Jay's Toy Shelf : McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Batman

Sunday, February 13, 2022

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Batman - Arkham Knight

I've previously reviewed a DC Collectibles Arkham Knight Batman here: Arkham Knight Batman. It was a pretty decent figure with some flaws. I hadn't realized at the time to check, but that was a battle-damaged version with some mud and paint details added. My main complaint with the DC Collectibles one was the head size: it was way too small. In general, the proportions on that one weren't great though I will say it did have good paint detail and very shiny shoulder pads. I will do a comparison post shortly.

This one is far nicer in many respects: Decent proportions, the sculpt details clearly show all his armoured parts, and he's got the bulkiness in the right places. He's fairly well-articulated but has fewer paint details. The accessories are enough here but no paint and AGAIN, no punching hands. This is a character you play in a video game that is literally punching enemies all the time when he isn't using gadgets or the batmobile.

Sculpt/Paint: 2/3 In most respects, he is a very well sculpted figure. Good proportions, EXCELLENT texture details in the suit. There are two criticisms I have though 1) There is no metallic silver paint anywhere in the small parts and 2) His suit is supposed to have the abdominal armour plates painted gray like his armour and they are left black..for some reason. In most other ways though, awesome. His cape has a pretty unique sculpt to it as well and is soft enough to get out of the way of most posing.

Articulation: 3/3 (30 points) He's got many of the standard points of articulation in McFarlane but they are better engineered. The ball joint on the head is really good at looking around at any angle except directly up due to the armoured collar behind the head (it could be a double ball joint). There is no ab articulation but there is a ratcheted ball joint at the waist that does a really good job of both tilt and swivel, but not great forward motion (but better than most). The double-jointed knees and elbows have a fantastic range, and the ankles are a lot less finicky than most.

Accessories: 1/1 He does have some good accessories here: his detonator spray gun, REC gun, and Batarang as well as the stand and card. I'm kinda disappointed the accessories are just plain black with zero paint. That speaks of a rushed product that McFarlane is becoming more infamous for in my eyes.

Fun Factor: 3/3 This is a really fun figure to play with. It does have some downsides but in general, the waist positing and general range of motion makes it fun to play with and pose.

Verdict: 9/10 He is a fantastic update to the Arkham Knight Batman, though I wish he had some extra paint and punching hands, but overall he is great. I don't know if this is everyone's idea of Batman, but this is definitely My Batman, so highly recommend getting this one even if you're just a passing fan of the game. Rule #1: You can never have too many Batmans.