Packaging - ***
Killer Moth has been released as part of the new ShadowTek assortment, and
has a new style cardback. Shaped more like an inverted V, the cardbacks
are attractive and small. There's very little wasted space or material,
which is always good in these environment conscious times.
Sculpting - ***
The sculpt follows the look of the show - straight, sharp lines, and only the
essential details required. The upper body is made from a soft rubber -
it works with the 'action feature' - while the arms, legs and head are made
from harder, solid plastic.
He's sculpted in a slightly crouched stance, and the only articulation is
in his shoulders, so the stance you see is the stance you get. It's
reasonable, if not the most dynamic.
The face is very insect-like, although there's very little detail here. The
'feathering' on the gray neck area is well done though, and even with a pretty
neutral bug expression, he seems quite malevolent. The hole in his mouth
for the 'action feature' is a bit distracting, and I could have done
completely without that.
The wings in back are also hard plastic, glued in place. I have some
slopped glue on the torso, and the wings aren't lined up the best, but it's
about average work for a mass market toy.
Paint - **1/2
As I mentioned above, the torso is rubber, a very different material than the
rest of the big guy. They color matched the limbs and torso pretty well,
although the rubber looks a little more purple to me.
There's a little color here with the red eyes, and brightly colored wings,
but the majority of the moth is black. They've used both matte and
semi-gloss finishes though, to differentiate areas like the 'hands' or feet
from the rest of the body.
The work is very typical in quality, with some weak cuts between the colors
on the wings, and many of the parts molded in their actual color.
Articulation - *1/2
Because of the action feature, there's almost no articulation. There are
cut joints on each shoulder, allowing the arms to move forward and back, but
that's it. Nope, there's no waist joint. Nope, there's no cut
neck. Nope, those aren't joints at the bottom of the 'pants'. Even
if they were, the feet are a solid molded piece, so moving the legs would be
pretty much impossible.
Accessories - *
Mr. Moth comes with a small display base for his feet. You don't
absolutely have to have it, since he can stand on his own as long as the arms
are not too far forward. But using the stand means you have more latitude in
posing the arms.
Action Feature - **
The action feature works reasonable well, but hurts the figure in so many
other ways.
It's simple enough. Stick his head underwater, squeeze his torso to
fill it up, and then squeeze it again to squirt the water out.
Voila. Instant bath toy.
And as action features go, it works pretty well. The position of his head
and mouth does mean that the water tends to squirt Batman in the kneecaps, but
kids aren't going to be too concerned.
The action feature hurts the articulation and sculpt though, with the
cheaper rubber interfering with the look. This is another figure that
was hurt more than helped by this little bonus.
Fun Factor - ***
That doesn't mean he's a bust for fun though. Kids will be less
concerned with articulation than I am, and are more likely to enjoy the water
feature, at least until they get something soaking wet and Mom has kittens
over it.
Value - **1/2
Seven bucks is about an average price for this guy. You're getting a
better value out of the Marvel toys these days, which run the same price and
yet give you so much more flexibility in the play patterns.
Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.
Overall - **
I do like the look of this figure on the shelf, and I'm quite glad I picked it
up. I think Batman collectors who are fans of the show should grab one,
simply because there are so few unique villains out there to round out the
display. But for him to score where he could have - an easy *** stars -
he needed better articulation and accessories, and the action feature needs to
be canned.
Score Recap:
Packaging - ***
Sculpt - ***
Paint - **1/2
Articulation - *1/2
Accessories - *
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **1/2
Overall - **
Where to Buy -
I picked mine up at a Target, but they are hitting Meijers and Toys R Us as
well.
Related Links:
I've reviewed quite a few of The Batman figures so far:
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