I am so excited!
The movie is sure to be amazing. Everything I've seen so far is absolutely mind blowing. But there's still something missing. Something I haven't seen or heard about in the new film. Something important. Something hidden.
And sometimes, it's what hides in the shadows that poses the greatest threat.
There has of course been a lot of talk and excitement surrounding Heath Ledger as the Joker and Aaron Eckhart as Two-Face. There's even been much chatter about the return of Cilian Murphy as the Scarecrow.
All these villains, the mobsters and muggers, the jay-walkers and litterers, are sure to give Batman a hard time come July 18th. But remember, Batman Begins was as much about Bruce Wayne's inner struggle as it was about stopping crazed villains with his bitchin' gadgets.
And the biggest of players, the one who started it all, the one whose villainous motivations "created" Batman and served as the foil to which Batman was the response, was Ra's Al Ghul (as played by Liam Neeson.)
As a Bat-fan of many years' standing, I don't believe we've seen the last of Ra's Al Ghul. He is, after all, semi-immortal.
So in honor of the Demon's Head, today I will discuss the exclusive Ra's Al Ghul action figure from the Batman Animated Series: Shadows of Gotham City box set.
Ra's was originally released early in the animated series run, but had a completely different body sculpt. In that release he wore some sort of non-character-relevant hey-let's-just-sell-this-silly-action-figure to-dumb-kids armor if I remember correctly. It wasn't until this Shadows of Gotham City box set that he was released in a form that actually represented his animated look and comic book personality.
The set itself was actually designed around the release of the exclusive, never before seen Talia figure. So a better Ra's was a bonus!
I've had this set since it was released in 2001. Funny thing is, upon preparing for this article I realized that I had never even opened it before!
Ra's is a mix of the previously released Alfred's body, the early Ra's Al Ghul action figure's head, and a newly made cape. Quite the mish mash, but the figure turned out very nice. His cape is a bit rigid, but it looks good on him. This is how Ra's should look - regal, important, nicely dressed. He is, after all, a thinking man's villain.
While I fully expect Ra's to re-appear at some point in the Dark Knight movie (or at least to be alluded to for a big blow-out in the third installment,) I don't necessarily expect to see Talia. Talia is Ra's daughter - not immortal, but his only heir, and since she is not male she can only continue Ra's legacy if she marries one he feels is worthy, and gives birth to a son...Sheesh - it's a long story. If you want to know more about that crazy affair, go read a comic book.
Cool news about the mattel website above... Now about Ras. I think he might appear again, maybe not this film but in the future of the franchise, I don't think they covered enough of his "abilities" in the last film.
ReplyDeleteNow the toy! That BTAS box set has always eluded me, I think it's one of the best of Ras, you're right, what was up with armor Ras? That thing totally came out of left field.
Yeah totally, the figures they release with the crazy wacky armor and uniforms really bother me especially when they were never seen in the series. Batman Animated Series figures were some of the most accurate and this box set is a prime example. I always wanted to get it but it was nowhere to be found in my area and it's pretty expensive on ebay. What an awesome set though.
ReplyDeleteAs for Ra's and Talia, I think both of them will show up in a future film because the way Neeson portrayed him seemed to only be the tip of the iceberg. This guy is supposed to be demonic! You've seen the episodes of BTAS, you've read Son of the Demon etc. Some of the best stories come from his apperances. They mix sci-fi, horror, adventure, and romance with Talia. I've always loved Joker but ever since I was a kid and I read the comics with Ra's he's definitely the most powerful and intriuging villain.