I dig Batman. Always have. There’s just something about the character that clicked with me (and about a billion other people).
It started with watching the original Super Friends cartoon in my grandparent’s living room, progressed to reruns of the live-action ABC TV show, and eventually crept into my growing passion for comic books. And while my interest in the character waned in the ’80s, I still had a soft spot in my heart for the pointy-eared bastard.
The animated series piqued my interest again, and I got back into Bats right at the beginning of the “Knightfall” story-line. I followed his books until I stopped buying comics after the abysmal Identity Crisis, though I kept up with his story thanks to graphic novels and comic reviews. My Bat-mania eventually faded to a comfortable disinterest, but it wasn’t long before all of that changed
With the debut of Marvel Legends in 2002, I dumped everything that wasn’t to scale. That meant goodbye to Super Powers Batman, the ’89 movie figures, and all the Kenner and Mattel product that followed — I had a lot of Batmen even then, and all of it was purged. Even so, it wasn’t long before the Bat’s shadow once again fell over my collection.
While DC Direct had a few Batman figures at the time, it was the DC Super Heroes version that drew me back to the character. I found him for $5 at Big Lots, of all places. Hey,I couldn’t afford NOT to buy him at that price. Sure, he had a grump face, but, barring that, he was a sweet figure. With more than double the articulation of the average DCD offerings, the figure soon became a favorite.
Having the DC Super Heroes Batman didn’t prevent me from picking up the new DC Universe Classics figure when it came out, but the fact it came with a Metamorpho Collect-and-Connect piece helped. After all, I already had a blue-and-grey Batman — why would I need another? Why indeed?
In the early years of its existence, DC Direct was contractually unable to produce figures of Batman and related characters. This issue was eventually resolved and DC Direct was soon churning out enough Batmen to beat the band. There were classic versions, modern incarnations, and alternate-reality costumes. While their lack of articulation and slightly larger scale kept me from going all in, I did pick up a handful. DC Direct figures could often be found inexpensively at toy shows; with Marvel Legends and DCUC locking up collector interest, there was a sense these figures were less desirable, and they were priced accordingly. For a fiver or less I couldn’t resist.
At retail DCUC soldiered on, but cracks were beginning to show. Thanks to Mattel’s policy of reuse, many of the figures had a sameness that began to chafe. While the grey body-suited Batman reappeared in the Gotham City 5-pack, it was the Walmart-exclusive Series 10 Batman in an all-black costume that caught my eye. Not for what it was, but for what it might be.
Comic versions of the character were only one slice of Mattel’s Bat-Pie. With the debut of Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, there was an entirely new universe to explore. I had a hate/hate relationship with the product that followed: I wasn’t a fan of the movie, and the fact that I could walk into any retail store and snag a movie Batman, but couldn’t find the latest DCUC figures to save my life, drove me up a wall. The only time I delved into the movie line was buying up heavily discounted Joker Thugs for customs.
Eventually DCUC died at retail, replaced by Batman Legacy/Unlimited. I decided I was done with Bats, again — I had no interest in a line devoted almost exclusively to different versions of a single character. But for some weird reason I ended up buying almost all of them. Chalk it up to habit or compulsion, or maybe I was just being a good consumer. Whatever the reason, I soon had First Appearance, Golden Age, Dark Knight — even the uninspiring New 52 version. Soon I was facing the same old problem: where the heck do I put all of these?
So what is it about Batman that keeps me coming back? I’d be hard-pressed to say for sure. As much as I enjoy the character’s shadowy exploits I wouldn’t consider myself a “Bat-Fan.” I’ve always been more of a Marvel guy — so why do I have a dozen figures fighting for shelf-space here in the Anthill? It could be some latent OCD that compels me to collect his different incarnations, it could be the fact I’m more of a Batman fan than I’m willing to admit to myself. Or it could be the fact that I’m a toy collector and just can’t help myself. Whatever the answer, I promise you this — I’m done. Finished. Seriously, I’m covered — I can’t imagine ever needing another Batman figure. Well, except for the Mezco Dark Knight. And that NECA ’89 Batman. And that DCC Animated Series Batman. And… and…
Somebody help me.
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