Batman (Zero Year) (DC Comics Multiverse) Review

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Batman (Zero Year) (DC Comics Multiverse) Review

Batman (Zero Year)
DC Comics Multiverse (Mattel)Been a few years since I've gotten a Batman figure, or any recent DC figure at all for that matter, so I thought this would be a good figure to gauge how DC's ho-hum 6-inch figs have degenerated or improved since (or, as some may say, how much more or less cynical my reviews have gotten lel).

This Zero Year suit isn't bad-looking, I'm just not into it. The only reason I got this figure is because it came as a package deal with something else, but it's grown on me, like a tasty fungus.

Yanking the figure out of the package, I'm impressed by its heft and size, it almost feels as solid as a DC Direct offering. The figure is about 6.75 inches tall (more if you count the ear-spikes), so it's probably as big or bigger than the Capullo Designer Series counterpart, which is not 6-inch scale. As a customizer, that's neither here nor there for me because cobbling together my own figures has given me a more relaxed attitude about these things, but I know it's a sore spot for many collectors, so be advised, this is a big figure.

A major gripe I had with DC Universe Classics figures was that they, for the most part, used the same body. Dubious oil prices and manufacturing cost excuses aside, it makes collecting the toy-line boring, new releases look like lazy repaints than something you look forward to.

This figure doesn't suffer from that, far as I can tell all the parts were made just for this fig. The ribbed pads and middling definition in the muscles help offset the look of a generic spandex suit. The chiseled abs look silly here, they should have been toned down to emphasize the effect of wearing a protective layer.

I get confused when I see "soft" sculpts mixed with defined pieces on the same figure. While the gun and boot seams are crisply detailed, the belt pouches and gloves cuffs look "low-res". I don't know if they're supposed to be fabric, or leather, or metal or whatever, I think we're just supposed to understand they're pouches and move on.

I like to imagine those are purple nitrile gloves with Tic-Tacs rolled up into the cuffs in case he has to make-out with super villains.

The belt is flexible and doesn't hinder the legs much, it's a piece that's glued into the body, so if you want to remove it it's going to leave an ugly gap in the waist. I prefer belts that simply go over the waist, like on Marvel Legends figures, but I'm just a crazy person that likes removable gear when it can be easily incorporated, no reason to listen to me, Mattel.

The cape is also flexible and split halfway up the back, making it easier to achieve some poses since it reduces push-back force on the legs. It's a smart idea, regardless of whether or not it's part of the character's original design.

The articulation is what I remember from DCUC figs, with the added bonus of hinged wrists.

Something I've noticed from recent DC figures in this series is that they tend to have big ugly crotches. I think the problem here is that rounded hip pieces create a shadowy gap that emphasizes the crotch too much. If this fig had the old animated/squared DCUC hips we wouldn't have this problem, it would resemble the DCUC Etrigan figure, which also had a large crotch piece but looked good anyway.

Batman is a funny character because he hates guns more than a summer rash but also has no problem using gadgets that inflict 1000 times more pain than any gun could. He'll break your jaw and shred your ligaments with bat-shaped knives, but won't hit you with a lead pellet. Thanks, Batman writers, that's exactly the kind of dichotomy I look for in my heroes lol.

What was my point again- oh yeah, this Bats figure includes a...an abstract gun thing. I don't know what it is, but I'm sure it either causes massive internal hemorrhaging or fries people's brains into pork rinds. Either result is awesome. It's removable and fits into the flexible right hand. I like this plastic used for the hands, it flexes enough to open and stick an accessory in there and is rigid enough to hold things securely. The gadget itself is made of flexible plastic, I'm guessing for "safety" reasons because it has a lot of "sharp" corners.

As for paint, some of the black bits on the suit are colored, along with the glove cuffs and mouth area. The figure is begging for some cherry-flavored lip gloss or something, the mouth disappears into the flesh at certain angles.

This is an accurate recreation of the character, and inch-for-inch a great alternative if you don't like the funky lips on the Designer version.