McFarlane Mega Man-Bat Once again I must reiterate my disappointment with McFarlane, since taking over part of the DC license. What once was the standard for all figures, has become laughable. But, I still hold hope for the McFarlane name. This figure is one that gives me "hope". Packaging: 7/10 It's a decent box for display; just nothing special. NOT that we want a line to change it’s design in the middle of a run (yes, Hasbro, I’m looking at you, and the change during the Star Wars Unleashed line). Paint: 10/10 There is a question with the eyes. But, it’s so minute that it really begs the question, should this figure get dinged, even half a point, for an extremely difficult spot that you can barely see? No. This has to be the absolute best paint job I’ve seen on a McFarlane post DC licensed figure. Man-Bat’s paint is shadowed perfectly, with shades in realistic texturing that brings back memories of what made McFarlane Toys light years ahead of everyone else, and revolutionized the industry. Articulation: 6/10 Meh. Yes, 22 points, but, nothing super spectacular that screams out “I’m better than anything ever made before me”. You do get an odd spot of articulation in the knees. Actually, below the knees. I think this helps with stabilizing the figure. But, more on that later. Sculpt: 10/10 If the paint job on this figure wasn’t enough to cry out to us, the sculpt should. The only “negative” in my opinion, is the oddity on how the wings are designed. For whatever reason, it seems as if this were a real costume, the wings would be sort of boxed around the arms, in two sections: the top and bottom. Nevertheless, it still works. Otherwise, this is probably the single most perfect Man-Bat figure of all time. Possibly one of the greatest figures of all time for any Batman or DC line. The detailed “fur” is nothing short of spectacular. If there is one thing I hate, especially since the 90’s and the exceptionality of McFarlane, Marvel Legends, and Star Wars Unleashed for retail figures, is flat, one dimensional figures. I love to see 3D, wrinkles, and other features that give the figures a life all their own. Looking at the body, even the denim shorts—the rear pockets, bring a level of realism I have not seen in quite some time. Accessories: 0/10 This is a $40 retail figure. Let’s pretend to make it look like one. All we get is a plain, boring collector card that reminds me of a slight step above a 70’s Topp’s baseball card. And a large stand. That’s it. Even when retail toys were $4-5 we got treated to better. We even got some had had a display diorama. That would have been perfect here. It’s not like Man-Bat needs a lot of accessories; but, a solid diorama would have helped. A lot. Displayability: 5/10 This is a new grading category, created specifically for this figure. At this point, it does stand on it’s own, as shown in the sales pictures. The issue comes in that I had to twist and manipulate the figure to do so. Figures tend to fall over eventually, and I see no reason this will not follow suit. But, after 10-15 minutes, it was still standing. Even though it is quite top heavy. Value: 6/10 $40 for a figure is not cheap. Of course, in this hyper-inflation, post Covid era, a family of 1 can spend almost $40. The 6” scale is now over $20. Yet, still, I find it hard to give this a high mark on value, when it's going to cost the better part of a $50 bill! An otherwise great figure, with no accessories is commanding a $40 price tag; but, we have seen many of these figures around $20 or even less. But, if you want to be sure to get one, can you risk waiting for a clearance sale, and it being in stock when you get there? Overall: 95/100 This is by far the absolute best figure I have come across from the DC Licensed McFarlane figures. Textures, paint, and sculpt do not disappoint. At all! Recommend: Absolutely. Even at the higher than deserved retail price tag of $40, this is most likely to not be the one you want to miss out on!
