13" Batman Figure From D.C. Direct

[Michael Crawford]

Bluesparrow gets a gold star for getting it completely right.

In the current market, more and more people are being asked to spend money - quite a bit of it - without ever holding the product in their hand. It's happening for everything in the pop culture market, from $10 toys to $1000 statues. And people would like a little more assurance than just whether or not someone took a good or bad photo to help the decide if it's worth spending that kind of money.

Joint junkies pay attention to the articulation scores - detail freaks pay attention to the sculpt or paint. And the categories aren't evenly weighed either, since you'd have to be relatively stupid to do something like that. My own personal preferences cause them to be weighted differently in general, and even on a review by review basis they are weighed differently. I don't weigh articulation as heavily on a McToys figure, when it's clear right from the start that it's not what they're going for. Nor do I rate Value as highly on a $13 figure that should really be $10, but I do rate it important on a $150 figure that should really be $75. That's the beauty of this style of review, because it gives you a better idea of the things you care about, rather than just some long rambling article that jumbles it all together.

In the end though, I think reviews are much like the toys - if you don't like them, don't read them.

 

[Rhodes]

I think you guys misunderstand. I don't mind Michael Crawfords reviews at all. I read them -hence I have his site bookmarked. It's when he gets to the price aspect of it is when I think he falters.

He does a great job at reviewing Todd stuff, Marvel Legends stuff things like that. He comes across as an older guy who's bought US toys for so long that when he reviews import - higher end toys he comes off as unbalanced.

The way I see it, speaking as a hardcore import collector I believe that if you have any interest in buying import toys you have to expect to pay the higher price -even if you think it's not worth the price of the plastic.

 

[x-Mcfreak]

Thanks for the review Michael! Also my biggest complaint about the DC Direct 13 inch figures is the flimsy fabric they use. I opened my Green lantern an posed him and low and behold his costume snags on everything he touches.

 

[Magnuz]

Well i think its all a matter of opinion.

Personally i think the prices that medicom and hot toys charge for 12" figures are more for the limited edition sizes, and the company names, than the actual figures themselves. I mean i really want the hot toys superman, but it's hard to justify spending $200 for a figure that comes as is with one extra set of hands and thats it. Sure its a spectacular figure, that has a head that looks almost unpainted (the skin tones seem to be just bare plastic) but it doesnt seem worth the price. Now the reason someone buys it is cause you have to, and if you want it you pay that price, is it fair or right? Not really. I think the same figure could and can be made for much cheaper, sideshow proves they can make higher quality 12" figures, with nice clothing, good head sculpts with decent to good paint, and quite a few accessories for around 50 bucks, so you have to ask is it really nessecary to pay so much for import figures? Not for the figure itself but because the company wants that much money, and thats not really fair.


In MY honest opinion, this looks like a piece of art:

And this looks like a cheap toy...

But hey, different strokes for different folks.

 

[galactiboy]

I own and like both Lukes... but I do agree that the Sideshow headsculpt is simply amazing. And they did a very nice job on the paint apps.

 

[MiskatonicNick]

A great review... and I know I harp on this but I still don't like those cut bicep and hip joints. I think they'd look so much better if they were just moved up to the bottom of the tricep and rounded like the Marvel Legends.

I totally agree; it's just very, very poor design. It doesn't look good on six inch figures and worse on 12"... especially when, in the case of my Batman, the costume is actually occassionally snagging on the edges of the joint. And it really irks me something rotten that you can't pose these guys with their arms down flat/relaxed by their sides. The limited wrist articulation is just shocking in today's market too; DCD have taken a very retrograde step compared with the wonderfully poseability and easy swappability of BBi, Takara and HotToys.

Nick

 

[Batty]

None of those look like Batman.

 

[Ven]

this does though, haha I love how the cape draps man!! simpley amazing figure! but back on topic, I would certainly have loved to get this baby, if he was about 1 inch shorter... but I collect mostly movie figures... so I don't know.

 

[Magnuz]

Sorry snakes i used the picture because it was handy, but i've seen medi's luke in alot of pictures, but no matter which ones he's never impressed me. The face looks unpainted except the hair and eyes maybe the lips, i dont like the cheap plastic look to his skin. Also the fact that he's not even 12" scale really throws him off.

Not to knock medi completely i htink that their vaders look spectacular, they are tiny, but they look great, but when they do human figures, their heads always have an almost anime style to the faces and the almost lack of paint look just makes them look cheap to me.

SSC's luke is much better IMO, for alot less money too!

Sorry to drift the thread further heh. But as i said it's just a matter of opinion.

 

[Ven]

Sorry snakes i used the picture because it was handy, but i've seen medi's luke in alot of pictures, but no matter which ones he's never impressed me. The face looks unpainted except the hair and eyes maybe the lips, i dont like the cheap plastic look to his skin. Also the fact that he's not even 12" scale really throws him off.

Not to knock medi completely i htink that their vaders look spectacular, they are tiny, but they look great, but when they do human figures, their heads always have an almost anime style to the faces and the almost lack of paint look just makes them look cheap to me.

SSC's luke is much better IMO, for alot less money too!

Sorry to drift the thread further heh. But as i said it's just a matter of opinion.

yes defintely, your opinion. I respect it. Just giving my 2 cents.

ANYWAYS seriously though, I think DCD need to upgrade their bodies.... and there is a Wonder Woman pending as far as I know, they better do a good job on the female bodies.

 

[Batty]

Here's a couple of nice pics I came across.

 

[Rhodes]

Well i think its all a matter of opinion.


In MY honest opinion, this looks like a piece of art:

But hey, different strokes for different folks.

That image doesn't help your cause man. The close-up just makes me glad I gave mine away. I was at the Sideshow panel at San Diego a couple of years ago when they mentioned that they had the rights and I was 1) happy for them and 2) glad to see Star Wars would be in capable hands. At the time all I bought from Sideshow were 12" horror and premium format figures (now I buy Marvel stuff from them). I had good hopes since I was impressed with the stuff I was buying from them. I saw the Luke and was put off. I owned it -posed it played with it -just put me off. I don't like the expression on the face. The arms and the body itself aren't proportionally correct. I wasn't able to put it in simple poses. I could forgive the fact that the body wasn't as good as Medicom (which was a given). I could also forgive the fact that the clothing weren't as good as the Medicom (which was also a given). I say that because for the price of the doll Sideshow was no way going to compete. I subscribe to the old adage that you get what you pay for. Since I already had the Medicom Luke I didn't feel the need to keep the Sideshow Luke's. I really wanted to keep that one since Revenge of the Jedi is my favorite movie – believe me when I tell you that I wanted it to be good. But it wasn’t. So I just gave it away.

And that image just reinforces the fact that I made the right decision.

As for the Hot Toys Superman you could have gotten him for 125-130 originally. The secondary market now has dictated that it goes for more than retail because it’s that hot of a doll. There is a difference. Also if you don’t want to pay for it that’s fine. Just keep in mind that because you won’t pay the money you won’t have the best 12” Superman on the market.

 

[foolkiller]

I actually really like the look of this Batman figure. It's the only 12"-13" that looks like the Batman style I like. It has it's issues though:

-wrists need to be able to bend not just turn.
-feet could use a ball joint so the feet stay on the ground in a wide stance.
-boots ... that seam down the middle drives me nuts, but at least the boots are made of pleather not rubber
- bendy hands are cool but you can't really make them look like a real hand grapsing an object. He needs a set of hands that are molded to hold the Bat-a-rangs.

 

[warlock664]

Foolkiller, I agree with all of your points. Especially the "bendy" hands; they are practically worthless at achieving a realistic pose.

 

[Michael Crawford]

It's interesting - you don't like the expression on the SST Luke. I'm not a big fan either, but he looks far more 'real', goofy expression or not, than the Medicom figure does. The unpainted face, the cartoony sculpt, I just don't see how you can prefer it to a realistic version.

This conversation has included discussion of the black costume Spidey, a figure I like but that has a huge, glaring issue that many of my readers really despised - a terrible looking neck joint. Compare the neck on the black Spidey:

Now compare that to the much cheaper Batman's neck:

That type of quality should exist in Spidey, but it doesn't. It's not a matter of spending more money, but taking more time in the design to consider the aesthetics.

Medicom does some great figures - they also do some pretty weak ones. Sideshow is no different. People lose the ability to be fair and unbiased when they start aligning themselves too much with the overall company, and not the specific figures.

 

[chamildav]

Now that I've had a chance to look at him unboxed, I'm pretty happy with 13" Batman. Mine fortunately doesn't have a problem with hands coming loose on thier own, and so far no costume snags but I certainly can see the possibilities. I continue to hate the boot zippers but this is the least offensive set so far. But Bat's is adequately poseable, nicely sculpted, and I'm about as happy with the cape and neck design as I expected to be. Still not nuts for the wierd "battarangs" but like my other quibbles, it's pretty minor. If he (and all the DCD) were twelve and a half inches tall and a tad trimmer I'd be ecstatic with him. But it's a pretty nice figure.

And as usual I'm in 90% plus agreement with MC's review. I think it's not a bad value but that's probably the most subjective of the reviews criteria and likely one that's low on most of our consderations on what to buy. Were toy collectors for goodness sakes and have no sense of reality (at least we don't let it affect us in our hobby). We know what we like and buy it if we can afford it.

O/T: I love red and blue classic Spidey from Medicom but really didn't like the design for the symbiote suit version. Don't like the neck joint or the way they chose to do the feet, and I think the wrist joints are so much more noticable and unnatractive on symbiote than original flavor. Just more toylike design than I'd like from a 1/6th figure. But red and blue Spidey is one of my all time favorite superhero action figures.

I also can't imagine anyone honestly believing that the Medicom sculpt and paint compare favorably to the SSC version of Jedi Luke. And to me the costumes are a toss up. I like the Medicom base body better but that's it. SSC is the winner by a long way in this comparison especially in the elusive "value" category. This one is an apples and apples comparison and value here is a real consideration. Even if money were no object still I think SSC's Luke is the winner. Just a better looking more accurate design.

 

[Rhodes]

It's interesting - you don't like the expression on the SST Luke. I'm not a big fan either, but he looks far more 'real', goofy expression or not, than the Medicom figure does. The unpainted face, the cartoony sculpt, I just don't see how you can prefer it to a realistic version.

This conversation has included discussion of the black costume Spidey, a figure I like but that has a huge, glaring issue that many of my readers really despised - a terrible looking neck joint. Compare the neck on the black Spidey:

Now compare that to the much cheaper Batman's neck:

That type of quality should exist in Spidey, but it doesn't. It's not a matter of spending more money, but taking more time in the design to consider the aesthetics.

Medicom does some great figures - they also do some pretty weak ones. Sideshow is no different. People lose the ability to be fair and unbiased when they start aligning themselves too much with the overall company, and not the specific figures.

My bias is towards quality figures. Your bias is with price.

"Long known for their exceptional work and even more exceptional price tags"
-That was you on the Medicom Batman Begins page review.

That was my point the entire time.

 

[Ven]

I second that! and yes I did have both.

 

[Ven]

and poor batman here is getting neglected.

 

[abake]

Now that I've had a chance to look at him unboxed, I'm pretty happy with 13" Batman. Mine fortunately doesn't have a problem with hands coming loose on thier own, and so far no costume snags but I certainly can see the possibilities. I continue to hate the boot zippers but this is the least offensive set so far. But Bat's is adequately poseable, nicely sculpted, and I'm about as happy with the cape and neck design as I expected to be. Still not nuts for the wierd "battarangs" but like my other quibbles, it's pretty minor. If he (and all the DCD) were twelve and a half inches tall and a tad trimmer I'd be ecstatic with him. But it's a pretty nice figure.

And as usual I'm in 90% plus agreement with MC's review. I think it's not a bad value but that's probably the most subjective of the reviews criteria and likely one that's low on most of our consderations on what to buy. Were toy collectors for goodness sakes and have no sense of reality (at least we don't let it affect us in our hobby). We know what we like and buy it if we can afford it.

O/T: I love red and blue classic Spidey from Medicom but really didn't like the design for the symbiote suit version. Don't like the neck joint or the way they chose to do the feet, and I think the wrist joints are so much more noticable and unnatractive on symbiote than original flavor. Just more toylike design than I'd like from a 1/6th figure. But red and blue Spidey is one of my all time favorite superhero action figures.

I also can't imagine anyone honestly believing that the Medicom sculpt and paint compare favorably to the SSC version of Jedi Luke. And to me the costumes are a toss up. I like the Medicom base body better but that's it. SSC is the winner by a long way in this comparison especially in the elusive "value" category. This one is an apples and apples comparison and value here is a real consideration. Even if money were no object still I think SSC's Luke is the winner. Just a better looking more accurate design.

Hey Charles, great to see you man!
Haven't bumped into you for a long time...