Customer Reviews

Retro-Action DC Super Heroes Batman Figure

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I was so excited to get a hold of this toy, a fairly faithful re-creation of the wonderful MEGO toys of my childhood with some improvements. I purchased the previous Superman and despite some flaws with the body I was thrilled. - Batman being my favorite, I could not wait to get him. Unfortunately the flaws in the body are the same and worst of all the Batman Emblem peels right off. Shades of the original 1970s toys.

My Superman does not have this problem. The emblem becomes a bit cracked as the cloth suit moves on the figure but after months it looks fine and shows no signs of coming off - but within minutes of removing Batman from his packaging the emblem began to wrinkle and crease and within a week was gone completely. Mind you, this toy is not played with by a child but by a nostalgia ridden adult.

I am deeply disappointed. I don't want my money back, but I guess that is what I will ask for. Mattel is offering returns and reimbursement, but what I want is just a Batman with a Batman logo on his chest. Is that so wrong?

This wave was supposed to be "fixed" from the earlier Superman/Green Lantern wave of floppy legs and waist, but it is not. Yes it is a little better but not much.

I have all the retro Mego figures and Mattel should have stuck with the ORIGINAL molds that will hold a pose. They do not even stand well (they only stand leaning forward or back....not in any way shape or form can you get a normal stance out of them).

These are only for MIB collectors because once you get them out of the box you will be really sad.

Mattel should send them all back and let Dr Mego do what he does best -- Retro Mego toys -- not Mattelized pieces of plastic junk!

First I have to say, that I have some of my original megos, and let me tell you back in the 70's we really played with our toys, and megos still lasted and lasted.

That being said here's my review of this figure/toy

1) Let's all take a step back from nostalgia lane and really look at these figures and their price tags.
I rate 1, why for 20 bucks and up the quality should have been better.

2)Playability: 1 floppy legs,sad arms, decals in the wind, etc it's all been said but I'm saying it again

3) based on price and construction obviously these figures are geared for the collector mip market not for playing or kids toys. makes me think of toy story 2, yeah you know what I mean...

so if your a collector and "gots to have it" great knock yourself out but if your purchasing....for play well
I suppose that's great too. I like the fact that these outfits fit on megos , yeah I said that as well,
but for the price it's not really worth it when you have classic tv toys, and dr mego around.
It's really sad when something that could have been cool and was made by " toy purists" they fell from the mark in my humble opinion.

I haven't had the unfortunate experience with the emblem peeling off, but then mine is just standing on a shelf. If that's true, then it's pretty sad for what they're charging for this ($20). I was impressed with everything else except the loose joints, making it questionable whether he can stand. But he does, so bully for him. Funny, I thought I got ripped off when I opened it because the cowl didn't look removable it was so well done, but it does come off so now I really know who Batman is, ha ha ahahahahahahhahaa!

Bruce Wayne's forehead is so enormous you can project a movie onto it. Go ahead--I dare ya. You can't see it because it is covered by the cowl in these photos (perhaps for a good reason). Believe me though, it IS NOT pretty. Has the sculptor ever seen a real hairline? This is by far the ugliest "Mego" that was ever produced. Perhaps it's time to hire professionals?

Solution to the problem (the ugly one): Buy a repro Bruce Wayne head from CTVT and fix it ($4 plus approximately $12 shipping). You'll notice the most of the CTVT heads are less. This one is special though because it's Bruce Wayne and perhaps they know there are a whole lot of Retro Batmen who need face transplants.

There, it's beautiful now--well except that the body flops over and won't stand up. Another problem. Sigh.

Solution: Buy a Castaway replacement body for ($8 plus $6-12 dollars shipping).

Oops. The costume had runs on it straight out of the package.

Solution: buy reproduction suit and shorts from Dr. Mego ($8 plus $6 shipping). Maybe he'll sell you a repro cowl, belt and emblem too if you ask nicely.

Holy cow, this is getting to be one expensive Batman. The $30 Mattel Batman is now nearly $80 with upgrades. And why is this item $30 anyway, when its suggested retail is more like $20?

Solution: Skip the whole Mattel thing and buy a vintage Mego Batman as they are now really cheap due to the vintage market being destroyed by repro stuff (<$50). With a little luck, he might even stand up on his own. Maybe you can even find one on Amazon.

This is a nicely done figure, envoking a by gone era of 70's toys from Mego. The outfit is an improvment, the figure itself is only okay.

But key is that my son loves this thing. He carries it around the house and plays with it constantly, just like I did with something very similar 35 years ago.

Before I comment on the figure, let me say something about the packaging. It's clever using similar blister packs to the classic Mego figures, and it's great seeing the art of Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez on the card. Not only is he one of DC Comics' best, he was their premier artist for style guides & licensing. It makes perfect sense to use his work, along with what looks like the work of the late, great Dick Giordano.
That being said, it's wonderful having 8" action figures with cloth costumes back on the market. I had a couple Mego Batmen in my youth, and one I bought years later that hasn't been opened. This Retro-Action Batman, updated & designed wonderfully, is a welcome addition to my collection and to modern store shelves. As for the price, well, the 6" DC Direct figures cost about the same, so I don't feel like I've spent too much on it.
Now, if they reissue the Batcave Gift Set, like the Enterprise playset was reproduced, I'll really be happy!

Made by supposed Mego purists who routinely dogged the Famous covers and Hasbro efforts because they were 9 inches instead of 8...whoo hoo. Big whoop. Actually the other lines are far superior both in execution of design and overall durability. Batman looks like he's wearing a speedo and with his poorly designed Mattel body almost appears feminine. Decals are more like cheaply made iron-ons which peel off whilst just trying to pose the figure. My advice - Pass on this garbage and wait until a different company gets this license. At twenty dollars a pop, this figure is in need of too much repair to justify the cost.

As a child I had a Mego Batman and it was my favorite. My son loves this Batman! Kudos on the details here. We appreciate the effort and hope Mattel continues the line for many years!

The improved:
The cowl. Better looking for starters and fits much more snugly - less of a Great Gazoo cowl than the original. Though in an odd way, I do miss the original's open eyelets on the cowl.
The cape. Much better fabric- more durable and looks like fraying will be much less likely, though given that this is strictly a display piece, I'll never find out for sure.
Better Bruce Wayne head.
Better bat-symbol. It's a transfer, and not a poorly glued on sticker, like the original. That said, the transfer could flake off very easily with repeated play.
Better gloves. No oven mitts, like the original.
Better boots.
The original body is better, though. These new Mattel bodies are floppy, though the sculpts are a bit more muscled.
Overall, a great buy, displays well next to the originals. Packaging is neat, too.