Review – Kenner Legends of the Dark Knight Dive Claw Robin

After Assault Gauntlet Batman (review here) it’s time we sit down and take another look at an action figure from Kenner’s Legends of the Dark Knight series. Today’s excitement is Dive Claw Robin, another blast of fun straight out of the nineties and an excellent example of why both the Legends of Batman and Legends of the Dark Knight lines (Amazon.com search*) are worth a second look . . . almost two decades after the toys were first on shelves.

Awesome Colors!

These may not be fairly typical Robin colors, but the paint choices on Dive Claw Robin are fantastic and that spray on those giant wings is my absolute favorite part of the overall color scheme. The paint’s acceptable work in general, but even slightly sloppy spots cannot harm my love for the greens, grays, and dark maroon of the figure. Yay, Kenner, for such a great color design on Robin.

Articulation

Kenner strikes again with their classic five point articulation. Swivels at the neck, shoulders, and hips may not impress hardcore “adult collectors,” but I still argue that it’s plenty of articulation for kids to have fun with action figures. And based on what we’re seeing in stores these days Hasbro and Mattel are agreeing with me on this one, but we’re talking Dive Claw Robin and the nineties so I’ll just have to save an articulation discussion for later.

Missile Action!

The above photo shows the large missile on the action figure’s back as well as my fingers about the squeeze the two triggers. That large maroonish-red piece on Robin’s back is a single missile, and at about 3-inches long is a hefty chunk of firepower. And the spring is pretty strong, which makes for good fun when you accidentally trigger the missile while carrying the toy. It’s a good thing the missile is so big or I may have never found it after the misfire.

A Spiky Arm Thing

Dive Claw Robin also comes with some sort of bizarre melee weapon as a second accessory and you can see it in the above photo. Just take a look at Robin’s left arm. It’s a bat blade of some kind, and it’s as spiky as a nineties action figure needs to show just how badass he really is. Stabbity stab!

Closing Thoughts

Both the Legends of Batman and Legends of the Dark Knight lines (Amazon.com search*) are far from the greatest action figure lines ever made, but there’s a charm to the character designs that marks them as clearly a product of their time and as fun lines to collect.

In my opinion the Assault Gauntlet Batman (review here) is clearly the better action figure — hey, it’s Batman! — but Dive Claw Robin has massive and crazy wings and a wonderful color design that makes it a good choice for anyone looking to get into these old lines. There’s no need to start here — and definitely no need to pay more than $15 or so — but if you do find yourself chasing down the old Legends of Batman and Legends of the Dark Knight toys (Amazon.com search*) then give this guy a try. He looks good displayed with others in the two lines.