Mini Figure Review: Lego Dimensions Bane Fun Pack

"Let's not stand on ceremony here, Mr. Wayne!" - The not-so-big Bane when he was about to break the Bat who struggled constantly with throat cancer

Trying to flex his bricky muscles

At first, I must admit I did not intend to buy any of the Lego Dimensions sets, as I have considered them as a cheaper-looking, near-knock offs (albeit their authenticity) of the regular Lego sets. Perhaps I'm just not used to seeing minifigures 'driving' in vehicles where they themselves can barely fit into. Bane is one of my favorite characters in the DC Universe, endowed with a unique ability to enhance his size and strength with the help of his 'green juice', on top of his ingenuity as a villain. Having said that, it wouldn't have convinced me enough to spend a buck on this teeny-weeny set - not until Nerdist's very own Jessica Chobot assembled it in one of their live videos. Seeing the completed build of the minifigure, I have to say I was pretty convinced to give this set a try.

He's 'hulking' up!

As a standard for Lego Dimensions Fun Packs, the package comes in a trapezoidal carton, with a flap (which has a similarly inverted shape) that shows the character reference art along with the number of pieces in the set, from the minifigure parts down to the last piece of the vehicle.

Bane's drill is a Cybertronian

The back of the packaging shows the three modes of mini-Bane's vehicle (a triple changer if it were an alien robot): the 'Drill Driver' which is the default mode, the 'Dig n' Drill' which is the secondary mode, and finally the 'Dig n' Blast' which is the third and final mode. Morevoer, Batman, Gandalf, and Wyldstyle can be seen striking their epic poses at the bottom of the box.

Bane deconstructed

Getting the contents out of the package, there are two sets of plastic bags. The first one contains Bane's body parts, the minifigure's stand (which has a great design, by the way), and some parts for the vehicle.

Wreckage

The second plastic bag contains the remaining parts of the vehicle, as well as the parts for his backpack. Perhaps one thing to note about the Lego Dimensions Fun Pack is that there's no instruction included for building the vehicle itself (which I'll discuss more later).

Flex!

Finally, there's the mini-booklet for the set. The front cover shows Bane showing off his muscles as he carries his venom backpack. On the right there's also a shadow of him turning into his other form wherein he becomes a big brute as the venom's effect kicks off and fills his bloodstream. I'm hoping that someday Lego will release a 'hulked up' Bane (if they hadn't already) that's true to the character's classic comic book design.

Let's get buildin'!

Since this is only a small set, this Fun Pack contains around 52 pieces. As my personal preference, I'd like to build the minifigure first before I proceed with the vehicle or other parts.

He's got two main accessories:

1) The venom backpack:

He's simply nuts about the green thang

2) A detailed stand:

This is one awesome stand, hands down!

Now, let's go to the Fun Pack's main course:

He's into weights and protein shakes

Looking at this set's crème de la crème, this Bane minifigure, I have to say, is my favorite representation of the character. Though I'm not quite sure if this minifig mold has been included in the past DC Lego sets already, but this I have to say is the most accurate rendition of Bane (and not the one that's included in another set that I saw). The little "Bat-breaker" sports a luchadore-type black costume, with his signature bad-ass mask and a grey belt, just like his incarnation in DC Comic's Knightfall storyline. As an intimidating foe to the Dark Knight, his muscular physique has been accentuated, particular on his upper and lower torso.

Venom!

The back of the figure shows the apparatus where his 'green venom' flows into his brain via a hose (I think this one is called the 'venom hose'). As a bit of additional information, the venom is a highly-addictive compound engineered to greatly increase his physical strength and size.

More venom!

The venom backpack can be plugged into the minifigure through a black piece that can be inserted into the figure's neck, with a peg that holds the piece into place. The backpack can be displayed either straight or tilted (in my case, I prefer it titled so that the venom hose on the head is visible too).

He's one dangerous backpacker!

And here's another angle of him carrying his venom stash. The tip of the backpack is actually on the same level with the top of his head.

It's drilling time!

Finally, there's the vehicle which is another important feature of this set. Now, for those who are not familiar with Fun Packs, the instructions for these vehicles can be found in-game as one plays the Lego Dimensions game. For those who don't own the game (just like me), fortunately there are some Youtube videos that can help in building the vehicles. Furthermore, there three different vehicle modes which I have mentioned earlier correspond to its features in the game. Shown above is the primary mode, or the Drill Driver.

Now for some fun pics:

The little guy's one heck of a grappler!

Posing with his weaponized Suicide Squad buddies (and he's got no weapon because he IS the weapon!)

The Man who broke the Bat... and went a little too far this time!

Final Thoughts: In conclusion, I have to say that the Bane Fun Pack is worth getting. With a great-looking vehicle and an awesome figure, this set definitely gives more bang for the buck. Perhaps my only gripe is that he should have been more of a bigger figure as he's a bulky character in the comics. Other than that, this is set is definitely a must-have!

A juiced-up Bane who's fond of breaking the rules!

What is your favorite Lego Dimensions set? Sound off in the comments below.

Packaged Review: Play Arts Kai Marvel Universe Variant Venom

Marvel's infamous 'mouth with a face' gets no cooler than this...

He's the personification of the word "sticky"

Play Arts Kai has recently introduced their rather interesting 'twist' to the characters from the two 'big guns' of the comic book industry, namely DC and Marvel. As a comic book fan, I have always been more on the Marvel side than DC, but strangely enough my current collection of Play Arts figure consists almost entirely of the latter. Perhaps it's because DC came first instead of Marvel in their 'Variants' line, or I gradually became more interested with the brainchildren of Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson than Michael Goodman's, I'm not sure. Anyway, moving along, when I heard of Play Arts having their own take on the Marvel characters, I made a personal vow not to get any of such figures to limit myself, considering the sweat-inducing price tag. Then along came this image:

Brock's got the mother of all tongues

Let's put it simply, this is one of those promo/prototype pics that made me say "Oh sh*t!". Venom, a.k.a. Eddie Brock, is one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Comics, and him being rendered by Play Arts (particularly by Hitoshi Kondo) is an eye-candy that I certainly wouldn't want to miss out on. As a brief character background, in the comics Brock is a journalist who exposes the identity of a certain 'serial killer', only for the real suspect to be caught by Peter Parker's alter-ego, Spider-Man. This left him disgraced and suicidal, and eventually he came into contact with an alien symbiote (an amorphous extraterrestrial parasite known as the 'Klyntar') which Spider-Man previously rejected. Sharing a mutual hatred for the web-slinger, Brock and the Klyntar bond together, resulting in the ugly MoFo known as Venom. Though he repeatedly clashes with Spidey, he also tries to redeem himself, becoming some sort of an anti-hero who protects those he considers innocent. This earns him the moniker "Lethal Protector".

Along came a spider...

The figure comes in a standard PAK Marvel Universe Variant packaging. which is comprised mainly of a black/red motif (excluding the obligatory package labels). The magnetic front cover/flap of the box shows Venom in an arachnid-like pose, wherein he menacingly crawls on his obsidian webbing, seemingly stalking an unsuspecting prey/enemy/whatever.

Bad-ass extraterrestrial poses

The back of the packaging shows the figure being placed on several nifty poses, mostly with his alternate hands which I will discuss later in detail.

Open Sesame!

Opening the flap of the packaging, there's the detailed description of the action figure itself, which I could say is somehow longer than the ones seen on the packaging of the DC variants. The window of the packaging sports a horizontal red bar striking across the lower section.

Figure/package description:

Venom

"Spin your webs, little spider... Venom is always watching, always waiting... always hungry!"

- Eddie Brock a.k.a. Venom

Disgraced reporter Eddie Brock discovers a corrupting alien Symbiote and the result of their bonding is Spider-Man's greatest nemesis: Venom.  Brock has inherited knowledge not only of Spider-Man, but also of Peter Parker, from the symbiote's brief bond with our web-slinging hero, understanding his opponent literally inside out. The thirst for vengeance is twofold, since both Brock and the Symbiote despise Spider-Man. That hunger is expressed in the distortion of Spider-Man's iconic emblem on Venom's chest, and the hulking exaggeration of Brock's already considerable physique. 

Venom has adopted various inhuman traits displayed prominently on this figure. Tightening its skin to protect itself during combat or extending its form for intimidation is just the beginning. Brandishing multiple, powerful webbing nozzles atop each clawed hand, this Symbiote is a formidable foe. Once venom has prey in sight, its mouth unhinges like a serpent, revealing a frightening vision of innumerable teeth and a terrifying tongue unraveling from within its maw.

A constant, looming threat to any who would cross its way, MARVEL Variant Play Arts Kai Venom is always right where you least expect. 

A jolly inmate

In a typical Play Arts tradition, the core figure is stored within a sticky clamshell packaging along with the accessories, which include the following:

1) A pair of closed nozzled fists: [If he chooses to beat the crap out of Spidey the old-fashioned way!]

If Brock's in the mood for fisticuffs...

2) Three hands sporting some webbings: [Though it is a sensible way to depict how Venom shoots his webs, I'm not particularly impressed with the representation of his predominant ability. I mean, the webbing-symbiote combination that springs from the nozzles of his knuckles is kind of short (literally). They could have made it a bit longer, or they could have added another fist that shoots a single long webbing, as he usually does in the comics. Anyway, it's a 'variant', so what are you gonna do, right?]

Oozing with extraterrestrial snot!

3) An open-mouthed head: [In my opinion, this is where the figure shines. According to some online reviews that I've seen, the alternate head features a removable tongue, which is something that I would look for in any type of Venom action figure. Even the jaw is articulated, which is also kind of cool. Furthermore, the tongue is designed to be shifted sideways, which allows for more option when it comes to posing the head.]    

He's making that nasty face again...

Now, let's get on to the core figure:

Tall, dark and never mind

Looking at the actual figure itself, I'm happy to say that I'm impressed with it overall. It's one of the best designed variants produced by Play Arts Kai, just like this figure, It is truly a unique take on the character, which is comprised of neatly meshed black and violet/purple hues. Standing around 10 inches tall, Venom sports over 20 points of articulation, which is typical being a PAK figure.

Brock never gets tired of smilin' that damn smile

The default head features the signature "Venom smile" seen in the comics, and I'd say it is well-executed through the sculpting - the teeth, gums, and the lips are chiseled to perfection! The eyes are a bit thinner as compared to its comic book counterpart, but blends well with the overall facial design. Another nifty feature of the figure is the emblazoned (and twisted) metallic 'spider' insignia, which is somewhat spread all over the upper half of its torso.

He's got the groin

The figure's default hands are the opened ones, which again show the nozzles on the knuckles. The lower torso is not adorned with any of the metallic 'residue' from the spider insignia, rather it is sculpted with lines and in overlapping patterns as well.

Alien fungus

The figure's foot are sculpted nicely also, as the toes are visible underneath the black symbiote. This is another factor that makes the figure stand out above the other renditions of the character, as most of them (if not all) only depict his foot like an almost triangular shoe.

Final thoughts: Initially, I was planning to get the figure out of the box and then do a full review of it. However, when I was carefully examining the figure's packaging, I found that it's in a 100% flawless condition - without dents, folds, and other elements. I tried to look for the slightest imperfection, but to no avail. So, I ultimately decided to only do a packaged review. I must admit that a 'perfect packaging' is my personal Kryptonite as a collector - once I get my hands on it, it will stay that way forever. Taking everything into account, Play Arts Kai's Variant Venom is certainly a must-have, especially for those who consider him as one of their all-time favorite characters in the Marvel Universe! It's superior sculpting as well as the effective combination of colors make it one of the line's coolest offerings. 'Nuff said!

Ehem! How's about a Carnage, Play Arts?

So who's your favorite Marvel character that you'd want to be rendered as a Play Arts Kai variant? Let me know in the comments below.

Figure Review: Play Arts Kai Arkham Knight

The long wait is finally over...

Bad ass AK poster

One of my most anticipated Play Arts Kai figures to hit the shelves this year is the Arkham Knight, and I can say I'm glad that he is now part of my growing PAK collection. As a bit of a character background, the Arkham Knight is a fresh persona for the Arkhamverse, created by Rocksteady Studios and Geoff Johns (DC Comics' CCO and writer) for the 2015 action-adventure video game 'Batman: Arkham Knight'. In the game's storyline, he harbors a vendetta against the Dark Knight, with the intention of eradicating the latter after making him suffer. For him to fulfill the mission, he aligns himself with one of Gotham's most notorious villains, Dr. Jonathan Crane a.k.a. the Scarecrow. Now, I won't spill the beans about the ending of the game's main story, as there could still be others who haven't played it yet, but all I can say is that it has a rather interesting denouement.

And there's that elusive figure stand...

I was definitely thrilled with the figure when I saw the images of its painted prototype (together with the Batman and Harley Quinn figures) from last February's New York Toy Fair/NYTF. I must admit that I really had no idea what the game was all about at first, thinking that the title "Arkham Knight" referred to the Caped Crusader himself. But as it turned out, I realized that he's another character who's set to wreak havoc against Bruce, thanks to the images from NYTF and a little research on the game itself. And for a guy who's dressed up like an anti-Batman archetype, he's got a truly impressive character design along with a remarkable array of weapons.

Still waitin' for 'Daddy's Lil Monster'

My current collection of PAK Arkham Knight figures consists of Batman himself and the Arkham Knight. I passed on the Robin figure because I am not really impressed with its design (I mean, I never saw a bald Robin in the comics or animated films and series before!). I am currently waiting for the Harley Quinn figure that's sporting a uniquely styled costume, which is another impressive take on a classic DC villain. 

Sleek AK packaging

The figure comes in a standard PAK Arkham Knight packaging. The flap/front cover shows an image of the Arkham Knight regally striking a pose, with a shot of the moon obscured by clouds at night behind him. The back of the packaging shows the figure being placed on several cool action stances. Moreover, there's a picture of the Harley Quinn figure (she's 'No. 4') as part of the second wave of this Play Arts line.

Extra info No. 3

Figure/package description:

Enemies from the past attack...
An epic story appropriate for the final chapter.

As the epic conclusion to the BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM and BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY game series, BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT features the return of prominent super-villains including THE PENGUIN, TWO-FACE and HARLEY QUINN. The SCARECROW secretly returns to GOTHAM CITY and unites these adversaries in a plot to defeat the BATMAN once and for all. Beautiful next-gen console graphics, intense action from utilizing BATMAN's unique arsenal of gadgets, and a thrilling storyline makes this title the ultimate culmination of the BATMAN narrative.

A new villain of immense proportion emerges... 
what is his purpose? 

In BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT, previously defeated super-villains, despite their chaotic tendencies, unite to kill the BATMAN. The ARKHAM KNIGHT is a brand new villain that makes his debut with this title, but his identity and mission are still shrouded in mystery. Wearing a bodysuit with a silhouette that bears a striking resemblance to BATMAN, he is cloaked in a veil of secrecy. He delights in tormenting BATMAN... What is the true identity of the eponymous ARKHAM KNIGHT...?

Sticky clamshell

Just like any other Play Arts Kai product, the core figure and the accessories are neatly stored within a clamshell package. As always, it would take some amount of effort to separate the translucent plastic from the dark plastic, which is a good thing. That only means the figure has not been tampered with.

Bulky and impractical... again

Honestly, I thought that the collectors were going to get a different kind of figure stand this time around, based on what was shown during this year's New York Toy Fair. Much to my disappointment, Play Arts is still offering the same bulky and almost useless figure stand as always. I do hope someday they will change this one.

As for the accessories of the Arkham Knight, he's got the following:

1) Three extra (and interchangeable) pair of hands:

Eight hands are better than two

2) A pair of Tomb Raider-esque handguns:

Looks like he stole something from Ms. Croft...

3) A heavy-duty sniper rifle:

Two little bang-bang's never gonna match the sight of this big baby

4) A folded magazine with the catch (interchangeable with the default magazine):

Folded and hung

5) An alternate helmet piece which depicts his default appearance:

Blind as a bat

Now, on to the actual figure:

A knight in gloomy armor

Though the Arkham Knight figure isn't really a perfect piece, I've got to say that it is still one of the best handiworks of Play Arts to date. They have captured every detail of the character based on his video game design, making it a stunningly accurate representation of Batman's new nemesis. The figure is around 11 inches tall, and boasts over 20 points of articulation (which is standard among all of the current PAK figures so far).  

One dope headgear!

The Arkham Knight wears a cowled helmet piece, which for me is the best feature of the figure. He comes with two interchangeable heads: one which recreates his default appearance (my favorite by the way), and the other which gives off a 'glowing eye' effect. In the game, he uses his mask to cover his identity, as well as provide himself with a heads-up display which helps in keeping track of his own forces as they move around Gotham. I've seen some parts of the gameplay wherein the Arkham Knight removes the second layer of his mask after taking some hits from Batman, and underneath it is actually another helmet which is featureless with a reddish hue. It would have been great if Play Arts included that as a third helmet piece, but what are you gonna do, right? 

Say "A"

The Arkham Knight sports a well-designed obsidian costume (or battlesuit), which is actually a militaristic version of the Batsuit. Sources say that this is intended to mock Batman's appearance. Clearly, the character, at first glance, is a dead-ringer of the Caped Crusader himself (without the cape, of course). The chest plate, which bears the 'A' or Arkham symbol, has a dual purpose. Primarily, it is used as a defensive component against certain attacks with its angular design, particularly in deflecting the Batclaw. Secondly, it serves as an intangible weapon, as the Arkham symbol itself could place Bruce at a psychological disadvantage due to the various incidents in Arkham that have somehow affected him. The figure also has some sort of a backpack which blends well with the outfit's design.

Armed to the teeth

The waist section of the figure is filled with several armaments, particularly pouches and canisters. These canisters could be that of smoke and concussion grenades. A large strap is also apparent which would serve as a support for the cylindrical weapons.

G.I. Joe?

As for the lower limbs section, the Arkham Knight wears lightweight camouflage pants that has the same color pattern as the rest of the suit. He also dons a dandy, high-tech footwear that could put Batman's boots to shame.  

More A's

The figure also sports some neatly designed shoulder armor or pauldrons. Just like the chest piece, these components also bear the Arkham symbol.

Nifty gauntlets...

Perhaps the second best feature of the figure is his gauntlets. According to the character designer, these devices are utilized to parry his opponents' weapons, particularly Batman's blades. Despite its bulky design, the gauntlets are actually made of a lightweight material so that the wielder can execute rapid strikes. 

... that remind me of Jacqueline Briggs

The underside of the gauntlets has a more robotic design. Being a collector of Transformers action figures as well, it actually reminds me of a Decepticon figure, though I'm not quite sure which one. Heck, it even makes me think of a Mortal Kombat character.

AK needs a chiropractor

As I've pointed out earlier, the Arkham Knight figure isn't really a flawless piece. Having said that, I only have two minor gripes about the figure. First is the shoulder joint. I would think that Play Arts specifically designed this for positioning the figure while holding the sniper rifle to achieve a wider range of poseability. However, if these joints are utilized to somewhere near their maximum capacity, the back of the figure would certainly look weird enough as some hollow areas are being exposed in the process.

Slit!

Another minor gripe that I have is the slit on the right leg of the figure which enables the lower portion to rotate. Though it's really not something to be frowned upon, I found that the left leg has no slit at all, which makes it a little unbalanced. It's not a big deal anyway, and looking at the Arkham Knight as a whole, these flaws dissolve quite easily in the awesomeness of the figure.

Now for some epic stances:  

"Go ahead, make my day (...or night)"

One more reason for good ol' Bats to watch out for rooftops

Double whammy!

And here he is posed with some of my other PAK figures:

Bad blood

"Die, devil bird!"

The AK's: Arkham Knight and Advent Kid

Final thoughts: In my opinion, the Arkham Knight is one of those PAK figures that give the best bang for the buck. It may have some minor flaws, but it's a solid action figure overall. Additionally, character artist Albert Feliu stated that the materials of the Arkham Knight's paraphernalia (helmet, body armor, gauntlets and boots) were actually inspired by the design of a fighter plane - in his own words: "highly resistant, unreflective, and totally intimidating". So, what's not to like?

'Batman: Arkham Knight' Collector's Edition (not really)

Is the Arkham Knight's design better than Batman's, or is it the other way around? Sound off in the comments below.