DC Multiverse Hugo Strange (Batman) review – McFarlane Toys

Hugo Strange is a fun Batman villain as he’s crazed and psychotic in his own special way.

He figured out Batman was Bruce Wayne and makes it a habit to cosplay not just as Batman, but Bruce Wayne as Batman. The chance to make yet another Batman figure that’s not a Batman figure was too appealing for McFarlane Toys, but this at least is a unique Batman variant.

Let’s see if the good doctor got an equally good figure or if this was a strange decision from McFarlane.

Packaging:  This is the standard Multiverse packaging with the wide window to show all the necessary details of the figure and the accessories. It’s simple, but it works. I got the Platinum Edition figure complete with the embossed silver sticker, which is always cool.

The side indicates this is Strange from Batman: Transference while the art on the back is from Batman: Gotham Knights #9 by Brian Bolland. While it was done in 2000, the fact that Bolland did it gives this portrait a timeless quality.

Likeness: Hugo Strange tends to be portrayed wearing a suit or a lab coat. The Batman cosplay isn’t something so rare that it makes for a baffling figure choice though it limits his use to just battling Batman.

I love the head sculpt. This is really one of the best McFarlane Toys has done. It does such a fantastic job of capturing that deranged and creepy look from Gotham Knights #9. McFarlane Toys doesn’t set out to sculpt figures based on an artist’s style, but I’ve gotta think Bolland would be proud of how this figure’s head sculpt right down to the angles of his beard turned out. The smile is superb and the wrinkles in his forehead really make him look menacing.

Initially, I thought this was the Knightfall Batman mold. Instead, it’s the thicker Batman Year Two buck with a different torso, forearms from another Batman figure to get more accurate gloves and a wired soft goods cape. It also has the weird boots that lack the points. I’m really confused with McFarlane didn’t just use the Knightfall mold here.

Scale: Strange is listed at 5’10” — noticeably shorter than the 6’2″ Batman. The Year Two buck was one of the worst options for a Batman mold for Strange then since it’s a taller than average Batman figure.

I get that some artists take some stylistic liberties with Batman, but his figures should be one consistent height even if some are thicker and wider than others. Within the Batman figures that’s weird, but it really doesn’t make a ton of sense for a character who is so much shorter than the Dark Knight.

Paint:  While this is the Platinum Edition, I can’t tell what changed aside from possibly a lighter shade of the blue and grey? Most of the Batman body paintwork is clean including Strange’s unique Batman logo. I some excess yellow peeling down around the base of the oval. I don’t necessarily hate it as it’s a flaw on Strange’s Batman costume.

Again, the work on the head sculpt is where the figure stands out. The beard has a great salt and pepper paintjob. His lips have the right amount of pink and his teeth have a good balance of sheen. His glasses and the lenses also look great and there’s no missing paint or sloppy work done on his eyebrows. This is excellent quality work here.

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Articulation: It’s interesting how no matter what every figure in this line sticks to 22 points of articulation. He can strike some pretty fun, dynamic poses though the main trick will be positioning him in a way to lose some of that massive height.

I don’t love the head and neck setup as there’s no ball-joint connecting the two, but it doesn’t hinder his ability to make off-kilter/psychotic looking poses.

Hugo Strange has:

• neck
• ball-jointed shoulders
• butterfly shoulders
• elbow
• wrist
• wrist hinge
• torso
• waist
• hip
• thigh
• knee
• ankle
• toe

Accessories:  Hugo Strange probably has more accessories than I was expecting since this is him in a Batman suit and not his chilling in Arkham lab coat style.

First, he’s got a separate set of clutching hands. I suppose Hugo Strange isn’t the kind of brawler who would need fists so getting another set of expressive hands if more useful.

His coolest — and creepiest — accessory is a mask of Bruce Wayne. It’s done in a stretched-out style suggesting it would fit perfectly over his head. This is a very fun inclusion and shows a commitment from McFarlane Toys to keep trying to work in as many new accessories as possible.

Finally, he’s got the standard trading card with bio information and the circular black stand.

Worth it?   Hugo was the standard $22.99 price point, but the mask accessory and the soft goods cape make this figure a fair price.

Rating: 4 out of 10

Hugo Strange’s imposter Batman look is a fun one and a clever way to crank out another Batman, but the figure is ruined by a very poor body choice making him drastically out of scale.

Where to get it?  I found Hugo Strange at Target, but the way the waves sell through so quickly once they hit clearance he’s very hard to find in stores now.

Check out the DC Direct Hugo Strange figure available now at Amazon.

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