Retro Toy Review: Dark Knight Collection Bruce Wayne (Kenner)

Bruce Wayne is such an integral part of the Batman universe, but action figures based on him are often hit and miss. The toy designers always try to incorporate some sort of Batman costume change, but the results often leave much to be desired. With that in mind, this retro review continues my exploration into Batman figures of the early 90's with Bruce Wayne Quick Change Suit from the Kenner Dark Knight Collection!

Stats
Year Released: 1990
Company: Kenner
Size: 5"
Price: My sample was a gift (thanks again, Matt!) but you can probably find a carded figure on eBay for under $10.
Packaging: Carded

Looks: Bruce Wayne - Batman -
As Bruce Wayne, the figure looks fantastic. The dead-on Michael Keaton likeness makes this sculpt one of the best of any action figure from the time. The hips are a bit weird, with a big gap between the belt and the top of the leg, but the rest of his outfit (maybe a training suit?) works well. The bat-symbol on his sweatshirt is awesome and quaint with its blatant 90s styling.

But put on the Batman suit and Brucie takes a bit of a turn. Unfortunately, the batsuit looks rather clunky on the figure. Of the Quick Change Batman figures, this one looks better than most... but that's not saying much.

Articulation:
Like other early 90's Batman figures, Bruce Wayne has only 5 points of articulation: swivel neck, shoulders, and hips. That's standard Kenner fare for the time but it's nonetheless disappointing: there wasn't any improvement in articulation from a decade previously when Star Wars figures were on the shelves. Also, the Playmates TMNT line (released two years prior) had much better articulation. Kenner could have done better.

Accessories:
Bruce Wayne comes with a cape/cowl, chest armor, gloves, and boots, all in the 1989 Batman style. Although they look a little weird on the figure they're fun nonetheless, and look great on their own. He also comes with a walkie-talkie... whoopdie freakin' doo. All I care about is the batsuit.

Value:
This figure seems to be a bit more popular than the others in the Dark Knight Collection. You might have to pay more than say Iron Winch Batman, but it's certainly affordable for those collectors on a budget.

Kenner had a lot of practice sculpting Michael Keaton back then.

Coolness:
Bruce Wayne with the batsuit might not look as cool as he should, but I love the play value the batsuit gives the figure. And even if you don't like how the batsuit fits the figure, it still looks cool enough on its own to open up some cool display options. I'm sure an innovative collector could whip up a batsuit display case for the Batcave, kind of like this one using a Germs test tube:

Overall:
As cool as the quick change feature is, the batsuit is still a bit wonky on the figure. But Bruce Wayne alone merits the purchase, with a wonderful Michael Keaton likeness. The batsuit parts by themselves are also really cool and are just begging for some sort of an interesting display in a Batcave diorama. As with many early 90's figures the price is right, so this is a great purchase for fans of the 1989 Batman!