| Author |
Review: Batmobile, Mattel Comic Style |
FlaBat
Dark Knight
Posts: 1526
Location: Miami
Joined: 24.06.05
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| Posted on 27-01-2007 22:40 |
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Batmobile
Batman Series 1: Mattel, 2003 SKU# B4944 (Old Wings),
Batman Series 3: Mattel, 2004 SKU# H2392 (New Wings)
B4944 Package Front and Rear
H2392 Package Front and Rear
Old "Original" Wings
The Batmobile for Mattel?s Comic Style Batman figures was released along with the first waves of figures mid to late 2003. While it is one of the largest Batmobiles ever released it certainly was not one of the more popular. It has a style you either love or you hate, there?s not much middle ground. It bears more resemblance to a Schumacher Batmobile than anything else.
The Batmobile is dark blue with light blue overspray accents on the front end fenders and rear lower wing tips. The very first Batmobiles to hit the shelves had only a very slight overspray at the very tips making them look darker, later versions as well as the new re-released one have the overspray father up on the front and rear as well as overspray on the driver/passenger compartment hatches making it look lighter in color. It has two separate open driver and passenger compartments that have a flip up ?hatch? to access them by. There are silver accents of ?machine parts work? that look like they came of a Borg ship on the hatches and vertical wing inserts that add a nice bit of detail.
About mid way during it?s release Mattel started to get complaints about injuries children were receiving because of the upswept pointed rear tail fin wings, which were pointed and hard plastic. This lead to the product be recalled and new set of rear swept wings that were still hard plastic, but blunted at the tips (like on the smaller Hot Wheels versions) in a Repair Kit being issued for free by Mattel. It also lead to a brief spike in prices for the Batmobile on the secondary market as retailers pulled in from the shelves and eBay was about the only place you could buy one.
In November 2004 a ?New? Batmobile with a new number hit the shelves at K-Mart. It came in ?Croc Packaging? and had the new number, H2392 and featured the new rear wings from the Repair Kit.
SPECS:
20? Long, 11? Wide (at removable wing), 8? Tall (Old Wings) 7? Tall (New Wings) Removable Robin Motorcycle, Firing Missile Launcher, Removable Rear Wing Jet Pack for Batman figures to use a glider.
PROS:
It?s loaded with play value and most Batman figures will fit nicely in the snug driver/passenger compartments. The removable ?Jet Pack? wing between the rear tail fins is a nice addition and works will with Zipline Batman.
New Wings
CONS:
I wished it looked more like it?s smaller Hot Wheels cousins with two Jet Engines and not just the one it comes with. They could have added one to the back of Robin Motorcycle and it would have looked better. It should also have at least a windshield if not a full dome over the driver/passenger compartments like the smaller ones too, and it should also be all black, not blue.
While it was recalled because of the tall pointy wings on the rear it also has pointy tails hanging out the back and should have been recalled for them as well. It should have them upswept like the smaller Hot Wheels versions are.
OVERALL:
It?s not the best looking Batmobile ever released, but it?s not the worst either. It?s got great play value for kids and most Batman figures will look good displayed with it for the collectors. While it retails for $19.99, K-Mart had them on sale for $9.99 just after they were re-released.
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| Author |
RE: Review: Batmobile, Mattel Comic Style |
FlaBat
Dark Knight
Posts: 1526
Location: Miami
Joined: 24.06.05
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| Posted on 27-01-2007 22:42 |
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Not a new review, although I did tweek it a bit. I could not find the original post, so I figured I failed to put it back after one of our hack crashes way back when. So here it is again.
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| Author |
RE: Review: Batmobile, Mattel Comic Style |
spencer1984
Dark Knight
Posts: 1271
Location: Upstate NY
Joined: 30.06.05
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| Posted on 27-01-2007 23:28 |
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Great review! I also wish it looked a bit more like its 1/64 counterpart, but oh well.
Someone had customized this car a while back; they added lights, and cast a second full cockpit and jet nozzle to make the car look even:
Unfortunately, I can't rememebr who did it. I'd like to get in touch with them to ask more about it. There was also a full-sized mockup built:
The complete history of the Batmobile: BatmobileHistory.com
Scale models of Batmobiles & more: spencer1984.com |
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| Author |
RE: Review: Batmobile, Mattel Comic Style |
FlaBat
Dark Knight
Posts: 1526
Location: Miami
Joined: 24.06.05
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| Posted on 27-01-2007 23:40 |
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Wow, that custom looks great. I recall seeing somebody on LoG make one that had not only both turbines, but also the bubble canopies like the smaller Hot Wheels one. They cut out 2 liter Coke Bottles to make them.
I bought a couple extras of these awhile back to do a custom, but I?ve never got around to it.
I?ve also seen that full size mockup before and wondered whatever happened to it.
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| Author |
RE: Review: Batmobile, Mattel Comic Style |
BornAgainBatman
W. Indust. Employee
Posts: 715
Location: NYC
Joined: 29.12.06
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| Posted on 28-01-2007 11:28 |
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Thanks for this review.
I didnt know anything about this Batmobile untl now. |
 
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RE: Review: Batmobile, Mattel Comic Style |
Caleson
Dark Knight
Posts: 1631
Location: Rockville, IA
Joined: 24.06.05
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| Posted on 28-01-2007 12:25 |
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That custom job is beautiful! The full-size one is pretty cool but could've used more color or at least a gloss coat.
I got the re-release off eBay a while after it was out. I could never make up my mind whether I wanted one, due to the zany style and price. But when I found it for about $10 online, I figured why not. One of my major problems with it is the immense width. It's hard to find a place to display it, but I think I've got a decent one now in my new glass case for Batmobiles.
I wonder if you could still get a free set of safe tail fins from Mattel or if they're all out by now. I guess I'd just like to for the heck of it...
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RE: Review: Batmobile, Mattel Comic Style |
Tom-Tom
Arkham Inmate
Posts: 128
Joined: 20.10.06
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| Posted on 28-01-2007 13:11 |
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im planning on doing a custom batmobile in this ones style. ill add clear cokpits, and a second turbo to make it like the hot wheels version. |
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| Author |
RE: Review: Batmobile, Mattel Comic Style |
BornAgainBatman
W. Indust. Employee
Posts: 715
Location: NYC
Joined: 29.12.06
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| Posted on 29-01-2007 02:06 |
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love to see it Tom- Tom. |
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| Author |
RE: Review: Batmobile, Mattel Comic Style |
spencer1984
Dark Knight
Posts: 1271
Location: Upstate NY
Joined: 30.06.05
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| Posted on 29-01-2007 10:23 |
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Sounds great, Tom-Tom; I'm looking forward to it as well.
Caleson wrote:
I wonder if you could still get a free set of safe tail fins from Mattel or if they're all out by now. I guess I'd just like to for the heck of it...
I would guess they're still available, since I see replacement sets available on eBay pretty regularly. They have to be getting their supply from somewhere (and the photos I've seen don't look like recasts).
The complete history of the Batmobile: BatmobileHistory.com
Scale models of Batmobiles & more: spencer1984.com |
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| Author |
RE: Review: Batmobile, Mattel Comic Style |
kpangilinan
W. Indust. Employee
Posts: 547
Joined: 24.09.06
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| Posted on 29-01-2007 11:37 |
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Can you imagine Batman trying to drive over bumps and potholes in Gotham with that Batmobile? It would tear the bottom apart its so low! |
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