Phoenix Customs The Batman! (Patreon)

Welcome back everyone! Here’s my first post of 2024 and it’s all about a fig I preordered back in 2022! Time sure flies when you’re waiting for Phoenix figs! :P

Okay okay, I’m exaggerating a little bit! But I do find it funny that this Pattinson Bat-Fig was one of the first "The Batman" fig we all pre-ordered, yet one of the last to get reviewed over here.

It’s a funny old world we live in, eh?

PCB took a unique approach to this fella compared to other Batman figs we’ve looked at over the last year and a half. Rather than introducing a new color shade like other customizers, PCB tweaked their design to fit Lego’s official color palette.

PCB went with gunmetal for their base plastic! It's a neat idea, but I don’t think it quite matches the screen accuracy I personally look for in figs. Not that this is a bad fig at all because let me tell you it’s petty damn slick! But… just not my cup of tea.

With the gunmetal, things feel just a bit too clean for me. PCB’s linework is sharp as ever, and they really nailed the big picture this suit gives off… but it’s got that sort of “lunch box batman” aesthetic to it. It’s squeaky clean. It looks like a toy.

(ironically it’s what makes this fig look the most like something Lego would officially release)

What I mean by that, is that it feels more commercial in a sense. The design looks more akin to mass production than it does “hyper ultra deluxe collectors dusty shelf” vibes. Again not that this is a bad fig! I really like this fig! It’s the most Lego-looking I think of all the other Battinson figs I’ve reviewed! But yeah… I’m going in circles here, let’s change the subject

That headpiece is quite round isn’t it? It’s got this sort of dumpling shape to it that you can really see from the back of the element where it rapidly curves inward. A bit more like a beanie or soft fabric would react instead of armored leather.

The nose shaping is also a bit odd. It’s very flat and wide.

I get the impression that this fig was designed to match some of the earlier images of the Robbat cowl prior to the movie coming out. But now seeing that older design of cowl translated into a minifig… there’s just something a little off about it… perhaps that’s also playing a factor in this review.

As for the cape element, the shoulder pads and cape being all one piece really hinders the backwards poseability to the fig. You can’t really get him to bend back too far and the arms don’t quite raise all the way up either.

Even when you lean him forward in action poses, the cape looks rather stiff.

Also while we’re on the topic of the cape, it’s worth noting just how long this cape is versus the source material. Again, I think it’s all based off of earlier costume leaks and such so I’m not gonna go blaming anyone for that, but still…

“Time is the great killer of minifig reviews” - Plato, probably

But to wrap up this review that’s two years in the making, my thoughts are… mid.

I’d say that if this was the only “The Batman 2022” fig you were able to snag, it’s still a quality figure! Just by comparison to the pile of other dumb expensive custom bat-figs, this one feels like the weakest adaptation of the character’s look (don’t worry, I’ve got a separate post for that coming tomorrow)

idk, it’s a bit too squeaky clean for me. But for being PCB’s only other Batman fig they’ve ever made, it’s a solid run at Batman for just around $100! 🤷🏻‍♂️