DC Universe Classics - Batman Legacy (SDCC 2011)

Originally the Batman Legacy toy line was announced by Mattel back in March at the 2011 Toy Fair.  It is a 'new' toy line that will celebrate the Dark Knight's rich history.  You will see a variety of different versions of Batman characters from movies, video games as well as from different eras.  These action figures will be released in the stores soon but you will actually be able to find some of them online on various websites as well as on eBay.

For the most part, SDCC 2011 did not reveal too much about the Batman Legacy toy line that we already didn't know.  So, lets take a look at what may be the more interesting figures fans will want to get their hands on.  

Above is the Batman / Two-Face two pack.  These action figures are based on the upcoming Batman: Arkham City video game, set to be released later this year.  Compared to the DC Universe Classics toy line, these action figures have a much darker and grittier look and ....i guess the best way to describe it is....they are a little more realistic than comic book looking...

Next we have images of Harley Quinn (above) and the Joker (below), also from the video game, Arkham City. I quite like this version of Harley compared to her comic book version.

For those of you interested in purchasing the Arkham City video game, if you purchase it from Toys R Us, you will also get the chance have your very own Arkham City Batman action in his 1970's outfit (below).  You will not be able to purchase this anywhere else but I'm sure people will try to sell them on eBay for twice the value. 

I'm really impressed with what i see so far with the Arkham City action figures.  HOPEFULLY, we will see more like Poison Ivy and Killer Croc! 

As mentioned, Mattel is also releasing the Movie Masters action figures, based on the Christopher Nolan films.  See my Toy Fair 2011 post for more info.   You can get a Gordon/Batman prototype (from Batman Begins) two pack or a Honor Guard Joker and Batman two-pack (from Dark Knight).  Personally, the Movie Masters are not my favorite and I will probably skip.  I might go for Gordon though if Mattel does not release a different version.

So for the remaining Batman Legacy action figures, are more to what the DC Universe Classics fans are accustom to.   First we have Golden Age Batman which is basically the same body and cape as Batman from DCUC Wave 1 with a new head sculpt.  Also the bat symbol on his chest is different as well as Batman is supporting black underwear instead of blue.  Apparently, this version will come with a "Batmite" accessory

Then we have Golden Age Joker.  Basically a mismatch of parts previously used and the head sculpt IS new compared to DCUC Wave 10 Joker.  Accessories appear to be similar however.

This is a repaint of the original Batgirl action figure from the DC Super Heroes toy line back in 2007-08.  It was re-released in a two pack with Azrael in 2008 i believe......Anyway, the only difference in the sculpt is Batgirl's belt.  In my opinion, this is definitely a chance for the better compared to the older version.

Next up is Catman.  A completely new character which we have not seen yet in the DC Universe Classics toy line.  Why Catman, i have no idea.  There are maybe 10-15 other characters from the Batman Universe I would love to see, and we get Catman....Ok, well at least its someone different.  Lets be positive.

This Mr. Freeze is a repaint of the same action figure that Mattel has re-released as a repaint probably 4 times before.  In my opinion, the best version is the 2007 NY comic con version.  I believe this new re-painted version is suppose to represent a silver age version of the character. 

And finally, we have a modern age version of Batman, which is essentially the body of the DC Super Heroes Batman from wave 8 (which is still, today, my favorite Batman action figure) and the head of the DC Universe Classics wave 15 Sinestro Corps Batman

An image has been released of the Robin actiono figure from Arkham City video game. Can't say I'm a big fan of this one.

That's covers basically the first two waves of the Batman Legacy action figures.  Since it appears that Mattel will not be releasing anymore Green Lantern waves in the near future, hopefully we'll see more waves of these Batman Legacy action figures in the near future.  And hopefully it will include some of the main characters that we've been missing in the first 20 DC Universe Classics waves thus far.  Since Batman is the backbone to the DC Universe, I think its reasonable to expect a few more waves before Mattel moves their focus on to something else (Superman perhaps??).

DC Universe Classics - Batman Legacy Action Figures Preview

For a SDCC UPDATE - July 2011 - click here

***WONDERCON 2011 UPDATE - APRIL 8th, 2011***

A couple of new action figures to add to the Batman Legacy line up.  First, we get another classic version of Batman.  Some noticeable differences compared to the other Batman action figures we've see to date in the DCUC line up, specifically a new head sculpt. 

The second new action figure is actually just a repainted Batgirl.  Apparently the belt she is supporting in this picture will not be the final version when the action figure is released.   She'll be supporting something a little less bulky.

For more on the Mattel Batman Legacy toy line (which will be released in the fall of 2011), check out my original post below from Feb 2011. 

Revealed at the 2011 Toy Fair show is the new Batman Legacy action figure toy line by Mattel which will be released sometime in the late spring or early summer.  This toy line supposedly NOT based on the Batman Legacy comic series but rather is more designed to "celebrate" the Dark Knight's rich history.  I assume this means we're going to get different versions of different characters (could mean a lot of repaints).  The first wave of Batman Legacy action figures will include "Movie Masters" action figures from Batman Begins, all in the 6 inch size, as well as a few re-released/repainted figures and some new action figures based on the new Batman Arkham City video game which will be coming at the end of September 2011.  So lets take a look at the line up:

First, the movie masters action figures which i believe will be sold as a 2 pack.  From Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne in his prototype Batman suit and Commissioner Gordon. 

Pictures from the Toy Fair 2011 show that included with the Prototype Batman action figure is a removable ski mask for Bruce. 

The Prototype Batman/Commissioner Gordon has been labelled as Wave 1 by Mattycollector and there is also a Dark Knight Batman and Police Honor Guard Joker − "Wave 2" two pack that has been announced.  No pictures or released dates though of TDK figures though.  I assume this means one Movie Master 2 pack per wave.

The following 3 Batman Legacy action figures will be sold as singles:

•Silver Age Mr. Freeze

Here we go, repaints already.  This is simply the Mr.Freeze action figure we've seen previously about 3 times back before the DC Superheroes Toy Line.  In my opinion the Mr.Freeze from the 2007 NYCC is the best version out there. It was very hard to get a hold of if you were not at the show or did not snap it up on eBay when it first came out.  Ive seen recent eBay auction go in the $60 USD range for that action figure.  Since Mr. Freeze is a must for any Batman fan, this will be a decent addition for collectors who are missing him (although, I'm not crazy about the paint scheme).   To read the ATR review click the link to the right--> DC Superheroes Mr. Freeze Review. Next up:

•Platinum Age Batman

This Platinum age Batman is simply, from the neck down, the Batman figure from the DC Superheroes Wave 8 line up (which is considered to be quite rare).  The DCSH Batman from Wave 8 is still one of my favorite Batman action figures to date.  It had a limited release just prior to the DCUC toy line began.  The head sculpt looks exactly like the Sinestro Corps Batman in DCUC Wave 15.

DC Superheroes Wave 8 Batman Review

 

And the third action figure to be sold as a single will be: 

•The Joker

For the most part, this Joker is very similar to the DC Universe Classics wave 10 Joker.  The differences being, in the Batman Legacy version, The Joker is supporting a long trench coat instead of the jacket with coat tails and flower on the lapel.  I would guess, the trench coat is probably similar to the one used on The Question from Wave 11, just in purple.  The rest of this sculpt is probably spot on to Wave 10 Joker.  As far as the paint job is concerned, gone are the pin stripped pants and orange vest replaced by a solid purple color for both.  Also Joker's shoes are now all black. 

Finally, from the upcoming Batman: Arkham City video game (which is a follow up to the very popular Arkham Asylum video game), we get a Batman and Two Face 2 pack which is also listed as Wave 1.

I must admit that these Arkham City Batman action figures look pretty sweet.  Batman Arkham Asylum had some amazing character designs and you know they will look even better in Arkham City.  It appears these action figures are entirely new sculpts so even though they will compare in size to your DC Universe Classics collection, the will look slightly different.  This does give us potential for finally getting characters such as Poison Ivy, Ra's Al Ghul, a new Killer Croc, Scarecrow and so much more.  Almost every major Batman villain are in these games in some form or another.

That pretty much covers the DC Universe Classics news from Toy Fair 2011. If you missed my previous posts about other Toy Fair announcements, such as DCUC Wave 18 and the Crime Syndicate box set, be sure to check them out. 

Don't forget to help keep Action Toy Review alive simply by visiting our sponsors and also be sure ylou check back for more info, news, previews and reviews of Mattel's DC Universe Classics, DC Universe Green Lantern Classics and down the road, Batman Legacy action figures. 

To find and/or purchase Mattel's DC Universe Classics action figures on eBay, click here.

DC Superheroes - Mr. Freeze

Ice day for a review....uhhhh!!! Now that I got that lame Mr. Freeze joke out of the way, on to my review of this very sweet (avoiding the term "cool") Mr. Freeze action figure which was a 2007 NY Comic Con Exclusive meaning it wasn't and never will be available at your local Walmart or Target.  This is a rare action figure and can be found only be found on eBay and you're looking at a minimum of $35 to $75.  But this action figure is well worth the price to a collector and/or Batman fanatic.

First off, this was not a new sculpt when it was released. There have been a number of repaints for this figure that i can recall which adds to the complaints of Mattel re-using or recycling the same figures and parts. It was originally released in the 2003 Mattel Batman figure toy line. One variant with goggles, and one without. It was released again with a new paint job in 2006 in the DC Superheroes toy line in series 3 and then finally this exclusive figure came out a year later in 2007.

So, aside from the re-using the same sculpt issue, this is still a great looking toy. Mr. Freeze's stands 6 inches tall with bulky wide shoulders and big boots. The Tech Suit has plenty of detail including small patches of ice leaking out in various spots. The head is under glass which is NOT removable. The face looks great supporting a cold evil expression.

For the most part, the paint job is decent. The metallic blue color over the boots, gloves. belt, neck and shoulders looks awesome and was a great choice. The rest of the suit is mostly black with red buttons or gauges positioned in various places. There are some spots where the paint goes over the lines, like around the belt and the blue part of the shoulder piece but overall there is nothing really bad. The face is painted nicely and very clean with some highlights in a lighter tone over the forehead, chin and nose. Unfortunately, this is probably the only area on the figure where there is any highlighting which is a shame. The worst part of the paint job in my opinion is the frost they've attempted to put around the glass helmet. It just looks like splattered paint and is really quite sloppy. I could have done without it.

Mr. Freeze comes with one huge freeze gun that is permanently attached by a plastic hose to a very bulky back pack. The back pack just pops right into Freeze's back and fits in securely. The gun is meant to be held by two hands. His right hand at the trigger and his left hand on the handle towards the front of the gun. The gun can be held by just his right hand but it is quite heavy and just weighs his arm down. Despite the clunkiness, the gun and the back pack have plenty of detail although, like the figure, could use some shading and highlighting. He could also perhaps use a smaller gun, one that is just the size of a hand gun and doesnt attach to anything as seen in Batman the Animated series.

As for articulation, Mattel has done a good job. Mr. Freeze has joints at the shoulders, biceps, elbows, forearms, mid-torso, hips, thighs, knees, calves and ankles. As for the neck, as I mentioned the glass helmet is not removable. But it turns when you turn the lower end of Freeze's body so the head is always facing the direction that the feet are facing. The shoulder joints are constricted a bit by the bulky tech suit design. Out of the package, the joints were a bit loose for my liking. Mostly in the knees which ticked me off a little. Usually i find i don't have this issue from this line of action figures. Regardless it's not bad enough where he can't stand but I would have liked the knees to be tighter.

Out of all the different re-paint versions of Mr. Freeze Mattel has given us, this is probably the best looking of the bunch. Hopefully if Mattel decides to do another Mr. Freeze figure, they will choose a new sculpt. I think 4 re-painted versions is enough. Despite its flaws, (the re-used sculpt, paint flaws and the clunky accessories) Mr. Freeze is still bad ass! A great fit with the other DCSH and DCUC toys from Mattel. He would not be bad with DC Direct toys either but keep in mind DCD figures are generally a bit taller than Mattel figures.

Sculpt/Design - 8.5, Paint - 7, Accessories - 8, Articulation - 8, Fun - 8

Mr. Freeze Overall - 8/10

Since this is a NY Comic Con exclusive toy, this figure is hard to find. If you do find it, it's expensive at this point. A quick search on eBay came up with 2 auctions for this figure in the $50 range. The other versions can be obtain at a cheaper costs

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To find DC Superheroes Mr. Freeze by Mattel on eBay, click here.

Thanks for reading my action figure review blog currently featuring DC Superheroes, DC Universe Classics and DC Direct toys. Be sure to check back for more reviews, news and information about your favorite comic book action figures.