The Mad Hatter and 89 Batmobile

The Mad Hatter and 89 Batmobile

DC Collectibles - Mattel/Hot Wheels

Today we're looking at another figure from DC Collectibles' 6-inch scale Batman: The Animated Series line, The Mad Hatter. He comes with a Queen of Hearts Guard battle ax and mind control console; and also comes with two additional sets of hands and an adjustable stand that is standard to the line.  He's got similar articulation problems to the Scarecrow I previously reviewed.  The big, rubber coat makes joints from neck to ankles pointless.  Does it look like the character on screen?  Sure. But I have to ask again, is this a huge step up from the old Kenner line?  If you missed out on that line, you should be buying in...Batman: TAS is still the best Batman universe outside of the comics. And now, to discuss another loosely-related toy...

Batman (1989) was THE blockbuster movie of my childhood. You couldn't escape that golden bat-symbol that summer: t-shirts, posters, toys, Taco Bell cups...it was everywhere! I will never forget my dad taking my younger sister and me in our Batman t-shirts to meet the caped crusader at a local mall (though I had the suspicion that it was not Michael Keaton under the cowl.)  Despite a few flaws, I will always have a soft spot for that movie.  Not that it under-delivers by any means...if the story wasn't perfect, at least the design was. And the one design that refuses to fade away in the toy aisles is the 89 Batmobile.

I will buy any version of this car I see on shelves.  This particular one is the Hot Wheels 1/64th scale.  It's a little more detailed than your standard 99 cent Hot Wheels -- which it should be, since it costs about 4 bucks more.


Now, you might be thinking that I just happened to throw these two toys together because they are Batman related toys I happened to have purchased recently. Yes. But there is one more connective thread: I happened to recently stumble across an audiobook of Batman ('89) on YouTube that is read by the actor who voiced the Mad Hatter on The Animated Series, Roddy McDowall! You should listen to it! It's weird! (I would not have pegged Bookworm to tolerate audiobooks...)