Review – Batman: Arkham Deluxe Mister Freeze Action Figure

DC’s Batman: Arkham Deluxe Mister Freeze* is another disappointing action figure and another example of DC’s approach to semi-articulated action figures that look neat but cannot be easily posed because of unusual articulation choices . . . but we’ll get to that.

Sculpt

Wonderful work by DC when it comes to the toy’s sculpt and look of the action figure. The Batman: Arkham Deluxe Mister Freeze* stands roughly 7.25-inches tall and is covered in tiny details and is generally an incredible work of art. That faceplate is completely removable which allows you to repose the figure’s head, and all of the suit details — especially the backpack design and texture on the legs — is masterfully-crafted and not a single step was skipped when it came to sculpting one fantastic Mister Freeze action figure.

The piping, giant canisters extending from the backpack, and the heavy boots and bulk of the armored chestplate all look fantastic and even the head sculpt of this Batman: Arkham Deluxe Mister Freeze* action figure is top-notch. If you want a Mister Freeze to stand and look impressive in your collection this one’s a good choice once you accept the price (I paid $45 at a comic store here in Austin).

Paint

And if you’re gonna have a great sculpt then you need the paint apps to go with it, and DC’s Batman: Arkham Deluxe Mister Freeze* doesn’t disappoint when it comes to paint. The entire figure is cast in a black/dark gray plastic, and the decorated in blues, silvers, yellows, and dashes of red. There are a few rough lines here and there — click the photos to enlarge them — but the paint is mostly great and the weathering effects are excellent. Between the sculpt and the paintwork this is a beautiful action figure design.

Articulation

Here’s where the Batman: Arkham Deluxe Mister Freeze* action figure kinda runs into trouble and makes him not at all worth the price tag. According to the review at Mint Condition Customs the pricing was because:

Due to Mr. Freeze’s larger than normal size (his design dictates this, due to his freeze suit adding height to him), mixed with other elements such as his accessories, he just came in too expensive to be put under the basic figure SKU. So they were left with two options. Either cancel him outright, or place him in the deluxe line. Since they couldn’t just create a new SKU specifically for Freeze, or raise the price of him as a basic figure (they all have to be the same price under one SKU), those were their only options.

Okay, I understand the idea of price points, but if the toy was too expensive for the lower price point then it is clearly too cheap for the higher bracket they were forced into. DC could have handled this by giving the action figure more accessories, or they could have sunk cash into giving the toy a bit more in the way of articulation.

(I really do need to write about the difference between articulation for kids and articulation for collectors. Later.)

When it comes to articulation, the Batman: Arkham Deluxe Mister Freeze* action figure offers up:

• Head – Ball-jointed neck. You have to remove the faceplate to reposition the head, but the faceplate is actually fairly easy to remove and reattach so this isn’t all that big of a deal.
  
• Torso – Nothing. No movement at all.
  
• Arms – Ball-jointed shoulders and hinged elbows. No swivels, and Mister Freeze really could have used at least a wrist swivel to better hold his gun.
  
• Legs – T-jointed hips, thigh swivels, hinged knees, and swivel ankles. Those hips were kinda surprising and because of the bulk of the suit the hip joint doesn’t work all that well.

And that covers it. Yes, if the toy had to be in the “Deluxe” price bracket it would have been nice if DC had given him a bit more in the way of articulation.

Closing Thoughts

The Batman: Arkham Deluxe Mister Freeze* action figure should have been an amazing toy. Great sculpt, great paint, a fantastic character. But the toy is over-priced and we didn’t even get increased articulation for the extra money. And when you add in that Mister Freeze can barely hold his gun — it does not snap neatly into the toy’s hand — that makes me unable to recommend this action figure to anyone.

At $40 to $45 (the price I’ve seen online) the toy should have been far cooler than it is.