I’ll admit it. I’m a Batfan, but I don’t dig a lot of Batman-related collectibles. I have my Megos and my Super Powers and other random vintage Batman items, so anything new has to be pretty spectacular. When I started watching DC Nation on Cartoon Network, I was delighted to see diversity in the shorts that they presented, and especially ecstatic when I first saw Aardman Batman. Imagine my surprise when DC Collectibles decided to immortalize Aardman Batman in plastic for an NYCC exclusive.
If you’re unfamiliar with Aardman, they are the studio behind clay stop-motion animation like Wallace and Gromit. All of their characters have a similar style, and the DC characters in the DC Nation shorts are no exception. Batman has an elongated head and short, stocky body. (And in the cartoon, all of the DC characters are voiced by British children. It is adorable.)
So on to the figure. How does this toy hold up to its onscreen clay counterpart? I’d say incredibly well. In terms of sculpt, it looks as though he was sculpted from clay, due to some indentations in the headpiece. The ears on the cowl are different shapes and sizes, as are his eyes (details from the cartoon). He doesn’t have much in the way of accessories, just a Batarang that he can hold in his right hand. In terms of articulation, Bats is articulated at the arms and head. The body is one solid piece. The figure stands approximately 6.625″ high (according to the package), and was designed and sculpted by Rich Webber and Phil Ramirez, respectively.
In terms of quality, this little guy feels solid. He has quite a bit of weight to him, so standing isn’t an issue at all. My Bats had a bit of paint imperfection in the way of a black spot on his right leg, but for the most part I can’t complain about paint application. Everywhere else on the figure, paint was where it was supposed to be, and even the Batarang had eyes, which was a fun detail to discover as I was snapping pics.
Though he was an exclusive to NYCC, it looks like Bats is going to be available through Graphitti Designs in the near future. All in all, he’s a solid figure that captures one of the fun moments of DC Nation. If you have a chance to get your hands on one, I highly recommend it.
Stacey Rader
