Batman Power Attack - Strike Shield Robin

Strike Shield Robin is a new release from Mattel's Power Attack Batman line. He's one of the four figures in the Lava Mission set. For more explanation, see my review of Battle Gauntlet Batman, or Swamp Attack Killer Croc.

Robin measures 6" tall, and features 8 points of articulation: cut neck, cut waist, cut shoulders, hinged hips and single peg elbows. He looks good standing up, especially next to Batman, but that's about all he can do.

Robin is cast in red and black, and he does look really cool. Same sharp angles and deep cuts that Batman has, though this is a completely unique sculpt. Robin's got pencil-thin legs, despite lots of muscle definition (one leg was warped from the package, but it's rubbery enough that eventually it straightened out). His hugely oversized feet feature boots with a plethora of buckles, more of which appear on his gauntlets. He's got some cool engraved shoulder pads, and the "R" on his chest is clear and sharp.

There's lots to like about the sculpt, if you're ok with the head. Robin sports a Dylan McKay hairdo: he's all forehead except for a diving board of hair jutting out into space.

And if the 'do itself wasn't enough to get noticed, it's got a strange bright red highlight to draw even more attention. I'll admit that I hated the look at first, but (much like the other figures that I have), it's grown on me.

Robin's got a plastic yellow belt and a huge, unwieldy shield to complete the ensemble. The shield has a neat design, but it's too big for Robin to hold well, and he looks pretty stupid doing so anyway. It's going right into the bin of useless accessories until I decide to paint it for an Uruk Hai or something.

The cape is cloth (in fact, I think it's identical to the one attached to Batman's back) and hangs well. Nuff said.

Strike Shield Robin retails for about $9, which is a great deal in today's toy world.

He doesn't pose well, he doesn't come with any worthwhile extras, he's not part of a marketed tie-in (no movie or cartoon with this version of the character), but I like him for what he does do well: he looks great, stands out on the shelf, and is relatively inexpensive to collect. Heck, Robin's not even a character I like. But the striking red, and all those odd angles on him really make for a great look, especially next to the Dark Knight.

So, I'll keep looking forward to these Power Attack Batman figures for as long as the line lasts. I've got my black and grey Batman, Robin, and Killer Croc (I may even pick up the blue and grey Batman), and I'm pretty pleased. In fact, strangest of all is that Croc is my LEAST favorite of the trio, which was the exact opposite of what I would have thought would happen. I'll keep my eyes out for Dual Destruction Two-Face and Ice Blast Mr. Freeze, as well...