Toy Run #3: Case of the DC Classics TRU Exclusive Batman (Review)

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You know the drill. You get up and you think you could get lucky today. You get ready and put on some nice clothes so you can at least feel presentable if you happen to get checked out. You hop in the car and travel to whichever place you’ve deemed best to satisfy your desires. You arrive with giddy anticipation. It’s now or never, you tell yourself as you round that last corner. What awaits? Will it be great joy or intense dissatisfaction?

Anything can happen on a Toy Run…

Yesterday’s Toy Run went a little awry. We had intended to hit up the major stores in search of our current needs (TRU: TFA Arcee, Target: PE Wave 2, Wally: DCUC12 Spectre for me), but we found something unexpected at Toys R Us that dominates the article today. Many collectors across the net reported that their Toys R Us stores were doing the resets for Spring/Summer this week. That’s normal this time of year. Inventory’s done, you know which seasonals to retain, and things are basically back to normal for most stores.* But DC fans got a nice surprise when they saw the resets, a healthy 4ft DC Comics section (with valance signage!) in the action figure aisles. Now, I’ve seen a lot of DC Classics fans excited as those pegs in particular have been increased. Fans are eager to see what will fill them. Well, mine were already full. Full of Batman.

* – Yep, I used to be a manager at our friendly neighborhood Toys R Us. It’s not that fun. See those trash cans up there? They’re some of the most tepid you’ll find and I cleaned them out probably eleventy billion times. I always like to throw things away when I go there now.

I don’t know what possessed Toys R Us to order or Mattel to produce solid cases of Batman, but that’s what we have to look forward too. I would’ve at least liked to see some mix of All-Stars here and I wasn’t alone. The employees that were working the case out lamented that it kept producing Batman after Batman. It took 4 employees to empty the case of its dozen Batman and while they all thought he was cool, it was funny to hear them complain that there was no Superman, no Wonder Woman, no fast red guy.* I agree.

* – My favorite comment was “Who’s Captain Cold? He looks like a douche” as the employee checked out his lonesomeness next to all the new Batmen.


The Quick Review…


So what makes this Batman different? Well, Batman is apparently ripe for endless slight variations. This Batman is basically the same as the one from the Gotham City 5pk that was reissued as an All-Star in waves 11 and 12. This Batman is packaged with the same pose, accessories, and button as that wave 12 reissue, but with two small differences: the large black emblem instead of the oval and a darker capsule belt.

The packaging is mostly the same too. While there is a small silver “R” exclusive sticker on the front, the cardback is the same as the regular wave twelve All-Star, even using the picture of that figure and not this one. I haven’t seen a regular wave twelve all-star yet, so this was my first time seeing the packaging. I like the use of the “All-Star” font on the sides and the back is okay even though it reminds me that Power Girl is getting a reissue despite her being the last figure to need one. Where’s Aquaman? Anyway, moving on…

Overall, I really like the figure. That first Batman is still one of my favorites and he’s the base here. And even though I’ve always been a big “blue/grey w/ oval” fan when it comes to the costume, this black version with no oval looks really sharp, especially with the darker capsule belt. He’s a great addition for a repaint. The only problem I have with the figure is that his cape isn’t glued down in front. I hate that.

Between DCSH and and DC Classics this new TRU exclusive Batman marks our twelfth Batman in the line. I don’t have them all. I’ve sold off most of a couple of the DCSH versions including the first attempt (review via MWCToys) at articulation (pictured to the far left) and the black deco (review via ActionToyReview) of the first real attempt at articulation (pictured to the immediate left). And I haven’t been suckered into Muddy Batman yet either. If TRU ever clearance the dozen they have, I might have to pick it up. I’ve also yet to find the blue version of the Public Enemies Batman and the Wal-Mart exclusive Batman (2pk with Robin) has yet to be released too.

What I do have is pictured below along with a guide to which Batman comes from where…



DCSH/DCUC Batman Guide

  • 1. DC Superheroes Wave 1 – A redeco from the older Batman line with limited articulation below the waist. Blue/grey, no oval, large pouch belt.

  • 2. DC Superheroes Wave 3 – First figure with basic DCUC articulation. Blue/grey, no oval, heavy duty pouch belt.

  • 3. DC Superheroes Wave 8 – Redeco of the Wave 3 figure. Black/grey, no oval, heavy duty pouch belt.

  • 4. DC Superheroes Wave 7 – Knightshadow. Redeco of wave 3 with full cowl. All black, no oval, heavy duty pouch belt.

  • 5. DC Classics Wave 1 – New Batman for DC Classics using the standard buck. Blue/grey, oval, capsule belt.

  • 6. DC Classics Clayface Two-Pack – Redeco of DCUC1 Batman with muddy paint apps. Black/grey, oval capsule belt.

  • 7. Public Enemies Wave 1 – New buck for Public Enemies. Black/grey, no oval, new small pouch belt.

  • 8. DC Classics Wave 10 – A redeco of DCUC1 Batman. All black, oval, capsule belt.

  • 9. Gotham 5pk/Reissue Waves 11 & 12 – A redeco of DCUC1 Batman. Black/grey, oval, capsule belt.

  • 10. TRU Exclusive Batman – A redeco of DCUC1 Batman. Black/grey, no oval, capsule belt.

  • 11. Public Enemies Wave 2 – Redeco from PE Wave 1. Blue/grey, no oval, small pouch belt. (Not Pictured)

  • 12. WM Exclusive Dynamic Duo 2pk – A redeco of DCUC1 Batman. Black/grey, no oval, small pouch belt.

Those are your twelve Batman (so far) for the line, but we’re not done yet. In the leaked list for wave sixteen, we have “Batman (SC)”. No one knows quite what that means yet. Also, before the first wave hit stores, the Crimestopper/Detective Batmn (#5) was shown with an all-blue cowl and some fans would still like to see that “Super Powers accurate” deco. And there are the other less articulated Batmen from the “Batman” line that preceded DCSH. That includes the famous Zipline Batman that was released again with DCSH 8. Many of these (and their variations) were sculpted by the Four Horsemen, but have significantly less articulation so they are not included here.

So, the toy run didn’t go as planned. We only hit one store and found a weird thing to buy that we’d never heard of and decided to come home. And while I was happy to be surprised by a “new” figure at a store (and that he rang up $13.99 instead of $14.99), I don’t think Mattel should make a habit of putting out solid cases of anyone, even Batman. That’s a lot for most stores to process. I hope that we can get more DC Classics at that store (the pegs were still only half full, that’s great). But if you don’t see TRU in the upcoming Toy Run articles, you’ll know that the Bat avalanche (and those two Captain Colds) are holding the store down.

39 thoughts on “Toy Run #3: Case of the DC Classics TRU Exclusive Batman (Review)”

  1. Wait, the “Dynamic Duo” Batman is going to have the yellow oval? DAMN!

    I like the deco on the TRU Bats, but there are no TRUs near me.

    1. No, you’re right. It doesn’t. It does on the back of the box, but that’s an incorrect mockup. I’ll fix that! This one has a capsule belt and that 2pk one has a pouch belt.

      1. Ah, okay. Whew! Had me worried!

        I’m not a big fan of the heavy-duty pouch belt, but I would like the Public Enemies belt done in a darker color like the TRU Batman.

        My current default Batman is the Gotham 5 one, but the Dynamic Duo one will probably take that title, unless I can find the TRU one…

        1. My default Batman is the all-black one. :mrgreen:

          I think the darker belet on this one is what’s got me liking it. That bright yellow looks good on all black, but not with the black/grey.

    1. Yep. Though I have the slight concern of what it will look like when I finally see it in a store. We’ve got DCSH8 Batman on the back! LOL

  4. For the absolute collector, I’d start the list of with the Attack Armor Batman from the Mattel Classic Line.

    1. I thought about that. And Batsignal Batman too.

      I only barely included the four DCSH ones, particularly that first one. They’ve leaped so far past that first one that I don’t even own mine anymore.

      I think a lot of fans will really like this version, it seems to be the true DCUC equivalent to Zip Line Bats.

    2. Ooooo, it took me years to find Attack Armor Batman. He really fits no other line aesthetically, but it’s an awesome, brutally musclebound figure with great articulation for the time. Cornboy still reminisces fondly about sculpting that one.

      I have never been able to score Bat Signal, and still wish I had one. I settled for the 2-pack version of him, the black/grey one with the big soft-goods cape. He’d be my default, but his leg articulation just isn’t up to par with this new TRU one.

      2. Are you talking the Bat Signal itself or the whole package? I remember reading reviews and not being terribly impressed with the Signal accessory itself.

        http://mwctoys.com/REVIEW_042905b.htm
        http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/reviews/icftos/batman01.shtml

        Looking back, I look at the TRU 2-pack re-release of Bat Signal Bats and am satisfied by its improved cape. Both are soft goods, but the TRU one is the only Bats figure I know of that has a cape that can actually envelop the figure in the classic menacing Batman way. It makes up for the fact that it comes with a totally useless Robin figure.

        1. Just the accessory itself. Even if it’s a little underwhelming, it’s better than what we normally get.

          I’m not the biggest fan of those Batmen or cloth capes in general.

  5. Oh, I was going to haughtily scoff, I don’t need yet another Batman…damn, is that a Kelley Jones button? Awwww!

    I’ll wait for a markdown or something. And only two Captain Colds? Did you buy some to encourage restocking?

  6. I’ve seen the All-Star Bats, Supes & Nightwing at Walmart, along with most of wave 12 (everything except the three most online retailers currently have in-stock. I’m debating whether or not just to order those three online, because DCUC toy hunts are a PitA. But after shipping and the online mark-up, those three figs would equal the price of 4 at retail. I’m trying to holdoff and hopefully run into them while on a regular shopping trip.

    The Dynamic Duo 2pk has my “definitive” Batman deco. And it looks like they corrected Robin’s forearms which sweetens the deal.

  7. Don’t forget the TRU Batman & Robin 2-Pack Batman, which was a re-release of the (at the time) super-articulated Batman that was only released in Europe.

    [img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/TRDouble/Various%20Toys/TRUBatmanRobin.jpg[/img]

    1. I did forget about that one and the cool blue Robin. I’m not sure if I’ll add it since it predates DCSH. If I did that, I’d definitely have to add those two Batman figures too!

  8. Nice find! Wonder why we didn’t hear about this?

    Also wonder if this will make the trek up to TRUs in Canada.

    1. For the same reason that we didn’t hear about any of the “Best Of” cases except for online retailers. Mattel, or perhaps even Toy Guru specifically, doesn’t mention a lot of the second run or “incidental” stuff to the fans.

  9. I am starting to lose hope, i live in nyc and can only find these toys at the local comic shops. i go into tru every other day and all i see is booster and beetle. i would kill for the new batman even though im not going to pick him up.

    1. I think that’s true for a lot of online collectors, the bigger cities seem to make things a lot more difficult in general.

      But my small-town TRU has been the same as yours. Two Captain Colds held the pegs down alones from August until a few weeks ago when that not-TRU exclusive wave shoed up and left Beetle.

  11. Interesting article and it is nice to see a fan favorite toy line getting more space in a store and hopefully the sales are there to keep it.

  12. I know it will seem slight to some, but this figure represents Batman as he appeared in The Brave and the Bold #28, the first appearance of the JLA. Of course, there was more blue than black, but it’s passable. If we get J’onn, we’ll have an accurate first appearance of the JLA.

  14. I can’t stand the capes not being glued down at the front! Four DCUC Batmen later and they can’t seem to nail that one detail.

  16. Pingback: DC Universe Classics All-Star Batman Quick Pics | ActionFigurePics.com

  17. Hi can anyone help out a fellow collector with the item number or upc number for the toys r us exclusive 75 years batman figure? i’m not a scalper.
    thanks if you can help.
    rich

  18. 7 DCUC-era Batmen in just over 3 years.

    So far with He-Man in Motuc we got 4 versions of He-Man in just under 2 years. One of which is in the upcoming 2 pack with Superman.

    Possibly many more versions to come down the pipeline.

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