I’m going to approach the review in two different ways. The “First Impression” is for folks who want to know if the item will impress their friends and if there are any major defects they need to worry about before buying. You get in, you get out. Then there’s the “Scrutinize” section, which is more in-depth and geared toward the crowd that wants to hear about all of the specifics.
First Impression
I think that anyone who sees it with the light effects turned off is going to think it’s a statue from the likes of Diamond Select. The flowing cape that can be molded how you like definitely plays a big part in creating that illusion. Anyone who sees it with the light effects on is going to be drawn in for sure, but they’re not going to mistake it for anything other than an action figure. And, 9 times out of 10, they’re going to touch the tires (not sure why, but that’s been my experience). Next is going to come an appreciation of the burst effect (that spiked clear plastic surrounding the rear tire) and, lastly, they’ll want to touch the cape. Of course, you’ll have to slap their hand away for that one. If they want to play with the cape, they can buy their own Batcycle Set. You worked hard making that billowing cape look as dramatic as possible, dammit.
The Batcycle is small enough (the bike is about 9 inches in length and Batman on the bike is about 5-6 inches tall) that you can display it on almost any shelf or atop the desk of your home office– but since you spent less than $60 you may feel enough at ease to bring it in to your workplace and show it off for all your coworkers to see. And by going public with your love of BTAS and celebrating your passion with such a quality piece, you’ll likely inspire your coworkers to watch the series and spread the gospel of Dini, Timm, and Radomski, which is a beautiful thing.
Scrutinized
The Batcycle and Batman figures come packaged in a window box that puts the two on display clearly for all to see. The box keeps with the style of previous BTAS figures like Clayface and Man-Bat and includes the show’s logo, a biography, and images of other figures currently on sale. Inside you’ll find everything securely tied and taped down in molded plastic along with a sheet of paper that illustrates how to replace the pre-installed batteries when the time comes. Yes, you read that right, the batteries are included. Wonderful, isn’t it? In this day and age!
The big gray slab you see in the photos above is the display base, it features a manhole cover on one side and a smooth surface on the other. I don’t think the manhole cover makes the gray plastic look any more like a street, I wish it had the color and texture of actual pavement, but oh well. The fact that DC Collectibles gave us options is appreciated nevertheless. A centrally located plastic “burst” piece can be swapped to either side, and not only makes for a really cool effect, but it is practical as well since it grips the rear tire to lend extra support. Of course, the bike already stands fairly well on its own even without a kickstand, so you don’t actually need the base if you don’t want to use it.
The black and gray plastic of the cycle is molded to look exactly the way the Batcycle looked in the animated series. There isn’t much detail to the minimalist design, but that’s just how it appeared on the show– anything more wouldn’t have been accurate. Since the body of the bike is short on details, colorful lighting effects at the front, back, and console have been added for extra visual flair. When it’s fully illuminated, it looks quite cool, but not so much that I see myself leaving the lights on full-time. Switching on the headlight, brakelight, and gauges will likely be reserved for when inquisitive guests ask to see exactly what all the bike can do. After all, the lights would probably only last a few hours if left on constantly, anyway. And don’t worry, the button to turn on the lights isn’t tucked away in a compartment that has to be popped open with a screwdriver or anything, it’s hidden at the bottom of the bike for easy access.
Both the front and back wheel roll, and they are made from softer plastic. It’s not rubber, but it’s convincing enough, and the tires roll surprisingly well. The front wheel also pivots to the left and right, giving you even more options when it comes time to pose it on your shelf.
The Batman that’s included is not the same as the one you (probably) already own. This Caped Crusader has a brand-new body with the added articulation of an ab crunch. It also includes a soft fabric cape rather than rubbery plastic, but it’s not identical to what came with the Batman in the Batmobile bundle. Our new cape is much larger and sports hidden wiring on the sides so you can manipulate it for a really cool action pose that holds its shape. It’s the first time the BTAS line has offered wiring in a cape and I love it. This needs to become standard on all Batman toys as soon as DC Collectibles can achieve the malleability while also keeping shoulder height muted. See, the shoulders of this cape stand out a little too high on the body of the figure for my liking, but that could be due to the fact that if the cape was designed with this specific set in mind. If the cape did hug his shoulders it would limit movement too much and Batman wouldn’t be able to reach the handlebars. Since this cape sits a little high on the shoulders, reaching the handles is no problem for Batman. That said, those shoulders would look awkward if he was displayed standing upright– but who buys a Batcycle Batman and displays him standing?
Two helmet-wearing head sculpts are included, but the difference is so minor that you’ll hardly notice, and the bike is going to draw everyone’s attention regardless. One head sculpt boasts gritted teeth while the other has a neutral, expressionless face. You can also remove the head from another Batman figure and plant it on this Batman if you wanted to display a helmet-less Dark Knight on the cycle. The replaceable hands from the other Batman figures in your collection can be used on this figure as well, which, overall has better articulation than its predecessors for a greater variety of posing options. The figure’s body includes an ab crunch, waist swivel, double-jointed knees and ankle pivot. However, even with all that, it’s still hard to position the feet on the pedals and I think he’d have a lot of trouble standing on these feet. Again, though, who is going to take him off that bike?! My #1 nitpick, has to be that I wish the pins on the sides of the torso and knees weren’t so obvious, but oh well.
Overall
The Batcycle looks excellent, and it’s great to finally own a BTAS bat-vehicle that doesn’t take up a massive amount of shelf/wall space like the Batwing and Batmobile did (it’s nowhere close to being as expensive as those two, either). The lighting effects are a nice touch and getting multiple head sculpts and a reversible base are wonderful bonuses, but what really sold me on this collectible are the details create a sense of genuine motion. The burst effect that doubles as a brace for the rear wheel is a brilliant addition, and you can make Batman look like he is actually speeding through Gotham’s streets by fiddling with the hidden wires lining the cape. Now, I do wish that the joints at the knee were not so obvious and that he sat just a little bit (10% or so) more naturally on the bike, but for a set that only costs around $60 bucks, I think you’re going to be plenty satisfied with your purchase.
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