Spin Masters The Batman 6 inch Basic Figure Review

For an old timer action figure collector like me, the new McFarlane ones are just a pain scale wise. I've been trying to look for an alternative The Batman action figure that would fit well with my old 6 inch scale Mattel Movie Masters collection dispaly wise. And fortunately I saw these Basic Spin Masters The Batman action figures being sold online that says it is on the 6 inch scale. I've been scouring the internet for reviews and scale comparisons of this figure but unfortunately I couldn't find one. Well no surprise there since most action figure reviewers are adults, and clearly this action figure is meant for kids, and not for the "adult" collectors. So I'll just take the liberty to do the review instead. 

In Package

Spin Masters Basic Superman and Batman Figures

From the packaging alone, it is pretty clear that this "Action" Figure lacks the "Action" Feature. The packaging itself does not state the "Action" part. But I already know about this because I have previously bought a Superman figure from Spin Masters that is of the same classification. Forgot to make a review of that one though. 

Out of the packaging, details are pretty bland and the figure itself is made of hollow plastic or light plastic. The cloth is made of some flimsy plastic material, not even cloth type. Of course articulation is limited to ball jointed head and swivel arms. That's all you could do for this figure. It is also the cheapest Battinson Figure arround, way cheaper than the Spin Masters 4 inch ones. Although those figures had way more articulation than this. You also have to watch out for quality issues on the head sculpt as I had to check more than a dozen of these figure to find the best quality. So I guess we are off to a pretty bad start lol!

With the Mattel Movie Masters Affleck Batman and the Mattel Christian Bale Batman

Now off to the most exciting part, the scale comparison with the old Mattel Movie Masters line! Well sad to say, it is an epic fail. This basic Spin Master figure is so small compared to the Mattel ones. Though to be fair, Mattel always had this uneven scale for their Mattel movie Masters line. The Christian Bale Batman were their initial foray for this line. Followed by the Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern Movie which was smallish compared to the Bale Batman. Then followed by the Man of Steel Movie Master line which set the standard for their succeeding Movie Masters toy line. So as seen on the photo, even the Bale Batman is smaller compared to the standard Movie Masters action figures that they eventually settled on.

However, when you compare it to the recent Mattel basic Movie Figures, it fits snugly with them. Shazam, Aquaman, and the Justice League were the only movies that got this treatment before Mattel relinquised the rights to produce DC Action Figures to McFarlane. The older basic figures of Mattel from the Bale Batman is still smaller. The vintage Kenner ones too. You'd think Spin Masters should have opted to copy Mattel's basic figures. But their basic figures costs half of Mattel's. I guess these were just token releases meant for dollar stores or discount stores. They however invested heavily on the 4 inch and 12 inch line. Their 4 inch figures beats Mattel's by a mile. Remember those Man of Steel 4 inch figures? Those were horrendous! 

With the Spin Masters Basic Superman figure and the Mattel Superman Returns premium statue figures

With a customized Joaquin Phoenix Joker figure

Some quick thoughts about the upcoming The Batman movie by Matt Reeves. First, I would love to see his Batman crossover with Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. I don't know if that ever happens but I'm thinking that both could share the same cinematic universe. Secondly, as much as I love Zack Snyder's plans for DC's Extended Universe, and had defended him many times, I think boycotting this movie is too much and too toxic. We can't stunt the growth of the DC Universe in the big screen just because we hate what the WB execs did to Snyder. I actually abhor it and wish that the executives there would be replaced. But I think it would be more prudent to give the creative directors a chance and judge the movie by seeing it first. As it is, the post Snyder DCEU had been a hit and miss. And I would have preferred for Snyder to be able to complete his whole "Snyderverse". But in a way, the way the Justice League Snyder Cut ended, I find it just satisfying to see his vision for the Justice League finally get to be seen as it should have been. And even way back when the Josstice League cinematic version was released, I always took a stand that Flashpoint would reboot everything whether Snyder was able to release his version of the movie or not. So we are at a new dawn for the DC Cinematic Universe. I love how DC's approach has been so far. How their movies are character centric rather than force everything to be serious. Being serious, grounded, and gritty works well for characters like Batman. However it wouldn't be right for characters like Superman, Shazam, and the more brightly colored ones. Though I totally dig and understood Snyder's take on the Man of Steel. I might have preferred a brighter Superman but I'll fight anyone who takes a dig at Snyder's iteration of my all time favorite Superhero. 

Anyway, I'll leave you guys with more photos of this Spin Masters Batman figure below.

So what's my final verdict for this figure? Unfortunately, the details are bad, articulation is lacking, and the scale when compared to the Mattel Movie Masters are not a good fit. So I suggest that you just save your money and buy the McFarlane one or the smallish Spin Master 4 inch ones and start to rebuild your collection again.

DC Superheroes Cafe opens in the Philippines!

 

DC Fans in the Philippines (or even the whole of Southeast Asia) will be overjoyed to know that DC Superheroes Cafe is now open here in the Philippines. For the longest time, DC fans from the Philippines needs to fly to Singapore just to experience dining out at a DC Superheroes themed restaurant. Well, the long wait is over. Self-confessed DC fan and entrepreneur Edric Chua (the man behind DC licensed electronics gadget brand Ekonic) and a crew of Metron Manila's finest chefs Chef Mikel Zaguirre of Locavore Kitchen x Drinks and Chef Kalel Demetrio of Liquido Maestro has finally brought the concept restaurant/store to our shores. Last night, DC Superheroes Cafe opened their doors to a private event inviting the country's various geek and pop culture fandom groups for a night of celebration. A celebration of the success and opening of PH fandom's new home. DC Superheroes Cafe boasts of a wide range of food and collectible products that could whet the tummies' craving and hobby collectors appetite for rare collectibles.

DC Superheroes Cafe from the outside

From the outside, showcase glasses are adorned with various DC pop culture merchandise that ranges from comic books, action figures, toy collectibles, and various DC merchandise that are the dreams of DC fanboys. Seen are new and recent releases and editions of these merchandise that can easily help those collectors who are hunting for those missing treasures in their collection. This is a clever way of presenting a store to passersby because the fusion of exciting colors as seen on the DC Superheroes costume patterns are enough eye candy to capture and entice passersby to come in and take a look at what DC Superheroes Cafe has to offer. Even non-superhero fans can't help but get curious with what's in store for them inside.

Statues, Framed Alex Ross Art, and other amazing DC art pieces

Jim Lee's Superman and Batman art in stained glass deco

DC Superheroes Cafe Interiors

Upon stepping in, every nook and corner of the Cafe is adorned with even more DC Pop culture merchandise. And again, all are for sale. Every section of the dining areas are adorned with gigantic wall art that literally jumps out of the wall. Each section is also themed and divided according to the heroes it represents. The ambiance is very friendly for diners who love DC Superheroes and any other superheroes in general (Marvel fans are also welcome by the way). Not only that, huge life size statues of the Justice League Superheroes as last seen in the Justice League movie are positioned all over the place, making you feel like you are literally visiting their Hall of Justice. Funko Pop fanatics will also get a real kick at this place because I've seen rare DC Funko Pop items being displayed and sold at a very affordable price. Comic books ranging from rare titles to the most recent releases were also seen. Action Figures too. The place is just totally DC Superheroes fanboy haven.

Entrance greets you to this

My favorite wall art

Looks like a caped wonder

Pops and Comic Books 

Various stats and collectibles on showcase

Fierce Batman v.s. Bane Statue

Life Size Wonder Woman statue

Life Size Batman Statue

Are those pillows?

Shirts, bags, baseball caps

Lego!

The FOOD!

Of course who could forget about the food. This is not just a merchandise store after all. The idea of fusing together food and geek merchandise is a very wise strategy because it brings in together two of the most voracious consumers in the market today, food hobbyists and geek culture hobbyists. And boy the food menu here at DC Superheroes Cafe are just the ones that could whet our appetite for good food. The menu varies from American, Italian, Mexican, and other recipes. And to get a better sampling of which food entree are the well recommended ones, I just had to survey around and ask the team that I came with on that day. Namely the men and women of DC Universe PH and The Reign of the Supermen PH. Frederick Tinio of DC Universe PH says the Lamb Kebabs were top notch and easily was his favorite. The cafe also serves cocktails and other drinks. Their shakes and desserts looked so yummy too. Names of their food menu are named artistically to reflect the characters of DC Comics. I posted some food photos below for you to check out and salivate.

Cocktails bar

Flash's Pizza

Poisonous for our sugar diet

Zucchini Fries

Holy Bat Shakes!

Churros of truth

Probably named after Stephen Curry's son? Not! It's Aquaman's mortal name!

Salmon, my favorite

Table Mats and tissues with gorgeous DC Art as shared by Frederick Tinio

Stuffs given away to us. Thanks Mark for these photos. (I came in late so I didn't get any card or Daily Planet I.D.)

You can actually bring home these trinkets that comes with the food ordered. Great accessories for your Action Figures!

DC Superheroes Cafe opens tomorrow! It is located at the fourth floor of Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City! And to keep you guys even more excited for the opening, check out the promos below to greet you on your visit.

So what are you guys waiting for? Let's satisfy that Superhero appetite! See you guys at the opening!

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Action Figure Reviews

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Wave 1 Action Figures

Well I have finally done my Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice movie review as well as my thoughts on the criticisms of the movie. So this time around, I'm doing a review of the movie tie-in action figures. Initially, I was hesitant to purchase the BVS action figures because the BVS action figures are so pricey here in the Philippines (costs around P1,899 or $45 each). I also was bummed and got burned years back by the Man of Steel Movie Masters action figures when I purchased it at retail price (P1,799 or $40+) only to find out that two years later, the prices went down as much as half the retail price. It also did not help that the local distributor seemed to have brought in only a limited number of BVS action figures here in the Philippines, making your chances of getting a Gal Gadot Wonder Woman action figure to almost none. I only bit the bullet when I came across a set of 3 (Batman, Armored Batman, and Wonder Woman) loose BVS action figures that were being sold at 30% off the retail price. I figured this price should be ok than instead of taking the risk a few years from now. But at the rate with how critics are killing the movie with their negative reviews, there's a huge chance that Mattel might be forced to sell these figures at clearance price. Anyway, on to the reviews!

BVS Superman (left) V MOS Superman (right)

Superman: I couldn't find Superman anywhere and I actually had no plans of purchasing one. One reason for that is of course the price. Another is that it seems the figure is just a straight repaint of the Man of Steel Movie Masters Superman but with a new (and better) head sculpt and some minor changes on the buckle and S shield logo on Superman's chest. But I could be wrong. Pictured on the left is a comparison photo of both Supermen which I got from the fwoosh forum as posted by Muthasucka and annotated by Enforcer. From the photo, it would seem that the BVS Superman is slightly taller than the MOS Superman. I'm kind of irritated that Mattel couldn't make up their mind with regards to the scale of their movie based action figures. They started off their Superman Returns action figures at 5 inch, followed by the 5.5 inch Christopher Nolan Batman Trilogy Movie Masters action figures. Then they tweaked and redesigned a rail thin Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern Movie Masters action figures (though it went in good scale with the Batman figures). Then a 4 inch DC Multiverse Michael Keaton Batman and Christopher Reeve Superman action figures. Then came the Man of Steel movie masters which were a tad taller than the Batman movie masters, but still they basically are in good scale. This time around (and still using the Multiverse title), the BVS action figures are standing at exactly 6 inch. Bringing it in scale with the legendary DC Universe Classics (comparison photos for Batman and Wonder Woman below). I just hope that this is the final time that Mattel is changing their scale size. Superman by the way is short packed at one per case, so he'll be harder to obtain. Mattel must have been thinking that the Superman figure will be a peg warmer because of the existence of the MOS Superman figure. Maybe down the line if I come across with a cheaper BVS Superman I might buy it. As far as I know, there are Superman variants coming out. So maybe some collectors might dispose their BVS Superman in favor of the variant ones. So for the meantime, my MOS Superman will have to join the BVS action figures in my shelf display.

Batman

Batman: To tell you honestly, the BVS Batman action figure looks totally better in person than in the pictures. When I first saw the photos of this Batman on the internet, I was totally aghast at how bad the figure looks like. But when I finally saw him in person, he looks way much better than I have thought. Snyder and company adhered faithfully to Frank Miller's Batman designs (which was the inspiration of the movie), which explains the bulkier and heavier look of Batman. Some non-DC fans call him as Fat-Man. But this version of Batman in my opinion is the only Batman that is worthy to go toe to toe with Superman. He has to bulk up if he intends to survive a match up against a super powered alien being like Superman. The action figure's sculpt is ok, but if only Mattel gave us a much darker shade of grey, then this Batman figure would have been perfect. Not much Ben Affleck could be seen under the cowl, though there is a variant version in the second wave that features a removable cowl and sports a Ben Affleck head sculpt. The figure features standard DCUC articulations which are ball jointed neck and ball hinged shoulders, swivel biceps, wrists, waist, and thighs, pivot torso, hinged elbows, knees, and ankles, and double pivot hips. Like I said before, the figure is pretty much taller than the old Dark Knight Trilogy Movie Masters line, and stand approximately as tall as the DCUC. Sadly, this figure does not come with any accessories besides the CNC part. Batman can also be seen warming the pegs here in the Philippines. I think among the wave, he is packed in more numbers than the others. Check out the photos below.

Bat-Fleck

BVS Batman V The Dark Knight Trilogy Batman

From Left to Right DCUC Batman Beyond, BVS Batman, Mattel Arkham Video Game Batman, and BVS Armored Batman

Armored Batman

Armored Batman: I think this is the best figure of the entire wave. Armored Batman again sports the same articulation as that of Batman and the good thing about the figure is that his armor does not hamper any movement of the figure's articulation. The figure's sculpts are done pretty well with nicely done details on its armor. The figure comes with a gun which I believe is the same gun that Batman used to spray a dust of Kryptonite particles to weaken Superman. I was actually torn if I should get this or the cheaper basic version since I actually prefer the cloth capes rather than the rubbery plastic ones. But I realized that the basic version does not feature a cloth cape, but rather a cellophane type plastic cape, which actually looks awful. This figure also looks imposing when displayed side by side with the Man of Steel Superman action figure. But I actually find no problems with that because an armored Batman should supposedly look imposing and should be bigger than Superman (pictures below). Armored Batman is also the second (not counting Superman) most in demand figure in this wave. I hardly see him (and Wonder Woman) in the pegs. Fans must have loved the way Armored Batman looks. It also helps a lot that this figure could work well side by side with the DCUC action figures. I mean you could have owned a lot of Batman in your collection but this is the first time that you will be getting him in this armor. And it also helps that the armor design resembles very closely to Frank Miller's designs. you can ditch the other figures in this wave, but you can't let this one pass.    

The Dark Knight Returns

Size comparison

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman: Well when you are skipping Batman and Superman because you are satisfied with the Man of Steel Superman and Christian Bale Batman action figures in your collection, then Wonder Woman is all that you need. This must be the reason why she is selling like hot cakes as I never chanced upon seeing this figure in the pegs. I told myself then that I can skip the other figures and is willing to settle for Wonder Woman instead at the price point that she is selling at SRP. But let me warn you, the figure's articulation is very frustrating. Wonder Woman sports the same DCUC articulation like the others but she lacks the pivot torso articulation. Her head is also non-moveable because her hair is obstructing the articulation that the figure is supposed to have. The hip articulations will also be limited by her skirt. The figure though looks great with enough amount of detailed sculpts in the costumes and armors. Unfortunately she looks more like comic Wonder Woman than Gal Gadot. The figure also comes with highly detailed sword and shield accessories, with nicely painted metallic colors finish to it. We also got a non-removable lasso of truth on her waist, which is actually a waste. I don't know why Mattel continues to disappoint us by not giving us a removable lasso of truth accessory. It would have been cooler if we get to have a lasso of truth accessory to this figure. I managed to find a replacement lasso for my DCUC Wonder Woman by using a gold thread. Check out the fifth photo below.

Gal Gadot she's not

Basic Wonder W

Basic Wonder Woman: I'll have to include the Basic Wonder Woman action figure in this review to give you readers an idea what to get in case you missed out on the DC Multiverse Wonder Woman above. I actually bought this Wonder Woman figure because I had fears that I may never get to own the DC Multiverse version. So she could be a nice replacement. And also she sells like hot cakes among all the BVS basic action figures, which makes her also hard to find. The figure looks cartoony and features a lesser detailed sculpt designs than the Multiverse one. It also has lesser points of articulation, which is limited to ball jointed head, swivel arms, swivel and hinged elbows, swivel hips, and hinged knees. I also want to share to you that I managed to get a defected figure as the right hip were stuck, making it non-movable. I don't know what happened to it but I managed to unstuck it by slicing it entirely and repaired it with super glue to recover the swivel articulation. Now, it works like there was never a problem at all. The hip articulation is limited by the skirt again, though the head is more moveable than the multiverse version. There is also a useless swivel articulation on the knees as the knee pads hampers the movement. I don't know what got into Mattel as they could have instead put the swivel articulation on the thighs instead on the knees. The figure also comes with a sword and shield accessory albeit with non-existent paint applications. Just a plain gray plastic with minor details. But this move of changing their basic figures' size into 6 inch instead of the 4 inch ones from the Dark Knight Trilogy, Green Lantern, and Man of Steel is a good move for Mattel. Those 4 inch figures were just too godawful. These 6 inch ones can pretty much be good substitutes to the multiverse ones. Well if you could get pass the simplistic sculpt presentations. This Wonder Woman figure goes pretty well with the Christian Bale Batman and the Man of Steel Superman in terms of her scale. Check out the third photo below.

Wonder Woman still no Gal Gadot there

The best pose I could get with this figure

Trinity!

Wonder Woman scale comparison

Tell me? Do you bleed? You will!

Fight Night!

Black and Blue

Day v.s. Night

God v.s. Man

The Bat of Gotham v.s. The Son of Krypton

Save Martha!

Is she with you? I though she was with you?

Doomsday!

What if Batman and Wonder Woman aided Superman during the Kryptonian Invasion?

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

New Trinity v.s. Old Trinity of the DC Universe Live Action Movies

In with the new, out with the old!

Well that's it. As of this writing, the BVS movie is still climbing up the sales charts of Superhero themed movies. Whether it hits the One Billion sales mark or not, I think it accomplishes the task of being one of the most hotly debated Superhero movies of all time. People can dismiss the movie all they want, but it does not take the fact that a few years from now, people will still debate the merits of this movie. And if DC/Warner can come up with a much improved follow up which is the Justice League movie, then people will look back at this movie and probably appreciate it as a part of a greater scheme of things.