Warner Brothers Store Batman Figures: Retrospective.
More than 10 years ago Warner Brothers Studios used to have retail stores in various Malls across the United States and elsewhere. Most if not all of the stores closed around the end of the 1990’s, although I understand some still exist in other markets around the World as well as an Online Store with a convenient link right on the BYTB Home Page. The Warner Brothers Stores offered a lot of store exclusive merchandise. Statutes, Clothing, Animation Cells, Collectibles Toys and of course Action Figures.
1995 saw the release of the first of four different waves of Warner Brothers Store exclusive figures. BATMAN Special Edition figures featured repaints of Legends Of Batman figures of the same name. Crusader BATMAN, Cyborg BATMAN, Future BATMAN, Knightquest BATMAN, Nightwing and Power Guardian BATMAN.
1996 the name of the line changed slightly to BATMAN Special Legends Edition. As before they were repaints of Legends Of Batman of the same name. Crusader Robin, Knightsend BATMAN, Long Bow BATMAN, Samurai BATMAN, The Riddler and Viking BATMAN.
They continued into 1997 on new Card Backs as BATMAN Special Legends Edition and continued with repaints of Legends Of Batman figures. Buccaneer BATMAN, Catwoman, Dark Warrior BATMAN, First Mate Robin, Gladiator BATMAN and The Laughing Man Joker.
1998 saw a change in the Warner Brothers Store exclusive figures. While the first three waves were all Batman and his Rogues Gallery, the new series included other DC characters as well. The last series was simply called DC Super Heroes a brand name that was applied to other Warner Brothers Store exclusives like large Rotomold Figures as well. The Legends figures were limited to Batman, so Total Justice figures of the same name were reused this time. DC Super Heroes consisted of Aquaman, BATMAN, Despero, Green Arrow, Hawkman and Robin. BATMAN was a repainted Total Justice Fractal Armor Batman.
Some Warner Brothers Store Batman Figures are hard to find, but most are still readily available today on the secondary market. The DC Super Heroes series is among the hardest to find, but they still show up for sale from time to time.
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RE: Warner Brothers Store Batman Figures: Retrospective.
Posts: 1631 Location: Rockville, IA Joined: 24.06.05
Posted on 09-06-2008 02:37
All these years and I'm still finding out new information. I had no idea about those DC Super Heroes repaints. The card art on some of these is a little surprising, especially the second LOB repaint with the gruesome Batman illustration and strange font. The DCSH one almost looks like a bootleg, but the art does remind me of the original cover artist's paintings for Batman: Shadow of the Bat.
As for other WB exclusive merchandise, we've got items all over the archives - some very cool and others very strange (Mr. Freeze "Melted Ice" anyone?). I considering making an all WB Store archive, but we'll see.
I think there was still one WB Store left in Illinois around 2000. I accepted an invitation from a kid at school to go to Six Flags just so I could get to the WB Store, but we never went and I'm sure it's long gone now...
Warner Bros Stores were the coolest stores ever. I remember going to the one in Knoxville, TN on dad's business trips. I saw these figures but passed on them because I didn't have much interest in the Legends figures.
I don't think that I have ever seen the DC Superheroes or the later two series of Batman figures before.
Author
RE: Warner Brothers Store Batman Figures: Retrospective.
My favorite part of the WB studio stores was the cel wall. The back left corner of the store had four huge sliding walls featuring actual cels from various animated programs, like Looney Tunes shorts and BTAS. I still have a few of their old catalogs somewhere, those were great stores.
Don't know as I needed the reminder about just how long ago they closed, though...
I loved the WB Cell Wall too. I wish I had picked some of those up now.
Nobody noticed, but in my top photo of my collection there are 4 figures from the regular Legends line mixed in with the WB Store exclusives. It should be easy enough to figure out which ones. Hint: they were from two, 2 Packs.
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