There are a few lines I collect that cause a lot of buzz and discussion among online action figure collectors. Then there are lines that I collect that quietly build themselves up to being some of the very best things that I own in terms of toys, even without the constant din of non-stop chatter out there on the webs.
That is certainly the case with NECA’s Gremlins line, which, while not nearly as conversation-inducing as their video game, Aliens, and Predator lines, has been chugging along for several years, and in that time has brought some of the absolute best offerings from NECA to date. I am serious, and I am also serious when I say it is by far my personal favorite line from them, and just to keep this serious theme going, their brand new Bat Gremlin from Gremlins 2: The New Batch might seriously be the best of that entire thus far. I am serious, you guys.
That is not to say that I not a fan of those other lines I just mentioned, because I collect those as well, but I cannot stress strongly enough how satisfying the Gremlins line has been, and how the best pieces therein represent their source material as well (if not better) than anything else I own in this plastic hobby. Sure, Gremlins is also my favorite property (well, that, and TMNT) for which NECA makes action figures, but as I look at my Gremlins shelf, I am still so impressed with wonderfully rendered all of these crazy character are and how deep the line has been allowed to go. We have a TON of Mogwai, from all of the main guys in the movies, to concepts as well, but the actual Gremlins have always been my favorite, so when a figure comes out that has potential to be the centerpiece of the entire collection, needless to say, I am excited.
Which brings us to this Bat Gremlin. I will readily admit that, when I saw the prototype of this figure in NECA’s case at SDCC last year, I did a complete double-take because I could not believe what I was actually seeing. I came to the show just hoping that we would be able to get an updated Mohawk, and maybe the “WB” and Greta Gremlins that had been previously shown, but I had no inkling that this behemoth was going to even be possible, let alone so impressive. This bad boy had one of the most memorable (and Mr. Futterman-centric) scenes in the entire movie, and at the end of the day, he is the only “New Batch” Gremlin that can probably still be seen today, perched high upon that gothic cathedral.
Now, I will readily admit that, in terms of the overall movies, I much prefer the original Gremlins to the sequel. That is not a bash on the latter, I just consider the original to be a near-perfect Christmas movie, and I watch it every year without fail to help celebrate the holidays. That said, I feel the second movie accomplished exactly what Joe Dante and the producers wanted it to (a send-up of sequels), and there is absolutely no denying the AMAZING character designs Rick Baker provided for all of the “character” Mogwai and Gremlins.
Like many of the other featured Gremlins, our dear Bat Gremlin came into being by breaking into Christopher Lee’s science lab and running amok with a seemingly drinkable bat-gene concoction and injectable sunscreen. This was a pretty genius way of taking a mob of fairly indistinguishable antagonists (an issue for the first movie), and diversifying them into memorable characters with specific looks and abilities. Obviously, Mohawk’s transformation into a Spider Gremlin made for the most memorable film moments, but the Bat Gremlin, Salad Bar/Veggie Gremlin, and Greta (the lone female) all have fantastic designs that lend themselves perfectly to action figures. Fortunately, NECA has seen these opportunities and they have seized several of them impressive enthusiasm. The Bat Gremlin continues the trend.
As I said, I do believe this is one of NECA’s very best lines, and not only do the individual figures stand out thanks to the fantastic sculpt, paint, and articulation, but also because everything goes together so well. The Bat Gremlin was sculpted by Jason Frailey, who always produces strong work. I want to note that I really appreciate the fact that NECA is always good about crediting the artists involved with the creation of any given figure on the packaging, and I like being able to put a name to a sculpt, and Jason really came through with this one.
I know I saw the prototype several months ago, but I was still quite surprised by the actual sculpt of this figure once I had it in-hand. Now, I knew the sculpt was going to be fantastic, that was easily apparent at first sight, but being able to compare it to the other Gremlins on my shelf, I am very taken by just how unique the sculpt is. Yes, I know, that sounds ridiculous because this is the only one with a giant pair of wings, but nothing has been borrowed or recycled from a previous figure, at least as far as I can tell. NECA’s weakness has never been accuracy in their sculpts (they excel at it), but had they not been so committed to the integrity of the Bat Gremlin design, they probably could have cheated a bit with some reuse, especially with the body.
There is no corner-cutting here, however, and the basic body shape is very different from the other character Gremlins like Daffy or George, but it is completely accurate. The sculpt follows the puppet design in the fact that Bat Gremlin is skinnier and shorter in stature than a standard movie two Gremlin. This obviously makes sense because, you know, the dude has to fly, but even though I have seen The New Batch countless times, I had to go back and check the movie frames, and there it was. It is a testament to the sculpture and sculptor when you have to go back and check something you have been living with for most of your life, just to make sure you have not noticed it before. That is why these guys are sculptors and I am not.
Now, the unique body is cool, but the most obvious and impressive part of this sculpt is the expansive wings. I mean, duh, right? These are what make the Bat Gremlin the Bat Gremlin, and not only do they look really nice, but they are also incorporated into the overall figure very well. The character design has it so the Gremlin retains his regular arms, in addition to gaining the wings, so these can function as such without having to play the part of the arms as well. They are very detailed with unique lines sculpted into every part of the leathery wings, and they reach out for (about) 18 inches in span, so it is something to behold. There is actually wire armature in the “arm” portion of the wings, so you can fold them and change the shape easily with them. The best part is, even though a stand is included, even with these giant wings, this figure can still stand unassisted and that is quite a feat, especially since it could have been tossed aside due to the stand. That is some great work.
While the wings might be the most impressive part of the sculpt, my favorite part is the head, because there is so much personality going on here I can barely stand it. The bat potion caused this guy to take on bat-like facial features, in addition to his wings, and that lead to an upturned nose, angled jaw, and pointed ears. This brings a very unique look to this figure, even if you ignore the ears entirely. The expression(s) that you can achieve are fun and completely character accurate, which is a perfect segue to talk about the articulation figure has, and the head/face is no exception. When I first looked at the figure in the package, I thought the head sculpt had changed because his mouth was now shut. That, of course, was not the case because the jaw is actually hinged so his mouth can open and close, and his ears are articulated as well(!), so the different looks and personality notes you can get are pretty incredible. This guy goes from happy and playful right to imposing and mean, and that change could not have been possible without those three points of articulation.
The rest of the body follows suit as well, and in addition to the wire armature, the wings also have partial ball joints at the back to allow for some up-and-down and front-to-back movement. The neck is articulated at the head and the shoulders, so the range of movement for the head is actually really impressive. The arms have partial balls at the shoulders, hinge-and-twist elbows, and hinge-and-twist wrists. The hips are partial balls, and there is also knee and ankle articulation. That is a LOT of movement for this figure, so posing certainly has a lot of possibilities, and these points, especially in the legs, help the figure balance with his wings.
Speaking of, while the figure can balance on its own, there is an included clear stand with the figure to help supplement posing. This is where the stand is appreciated because it is not REQUIRED, but it helps add a lot of posing options and the essential “in flight” looks. It comes in three pieces: a base, the arm, and the clip, and it is very sturdy and works well without being intrusive. The clips work well right around the waist of the figure and holds him tightly, so you don’t have to worry about the figure falling over or coming out of your intended pose.
Before I wrap this up, I do want to mention the paint because it should be a major focus of this feature, but I found myself unable to say much about it. I mean that in a totally complimentary way because the paint on this figure is so complex and so clean, I don’t really have a way to describe it. There are so many paint hits here, I don’t even know how to count them and the different techniques work so well together to make everything click. The sculpt is completely enhanced by the paint, and that is best compliment you can give — it is absolutely impressive. Hopefully, my pictures do the paint justice because I am really quite taken by it.
Look if you are a Gremlins fan, stop reading and go get this guy right now. He is essential to your collection. Even if you are not super keen on the Gremlins (shame on you), this is still an impressive work that can be appreciated by just about any collector. Sure, this guy is likely to not get as much fawning as the Spider Gremlin, but I feel his is every bit as impressive due to his look and functionality. I have been with NECA since the beginning, so I really hope we can still get guys like the Veggie Gremlin, Greta, and all of the other stuff we have been shown at one point or another. This collection has gotten to be so impressive, and this Bat Gremlin makes for the perfect centerpiece.
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