Batman:
Mask of the Phantasm
is a milestone of cinema.
To
this day it remains the best Batman feature film released to
theaters. In just eight months the creators of Batman:
The Animated Series
crafted a feature-length film using all of the tools that had been
established by Batman:
The Animated Series.
It is part of the continuity of that show and the DC Animated
Universe; an extra-long story with a budget that dwarfed other
stories.
First,
I would prefer it if we had never
gotten the sequel to Batman
Returns
that ended up happening. While I now find Batman
and Robin
to be a lot of fun, I have never discovered a fondness for the
third installment.
I
didn’t know at the time that Phantasm
was a
very loose adaptation of Batman:
Year Two
by Mike W. Barr. I was very off-and-on with Batman comics back then
(and now, I suppose) and wasn’t familiar with all of the
storylines. But I did go to see Mask
of the Phantasm
in the theater. It blew me away. I’m still not a fan of how CGI and
animation was mixed back then, but otherwise it’s a true
masterpiece and I doubt we’ll see anything like it again.
Afterwards
I devoured anything I could find that related to the movie, much the
same way I did with 1989’s Batman.
That’s how I discovered the Year
Two
connection and also when I really started to learn about Paul Dini
and Bruce Timm.
SPOILER
ALERT:
The one thing that almost kept me from buying this set is the fact
that, unlike the Kenner Phantasm figure, this one does not reveal
Andrea Beaumont under the hood.
DC Collectibles has shown a strict adherence to the forms and sizes of the animated characters in this line, and I think it would have been impossible to get the dimensions right. The movie flubbed it and Kenner did, as well, with their figure. So while I want an Andrea Beaumont and will likely be furious when DCC reveals her figure packed in with another Phantasm, I get why they did it this way.
DC Collectibles has shown a strict adherence to the forms and sizes of the animated characters in this line, and I think it would have been impossible to get the dimensions right. The movie flubbed it and Kenner did, as well, with their figure. So while I want an Andrea Beaumont and will likely be furious when DCC reveals her figure packed in with another Phantasm, I get why they did it this way.
I
didn’t buy the single-carded release of this Batman. I can’t
remember if it’s because I knew this set was coming or if I just
felt like New
Adventures Batman
was enough. So this set was all new figures for me.
As
much as I do like the New
Adventures Batman, this is my animated Batman. I love the yellows on
the belt and the symbol and the blue under the cape. I like the
thicker shape and the shorter ears.
Phantasm
seems huge to me. This is because over the twenty-three years since
the movie came out I’ve watched it maybe fifteen or twenty times at
most. But I’ve looked at my Kenner Phantasm figure almost every
single day and it has that hood on Andrea Beaumont’s smaller female
body. My brain is just used to Phantasm having a smaller frame, even
though that isn’t (visually) the case in the movie.
Whatever
the case, these both appear to be fine specimens of DC Collectibles’
animated work.
I
don’t think I ever explained why all of my packaging shots are
angled now.
I
was tired of the package pictures looking lousy. I’m not exactly an
experienced photographer(!) and I’ve gotten only incrementally
better over the years. My biggest issue seems to be the flash and
what it does to what I’m taking a picture of. I know the best way
around it is to build a light box, but who has time to build a light
box?
Without
the flash packages with shiny surfaces (all of them) look slightly
grainy or blurry. With the flash packages with shiny surfaces (all of
them) have a big, giant flash reflected on them. But if you angle the
box or blister just right, you don’t get the reflection. That’s
why everything is strategically angled now.
This
does not solve the problem with the flash washing out lighter colors
on the actually products, but there’s only so much time I have to
invest in this issue. If shitty pictures keep you from buying a toy,
I just don’t know what to tell you.
Anyway,
this set comes in a nice window box that’s the same style as
Man-Bat
and other oversized releases. It looks great and features the
all-important creative credits:
Phantasm
is the star of the set. Batman looks great and all and I’ll get to
him, but this is the only place you can get a figure of Andrea
Beaumont’s alter ego. For now, at least.
The
head is designed to be hidden under the hood of the cloak, but it
still has a complete shape and sculpt. The skull-shaped mask is all
hard edges. I love how it cuts off right at the eyebrows. It gives it
a menacing, disembodied look, particularly with how it is designed to
appear to be floating within the hood. The paint is spot-on, with
well-defined edges between the blacks, whites, and greys.
The
hooded cloak is grey rubber with no paint. DCC had a tough job here
because they had to maintain the aesthetics they’ve established
within the line, but also give us this heavy cassock that looked like
the animation. The head has to move, but the hood has to be big. This
is another reason why this figure couldn’t have Andrea Beaumont
hidden underneath.
The Kenner figure had one big piece for the hood and mask that covered the Beaumont head. DCC didn’t have that option. So the hood sits on top of the shoulders and head, allowing the head to move freely within. They’ve used this method on other figures like Azrael and Anarky from their Arkham line and it works well here.
The Kenner figure had one big piece for the hood and mask that covered the Beaumont head. DCC didn’t have that option. So the hood sits on top of the shoulders and head, allowing the head to move freely within. They’ve used this method on other figures like Azrael and Anarky from their Arkham line and it works well here.
The
rest of the cloak has a wonderful shape that falls over the shoulders
and body of the figure. It looks very much like a Scooby-Doo design,
and that’s a good thing. I’m usually not a fan of cloaks or hair
being sculpted “in action”, but there’s not one frame of the
movie where Phantasm’s cloak isn’t in motion, almost as though
the character is draped in a ghost. The figure captures that look
well.
While
this is larger than you would expect a DC Animated female to be, the
legs are somewhat slender and the exaggerated bulk of the upper body
is obvious. When you stand Phantasm next to the other standard-sized
characters, there is a clear difference in her look. Also, her
hideous hip joints don’t look as hideous since the whole body is
black and rounded.
The
left hand is gloved in a large gauntlet. I dig the squared-off look
of the fingers on the fist. The right hand sports Phantasm’s unique
weapon – a scythe-like blade that also emits a thick chemical fog.
This is another element that Kenner’s figure has messed up in my
brain.
On their figure, this piece is hugely oversized and removable. The DCC version has a properly-scaled weapon that does not come off. It looks perfect. It’s made from a firm plastic that won’t break and also isn’t rubber. For that it wins my award for “Thing That Isn’t Rubber And Shouldn’t Be”.
Phantasm’s
boots are plain, but distinctive. They look like they should and the
paint is applied cleanly. I’m impressed that there’s no
noticeable difference in gloss or shade between the feet and the
tops.
I
love this Batman. The head is more square and imposing than the New
Adventures Batman, and the shorter ears appeal to me more for some
reason. I didn’t used to feel that way. The paint is spot-on and…
wait a minute… They didn’t paint his teeth.
Batman’s
cloak sits a little funny on his shoulders. It doesn’t drape quite
as nicely as I think it should. The shape otherwise is great and
indicative of the Dark Knight’s earlier years. I can’t say enough
good things about the way DCC designs these, with the neck being
entirely covered by the cape material and creating a nigh-unto
seamless look between it and the cowl. The scalloped bottom reminds
me of Super Powers Batman – always a good thing. And that blue
lining is fantastic.
The
shape of the cape reminds me of Super Powers Batman, but the body
looks like Adam West, which isn’t really a thought I had had about
Animated Batman before, but taking in this 3D model really brings
west’s physique to mind, especially with the way the Utility Belt
is situated on his frame. The Bat Symbol is actually sculpted and not
just paint, which is fantastic. I also never realized how closely it
actually resembles the odd shape of the one on Michael Keaton’s
chest in Batman.
It has the same raised wings rather than the more ovular shape we’re
used to seeing on this style of emblem. It’s just missing the
little feet or whatever. The
utility belt is simple and yellow. It looks great.
Batman’s
gauntlets have the longer style fins. Each one is sculpted separately
and they look fantastic. They have just enough thickness to be
substantial and not feel like they’re going to break off.
Batman’s
boots are tall and have the requisite angled top. The flat black
looks great and the feet are big enough to support the figure.
This
Batman differs from the single-carded release. That one has a
closed-mouth head sculpt and includes several more hands and
accessories. Obviously that head is better since it doesn’t have
missing paint, but to not have to double up on figures it’s worth
it to me to have this one.
The
set includes two stands, two extra hands for Batman, a Batarang, and
two extra hands for Phantasm. Pretty minimal. I can’t say I wasn’t
disappointed.
The
stands are classy, but as I collect more of these figures I find
myself liking them less and less. They take up a lot of extra shelf
space. I almost boxed them all the other day, but decided I’d wait
until I have
to. The good news is that so far I haven’t run across any figures
from this line that have trouble standing independently.
If
you’ve been reading my other DC Animated reviews, you know the
drill with these guys.
DCC
has to stick to a certain aesthetic style with these figures and they
have done an excellent job aside from the fugly hip joints. These
look like they stepped right out of the cartoons. But they also have
respectable articulation. Our old Kenner pals only had five points,
but these figures can do just about anything you need them to.
Each
figure has a ball-jointed head and shoulders, hinged swivel elbows
and wrists, waist swivels, ugly hinged swivel hips, knee pivots,
boot-top swivels (only on Phantasm), and ankle pivots. With all of that you can achieve
plenty of dynamic poses.
There
aren’t many accessories here, which surprised me. I realize an
entirely separate Andrea Beaumont figure is likely in the works, but
in lieu of a transformation Phantasm could have included a fog effect
or even an alternate hand for the right side.
As
far as I’m concerned this Batman should have come with all of the
same accessories as the single-carded version, or perhaps at least
some movie-accurate extras like the tape recorder bomb that was in
Salvatore Valestra’s lap or the locket from the end of the movie.
I’m
not sorry I bought this set because Phantasm is a must-have and is
executed well, but I’m disappointed by the cut corners. The lack of
accessories and the missing paint on Batman’s teeth are definite
issues.
3
out of 5
If
you need a Phantasm, buy one from Amazon and help Needless Things pay
the bills!:
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