DC Multiverse 1:18- Arkham City Batman Review

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DC for so long has lacked a line which can compete with Marvel's Marvel Universe 4-Inch line of figures.  Their short-lived DC Universe Infinite Heroes, was a bit underwhelming in terms of articulation and poseability.  The DCU Infinite Heroes line was in the 3.75 Inch format, which is a bit smaller than Marvel's 4 Inch.  This mattered a lot for a collector like me who liked to mix up my figures during playtime.

With the release of the DC Multiverse line of 4 inch "Adult Collector" figures, Mattel aims to tap the market of 1:18 format collectors.

Click Read More Below for the review







DC Multiverse 1:18- Arkham City Batman Review

 The DC Multiverse line kicks off its line of 4 inch figures with Batman from the Arkham City Game .

In terms of the packaging, the DC Comics Multiverse line is a step up compared to the packaging of previously released products such as DCU and Infinite Heroes.  This packaging is also similar to ones used in their new Multiverse 6 Inch format figures.

The card is also stamped with a prominent "Adult Collector" label on top which implies that the figure is of excellent quality and articulation.  Let's see if the figure lives up to its claim.





 The Figure

 

 

 Sculpts was always DC's strongest suit when it comes to figures that they release, whether its from their DC Direct line or their Mattel-made line of figures.  The sculpting on this figure is excellent in proportion to its scale.  The small details such as Batman's wrist mounted cryptographic sequencer and various utility belt pouches as still clearly visible and detailed.  Batman's cape is made of soft and flexible rubber in order for it not to hinder the figures articulation.  The cape is nicely done, with details like creases and folds visible.

On the downside the figure clearly lacks any accessories.  A small batarang or grappling gun would have been nice. So even if the figure is priced the same as Marvel's MU line at retail (around 700 Pesos), it's still more expensive due to the lack of accessories.

Articulation

The articulation of the DC Multiverse line of figures have improved as compared to the Infinite Heroes line.  The biggest difference is the addition of a Ball-joint neck, some wrist articulation and legs that are similar to Mattel's DCU line.  Finally, Batman can do splits!

However, the additional articulation added on to the figure still doesn't make it at par with the Marvel Universe line figures.  The Marvel Universe line has a standard of 15-18 points of articulation for its figures, they also feature swivel wrists, rocker-jointed ankles and double jointed limbs.  The DC Multiverse figures on the other hand has only 12 points of articulation and single jointed limbs.  Poses can be a bit limited at this level of articulation but still better than what we had in the Infinite Heroes line years ago.  On the plus side, the construction of the figures feels very solid and sturdy as compared to the MU line making it impervious to rough handling and play.

Final Verdict

 The "Adult Collector" label on the packaging is a bit overstated due to the figures lack of standard articulation that most collectors are expecting from their figures.  Also the figure's lack of accessories is a very glaring mark against it. The figure makes up for those omissions in terms of sculpt detail.  Also, it's the first Batman that is in scale with standard 1:18 figures and accessories making batman able to mix it up with GIJoes and MU figures.