After two snow storms, three UPS delays and a missed delivery, I was finally able to get the NECA 1989 Michael Keaton Batman in my hands. The figure stands at a massive 18″ tall and is a great companion piece to the 18″ Adam West Batman (gallery and review coming soon). as well as the upcoming 18″ Arkham Origins Batman.
So how does the figure hold up to in-hand scrutiny? Is it a worthy investment? Read on to find out what I thought and to check out a full gallery of the figure.
Review
The 1989 Batman comes packaged in a window box. The packaging features photos of the figure as well as a great logo and art that make a great display on its own merits. The mostly black packaging really stands in a nice contrast to NECA’s other 18″ figures like Iron Man, Superman and Thor. Once opened, the figure is sitting in a cardboard tray, held in by a few twist ties. Also inside are the accessories, taped in a plastic tray on the side of the cardboard.
Once removed, the figure is a sight to behold. It has a bit more weight to it than I expected. It doesn’t feel cheap or hollow. The intricate details are immediately noticeable. The cowl features a sandstone like texture, while the chest plate, arms, wait and thighs feature a much smoother look. The gauntlets, shin guards and shoes have a very shiny paint application. It creates a great textural contrast that helps break up the monotonous color scheme. The chin features just as much detail as pores and wrinkles are clearly visible. The Keaton likeness is also very close, if a bit exaggerated. The cloth cape is another smart decision. The material used gives off a very leathery look. The only downside is the cape is crunched up in a plastic baggie in the box. When removed, the cape is full of wrinkles, which really takes away from how nicely sewn it was. As the shoot went on, it smoothed out a bit, but never took on the flat, flowing look it should have had.
Out of the box, Batman features closed fists. In the box, there are is an extra set of hands for holding the various accessories, as well as an extra open right hand for holding the grapnel gun or Batarang. Accessories include a Batarang (which can be completely folded up like in the film), a grapnel gun, a hook, clear wire, two metal baton/rods and a belt clip for the grapnel gun. Unfortunately, no instruction are included with the figure, which actually really hurts the overall package. I had to look online to see how people were attaching the belt clip, how people were using the wire, what the metal rods were for, etc. FYI, the metal rods are used to pose the cape when they are draped over the arms. Also, the belt clip is extremely fragile, and snapped in two before I could even photograph it.
Batman features an impressive 20 points of articulation. The joints are very tight, perhaps a little too tight actually. It’s tough to tell how far you can move and rotate the limbs as considerable pressure needs to be applied the first few times you attempt to move them. This is especially true in the hips and knee articulation as it felt like I was going to snap them off. There is a major upside to this, though. The tight joints will allow for some very dynamic poses. This helps to make it very easy to keep the figure standing and the joints shouldn’t wear out any time soon.
In the end, the negatives are all mostly minor. The 1989 Batman looks simply stunning when on display. The sculpted details are authentic to the film, the paint applications highlight the insane amount of details. the great articulation allows for some great poses and the detail in the accessories help put this over the top. I have no regrets on buying this figure and it makes a great alternative (or even companion piece) to the much more expensive Hot Toys iteration. Fans of the 1989 film are in for a treat when they buy this.
Check out some of my personal favorite pics below and a full gallery after that.
