BATMAN RETURNS - 1:43 SCALE BATMOBILE PARTWORK REISSUE ON SALE IN UK

Batman lovers - did you miss out on the first-pass of this excellent ready-built series, featuring Batmobiles old and new? If so, then head straight down to your local newsagent, where Number 1 in on sale as a slightly modified series reissue.

Second time around
We reviewed this excellent piece of Batmania first time around when it was issued in March 2011. At first glance the new one looks exactly the same, which is good news as the miniatures were really well done. The first issue features a Batmobile, excellent Batman figure and two oil drums, all sitting neatly on a diorama base, under a clear, stackable plastic dome.

Shape-changer dome
Last time round the dome was a nifty oval shape, here in 2013 it's had a sidegrade to a more conventional rectangular format. Launch price is the same, at £2.99 GBP, though that will doubtless go up after the first few cars have hit the stores. The included 'Batmobile Automobilia' magazine is also included, with a redesigned cover.

Summation
Good stuff all round, yet there is still plenty of opportunity to add some superdetailing and weathering, if you want the model to really come to life. It's nice to see the fortnightly Batmobile Automobilia back in town.

Read the SMN first take on this partwork here. 

This is the first time issue of 2011 - we'll add some of the latest rectangular box version soon.

BATMOBILE TUMBLER MEGA-MODEL FROM SIDESHOW COLLECTIBLES

SMN report:

More Batmobilia today, with this totally over the top 1:6 scale Tumbler model from Sideshow Collectibles. This really is about the biggest, baddest, and best Tumbler we’ve come across so far.

Wallet-buster
It's fair to say though, that this Tumbler does come with a price to match those three Bs - a gulping hazard-to-your-wallet $469.99 USD. However, if you’re into Batstuff, then you might think of this large - 737 mm (29 in) long - replica as a good investment, and in fact Sideshow offers an installment plan if a cash purchase is out of the question.

What do you get for your money?

So what does this Tumbler-extreme have to offer? Well, the general spec is pretty much up to what you would expect, with a cockpit packed with detail that includes a particularly convincing head-up display. The cockpit is also the right size for a separately available 1:6 scale Batman figure to take command in the sculptured seat. There’s room in the passenger seat for a second figure if you wish, and various elements in this Tumbler are moveable features, too. 

Brakes. Lights. Action...

Apart from the wheels, the roof panel pops up, as do the braking flaps. In addition, if you supply three AAA batteries (they’re not included, more’s the pity) then you also get an illuminated function... kill the room lights and you can see a mean machine, its owner looking for trouble. Mind you, we’d like to see a flickering tongue of hot blue fire roaring out of that tail exhaust - ah well, maybe that’ll come with the next edition.

Summation

All in all, an impressive achievement, though as ever with ready-built models like this, certain members of the SMN Crew itch to give it a spot of light weathering for that final dose of realism. It’s a pity Sideshow doesn’t supply a Batman figure with it though - the Tumbler isn’t really complete without a driver in the cockpit, though you’ll have to apply a weatherbeaten look to his face, as Sideshow’s figure looks very clean indeed - too clean, even for a caped crusader!

Most awaited new movie, according to those who know
And here's a pic of the Tumbler wearing camo-look paint, as seen in the upcoming Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises, scheduled for worldwide release, starting July 19, 2012.

Visit Sideshow Collectibles here.

Hot Toys 1:6 scale Batman figure here.

See all sorts of Batmobile here.

SUPERB HOT WHEELS 'GHOSTBUSTERS' CADILLAC

SMN update:

Over the years, there's been a never-ending waterfall of miniatures featuring the classic 1984 fantasy movie Ghostbusters. And here we go again with two more releases, though they are of the same subject, the Ecto-1 Cadillac ambulance, released in two scales.

Cadillacs little and large

This Ghostbusters research vehicle - based on a 1959-model Cadillac ambulance - is a highly-detailed diecast from the upmarket super-detail Hot Wheels Elite range. It's available in the two popular scales of  1:43 and 1:18, and while neither of these Elites are cheap, they would seem to be worthwhile, as in either scale, this Ecto-1 appears to be far and away the best we've seen so far. Hot Wheels tell us that the Ecto-1 models are in limited editions of 10,000 worldwide in each size. 

Details, details…

The delightfully-named ('Ecto' as in ectoplasm) Cadillac ambulance is simply loaded with detail - whether it's on the roof, inside the cabin, or under the lift-up hood, the model's designers and engineers have done their best to pack in the detail. And they have succeeded, as there's really not a lot more you could ask for as miniatures go - in fact, the only extras we might imagine could be a sound chip installation and perhaps LED lighting, but those items will add cost and complexity, so we won't turn a wish-list into a mark-down.

Good vehicle, but where are the Ghostbusters?

The Hot Wheels Ecto-1 in both scales is well up to scratch, but we would love to see miniatures of the Ghostbusters themselves. Such things can be done - Corgi has produced many James Bond diecasts with figures included, and over in Europe, Tintin miniatures automatically come with appropriate characters - even Snowy the dog features in 1:43 scale.

Summation

Both versions of this ready-built subject are worth adding to your collection, assuming you are a fan of the movie, of course. By the same token, either car, in either scale, would look spectacular with the addition of figures and diorama scenes. So, even though they are ready built miniatures, there's plenty of scope for model makers to elevate them to new levels of small-scale realism. A very subtle blow with an airbrush to add a little weathering would help take away that fresh-from-the-carwash look, too. In the UK, the ModelZone store chain is handling them with free postage.

1:43 scale Ghostbusters from ModelZone here.

Pre-order the 1:18 scale Ghostbusters from ModelZone here.

Amazon have decent deals here.

NEW FOR 2012 - CANNON-ARMED BATMOBILE TUMBLER STARS IN UPCOMING BATMAN MOVIE

SMN report:

The final part of the current Batman ‘Dark Knight’ movie trilogy is heading our way next summer, and The Dark Knight Rises will bring a host of techno-treats by way of new and updated crime-zapping machinery for our caped crusader. And that means there'll be new movie tie-in Batman kits, collectibles, diecasts, and RC equipment on release soon. 

Blow the bad guys away

In 2012, the splendid Tumbler Batmobile gets an update in the form of a powerful top-mounted cannon, mated to a nifty camouflage paint job instead of the familiar midnight-black. Designwise, the square barrel of the cannon could be the hallmark of an electromagnetic railgun launcher - but the muzzle flash indicates motive power from old-fashioned cordite. Still, who cares - fiction or not, it looks a terrific piece of hardware and we can’t wait for the kits and diecasts to arrive.

Bat attack craft

Also featuring in The Dark Knight Rises will be a great-looking air attacker, likely the next Batplane, which seems to be a mixture of Tumbler visual style, cross-pollinated with hardware concepts from Avatar, Transformers, X-Men and the like. Superb stuff: fellow sci-fi buffs, it looks like we’ll be well served during the course of 2012.

Hot Wheels Tumbler

Meantime of course, there are plenty (plenty!) of Batmobiles already out there, and a few hours of Christmas kitbashing could take that turret-equipped Tumbler from movie screen-grab to scale-model reality in fairly short order. Among our fave diecasts of those presently available is the Mattel Hot Wheels diecast version to 1:18 scale, which captures the complex planes of the movie car very convincingly.

More Batmobile articles here and here.

The Dark Knight Tumbler Batmobile available here.

And here's The Dark Knight Rises trailer. Looks good, and you can see the cannon-equipped Tumbler in action near the end.

LIMITED EDITION HOT WHEELS BATMOBILE

SMN report:

Mattel’s Hot Wheels line has released a treat for Batman fans, with the latest Limited Edition Batmobile. “Not another Batmobile...” I hear you sigh, but read on, for this is a biggie 1:18 scale diecast model, with opening sections that reveal enough inner details to make it a unique entry for the Batman memorabilia shelf.

What you get

Features include a lift-up front panel, under which lurks a neatly-produced engine, and next to it, a standard-issue car battery. Venture inside the double-bubble canopy via the opening doors, and you should see the red Batphone, complete with retro-style wiggly wiring; there’s also fine red piping adorning the seat trim and plenty of cabin detail. Behind the seating area are a trio of rocket launchers, while continuing aft, you find another lift-up panel, revealing computer systems and some fairly mysterious Bat-tech equipment. Winning touches for me are the finely-lettered twin parachute packs (labelled 'Bat chutes') positioned either side of the atomic turbine exhaust. All in all, this is the best and most-detailed Batmobile we’ve seen at this scale. 

Car of the future

The Batmobile story is a long one, originating with the gorgeous Lincoln Futura concept car that was unveiled at the 1955 Chicago Auto Show. The Futura was a two-seater, with instruments in the steering wheel, push-button transmission, exterior microphones to receive and transmit traffic sounds, and a galaxy of other futuristic stuff. The car was hand-built in Turin, Italy, and was never put into production. Instead it was bought - for a nominal one dollar - by the legendary designer-customizer George Barris. 

Futura to Batmobile

It’s said that the transformation from Futura concept car to Batmobile star car took place because Barris was the only source of rolling hardware that could be modded in a few weeks for an upcoming Batman TV series. As built, the Barris Batmobile tipped the scales with a curb weight of nearly 2.5 tonnes, was 5.74 m (18.8 ft) long, and powered by a V-8 engine masquerading as a super-advanced atomic turbine.

Hot Wheels availability

The model is also available in black or chrome, 3000 of each, and helps celebrate the 70th year since the Batmobile first drove across the frames of the Batman comic book, way back in 1941.

Cute toy

Last but not least, here’s a fun little Louis Marx Batcraft toy we chanced on recently - a rare gem for a serious Batman collector, and here just for fun!

More Batmobile articles here and here.

Lincoln Futura here.

ModelZone has the Batmobile here.

The Dark Knight Tumbler version of the Batmobile is also available here.

And more Batmobiles here.

GREEN HORNET 'BLACK BEAUTY' - 1:43 DIECAST CAR FROM SUN STAR

SMN report:

China-based Sun Star is probably best known for its truly excellent range of 1:24 scale bus and coach diecast models, and the even larger 1:12 Volkswagens and Morris Minors. It’s not so notable in smaller scales perhaps, but this recent addition to the range shows that Sun Star retains its mojo, even when working in 1:43 scale.

Massive upgrade - from 1965 Chrysler Imperial to crime-killer

The subject is a detailed rendering of the automotive star of the recent comic-based movie The Green Hornet, starring the crime-fighter of the same name, alias Brett Reid, aided by his Asian partner Kato. Their vehicle of choice is called ‘Black Beauty’, and is a fast and heavily armed street machine, based loosely on a 1965 Chrysler Imperial, itself a fine example of the best in retro-Americana. As a ‘star car’, we reckon the Black Beauty trails some way behind more imaginative designs, such as the outrageously designed Batmobiles, or even the DeLorean time-travelling car from the Back to the Future movies. Still, we’re not complaining - Black Beauty is certainly good enough to earn a place in any Hollywood collection. 

A look at the Green Hornet’s Black Beauty

The Sun Star Vitesse Black Beauty measures 133 mm (5.25 in) long, and is loaded with fine detail - quad headlamps, menacing hood-top guns, twin rocket batteries at the front, a lustrous black paint finish, heaps of chrome - they’re all included. Black Beauty comes in a cleanly moulded clear plastic case, so those details will stay dust-free while the car’s out on display.

The real thing, caught out on the back lot during shooting.

If you are a movie collectibles buff, the Green Hornet’s Black Beauty is a must-have. And if you like movie-star cars generally, have a look at the ‘Geek Twins’ listing here.

Model pictures courtesy Sun Star.

PARTWORK UPDATE - BATMAN, GREEN LANTERN, OTHER TASTY STUFF

SMN report

Here’s an update on the continuing Batman Automobilia series, now into its fifth 1:43 scale vehicle, the Gangbusters-style retromobile from the 1940s, and a very neat model it is too. All the Batmobiles are presented in the same stackable clear plastic oval boxes, which make them look very presentable indeed, though as this writer is in pre-housemove clearance mode, storage issues put any thoughts of a collection into cold storage! The accompanying magazines are pretty good too - the picture above, from the launch issue, shows the attention to detail that has gone into this production.

The Eaglemoss website reveals details of Batmobiles four and five.

Predictably enough, the first three Batmobiles were the hot items, but for a keen Bat-fan, this is the opportunity for something like completeness in one aspect of your Batman collection.

Green Lantern figures

For superhero lovers, Batman is of course just a starter, and Eaglemoss is catering to this market with a range of lead figures, titled ‘Blackest Night Brightest Day’, which splendid name covers a myriad characters from the DC Comics Green Lantern series - and as the upcoming movie is due to hit the silver screen a month from today, BNBD is a well-timed publication. Each issue of BNBD consists of an individually-numbered figure on a display base, presented in a collector box. The figure is backed up by a magazine packed with facts about the individual concerned. If you’re into superheroes, this looks an interesting collection.

1:43 scale Opel cars

Eaglemoss has international connections, and this shows in other offerings, which include a 1:43 diecast Opel automobile range, aimed at buyers in Germany, Opel's home country. As you can see from the pix, the cars look well done, and if you’re into Euromobiles there’s a good collection to build up here.

Four Opels, from an expanding range.

Opel and other names

Opel is one of the earliest car companies, having been manufacturing vehicles since 1899, though it has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of the US General Motors since 1929. In Europe, Opel output is shared with another GM subsidiary, Vauxhall in the UK. In most of Europe you’ll get an Opel lightning badge on your car; in the UK and some other places it’ll be a Vauxhall griffin. In the US and Australian markets, Buick, Cadillac, and Holden are names that enter the equation. Whatever, Eaglemoss can trawl through more than a century of auto-history for subjects to render in 1:43 scale, which is a mouthwatering prospect.

Mixed-media 1:8 scale Fokker Dr1 Triplane from Hachette.

Hachette’s huge Fokker Triplane

Eaglemoss is not the only partwork publisher out there, and a strong competitior is Hachette of France, which has had quite a few impressive offerings, including a Tiger tank, Lancaster bomber, even a world of tractors range. Hachette’s massive 1:8 scale Fokker Dr1 Triplane is a particularly good example of what can be achieved, and a dedicated website had this to say of the famed Red Baron's aircraft: “The model is made from laser cut ply for the wings, cast metal alloy parts for the engine, brass and cast alloy in the fuselage, a fabulous laminated wooden prop, wood veneers in the cockpit, and various other materials. The detail is very good, and the model seems to be very accurate, down to the correct internal construction and all the various fittings. It's probably the most detailed aircraft kit I've seen.” 

Sounds good to us, and a reissue of this one would be tempting.

The Eaglemoss website has heaps of information, so it’s definitely worth a look, and if you feel like subscribing (usually necessary once a partwork gets past the first few issues) you can do so on the site, here.

View Batmobile Automobilia here.

Hachette partworks here.

Info on the Fokker Dr1 Triplane here.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER? ANOTHER BATMOBILE COMING SOON - THIS TIME FOR KIT BUILDERS

Mat Irvine reports

It’s one of the mysteries of the modelling universe - why has there never been a conventional injection-moulded styrene kit the Batmobile in traditional 1:25 scale? Well, now there is.

Batmobile on a tight schedule

The vehicle in question is the Batmobile, as built for the 1960s television series, starring Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin. The series was less ‘dark’, more ‘comic book capers’, than the more recent movies, and in keeping with the action-adventure rhythm, the TV studio decided it needed a ‘star car’ in just three weeks. The well known car customizer Dean Jefferies started work on adapting a Cadillac, but had to turn the job down as being too impracticable in the time available. However, another Los Angeles customizer took up the challenge - mainly because he had the raw material parked outside his workshop.

George Barris and the Lincoln Futura

The man in question was ‘King of the Kustomizers’ (his spelling) George Barris, and the car in question was the Lincoln Futura. This styling exercise, produced by the Ford Motor Company in the mid-1950s was a real looker, with a twin bubble canopy, was built by Ghia in Italy, painted a pearlescent white (which invariably looked slightly greenish) and which had toured the Car Shows to much acclaim.

Star car for Debbie Reynolds

The Futura was already a star car - it has been used in the 1959 movie It Started With a Kiss starring Glenn Ford and Debbie Reynolds, in which it was painted red, a colour that looked better onscreen than white. After that appearance, Barris obtained the car for himself - the actual details are a murky automotive urban myth, though the cost was supposedly just a single dollar. And it was because the Futura was ready in his yard that Barris could turn the design around in the allotted time. 

Many Batmobile kits

The 1960s were a big time for TV and movie star cars, and many were made as kits by the likes of AMT and MPC, plus a few by Revell and Monogram. But not the Batmobile, at least not in 1:25 scale. Instead, Aurora made it in 1:32 scale, and for decades this was really the only example generally available, although there were a few Japanese copies. There were resin versions for the specialist modeller, some based on the 1:25 scale Revell Futura kit, and of course many of the later movie cars, but no conventional kit in 1:25. 

The Polar Lights 1:25 scale Batmobile

But now, even if it is a mere 47 years late, we are due for a 1:25 scale injection-moulded kit of the Barris Batmobile, this time from one of the ‘New Aurora’ companies, Polar Lights. There will be three versions of the kit: a snap version, a conventional glue version, plus - and this sounds really mouthwatering - a super-detail De Luxe Edition with photo-etch parts. The release date is still uncertain, but hopefully we’ll see it by mid-2011.

The pictures show, top to bottom:

1  From left, Batmobiles in a collectible tin, and original-style Aurora box, plus a Batcycle and Batboat.

2  One of the original Batmobiles built by George Barris, now on display at the Volo Auto Museum, Illinois. Just exactly how many Batmobiles there are is another urban myth, but the usually quoted number is four. The first one came from the Futura, then three more were made in glass-fibre from a mould pulled from the first body. These last three cars used Ford Thunderbird running gear. Actually, there was a ‘Barris Number Five’ - this wasn’t built by George, but he later acquired it. 

3  Boxes for the conventional glue (left) and Snap-Together versions.

4  Deluxe Edition Batmobile. This will have photo-etch parts and a pinstripe paint mask.

For information on the history of the TV Batmobile visit here.   

Visit the online home of the ‘King of the Kustomizers’ here.

View a whole colony of Batmobiles here.

And tour the Volo Auto Museum here.

UNBOXING THE NEW SUPER-VALUE ‘BATMAN AUTOMOBILIA’ PARTWORK

SMN report

We’re using ‘unboxing’ in its widest sense here, as most of this new product is actually flat printed paper. Still, who’s quibbling - what we have is the first in ‘the definitive collection of Batman vehicles’, and this starter for what could be a l-o-o-n-g partwork series makes a terrific package, and as is usually the case with partworks, it’s offered as a knockdown price to lure you in as a faithful subscriber.

Excellent package

Well, suckers we’re not, and this looks like one of the better offerings around. For just £2.99 GBP ($4.84 USD) you get a big 477 x 326 mm (18.75 x 12.8 in) double-sided backer board, on which is mounted a 12-page magazine, an eight-page series intro, three free-offer sheets and a Questionnaire Survey. This last asks far too many personal questions for this good ol’ boy, but those less sensitive about their private lives may well fill it in for the chance to win one of 10 Batman DVDs.

Diecast Batmobile

And now to the prime component of the package: a diecast 1:43 scale Batmobile. The black and beautiful 1989 movie-special is mounted on an oval base, with a quite excellent scale Batman figure, plus a couple of oil drums, all items being set on a diorama base that slots into a clear oval case. A nitpick is the rather obvious moulding seam on each lightly-weathered drum, but these are not bad enough to spoil the general flavour. Eaglemoss Collections, the publisher behind the venture, claims the curving picture backing inside the case is a ‘3D Lenticular’ which is true enough, though you have to squint closely to appreciate it. But the important thing is that the Batmobile looks terrific inside that oval dome, where it will also remain pristine and free of dust.

Excellent presentation

As you can see from the pix, we have here a decent miniature, set off very well by the presentation. The extra pictures show a couple of other Batmobiles parked at SMN Towers. The white one is the SMN ‘Special’, a white AMT 1:25 scale kit, presented as a semi-retired Batmobile in weekend-racer colours. And lo and behold, a search through the SMN Cellar of Secrets turned up the rather handsome bath-gel Batmobile from a few years ago, scale unknown but it looks about the same as the AMT model.

SMN Score

At the price, you just have to have this 1:43 scale Batmobile, which is available in the UK from most newsagents and bigger supermarkets. The big question is whether it’ll be worth carrying on with the series, and that’s down to the depth of your pocket and Bat-enthusiasm rating. The next few issues look good though, even if the price will more than double - there’s the 1966 Lincoln Futura-based Batmobile, the 2005 Tumbler, and an intriguing streamliner from the 2009 Batman & Robin comic book. 

The Eaglemoss Batmobiles website is primarily for subscriptions, but has a page-turning section where you can have a look inside the bi-weekly magazine shown in our pictures above. Access the Eaglemoss Batmobiles site here.

And view some Batmobiles here.

The pictures show, top to bottom:

1-4  Various parts of the splendid - and well priced - Number One issue.

5-7  The 1:43 Batmobile, and a decent effort it is, too.

8-9  The Batmobile with bigger brothers: in white, the AMT 1:25 kit, finished in post-Batman racer markings, and in black, a neat bath gel product, with jet exhaust doubling as fluid dispenser.

BATMOBILE SOLD AT AUCTION FOR SIX FIGURES

David Jefferis reports

Holy Moley, we like Batmobiles, but $370,100 USD (£232,000 GBP) is stretching the SMN wallet way past breaking point. But eBay buyers certainly didn’t think so, for that’s what the befinned black beast (top pic above) that starred in two Tim Burton Batman movies fetched on Wednesday this week. Mind you, the car - from Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) - didn’t hit the ‘Buy It Now’ price of $499,000.

Batmobile's atomic engine

For power, Burton’s Batmobile had an ‘atomic-turbine’ engine, with a neat flamethrower-style exhaust, just the thing to toast the toes of an unwary bad guy. The real thing that just found a new buyer has a somewhat more prosaic Chevy 350 cu in engine, though we have to admit even that puts the tiny three-cylinder motor that powers the SMN Ibiza in the shade!

Batmobile for model makers

The white-finish Batmobile we show here originated with the 235 mm (9.25 in) long 1:25 scale AMT kit, and conceptually describes what Batman did with his car when he retired from the crimefighting business. Yep, it’s a 'mature driver' race version, with a few extras to make it street-legal, such as the wire-mesh flameguard around the atomic exhaust, and removal of the weaponry. 

A rear spoiler between the fins keeps the Batmobile firmly on the tarmac when it’s nailing around a race track, and flipout side-strakes adjust the airflow through tight twisties. We’re not too sure what racing class this Batmobile should be in - maybe ‘classic cars’ with appropriate handicap. The white finish gives it a totally different feel from all the other Batmobiles, and suitable decals and some carefully airbrushed weathering give the model that well-used look.

Range of kits and models

Batmobiles you can buy today in kit form are rather thin on the ground, though diecasts and toys appear randomly all over, from Toys ‘R’ Us to your local corner store. Here are some to browse, at the UK’s sci-fi store chain Forbidden Planet. As you’ll see when you hit the link, four are on special offer, while the upcoming Polar Lights snap-kit features too. 

New Batmobile kit to come

This 1:25 scale kit is due for release in May 2011, and is based on the classic 1960s TV series design by US customizer George Barris. It’s looking like an interesting kit, especially as scale figures of the dynamic duo, Batman and Robin, are included. More on this nearer release date, when we get a sample here in SMN Towers. 

Visit Forbidden Planet here.

More Batmobiles here.

Thanks to PistonHeads for the auction heads-up.