Kenner Legends of Batman Future Batman Kenner, 1994
Day #408: May 28, 2012
Future Batman Not Terry McGinnis
Legends of Batman Action Figure
Item No.: n/a Manufacturer:Kenner Includes:Gun, flip-up wing jetpack Action Feature:Push button, wings flip up, trading card Retail:$5.99 Availability: ca. Fall 1994 Other: Elseworlds, not sure from where though
Kenner's success with Batman in the 1990s was pretty amazing. Multiple lines based on movies, a TV series, and even comic books helped to spawn an entirely new way to sell boy's toys which meant multiple versions of a couple of very popular main characters. As the license went on, we got the comic-inspired Legends of Batman with big muscles, extreme poses, and "Elseworlds" figures like Future Batman. He was actually pretty cool, with an armored cowl covering the face and a big honking wing harness with these really fun pop-up wing blades. They're a little silly, sure. But if you like simple figures with big fun mechanisms, this is worth a look.
For most of the 1990s, Kenner continued its more-or-less standard 5-inch figure scale. This figure carries on the same old 5 joints that we've seen since the 1980s, but looks totally unlike most other Batman figures of the day. The enclosed face mask and ridiculously muscular build set it apart from the popular Animated figures of the day, and the pose is a little more extreme than we're used to. It's also one of few Batman figures to not have a cape, and in many respects this is a great forerunner to Batman Beyond. I bought this one because it was cool, not out of some "so dumb it's cool" sense of obligation.
A very similar figure was sold, slightly repainted, at Warner Bros. Studio Stores a couple of years later. "Special Edition Future Batman" actually looked quite similar, and was sold on a cardback that just said "Batman" without the trading card. The WB reissue also had an added Bat-symbol on his flight pack, which this version lacks. Get whichever one you can get cheapest, but do get one. If you've got a few minutes, take a look at this line. The figures have some neat outfits and spectacular accessories, and also contain some ridiculous releases Egyptian Batman vs. Egyptian Catwoman, Pirate Batman vs. Pirate Two Face, and an admittedly cool Joker that actually does feel like a bit of a stepping stone to modern action figures. This is not to be confused with the Kenner Legends of the Dark Knight line, which attempted to take the "comic" concept but make bigger, fancier, "premium" sculpts for older kids and collectors. Looking back on this line myself, I'm a little ashamed I didn't buy more of these.
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