Hellbat Batman and Superman Unchained
DC Multiverse - McFarlane Toys
The corpse of the Mattel DC Multiverse is barely cold, and Todd McFarlane's new 7-inch successors are hitting retail outlets everywhere in early 2020. His first lineup was revealed several weeks prior to release and...drumroll...boy, am I disappointed. Well, not totally...maybe just indifferent? The hopes of having a line that scales well with most of my DC collection completely disintegrated, the first assortment isn't even all that exciting. A standard Bats and Supes was expected (too tall, lanky, and weird chest articulation), but animated figures (just recently exhausted by DCC), another CW Arrow (both done by Mattel and DCC in recent years), and a not-animated-but-animated-looking Harley Quinn? This is just DC Collectibles Mach II with Multiverse packaging!
At the least, there are going to be some armors and larger-scale characters that I can fudge into my collection from the look of things. Like Hellbat and Superman Unchained. These look great and will fit into any Batcave and Fortress of Solitude display quite nicely. Plus, since these are mass retail releases, they cost less than DC Collectibles.
Hellbat is mostly black, but different shades and shines here and there keep him from being boring. The armor that dishes out the beatings (shoulder pads, knee pads, gauntlets) have a flat, weathered look about them, whereas the chest, legs, and helmet might have been polished with Darth Vader's
woodoo hide. There are lots of folds and lines to keep it busy, but not too busy and an accent of red to bring it all together.
The whole figure is much less fragile than I expected. The spikes and fine edges look and feel much less brittle than older DCC and McF offerings. The wings are the only concern, being flat and made with a less pliable plastic. The metal pin makes folding them out a bit tight, so take your time. They also port to the back kinda strange: just plug into hexagon shaped holes. There is no joint or ratcheting system to allow you to adjust these without straight up removing them. If there is one weak point to this figure, that would be it.
Superman fares a bit better with his wings, but has failings elsewhere. His wings are a more pliable plastic with a pegging ball hinge for easier posing. They are a pain to get in there at first, but at least you don't have to remove them to switch things up. Wait...why does Superman need metal wings?!
Yeeeeeeah...what a strange costume all around. I haven't read the comic to put it into context, but it would still look a bit bonkers if I had. Looking at the art its based on, I feel the figure looks more anime/Gundam Wing than it should. It should be giving off vibes similar to Ares' armor or something Apokalyptian. That, and there are some small details in the face of the helmet that are just plain missing.
Also missing is his energy hammer thingy and shield. Must have been a cost-saving cut, which is a real shame. Because of this, he has open, grip hands...if you couldn't do the weapons, could we at least have some punching fists? Gripes aside, he's still a fun figure to play with. The colors shine bright metallic, and you can get a decent amount of poses out of him.
And there you go. The new age of DC figures is here and it's "meh" at best. If they were trying to honor the early days of Mattel with a glut of Superman and Batman figures, they're off to a good start. Otherwise, the two armored figures are the best of the bunch by default. Luckily, they are solid figures that can literally stand on their own. You are getting a good deal with them, too: Build-a-Figure sized figures at retail for $20 each. You also get a trading card!
I'm looking forward to more armors and vehicles, but anyone picking up the torch with these figures should have put a little more effort into bridging the gap with long-time collectors. I'm never going to go all in on the seven inch scale...well, I suppose I would have to fudge a classic Trickster, Mr. Bones, and ridiculous-McFarlane-cape Batman if they ever get around to those. Never say never, I guess.
The most exciting thing about McFarlane taking on DC Comics, is his promise to deliver scale vehicles. The inclusion of the Bat-Raptor was most welcome here in his first wave of figures. It may be a funky choice as far as aesthetics go, but it doesn't break the bank for the consumer or merchandiser. It looks great, even if it is bare-bones and should fit my 6-inch figures just fine.
Like Hellbat armor Batman, this vehicle is mostly black, but varies in application from flat to shiny. This adds a little more visual variety and helps some of its lines and curves stand out. There is also some very nice silver weathering where appropriate.
The Raptor isn't as long but just a hair wider than Mattel's Batman Missions Batmobile...which may replace it as my default Bat-transport for the foreseeable future. The real test was fitting it into the garage area of the Batman V Superman Batcave playset. Like a glove!
