Ever since NECA was able to offer a fantastic 7″ version of their (originally 1/4 scale) Michael Keaton Batman, fans have been begging them for more 7″ versions of more their DC Comics figures. But, due to strict licensing rights, that didn’t look like it was going to happen. But, thanks to their strong relationship with Warner Bros., NECA was able to once again offer a special edition DC Comics figure. Actually, make that three figures. Like the 1989 Batman figure, Warner Bros. and NECA once again offered a special combo package of a movie and figure. This round, you could mix and match the DVD’s with one of the figures. Included are the following releases:
- Batman Classic TV Series – Adam West Batman
- The Dark Knight – Heath Ledger Joker
- Superman (1978) – Christopher Reeve Superman
You can grab them either from the Warner Bros. Ebay Store or at physical Toys “R” Us locations. The Superman hasn’t hit stores yet, and should start filtering out next week. NECA has sent along both a Batman and Joker for us to review. We have over 100 high resolution photos! Read on for our review and all of the images.
NECA 7″ Scale Adam West Batman and Heath Ledger Joker
Pros
- Excellent sculpts
- Great surprise release
- Strong actor likenesses
- Fun scaled down 1/4 scale packaging
- Backdrops included
- Nice articulation
- Best versions of these characters in this scale
- Joker head sculpt looks especially fantastic
- Fun accessories
Cons
- Breakages can occur
Overall
NECA had been teasing a surprise release for over a week leading up tho this reveal. Out of all the guesses I saw (and even my own guesses as to what we would be getting), no one guesses new 7″ DC Comics characters. The reveal was met with a ton of excitement. The 1/4 scale versions of these characters were extremely well received by fans. to see near exact versions of these figures scaled down to 7″ size is a sight to behold. Fro this review, we are only doing Batman and Joker. We’ll have a Superman review soon. The figures come packaged in scaled down versions of their 1/4 scale packaging. Be aware, the photos on the back of the box show the 1/4 scale versions. The figures sit on a plastic tray and include character specific accessories.
Batman
Modeled after Adam West’s iconic take on Batman from the 1960’s TV series, the figure is a spot on representation. The sculpt scaled down quite nicely. The head sculpt is instantly recognizable as Adam West, even behind the mask. The sculpted details on the costume are also handled well. The cloth nature of the outfit comes through, even at this small size. You can see fabric lines in the gray spots, and the folds on the cowl, gloves, undies and boots are all pretty realistic. The cape is fabric, and has a nice sheen to it. Batman has plenty of articulation. It loses the double joints and ab crunch, but that doesn’t hinder the figure. The waist can actually move forward a bit. I counted just about 20 points of articulation in total. Batman includes swappable hands, a Batarang and a communicator. The main hands are in a clenched fist, while the swappable ones allow for holding of the accessories. Those accessories sit nicely in the hands, and they don’t didn’t fall out at all while posing for this shoot. The forearms are a bit of a softer plastic to allow the hands to be more easily removed. However, the hand pegs are quite thin, so take extra care when swapping these out. Unfortunately, one of my pegs snapped when swapping the hand. The Batman figure is a pretty stellar release overall. It easily trumps the Mattel one (just check the comparison photos in the gallery). Be sure to handle the hand swapping with care and you should be fine.
The Joker
Heath Ledger’s take on The Joker has gone down as one of the best, if not the best, take on the character. His rough, scarred, look is the stuff of nightmares. The original 1/4 scale figure is a huge fan favorite. Previous takes at this scale have been hit or miss. Most of the domestic releases were passable, but unexciting. Japanese company releases, such as the MAFEX version, fared far better, but the cost wasn’t always favorable. NECA’s 7″ scale version is easily on par with any Japanese release, and the best domestic version of the character by far. The overall sculpt is highly detailed. The head features a wonderful film accurate sculpt, with great attention paid the the cheek scarring. The main jacket is a soft vinyl piece than can be bent open to show the detailing of the jacket interior, as well as the vest. He even features a metal chain. The cloth like details came out perfectly. Included with Joker are a machine gun, a pistol and a knife. All fit in the hands perfectly. The right hand can even place the index figure on the gun triggers. The paint application on the figure is handled well. The bright white looks like it’s painted over skin, while there’s a darker wash in spots to punch up the sculpted details. Joker has, also, roughly 20 points of articulation. On mine, the hip joint did snap. I looked around, and didn’t see anything about this happenign elsewhere so this issue looks to be an isolated problem to my figure. I’ll be happy once I replace it. Outside of that, I have no complaints. It’s an excellent sculpt and a great representation of the character.
In the end, I really dig both figures. They have lots of posing options, good accessories, and are some of the best takes on these characters. Once Superman is released, we’ll have a full blown line of 7″ scale DC figures (don’t forget the 1989 Batman). I hope this relationship with WB continues, and we can see characters like The Penguin and the eventual Christian Bale Batman get the 7″ scale treatment.
