Mafex: Batman v Superman Knightmare Batman

First off, I have to admit that I am a pretty big Batman v Superman mark. I dug the film, and after seeing the extended cut, which fixed a lot of the issues and questions I had with the theatrical release, I really loved it.

The “knightmare” scene in Batman v Superman may have only lasted for all of of five minutes, and while being  an alternate reality that ended up only confusing people, it sure made a lasting impression. So much so that multiple companies have decided to go ahead and make a figure of Batman’s look during his battle with Superman’s troops and Parademons.

I’ve been pretty pleased with the Mafex versions of the Batman v Superman characters, so adding this version of Bats was a must.

The packaging is the same as the other figures from the BvS line, with a nice clear window in the front showing everything you get with some pretty pictures on the back and sides. I really dig the Mafex packages. I know it’s probably a bit excessive, but for some reason the bigger box and double plastic boxing hits my sweet spot.

Right out of the package, he’s a perfect representation of Batman’s look from that exciting, yet question-inducing scene. He has his duster, sand-covered goggles, scarf, military-styled pants, and, of course, his guns.  Yeah, I know guns are a weird thing to associate with a Batman figure, but they were integral to this version’s look. It’s all here, and I have to say it’s pretty awesome.

There are loads of details packed into this figure, and it really helps to make him stand out on what could be a drab-looking figure. Black, gray, military green, and brown don’t exactly make a figure “pop,” but the great sculpt and and all the little details do just that. From the top of his head with a great Batfleck likeness to the gold-plated boot tips, this figure is packed with fun little details to look at.

The paints are good with a nice dirty wash on his duster and even some crusted-on sand crystals on his googles. Everything is clean with crisp lines without any splotches and missed lines. Basically it’s what you’d expect from an import figure and usually just what you get from a Mafex figure.

Articulation is the same as the other figures from the BvS Mafex line, and truthfully just about all their figures.

• Ball-jointed head and ball-jointed neck
• Ball-jointed shoulders
• Double elbows
• Hinge-and-swivel wrists
• Ab swivel
• Ball-jointed lower torso/waist
• Ball-jointed drop down hips
• Double knees
• Hinge-and-swivel ankles

All of that allows for some fun posing and makes him movable enough to get him into any gun-toting Batman pose you’d like. The only knock on him articulation-wise is that his ball-hinged waist and lower torso setup is a tad loose. Nothing that hinders holding poses, but I still would rather it be tighter.

Accessories is an area where this figure really shines. He comes with so much stuff that I was kinda worried about losing some of it before I could take pictures of it for the review. Besides accessories necessary to complete his knightmare look, he comes with a couple of other pieces that help complete the looks of some previous figures in the BvS line.

Heads, hands, guns, spears — oh my. So much cool stuff to mix and match with and to add to other figures.

He comes with four sets of hands: binocular-holding hands, trigger hands, fists, and, from what I can see, “facepalm” hands. Probably best used to respond to the decision to edit out all the parts of BvS that explained all the plot-hole problems, thus causing the plot-hole problems.

The guns themselves are highly detailed and fit perfectly in his trigger hands. The pistol has a great super detailed grip on it, and the Joker card on the rifle is a really cool touch. The pistol fits perfectly in its holster when needed. The binoculars and the rifle have a really well-made strap on them. I’m assuming it’s a pleather concoction or some really thin plastic. Whatever it is, it works pretty well.

He comes with two alternate heads. Well, really one alternate unmasked head and a head for a completely different figure. He comes with a battle-damaged head for the armored Batman figure. Neither of these is a perfect Affleck likeness, though, at least not as good as the regular masked head is. The detail and damage on the armor helmet is great even if the likeness isn’t spot-on.

Also included is his mask that Superman rips off, as well as the kryptonite spear so you can recreate some BvS battle scenes.

He also comes with three Superman hands: one mask-gripping hand, one hand to hold the spear, and one fist hand. No idea about why the fist hand is included.

Overall this is a pretty great figure. In fact, I even like the head sculpt better than the original Batman figure. The detailed sculpt and the accessories just make this a figure that I’m super happy to own. If you’re collecting the Mafex Batman v Superman line or DCEU figures, this is a must have.