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History of the Batman Action Figure

Just like other pop culture icons and super heroes, the Batman universe is filled with action figures from almost every form of the character. Anytime a new Batman movie, animated series or video game is released, expect a collection of figures to come with it. Along with Batman, figures were made for other heroes like Robin and villains like The Joker, Riddler and Mr. Freeze.

Origins
- The first Batman action figures were released in the 1960s from the Marx Toy company. Shortly after, an exclusive production deal was given to the Mego corporation that lasted through 1980. The Mego figures stood 8 inches tall and included Batman, Robin, Catwoman, Joker and The Pegnuin. All of the models were based off the classic "Batman" TV series.
Kenner Series
- In the 1980s, the Kenner toy company took over production of the Batman figures. They reduced the size to four inches and added extra accessories. Some of the first figures included Mr. Freeze, The Riddler and a "Bat Punch" Batman that included a collector's trading card. Batman was still featured in his classic blue and gray color scheme.
Movie Figures
- The release of Tim Burton's "Batman" in 1989 led to a new series of figures and the first all black Batman action figure. These figures were released by Toy Biz and featured The Joker, three variants of Batman and Bob the Goon figures. In 1993 Kenner released the "Batman Returns" series featuring 12 different Batman figures to choose from including a Bruce Wayne model based off of Michael Keaton with a removable mask. Expanded sets of figures followed for the release of 1995's "Batman Forever" and 1997's "Batman and Robin."
Mattel
- Mattel took over the Batman franchise in the early 2000's beginning with the action figure release for the film "Batman Begins." Batman figures in this line included Ninja Bruce to Batman, Zipline Attack Batman and Power Punch Batman. The figures resembled Christian Bale's portrayal of Batman. The line continued with several releases for the 2008 film "The Dark Knight."
Comic Book Toys
- Aside from the Batman movie and television show tie-ins, there have been several stand alone Batman action figures based off the comic books. Series include DC Universe Classics, Retro Action DC Super Heroes and Legends of the Dark Knight. These action figures include accessories and designs based off of Batman comic book plots and are more cartoonish than the other editions.

Action Figures