In this episode of the 1995 Batman podcast Drew gives his thoughts on the Robin costume in Batman Forever.
I've got to say I really agree with him that it's a shame they made Chris O'Donnell such a fantastic suit and then barely showed it off in the film. And when it was on screen it was mostly obscured by tight close-ups or hazy green lighting from Claw Island.
I really wish they had stuck with the suit a little longer in Batman & Robin rather than transitioning straight into the Nightwing inspired one.
These Spin Master figures were a really pleasant surprise when they got announced at the start of this year but unfortunately (unlike the Batmobile) they ended up being out of reach for everyone outside the US due to them being exclusive to Target stores.
They still are exclusive but some have trickled through to online sellers and often they go for stupid money considering they retail for $8.99. I've seen people on eBay sell them for as much as £30-40 each!
Luckily, I managed to find a few at a much lower price. I actually ordered the whole line from a toy seller who had to cancel the order because they'd sold out of everything except the Batman. Bless them, they sent me that one for free.
Anyway, to the figures themselves, they are kinda fun but also kinda disappointing. These almost the exact same molds at the Kenner ones. The Robin I don't mind because I really like that Hydro Claw Robin it's based on.
The Batman one is based on Blast Cape Batman with a slight tweak in that his arms can go out as well as up and down.
As someone pointed out, it's a little difficult to understand why you'd make these figures given that the originals are all on eBay for very little money.
What really disappointing is that Spin Master did a great unique Batman Returns figure. I wonder why they didn't do new molds for this? Maybe it was a cost thing - cheaper to reuse and approve existing molds?
These figures actually came out a while back (last year) and I was going to give them a miss until I found they cheap from an American seller. Buying all three at once meant the shipping was reasonable.
I don't know much about Iron Studios other than they produce some high end statues and prop replicas. These are more their fun, cheap side.
I really dig the designs. Much more than Hot Toys comparable Cosbaby line. They are still cartoonist but a little more realistically proportioned.
The Riddler stuck out to me because it reminded me of those Guesser figures that Nygma has all around his apartment and work station. Nice to see the idea come full circle.
The Batman figures is my least favourite but I do love that they went to the effort of making an replica of the clock riddle rather than just have a green envelope (see Funko Pop and Cosbaby figures).
The Robin one is definitely my favourite thiugh. I never tire of seeing that suit. I looks so great, even at this scale. And the idea of having him hold a batboat and batmobile is so great considering how he treats them both in the movie.
Apologies for taking so long to getting around to reviewing this figure. I actually took SO long that news just hit McFarlane will be losing the DC license next year (it's going back to Mattel - read more about that here).
Anyway, on to the figure itself. This is a nice figure. I'm a big fan of the costume in this movie. I love that it takes most of its cues from the Tim Drake comic book suit.
Some stuff they've done well. I love that they've kept the interior of the cape yellow (lots of other toy versions skip over that). The head sculpt is good too. I don't know if it's up there with McFarlane's Poison Ivy but it's a solid representation of Chris O'Donnell. I was quite surprised that this is a completely different head sculpt from the Batman & Robin one.
I love that it comes with extra hands. I don't know why it has hands for grasping things - maybe the makers are expecting us to borrow some of the gadgets like the batarang and grapnel launcher from the Batman figure. But I do enjoy the pointing finger and open palm hand. It means you can give the character a bit more personality when you pose them. These McFarlane figures are so flexible they deserve to be put in good poses.
On to the bad, the colours of the suit are kind of flat and matt. Not the muted metallic tones that the movie version had. That's a shame. I have seen people do good custom paint jobs but I don't know that I have the skill to tackle this one.
All in all, a solid start to the Batman Forever line.
Wow, did not expect this so quickly. McFarlane Toys have announced they are also releasing at least 5 figures from Batman, Poison Ivy, Batgirl, Robin and Mr Freeze.
Again these are 7 inches.
There's no mention but there will also probably be a Bane build-a-figure (ie. You'll get a part of Bane with each figure you purchase - collect them all and you can make the full figure).
Release date is listed as Fall 2023. No price guide but likely $20-25 per figure.
I'm assuming they'll also be doing some Batman Forever figures too but who knows.
Once again, I'm covering only the most essential of Batman Forever merchandise - the highly sought after eraser set from Noteworthy. Unfortunately I only have 3 of the 4 erasers but hopefully you enjoy the video.
If you're looking for just ONE Robin figure from the Batman Forever toyline this is the one you need to get.
The strange scooter vehicle is pretty ropey but the figure is a solid representation of the suit Chris O'Donnell wears at the end of the film.
I wish they could have figured out a way of getting the black and yellow cape in there but I'll let them off. I guess at a push I could always take the cape off the Batman Returns Robin figure.
This week we're looking at the last few Batman Forever mugs and glasses that I own. Not quite sure how I ended up with so many of these but they're kinda fun. Just the same old problems with them being Applause, the paint application is a little sloppy. As I say in the video I'm 99% sure they didn't make a Riddler mug in this style but if anyone knows better let me know.
I've reviewed a lot of Batman Forever over the last few years but Hydro Claw Robin holds a particulaly special place in my heart. This was the first Batman Forever figure I ever bought back in 1995 having just watched the film. I loved the figure then and I still love it now.
The suit is really nicely detailed and I love the addition of the gold bandolier. It strays quite far from the movie suit but feels like it would fit really nicely with the Batman Sonar suit.
The reversal of the green and black elements (gloves and boots) also works really well too and helps give the suit a darker look. If only it came with a cape this would be a great figure (and in fairness it's no trouble to nick a cape from another figure).
This was a definite shelf warmer back in the day but it's still worth picking up (even today). EBay is awash with them so there's excuse not to get one too.
This part is particularly interesting because the last few images are something called "Forever Kids" which was an attempt to make illustrations suitable for under 5s. It looks a lot like the Animated Series.
There's also a bunch of product concept ideas which were never made like Batman rollerskates, umbrellas, waistcoats and more.
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