DC Collectibles - Azrael (Arkham Knight)

The first character to wear the mantle of Azrael was in 1992's Batman: Sword of Azrael.  He is a deeply psychologically conditioned assassin/hunter for the Order of St. Dumas. Jean Paul Valley slowly works his way up to becoming an ally and even replacement for Batman. In the Knightfall storyline, Batman has his back broken, and allows Valley to replace him as Batman. However, Jean-Paul's methods are more brutal than Batman's, and he even reinvents the Batman suit to include claws, lasers and other more deadly gadgets.

The second character to wear the mantle of Azrael was Michael Lane. He is introduced in 2009s Azrael: Death's Dark Knight. Equipped with the Lazarus pit dipped Suit of Sorrows and the Sword of Sin, he is the champion for a different order.

In the Arkham  games, Azrael is a mix of both character histories. He is Michael Lane, but works for the Order of St. Dumas. He sees himself as a prophet, and tells Batman he is seeking to observe if Batman will be the warrior who will save Gotham at the cost of his own life. In Arkham Knight he sees the prophecy is coming true, and asks to be trained by Batman to replace him as Gotham City's protector. Then, shenanigans ensue!

This figure is really well done. His articulation gets somewhat limited by the soft rubbery plastic of his clothes, but even with that said, it is very decent. The paint details are fantastic on this figure, and I can't really think of any other way it could be better. The sword accessory is great as well. Overall, a very solid figure. I wasn't explicitly looking for him, but seeing him at original prince to add to the nicely developed Arkham Knight line, I couldn't help myself!

DC Icons - Nightwing (Hush)

As I've said before, Nightwing is easily my favourite of the Bat-family. Where man of the other supporting protagonist characters in the Batman storylines are dour, moody, grim or have outright psychosis (Damian!). He's funny, charming and his fighting style and willpower is unique to his character.

This figure is based on Nightwing's appearance in Hush (2009), where Batman is fighting a mysterious stalker named Hush who is sabotaging him from afar. Nightwing returns to Gotham for a funeral, and gets drawn into the plot by helping Batman uncover a larger plot against him involving Ras Al'Ghul.

This figure features the most minimalist of a Nightwing design, and yet it is superbly done. The paint is clean, the sculpt is fantastic (especially the face) and it does have a mix of shiny gloss and matte paints through the figure. His batons are not detailed, but are sufficient. I like the wingding with rope accessory. The original photo releases featured 2 batarangs, but honestly we don't need any, especially since the DC Icons accessory pack and Batman already have some.

DC Icons - Batgirl (The Batgirl of Burnside)

This blog has already reviewed Batgirl previously, so if for some crazy reason this is your first time reading about Batgirl, go to this previous review of the Batman Unlimited Batgirl

This particular Batgirl deluxe figure is from the Batgirl of Burnside storyline (Oct 2014), in which all her previous gear burns up in a fire, forcing her to make her own DIY costume and continuing her fight against crime...in style! This Batgirl is an update to relate more to the modern age. Aside from being tech savvy, she's also on social media, takes Ph.D. courses and dates. The writing team on this one succeeded in making this version of Batgirl more fun and relate-able but she is still haunted by her previous trauma. 

At first I wasn't sold on the purple and yellow look, but now I'm really digging it. They also kept up this look a bit in the DC Rebirth. This figure is great, and unlike Cyborg, her Deluxe title is well worth it. I mean she comes with a whole freakin' bike! And it's huge! And it comes with a stand with kicked up dirt effects! She's a slender figure, so you have to watch moving her joints, but this one is so well done. She even comes with a regular and windblown cape as well as a regular head and a windblown hair head. 

DC Icons - Cyborg (Forever Evil)

He is Victor Stone, and as of 2011, is typically written as a football player who goes through a horrific accident involving a Motherbox obtained from the parademons of Apokolips. The obvious solution? Get his dad to keep him alive using alien cybernetic technology! Plus then he has some bad ass armor and guns!

Though not originally a founding member of the league, in the 2011 reboot of DC comics he was made to be. He's a somewhat tortured character and goes through a lot of deaths and rebirths, but such is the way of a person made of mostly alien hardware.

This figure is based on the Forever Evil crossover series from 2013 to 2014. As his part of the storyline, Cyborg fights the Grid, a being who takes over his body and temporarily disengages him from his life-sustaining alienware. Now in order to help his Justice Leaguers, he will become Cyborg again, of his own free will, with some upgrades!

This figure is an improvement in the DC icons line. He has greater back and forth diaphragm movement, and quite a few accessories. I'm not sure he needed the cybernetic block/(battery?) that plugs into his back, but what are you going to do? I also have issues with the fact they made him a deluxe instead of a regularly priced figure. Green Lantern came with just as many, if not more bulky parts, and was a regularly priced figure.

DC Icons - Aquaman (Legend of Aquaman)

He's the most ridiculed superhero and founding member of the DC Universe. I feel like I should mention to those that aren't familiar with Aquaman that this superhero has Super strength, Super hearing, Telepathy/Empath connections with sea life, Super durable skin/armor, among his other super powers. He definitely has more going for him than many Justice Leaguers. The negative press he's received maybe lessened somewhat now that he's being played by Game of  Thrones star Jason Mamoa. Though, one could argue his casting is in direct response to DC attempting to make Aquaman edgier and more intense.

Lucky for us, this one is a more classic comic book version. He's based on the Aquaman: The Legend of Aquaman #1 from 1989. This comic was a origin story for the character before he was the King of the Seven seas. The reader follows the meeting of his parents, the discovery of his powers and his time when he first enters the role of Aquaman.

This figure is decent, which impresses me since I have never had any interest in Aquaman except to complete my Justice League collection. His shirt has finely sculpted, shiny metallic orange and his face sculpt and paint is clean and well done. His accessories are great and his sea forker is an elegant weapon. His articulation could be a bit better though.

DC Icons - Flash (Chain Lightning)

The Scarlet speedster. The Crimson comet, The fastest man alive. Those are only some in the long list of names for The Flash. There are many speedster superheroes that take up the name The Flash depending on what age of comics you are reading or which Earth/reality is being read.

This particular Flash is Barry Allen from the comic series Chain Lightning, (though I'm told it could be from anyone really as his costume stayed mostly the same) a seven-issue story published in 1999. In this series, Wally West and Barry Allen must defeat Cobalt Blue, a villain who possesses a blue gemstone able to siphon the powers of a speedster.

This figure is a solid Flash with well-chosen bright reds, and cleanly painted yellows. The flash symbol on his chest is raised. He comes with another pair of hands and his cosmic treadmill.
As many have said before, the wingtips on his head are very delicate! I was careful when unpacking him, but 4 months later...he dropped and one of the tips snapped off. SIGH!

Overall very nice figure though, and an excellent compliment to the other DC icons. I'm pretty sure his boots are comically large for someone who is the Fastest man (or one of the men) alive though. Intentional?

DC Icons - Wonder Woman (Amazo Virus)

She's a demigod, nigh invincible and the top female superhero in DC!
First appearing in comics in 1941, her original concept was that she was sculpted from clay and infused with life by Aphrodite. The newer story is that she is the daughter of Zeus.
This

This figure takes its likeness from the Justice League: Amazo Virus story line of 5 comics. In it, Lex Luthor has created a virus that has the ability to copy the meta-human abilities of those it encounters.
She is somewhat different from other versions of the Amazon warrior in that she has silver rather than gold metal adornments. Also her sword is MASSIVE. We'll get into that.

I was really excited to find this figure at a local video game retailer. I was just a little bit disappointed in two features however:
1) The face is not the same as the promos. It's not awful, but the promo pictures are definitely better. See them here.
2) They painted..red polished nails on all the hands. I don't have a problem with beautification, but nowhere in the comics does Wonder woman have painted nails. I also feel that generally speaking Amazon warriors wouldn't paint their nails. Maybe that's just me.

Aside the paint applications on the face, this is an otherwise great figure. She's got tons of posability, a lot of good accessories, and is well sculpted.

DC Icons - Superman (Man of Steel)

Originally conceived in 1933 and first published in 1938, Superman has been an iconic character in both comics, movies and pop culture in general. He has undergone quite a few changes since his original concept, such as the addition of "heat vision" since 1949 and other powers. Writers ran into issues as they increased the scope of his powers, making it much more challenging to create a real obstacle for Kal-El. His origin story was given a six issue reboot in 1986 titled "Man of Steel". This became the modern reboot until the early 2000's.

All in all, this figure encapsulates the 1986 Man of Steel pretty well. He's got the basic facial features: the hair curly, high cheekbones and chin dimple. The costume is pretty spot on and he comes with Kelex, a robot who acts as caretaker for the Fortress of Solitude. There are some issues with the articulation compared to other figures released previously and after Superman's release.

I'm not usually a big superman fan but I think they did a fair job of this one. Not perfect, but decent. Too bad this one doesn't come with a smile! Issues of Man of Steel show him as a bit more...contented?

Brief Hiatus!

So due to family visiting and summer vacationing, The Toy Shelf will be on temporary hiatus until the end of August. Hope everyone has a great rest of their summer!

DC Icons - Batman (Last Rites)

Two things to talk about here before the figure:

1) DC Icons: Many of you who collect DC Collectibles are probably familiar with the pros and cons of the DC Icons line. The pros being really good articulation and likeness to the comic "icon" version they represent. The cons being mostly out of scale for other figures as well as some cancellations and slow release dates. Personally, I quite enjoy the line, despite it's flaws. I find I'm still able to have fun posing the figures and given that I have many figures that usually aren't in scale with Marvel Legends, it doesn't bother me. I'm a bit disappointed they are stopping the line soon and producing the new Essentials line. I'm definitely not going to rebuy all the figures it has taken me nearly a year to collect.

2) Last Rites: This was a Pre-New 52 storyline of the Bat Family that dealt with Batman's disappearance during the Final Crisis event. It leads to several other storylines, including the Battle for the Cowl, in which there is a Batman imposter, and Tim Drake temporarily assumes the mantle of Batman, and so does Grayson. I haven't read it, but it seems like this Last Rites figure could be either Jason Todd, Tim Drake, or maybe Dick Grayson as Batman. I could be wrong though!

Back to the figure! Despite the size, I really like this figure. It's the first figure I bought at the first Comic con I attended, so it has a special place. He has some decent paint and gloss, really good articulation, some good accessories and is just an overall well rounded figure! I am more of a fan of the Black and Grey look for Batman, but this one works for me. The cape doesn't limit things, I personally find the ab articulation works well on my figure and he just looks good!

Marvel Legends - Black Panther: Giant Man BAF

Originally created in 1966, Black Panther would be one of the first African or even African-American heroes, preceding Black Lightning, Jon Stewart Green lantern, Luke Cage and Falcon. His original costume design by Jack Kirby looked like this. I always find it fascinating how hero concepts, both physically and in terms of character change over time.

Fun fact, the naming actually predates the actual political party, The Black Panthers. He is not the only Black Panther and won't be the last either. The Black Panther is a title in the tribe of T'Challa, who is granted the right to eat a special herb that allows him connection to the Panther deity. This essentially gives him magical powers that result in enhanced senses, speed, agility and strength. His signature claws are made of the same vibranium as Captain America's shield. It is that alien meteorite that is a central conflict in T'Challa's homeland of Wakanda, where many vie for it's possession to be made into weapons. So, kind of a real-world reflection of the exploitation of Africans by corporations and arms dealers! 

Wow, so you learn a lot doing a bit of wiki research. Even before all that info though, I find the Black Panther a fascinating character in the MCU. This figure impresses me quite a bit. They could have just made a general black body with some paint and standard articulation. They didn't thankfully. 

This figure has awesome texturing over his entire suit, and despite the little paint, it still looks amazing. The articulation is pretty close to standard marvel stuff, and yet it has much more range due to the way he was designed. The only accessory he has is his alternate unmasked head, but hey! That's pretty nice for Marvel! It's not often you get alternate heads unless it's a special pack of some kind. 

Marvel Legends Captain America - Abomination BAF

So this is yet another move on my part towards customizing. At this point I'll have to look at my notes to see what I even wanted him for! He's got decent enough paint to him and the body mold they used has a lot of good points: lots of points of articulation and an interesting throwing shield effect. The overall paint design though is probably the LEAST Captain America-y you can get!

That's because it is from the comic book storyline "Secret War" (Not Secret WARS...that's actually a different series) where Nick Fury sends a bunch of heroes to uncover a secret plot by the Latverian Prime Minister.

Marvel Legends Ironfist - Allfather BAF wave

I'll admit before Netflix's Ironfist series I had very little to know idea who Ironfist was. Now that I've learned more, I like his character and design. I can't say I was super impressed with the actor or script made for Danny Rand in the show, but perhaps in Defenders, it won't matter as much.

Like Nick Fury, this one is destined for customization! The head I'll likely use for Midnighter where the body will be for Apollo. That said, the figure is really good. There is tons of articulation, lots of ways to get him into great poses, and the white and gold creates a nice bright feel. He has some interesting blue shading on the white and comes with quite a few sets of alternate hands for different kung fu and dynamic poses. Very solid! He technically came as a build-a-figure for All-Father (Odin), but since I got him on a deal from eBay, this was not part of it.

Marvel Legends Nick Fury - Marvel Cinematic Universe

Ok, so full disclosure - I have a few Marvel Legends figures I got for dirt cheap because I am slowly getting into customizing. I am by no means collecting them, since I think as a collector unless you have a huge disposable income, you just can't collect them all (Sorry Ash). I am judiciously sticking to DC, some video game models, and some SH Figuarts, and that's plenty for now.  I actually bought this figure so that I could take parts of him and create the DC character Midnighter.

Side note:I generally enjoyed nearly all the movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (referred to as MCU from now on). I didn't care all too much for the Thor movies, mostly because I don't find the character especially interesting. That said, I'm keen on Ragnarok!

Ok, back on topic. Samuel Jackson plays Nick Fury here, and they did a good job with the character redesign. He's especially kick-ass in Winter Soldier. The figure based on him has a fairly good (75%) likeness to the actor. I really like the glossy black sheen of his coat and boots. I like that they put in some very nicely fitting holsters for his two weapons as well.  Though they sculpted the pants to be pretty baggy, it doesn't limit his articulation too much. What DOES limit it tough is that his trench coat is REALLY inflexible and it makes it almost impossible to keep him balanced. Add to that, they didn't put in a good ankle joint or even a boot cuff swivel, so it's pretty hard to put him into poses with his legs. His diaphragm joint is almost as useless as Nightwing's but just has a bit more movement.

Mattel: Batgirl - Batman Unlimited

Batgirl has had a wild ride in comic books. She's had a significant impact on readers since The Killing Joke where she was paralyzed, and became the paraplegic computer tech assistant to Batman, Oracle. The Batgirl mantle has also been worn by a previously female Robin (Stephanie Brown), Betty Kane,  niece to Kathy Kane (Batwoman), and Cassandra Cain, a mute Asian from the League of Assassins. There are a couple of others too! The most iconic one, and the one this figure represents, is Barbara Gordon, daughter of Commissioner Gordon.

I have to say I much prefer Batgirl as a fully mobile character who can hold her own. It seems to me that The Killing Joke really set her character back for years. In New 52, they kept the older storyline but allowed her recovery after a few years after having a neurotransmitter chip placed in her spine. Now, in the DC Rebirth, she is hearkened more back to her pre-flashpoint era style, meaning she is not paralyzed.

Let's be honest, toy collectors are like birds: we see shiny things and want to pick them up. The shinier the better, and this figure is all that and a bag of chips. She's got very high gloss black, very shiny yellow gold pieces, and nice face and hair paint. She is fairly light and her cape, while solid, doesn't get too much in the way. She has those dang Mattel figure crotches that look unnatural when spread, but that was their shtick and they stuck to it. She has some elbow and knee joints which don't fully flex 90 degrees...and yet they flex BACKWARDS as if she had broken her limbs at the elbows and knees...odd!

DC Collectibles Superboy - New 52 Teen Titans

Another New 52 Teen Titans character, Superboy is a name taken by quite a few characters. Most recently in the DC Rebirth, it is Jon Samuel Kent, but in an alternate New 52 universe, he was Kon-El. He is a cloned creation from the DNA of Superman, Lois Lane and Jon Lane Kent. 

I got this figure because 1) Love the suit design and really shiny red lines against black and 2) Super cheap deal. Just like a lot of the New 52 DC Collectibles, the articulation is always different, and usually poor! His hair is fine, but his face sculpts and paint leaves something to be desired. The face looks almost pudgy or perhaps it's the high cheekbones. Either way, not very comic book accurate. He looks more like an adult rather than a teen. 

DC Collectibles Red Robin - New 52: Teen Titans

I personally enjoy narratives where heroes either pass on the mantle to their children or heirs to lead a new generation of heroes. It shows a development, a passing of time and a fresh perspective on the abilities and backgrounds of those heroes and their families.

Teen Titans was one of those. First appearing in comics in 1964, the original team had three members: Robin (Dick Grayson), Kid Flash (Wally West) and Aqualad teamed up to defeat Mister Twister. Since that appearance, they have had nearly as large of a rotating roster as the Justice League. Though I am not a great comic book aficionado, a really good animated version of the Teen Titans is a show called Young Justice. Check it out! A third season is supposed to be on Netflix sometime this year or next.

Red Robin is technically named Tim Drake (but it turns out that's a pseudonym). He is called Red Robin as the character's way of leaving the Robin mantle behind after Jason Todd's death (who was the second Robin after Dick Grayson). From 2009 to 2016, he had a falling out with Batman and formed his own team of teen heroes, alongside Wonder Girl and Kid Flash.

I got this figure in the hopes of forming the entire Bat-family. It's an ongoing process, but I wanted to get this one to have another take on Robin that I thought was aesthetically interesting. He's got a lot of straps and bands and sports a mostly red and black flight suit, coupled with rocket-powered wings designed by a fellow Teen Titan, Static. The New 52 figures generally don't have great articulation, but they have a nice palette of bright colours and fairly good comic book looks.

DC Collectibles: Nightwing - Arkham Knight

Where in Arkham City Nightwing has no dialogue and only appears in DLC for Challenge maps, in Arkham Knight he actually has dialogue and a side mission. As I said before, Nightwing is easily my favourite of the Bat family. He adds levity, fun fighting and wit to an otherwise fairly dark Bat-universe, with the Arkhamverse being a few shades darker than that.

His costume and look here is pretty different from most incarnations of Nightwing I've seen. This version is more armored, the hair is less messy, and they traded in the domino mask for more of a cut out cowl look. I gotta say, I prefer the face look of the Arkham City version. He was fun to use in the game though, and still had his escrima sticks and electrical discharge attacks. He has a stealth mission too that allows him to use wrist mounted knock out darts, along with other gadgets. 

This figure is pretty spot on for the game. Very well articulated, very good paint and pretty fun to pose. I wish he had a real ab crunch and that DC would just not even try to paint stubble on figures, but we can't have everything! 

DC Collectibles: Robin - Arkham Knight

Like the previous game of Arkham City, Robin is Tim Drake, the third Boy Wonder to partner up with Batman. The Arkham games give you the feeling that Tim as Robin is a bit more independent,and doesn't directly help Batman as often. The game hints at a previous relationship with Batgirl/Oracle, which isn't surprising. In the game, Robin's role is pretty emotionally intense.

No spoilers, but there's a tragedy! Also, he does some pretty dark stuff for Batman! I enjoyed the acting on the part of Matthew Mercer, who also voiced Anarky in Arkham Origins. He has some pretty nice team up fights and scenes with Batman, Nightwing and if you get the DLC or season pass, Batgirl. 

This Robin is a bit bulkier than the last one. His cape is longer, his chest, gauntlet and boot pieces are a bit more intimidating. He still has his retractable staff with bullet shield and other gadgets. They did a pretty good job of this figure. I appreciate the very decent amount of accessories he comes with as well as his great articulation and the kicker: you can pull back his hood (not stuck on his head) and they actually painted the buzz cut hair! Seems like DC Collectibles slowly learns over time. 

DC Collectibles Batman: Arkham Knight

This final form of Batman took the cake for the complexity of his suit design. The lock and load animation montage of his suit is awesome. This is a complete redesign of the previous Arkham suits, with many smaller armored plates, more heavily armored boots and even the cowl features several interlocking parts. Set about 10 years after Arkham Origins Batman is now 35, a bit older, and with a desire to retire! The Joker is dead but is haunting him in his PTSD riddled hallucinations. It seems as if the Joker injected blood from the previous game is still affecting him somewhat...

Now he has to stop the Scarecrow's plan to fear gas the whole city, while also stopping the Arkham Knight's self-driving tank militia and troops. And it wouldn't be an Arkham game if nearly every villain from his rogues' gallery didn't appear in either the DLC or the main game.

In terms of articulation, this Batman is easily the best out of all the Arkham line of 7-inch figures. His body sculpting could be a bit better, and his head is far too small given his body, but it is a great figure. He comes with an alternate Batarang hand, a nice Batarang and his line launcher, which he actually doesn't use much in this game, more so in the other games. I didn't realize this at purchase, but I apparently bought the battle damaged version, which has duller gunmetal, rust or dirt stains painted on the boots and parts of the armor, and mud-spatter on the cape.

DC Collectibles Arkham Knight - Arkham Knight

Arkham Knight was the final installment in the Arkham series of games, and it pulled off a lot of things well. The graphics were amazing. The new batsuit, with its interlocking armored parts, and the return of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, among others, was great. I enjoyed being able to double team puzzles and fights with Catwoman, Robin and Nightwing. I have mixed feelings about how the Batmobile worked in the game, but it was fun to use and fight with.

The game had a few main antagonists. Scarecrow was the overarching plot villain while the Arkham Knight was part of that and the main combatant Batman went up against. Suited up in a more militaristic style of armour and gear, the Arkham Knight was Scarecrow's general, to mobilize troops and bring down Gotham and Batman. He had no qualms about killing, employed tons of advanced technology and troop types, and even personally fights with Batman a few times in the game.
I won't spoil the identity of the Arkham Knight in case someone hasn't played it, but this figure was pretty well done.

The paint details are great on all his belt and armoured equipment. He comes with one solid looking sniper/assault type gun that is actually "transforming" dual pistols (in the game, not on the figure). His articulation is pretty solid, though is somewhat limited in some places.

DC Collectibles Batman: Arkham Origins

Arkham Origins did somethings well, and other things just passable. Boss fights? Great. New suit look? I dig it. The city is barren though of normal citizens. In the other two games, it had the excuse that it was either the Asylum (Crazy people, guards, and criminals only) or Arkham city (Dr. Strange created city section of criminals and emergency staff needing to be saved). The title Origins is also misleading, since it doesn't really deal with anyone's origins very well, even within its own universe. 

Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill declined this one, and their voice cast was replaced by Roger Craig Smith as Batman and Troy Baker as Joker. Definitely different, but good performances. 

In this setting, Batman is younger, more impulsive, and is even more prone to solving his problems with punches than any other! He spends most of the game gritting his teeth in anger. 

His suit is big, bulky and imposing. It is more like large plates of armor than it is the traditional batsuit. 

This figure, like the game, does some things well and other things, passable. The pros? He's got the best poseabilty of any Batman figure in the Arkham line with the exception of Arkham Knight Batman (review coming later). It's solid and does a good job of matching the game model suit. The balance is great, and for once, he has punching hands. One thing to note about the Arkham games is that Batman spends a LOT of time punching people. Every other DC Collectible Batman has come with open hands to grasp his accessories. The cons? I don't know if you've noticed the face. The face is...well, it's not perfect. I've seen other examples, and I wasn't fond of those, but this one has a few off-putting QC issues. They just don't paint stubble well. The mouth isn't great, and one of the eyes on mine is almost like it's swelling closed. Odd look. 

**Rating System Update**

So after some thought, I've decided on updating the rating system,à la 1.1.
It seems to me a 10 scale for accessories may be excessive out of 40 total points.
After all, there are some really great figures out there that you could buy, but don't necessarily come with an accessory or very few anyway. Maybe they weren't meant to! It's not like every comic book, video game or cartoon character needs extra things. Some of you may debate this vis-a-vis having extra hands and heads, and I don't argue that.
That said, my rules mates!

So here's the new accessory rating system:

Accessories: 
1 = No accessories, or 1 accessory. It may be lacking in some detail or paint. 
2 = 1-3 Accessories, usually extra weapons. Decent detail and/or paint. 
3 = 2-5 accessories. This may include extra hands or effects/swap-able pieces. 
4 = 5+: Extra hands, maybe a head, weapons and other good pieces.
5 = Nearly everything you could want given the character! All well done. 

So of course, with that, we only have a 35 point system. Who wants to count in scales of 5? Not I! Divisible by an uneven prime number? No thanks! Sorry prime numbers, go whine to Optimus for sympathy. We need to get another 5 points back.

With that, I will introduce the Fun Factor system. This is the most subjective of all rating systems. I mean, basically, this is where I get to skew the system in my favour, simply because I can get a lot of poses and fun out of the figure. I've learned in the course of these reviews that some figures I've had the most positive experiences with get left on the wayside. Some figures have poor articulation, or are pretty much gone off the market forever, but I would tell someone anyway that they have excellent dynamic shelf look and....well, fun!
So here it goes:

Fun Factor:
1 = Figure is poorly balanced, many QC issues, difficult to pose in anything other than the standard standing "vanilla" pose. Likely to break with "over-play"
2 = Figure can balance, has some variety in poses. Solid, and unlikely to break with play. 
3 = Figure can balance in a variety of poses. looks good on the shelf, compares well to other figures in its line or universe. Very good aesthetic look and mix of glossy and matte.  
4 = Lots of fun, the way the sculpt and paint work out create a dynamic, solid figure that balances in tons of poses. May even be able to balance on one foot! 
5 = This is a top 10 figure. Tons of fun, great poseability. You'll probably never get rid of this figure, according to me anyway! 

Disclaimer: This is once again open to change. This part is one I can appreciate more than the past rating system, but we'll see!

DC Collectibles Joker (Red Hood version) Arkham Origins

The funny thing about Arkham Origins is that it doesn't really spend much time with Batman's origin story (unless you buy some DLC), but focuses more on Joker's origin. This makes sense, given most people's familiarity with Batman. There isn't much else to tell there.

Origins uses the 1988 storyline from The Killing Joke to tell Joker's story. There is even a part of the game where you play as Joker and walk through his memories to how he became who he is. 

Jack Napier, the ex-comedian, is forced into a heist at ACE Chemical plant. He dons the red capsule and cape of the Red Hood, the "spokesrobber" if you will, for the group. An encounter with Batman dumps him into the chemical pool which causes the skin and hair dyeing as well as pushing his sanity right over the edge. 

This figure seems like an afterthought. I don't own a ton of Origins figures, but I'd have to say from reviews I've watched and read, this is probably the worst. The articulation is limited, the figure comes with no accessories and there isn't an actual head underneath the hood part. It seems like with both Joker and Deathstroke a second head would have been a good choice. 

DC Collectibles Copperhead: Arkham Origins

Several people have taken up the alias of Copperhead with varying degrees of strange. The other Copperheads that appeared in comics were always contortionists, but were either in possession of a snake suit that protected them and injected venom from a hood, or were actual mutated snake men. 

This take on Copperhead is supposed to be the daughter of the new 52 Copperhead. This helps explain the actual forked tongue and snake-like eyes she seems to possess. Still a master contortionist, she is one of the eight assassins hired to kill Batman for that cool 50 million. Her clawed gauntlets are tipped with a poison that causes blurred, vertigo-like hallucinations until the opponent dies. This version of Copperhead now appears in the DC Rebirth comics, although there seem to be others as well?

I enjoyed the Copperhead fight and the South American take on this villain. It made her unique, and she was very much a force to be reckoned with. This figure pretty much nails down everything about Copperhead. The tattoos, inhuman eyes, gauntlets are well done. The fact that her entire midsection from hips to the chest is a completely soft plastic that actually makes it looks like she has no lower ribs, is amazing. My only gripe about this figure is that her feet are pretty tiny looking given her height and frame. 

DC Collectibles Deathstroke: Arkham Origins

Deathstroke is one of the eight assassins contracted to kill Batman in the third game in the Arkham series, Arkham Origins. They really show off Deathsroke's fighting speed, weapons and resourcefulness in the game. He is easily the toughest boss fight in the game, and he's closer to the beginning. With tons of gadgets to use in the game play portion, and some great cut scenes, he's my favourite of the assassins.

This figure was released with his mask as a single pack, but due to coming with Copperhead, I bought him maskless in the Arkham Origins three pack.  Aside Copperhead, this also included the origin form/memory sequence of Joker as the Red Hood. The figure has everything you could want: awesome paint, fantastic armor sculpt, superior poseability and sweet accessories.

There are some more minor issues. His shoulder pads are solid plastic, so it takes finagling to get his arms up above his head and look natural. His gun holster and other gray soft plastic additions are unpainted but sculpted as if they were meant to be. There isn't a great place to put his retractable staff, which is interesting given they gave him a great gun holster and nice scabbard for the sword.

Mattel Robin: Arkham City Legacy

In the Arkham City game, Tim Drake is Robin, and I have to say his costume is my favourite version of Robin, ever. Seems more modernized, with duller reds that make it seemed both toned down but also gives Robin a less adolescent teen look and more of an adult one. Does he need both a mask AND a hood? I don't know, but it looks great. I also appreciate that on top of his acrobatic fighting in the game, his retractable metal staff with unfolding bullet shield makes him not just a less equipped version of Batman. Robin isn't playable in the main game, but he is a lot of fun in the DLC for Arkham City Harley Quinn's Revenge. 

This figure is like the other Legacy figures. This one has more paint details than Batman and Catwoman. His leg articulation is great, and I loved how they made his cape a soft plastic that rotated with the head. The hood is glued onto the head, so not removable, but it still gives him a good look.
Like other Legacy figures, he came with no accessories. That said, I liked the look of this figure so much, I couldn't help but let him borrow Arkham Knight Robin's staff while also drilling a hole into the punching hand in order for him to hold it.

Mattel Batman and Catwoman: Arkham Legacy City 2-Pack

So after acquiring a few highly detailed, but much less poseable Arkham Asylum and City figures, I tried my hand at getting a more articulated Catwoman. The fact it was a 2-pack sold on eBay for much cheaper than it was originally was just a sweet bonus. The Legacy figures scale back on the detail and are generally smaller than the DC Direct or Collectibles figures. They have the added bonus of tons more poseability and fun though!

The Catwoman does have some nice texture to the suit, and I like having a figure where her goggles are down. She has her classic whip accessory shaped well, but unpainted. The Batman figure doesn't come with any accessories and has mostly decent articulation.

Since the articulation, price and other categories are inextricably linked in these two figures, they will be evaluated as if they were one!

DC Collectibles Two-Face: Arkham City

Two-face is one of those characters that can be explored with at least some emotional depth.
Often he's portrayed as the golden boy attorney who changes things for the better, only to be injured in a tragic accident in which he changes for the worse. His obsession with duality is his main
characteristic, and that has been done well on and off to certain degrees.

The game makes him more of a minor villain in the games, as is his typical role. The Dark Knight Christopher Nolan movie did justice to his character in my mind, as did the Telltale Batman games released.

The figure is very well done. The white suit parts and clean, as are the two-tone shoes. The pain application to the "good" side of the face is well done. The "bad" side is incredible. The holes in the suit and the charred flesh were very well painted. His left sleeve is in tatters. His articulation is missing in some areas (ankle and waist) and greater in the knees, for whatever reason. He technically comes with two accessories, a coin to hold in his "good" hand and a well-sculpted pistol to hold in his right.

DC Direct Catwoman: Arkham City

A 2012 arrival along with many of the Series 2, Catwoman was a very fun character to play in the game. The ability to use her whip to traverse terrain and fight enemies, as well as the extra fun factor of having her own collectibles mission was great. This figure has some good qualities, but also some very poor ones.

The suit textures and shading applied are fantastic on this figure. The sculpt is generally good, but unfortunately, QC issues caused the right arm to break off from its shoulder socket when it was rotated. It looks off because I had to drill holes and glue a pin in order to give the arm back its mobility! The head is WAY too big for the body, and the either purposeful or accidental shading of the eyes with red causes her to look not only googly eyed but bloodshot as well.

The bolas type weapon that she comes with is ok, While the rubber used is fine for the chain and ball ends, it makes it hard to put in her hands because it flops around a bunch.
Like most of the Arkham figures before the Arkham Knight, the articulation is fairly limited.

Group Photos: Arkham Asylum

The Arkham Four! Back for another great song: Insanity Now!

So I've decided to do a "Group Photo" post. I will be putting certain characters together in certain scenes and/or groups based on either their set, appearances, or whatever floats my batboat! Expect more in the future.

This group photo will be of the Arkham Asylum boxed set. This set marks my very first foray into buying the Arkham series of figures. It was a turning point and my first real start at collecting figures. Despite their lack of joints, they are a first, and therefore always have some place in my collection, no matter how many times they fall due to poor balance and flexibility (read: a lot!)

Side profile. As a group, they'd probably be into the Death Metal scene. 

Twice the injection, twice the fun! I always wondered how crazy it would be if Batman actually became a Titanized or Venomized version of himself. It would be pretty terrifying. 

There's the the lock

Swear to me! 

Dramatic theatre time at the Asylum. 

Thank you, thank you, you've all been a great audience! 

DC Direct Scarecrow: Arkham Asylum

 Arkham Asylum had a very suspenseful and frightening atmosphere. One part of that intensely blood-curdling, hair-raising experience were the scenes involving Killer Croc and Scarecrow.
The fear-induced delusions were excellent, being both successful in jump scares and chilling horror.

His appearance was more like that of the classic incarnations: burlap sack coverings, rope ties, glowing yellow eyes and for the added terror each finger of one hand adorned with fear-toxin needles. Most of the details are in the stitches, and they did a good job of his representation from the game. This figure really suffers in articulation even more so than others in the line (and that's saying something!). He does come with one bag-o-toxin accessory, and that's nice enough.

DC Direct Harley Quinn: Arkham Asylum

Although true to the character of Harley Quinn, the Arkham games had a radically different take on her appearance, with Asylum being the most drastic. With the Asylum under control of the Joker, Harley Quinn adopts the image of a highly sexualized nurse. Gone are the black and red contrasts, replaced with burgundy reds and azure blues. 

Fantastic details in this one. She comes with a Titan venom injection gun and lots of great paint details. Rivets, blood spatter, collar, boot designs and even buckles on the corset. The poseability is about the same as others in the line, which is to say limited. Apparently, a re-release of this figure came with another accessory; Quincy Sharp's cane used to beat him. Ouch. 

DC Direct Joker: Arkham Asylum

Voiced by famous actor Mark Hamill in the game, Joker was played superbly. An insane, psychopathic mastermind, he has always been Batman's most iconic villain. Although, as a villain the Arkham games perhaps overused him, Asylum gave him the most focused plot role. 

This Joker has tons of great paint from spooky face down to the painted lines of his suit. He even has a real chain link to his pocket watch! 

Though it comes with no accessories, previous iterations of this figure came with the puppet Scarface. Perhaps it will be available on eBay....one day!

DC Direct Batman: Arkham Asylum

In 2009, Rocksteady released Batman: Arkham Asylum,easily one of my favourite video games of all time. Compared to the sequels and prequel game, Asylum had the spooky factor down. The original figure for this line looked like this: 2011 Batman Arkham Asylum Figure. Needless to say, an odd mix of blue and black in the batsuit.

This version was released in a boxed set with Joker, Harley Quinn, and Scarecrow (reviews to come).

This Batman is a solid figure with very little in terms of articulation. The paint is decent in the eyes and face, but very little paint or details elsewhere. The accessories are pretty nice though! A shiny black Batarang that folds? A grapple gun with removable grapple? If only more figures in the Arkham Asylum line had as much!

DC Collectibles Deadshot: Arkham City

Deadshot was part of the "Shot in the Dark" side mission in the Arkham City game. The mission was one of the detective missions I enjoyed, even if it was a bit obvious. Deadshot is mostly portrayed as an assassin for hire to whichever bad guy is running the show, but he does have some back stories that make him a bit more interesting than he was in the game. His suit and look is a completely different take on the character, which I appreciate. This figure probably has the most paint details of nearly all of the figures in the Arkham City line. The chest Arkham symbol, targeting head pieces and even holsters have some great shading and details. Surprisingly the least painted parts are his signature hand canons!

His articulation is decent enough given the line, and there's nothing in particular that limits his movement. Nice figure!

DC Collectibles Nightwing: Arkham City

Nightwing has always been one of my personal favorites. He has the dashing charm of a rogue and the morals of The Dark Knight coupled with a fun, acrobatic fighting style. While Nightwing had a role in a story-line in Arkham Knight, he was only present in the Arkham City as a playable character in Challenge maps.

This figure does a few things well. The shiny blue suit highlights are great, the electrified kali sticks are very well detailed and dry brushed to create a blackened metal tone. The back has clips to hold his sticks, which is a nice touch. The face and eyes are well painted.

The pelvis area is a bit odd. The way the leg ball joint joins the hips gives this figure an odd, lower half silhouette.  The articulation isn't abundant, but after collecting DC Collectibles in the Arkham game lines, that isn't a big surprise. The head is a little too big perhaps, and sunk into the neck to allow every little up and down movement. He isn't able to do the splits, but some cool poses are still possible!

This one may not be as poseable as the Arkham Knight version, but it's got a great aesthetic and I prefer the face design on this version.

The Rating System

Starting this blog, I decided I wanted to use a 10 point rubric per category to evaluate figures. 

So far, the system is...ok. Any of these systems ultimately has bias and isn't exact, however, I'll break down the system but I think a revamp soon is in order. Perhaps adding in a fun factor to the assessment? There is a certain quality that makes a figure fun to pose and play with regardless of how poor or good the paint, sculpt, accessories, and occasionally even the articulation. This will require further thought. 

Sculpting

 and Paint:  1 = No, or little paint anywhere, minimal sculpting. Basic body form only.

                     2 = No, or little paint, A little sculpting with some stylistic additions.

                     3= Some paint application, but no shading. Some sculpting.

                     4= Some paint application, some shading, some sculpted parts. 

                     5= Good paint application, some shading, some sculpted parts.

                     6= Good paint application, good shading, some sculpted parts

                     7 =Good paint, good shading, good sculpting. 

                     8=Excellent paint, good use of shading, excellent sculpted parts

                     9=Excellent and thorough paint work, excellent shades applied, excellent sculpted parts. 

                    10=One of the best designed figures: either perfectly stylistic to the character or perfectly realistic to the original source material                               (game, comic, tv, etc) 

Articulation:   1 = 5  or fewer points of articulation. Imaginex comes to mind or other childrens toys.

                         2 = 6-10points of articulation. No waist swivels, ankle joints, elbow joints (Old He-  man toys)

                         3= 11-15 points of articulation. No waist swivel, ankle joints. Poor design. 

                         4= 16-20 points of articulation. No ab crunch, ankle joints. Elbow/knee joints do have 90 degree flexion. No split capability with                                        legs. Hand and/or boot cut swivel.

                         5= 16-20 points of articulation. Elbows/knees have 90 degree flexion. Forward/backward ankle flexion. May have ab crunch and                               swivel.

                          6= 16-20 points of articulation. Ab crunch present, may have diaphragm joint. 

                          7= 21-25 points of articulation. Double jointed knees and/or elbows present. Ankle   rocker. Two point wrist articulation (Basic                                   Marvel Legends). 

                           8= 25-35 points of articulation. All the above plus diaphragm joints, butterfly shoulder joints. May include toe swivel or finger                                   articulation. (S.H. Figuarts figures). Design may limit some articulation. 

                           9 = 35+ points of articulation. Includes all the above plus sculpted parts that can move (capes, wings, holsters etc). Excellent                                design that does not limit movement. 

                         10 = An insane amount of articulation. You can pose this figure anyway, anywhere!

Price point/availability: After all, what's the point if you can't find or buy it reasonably? 

                      1= You will never find this figure and/or buy this figure. It isn't being made, and if i was sold, you'd need a trust fund to afford it. 

                      2= Few available, price is at 500% mark up. 

                      3= Few available, price is at 200-400% mark up. 

                      4= Few available, price is at 100-200%

                      5=Available online mostly. price is at 100% mark up. 

                      6=Available online and some in stores. Price is at a 50-100% mark up. 

                      7=Readily available in stores and online. Price is at original/current value. 

                      8=Readily available online and in stores. Discounted 15% or less. 

                      9= Readily available online and in stores. Discounted 30-50%. 

                     10=Readily available online and in stores. Discounted 50%+. Buy all the things!

Accessories: 0= No accessories. Boo!

                      1= 1 accessory. Poorly painted/sculpted. Not accurate in size or design. 

                      2 = 1 accesory. Some paint, decent design. Approximates source material. 

                      3 = 1-3 accessories. Some paint, decent design, approximates source material.

                      4 = 1-3 accessories. Good paint and/or design, but not both. Few inaccuracies. 

                      5 = 2+ accessories. One set of extra hands, or 2+ very well designed weapons/pieces.

                      6 = 2-5 accessories. Set of hands, and well sculpted weapons/pieces.

                      7 = 2 or more sets of extra hands and 1-3 weapons/pieces. Interchangeable body pieces.

                      8 = More than 2 sets of extra hands, weapons/pieces, interchangeable heads/faces.

                      9 = 4+ sets of hands, tons of hand held/body pieces, interchangeable heads/body pieces. 

                    10 = Everything you could want given the source. Deluxe sets, etc.

Note: This system is amenable to modification at any time! I will post a footnote update should it change. Not yet satisfied with it. 

DC Collectibles Talia al Ghul: Arkham City

As with the Arkham City Batman, Talia al Ghul played a key role in the Arkham City game, while bringing the vaguest hint of the romantic past between the two characters. She was part of the 2013 Serie 4 wave of Arkham City figures. 

Unfortunately, this figure suffers. Although toy lines like Legends and DC Collectibles have improved on the female figure, this one is poorly articulated and made compared to their male counterparts in the same line. 

While the sculpt work on the boots, clothes, and gloves is decent, the figure has very poor weight and balance. The face is a bit too small for my liking in proportion to the body. The hair is a darker shade of brown wherein the game the hair is much closer to blond. The elbow and knee joints don't bend very far and while the paint application is decent, some of the skin tones are minimal or not applied at all. 

To sum up: while I do like to have a good roster of female characters to balance out the male, this one is sub-par. Had I known of the youtube channels I know now that review figures, I would likely not have bought this one. Ouch! 

DC Collectibles Batman: Arkham City

Released in Dec of 2013, DC Collectibles made a series 4 of characters for the Arkham City which included Talia Al'Ghul, Nightwing and Deadshot. They took a crack at adding in more articulation: double jointed knees, ab crunch and a diaphragm joint. For the most part, it works well. They kept the excellent use of paint application from previous lines by putting in good shading on the face, piercing blue eyes and details on the belt and gloves. The bat symbol on his chest is sculpted on rather than painted. The gripping hands are mostly for his single remote Batarang, which was quite a bit smaller than the larger, folding batarangs that came with other Batman figures from previous waves.

The increased articulation allows for a lot more crouching poses and the way the cape was designed off the shoulders really helps to get his arms to raise up higher. All in all, I really like this figure for the extra poseability and good paint applications.