The Elseworlds spawned a lot of interesting and/or crazy ideas. And even though the imprint is no longer a thing, the central concept of dropping DC’s heroes into hypothetical, non-canonical scenarios lives on, in books like Batman: White Knight and others.
Two of the most memorable Elseworlds tales are Red Rain, and Superman: Red Son, and Funko’s got your Batmans covered for each, with a vampire Batman from the former, and a subversive revolutionary from behind the Iron Curtain who featured prominently in the latter. Let’s take a closer look at each.
Red Rain
Kelley Jones’s crazy aesthetic has produced some pretty memorable Batman images over the years, and Red Rain is up there. This is a pretty sweet take on that look, but I would have loved it if they could have found a way to make the ears even longer—it’s one of Jones’s most notable design elements. I suppose it would have made the box a lot taller so that they could be accommodated, though, so I get it.
I think my favorite element is the hands. This posture is clearly a nod to some of Red Rain’s imagery, but it’s also just a very Kelley Jones Bat-pose in general (see Batman: Unseen for some of my favorite examples). The creepy, bulging spine is a great touch, too.
Red Son
I’m not generally a fan of stories in which Batman and Superman are set against each other. Coming to blows is fine if there’s a misunderstanding, or if Supes has been chemically swindled by Poison Ivy. But I tend to enjoy them most as friends, and if they are on opposite sides of a substantive conflict…that’s not really my thing. That said, if you’re going to do it, I think you should do it like Mark Millar did in Superman: Red Son.
Substance aside, one of the coolest things in Red Son is the USSR-styled suits worn by Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. This Batman POP! hits the prominent bits of the Dark Knight’s attire, and the POP! aesthetic really helps here—after all, the hat is probably the most prominent, and it’s situation on the most prominent part of the figure, the head.So it’s huge.
The rest of the details are nice, too, but the hat is really what it’s all about. That’s what sells it. And I’m sold.
Overall
It’s ridiculous (in the best way) how many Batman POP!s are available, and the line just keeps expanding. If you’re a fan of either Red Rain or Red Son, or if you just like interesting takes on Batman in general, then either—or both—of these POP!s are a great addition to your collection.
DISCLAIMER: Batman News received these collectibles from Funko in exchange for review.
