Funko Pop! DC Comics Super Heroes Orange Batman Vinyl Figure Funko, 2015
Day #1,305: November 4, 2015
Orange Batman Pop! DC Super Heroes #01, but orange
DC Comics Pop! DC Comics Super Heroes Entertainment Earth Exclusive
Item No.: No. 5246 Manufacturer:Funko Includes:n/a Action Feature:n/a Retail:$12.99 Availability: April 2015 Other: One of Six Flavors
"What do you do for a living?" asked no one. I work at the company that sells this Orange Batman exclusive in several areas including merchandising and exclusive development - meaning yes, you should all ply me with toys to get into my good graces. (No one does this.) This particular figure was one we were thrilled to offer, mostly because it's part of a team of six based on Batman's many colorful costumes back before "grim n' gritty" was a thing. The series also includes blue, purple, pink, green, and yellow - and if you really love exclusive Batsy, ol' pointy ears was also sold as a version decorated to mimic the unique styling of the Dick Sprang artwork of the character. (Known to many as a source of giggles, Dick Sprang's era of artwork was also a little campier and closer in tone to the classic TV show of the same era.) And because I work there, of course I got Orange Batman. I've got Arctic Batman, Tec Shield Batman, Deep Dive Batman, so why not orange? That seems reasonable.
As always, Batman is about 3 3/4-inches in height. The mold is similar to the ones we've always seen - I've got my Funko Force 2.0 Batman (the line wasn't originally called Pop! Vinyl) and side by side, they're pretty much identical except for paint. The copyright date on the foot of Orange Batman is 2015, while 2.0 Blue Batman is 2010. The new version is also lighter - I weighed him and he's roughly 1/4 ounce less than his earlier counterpart. I assume when making a large quantities of figures, shaving a little plastic off of a large quantity will save you a ton of cashola. But hey, let's talk about Orange Batman.
The gag wasn't limited to the 1960s, nor to one hue. The comics also had a rainbow-striped suit, but so far Funko has been uninterested (or unable for budget reasons) to squeeze me out a toy of it. So I'll make due with this fine fellow. Molded in the darker orange plastic, the lighter orange is a painted body suit which means if you're not careful, rubbing it off reveals the dark plastic underneath. It's not ideal, but it works. His belt is painted more cleanly than my other Batman figures, and the black shading on his mask is a perfect adaptation of the classic comic art. The figure has but one moving part - his neck - but I'm pretty sure nobody is buying these things to pose them. I see towers of boxed figures, shelves filled with them, or strays hanging out on desks. The design is sturdy and the center of gravity prevents easy toppling over - Funko did a bang-up job engineering these guys a few years ago. That and, thanks to the stylization, they don't look dated either. It's not like with action figures where five years means new sculpting or manufacturing techniques can make a toy you bought during the last presidential election look like rubbish.
I'm biased - I like orange figures, and I like Funko figures, and I like Batman, and I love selling these at work. For that reason you should seek out other opinions - because for what it is, and what it costs, I just love it. I don't know if you have to get all of them, but if you went through life asking "Why doesn't Batman ever wear pink?" you now have an answer - he did, and you can buy toys of him in numerous designer colors. Granted, they don't actually do anything, but I don't think you'll be disappointed.
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