LEGO Batman Movie Blind Bag Minifigs In Stores NOW!

The LEGO Batman Movie Blind Bag Minifigures aren't officially scheduled for release until January, but word got out a couple days before Christmas that Targets across the land were letting them hit shelves. I ran out and, via the squeeze method, found my two 'must-haves' and grabbed a couple more to surprise myself, and boy is this a great series! I'll be collecting them all at a relatively liesurly pace now that I have the two I couldn't live without. Who are those two? Read on, true believer...

I ended up with Red Hood and Nurse Harley (my must-haves) as well as James Gordon, Calculator, and Pink Batman! As with all LEGO blind bagged minifigures, there is a dot-code on the back of the packages, but I find that frustrating and unreliable, and simply squeeze the packages to find the piece or pieces unique to a specific figure. For Red Hood I felt for that massive dome, and for Harley those pig-tails are unmistakable. We'll look at those two last, and SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS: If you don't want to know who Red Hood is under his red hood, then turn away before you get to the bottom of the page!

First up is Calculator. I like this guy because he's a great unexpected villain, who ever would have expected a Calculator minifig? My only gripe is that his visor says 07734 instead of 58008. I'll have to make a custom visor methinks.

Under the visor, Calculator has a sinister grin MWAHAHAHAHAAA! To find Calculator via the squeeze method, feel for that massive backpack/shoulder-piece and confirm via the helmet or the little square piece that makes the 'calculator' portion of his chest-piece.

Commissioner James Gordon is great, and the first Gordon minifig I have in my collection. An integral part of any good Batman story, James Gordon was long missed in my minifig world. Gordon comes with a Joker 'wanted' poster and your generic LEGO walkie-talkie part that's been around for decades. Feel for those to confirm you have yourself a Jim.

Fairy Batman. Of all the bat variants in the LEGO Batman movie entourage, this one has to be the best. One word: Tutu. Feel for that, the wand and/or the wings to be sure you have this wonderful pixie-Bat. Bonus: a pink cowl to re-create that episode of the Adam West series about the radioactive cowl.

HHHEEELLLLOOOOOOO NURSE! I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I needed the Nurse Harley minifigure the most. I adore the LEGO Batman movie Harley Quinn design, that hair is amazing!

The nurse hat is removable too!

Finding Harley is all about feeling for the hair. The 'clipboard' piece will further confirm you have the crazy candy-striper in your grasp.

Lastly...SPOILER WARNING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHO IS UNDER THE RED HOOD'S HOOD IN THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE!!!!!

Okay, you've been warned...

The LEGO Batman blind bagged Red Hood is a thing of absolute beauty. The perfect little classic Red Hood, he has that wonderful dome, a bow tie, a red cape and a couple uzis.

Red Hood is even wearing a tuxedo. I wouldn't have thought in a million years LEGO would have any reason to make a classic Red Hood! I can't wait to see what part, if any, he plays in the movie. Flashback perhaps?

And underneath that hood hides...

HHHARRRRLEEEEY!!!!!!

Kidding, kidding.

Under the Red Hood hides...

...Red Hood. More questions than answers here. Will Jason Todd Red Hood be in the LEGO Batman movie, and will he be dressed as classic Red Hood? Only time will tell.

Regardless, the Red Hood is (Harley Quinn not withstanding) the best of the LEGO Batman blind bag series in my humble opinion. Feel for that dome, you can't mistake it for anything else in the series.

That's all for today, kids. I'll be grabbing more myself in the future, but I'm glad I won't feel any pressure or jealousy as I read about others finding them, and I won't be sad if I come across an empty or overly picked over box at the store.

In the meantime I bid you all 'happy hunting'!

Gotham Season 2 Premieres Tonight :: Gotham SDCC Exclusive Minimates

Gotham Season 2 premieres tonight! Season 1 had some great moments and a few missteps, but I am hopeful Season 2 will be a bit more cohesive and continue with the more entertaining aspects of baby Batman and 'tween James Gordon. Okay, so they aren't quite THAT young, but you get the idea.

I didn't make it to San Diego Comic Con this year, but my in-laws live in San Diego, and my Mother-in-law likes to run out to Barnes & Noble during the convention, because B&N always sells some SDCC exclusives like Funko POPs and Minimates and she usually grabs fun stuff for the grandkids.

She must have somehow heard that I like Batman, because she picked up this set of Detective Gordon and Bruce Wayne Minimates for me! Well, my wife claims she picked them up for her, but they are in my house so whatever.

Young Bruce Wayne comes with a 'I'm sad my parents are dead' head and a 'Goddammit my parents are dead!' head. I admit that it is kinda morbid to have a 'my parents just died' Bruce Wayne figure, but he is completely unique in my collection (the only other Bruces I have are of the 'Bruce to Batman' variety) so I'm pretty happy to have him.

As for James Gordon, this would be my second, the other being the TNBA Commissioner Gordon. But my first DETECTIVE Gordon!

I'm not sure what makes this set an exclusive - if it's the whole shebang, the accessories, the 'Goddammit my parents are DEAD!' face or just the SDCC sticker. But I'm glad to have it, as Gotham is towards the top of my 'must-see TV' list. And besides, any Batman toy, even if it's pre-Batman, is alright by me!

Random Toy Pic :: Batman Animated Family

I took this picture over 11 years ago. At the time I had a spare room and put together a little Bat-Family shelf with all the key members from the Batman Animated toyline.

Alfred
Nightwing
Batman
Robin (Tim Drake)
Batgirl
Commissioner Gordon.

"I've got a friend coming who might be able to help. Should be here any minute."

That quote is from Batman: Year One. The best Jim Gordon story ever told. It is the final line in the story, and was paralleled very closely in the final scene of Batman Begins. With nine days to go before The Dark Knight hits theaters, I figured I'd focus this entry on Gotham City's best cop, and arguably, Batman's best friend.

James Gordon is the closest thing to a father (besides Alfred, who could be argued to be the closest thing to a mother) Bruce Wayne has. His character is pivotal to a complete understanding of Batman. His character was handled extremely well in the animated series (as was everything about that now classic cartoon,) and he was voiced with strength and heart by Bob Hastings.

I love James Gordon. So in 2000, when another Batman Animated themed box set was released - The Gotham City Enforcement Team - with an exclusive James Gordon action figure, I was all over it like guano on a cave floor.


Gordon is lacking his trademark overcoat, and came with two ridiculously oversized handguns as accessories. That's fine...it was clear that these sets, with "exclusive, never before seen" figures were akin to Hasbro-house cleaning. They were most likely popping together prototypes and other pieces that had been acquired over the years and trying to get them out while the fire was still hot, or at least lukewarm. Purely business, I'm sure, but as a fan, how can one complain? They were giving us stuff that we would never have seen otherwise.


Gordon is right on target to his animated series look. He also greatly resembles my grandfather.



He has a shoulder holster molded to his side...which makes up for a lack of a decent gun...although I did give him a gun from a Playmobil cowboy. I cut the barrel down to give it more of a police issued look.


Also in the set was a re-issue of the animated Batgirl, which when first released was all day-glo or snow-camo or something ridiculous. She also was originally released with a glider, so her hands are molded like she's revving her motorbike. Nothing wrong with that, except the fact that I haven't found a motorbike that suits her. Her colors in this release are closer to her cartoon/comic appearances, and she's not a bad figure at all.



I loved the scene in Batman Begins where we see into Gordon's apartment, and his wife is feeding their infant son. It really makes a connection between the source material (the comics) and the film.

Barbara was later adopted by the Gordons, after her parents (Jim's brother and sister-in law) died or something like that. Later still, Barbara becomes Batgirl. While I don't see any room for a Batgirl in Nolan's universe, I really hope we see young Barbara in some capacity, or at least get a reference to Jim Gordon having a daughter in The Dark Knight.