The figures all come on a pretty standard colorful blister card with an in-action Batman taking up the top third. The card backs and even the figure designs remind me a lot of the cartoon "The Batman", which ran for 5 seasons before "The Brave and the Bold". The card back is personalized to the individual figure, and features them in action in a comic-panel frame. Croc's has a narrative box about him using toxic waste to create an army, as Batman comes swinging in to stop him. It's large, it's colorful. The other mission-wave figures are shown, as well.
The bubble does a fine job of protecting and showing, with one exception. Croc's head juts forward too far for the bubble's depth, so he's packaged with his head spun up and to his right like 60 degrees. The result is that you really can't tell what he'll look like, while he's in-package...so, here's what he looks like:
So, let's get the facts out of the way first. Croc stands about 6" tall. His tail comes as a separate piece the plugs into his...lower back...and no accessories are included. He features the following 8 points of articulation: swivel head, cut shoulders, hinged elbows, T-hips, cut waist. He is mostly cast in green plastic, which orang(ish) pants, black belt, gunmetal shoulder armor, yellowed upper teeth and red eyes. That's about it.
Now for the opinions. My immediate reaction on opening the package was to the plastic itself. My 6 year old son said, "Dad, it's made of rubber!" The arms (and hands), tail and the lower jaw, especially, have a very rubbery feel to them. In fact, in-package I thought the lower steel-trap jaw was on a hinge that would allow it to open. It's not. In fact, the lower jaw is soft rubber, and though it does open, it won't stay open. Oh, and it's warped. What else? The elbow hinges feel really soft and wobbly, the left foot is cockeyed, and there are half a dozen places where the paint is slopped or smudged. The sculpt has some sharp angles around the arm muscles, but the overall detailing is minimal, as are the paint applications. All of that said, Killer Croc has a pretty unique look to him here. The sculpt is taking some getting used to: I honestly thought I'd like it more than I do. The face is ok, with lots of angles and a spiky feel. The hands are weirdly disproportionate: my daughter remarked about how his lower arm (elbow to fingertips) is longer than his entire top half. But, I think he'll look great with other figures around him, and these figures seem similar stylistically to earlier Batman animated-style figures (I've got him with The Batman from the cartoon way back, and they look good together).
The Best Thing about this figure: the price. I picked him up at Wal-mart for $9. Find me another 6" action figure from ANY line nowadays for that price, and I'll stop to take a look.
The Worst Thing about this figure: The articulation. This guy just doesn't have that much poseability. Turn his head, and it cocks at an angle. Open his mouth and it closes. Bend his elbows and they feel like they're going to come apart. Move his leg and he's about to topple over. Is this fun to play with?
Overall: I hate to say it, but in many ways this guy was a big disappointment. The limited articulation and soft goods on Killer Croc are examples of reasons why I tend to leave a lot of my figures in-package. He's got an interesting sculpt and a unique enough color to make him stand out on a shelf, but I'm going to be very selective of what figures I buy from this new Batman line. I'm also planning to remind myself that these are mass-market kid-oriented product. I appreciate the effort- it's nice to have animated-style Batman figures back (I didn't care for the Brave and the Bold ones at all), and I plan to appreciate and enjoy the fact that they run $9 a pop. Now, that DC Direct Arkham Killer Croc had better be something else entirely!
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