Batman action figures
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[edit] History
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[edit] Batman
Batman first appeared in 1939 in Detective Comics #27. When young Bruce Wayne's parents were killed in front of him, he dedicated his life to fighting criminals. As Batman, Bruce Wayne fights to protect Gotham City from the likes of the Joker, Two-Face, Scarecrow, Man-Bat, Mr. Freeze, Clayface, and many more. Batman started off as a solo act, but has gained several partners through the years, including Robin, Batgirl, and Nightwing. After almost 70 years, thousands of comics, a television series, several films and cartoons, and countless memorabilia, Batman remains one of the most well known and best loved fictional heroes of all times.
[edit] Action Figures
An action figure is a toy marketed mainly for male youth, while more character based figures marketed for female youth are called dolls. Today, more and more adults buy action figures for collector's items rather than their fun factor. DC Comics has their own line of collector friendly action figures marketed under the name DC Direct.
[edit] Early years
[edit] Captain Action
In 1966, the Ideal Toy Company launched a line of super hero dolls called Captain Action in response to Mattel's popular G.I. Joe line. The Captain Action doll came dressed with a cloth super hero costume, hat, ray gun, and sword, ready for kids to enjoy. But parents could also buy additional super hero costumes that were sold separately. Kids could take Captain Action's costume off and replace it with one of several super hero costumes based on famous comic book characters.
Also in 1966, ABC television launched a live action Batman TV series. Because of Batman's growing success in the mid '60's, a Batman costume was included in Captain Action's arsenal. This Batman costume was detailed with a horizontally striped cape as well as a black and gold chest emblem (the costume set was available with both metal and decal chest emblems). Batman's accessories included a blue Batarang, flash light, and drill which could attach to the utility belt.
In 1967, Ideal released a partner doll for Captain Action, his youthful sidekick, Action Boy. Ideal Toy's released only three costumes for Action Boy to change into, one of them being Robin, Batman's sidekick.
[edit] Mego
In 1972, The Mego Corporation released their own line of DC Comics character and Marvel Comics character dolls called The World's Greatest Super Heroes!. This line of 8" dolls featured many Batman characters, including Batman, Robin, Catwoman, and The Joker. Like Ideal Toy's Captain Action line, these figures featured cloth costumes that fans could remove. Unlike Ideal Toy's Captain Action line, however, the costumes came with the figure, and were not sold separately.
Realizing the success of the 8" line of dolls, and wanting to offer fans more for less, Mego Corp. released a smaller plastic line of action toys called Comic Action Heroes! in 1975. The Comic Action Heroes did not have any moving parts, like small plastic statues. The line featured several Batman characters as well as other DC Comics characters. Later, in 1979, Mego re-released the line under the new name Pocket Super Heroes, a name that would return more than 20 years later as part of DC Direct's super hero line of figures (see below).
[edit] Birth of true action figures
[edit] Super Powers Collection
In 1984, the Kenner toy company was granted the rights to produce DC Comics character figures, and soon after, the Super Powers Collection of action figures hit toy shelves. Each figure, as the name implies, had a secret super power that would trigger when the figure's arms or legs were squeezed. Kenner produced 3 different Super Powers lines, ending production before such rumored Batman character figures as Catwoman and Man-Bat were produced.
During its time on the market, however, the Super Powers Collection managed to release the first-ever 5" action figures of Batman, Robin, The Joker, The Penguin, and Mr. Freeze. Toy shelves also reserved space for an accurately styled Batmobile and a Batcopter that would later be reproduced in black & gold for The Dark Knight Collection of 1990 (see Kenner Film Figures).
[edit] Toy Biz DC Super Heroes & Pacipa's Super Amigos
Since Kenner had stopped production of DC Comics character figures in 1986 when the Super Powers line folded, DC Comics granted the license to the up and coming toy company, Toy Biz, in 1989. Toy Biz first produced figures for the Batman movie tie-in, then released other DC Comics character figures under the name DC Comics Super Heroes, a name that would later be used again by different toy companies (see below). The Flash TV series character received a tie-in figure from Toy Biz as well.
Also in 1989, the South American toy company Pacipa bought old Super Powers molds to create a line of DC Comics character figures called Super Amigos. Exclusive to South America, all of the figures were reproductions of Super Powers figures, but made with a low quality plastic and poor paint jobs. This collection also gave way to a Riddler action figure in the form of a repainted Green Lantern base sculpt. A rare piece, this figure is highly sought after by collectors.
Back in the US, the Toy Biz line brought some new figures to the shelves not previously featured in the Super Powers line including Two-Face and The Riddler. Like Pacipa's Super Amigos, the figures featured low quality plastic, and the majority were slightly retooled reproductions of the Super Powers line from Kenner. DC Comics noticed the poor quality of the figures, and quickly cancelled the license, awarding it back to Kenner.
[edit] Kenner movie figures
[edit] Batman
The same year that Toy Biz won and lost the rights to produce DC Comics figures, Kenner regained the rights and quickly produced a line of Batman movie figures. Released in 1990, these were the first DC Comics figures produced by Kenner in four years.
Kenner's Dark Knight Collection consisted of several versions of Batman, set apart only by different paint jobs and unique accessories. A Quick-Change Bruce Wayne figure and two versions of The Joker made up the rest of the figures. The Dark Knight Collection also boasted several vehicles including a Batmobile and Turbo Batwing as well as role playing toys. Some items were inexplicitly reused from past Kenner lines such as RoboCop and the Ultra Police, SilverHawks, and Police Academy. Others, such as the Batcave Command Center and Jokermobile, were shown in the Kenner Action Toy Guide but postponed for future Batman lines.[1]
[edit] Batman Returns
When the feature film Batman Returns hit theaters in 1992, Kenner renamed their movie line Batman Returns. This new line included several versions of the same Batman figure sculpt as seen in the previous Dark Knight Collection line. The movie's two villains, Catwoman and Penguin, received their own figures. Catwoman received a new sculpt, but the Penguin figure was a repainted sculpt from Kenner's Super Power's line.
At the same time Batman Returns hit theaters, fictional teenager Tim Drake became the newest Robin in Batman comics. Because of Robin's rejuvenated popularity, a new Robin figure which featured a sculpt based on the newest comic book design was also introduced in the Batman Returns line even though the character was not featured in the movie.
Rumors are that Robin was set to be included in Batman Returns in the form of an auto mechanic who wore the letter 'R' on his work coveralls, but was cut from the film before production.
[edit] Batman Forever
In 1995, Batman Forever was released featuring Val Kilmer as the Dark Knight. Breaking away from the repetitive base sculpt of the previous two movie collections, Kenner produced Batman Forever figures using a wider range of fresh sculpts.
Target eventually released their own series of exclusive Batman Forever action figures as well. These were simply repainted figures from the original line, and they came on a newly styled card.
[edit] Batman & Robin
For the 1997 release of Batman & Robin, the final Batman film of the '90s, Kenner released the Batman & Robin figure line. Unlike previous movie lines, the Batman & Robin line featured several versions of the movie's villains, not just heroes. Kenner also released several hero/villain 2-packs and 12" figures.
[edit] Batman gets animated
[edit] Batman: The Animated Series
Shortly after the 1992 premiere of Batman: The Animated Series, Kenner produced a line of figures based on the new cartoon. Like the previous two Batman movie lines, the first few lines of figures included several versions of Batman, and also included multiple versions of Robin and new villains including Clayface, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, and others.
[edit] Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
In 1993, another Batman movie was released, an animated feature film called Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Kenner produced Mask of the Phantasm figures using old Batman: T.A.S. molds and only a few new sculpts such as Jet Pack Joker and Phantasm.
[edit] Crime Squad
As time went by, Kenner's Batman: T.A.S. line began losing steam, so Kenner retooled some of their figures, releasing Batman: T.A.S.: Crime Squad. This line had several Batman variations, but only included one Robin figure, and no villain figures.
Later, Kenner renamed this line The Adventures of Batman & Robin, releasing several figures that were not released as part of the Batman: T.A.S. line, the most famous being a Harley Quinn figure, based on the popular animated series character.
[edit] DUO Force
Like Batman: T.A.S., The Adventures of Batman & Robin line started to lose steam as well, so Kenner released The Adventures of Batman & Robin: D.U.O. Force. Despite its introduction of a Batgirl figure, the collection primarily featured repaints of old molds with new accessories and quickly folded.
[edit] The New Batman Adventures
As Hasbro bought out Kenner, a new line of action figures were produced by Hasbro based on the new animated series, The New Batman Adventures. This line featured new sculpts based on the updated animated series from the WB network. The first Creeper and Mad Hatter figures were included in this line.
[edit] Mission Masters
After the first line of figures were released, The New Batman Adventures line took on the sub title Mission Masters. This line featured new Riddler and Mr. Freeze sculpts.
The second Mission Masters line featured repaints of old Batman: T.A.S. figures, including The Joker.
To move away from The New Batman Adventures line, Kenner/Hasbro released the third and fourth Mission Masers lines under the basic Batman title. Included were figures from Batman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Kenner's Superman Adventures line, and some Batman Beyond (see below) figures. Also included was a new comic style Bruce Wayne/Batman figure, rumble ready Riddler and an animated style insect body Mr. Freeze.
Later, Hasbro released several Batman: T.A.S., The Adventures of Batman and Robin, and The New Batman Adventures repaints in the Spectrum of the Bat action figure line.
[edit] Batman Beyond
Hasbro released a new line of figures based on the new WB Batman cartoon Batman Beyond. This line, like all Batman lines in the past, featured many versions of Batman, but only a few versions of the cartoon's villains and no supporting characters.
Later, Hasbro released Batman Beyond: Bat-Links. Unlike Hasbro's earlier Batman Beyond toy line, this line was not based on the popular cartoon series, but had an Elseworlds computer theme.
A Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker movie tie-in line of figures were produced which included several The New Batman Adventures figures as well as Batman Beyond Figures.
[edit] Comic figures
[edit] Legends of Batman
In 1994, Kenner released a whole new line of Batman action figures which included all new sculpts instead of reused molds of old figures. The Legends of Batman line of figures included several Elseworlds versions of Batman, but also included true to comic versions of several Batman characters including Knightfall Batman, Knightquest Batman, Nightwing, The Joker, Catwoman and The Riddler. This line never gained popularity, though, and was cancelled soon after its debut. Several years later, WB Stores bought the rights to sell exclusive repainted sculpts of the Legends of Batman line of figures.
[edit] Legends of the Dark Knight
After the failed Legends of Batman line, Kenner gave the Elseworlds version of Batman figures one last shot by releasing Legends of the Dark Knight. Based on the popular comic of the same name, Legends of the Dark Knight featured all Elseworlds versions of Batman and other characters. The only character figures in this line to stay true to their comic images were Dark Knight Detective Batman, an online exclusive, and Man-Bat. Like Legends of Batman, this line never gained popularity, and was quickly cancelled. Later, a few unproduced figures from this line were offered as online exclusives.
[edit] Superman: Man of Steel
Also in 1994, Kenner moved away from their focus on DC's Batman, and released a Superman comic character line called Superman: The Man of Steel. This line featured several popular characters from the Superman comics, but also included several two-packs which featured Batman and Superman together. Two of the Superman/Batman figures later turned up as mail-away exclusives in the Batman: Total Justice line of figures (see below) hhh
[edit] Batman: Total Justice
In 1996, Kenner started production on a new line of DC Comics character figures. This line, like Legends of Batman and Legends of the Dark Knight, featured all new sculpts of popular DC Comics characters. To appeal to buyers, Kenner produced the line under the high selling Batman title, calling the line Batman: Total Justice. This line featured not only Batman, Robin, and The Huntress, but also included other DC Comics characters including Superman, Green Lantern, The Flash and others.
Even though this was the first line of DC Comics character figures released by Kenner since the Super Powers line folded 10 years earlier, some fans were disappointed. Despite remarkably detailed sculpts, the figures' static poses and "Fractal Armor" accessories caused unhappiness. Wanting more articulation and less gimmick, some abandoned the Total Justice line, and Kenner stopped production after the release of 14 figures.
[edit] JLA
Two years after the Total Justice line faded, the Hasbro toy company produced the same figures included in the Total Justice line, this time releasing them under the name JLA (a tie-in with the popular comic title). Several of the unproduced Total Justice figures were produced in this line, but no new Batman related characters were included. A redesigned Joker figure was included in a JLA box set.
[edit] Hasbro's DC Super Heroes
Returning to the comic roots of Kenner's Super Powers line, Hasbro released a new line of 7" figures called DC Super Heroes. Unlike the earlier Toy Biz line by the same name, this line featured new sculpts with great detail. Only one line of figures were released, though, and they were very hard to find. The reason for the short life of a great line that had many possibilities remains unclear.
Hasbro also produced several Mego like dolls in the DC Super Hero line as well.
[edit] Batman: Knight Force Ninjas
In 1998, Kenner produced a new line of Batman figures called Batman: Knight Force Ninjas. This line, like Legends of Batman and Legends of the Dark Knight, featured all new sculpts of Batman in an Elseworld theme. The only two figures worth remembering in this line were the first ever Azrael figure, and a new Killer Croc figure.
[edit] DC Direct
To please fans and collectors who wanted better figures, not just repaints, DC Comics started production on their own line of action figures. These highly articulated figures, based on popular DC Comics characters, feature many Batman characters, and also feature storyline inspired character figures including Elseworld figures.
DC Direct also released a new line of Pocket Super Heroes, mini action figures that kids could put in their pocket. The Pocket Super Heroes come in boxed sets, including a Batman boxed set featuring Batman, Bruce Wayne, Robin, Alfred Pennyworth, Catwoman and Two-Face.
[edit] Batman around the world
To please fans around the globe, DC Comics gave a license to Japanese toy company Yamato to produce a line of Batman action figures. These figures were only released in Japan in 2003, but DC Direct released the same figures in America in 2004. Later, another Japanese toy company, Takara, created a new line of Batman action figures under their Microman Toyline. Featuring more articulation than the Yamato line, these figures also saw their American debut in 2004.
[edit] Change in command
[edit] Kenner ends, Mattel begins
In 2003, Mattel won the rights to produce Batman and other DC Comics character figures from Hasbro. Before losing control, Hasbro released their final sets of Batman animated figures. Most figures were featured in two packs, and were store exclusives. K-Mart, Wal-Mart and Toys 'R' Us released these figures before Mattel took over production.
After Hasbro's line faded, Mattel quickly produced their own line of retooled Batman animated figures to tide fans over until they could release all new figure lines. Some figures were new sculpts, some were just repaints of old Kenner/Hasbro sculpts.
[edit] Teen Titans
Around the same time as Mattel took over production of Batman and DC Comics character figures, Bandai released their own line of figures based on the Cartoon Network's animated series Teen Titans. Teen Titans: Go! features several Robin figures of different sizes. Batman, however, has no place within the cartoon or action figure collection.
[edit] The Batman
After the quickly released animated line faded, Mattel released a new Batman animated line based on WB's new animated series, The Batman. The Batman line of figures featured all new sculpts and more articulation than past animated lines.
After several waves of figures hit toy shelves, Mattel renamed the line The Batman: EXP. The EXP (EXtreme Power) hero figures come with a weapon that, when a power battery is connected and turned, reveals an "extreme power" feature.
When The Batman: EXP line faded, a new line of animated figures were announced. ShadowTek, a line that features new animated Robin & Killer Moth figures based on their cartoon counterparts, hit shelves in late 2006. This line also includes re-released figures from earlier lines as well, a growing Mattel staple.
Later ShadowTek figures include other DC Universe heroes which appear in The Batman cartoon, including Superman, Hawkman, Green Lantern, The Flash and Martian Manhunter.
[edit] Batman Begins
Mattel released a collection of figures based on the hit movie Batman Begins. The line featured all new sculpts, but it had its share of problems. Most of the costumes and characters featured in the line didn't match their movie counterpart. Central characters such as Ninja Bruce Wayne, Ducard, and Ra's Al Ghul all featured identical body sculpts simply with different heads. Many figures had poor distribution, which caused fans to miss out on their favorite characters.
[edit] Superman Returns
After the success of Batman Begins, Mattel released another line of action figures based on a DC Comics super hero feature film, Superman Returns. No Batman character figure was released in the Superman Returns line of figures, but the scale and design of the Superman Returns figures fits well with the Batman Begins line of figures.
[edit] Superman: Man of Steel
When Mattel's Superman Returns line of figures started to slip in sales, Mattel quickly retooled the line, releasing more figures under the name Superman: Man of Steel. While most figures were simply repaints of Superman Returns figures, the Superman: Man of Steel line of figures featured a couple of new sculpts, Metallo and Mongul, characters which appeared in the Superman Returns video game.
[edit] Four Horsemen's Batman
Realizing that fans wanted better quality figures based on their favorite comic characters, like the Toy Biz figure line Marvel Legends, Mattel released a new line of action figures designed by Four Horsemen studios based on the comic styled Batman universe of characters. The new Batman figures were taller than previously released Batman figures, and featured more articulation. Collectors loved the line, but a higher price tag in stores caused poor sales, which caused the line to quickly fade before the release of new figures, including Bane and Scarecrow, made it to American toy shelves. These figures but were released overseas, though, and American collectors could buy the figures online.
[edit] DC Super Heroes
After the Four Horsemen styled Batman line folded, Mattel announced they would release more Four Horsemen styled Batman figures, as well as new Superman figures, with the new DC Comics Super Heroes line of figures. Unlike Toy Biz's earlier line of poor quality figures by the same name, the new figures were just what DC Comic fans were waiting for. The first line of figures included Batman, Killer Croc, and the unreleased Bane and Scarecrow figures from the Four Horsemen's previous Batman line. Used and unused molds from Mattel's Batman line would be used in later DC Super Heroes waves of figures, including the previously released Robin and a new Azrael and Catwoman sculpt.
[edit] DC Universe
When the DC Super Heroes line started to lose steam, Mattel quickly gained the rights to produce more DC Comics characters outside the Superman/Batman universe. The retitled line, DC Universe, hit toy shelves in 2008, featuring fan favorite DC Comics characters like Red Tornado, Firestorm, Green Lantern and Aquaman. Batman characters like The Penguin and Harley Quinn were also announced for the line as well as Superman Red and Blue.
[edit] Justice League
Returning to the animated line, Cartoon Network's popular cartoon series, Justice League, also got their own line of figures produced by Mattel. The Justice League line features several Batman figures. Later, the line was renamed Justice League Unlimited, in order to keep up with changes made to the cartoon series.
In 2006, Mattel released several of the Justice League Unlimited figures under the name DC Super Heroes: Justice League Unlimited. These animated DC Super Heroes were released at the same time as the comic styled DC Super Heroes line of figures.
[edit] Action figures make news
[edit] Mattel controversy
In 2007, Mattle announced a large recall of toys, including toys from The Batman toy line, which featured lead paint and/or small magnets which could choke children.
[edit] References
- ^ Action Figures - Movies - The Dark Knight Collection BatmanYTB.com. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
