Batman Unlimited Dark Knight Returns and Batman of Planet X

These two Batmen are starting to hit retail, but when I first heard of their existence late last year I pre-ordered them on the spot - something I dread because I don't trust Mattel's QC. But they are both such perfect representations of personal-favorite Batman moments, so I couldn't risk not finding them at retail! If there's one thing I trust less than Mattel's QC, it's Mattel's distribution!

Well they arrived yesterday from BigBadToyStore and I lucked out in the QC department! No double left feet or detached limbs! YAY!

And as I had hoped, both Batmen are extraordinary toys! These two are absolutely wonderful!.

First - The Dark Knight Returns Batman. This toy is incredible for many reasons. First, it is an excellent toy representation of the aged and enlarged Frank Miller Batman from the classic Dark Knight Returns storyline. As everyone knows by now, Mattel used their Masters of the Universe Classics body to make this Batman and a more perfect mass market buck for said Batman does not exist.

Secondly, the details that make this Batman and not simply a Batman head on a He-Man body are all extraordinarily executed. The head sculpt, the massive bat emblem, the multi-pocketed belt, the leathery cape, the stubby scalloped gloves. It's all been lovingly recreated in plastic form!

Batman even gets an accessory! Albeit a small one, but that's ok. His Batarang fits well in his meaty grip.

Easily rocketing to the top of my 'favorite Batman action figures of all time' list, The Dark Knight Returns Batman is a must for anyone with eyeballs, functioning or not.

I only dare wish, but wouldn't expect in a million years, for a Carrie Kelley Robin in this line.

Next up is The Batman of Planet X. Or at least that's how this one is labeled, recalling a Silver Age story from Batman #113 wherein an alien named Tlano from the planet Zur-En-Arrh has watched Batman through a telescope and fashioned his crime fighting persona, if not his application of color theory, after our Earth Batman.

If this action figure were simply that 'Batman' he would be awesome yes, but this is not that 'Batman.'

This is clearly not the alien Tlano, this is Bruce Wayne as re-imagined by Grant Morrison in his Batman: R.I.P. storyline.

In this imagining, Bruce has created an alternate personality deeply hidden within his psyche, to take dominance if Bruce is ever mindwiped or otherwise mentally controlled or incapacitated. Which happens in Grant Morrison's storyline, and mad hobo Batman fashions his new costume (complete with broken 'Bat-Radia' on his belt, torn and tattered cape and baseball bat because...bat man!)

I need to go back a re-read this storyline, but I do recall loving it (as I do all Grant Morrison's Batman stuff.)

The toy beautifully recreates hobo-Batman down to the stitches on the makeshift costume and even his stubble!

The Batman of Planet X comes with a bat and Bat-Mite, who, in the story, was a delusional apparition of Batman's, part of his post-hypnotic mental re-creation or somesuch. This Bat-Mite is similar to the Bat-Mite released as a K-Mart exclusive pack-in with the Silver Age Batman, but has a different head sculpt and a black and grey paint job instead of the blue and grey of the previous Bat-Mite.

You can't go wrong with either of these Batman action figures, but if you are budgeting and can only afford one, I recommend you get The Dark Knight Batman. He's unique yet fits right in with all your Mattel DC 6" figures or works well as a stand-alone Batman for display. He's so great I'm considering buying another to keep on card if I do see him at retail, something I haven't done as a toy collector for a long long time!