NECA 7" 1989 Video Game Batman Figure

I somehow missed this NECA 7" Batman figure, freakishly painted in blue and purple to dodge character licensing stipulations under the guise as the 1989 Batman video game character. Several YouTube reviewers announced future plans to repaint him in black like the 1/4 scale figure also released by NECA, but I for one had no such machinations. You can get this figure in black with the 25th Anniversary Blu-Ray, but I actually appreciate this bizarrely colored rendition as an oddity among my collection. While I never played the video game, I was obsessed with Tim Burton's telling of Gotham's most famous vigilante, and was an unexpected fan of actor Michael Keaton's performance. The front of the box looks worn like the edges of a vintage Nintendo case, and the inside decorated like an 8-bit background from the game.

NECA Batman comes with extra hands to hold the grapple gun and batarang he comes with.

Batman has serviceable articulation, boasting over 25 points, and can do a few things with some patient posing. He can turn his head, unlike actor Michael Keaton in the real suit, though his chest emblem turns with it. He holds his very detailed grapple gun quite well...

Like his 1/4" scale counterpart, the attention to screen accuracy in the sculpt is pretty extensive- the armored shin guards, gauntlets, and cowl look very much like the movie outfit, and the facial sculpt resembles Keaton. The cape does not resemble the leathery texture seen in the movie, but it's a faithful representation otherwise... 

NECA Batman has a very detailed batarang that he struggles to get a grip on unfortunately. He has no abdominal crunch, but does hide a waist swivel beneath his belt. The shoulder and hip hinge/swivels have limited range, but the elbows and knees have hinge/swivel combos as well, and the ankle rocker joints help keep his feet flat when posed. Again, I know some would find this figure garish, and he may not bowl you over with his poseability, but I'm fascinated by him... 

In black and white, this figure looks like a still frame from the movie...

NECA Batman with the surprisingly great 4" Mattel Multiverse 1989 Batman...

NECA Batman looks right at home next to my DCUC All-Star Joker...

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Sideshow One Sixth Batman Comparison Photos

There was so much to talk about with the outstanding Sideshow One Sixth Batman I picked up recently that I wanted to do another post of comparison pictures with other 1:6 scale Batman figures in my collection...

Sideshow Batman probably has most in common with my DC Direct Deluxe Batman, in his modern/classic styling and short cowl ears. Categorizing  this DC Direct as 1:6 scale is a bit of a stretch as he's really 13", While the DC Direct version seemed a little clumsy after working with the Sideshow, it didn't diminish my appreciation for the former, which I got at at a great price back in 2011...

My first serious 1:6 figure, the DC Direct Batman Beyond, has more in common proportionally to Sideshow Batman. I like the slender body and articulation on this DC Direct- the head sculpt is truly bizarre, and looks very little like the clenched teeth visage we know as Terry McGinnis from the animated shows & comics, but he's plenty of fun and has a lot of visual appeal...

Just for fun since I've been on a Batman kick lately, a shot of Sideshow Batman with my 10" Kai Play Arts Arkham City Batman, who also came with a grapple gun/cable accessory- a feature I appreciate. While the Play Arts Batman had it's issues, it's extreme detail and hyper stylization are impressive...

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Mattel Total Heroes Batman

I have a few of these Total Heroes figures that seemed to take the place of the popular DCUC line by Mattel, along with their 4" DC Multiverse. These are targeted at younger kids, who are less particular in taste than the adult collector, and made with less articulation and paint apps to keep the price point low. I got the few I have for ten bucks or less, but more often see them go for fifteen or more- a price I wouldn't pay, except for maybe the Mattycollector exclusive Batman Beyond, which sold out and now goes for fifty bucks on eBay. I appreciated the cartoony styling, but they should be more like five or six dollars- maybe seven. That said, they produced a fun Batman figure...

We do get hinge/swivel combos on the shoulders, elbows, and hips that help with posing, and his waist swivels at the belt, so the articulation is serviceable. A lot of parts are reused on the other characters, but Batman's gauntlets and utility belt are unique to him, as his cowled head. His body is cast in a subtly metallic plastic, and boots, gloves, etc. in flat black...

Batman's cape is fabric anchored beneath his head- a feature I appreciate in an action figure. It allows more posing possibilities, and fun to swing them with ...!

I like the pegs on the back of Batman's utility belt, where his batarangs and grapple gun can be stowed. I'd think a working grapple line would be in order for this considering the target demographic, and that would have been standard  in the past, but is sadly missing. At least he got two batarangs, as all Batman figures should...

Mattel Total Heroes Batman and Superman together, sporting the New 52 design...

Mattel Total Heroes Batman and Superman with their 5" Justice League counterparts, whose styling originated in the Batman: the Brave & the Bold action figure line I was extremely fond of...

Mattel Total Heroes Batman with other recent New 52 styled Batman figures, including the Justice League Batman pictured above, the 6" Batman Unlimited, and 3" Imaginext Batman...

*Like the Batman Power Attack figures, these aren't going to blow you away, but their sculpts are dynamic and fun, there are limited accessories, and have cloth capes. See my post on the Green Lantern & Sinestro Total Heroes figures, too!

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Hot Toys 1:6 Scale Last Stand Wolverine

It was difficult not to take notice of other 1:6 scale Hot Toys figures after spending some time with my Amazing Spider-Man, which blew me away with it's immaculate quality and incredible detail. I was hooked! There are other Hot Toys Wolverine figures, including a very cool Days of Future Past version soon to be released, but this X-Men Last Stand was the version for me. Capturing actor Hugh Jackman's likeness expertly, this Wolverine looks bad to the bone in his black leather X-Men outfit, the design of which I'm fond of. It restricts the figure's range of articulation, but looks killer. His adamantium claws are cast in real metal and individually removable from one of the three sets of hands included. Wolverine came with cumbersome base molded in in the shape of a Sentinel's decapitated head with a somewhat weak light feature in the eyes, but the other stand included was all I really needed. See more in my video...

Last Stand Wolverine with my Hot Toys Amazing Spider-Man...

Wolverine and Spider-Man have had an interesting relationship in the comics, the humor of which I've enjoyed a great deal. The all-ages book Avengers: Infinity Gauntlet  I posted on in 2011 really cracked me up, the wise-cracking Spider-Man confounding a cranky Wolverine at every turn. Very funny! More serious in tone, Spider-Man Vs.Wolverine #1 (1987) was my first exposure to the odd coupling of Marvel characters, and the beginning of their longtime friendship. It was announced that Spidey will be taking his recently deceased friend's place in the Wolverine & The X-Men title, as mentor to the young mutants attending the Jean Grey School... at least until his eventual resurrection. R.I.P Wolverine- we look forward to seeing you again!

Hot Toys Wolverine with some of my other Wolverines in the Super-DuperToyBox, including 9" Hasbro Wolverine, 11" Hasbro Titan Heroes Wolverine,  9" ToyBiz Famous Covers Wolverine, and 3 3/4" Marvel Universe '90s Wolverine. Still packaged behind them are the 6" Marvel Legends X-Force Wolverine and 7" Marvel Select movie Wolverine...

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Sofubi Vinyl Batman by Medicom

I was positive I wanted this sofubi vinyl Batman after discovering him on the internet some time ago, but was turned off by the high price at retail. That said, a mere twenty dollar drop in price, no tax, and free shipping was enough for me to cave in. Made of soft vinyl by Japanese company Medicom, this 10.5" doll has the kind of retro styling that appeals to myself and a whole community of serious collectors, some going for two to three times what I paid for this Batman...

Though articulation is limited to swivels at the arms and neck, this fun toy has a removable cowl and big, irresistible design! The snap on the cape and oversized head really adds to the aesthetic of this figure, announcing it's unapologetic status as a fun toy!

Another figure I love in my burgeoning collection of vinyl toys is my Funko Vinyl Invaders Batman. While I have a few other characters in vinyl, Batman is my obsession in this subcategory of my collection. There's also a Joker, Superman, Batgirl, Catwoman, and Bizarro in this retro Medicom series, and Harley Quinn, Riddler, and Spider-Man on the way for 2015.

My Mattel 8" Retro-Action Batman has a great deal in common with the sofubi Batman, and several attributes in styling I admire in a Batman. I like this Silver-Age color scheme on a Batman, the blue on gray with black shorts and yellow oval behind the bat symbol on the chest. And a removable cowl, no matter what the complaints, always sells me!

Pictured below, some Silver-Age blue/gray Batmen in my collection:  Mattel 5" Stealth Strike Gear Up Batman (also w/removable cowl), Mattel 8" Retro-Action Batman, Medicom 10.5" Sofubi Batman, Mattel 6.5" Arkham City Batman, Mattel 6" Power Attack Batman, and 4" Power Attack Batman...

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Amazing Spider-Man 30th Anniversary Issues, 1992

Back in 1992, Marvel was printing issues by the millions to satisfy the glut of speculators buying comics in multiples, hoping to see an increase on their investment. But as Stan Lee poignantly remarked, what made Golden-Age comics worth so much was their rarity, and because of that I can find these Amazing Spider-Man 30th Anniversary issues in the dollar bins. Comics nearly didn't survive the speculative bubble created, with about two thirds of all the specialty shops closing their doors, and Marvel Comics declaring bankruptcy finally in 1997. 

Artist Mark Bagley's rendering of Venom in Amazing Spider-Man #375, originally a Spider-Man costume design conceived by an Illinois fan, used in the 1984 Secret Wars storyline. Later written into Marvel lore as Venom by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane in 1988, the character has become one of Spider-Man's most popular enemies among readers.

But in 1992, Marvel was churning out these foil embossed and holographic covers to entice collectors, which have retained a fraction of their retail value. In all fairness, I was entertained by the multiple feature issues of The Amazing Spider-Man and Web of Spider-Man, the latter of which had a really fun gatefold poster of Spider-Man and his 2099 counterpart by artist Rick Leonardi, then a brand new character that seems to have enjoyed a nostalgic renaissance of sorts in recent years. 

Amazing Spider-Man #365 included a preview of this futuristic Spider-Man, and a Stan Lee penned/John Romita Sr. penciled story "I Remember Gwen", centered around Mary Jane's ruminations on the tragic circumstances surrounding Peter Parker's late girlfriend and her own relationship with the webslinger. Among other featurettes, including the return of the Lizard and Peter Parker's parents in "Fathers and Sins",  #365 also had it's own Carnage/Venom gatefold by artist Mark Bagley, who's style I admired in the day, along with along with that of fellow Spider-Man artist Erik Larsen.

Web of Spider-Man #90 had the best story, in which Mysterio tricks Spider-Man into believing his career is run by an agent who booked his first appearance as the masked webslinger all those years ago when trying his powers out as a wrestler. Illusions of the Green Goblin, Galactus, the X-Men, Venom, and even the dearly departed are used in attempt to bring our hero down! Spectacular Spider-Man #189 was my least favorite of these, Harry Osborn's return to his father's legacy as Green Goblin threatening Peter Parker's secret identity as well as his own family's safety. Sal Buscema delivers on the art, but the melodrama between Osborn and his estranged wife and child didn't interest me. Amazing Spider-Man #375 seemingly concluded Venom and Spider-Man's ongoing rivalry in "The Bride of Venom". Eddie Brock's ex-wife, the Wild Pack, and Peter Parker's fugitive parents also make appearances in this issue preceding Venom's first solo run in the six issue Venom: Lethal Protector.

Web of Spider-Man #90: the Venom symbiote takes over a movie prop Galactus in Mysterio's illusory assault on Spider-Man.

Pencils by Alex Saviuk.

I just love anniversary and "giant-sized" issues, old and new, even if all the content isn't that great. It may be my deep love of the medium at play here, but these kinds of books often entertain some "what if" elements and/or take a character to a different place. I bought very few comics during this era, a poor art student at the time, but had fun absorbing this slice of Spidey from the early '90s recently. Did you have any of these 30th Anniversary issues, or maybe buy two of each in hopes it would appreciate in value ...?

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