By Phantom Troublemaker
I
have a love/not-totally-satisfied with relationship with DC
Collectibles’ animated line.
Don’t
get me started on the whole deluxe Batmobile thing.
But
I do love the line for what it represents. And every time I get
frustrated with it or start to feel like too much time is passing
between releases, a new batch of figures hits and gets me excited all
over again. Despite the stupid hips.
I’m
pretty picky about Killer Croc. In general I don’t care for him
being too monstrous, though I do like the Arkham
video game version
because it fits with that aesthetic. I prefer he be mostly humanoid
with some reptilian features, at most stretching what you might see
in a freak show. The Suicide
Squad
version was pretty solid. This animated version is also within the
bounds of what I like. In general I tend to prefer the Animated
Series
looks of these characters, but in this instance the
New Adventures
is far superior. The original Killer Croc design was too damn weird.
FIRST
GLANCE
Croc
and Baby Doll both look great. Crocs proportions are awesome and the
inclusion of Dahl in the box is pure bonus. This is one of those
figure sets that got me excited about the line all over again.
PACKAGING
These
come in just about the simplest blister card you could ask for and I
love it. The character specific information is all on the plastic
blister because the backing cards are all the same.
It’s
classy packaging, but it’s as simple as can be – much like the
style of the cartoon these figures are adapted from.
LOOKS
From
the front Croc’s head looks great. The designers captured his
reptilian look well and chose an appropriate expression for the face.
It’s neutral but expresses savagery and intelligence. He doesn’t
just look like a monster. The paint is applied nicely and I
particularly like the dark apps in the sculpted lines.
From
the back, not so much. I get that they wanted a good range of motion,
but it takes something away to see that hollowed-out bowl. I think
I’m just going to have to get over things like this as necessary
evils of the aesthetics of this line. There are a few instances where
the design has been hampered by the needs of a 3D plastic figure.
It’s just how it is.
I
absolutely love Croc’s profile. The massive upper body and arms on
top of the narrow legs looks great and makes this figure stand out on
the shelf, not to mention towering over the other figures. The dark
lines painted in certain areas create the impression of scales
without having actual scales break up the smooth lines that give the
animated look. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it before, but I
also really like the texture and flatness of the plastic DCC uses for
these. It works very well for the look.
Crocs’
articulation is worked into the design nicely. None of the joints
break up the profile. His huge, clawed hands look menacing and have
black paint on each of the claws.
Croc’s
feet are big and simple. The toes aren’t very detailed, but look
very good and represent the animation well. His trousers are just
plain blue. I find it odd that the bottoms aren’t torn up, but
that’s how the animated model looked.
ACCESSORIES
Killer
Croc comes with two extra hands, a ball, a turkey, a stack of cash, a
bottle, a stand, and Baby Doll.
The
stand is the same big ol’ stand that the rest of the large figures
in this line come with. It takes up a lot of shelf real estate and
Croc doesn’t need it.
The
turkey looks great. It’s a turkey. Someday I’ll learn not to get
so close with the camera and wash out all of the color with the
stupid flash. I’m like a little kid with a toy gun that thinks you
need to run up to someone and stick it in their face to shoot them.
The
ball, bottle and cash all look like they should look. I’m impressed
with the sculpt of the bottle – that nipple really looks good. I
feel like more work went into that nipple than was absolutely
necessary. What a nipple. The cash has lots of paint for what is
essentially a tertiary accessory. Good stuff. That’s why we’re
paying a premium for these figures.
The
extra hands are posed to grasp things. They look great and swap out
easily. The pegs are big enough that you don’t get nervous
switching them like you do some figures in this line.
Baby
Doll – Mary Louise Dahl – is a solid extra but is actually kind
of disappointing if you’re a fan of the character. I’m not saying
DCC should have done a single carded Doll, but she can’t hold
anything, she can’t sit or stand very well, and this isn’t the
face I would have chosen. She’s one of the many truly tragic
villains from the show and I think she deserves a little better than
this, which is essentially a literal baby doll. The figure looks
great and is competently executed with six points of articulation, but it’s just not enough for
what I think is a great character.
Side
Note: Mary Louise Dahl was created by Paul Dini specifically for
Batman:
The Animated Series,
much like Harley Quinn. Unlike Harley, she has never been used in
other media.
FUN
Croc
looks like a big stiff but actually has a very good range of motion.
His head moves well thanks to the hollow back and his arms can
achieve a huge variety of poses thanks to plenty of ball and
swivel/pivot joints.
Croc’s
abdomen is also nicely done, with a great hinge under a swivel.
He’s
lacking knee joints, but I’m okay with that if the alternative is a
figure that wouldn’t be able to stand. The ankles are nice and
tight and support the top-heavy design just fine. I was surprised at
the number of dynamic poses I was able to achieve.
The
accessories are fun and Croc can hold them all. I really do wish Baby
Doll was a better figure. An extra shouting head or arms that could
be switched out to enable her to hold things would be nice. Heck,
they could have just sculpted arms onto the bottle and the ball and I
would have been happy. As it is those items really have no purpose
since she can’t interact with them.
OVERALL
Even
though I’m disappointed with Baby Doll, it’s important to
remember that she is just a pack-in bonus and that Croc is the
feature here. For him and his related accessories alone this figure
is worth it. DCC did a great job on this one and I’d rather have a
sub-par Baby Doll for free than none at all.
4
out of 5
If
you want one, buy from Amazon and help Needless Things pay the
bills!:
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