Gotham City and its residents have been made famous in comics, TV shows, video games, movies, and more. When characters become as popular as Batman and his Gotham City cohorts then merchandise and toys usually follow. Kenner started making DC action figures in 1984 and they did an excellent job staying true to the source material.
What started out as characters from the overall DC comic line, known as DC Super Powers, would continue into Tim Burton's 1989 Batman movie and its sequels. Many characters have been made, but only a certain few have stood out, brooding over Gotham in miniature, plastic form.
10 The Riddler (Batman Forever Version)
Batman Forever's campier tone compared to the previous two films was certainly divisive, but director Joel Schumacher created a very toy-friendly Gotham City. The Riddler is one of Batman's most famous adversaries and was portrayed by Jim Carrey in Batman Forever. Carrey brought charisma, humor, and a very colorful version of the character Riddler to the screen.
Kenner's Riddler figure from the film jumps out of the package. The Riddler always makes a great figure because of his bright green outfits and fun question mark accessories he usually comes with. Jim Carrey's likeness is fairly accurate for a figure made in the mid-'90s and the question marks look great. His green costume stands out and he comes with a few fun accessories, including a giant question mark rocket launcher.
9 Transforming Bruce Wayne (Batman Forever Version)
There have been several Bruce Wayne figures made and most of them usually have parts of a Batman costume that come with it. While this costume wasn't actually in Batman Forever, it still looks great and the blue Batsuit is both familiar and different at the same time. Bruce Wayne's likeness truly resembles actor Val Kilmer, who portrayed the Dark Knight in this film.
Bruce is perfect because he's already wearing gloves and dark shoes and allows the Batsuit parts to snap right over his civilian clothes. The head of the figure also pops down below his neck so his cloth cape and cowl can cover it for an easy transformation. The Batman Forever movie posters stood out due to their contrast of bright and dark colors and the same can be said about the toy's packaging.
8 Batman (1989 Movie Version)
The first black suit Batman figure to be made is classic and still holds up today. In 1989, Batman hit movie theaters and Michael Keaton's Dark Knight became an overnight sensation. The 1989 bat logo is one of the coolest in the character's history. That black bat stood out because of the yellow circle around it and this figure's utility belt was also yellow and popped around the all-black, classic Batsuit.
Batman's white eyes looked unusual at first glance but added to the mystery and matched his comic book counterpart. The gold packaging with the Batman movie title and picture helped catch the eyes of toy and Batman fans alike. The accessories included a grapple gun and a Batarang, which were used for throwing around the house and upsetting parents everywhere.
7 The Penguin (DC Super Powers Line)
The Penguin has been causing the Caped Crusader problems since 1941. While Burgess Meredith's Penguin, in 1966, was a funny interpretation, he seemed to be a bit too skinny for the character. Oswald Cobblepot's rotund body is one of his most famous traits and helps differentiate him from Batman's other enemies.
This figure's color scheme looks straight off the pages of the Silver Age comics and he comes with his trusty umbrella, which was great for a thunderstorm or if he needed to knock out Batman. He's also wearing his bright blue tuxedo, top hat, white gloves, and monocle. The DC Super Powers line started in 1984 and had wild colors that made them stand out in the toy aisles.
6 Two-Face (Batman Forever Version)
Director Joel Schumacher admits his Batman movies may be over the top, but the studio wanted a "toyetic" look so he definitely gets an A+ for complying with the higher-ups on that. Tommy Lee Jones took over the role of Harvey Dent from Billy Dee Williams and gave more of a campy take on the usually darker Two-Face.
This detailed Two-Face matches his movie counterpart perfectly and comes with loads of movie-accurate accessories. It has a giant missile launcher and comes with a silver gun molded on the hand. The best part is the full-sized, double-sided coin that Harvey never goes anywhere without.
5 Robin (Batman Returns Version)
Tim Burton's Batman Returns didn't include the Robin character, but at one point was "toying" with the idea. Fans were disappointed when the Boy Wonder was left out of the sequel, but they appreciated the action figure that still got released alongside the film anyway. Robin had been mostly known as a scrappy sidekick with little green boots and underwear but this figure had a semi-adult take on the character.
It was refreshing to see Robin with long, dark-green tights and a really cool yellow and black cloth cape. The packaging also looked sharp with the darker tones and Robin title. Anything Batman had, Robin usually had a smaller or different version, so the grapple gun added to the fun of the figure.
4 Catwoman (Batman Returns Version)
Catwoman is arguably the most important woman in Batman's life, both as an adversary and a partner. This Batman Returns version looks amazing and really captures actress Michelle Pfieffer's take on the ferocious feline. Her skin-tight black vinyl outfit looks like it came right off the 1992 movie.
The mask is sculpted nicely to her head and her high heeled boots are so real they look tough to walk in. Just like many Batman figures, this Catwoman comes with her own personal grappling hook and, more importantly, her trademark whip.
3 Batman (DC Super Powers Line)
This DC Super Powers Batman is a definitive take on the classic era of Gotham's hero. The majority of the comic books up to this point usually portrayed Batman in his original blue and gray costume. The DC Super Powers were must-own for all superhero fans of the 1980s. These figures have recently been brought back in a 6-inch size and seem to almost be as popular as they were in the '80s.
The line included many beloved superheroes, but of course, Superman and Batman were high in demand so more of them were made. The blue and gray mesh well together and appeal to younger fans more than the later, darker version of Batman. The yellow utility belt and logo were universally loved and worked well with both this and the black suit.
2 The Joker (1989 Movie Version)
The DC Super Powers made a really classic Joker figure. However, the 1989 movie figure added some fun details. Although the face didn't resemble Jack Nicholson, the purple worked better than the blue-purple Super Powers version.
The green hair is shorter but still looks nicely coiffed and makes the Joker's white face stand out. He also comes with his signature purple top hat, black cane, and a squirting flower. When parents get upset at their kids for using Joker to squirt water all over the house, they should ask, "Haven't you heard of the healing power of laughter?"
1 Batman & Robin Guardians Of Gotham City Set (Batman Forever)
This dynamic duo two-pack was known as the Guardians Of Gotham City and had the two best figures of any of the Batman movies. Batman and Robin are portrayed in their costumes from the last scene of the movie when they officially became partners to take on the Riddler and Two-Face.
The Batman mask and head sculpt look bad to the bone, and his full costume shines in all its blue and silver goodness. Robin's mask is movie accurate and so is his great red and green costume. The half-orange and the half-copper cape are different from the usual yellow or green cape but add to the charm of this Boy Wonder figure. The pack comes with the famous grapple hook and Batarang these two are synonymous with.
0 Comments