Wave 1 - Crime-Stopper Batman / Classic Detective Batman
The iconic comic book character ‘The Batman’ was created by Bob Kane in 1939. At his inception, Batman was a dark and brooding detective who sought to strike fear into the heart of the criminal underworld. As a costumed vigilante, billionaire industrialist, and businessman, Bruce Wayne dawned the cape and cowl to prowl the streets of his native Gotham City each night, fighting to protect his city from those who would do it harm.
Batman’s shadowy persona was birthed in tragedy. As a child, he witnessed the brutal murder of both his parents – Thomas and Martha Wayne. It was this single event that drove Bruce to dedicate his life to fighting against crime and injustice. Throughout the decades since Batman’s first appearance, the character has undergone several dramatic changes, but the core of his origin and motives has remained consistent.
The DCUC Wave 1 rendition of Batman captures the character as he appeared in the 1960s – or DC’s ‘Silver Age’. This classic version of the character came from a ‘campier’ time in Batman’s history, where tongue-in-cheek humor was prevalent and Batman’s dark demeanor was lightened, as was his costume - hence the lighter gray and blue colors.
Batman is a skilled combatant, proficient in nearly all martial arts. He has honed himself both physically and intellectually to be the paradigm of human fitness and acuity. Armed with a bevy of high-tech gadgets and an armory of bat-themed vehicles, Batman has no true superhuman powers. His strength as a crime-fighting hero stems from his indomitable will and relentless pursuit of justice.
It's tough to come up with any criticisms for this figure. I guess the only thing I don't like about him is the hokey "Crime-Stopper" label that Mattel gave the figure. But that's really inconsequential since they changed the name of the figure to "Classic Detective Batman" halfway through the production run. The toy itself is flawless. He features an outstanding sculpt by the 4 Horsemen, complete with the big, beefy broad shoulders and exaggerated 'heroic' proportions that are the trademark style of this line. His head and face captures classic Batman better than any other toy I've seen, and his articulation is top-notch. I know we got several versions of ole Bats in the DCSH line, but this one isn't just 'another bats', it's a welcome addition to the collection. It's the first 'classic' rendition of the character that I own in action figure form, and his articulation and range of motion are better than any Batman previously released by Mattel. Plus, he comes with some cool bat-accessories. Mattel is really impressing me with the value they're packing into their figures these days. This Batman is really the perfect figure to anchor the first wave of this new line.
