Batman – DC Superheroes Wave 3
MATTEL
Sculptor – Four Horsemen

Arguably one of the most recognizable superheroes of our time next to Superman and Spider-man, the Dark Knight first appeared in Detective Comics #27 almost 70 years ago.  As a billionaire play-boy by day, a fighter of injustice by night, Bruce Wayne has kept his promise to prevent crimes similar to those that robbed him of his parents one fateful night.  The character of Batman has been kept popular through TV series, animated shows, a revitalized movie franchise, a vast amount of merchandise and least of all, a long running, consistently selling comic book series.  This is not the first Batman figure from Mattel’s DC Superheroes line so was a new one necessary?

Packaging

Keeping to tradition, Wave 3 of DC Superheroes utilizes the same package style of past 2 waves.  It is again a blister card packaging, with an attractive card back and similar style inserts.  It is clear that Wave 3 is a Batman wave with the inclusion of the yellow-oval shaped Bat insignia printed on the inserts.  The figure and all the accessories included are positioned in the blister so that they are visible.

Likeness

Supposedly a generic Batman figure, fans should instantly recognize a Jim Lee inspiration, especially in the size of the Bat-ears of the cowl, the use of blue and grey rather then black as well as the stockier and solid appearance.  What makes this figure different from other Batman figures is the extra details in the costume included which I don’t believe is seen before, even in the comics.  This includes seams and threads on the gloves, boots and utility belt, giving the figure a more realistic feel.

Sculpt

With a 2-up prototype originally shown during Toyfair 200, I believe that the final product is every bit as well sculpted as it was meant to be.  The head sculpt is incredible, almost matching some of the panel work as seen in Batman: HUSH.  The sculpted musculature is decent enough that it gives this new figure a much more solid feel compared to previous figures while the amount of extra detail that makes the costume more realistic is what really cannot go unnoticed.  Check out the soles of the boots and the fabric folds around his stomach!  However, another noticeable feature which does not get as much praise is the sculpt job on the right hand.  This hand contains a small indenture for the figure to hold the provided accessories but it is so small that it is hardly possible for the figure to hold one of them properly.  This is incredibly disappointing especially when you are provided with such a fantastic sculpture and it’s puzzling how it went unnoticed during production.

Paint

The paint job colour scheme is similar to that used on the previous Batman from Mattel and works exceptionally well here as well.  All of the blue parts of the costume are provided with a dark wash which works well to give the costume some texture.  The utility belt is not given the exact same treatment but the subtle use of at least two different browns prevents it from looking flat and dull.  The only problem I have with paint quality is the blotches of light blue paint on the inside of the sculpted cape.  I have no idea why they are there and they really shouldn’t be.

Scale

This figure fits perfectly to the 6” scale with the previously released DC Superheroes.  It is about the same height as Superman while it is shorter than Doomsday and Killer Croc.  Batman is slightly out of smaller in scale compared to the DC Direct figures so don’t expect it to look correct in the JLA display you may be creating.

Stability

Although the cape is moulded and is expected to be top heavy, the fact that the soles of the feet are large enough and the leg articulation is tight enough, there should not be any problems when attempting to stand or even pose the figure.

Articulation

Since this is DC’s answer to Marvel Legends, the articulation count is expected to be high.  At last count, Batman has 21 points, just like the Superman figure from wave 2.  All the points of articulation are similar in position including the ball jointed neck and shoulders, pivot elbows, knees and torso as well as the more attractive hip joints with their wide range of motion.  The neck joint is still as restrictive as before, making it impossible to look directly up but still has some good motion.  One point to add is the much tighter points which are major improvements to the loose joints I found in most of the Superman wave. 

Accessories

From first glance as soon as you see these in stores, you’ll notice the abundance of different style batarang accessories included.  In total, you get seven styles of Batman’s trusted arsenal.  Each one is a different shape and style with its own individual sculpts.  However, as mentioned before, I had extreme difficulty getting at least one of them to stay in the right hand for long without it falling out.  It really is a shame because some of them are very nicely done.  You can try to pose the figure with a batarang but you may run the risk of losing it very easily.  Also included is a generic diorama, included with all of wave 3.  It is made from a fairly heavy stock cardboard and when constructed, encases the figure from three sides.  It is a nice piece to have but I won’t be using it since its too big for one figure but too small for too many.

Cost/Value

£9.99 was what I parted with to obtain this figure and just for the fantastic sculpt and the time I had to utilise the strong articulation makes it worth the price but only just.  I would have been absolutely sure if the figure had the ability to store or at least hold its accessories securely and properly.  It’d recommend it is you find it at 8.99 pound sterling/dollars, while anything cheaper is definitely a steal.

Availability

I’ve only just heard reports that DC Superheroes Wave 3 started hitting United Kingdom stores this week so I was fairly lucky to immediately find a Batman and review it.  I would suspect that these will be arriving to US and Canada stores very soon.  With the colour scheme similar to wave 1’s Batman, I wouldn’t be surprised if casual collectors would skip this one due to its similarity but I would imagine fans of the line and of Batman will pick this up due to its far superior sculpt.

Overall

As soon as I saw the 2-up prototype of this figure, I knew that I would be buying it.  The sculpt has definitely lived up to my expectations, making it a major improvement over the Four Horsemen’s previous attempts with the Zipline and Bat-Signal Batman figures.  This figure has already replaced the latter on my DC Superheroes display and not just because of how it looks.  The articulation allows for more natural poses while the tightened joints mean better stability.  Although the slight paint problems on the cape and the inability to hold its accessories for long prevents this from scoring the top marks, it still deserves high appraisal for an excellent attempt at being possibly the definitive 6” Batman figure.

Grade

8.5