McFarlane DC Multiverse Batman Reborn review
For a moment, Batman Reborn gave Dick Grayson a legit opportunity to be Batman. Not for a few issues, but a reasonable time taking over the mantle of his mentor Bruce Wayne. Paired with Bruce’s actual son, Damian, as Robin we got a great run with Batman and Robin by Grant Morrison and multiple artists.
Never one to shy away from a Batman variant, McFarlane Toys delivered a Batman Reborn version of Batman. As usual it took no time from the reveal to the figure hitting the shelf. I planned to eventually get it since my DC Universe version snapped at the neck peg. The reveal of a matching Damian definitely motivated me to get this figure faster.
Let’s see if Batman Reborn is a revelatory Batman figure or just a ho-hum variant.
Packaging: There is still zero change with the packaging. It doesn’t hurt openers like me and provides some major consistency for MOC collectors so it works for everyone. The wide window shows the figure and all the accessories.
Over on the left side, we get the exact distinction of this version of Batman while the back features the cover image from Batman and Robin #1. The QR code takes you to the DC Universe Infinite homepage instead of a direct link to B&R, however.
Likeness: Batman Reborn is mostly a reuse of the Knightfall Batman body. It’s the best slender mold for Batman even if it’s bigger than ideal for Nightwing. Original series artist Frank Quitely drew Dick with a more thoughtful expression. This head sculpt does an excellent job of capturing that look in figure form right down to the thin eye slots.
The upper torso has wider butterfly shoulder articulation points now. Dick’s costume has subtle changes like the cuffs around the gloves and a utility belt with capsules positioned at an angle leading to a flatter Bat symbol. The default hand sculpts have electric shockers as a nod to his tricked out escrima sticks.
The Batman Reborn cape should be shorter with all but the cape “points” ending around his knee. Is it worth cutting for adding authenticity? Not when it’s a cloth cape like this one, which is a terrific bonus.
Scale: As Batman, Dick did interact with many non-Gotham heroes since he was the leader of a new Justice League. This team consisted of Donna Troy, Starfire, Cyborg, Hal Jordan Green Lantern, Atom, Black Canary, Dr. Light, Mon-El and Guardian.
He was around the same height as his teammates, so this mold works fine. It would be nice to get more of this team from McFarlane.
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Paint: The paintwork is sharp as it typically is for McFarlane Multiverse figures. For this attire, Dick rocked a darker grey with a black cowl, gloves, tights and boots.
Batman Reborn has a slender Bat logo stretched wider across his chest. The gold on the belt pops and the electro shockers’ light blue was applied cleanly.
McFarlane did throw in a platinum version with the black swapped for blue if that’s your preference.
Articulation: Batman has the standard 22 points of articulation though since Dick is a much different fighter than Batman it would be nice if he had better range in the torso joint. Still, he can hit the standard punching, kicking, crouching and some degree of flipping poses.
Batman Reborn has:
- neck
- ball-jointed shoulders [with pop up/down point]
- butterfly shoulders
- elbow
- wrist
- wrist hinge
- torso
- waist
- hip
- thigh
- knee
- ankle
- toe
Accessories: Batman Reborn isn’t swimming in accessories, but those included make sense.
He’s got swappable sets of hands — one with c-grip holding hands and the other with outstretched fingers.
He’s got the standard black stand and a trading card with a bio.
Worth it? I got this figure from Walmart so no sales or discounts meaning I got him for the usual $22.99 price. That’s not awful though it’s always best to get figures on sale, right?
Rating: 9.5 out of 10
This is an exceptional figure that just needed a bit more range with some of the articulation and a few more accessories. This certainly makes me excited for the upcoming Damian figure.
Where to get it? I’ve seen Batman Reborn at several Walmarts. Miss him at retail? Grab him on Amazon or Entertainment Earth.
As an Amazon Associate and Entertainment Earth affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.