Review – Mattel Batman Action Figures Y6624 and Y6626
Mattel impressed me last year with their Power Attack Batman action figure series (Amazon.com search*). Very playable toys with fun sculpts, great colors, and a very good value for the money made the line one I snatched up as I located action figures and even today I’m thinking I should go back and buy some of the vehicles that I skipped. Overall, everything about the Power Attack Batman series was fun.
At New York Comic Con Mattel had new Batman — they dropped the “Power Attack” title — toys on display including 3.75-inch scale action figures and vehicles (NYCC pics posted here). I had no complaints with what I saw at the show and was quite excited to find the new 3.75-inch action figures at a local grocery store this week . . . until I started looking at the packaging and realizing that someone at Mattel got very lazy.
These two action figures are both “Batman.” Mattel dropped the special names for different costumes!
Batman Y6624
The only special identifier I can find on the packaging for the two different action figures are the codes “Y6624” — the blue and gray Batman action figure — and “Y6626.” If you click on the packaging photo and look closely at the card backs you’ll find these numbers just above the series’ assortment number — Y7572 — and other than a stamped serial number on the package I can spot no other differences between the two packages. I don’t know how anyone is supposed to ask for a specific action figure in the line when every single figure is named “Batman.” And I feel sorry for some future author who decides to write a book about this line.
Sculpt
Fortunately, the cool designs of the Power Attack Batman action figure series (Amazon.com search*) translated very nicely to this smaller size — even the big boots came along for the size change! — and the two figures shown here use the same sculpt and look quite neat. If you’re a fan of the character designs Mattel released last year then you should be quite happy with the look of these smaller toys.
Articulation
Just five points of articulation (see “Five Points of Articulation is Plenty for Play”) on each figure, all simple 360-degree swivels except for the neck which only pivots left and right a little bit. The other four points are the hips and shoulders; these guys are like the classic Kenner Star Wars action figures and it will be fun to see how well they work with the vehicles in the line.
Paint
Smaller equals sloppier paint apps when we compare last year’s Power Attack Batman action figure series (Amazon.com search*) to these two new action figures. If you click the images and look at Batman’s face and gauntlets on either figure you’ll notice some sloppy spots. Nothing so terrible as to ruin the toys, but bad enough that it’s noticeable.
Closing Thoughts
As much as I loved last year’s Power Attack Batman action figure series (Amazon.com search*) I’m not quite so sure about this new line because:
- These guys aren’t as good of a value. At $5/each — vs. $9/each for the larger figures released last year — these toys aren’t the bargain that the others are.
- No accessories! And what’s even more shocking than the price is that neither one of these action figures came with an accessory. Last year’s figures really were a better value!
- No Individual Names! Seriously, this is a problem. Forget collectors and just ask this: How do kids play with these toys and how in the hell will schoolyard trades work? “I’ll trade you Batman for your Batman. No. No, I mean that Batman. Not that Batman.”
But once those complaints are out of the way I’m going to say that it’s kinda cool to have some smaller versions that follow the Power Attack Batman designs and while I won’t grab as many of these figures as I did the larger ones I am really looking forward to finding a vehicle or two for these guys.
Not bad toys, but toys that aren’t as good as the ones that inspired them. Mattel took a step backwards with these new action figures and that’s kinda disappointing.
Would it really kill Mattel’s profit margins to type up a name/quick blurb about Batman on these things, and maybe even toss a graphic on the back too? Remember how awesome it was as a kid to get a toy and read the cardback, seeing the other toys in the line, reading about a character’s powers/abilities, seeing another cool colorful pose etc.
I won’t even bother complaining about the lack of accessories.
I’m reminded of Mattel’s offerings from last year for the Dark Knight line, looking forward to seeing the villains if they make any. I can forgive 5 points of articulation but have to feel as though some love went into the toy first and felt they were a bit lacking last year. If they appear on these shores I’ll probably pick one up out of curiosity. The packaging sucks as does the lack of accessories.
I bought a nephew the imagine x batman line one christmas. Batcave, batjet, batmobile,batcopter, joker armored truck, and addl figures. This line straddles between the playmobile and GI Joe isles awkwardly and sure comes up short in the younger market.
I’d be willing to bet good money that this will just be a line of Batman repaints and it won’t include any villains, or anyone else for that matter.
Does this mean there’s no more 6 inch figures? Or are they doing two scales?
@BubbaShelby – How long until fans create names for all of these new figures? And fan art? I wonder who it was at Mattel who made the decision to skip naming the toys.
@dsn1014 – At the grocery store where I found these they were shelved/pegged with that single DKR action figures. I almost missed the new ones since at a glance I thought it was more of last year’s releases.
@Openchallenge – It’s tough to beat the Imaginext series when it comes to play value!
@Black Arbor – At NYCC Mattel was showing new figures in both scales. I’m hoping the next wave of 6″ Power Attack Batman toys weren’t abandoned.
I took another look at this line and realized how cool the mr. Freeze looked. I haven’t found him but picked up the battle gauntlet batman in preparation. His briefs area is not painted and it just looks wrong. I was already wanting to hold out for a twin blade and still wish I did. I’ll stick this with other stuff I lost interest in before even opening.
I actually found these at a local Mattel store. They had four different figures and three vehicles with figure included.