Tag Archives: batman legacy

Feb 19 2012

Batman Legacy: Harley Quinn by Mattel

Ugh, I’m recovering from a bit of a bender last night, so I’ll give this a go and hope its coherent… Its time for my second [And last, as I’m not picking up original Batman or Nightwing -FF.] foray into Mattel’s third wave of Batman Legacy figures. This time around its Harley Quinn as she appeared in the recent release of Arkham City. [A game that I am ashamed to say has been sitting on my media shelf since it came out and I have still not made the time to play it. -FF] I’ve had the DC Direct versions of Arkham Asylum or Arkham City Harley on my“To Buy” list for a while now, and I’m glad I waited because I’m much happier to have this better articulated release that fits better into my DCUC collection, even if she doesn’t fit in all that perfectly.

The package design is the same as we saw yesterday with Catwoman, but the deco is completely different. The logo and artwork here features the more gritty look of the games and quite frankly it makes it really feel out of place. Mattel seemed to be releasing the movie stuff in two-packs and the more comic book related stuff in these single packs, which makes me wonder why the game figures weren’t done in two-packs as well. I’m not complaining, mind you, I’m just glad to have Harley with the better articulation.
Its not just the packaging, however, that makes Harley stand out in the Legacy line. The sculpt is dripping with detail and the paintwork is phenomenal. Stand this gal next to any DCUC figure and the difference is like night and day. Yes, I realize that as comic characters the DCUC figures are supposed to look simpler, but it doesn’t change the fact that Mattel poured a lot more effort into the detail and paintwork of this figure and yet still worked it into the same assortment and price point. Harley really looks like a DC Direct sculpt only with DCUC levels of articulation, and that’s just awesome. Her outfit is packed with sculpted buckles and straps and buttons, her head sculpt is damn near perfect, and she even has remarkably intricate tattoo tampos on her right bicep and left hip.
Unfortunately, while Harley looks fantastic, her scale is a bit off to the DCUC figures. She’s about the same height as my DCUC Batman figures, and she’s actually taller than my Joker. Even with the platform stripper shoes, Harley should have been shorter and slighter of build, and so she looks pretty out of place standing on my DCUC Batman shelf.
As already mentioned, Harley has the DCUC level of articulation, minus one point. Her head is ball jointed; Her shoulders are ball jointed, she has swivels in the biceps and wrists, and hinged elbows. Harley’s legs feature universal movement in the hips, swivels at the tops of her hips, and hinged ankles and knees. She swivels at the waist, but does not have the usual ab crunch hinge.
Harley comes with the same style of personalized stand as Catwoman, but she also comes with an additional accessory. Its a rubbery, bendy baseball bat with a candy cane deco. I thought it odd that even with all the extra work that went into Harley, Mattel was still able to cost out a baseball bat for her, while they couldn’t repack a simple whip into Catwoman, who reuses parts. Oh well.
I paid the same $20 for Harley as I did for Catwoman, and while I balked a bit at Catwoman’s price, I’m perfectly happy with spending the same amount on Harley. Not only is the sculpting and paintwork above and beyond any of the Legacy figures I own, she obviously doesn’t reuse any parts, and she allows me to take the DC Direct versions off my want list. She’s an amazing looking figure and I’ll grant her the highest honor I can grant a new purchase. She’ll be living on my desk for a while before retiring her to my DCUC display shelves.
Feb 18 2012

Batman Legacy: Catwoman by Mattel

It’s been a week, and that means my self-imposed ban on Marvel and DC figures is done. And that’s a good thing because I’ve got some new figures to look at from both comic juggernauts. [Not to mention Wave 1 of Hasbro’s new Marvel Legends trundling their way to me via UPS! -FF] Today we’re going to start with a one-two punch of Batman femme fatales from Mattel’s Batman Legacy line with Catwoman today and Harley Quinn tomorrow. Catwoman has been getting a lot of attention lately, what with her latest appearance slated for The Dark Knight Rises. No doubt we’ll get plenty of Dark Knight Catwoman figures, but I’m happy to say that Mattel also decided to go back to her roots with a figure based on one of her earlier appearances.

I’m pretty sure I gushed over the Batman Legacy packaging when I looked at the last wave, but let’s do it all over again because this packaging is simply gorgeous. Its technically just a big glorified bubble on a cardback, but the way its designed makes it look more like an intricate window box. You get the colorful Batman logo across the top with an illustrated cityscape and a very fetching piece of artwork on the side panel featuring a comic-panel style illustration of the gal herself. The back panel has more great artwork and a little blurb about Catwoman. I think I may have shed a tear or two while I was shredding this thing to get at the figure inside.
If you aren’t familiar with this little sub-line of figures, Batman Legacy are figures that fit right in with your DC Universe Collection, which makes this one a great pick-up if you happen to collect DCUC. Catwoman has been released in the main DCUC line before, but only in her more modern catsuit. Here we see her in her more vintage dress and cape, which I’ve always enjoyed and I think it holds up pretty well today in terms of looking both retro and drop-dead sexy. The head sculpt is particularly well done and accentuates her almond eyes and pouty lips, complete with mask and adorable little cat ears. Her hair is focused a bit more down the back rather than poofed out as often seen in the comic artwork, but I think this look works well for the figure.
The outfit features a green rubbery cape that is sculpted in a separate piece and hangs around her neck. From the waist up, her costume is all paintwork, with a pretty pronounced plunging neckline, which while technically accurate, shows off considerably more than the vintage comic art ever did. Thems some serious mammories! The bottom half of the figure reuses parts from DCUC’s Raven figure, which was pretty obvious to me as soon as I saw it, but the boots are new, giving Catwoman a pair of proper high heels, as opposed to Raven’s rather disappointing grandma shoes. Overall the paintwork on the figure is excellent, with no real slop or bleeding to complain about and even her fingernails are individually painted.
Catwoman features pretty standard DCUC female articulation. Her neck is ball jointed, although the hair does inhibit the head’s movement a bit. Her arms feature ball joints in the shoulders, hinges in the elbows, and swivels in the wrists and biceps. Her legs feature universal movement at the hips, again somewhat restricted by the sculpted dress, hinges in the ankles and knees, and swivels in the thighs. I had some bad luck with my first Raven figure snapping at the thigh swivels, and I’m happy to report that Catwoman didn’t have any similar issues.

Catwoman comes with a gold, personalized stand similar to the ones that came with the last wave of Batman Legacy figures. Her lack of anything else is pretty disappointing, however. Her right hand is obviously sculpted to hold something, which makes the absence of a simple whip all the more conspicuous. Oh yes, she also comes with a rolled up comic cover poster.
I’m not collecting all the Batman Legacy figures, but I am jumping pretty quickly on the ones that I want so as not to miss out. The distribution on these in my area is pretty crappy and apart from the movie-based two-packs and Mr. Freeze, I haven’t seen any of these hanging around the pegs in the local toy aisles. I grabbed Catwoman through an online e-tailer and she ran about $20 with shipping. Its steep for a figure like this, particularly with no accessories, but I didn’t see a lot of other options, and unlike the last wave, I wasn’t interested in buying this entire assortment. And with the figure finally in hand, I’m not regretting the purchase, as she turned out really great.
Sep 10 2011

Batman Legacy: Batgirl by Mattel

Ok, time for the last figure in this three figure assortment from Mattel’s Batman Legacy line. Catman was the figure I wanted most in this wave, Batman was the one I wanted least, Batgirl falls in line just under Catman. With so many DC Universe figures under my belt, it surprises me that I don’t already have a Batgirl in my collection. I was tempted to say that I would have preferred the blue and grey suited version, but once I got this one in hand, I found myself pretty satisfied with this Silver Age version. Let’s check her out.

Ah, the packaging. So nice. I’ve already said all there is to say about it, so let’s just take a moment and enjoy it’s beauty. Ahhhh. Unfortunately, Batgirl is packed in a bit of an action pose, and that caused problems for her right leg joint. It took me a little while with a heat gun to get everything straightened out, but it all worked out in the end… more or less.
So, forget what I said about me ever thinking I would rather have the blue and grey version over this one. Yes, it’s the same sculpt… and the sculpt is fantastic, but here’s an example of how simply changing the coloring can dramatically change a figure from great to obnoxiously great. Batgirl retains the bright blue cape and cowl, but her body is done over in a glossy black latexy looking finish that contrasts beautifully with the bright yellow of her boots, gauntlets, utility belt and bat symbol. This figure’s colors really come together to make an amazing looking piece.
Getting back to the sculpt for a moment, there are some really nice detail touches on the body. I’m particularly happy about the fringe work on the tops of her boots and the details in the utility belt. But the real draw of this scult is Barbara Gordon’s head. She’s attractive and while the hair does interfere a bit with her neck articulation, its very nicely sculpted.

Batgirl comes with a pretty cool exclusive mini poster and the same style stand that came with Catman and Batman. It’s silver and its personalized with her name on the front. She doesn’t come with any other accessories, which is a tad disappointing because her right hand is obviously sculpted to hold something.
And that’s the second wave of Batman Legacy, folks. I really can’t recommend this Batgirl figure enough. The sculpt is solid enough, but its the colors that really make her pop. Once again, $20 a pop is a little steep for what is basically a DC Universe figure in special packaging, but when the figure is this good, I have no problems with paying up. She’s going to look great on my DCUC shelves.
Sep 9 2011

Batman Legacy: Batman by Mattel

There were two figures in the second wave of Batman Legacy that I really wanted. You already saw Catman and, well, Batman here isn’t the other one. I’m not hating on The Batman, mind you, it’s just that I didn’t feel the need to pay a premium for this Golden Age version of Bats. Nonetheless, having to buy him to get Catman and Batgirl isn’t the worst thing in the world, so let’s check him out. This’ll be a quickie, so I can go get some sleep.

Once again, the packaging here is to die for. Seeing as how I wasn’t terribly keen on having this figure, I was really tempted to just leave him sealed up, and I’m really kind of wishing I had. The presentation here is just that amazingly good and it would be really cool to have at least one figure from this great little sub-line still in the package and hanging on the wall.
Once out of the package, Batman is a solid figure, but I don’t find myself digging him as much as the All Stars Batman that stands in as theBats in my DCUC collection. The sculpts are largely the same, at least from the neck down. The biggest difference is the use of blue here on the cowl, cape, gauntlets, and boots, as opposed to the black. This Batman also has the much larger, plain bat emblem tampo’ed on his chest. I can go back and forth all day on whether I like the black or the blue better and in the end it’s a trade off, but I definitely like the more modern bat emblem better than the Golden Age one. I also find the head sculpt on this Batman a little off-putting. It’s a little too simple, and I don’t really care for Batman’s somewhat cheesy smirk. It just doesn’t suit him. The coloring, on the other hand, is absolutely crisp and without any noticeable blemishes. That all having been said, this is a fine figure, particularly if you happen to find your DC action figure shelves Bats-less.
Bats features the standard DCUC male articulation. You get a ball jointed neck; THe arms have ball joints at the shoulders, swivels at the biceps and wrists, and hinged elbows; His legs have universal movment in the hips, hinges in the knees and ankles, and swivels in the thighs. The torso features the standard DCUC ab crunch hinge, but Bats does not swivel at the waist.
Batman comes with only his figure stand. Unlike the other figures in this wave, his is gold. It’s still personalized on the front and makes for a very nice extra. He also comes with an exclusive mini-poster, which is a mock-up of a comic book cover and is much cooler than the one that came with Catman. I think Mattel could have afforded to drop a batarang into the package, but I probably would have only lost it anyway.
Like I said last time, this assortment of figures came out to about $20 a pop with shipping, and that’s a lot to pay for this solid, but somewhat generic, Batman. He’s a perfectly fine figure, if you find him on the pegs for a decent price, and I’m certainly fine with having to buy him in order to get Catman and Batgirl, but he’s not going to replace my All Stars Batman anytime soon.
Sep 7 2011

Batman Legacy: Catman by Mattel

Mattel’s Batman Legacy line is an offshoot of DC Universe Classics focusing on… well, what else? Batman and all his associates. I wasn’t too keen on the first assortment of figures, but the second wave was an absolute must buy for me, largely because of the figure we’re looking at today. Oh yes, it’s Catman. And while a few years ago Catman was nothing to me but a forgettable fringe villain in Batman’s Rogue Gallery, he’s become a character near and dear to my heart thanks to Gail Simone’s masterful Secret Six comic.

Oh my god, Mattel really went above and beyond on the packaging for this line. It’s gorgeous! The figure comes mounted in a nice sized bubble with colorful wrap around comic art as well as personalized artwork for the character himself. It’s technically just a glorified cardback, but the design is so well done, it feels like you’re getting some kind of exclusive collector box. I suppose with some deft use of a razor, it can be collector friendly, but I mangled it pretty bad to get at my figure. Behind the insert there’s a rolled up mini-poster. It’s a nice bonus, but compared to the other figures’ posters, Catman’s poster isn’t all that great. Seriously, though, this is an awesome presentation for a run-of-the-mill retail action figure release.
Out of the package the first thing you might notice is that Catman, like all the Batman Legacy figures, is basically a DC Universe Classics figure and fits in perfectly with that line. He sports a standard DCUC male body with a sculpted belt, sculpted gauntlets and boots, and a brand new head sculpt with a little bit of stubble on his face. His soft rubbery cape appears new as it has straps that wrap under his arms. The sculpt is certainly simple enough, but it really captures the character very well.
The paintwork on the figure is good, albeit rather muted. The gold trim around his gauntlets, and the top and bottoms of his boots is an excellent touch and the cat scratch tampo on his chest certainly looks distinctive. He’s got a two-tone wash to his torso, arms and legs. There’s really no slop or bleeding to mentino, although there is a minor stray mark under the left shoulder strap of his cape.
In addition to his poster, Catman comes with two sets of handheld claws and a figure stand.  The claws fit nicely into his hands and are made of soft plastic to keep you from scratching out someone’s eyes with them. The stand is particularly cool, as it features the Batman emblem and is personalized with Catman’s name on the front.
I haven’t spotted these figures at retail yet, so I’m not sure exactly how much they’re going for each. I picked up the complete wave of three figures for $60 shipped. Normally, I’d say twenty bucks is a lot to pay for a single DC Universe Classics figure, but in this case I don’t mind at all. I never thought Catman had a big chance of being made, and while I have even less hope that the other members of the Secret Six will come out, at least I now have half the team in my collection!