Raving Toy Maniac

Hey there!

These two arrived from BBTS yesterday, and of course I love 'em both. I don't have the camera to do a proper review, so just some quick thoughts to tide you over...

Batman: Not dissimilar from the first release, there are lots of things I like about this Bats; having said that, there are some things I think the Arkham Asylum version did far, far better.

The Good: His stature is far more imposing than the AA version. Much of that is due to the cape "shoulder pads" that are, for some strange reason, articulated. I understand the idea behind it, and I suspect that enough problems arose on the AA version (hereafter referred to as V.1 to save typing) with the arms breaking at the shoulder or lat joint that they tried to rectify it with this one. But the bulk of the cape still covers part of the arm ball joint, so it really doesn't help as much as you'd think. But still-- the shoulder pads and the build of his upper torso is broader and bulkier, matching the game model better. He just looks larger and scarier because of it. Speaking of scary, his alternate head is one of the best scowl/sneer/baring teeth & ticked off sculpt I've seen in awhile. The batarang and batclaw are re-used, I'm almost certain, as are his hands, so no surprises there if you own the V.1, he holds both accessories about the same. The extra line for the batclaw is nice, but would have benefited from a pliable wire for action poses, but if you want him to grapple another figure it comes in handy. I REALLY like the blue they used on him-- at first glance it doesn't look very different from V. 1, but under brighter light it's a very sharp and deep royal blue, which I love, because Batman has always been BLUE and grey to me.

The Bad: The cape. Why, when the cape on V.1's poseability was such a huge plus, did they glue it down for this release? It's still in two pieces, but it's very stiff and limits his torso articulation--a lot. I'm a little puzzled, too, why his arm gauntlets and gloves are varying shades of grey and gunmetal, with no blue to be seen. I might give him an extra pair of V.1 hands so it's not so jarring, but it is growing on me. The worst part about him (and Catwoman, who we'll get to in a second) are the swappable heads. Swappable heads are a fantastic feature for action figures, but like swappable hands, they are worth absolutely ^&*$ all if you can';t swap them easily. I had such a hard time with Bats that I almost lost the double ball-post that sits between the head and neck, because it stayed attached to the head and popped off the neck post. ARGH! So currently Bats will be keeping his more pissed-off expression. That, and there are several spots on his "neutral" head that had paint rub off or wasn't applied well to begin with, which I'll try to color match with a sharpie if I can, or if I EVER bother swapping the head out again.

Catwoman: This is probably (along with AA Harley) the best female figure I have in my collection. Yes, the cleavage is a bit much, but I expected the anime style that Square tends to sculpt in to sex her up even more. And given some of the anime out there, Selina's proportions are fairly tame by comparison. And to be honest, her in-game appearance was pretty cheesecake to begin with.

The Good: What can I say that other's pictures haven't already? She's a fantastic figure. Her joints all work well, and at least, for now, are tight and hold poses well. I was happy they included TWO sets of hands, which gives you a multitude of posing options. Her whip is nice, but again would have benefited from poseable wiring.

The Bad: The frigging swappable head problem strikes again. While I struggled with Bats and almost lost a piece, Selina's "goggles down" head will not go on her. At all. The neutral portrait pops on and off easily, but this one simply won't go on, and I've grown weary trying to force it, especially after the ordeal with Bats. The overspray on her face almost looks like her makeup is running, but it's not as bad as say, Kratos or even the Joker, and the paint around her neck looks very glossy compared to the rest of her. In fact, I'd say both her and Batman are much more "slick" and shiny looking compared to the AA releases. It's not awful, but it's odd. Also on mine, the left hip joint doesn't click like it should, but it doesn't hinder her poseability at all.

Maybe I have bad luck and some of the issues with the heads are QC problems, but I doubt it. If they're going to continue with alternate heads, they need to do better. Overall, even without the second portraits, I would have bought these, honestly. Play Arts are my new addiction, and with not only Dark Knight offerings but AC Harley, Ivy, DKR Batman and Robin coming, this looks like a stellar year for Square and Play Arts, and Batman fans, too. Here's hoping that a Nightwing is in the works and maybe a Riddler!
Cheers!

-Swift