McFarlane DC Multiverse 1966 Batman & Robin 2-pack review

You probably don't know this, but the Adam West Batman show was one of my first introductions to DC Comics. I was a Marvel kid primarily, but the 2004 Batman cartoon and glimpses of the DCAU and Teen Titans got me into the Batman side of things with a bit of Superman. The 1966 show may be campy as hell, yet it still had a sense of badassery that no other DC project had. Kind of like how Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy were in SpongeBob. While I know Batman was meant to be a darker character, to the point of killing so many times it would make a shitty DC subreddit cry and debate about canonicity, I understood the context behind the development of the show given the time period it was released in. I may not agree with the Comics Code of Authority, but I will admit that the one benefit it indirectly leading to the creation of this show. Unlike the low effort cartoons Hanna Barbera churned out, I always felt Batman 1966 had some quality entertainment to it that made it feel engaging rather than phoned in, if that makes sense. Anyways, I already reviewed Batman by himself, so why don't we revisit the figure and delve into the 2-pack now that we got the Boy Wonder this time?

Let's quickly go over Batman since I already reviewed him a good while back. It's the exact same as the standalone release from 2024, though my copy has a slight issue with the front of the cape not being tucked in that great. While the proportions remaining unchanged is fine, I don't like how they still haven't changed the blue on the mask, neck area, gloves, trunks, and boots to be metallic like on the cape. It was an issue I had on the original release, and it's worse here since it would have been an easy fix. Not to mention the cape is longer than it should be for this Batman, but without a reissue of Hugo Strange Batman around for a cape swap, you're stuck with this look. I wish I could say the original version was Toy of the Year as McFarlane once believed, but it wasn't quite there in the first run and is not in this 2-pack. He retains all of the accessories from the original version, so just click on my review on the standalone release here.

The Bruce Wayne head is new to this release, and while it doesn't use the facial scan technology Hasbro used for their lines, it is a reasonably good likeness to Adam West. I believe it was first spotted in a prototype cast in solid red, but I could be wrong. Honestly, if we could get one for Bruce, why couldn't Dick Grayson have an unmasked head of his own? Pretty sure McFarlane could use the CAD files of the unmasked Robin heads unless Burt Ward or his estate has a specific likeness fee they would demand a la Jack Nicholson vs toy manufacturers wanting to make figures of his Joker.

As for Robin, this figure seems to be built from the ground up, at least for the torso, trunks, arms, and feet. The legs may or may not have been used from a previous Robin, at least not the All Star version with the stylized head (or the Carrie Kelly version). The suit is faithfully recreated in figure form, though that may affect the articulation as we'll get to. The only real issue I have other than maybe how boxy he looks is how slightly spacious the gap between the legs is; maybe it was like that on the actor himself, but I don't know 100%. Overall, the figure mostly does the job but like Batman, he could use some tweaks here and there.

Head sculpt is pretty accurate to what Burt Ward looked like in the 69s, though a problem I have is that the mask is a little too apart from the eyes, so it makes them hard to see under natural lighting. Granted, Robin's mask seemed a bit hard to see through, but it bothers me in a way on this figure. Articulation is mostly standard yet there is only one torso joint in addition to hindered shoulder wiggle due to the overlay of the suit, and the ankles cannot pivot because of how high up the shoes cover the ankles. The suit overlay is somewhat understandable if they wanted to reserve the sculpt, though it usually has results both positive and negative. The latter is frustrating since it could have been possible to make those ankles rock side to side yet they chose not to. At least he has a wired cape, unlike another Robin figure I'll review at some point.

One of his accessories is a black Batarang with a string going through it, which was both teased with the stringless blue version that came with Batman and is a nod to the times the Dynamic Duo would scale buildings. Good luck making a display like that, action figure photographers! Oh and we have the Shakespeare bust that hinge its head back to reveal the secret button, granting Bruce and Dick access to the Bat Poles. Pretty sure the button should be painted red, but at least it is sculpted.

Overall, as a fan of the 1966 Batman series, I am happy to own these figures in spite of there not being any villains for them to fight (unless I pluck some from the smaller McFarlane line or the Mattel versions). But as a reviewer, I have to admit I am disappointed nothing was changed to improve this Batman, and while it's great we finally got a Robin before the license expires, he has some issues of his own. A few are understandable, but others are still glaring. If you love this series like I do, who am I to stop you? Just don't get any high expectations if you already got Batman.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Animated Leader Class Megatron review

If you thought I would give all the attention to Animated Optimus after reviewing the Legacy United and later Flame Toys versions, you're wrong! While Megatron had yet to get a new toy since the end of this show, we still have a good bit of backlog to revisit for his past merch. I already own and reviewed the Deluxe version that is out of scale with the Optimus he's included with, but the other Megatron we have comes in the form of the poorly received Voyager still based on the Cybertronian design. Let's be honest, neither really matches the show all that well, and with the tolerances on the joints combined with the questionable use of clear plastic (especially the fingers), you might not need that one. As for the Leader Class, we're about to see if that is worth getting in the aftermarket for anyone who foolishly missed out all those years ago.

Here we have Animated Megatron in his helicopter mode. Specifically, this is a high-tech dual-rotor assault model, which is fitting for Megatron thanks to how threatening the shape is from the front. You got the giant cannon slung underneath, the blood red cockpit on top, and the shape of this altmode feels close to a predatory insect than anything. Now, while I like the altmode design for the most part, you can practically see almost all of the robot folded up. The chest is blatantly visible underneath the front section, and the tailfin is clearly the legs. But that is mostly forgivable when this toy is meant to balance chunky fun and articulation + displayability for older collectors. That said, maybe it's from the toy's age, but the rotor gimmick doesn't work as well as I would like. They're supposed to rotate together if you move one, but the thing's either got the gears jammed or stripped of their teeth. I almost want to modify it so they can spin freely. 

In addition to the landing gear used for the fusion cannon, you can also flip down the part included under the canopy (which lights up while helicopter sounds play). This allows the alternate mode to stay upright if the fusion cannon is missing (though you can carefully remove the cannon from the connector plate if you want to cover the head). 

Transformation is straightforward given the relatively basic engineering. The torso has very little to do beyond having the arms straighten after moving the wing pieces back and bringing the hands out. The fuselage goes to the back and shifts down, and the rear section splits in half to become the legs, with the lower sections rotating and tabbing in place as the landing gear folds away. The under section with the fusion cannon making a large chunk of the alt mode sucks for the partsforming context, but once again, a Leader Class toy like this for a line meant for kids in general can be excused, especially if it means said toy can still pose well, has hefty plastic, and features good gimmicks. And what a design we end up with for the robot mode! While one can say it's G1-influenced like Energon Megatron, it's moreso stylized in a way that gives him his own identity in this continuity instead of feeling like a corporate mandate in using Evergreen designs for "brand synergy". I love the dynamic shape of the shoulders combined with the fuselage on the back, almost feeling like towers that surround his head, and while the logo should be purple and there shouldn't be the clear red lines on the torso, they still compliment this Megatron design very well and almost give him a sense of rage should they glow while a Decepticon backstabs him for the first and last time (Starscream). The fusion cannon shouldn't depend on the grey piece since that wasn't present on the animation model, but at least it uses a unique connection method by tight friction wedges going over either arm's ridges. The legs being so pinched together at the knees is awkward, but once again, that is part of the Animated style, and I assume if a Legacy or AOTP style toy of this character was made, he would be like Super Megatron as a helicopter. Regardless, I love how chunky and satisfying this bot mode feels in-hand, even if I wish the arms locked in place without the wings shifting around.

Head sculpt is marvelous for this version of Megatron, thanks to the slightly larger chin, the huge cheek guards with the Lego nubs, and the slight hint of a Bayverse silhouette if you look at it from the front. It's more obvious with the Cybertronian version. As for the way his mouth looks, we'll get to that later down the review. His articulation consists of a neck swivel, ratchets for the shoulders, hinges for moving the rest of the arms in and out, bicep swivels, wrist swivels, double jointed elbows, a slight waist swivel, ratcheted hips, swivels above the knees, ratcheted knees, and ankle pivots. Sadly, I am lacking the missile, but the fusion cannon cocks a bit and can either fire by a button or pressing the barrel back.

His propellor blades form twin swords that look cool with the hollow space within the blade. Might be a bit disadvantageous if someone sticks a smaller weapon in there unless he takes advantage of his foe. Just remember what blade to flip back when turning him into helicopter mode, as it all depends on how stable the rotated blade is when pointing the opposite direction. And while 3D printed replacement parts are available, be careful with the stock swords. Pressing his Decepticon insignia results in his mouth opening and his unibrow moving to simulate him talking. As his eyes and chest light up, the following voice clips include "Where is the Allspark?!", "Crush the Autobots!", and maniacal laughter. Either Corey Burton or a near sound alike gives us these cheesy yet glorious sound clips. Combine that with his marvelous build quality and very good articulation, and he beats Combiner Wars Megatron overall despite being an older toy! While I don't have Bulkhead (yet), his Headmaster accessory can attach over Megatron's head, but no new sounds are activated.

The Japanese release was coated in silver paint to make him more premium like with many Takara Animated toys. It looked beautiful, but I have to admit, it jars with the artstyle where characters aren't colored to be metallic. The electronics have new sounds, Japanese Cell voice actor Norio Wakamoto has the toy say "I am Megatron!" in Japanese while "Megatron, transform!" and "Fusion Cannon!"

As for Shadow Blade Megatron, this version has him in stealthy black and purple, with some slight remolding near the tail section of the helicopter mode. The only issue is that the nose isn't painted, but hey, I guess he has one thing in common with Rudolph when his electronics light up.

For a size comparison, here he is with the Flame Toys and Legacy United versions of a persistent little Autobot, whose name is (Animated) Optimus Prime. The aesthetics between the more stylized nontransforming Optimus and the original Animated line's Megatron seem to match pretty well with each other, and I guess the Legacy United figure almost fits well if not for the shorter torso and different aesthetics. Makes me want to see how the Baiwei KO looks, and yes, I need to get an original Animated Prime (or Wingblade).

Overall, I love this figure in spite of the basic transformation. He is still very poseable in spite of a small number of limitations, the gimmicks are fun to mess with, and the accuracy to the show is just about accurate. Would I like to see a new Legacy figure? Sure, but it just depends on what can be done with having him work more intricately or be a victim of Generationized as with his fellow Animated cast members. Either way, this makes me miss when Leader Class toys were enjoyable centerpieces instead of hollow figures as with Combiner Wars or Voyagers with Benefits since 2019. If you see him for a good price, pick him up!

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Age of the Primes Swindle + Bruticus review

At long last, the Combaticons are complete, and we have to thank Swindle for taking too long with getting released. Anyways, G1 Swindle should be summed up by his name. He's the rip off provider of all Transformers, and he would try to get cash out of any poor sucker during troubling times. Hell, he even went out of his way to sell his team's parts after they were left for scrap in the shitty G1 episode known as B.O.T. Not much else to say about him beyond his greedy charm in the Great War, but apart from the usual G1 toy and his Combiner Wars/Unite Warriors mold, you might have seen him as a Yellow Hound in Alternators, a hollow Deluxe from the cheap budget Bruticus lineup for Fall of Cybertron, a beige Vortex or Energon Stormcloud for the Universe/ROTF Bruticus set, and a wicked Animated Deluxe with sadly brittle biceps from age. Ironically two toys associated with Swindle are reviewed here as RID 2001 Rollbar/Car Robots Greejeeber, so let's rectify that with the Age of the Primes Voyager!

Here we have Swindle in his Jeep mode. Obviously unlicensed and not meant to be fully based on whatever version of the real world model he turned into, but it is yellow with purple accents, and it's almost like something Wario would drive. I appreciate that it doesn't exactly match the proportions found on Siege/Gen Selects/SS86 Hound, but I don't know if the front section is weirdly proportioned or not because it looks like crap from being narrow like the rear section of Universe Ironhide. I also find there to be some slight color discrepancies between the front section with the grille and the rest of the yellow plastic on Hound, or the purple between the hood and the part said hood swivels on. I hate to shit on a version of Swindle that is meant to be accurate to G1, but sometimes I wish he was a Humvee in order to not have as many problems with his altmode on top of the better scale it would somewhat have with Brawl. That said, it does the job mostly fine, and at least the shade of yellow looks good. And being a Voyager, one of his few benefits is the use of pinned wheels. Good luck finding figures scaled to sit inside him.

Included with Swindle is a trailer for him to carry, which is also color coordinated with the rest of him. It's part of the necessity of bulking out the price and making him a Voyager despite he has as much of a Deluxe quality. Then again, Hasbro standards. At least he can use an adaptor to hold his gun in Jeep mode.

Here he is with his fellow Combaticons, and don't they look like a genuine unit together? Swindle is oversized, but that's to be expected with G1 scale logic. Maybe he would be fine as a Humvee, but hey, at least these guys are their own molds unlike Combiner Wars requiring they be reused from other figures.

And here he is with Unite Warriors Greejeeber/Rollbar. May as well call him Rollbar because of his rollbars! You can get a sense of duality between the old days of reimaginings under the old CHUG days and the Sunbow accuracy Generations does today. 

Transformation is very involved for a blocky yellow dude whose character model is loosely based on the G1 toy. See, with how little source material there was to work with for someone like the Combaticons beyond rough sketches likely stemming from toy development, the cartoon designers had to make this seemingly impossible transformation scheme that had the windshield (which is now without the middle bit) form the chest while the Jeep grille forms the pelvis. Here, the toy actually uses the swivel on the hood and hinges the windshield down to mimic how the purple surface area shortens in length. On top of that, the crotch uses the grille detailing while the rivets for outward leg movement doubles as the Jeep headlights (which I think is clever toy engineering logic). The real Jeep grille ends up on the forearms, though would this figure have Exposed Head Syndrome if it forms part of the bumper? Imagine how much head trauma he might have from hitting Autobots in Jeep mode. Oh, and the legs work about like how you would expect, though with some panels to keep track of when making the lower legs. Anyways, the robot mode is very Sunbow accurate for sure, and while I like the color scheme and how well it succeeds in matching the show model, I still have to question why he's somewhat hollow from the back. I mean, the wheels folded inside as almost like shoulder blades is a cool Transformer anatomy bit, but the middle section a bit egregious despite not being as bad as FOC Swindle's structural hollow horror show. Color discrepancies are still noticeable here, but in terms of sculpt, pretty good but kind of missing a few beats like fellow leg bot Brawl did.

Head sculpt is blocky like the others, but I appreciate that on top of his signature purple eyes, at least the mouth region is painted in gunmetal instead of blending in with the rest of the helmet. Articulation consists of ball joint at the neck, shoulder rotation, outward arm movement, bicep rotation, double jointed elbows, a waist swivel, universal hips joints, thigh swivels, hinged knees, and ankle pivots. He has a normal pistol that can be his traditional weapon of choice, while the turret based weapon can peg onto the shoulders as some sort of arm cannon like G1 Megatron, or referencing how huge his old gun was.

His trailer can turn into a giant shoulder cannon, though with how large it is, it almost feels a bit out of place on him if it wasn't for the yellow. As for the leg mode, it's a similar situation with Brawl where various panels are used to recreate the toe of Bruticus's right foot while the arms, having nowhere else to go, merely fold up somewhat while they wait to be tabbed in the sides of the frame's leg. At least this isn't a Stunticon/Aerialbot situation involving doors closing up to simulate the old toy legs.

Here he is next to Rollbar once again, who despite being heavily stylized, is meant to match the old toy. I like that they're actually different from each other, and while that stems from the Commandos matching the toys better than the Combaticons, once again, it helps distinguish them further than just having Rollbar be known as a green Swindle.

And here he is with the Combaticons in bot mode. Once again, he comes off as far too unlike the team thanks to his bright colors and overall design, but I have to admit, this guy could almost be an Autobot if not for the fact that we got Hound. That said, putting him next to Brawl begs the question: is it worth making them Voyagers despite being comparable mostly to the Deluxes? The answer is a resounding no.

As for his integration into the right leg frame, it works the same as with his fellow legbot. And now Bruticus is truly complete! Can't believe it took almost over a year since we first got Vortex! Menasor nearly took a year to be completed, while Devastator and Superion were almost 3 quarters worth of waiting. You already know how the frames work, but at least Swindle and Brawl remain on the front. You already know how mostly accurate this design is to the cartoon, so now I will talk about the weapon: it's still yellow from being Swindle's trailer, so it's still going to stick out weirdly in his hand. Obviously, we have a yellow limb on there, but we still should have had a proper rifle for Bruticus/Onslaught.

As mentioned before, Shockwave can turn into a shoulder cannon for Bruticus, a loose nod to the time the combiner used his gun mode. This time, I have the SS86 version when I got it on eBay without giving Hasbro a dime. It stays on more securely, and while it looks kind of badass, you may want to use the Legacy version as a proper gun mode scaled for Bruticus. The Combiner Wars version looks more like a gun than a tiny spaceship.

One more comparison with Ruination/Baldigus, and while the Combiner Wars/Unite Warriors figure is shorter than the AOTP gestalt, I don't entirely mind that as it at least gives the RID giant some reasonable trade offs. While Bruticus may be more proportionate as well as tower over the older combiners, Ruination can arrange the order of his limbs however he sees fit, especially with the land and air modes. But back to Swindle, should you get him? Only if you want to complete the Combaticons and if you are a big fan of the character. On his own, he could have been worth getting discounted like with Vector Prime, but paying nearly $45 for a Voyager with no ratchet for the combiner ankle joint, a trailer that has a gun mode meant for Bruticus yet not color matched for him, and a bit of mismatching between the different plastics make him harder to recommend. Shame because I like his character probably the most out of the G1 team, but that won't entirely save this figure from getting a lower rank (if being sold out was bad enough already for anyone who missed out on the preorders).

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Studio Series AOE Bumblebee review

Back in 2018, I was positive we would get a heavy retool of Bumblebee from the Stinger mold, which turned out not to be the case. Looking back at the history of these two, we got an AOE version of Bumblebee halfway in the AOE line, yet Stinger only received a red repaint with no Pagani Huayra tooling whatsoever. The Legends repaints we got, meanwhile, had Stinger repainted from Cyberverse Legion Knock Out or Dino. The One Step line also had its own moment of Bee and Sting not sharing a mold or engineering, and the only time we got that was unofficially from Unique Toys. While Stinger turned out great, Bumblebee felt somewhat off (likely to accommodate the Camaro's slightly different proportions). Now, after a shitton of Geewun pandering, we finally got AOE Bumblebee not as a heavy retool but as a brand new mold. Regardless, let's see if he is better as a new mold than sharing one with a cheap knockoff!

Here we have Bumblebee in his 2014 Camaro Concept mode. As expected, this altmode has been recreated accurately given we have the license from Chevy itself. Of the Bumblebees we got in the films, this one is unique from the single stripe going down the middle rather than the normal dual stripe decals we usually get from Bumblebee in the movies. While I prefer the trilogy look for the Camaro (particularly the ROTF one), there is something unique about this generation of the car. For one, the front of the car is modified so the grille remains narrower while the bottom front opening area is slightly larger in comparison. Not to mention the different headlights almost giving the 2014 Camaro a different, slightly aggressive vibe. This doesn't feel quite as much of a 2010s refresh as Optimus's entire altmode and design change, but you get that overall from a more distinct take on this car than the trims Bee got over the first 3 movies.

The weapon can peg into the back of the altmode, though it brings up one issue I have with this mold: not much paint is used for this car. Don't get me wrong, we have the stripe going down, and at least the taillights are painted this time, but the weapon just having silver on the barrel instead of some additional black to break up all that yellow hurts. Think of it as like what Blackarachnia's claws would look like without those stripes, and it would be just as bad.

For an altmode comparison, here is Bumblebee next to his High Octane self and his cheap knockoff, Stinger. I like that we kind of repeat the trend of Bumblebee being offended from being viewed as crap before he scans a newer Camaro. And seeing how different the proportions are between the Pagani Huayra makes me wonder if making completely separate molds the right way to go despite the two sharing the same design. We'll get to that after going over Bee's robot mode.

Transformation is surprisingly involved for a Deluxe of this caliber, especially in the current trend of Studio Series engineering. Much like with KSI Widow, Bee's car shell forms the lower legs, with the wheels filling in for the ninja stars and the shoulder pads being made from the front end halves. It's a huge contrast to the old Deluxe that used the entire hood, roof, and trunk assembly as the backpack while the front wheels form the shoulders and the rear wheel assembly turns into the back of the lower legs. The new Bee almost works if not for the fact that it's using clear plastic for most of the car shell. It'd be one thing if the windows were on a pin for the backpack of older Bumblebees, but the fact that this newer figure uses a more fragile kind of material in a recent string of lines where figures have had clear plastic either crack or break (the fragility on the Earthrise Smokescreen mold's knees, SS86 Jazz's backpack developing cracks from transformation) is infuriating as it stands. Yet Hasbro addresses this for the average G1 release but not the other lines??? Are we only dealing with this issue if a toy can have Sunbow baby blue windows?! I wish I can say that's the huge problem with this figure, because while the sculpt is better than the old Deluxe, it's severely underpainted. There should be some yellow accents on the arms, the crotch and midriff shouldn't be solid yellow or black from poor color break up, and while I appreciate that the shins have a good bit of black for the outline, the toes should be painted. We're paying $28+ for Deluxes now, and back in the day, they would have been better painted than this. Even the use of grey in some spots helped the older Deluxe Bees in Studio Series. The back suffers the worse from there being nothing but solid yellow. I know the bot mode matches the CG model better than the old toy did, but I look at the cost cutting for the paint, and it's like every fraction of a cent matters!

Head sculpt is one of the better aspects of the mold, especially with how detailed the pupils are on top of the microscopic Autobot insignia on the forehead (though it's not opaque). The optics are especially well sculpted in this size, and it almost makes up for some of the missing black and silver on the rest of the head. Almost. Articulation consists of ball joints at the neck, shoulders, and hips, swivels at the biceps and thighs, and hinges for the elbows and knees. The elbows may appear double jointed, but that is due to transformation only. The claw cannon uses two pegs to tab into the forearm, but again, the lack of paint makes it look like it belongs to a different toy. If they weren't going to use the budget in coloring it more, at least give us an extra one since he used two of these weapons while fighting against Galvatron briefly.

For a robot mode size comparison, here he is with his High Octane design from the Buzzworthy era of Studio Series repacks and repaints. I know there have been some terrible releases in the line, from the first versions of Shatter and Dropkick to the Arcee Sisters and Hatchet. Yet none are as awful as the High Octane Bumblebee mold, which was already holding up poorly back in 2014 thanks to the huge chunks of yellow on the legs and pelvis, on top of the cheap plastic quality being a grim reminder of how poor Transformers toys got a long time ago. I remember when Baiwei did a knockoff of High Octane Bee using the engineering of the Studio Series engineering from the trilogy Camaro design. It's randomly scaled up likely to fit with the Unique Toys version of Stinger and the Bumblebee retool. I wish I could delve into what led to that development since who knows if Hasbro would ever redo High Octane Bee ASAP; we'll probably get an SS84 Prowl with a slightly different front end/chest, but at least 2007 and TLK Bees are coming again for the 20th anniversary of the Bayverse.

And here he is with Stinger, showcasing how different their transformations and sculpts end up. I guess it's cool that they at least have the same details you would expect, between the ninja stars and the chest, though neither has any real synergy due to their entirely different engineering. Almost all of the car ends up on Bee's legs, and only the tear of Stinger's altmode stays in those areas instead since the arms make up the sides and the chest is technically made from the front. I don't mind since we at least get to see some identity on some capacity beyond the colors and the fact that Bee has his face exposed and Stinger does not. Aside from all that, do I recommend you get the new AOE Bumblebee? Honestly, it all depends on how much you're willing to stomach the lack of paint as well as how patient you are with clear plastic. I want to say this Bee is a surprise slam dunk and earned a lot more respect than it deserves. I really do! But when a toy has minimal deco and uses fragile materials for integral parts of a transformation, what else can I say to defend it if those hurt it? Only get this if you're a Bee Completionist (Combeetionist?), or if you see it on clearance. And be very careful with the clear plastic if you get it. Makes no sense that the figure would use clear plastic when those windows could have been opaque black (or yellow plastic with black windows painted on).

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐