This is going to be one of those reviews where my excitement level causes me to lose all credibility. That’s okay though because I love this figure. I didn’t expect to. I subscribed to Club Filmation out of the some strange mix of completism & duty to the site and its readers. I was hopeful that I’d want some of the six figures offered, but I felt like Batros would be in the bottom half for sure.
One of my favorite writers, Joe Posnanski, has a movie rating system called Movie Plus-Minus. It’s a genius idea that explains why two people can have differing opinions on the same thing (ghastly, I know). It takes Expectations into account. I apply this same Plus-Minus to toy collecting. Say you’re really excited about getting Octavia and expecting her to clock in at 4 out of 5. But she arrives and her pops off a lot, the tentacles don’t really work well, they’re cumbersome, she’s a little meh and clocks in at 2. Well, for you Octavia has a Plus-Minus of -2. She’s a bad figure. Doh.
But the Plus-Minus works the other way too. And, I don’t know how anyone else feels about Batros, I haven’t looked. But I don’t think I’ve seen a buzz for him equal to how much fun I had opening him up and reviewing him. Is Batros a great figure? I think so, but I also know that I had zero expectations for him. He may just be a 3-star figure, but that’s a +3 for me and he just seems a lot more fun than many of the recent MOTUCs that have passed through my way. So much so, that this review is going up before Vault even has his figure!
Now, my lack of early interest in Batros probably comes from the fact that I don’t remember his episode. I recently rewatched it, and that helped somewhat. He’s, like plenty of old cartoon characters, a poster child for squandered potential. He seems like he could be a credible threat, though he strangely thought that stealing all of Eternia’s books would get him instilled as Emperor. Still, the episode did a good job of making Batros look sharp against the main villain cast. He was, of course, dispatched by He-Man quickly and has never been seen again until this very figure nearly thirty years later.
When I opened him up, Batros just jumped out at me in a way few recent MOTUCs have. I’m not sure why exactly. He does have a great classic animation look. His color scheme is unique on my MOTUC shelf (you wouldn’t think so, but it is!). And, of course, he does evoke a little bit of a superhero aesthetic with parallels to Batman, Blue Falcon, etc. Somehow, he just ends up greater than the sum of his parts.
And that’s particularly true considering his construction. Batros is mostly the basic buck that we’re used to at this point, right down to the He-Man loincloth & Tri-Klops bracers, but the reuse of the Demo-Man hands adds a bit more monstrosity to his look. There are plenty of new pieces too – he has all new boots, new biceps with the wing attachments, new armor, a new cowl piece for his neck, and the standard unique head sculpt. Continue to Page 2…
He still looks goofy to me, but I know how a Four Horsemen figure can come to life once you have it in hand.
Are you picking up any MOTU figures?
What a terrific review!
Thanks, Doc!
The cool thing about Batros is that he looks like a character Mattel would have made in the 80’s, yet detailed enough to be one of the 4H’s best works in the modern line.
Love the Batros Dance, too! 🙂 Great pics as always!
Thanks, Clutch!
I’ve seen a couple vintage Batros customs. He definitely would’ve fit in!
The gallery this review had me laughing so hard! I love this site and all the reviews you guys do. I should say this is my favorite toy review site. 🙂 <3 <3 <3
Thank you, Mega!
Nice work on the exclamation point.
Also, got anything special planned for review #1000? It’s coming up.
Is it coming up? That’s scary!
Great review, excellent pics, and Oh, Wow! the best comics you’ve done in ages.
Laughed very hard.
Thanks, Beedo! I had a blast taking the pics!
I too share your excitement for this figure. He photographs so well, and just the simple addition of wings on his bicep make him so much fun to pose around. Great review!
Nice noticing his chest symbol is a kinda-sorta Horde symbol, I actually thought it was a Horde symbol until I got the figure in the mail. Hilarious comics this time around 🙂
Thanks, Jon! He was a lot more fun than I expected.
Fantastic Review. Batros dance had me cracking up. Figure is great.
Thanks, Jack! I loved the dance… I was worried it was “too” silly!
I’m out of town for a couple of days and I seem to have returned to a parallel world where Noisy’s favorite character is Batros…
Great review though!
It was a long weekend. 🙂
had some free time on this one, didn’t you?
you know what chaps my ass? one of the most vexing things about this line is the inconsistency, and the filmation sub alone has provided that in spades… you mention specifically batros’ texturing, on his harness and wings, and how cool that is, and you request more: all of that is true, and more would be nice going forward, but i want some going backwards. the POP girls all suffer from bland looking outfits, and universally, it’s because they lack texture. their costumes are flat toothbrush looking plastic, with no texture, no highlights, jack squat, and no where does it rub me worse than the recent shokoti release. she looks great, in the face, and she’s been a must-requested character addition to the line, but her bodice and cape lack any of these textural touches and it boggles the mind. how do they belong in the same line? how do they mesh, when the classicizer clearly has a pro-male bias? the POP girls get short shrifted on the textures, and to the lady, it leaves them looking unimpressive and blah next to the men. that’s cheap shit.
nice review on batros, and i’m not trying to dog him out specifically, he looks great, he just touches a nerve for getting treatment that not every character/design gets, and he’s a cool figure, cooler than many, specifically because of that treatment. and mattel wonders why some people are reluctant to sub up… do we get a discount when the figure gets phoned in? no. should we? i sure feel like we should. if they put 52% effort into a fig, i feel like it should cost 52% of the usual. especially for the POP girls, who, by nature of their more slender physiques, utilize less plastic, less paint, and are cheaper to ship… they should get deco for days to compensate, or they should cost less.
and another thing… tell me again why engineering couldn’t work out wings for the sorceress that don’t look her tray tables are in the upright and locked position, but batros gets wings that look cool, and don’t hinder his articulation at all? if they’d done the sorceress’ wings like batros (though obviously feathers instead of leathers) they wouldn’t have incurred the cost of modifying the castle grayskull throne.
think mcfly, think!
Well, yes, this.
Of course since I tend to be a contrary person, I would have preferred removable wings for the Sorceress with an alternate fabric cape for throne sitting and such like, but that’s past and pity it can’t be revisited.
And I agree 100% on the texture thing, DR. You are completely correct. Not just the POP gals but all the other figures.
and now, since nobody has done it..
DADA DADA DADA DADA BATROS!
I think I know why you like his look, Noisy. It’s the angle of the hood cut along with the eyes. There’s a TON of character generated with the sculpt.
It’s crazy. Here’s a one-shot dude that Matty seems to completely knock out of the park, where was this sort of…what… joy? two years ago, when the sub started to be IN DANGER?
There are always a handful that get knocked out of the park each year – Bow, Vikor, Fisto, etc.. This time it’s just an odd place to find a home run!
Who did the engineering on Sorceress I wonder?
Terry was involved in the Sorceress, they really wanted to go for that when you raised her arms the wings fell in to place. So thats why she ended up like she did.
I paid far too much attention back then ><
No, that’s good! Thank you!
Kenner did it better with SilverHawks.
Just sayin’. 🙂
except the whole Metallic look of the wings… Mine turned white in less than a month… (Then again, I did “wing it!” waay too much.)
Sadly, Sorceress was one of those figures that Mattel dropped the ball way too much.
I suppose that’s because the PoP women are meant to be wearing smooth, satiny fabric, or something, and the 4H are just better at doing battle-scarred metal and poorly-cured leather with bits of the cow (or whatever) still stuck to the rivets. It’s something I intend to fix if I ever get around to my massive backlog of soft goods projects . . . .
The POP girls… I’m not sure what it is – if it’s a lack of interest or just this weird vibe to stay too true to the cartoon (which they don’t really do anyway), I’m not sure.
It’s just a shame because the POP figure are ripe for ornate detailing. Bow is still the best POP figure and that’s just weird. 🙂
it’s a catch-22. Too Ornate/elaborate outfits, the anti-POP would complain about them looking like dolls. Now their Filmation looks are too bland. (Made worse by Mattel’s inability to make the Jazzercise outfits right!)
I actually crammed this guy out in the normal time. lol
You know I’m down for more detail across the line. I really haven’t given Shokoti a second look yet and she’s been here for a month.
Whenever my ass gets chapped I use Desitin ointment — I know it’s usually used for babies, but gosh darn if it doesn’t do the trip. Some goldbond medicated power on the keister and you’re good to go! I would also recommend using a soothing moist wipe helps ensure everything is nice and fresh down there.
Wow, you made Batros into a d-bag. Nice work, though.
Made him into a d-bag? Nah, he already was one. Seriously, watch the episode; he’s such a know-all, even I want to smack him. He’s like Sheldon Cooper without the quirky charm.
Noisy just took the d-bag-ness and added some style. };D
He is it a know-it-all in that episode. I like how Skeletor and him half fight, but neither can really be bothered either.
If you’re siding with Icer, what’s that say about you?? 😉
Rooby-Rooby-Roooooo!!!!!!!!!
‘Nuff said.
Maybe that’s why I find him so cool… lol
…and why you couldn’t PAY me to consider this in any way, shape, or form a MotU figure. 😛
Great review though!!
Luckily, I’m not so skeptical as to disbelieve the packaging. 😉
Terry/BatByd caption makes it for me.
I guess he’s good for what the 4H have had to work with.
No clue who this guy is/was, and the fact he’s a one-off while other regular/recurring characters have to wait is a puzzler.
btw, where is the white Man-Bat from? SDCC or other exclusive? that gif is funny too.
He is an SDCC exclusive from the DCSH days. He’s actually the Man-Bat from “The Batman” cartoon. I think that sculpt has sordid history which we can kinda guess it, but will be interesting to hear about.
this was the electronic box version? ok, I remember now.
I think you mean he’s white because of his appearance on The Batman, right? that’s the only time he’s been albino, iirc? I do have that version and the DCUC brown, but never bothered with the SDCC white.
Yeah, there’s also a clear version that would light up. One of the few DCUCs I’ve never owned.
You just have to figure they can’t do the figures in order of important. Part of the reason the subscription numbers keep falling is attrition do to so many of the important characters being done. Batros here is keeping the light on. 🙂
1 of the best most wanted figures ever. I love the Prince Adam vampire custom lol. Bring on more Filmation characters.
Thank you! I was waiting all day for someone to point him out!! LOL
I thought that was a pretty cool idea for a custom (and just shows the color pallette is doing some heavy lifting for Batros).
Love your galleries Noisy. I can always count on it for a good laugh. Wish you guys had time for more.
Keep them up!!!
Awesome pics/comic! Great review. I just got Batros a few days ago. Love it!
Good figure until you contrast him with the Marvel Select Wolverine. The Wolverine comes with three heads, multiple hands, no shared tooling, is larger, and costs less despite a licensing fee. It just highlights how hard Mattel is screwing their fans each and every month.