Contemporary Robin By Hervé St.Louis Sep 27, 2004 - 10:25:00 AM

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Collectors have waited a long time for a Tim Drake Robin action figure. Passed over in several DC Direct waves, such as Hush, Robin finally comes in the first Contemporary Teen Titans' wave. Tim Drake is a very popular Batman character and a star on his own. Although Mattel released a similar action figure in the summer of 2003, this is the figure serious fans will want to get for their collections.

Likeness

Many artists have drawn Robin. The two artists most associated with him are Tim Lyle and Tom Grummet. Here we get a Robin based on Mike McKone's design. As Mike McKone's style is very realist, this Robin will fit any style. The action figure gives us a Robin that's is a little older than when he first started. He's about 16-year-old. His proportions are closer to that of a teen than an adult, which is good.

Sculpt

This sculpt is perfect, except that Robin's head bows down too much. At first, the figure's long neck bothered me, but as a teen, it works well. There's a subtle smirk on Robin's face, as if he knew he would prevail in an upcoming confrontation. His forearms seem too short, although they are the right length. It's because Robin's fists are so small and compact.

Paint

There are a few paint drops on Robin's arms, but the paint job is good. Except for Robin's hair, there aren't any shades on Robin's suit. Robin's gold belt is golden. The paint is not thick enough in some areas to cover the base plastic's colour.

Scale

Robin's scale fits well with the other Contemporary Teen Titans. He is shorter than Deathstroke and Blackfire and about the same height as Wondergirl. This Robin is higher than the Silver Age Robin. He fits well with DCDirect Hush action figures, although he's not pre-posed. Robin fits well next to the Birds of Prey set, Robin, although he's shorter than them. Robin looks good with Cyborg, Raven and Starfire.

Stability

Robin is stable. He doesn't need the action figure stand that comes with him. Yet, in the figure sample, there's a particular problem. When put on the stand, the peg bar attached to the stand remains in his foot. Removing the peg from his foot is troublesome.

Articulation

Robin has eleven articulations at the neck, at the elbows, the wrists, the hips, the knees and ball joint shoulders. The articulations at the elbows are loose. The knees are strong enough to support the figure's weight, although they are not very tight.

Plastic

Robin's plastic is not as tough as the one use with older DC Direct action figures. Each articulation feels brittle. DC Direct should return to the old plastic though figures were heavier and smell more.

Props

Besides the Teen Titans action figure stand, Robin comes with a staff. It's difficult to insert the staff in Robin's left fist. The staff is very thin and Robin's palm very tight. Pushing or pulling too hard can break or bend the staff.

Packaging

DC Direct is using smarter packaging that's great for the environment. The packaging is compact and allows one to insert the figure back easily. They have experimented a lot with packaging since 1999. It's good to see a vendor taking steps to improve part of its product. On the back of the card, there's a brief bio on the character from the first Contemporary Teen Titans' wave and blurbs for the upcoming wave.

Cost

Robin and other figures in this wave cost less than old DC Direct products. This past year, the price of DC Direct action figures has continued to fall, although it took time before DC Direct to tackle this issue. As the company is taking steps, one must commend their efforts.

Availability

Robin is available in the same quantity as the other figures of this wave. DC Direct did not short pack any figure. This will make the figure harder to get as it is of better quality than any created before and a very popular character. If you want this figure. DO not wait. DC Direct figures are often hard to get once they sell out. This figure is already sold out at the Comic Book Bin's store before being released.

Read related reviews such as:

Deathstroke The Terminator
Contemporary Wonder Girl
Blackfire
Beast Boy
Starfire
Raven
Cyborg
Catwoman and Penguin
Silver Age Robin
Silver Age Batman
Silver Age Batgirl and Joker Set
Birds of Prey Set
Aqualad
Silver Age Kid Flash

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