Review: DC Universe Classics Sinestro Corps Batman

Impulse was the identity used by Bart Allen to fight crime before he decided the name, "Kid Flash" was better. It's also the kind of purchase that resulted in today's review.

Sinestro Corps Batman was an idea teased in an issue of Brave and the Bold. When the Sinestro Corps rings were scouring the Universe looking for recruits, one tried to grab Bruce. It makes a great deal of sense, actually: if you're looking for the beings most adept at manipulating and utilizing fear, do you grab the Scarecrow or the guy the Scarecrow has nightmares about?

As it worked out, Bruce's willpower (along with the yellow ring's analysis that he'd recently worn a Green Lantern ring... long story) overcame the yellow ring and drove it off.

I've often wondered what would have happened if the ring had won out. I think the Sinestro Corps war would have been a lot shorter. This is Batman we're talking about: he could have mastered the ring in a heartbeat, infiltrated the organization, leaked Sinestro's plans to the Guardians, and helped bring down the corps from the inside. Maybe he should have just let the ring hijack him to Qward - it might have saved the Universe a whole lot of trouble and pain.

I enjoyed the page where Batman "fought" the ring, but I didn't really need this figure to commemorate it. I honestly had every intention of skipping this one. But it was relatively cheap, it came with a big chunk of Validus - not to mention a yellow construct batarang - and I was weak. So here we are.

I want tip my proverbial hat to Mattel for the back of the packaging. I've long given them credit for bothering to put accurate character info on the back of DCUC figures (most companies don't - heck, Mattel doesn't take the time for most of their other DC lines), but this time they're kind of outdone themselves. They seem to have used their generic Batman bio, then photoshopped this over it:

Granted, if you're a kid without a background in DC Comics, you'll likely be lost. But Mattel seems to have realized that kids aren't buying these, anyway. For those of us dorky enough to appreciate what's going on, this is a really good metaphor for what the figure is about. So kudos, Matty: take a bow. I don't care what everyone says about you (and I do mean EVERYONE) - you're all right in my book!

I have mixed feelings about the head sculpt. Overall, I like it, though it might be a little overly dramatic. Still, you never know when you'll want a really angry Batman head, so it's nice to have around.

The body is, for all intents and purposes, a generic Sinestro Corps soldier with a cape and spikes on the forearm. The figure's wearing a yellow ring, of course, though the paint's a little sloppy on mine. Regardless, this certainly has custom potential - getting the head/cape off wouldn't be hard. As for the spikes... I imagine most Sinestro Corps members would be perfectly happy wearing those fashion accessories.

The construct's also pretty cool. I like it as is, but it's tough finding a base for a yellow power blast that snaps onto a DCUC figure's wrist and could therefore wind up custom-fodder. As for the batarang, I could always paint it black and maybe give it to my 12 inch Batman.

The pin is kind of cool, at least compared to most of the ones I've gotten. I've never been crazy about these, but that might just be me. Nah, it's a stupid idea, and Mattel should replace these with additional accessories.

The Validus torso was a big part of what made me break down and buy the figure. If I don't wind up getting the remaining parts, it certainly has custom potential. This started around $18 - $20 in New York City (so I'm assuming he was a few bucks less out there in the suburbs commonly referred to as "America"). I found this one going for $13 at a local toy and luggage store in Queens. They had a few other figures from the line, but I passed them up for now. There's at least one more from this wave I'd consider at that price - the modern Starman - but he was MIAF (Missing In Action-Figure: came up with that all by myself). If the others get cheaper... maybe. I'm already halfway to Validus, so I'm certainly tempted to finish the figure, but only if I can get a decent deal.

As for Batman, I'm torn on whether I want to use it for custom bait or keep it as is. On one hand, I'm not sure I need another Batman, and certainly not one from a single, obscure page. On the other hand, he looks awfully good beside that custom Green Lantern Batman I put together: