p>\n

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One of the cool parts of this line has been the prop accessories. I\u2019m kinda torn \u2013 I still want the figures to be able to hold this stuff for me to truly appreciate it (or give me some Batcave display to put it in). We do get some cool stuff though. The cassette player with the Man-Bat recording and some random pill bottles. They\u2019re neat and adding to my stash of cool bits, so I don\u2019t want to discourage DC Collectibles from doing it, I just want a little more utility. <\/p>\n

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There\u2019s also the stand \u2013 which have become my least favorite aspect of this line. I love the bases with the control art and the stands are needed because some of these designs aren\u2019t toy friendly when aesthetically nailed, but I hate the giant waist clips. The two rods stick out far behind the figure which is a space waster, even worse on a like this with such huge potential. I\u2019ve also gotten some really loose stands so far (two out of four) where the piece that holds the figure just slides right on down the pole coming out of the base. <\/p>\n

Overall, I love this figure. He\u2019s better neck articulation away from being perfect. I love the extra wings and great sculpt. I love the more accurate, darker look, and the episode-specific accessories (I just want somewhere to put them). It\u2019s just another strong entry in what\u2019s been a fun line to collect and to get such a big guy like this for the same price of a normal figure is just icing on the cake. <\/p>\n

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More DC Direct Reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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For all our Reviews, check out our Review Index<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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