DC Multiverse Red Robin figure review – Collect and Connect Killer Croc wave
One of the early standouts of the DC Rebirth era was Detective Comics, which featured the best team book comprised of the Bat Family. Along with Batwoman, the other foundational block of the team that Batman relied on was his longtime sidekick Tim Drake aka Red Robin. With most of the Detective team done in the updated format, it made sense for Mattel to tackle a Tim Drake that doesn’t look like a 5-year-old. Let’s see if this figure has me seeing red.
Packaging: By all accounts this is the final wave of DC Multiverse. I did really like the blue packaging and the gold foil on the top right celebrating Batman’s 80th anniversary was a nice touch. It would have been nice if Mattel mixed up the comic art as using the same image four times across the package is a little weird. The bio is pretty accurate for Tim’s time in the Detective team.
It’s a little odd how obscured the packaging positions the Collect and Connect piece, but it’s safely fasted in.
Likeness: This is definitely more of a Rebirth style look of Red Robin.
Tim has a still youthful, but older head sculpt with a closer haircut. Mattel didn’t shortchange any aspects of the outfit with the collar and lining of the cape, the sculpted RR, utility belt, gauntlets and shin guards.
This was a pretty sensible costume redesign/update and Mattel did a terrific job of replicating it with this figure.
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Scale: Last time we got a Robin that was too short. Now we get a giant sized Red Robin. Sigh, we just can’t win.
At least crouching him down is easier than making him taller. And I continue to find it easier by mixing some of these Multiverse figures with the DC Essentials figures as they seem to match up better scale-wise.
Paint: Mattel really hasn’t had a big issue with the paintwork on these Multiverse figures. I can’t recall seeing figures on pegs where one was better over the other. That’s a nice testament to the paintwork throughout the line.
Red Robin’s collar could be a little tighter and portions of the logo needed another coat of yellow, but it’s very minor. The utility belt has too much of a plastic look and would have benefited from a wash to give it better depth.
Articulation: This is the one category Mattel made the biggest strides as the figures have such a better range of movement.
It’s not the hyper articulation that would be ideal for Red Robin, but it’s close enough to still get some fun poses.
Red Robin has:
- neck
- ball-jointed shoulders
- biceps
- elbow
- wrist
- wrist hinge
- torso
- hip
- thigh
- knee (double-jointed)
- ankle
Accessories: Red Robin comes with two alternate hands — a set of fists — for hand to hand combat. The fists swap out with no trouble and are the kind of basic accessory we should get with every figure that uses a weapon.
Speaking of, Red Robin also has another accessory, his bo staff. It looks too much like a toy with its light grey color, but otherwise it’s fine. His staff fits much easier than the earlier figure, which needs a rubber band to keep in place now.
Finally, he comes with the left arm of the Collect and Connect Killer Croc figure.
Worth it? I got Red Robin for the standard $20 retail price. I don’t have any buyer’s remorse here and think this is a pretty good value for the price point. Maybe this wave will hit clearance price but it’s just as likely to eventually skyrocket in price too.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Height aside this is a very nice take on Red Robin and I’m glad to mostly complete the original Detective Comics squad with his release.
Where to get it? Target has been the main source of DC Multiverse figures, but I got this wave from Wal-Mart. You can also grab Katana or the case from LMF affiliates Amazon or Entertainment Earth.