The latest Batman line from DC is based on “Batman & Son”, written by Grant Morrison & art by Andy Kubert. The story tells the tale of Batman’s relationship with his new discovered son, Damian. Problem is, Damian’s grandfather is Rha’s Al Ghul and has been trained by the league of assasins to kill all criminals. The story isn’t really serious, but a very entertaining one. Highlights include Robin and Damian’s first encounter, Batman getting pounded by a character that resembles Bane and the future of Damian.
The set comes with 5 figures but you will be only spending on four figures: Batman, Man-Bat, Joker, Damian & Robin (packaged together). DC Direct is usually a hit and miss. I’m not a fan of the Superman & Batman line, as well as the Alex Ross Justice League. Loved the Elseworld figures and also liked the Hush series.
Overall, the set has a great sculpt but it lacks McFarlane’s quality control.
First up is Batman. This version is similar to the Hush Batman. But I’d say this is my new favorite Batman figure. After comparing both of them closely, the “Batman & Son” figure has a more dynamic pose. The facial expression on the newer Batman is also more comic like and angrier, while the Hush version looks like he is a bit irritated. His cape also flows to the ground and pretty much serves as his base. Nice touch by DC to exactly copy Andy Kubert’s style.
Next up is Ninja Man Bat. He comes with two swords and I’d say my least favorite figure of the line. By adding a blackwash to the figure, this would have been more exciting. Without it, it looks dull and doesn’t stand out. What I don’t get is that the other figures have better paint jobs than this. DC Direct needs to work on consistency.
Joker is another good figure. What makes this Joker distinct are his bloodshot eyes and his awkward pose. Love the awkward pose because it makes him look more sinister. Paint job for this is great. Don’t have any complaints with this figure.
Next, we have Robin & Damian. Robin’s sculpt and posture is good. They finally made a Robin that looks like a teenager. Just like Batman’s, his cape flows all the way to the ground. But this one doesn’t look right because the colors are too shiny(black outside, yellow & black inside). I guess it only looks good when the cape is light blue. Damian could have been way better. He looks good for a second figure but he should have been more detailed. It seemed like he was just an afterthought. But thinking about it and how this line focuses on him, I’d say DC Direct was just being cheap. My figure had a dark spot on his nose. Also, he should have came with some accessories: sword, severed head (maybe DC doesn’t release violent accessories).
I bought the whole set for $45, which comes to about $11 per figure. I wouldn’t recommend the whole set but Batman and Joker is worth the purchase. Sculpt wise, the whole line is great but inconsistent paint jobs and bad decisions hurt this line.
Rating: 7.5/10
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