And thanks to Andy who sent us the original links to the full versions of the fan films. This is more like it.

Since most of the innards of this kit have been seen on the web already over on Eric’s site etc. I wanted to show some things that haven’t been discussed yet. This is  a great kit and I can’t wait for the third, deluxe version of the kit as well. The metal photo-etched set should make this kit a wonderful thing. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Here’s some thoughts about this kit.

1. The box. It’s been discussed ad nauseum that the Alex Ross artwork is a thing of beauty and a wonderful and appropriate addition to this monumental model kit. One could say that this kit deserves this level of packaging art. Lets look at the difference between this kit and the snap kit. First, we get a bigger, uninterrupted version of the Ross art. That’s great. But one of my favorite things is how well the rest of the package design meshes with the whole feel of the kit. Retro meets modern in a wonderful way. So much better than copying the same tired vintage Aurora style for the umpteenth time. And the fight-words on the  box walls, that you don’t even get to see until you raise the top lid of the box, are excellent.

2. The decals. We get the same decals that came with the snap kit. They make up the top left of the new decal sheet, PLUS we get all new art with pinstriping like the Aurora 1:32 reissue had, door bats, gadget placards, and some extras. There’s even a Penguin symbol for anyone that wants to build the Penguinmobile version. This takes me back to 1970 and drooling at all the other Federation constellation-class starships in the fleet that I could build IF ONLY I HAD 30 MORE ENTERPRISE KITS! There will be more Penguinmobile details in the Deluxe kit, from what I’ve been told. As well as some other fun stuff.

3. The body. Well, here’s where I am feeling lazy. See, the bane of a lot of Batmobile modeler’s existence is perfect pin-striping (color,accuracy and line width etc.) Even if you have perfected the cerise/orangey/red color of the striping, it’s pretty tough to match whatever color comes on the door bat emblems in the kit. Which means you either try your best or you make your own bat decals…it can be a challenge. Not that we’re not looking for challenges! But – I gotta say, eyeing that BEAUTIFUL pre-paint-job on the snap kit gets one’s gears turning. There wasn’t much of a question that it would be the same fit/body, but let me assure you that the parts all fit the same. They’re the same bodies other than the lack of opening hood or trunk on the snap version, and the lack of miles-deep black gloss on the glue version. So you can absolutely use the snap kit body with the rest of the glue kit if you want to forgo the opening sections. Or you can very carefully cut out your own openings.

I’ve stayed away from making suggestions to the folks at PL about this kit. But here’s my one wish – in the Deluxe version of the kit, they should make the body and lids pre-painted like the snap kit. Just my opinion. I’ve got plenty to paint in the interior. I can do without the exterior hardship.

I’ve got some thoughts about ways to go with this body. Stay tuned.

(click on any image to start slideshow)

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2011 Hallmark 1966 Batmobile Ornament

2011 Hot Wheels RC 1966 Batmobile

The ornament looks pretty cool. There seems to be a bumper crop of little scale Batmobiles right now. Certainly the fact that it plays the theme is great. But it loses a bit of accuracy to house those electric components. As does the RC car, if the photos are correct. I guess I’m not over-eager to spend full retail on LESS accurate Batmobiles, even if they “do stuff” right now. But I can appreciate that these are the answers to someone’s prayers.

As has recently been reported by Leonard, the scale has been stretched a bit larger than 1:18 – closer to 1:16, which at the very least, makes it a must-have for some people’s “gotta have every size” bat-garage. An interesting side note – it was showing up as $40 on Amazon until a couple dealers raised their prices to $49 (first wave buyers) Here’s a place that allegedly still has them for $40 (until they don’t)

Yes, we’ll be grabbing a few of those audio chips and inserting it into our full-on, super-DUPER-Elite Batmobiles that we’re working on in multiple scales. But not right away.

No, we will not be making any of our models into RC driven cars. Mit already did that a year ago and it blew flame too. (video below by Mit and RHD) So – been there, seen that. Will show better pics of these when they find their lackluster way into our hands.

I’m not going to go crazy on this one, as I’ll hold that back for the promised, upcoming glue-kit because of the opening trunk and hood aspects of that version. But I will do a middle of the road build/paint with my son and report about the assembly.

As far as the parts and accuracy of the details go – everything here is excellent. With two, fairly important (but not insurmountable) exceptions:

1. The Beacon*

1:25 Bat-Mo-Beacons L-R: Original PL, Aluminum upgrade, Resin upgrade (unassembled)

As far as the beacon goes, it’s fairly crudely detailed and even stripping the chrome won’t make it that much less toy-like. Not as bad as we had anticipated, but not as nice as the rest of the parts for sure.  I’ve got access to some amazingly nice and highly detailed beacons in the correct scale designed by our good friend Mit in Australia. I’ve got it in machined aluminum and in resin versions. It’s a 3-piece part that includes the inner red beacon and the top. As you can see, it can totally change the realism level of the model.

2. The Figures*

In an ironic, probably unintentional nod to the original Aurora 1966 Batmobile model kit, The figures are very comic-booky and unrealistic. I think the guys at PL were bummed about how they turned out. But including them will make loads of kid builders ecstatic. They aren’t acceptable for our use and so we’re working on a set of much more realistic figures modified from 2 separate original sculpts by Scott Kapellusch. Here they are in their current state, awaiting some custom arm-poses and fitting to the PL model specs.

1:25 custom figures for the 1966 Batmobile

So we’re going to be putting the snap kit together this weekend and will take shots and hopefully video as we go. Stay tuned for the report here.

(*As we’ve mentioned before, we won’t be selling parts through PMB! anymore. For more information about anything we show or feature here: 1) Subscribe to our mailing list (above in the nav bar) and/or 2) Contact us and we’ll let you know if and when they’ll be available and from who.)

Pictured are (L-R)  the Hot Wheels 1:43 1966 Batmobile, the Eaglemoss 1966 Batmobile, and the Hot Wheels 1:50 scale 1966 Batmobile. (photos thanks to UK Correspondent Ken Partridge)

Now, can anyone actually get us one to keep? :)

Eaglemoss is a UK company best most known for its well-done heroes figurines that accompany their vivid but kind of cheesy magazine subscriptions. (let’s face it – you buy them for the figures) They’re mostly limited to UK sales, but Diamond distributes them to comics shops in the US as well. Meaning – no, if you’re in the US you can’t order this directly from the company that makes it but you can bug your local comics shop about getting one in for you. Or – you know, wait and get one on eBay like the rest of us.

Update 3/29/2011: It’s been reported to me from a friend in the UK that these will be 1:43 scale. Clearly they’ve used the Hot Wheels 1:43 for the catalog/website photo, though it’s not determined yet whether they will end up using them (like the Danbury Mint did) or produce their own. If they do use the HW cars, it’s a fairly lackluster diorama that doesn’t bring much new to the table but for a few bad interpretations of the TV Batcave machines.

Eaglemoss 1966 Batmobile diorama

Well, R2 is showing some more shots of what we can only hope is only the snap-kit. I know, it’s not even out yet and I’m already picking it apart. The model is still looking fantastic and Jamie has done a wonderful job with it. However, there are some issues that even if they don’t matter to you, you should be watching out for. From what we’ve heard, most of the ‘fixes’ are already ‘in’, so I think this is pretty close to what we’re going to be getting at this point.  Some things to think about as you wait out the long, cold months until February:

Snap kit undercarriage. Holy fake turbine exhausts Batman!

1. First off, the snap-kit is undoubtedly aimed at a younger audience and as such – is apparently and perhaps appropriately going with yet another fictional turbine look undercarriage. Not a big issue if the later glue kit goes forward with the more accurate (emphasis on the word ‘more’) Ford engine and undercarriage we’ve already seen preview looks at. But for those of us who will “believe it when we see it” and have been bitten before by the vast chasm between what PL promises to do and what ends up actually being done – this just makes it that much more work for us to find a suitable replacement undercarriage so we can drop in our own Ford engine. Personally, I loathe the fake turbine engine crap. Save it for the comic book versions of the car. I understand that it was intended to have a turbine in the show, but everyone knows it really didn’t and many of us want to build the real car, not the producers’ fantasy version.

2. Figures. Okay,I will concede that ANY figures are better than NO figures… No sorry I can’t do it. These figures are just like all the other figures PL has done. Just. Freaking. Horrible. On any level. I wouldn’t bother modifying them because their proportions are just pure comic book. With PL’s excellent  track record of realizing that modelers really like to customize their kits, why didn’t they put in some realistic looking NON-superhero base figures that could be turned into whatever crimefighter the modeler wanted? Just some good 1:25 seated figures with no costuming whatsoever would have been a great, helpful thing. You know, like all the extra decals and artwork they’ve been doing with the Aurora recasts reissues. And the bazillion extra Star Trek parts they include on those ships. This can’t have been much of a brainstorm to come up with could it have been? No DC issues, just a couple of guys in there. Sigh. Ah well. Wonder what better TV Bat figures would look like in 1:25 scale? Oh look what we have here! (don’t get your undies in a twat, DC – these are customs from over a decade ago)

Really, Polar Lights? Really?

Just a couple dudes, out for a ride in their modified concept car...

Seriously though, how killer cool is this going to be?

3. The other issue I have at this time is that I’m concerned that the sales of this snap-kit (or lack thereof) may affect the actual release of the promised glue-kit. I’m not even concerned about the pie-in-the-sky “deluxe” kit that has been dangled recently. I’m just looking for a nicer glue kit to work on. Granted – it will be nice to get a pre-painted black + pin-striped body version of the Batmobile. Heck, it will be amazing just seeing them for sale at a hobby store. I know I’m just going to stand there savoring the moment when it comes.