MATTEL BATMAN ---Why is there no elbow articulation?

[Tristan]

I have tried to contact the 4H club and find out why with such great sculpts that they skimped on the elbow articulation. In the BATMAN/SUPERMAN 2-Pak, SUPs has elbow and ankle articulation in addition to what the figures both have already. I even saw the big 12 inch Bats and yet again, no elbow articulation. With Marvel Legends being as popular as it is, is there any hope of seeing a DC character with that kind of articulation?

[PJ]

I'd say two reasons...first is that's what articulation Mattel told them they wanted and second is if you look the gloves on Batman they plug into the elbow area of the arm. So to have the glove the way they are attached you can't have an elbow joint. But again it's where Mattel tells them to put the articulation.

PJ

[Moshbot]

i don`t remember who said this, but the reason Supes has elbow articulation is to pose him in more dynamic flying poses...

[Tristan]

Thanks PJ and SpiderBoy2099, I just think its a waste, considering the techniques used today as opposed to 10 years ago. I was really impressed that the TAS figures of Justice league are getting knee and elbow joints-that was the only thing these figures ever needed. I hope they redo some of the BATMAN TAS line.

[Guest DavAnthony]

adding articulation adds cost to the figures. If a toy company feels they will be able to get away with making figure with as little articulation as possible and still keep their customers buying their product, they will do it. Any other arguement you may get is using corporate double-talk so that they don't have to admit this fact. But if you really press them for why, ultimatley they will say tooling is cheaper with less articulation.

[ARROW]

Yep, it comes down to costs.

 

 

If the limb can be made with less parts, it saves money. If the company saves move it makes MORE money when it sells the figures at the "going" rate--that is, the same as the Marvel Legends figures.

The other reason why they do this is confidence or lack of it.

 

Lack of confidence means that if the figures are believed to be only so-so popular, why spend a ton of money making a articulation masterpeice if the line will no sell through.

 

Add to that the Batman line was planned from the start to have multiple variations on a theme. Constant new moldings for these unique design figures would be terribly expensive. The compromise is less articulation, but more unique sculpts on the parts.

Toy Biz gets around this by making less number of characters--each being "unique" and re-using where they can. They are, in effect, doing the same thing Mattel is doing but creating wholly new characters in doing so.

 

A Mattel Batman arm will have a shoulder pin, upper arm, and lowerarm/hand unit. A "typical" ToyBiz figure arm will have, shoulder pin, shoulder ball, upper arm, ganged elbow hinge, "upper" lower arm, forearm, wrist pin, hand, finger pin, fingers. Three parts versus ten parts--big difference in compnent costs there.

 

The thing that ToyBiz is pushing is that articulation is the gimmick here.

There is no Parachute Captain America, Jungle Iron Man, or Hydro-Wolverine--because those gimmicks are less in the light of a cool posable representation of the charcater itself.

With Mattel, once they've done their "Batman" it kinda runs out of steam if they only stick to the default look. Still, if Mattel does a hyper articulated Batman, I'd be all over it.

 

Personally, the new Batman stuff will not grace my collection UNTIL they add a Batman figure with Marvel Legends style articulation to the line.

I've hemmed and hawed for all of 30 seconds over the new stuff and without the ML articulation scheme, I don't want what Mattel is shoveling.

 

 

--Ken

[Matthew Green]

I don't want ML style articulation, but I do want more...Ball-jointed hips would redeem this line for me. ML style articulation is a #$#@# to play with...For posing purposes yes, it rocks but for actual play it is tough...You use your villain figure to punch Daredevil and his legs with feet are now facing behind him by the force of the blow, you then have to put down your villain figure and re-adjust Daredevil's legs so that it looks normal...Not good for actual playing.

[1337R8]

Mattel is still under the impression that all of their boys action figure lines are actually of interest to kids, and are convinced that these non-existant kids would find more than bare-bones articulation to be too easily breakable.

 

Of course, anyone looking at a toy aisle can tell that the only figures selling at the comic-accurate ones, which are all being picked up by collectors, but since when does Mattel worry about little things like logic or reality?

[PJ]

I would have liked them all to have elbow joints. and Robin to have waist articulation. I also know that the way the designed Batman's gloves to be one piece they couldn't do elbows like on Superman (who they gave a wrist joint to) but I'm happy with what they got.

PJ

[asidx]

well, i for one think we will never see a marvel legends style batman or any other DC character for that matter. DC goes for scuplt. which is good. but sucks for playing. ML on the other hand is going for articulation. and the scuplts aren't that bad considering all the joints.

[polska010]

id rather have a good sculpt than alot of articulation.

[Jeff]

Overall these are nice figures but I think if Mattel just added a little more articulation they would have a real hit. They would probably become the #1 selling superhero line.

[JayCueBatman]

I have always been a Batman fan...been collecting since i was a kid...i just am really sick and tired of seeing Batman in every color of the rainbow and in messed up situations i.e. every deluxe figure of the new Mattel line.I say keep it simple with the zip line style and make the allies (Batgirl new and old, Huntress in her new costume and stuff like that) and villians...i mean i dont think thats too hard to consider. I am impressed with the Zip Line BAtman, the robin, the joker, and the nitewing, i just think the other mattel figures are less to be desired for i will never get why they mass produce the crappy ninja style batman and not have out Robin

[Bats]

Multiple Batman figures are always going to be relased in a Batman line. Its true with all lines like this. Look at the Spider-Man line. I don't care as long as we continue to get good figures with each wave of multi-color Batman figures.

[Thunder]

The main reason for this is the fact that they're targeting kids with these toys. Mind you, I'v been to the Four Horsemen's site, and they value collector input, but Mattel wants profit. Profit means kids wanting Rainbow Ninja Fiesta Batman with Rocket Launching Parrot.

 

I think they'll keep the collectors happy with the "standard" versions of the main characters. There probably won't be mass market supportung cast characters, but we'll get more villains.

[Matthew Green]

But if you notice McFarlane sells to Toys R Us and he never does Spawn in rainbow colors....