During the ’90s, Batman figures ruled the action figure aisles, first under Kenner/Hasbro and then Mattel. But market research by both companies indicated that kids primarily wanted Batman himself, and didn’t care as much about the villains. What’s a toy giant to do? Make Batman again and again, in nearly every color scheme imaginable. Give him every possible gimmick, from skateboarder to paraglider. And yet for all these newly invented gimmicks, a number of comic-accurate multicolored Batman figures could have been done, and never were.
This year, for Comic-Con, Mattel is taking care of that. They may also, perhaps, lay the groundwork for further multicolored Batman variants, which is smart business. As revealed exclusively by io9, SDCC attendees this year can purchase a special four-pack of Silver Age Batman figures. One of the figures features Batman’s classic colors. The others…not so much.
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Negative Suit Batman, Zebra Batman, and Rainbow Batman come packed in with a standard Batman. They’re boxed in packaging that reproduces the original issue covers that highlighted them. It’s a healthy reminder that Adam West and Joel Schumacher aren’t the only two people on the planet to ever make Batman a deliberate shade of ridiculous. (Just wait: when Batman and Robin turns 30, there’ll be deluxe anniversary toys for that, and people will want them. Maybe.)
It’s a reminder that however crazy a property can get, there will always be a fandom for the oddest directions.
What’s your favorite weird Batman? Let us know in comment section below.
