DC Collectables SDCC Exclusive Batman Arkham City: Dr. Hugo Strange Figure
By: Jason Quaregna (Jay Q)
Hello boys and girls! Today I bring you a review of the San Diego Comic Con Exclusive from DC Collectables, Batman Arkham City: Dr. Hugo Strange figure. When this bad boy was announced I know I was not the only one that screamed with joy that we were getting a version of a long awaited fan demanded figure. Yes Hugo was made by DC Direct in the Secret Files line that had him in a Bat suit with swappable head, but this is the first time we get him in his iconic doctor attire.
For those of you who do not know of this character here is a quick bio break down. Hugo Strange is a super villain appearing in books published by DC Comics. He serves as an adversary of Batman. He first appeared in Detective Comics #36, and is one of Batman’s first recurring villains, preceding the Joker and Catwoman by several months. He is also one of Batman’s first villains to deduce Batman’s secret identity. In the Arkham City game this was to be the first time Batman has squared off with Hugo and for those who played the game know how epic it was.
Dr. Strange comes in the normal clamshell packaging that all of the Arkham Asylum and City figures have in the past (see picture at top). Included in the packaging are two tiny accessories and they are a scalpel and a hypodermic needle (I will warn you early that these are very tiny and if not placed right they will fall out of the figures hands but more on that later). Hugo is attached to the interior packing by three twist ties, and they are located around his waist and around his ankles.
Once I removed Hugo from his plastic prison went right to inspecting the paint apps and articulation. Hugo stands at the normal DC Collectables (DCD) scale of 6.75”, and that is a tad taller than the DCUC from Mattel (see picture with Batman on bottom). I noticed a minor paint scuff on the top of his head and that was it for blemishes. The details of the beard are amazing even down to his ID Badge that you can see a painted rendering of Hugo’s face. The added sculpting to the glasses to keep them fixed on his head is a HUGE improvement to past figures with glasses from DCD/ DC Collectables. Those of us who remember the Hush: Jim Gordon and Secret Identities Superman know that in the past the glasses would fall off or even break very easy.
Articulation is your basic DC Collectables motion. You have Leg, Knees, wrist, elbow, upper bicep, shoulder, and neck. My only gripe with the articulation was that the over coat hindered him to have his arms behind his back. The only other gripe was that his right hand was molded to hold the needle accessory and there was some warping to that hand. Now I mentioned earlier to be careful with the accessories and here is why. They are VERY tiny, and they do not sit in the hands very well making them loose and easy to lose. This also makes these accessories NOT suitable for kids under 3. As I was posing the figure the needle fell on the ground and I’m still looking for it LOL.
All in I give this figure an 8 out of 10, I love the fact that DC Collectables FINALLY got this version released to the public. If you have the ability to find one on the secondary markets as this was an exclusive to the San Diego Comic Con I highly recommend to. This is a MUST have for any Batman/DC fan to put on their shelf or hang on their wall.
Newsdesk