McFarlane DC Multiverse Scarecrow & Riddler review

It's that time again: more Batman villains share the spotlight in a McFarlane DC Multiverse review. Thankfully, we're dealing with a character we've already covered, as well as a freakshow who's never been reviewed before. You already know Edward Nygma both as a character and his being reviewed in his classic design, I'm sure; this version is one most fans would likely prefer more: a fancier, more uptight take on the character that's more about using his brain to challenge Batman rather than get in any battles with a muscular body his older self had. This is how he appeared in the Hush storyline, being responsible for not only challenging Batman to deal with the grief over Jason Todd's death, deducing the identity of Bruce Wayne, using the Lazarus Pit on himself, and getting other characters such as Poison Ivy, Catwoman, and Superman involved. As for the Scarecrow, he is a psychotic physiologist whose crimes involve using fear toxins to terrorize those vulnerable while observing their reactions and internal meltdown. One may be based on a design from the early 2000s, another may be a more classic design, but both are sharing the spotlight for today's review!

Here we have The Riddler in-hand, now lankier with a suit and tie to better match the standards of the character after prior eras had him all spandexy and a bit cooky. For anyone wondering what figure he reuses parts from, the body mostly originates from an earlier McFarlane Joker figure, likely the Criminal, albeit with a different tie. As someone who enjoyed how the character was depicted in adaptations like the DCAU and Arkhamverse (with the Hush storyline set in the main DC canon and being released between both pieces of media), I always preferred the Riddler that came across as more like a quizzical foe who challenges our heroes rather than combat them directly. Of course, it doesn't help that The Riddler's less likely to defend himself from being punched in the face by Batman, so he'll make sure to keep him distracted next time even longer if he escapes next time. While the proportions are mostly fine, I always felt that the overlay piece for the jacket did leave his arms looking somewhat gangly; it could be argued that they better fit The Joker more than they do The Riddler, even if Edward ended up looking more twink-like. The worst part of the figure, however, would have to be the somewhat gappy diaper piece around the crotch area. Not only is the space between the legs undersized, but the crotch area doesn't look filled in, making him look as if he were given the wrong set of trunks. While McFarlane figures using waist pieces to hide the hip joints is a common solution for most superhero designs, I kind of wish a variation of this approach was tweaked for The Riddler. Still, I always appreciate the look of the suit, from the shade of green to the purple accentuating it without looking too campy, and I always like it when they add a bit of paint to the tie with that question mark to nod to the character's obsession with that logo, given his puzzle obsession.

His head sculpt has that confidence only someone obsessed with keeping Batman busy with all those trophies all across Gotham City, especially with a more youthful face that better fits him than the older iteration of the character. The smirk, the deep purple mask, the wash for the hair, the bowling hat, and even the paint apps above the brim make the perfect mashup of elements that make a more modern Riddler filled with pride and narcissism. I bet people look at a version of Riddler like this and still bitch about how Jesse Eisenberg should have played him instead of Lex Luthor, though they ignore an adaptation like Superman Birthright and then soyjak at how heckin cool 4chan/Bill Gates Riddler was in The Batman 2022. Anyways, the articulation is standard for the line, though the rotary cuffs in the shoulders are somewhat hindered by the jacket, and the same kind of applies to the torso joints due to the jacket as well as the ankles, given his pant legs. His sole accessory, the question mark cane, is a different sculpt from the classic version of the character. I like that it's painted in gold at the hook, while the handle is green to add that two-tone aspect, but it sucks that it gets bent out of shape easier than the original.

One issue I have with this figure? The neck is unchanged from The Criminal, meaning it's wrinkly and rough texture looks out of place on the Riddler's younger and smoother head sculpt. He should start looking into any skin care tips before asking a doctor for verification on what he has.

As for the Scarecrow, I love how all out Todd went with the sculptwork, making this character look tattered and uneven, as the character normally should be. Between the straw that makes up the costume, the patches in the thighs, and the rope present on the waist, this is a very uncanny design that does justice. The wash is also appreciative, especially since it adds some depth to the costume, but the disheveled rope on the wrists and belt, not to mention the noise barely seen on his neck piece, add even more of this uncomfortably creepy character. Also, while Riddler may look off to some for appearing somewhat lanky, Scarecrow's proportions make perfect sense for someone like him specifically. Makes me want to see repaints of this figure, like what we got with Mr Freeze, such as an Animated Series version and a glow-in-the-dark variant. 

His head sculpt is gnarly af, from the stitching of the mouth to the decaying hat, and I always appreciate the wash applied over the texturing to enhance the appearance further, which most companies would normally skimp on. His articulation may be the same as Riddler's, but he comes with his own weapon: a scythe that is either covered in blood or rust. Looks cool, right? The only problem is how gummy the plastic is while the grip of the hands is very small. It's annoying that Hasbro does that with their accessories, but how the hell does McFarlane also mess that up as much as they barely retool the gloves and joints on their Three Jokers/Hush Batman? Those are some genuine complaints worth discussing when it comes to criticizing McFarlane Toys in my eyes, rather than the NPC complaints people bring up in various video reviews.

The best accessory, however, is this skull that not only adds to the creep factor of Scarecrow, but it can also be used universally across similar action figure scales. Granted, it isn't going to be a perfect match for any figures smaller than the 1/10 scale, and I know some would wish it could be used for head swaps, but it's still the rotting cherry on top of this moldy sundae, and I use those terms in a good way because of how well something like decay fits Scarecrow.

 

For a fairly substantial group comparison, here we have the new Riddler and Scarecrow alongside Classic Nygma and Cowardly Lot Batman, who is a reuse of the Hush/Three Jokers body yet still fits decently with Batman: Hush's art style. While I know the Dick Sprang-question mark spandex look is one many people love for how much it influenced their Silver/Bronze Age-era childhoods with any Batman media that was either airing or receiving re-runs at the time, seeing a younger, more sophisticated version of the mystery man himself makes more sense in a way than if he were to be a hunking, cooky criminal. As for Scarecrow, he doesn't really fall short either, and I'd argue I like his figure more given the proportions aren't as puzzling with how he turned out, whereas Riddler leaves sme wondering if the arms should be tweaked to make him look less gangly than the Joker. Those two are some of the figures I got from a recent wave of McFarlane Batman-mythos specific cast members, but I recommend them if you're a fan of the designs or want more rep for a Batman: Hush display. Scarecrow gets a higher recommendation, though I wish both had alternate hands or accessories to add some further display potential.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Riddler)

⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Scarecrow)