Mint in Box: Batmobiles – Then & Now Review
Welcome back, toy fans! With the impending release of The Dark Knight Rises next month, notable toy car manufacturer Hot Wheels has released Batman Vehicles: Then and Now. Supposedly a Wal-Mart exclusive set in the States, I’ve found this sub-line in a number of high street retailers here in the UK. Interestly, despite the set consisting of 8 vehicles, not of them are The Tumbler from the Dark Knight film trilogy. Three of them aren’t even designs from any media and those will be skipped, so we’ll be looking at five Batmobiles from the past!
1966 TV Batmobile
Atomic batteries to power. Turbines to speed. The classic Adam West ride. I have no love for this design but I appreciate its revered status amongst Batmobiles. The swept fins, the black and red, even the pseudo bubble cockpit is iconic and well represented in this tiny scale.
1989 Batman (Hard Nose variant)
The classic Anton Furst design is just as familiar and iconic as its TV predecessor. This is the Batmobile many of us grew up on. Apart from the front end being bulbous and having flames painted on it like a low-rider GOD DAMMIT, HOT WHEELS! A classic design turned into a ludicrous caricature. Like the design but not this execution.
The Batman
I liked The Batman! Honestly, I think the only reason it got a bashing was because it wasn’t Batman: The Animated Series. It was fun, the animation was cool and it played up the gadget oriented aspect of Batman. He even got two Batmobiles! A little sports coupe deal and this sleek and sexy number. It’s a simple design but quintessentially Batman.
The Brave and The Bold
My esteemed colleague, Colin, can attest to the brilliance of Brave & the Bold and I’ll agree wholeheartedly. Everything that was, and is, goofy about Batman was represented in that show and it was glorious because of it. This Batmobile takes cues from some of the classic silver-age designs and the end result is pretty cool. It looks iconic without having to be around for decades.
Arkham Asylum
The 2009 smash-hit game brought us this Batmobile and it shares the same general aesthetic as Batman’s gear in that game. Bat-themed, yes but it’s not overstated. If anything, the design brings to mind a subdued variation of some of the Schumacher era Batmobiles. It had a great moment in the game and is worth space on any Batman aficionado’s shelf.
So, that’s all, Bat-Fans! A quick review, I’ll admit, but they’re Hot Wheels. There really isn’t much I can say about their playability other than “they roll dead good, like!” but if you’re a Batman fan, it’s worth checking these out. I’ll see you guys next time on Mint in Box.
Same Bat-Time! Same Bat-Channel!