Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Cloaked Poison Ivy figure from Funko

The 85th anniversary of Batman has been great for fans like me. Lots of companies have taken the opportunity to make figures of characters from the previous movies.

I'm very surprised that Funko have made another figure from the Batman & Robin movie. Sadly it's not a Bane or Batgirl or Robin but instead a cloaked version of Poison Ivy. 

Of course Uma Thurman's version had lots of alternate outfits and hairstyles used throughout the film so it makes sense to go back and do another one.

This is the most seen version - with the ivy clad bodice. I like that it includes the Little Shop of Horrors-esque mutant plant but the plastic isn't quite clear enough to see the monster clearly.

If you like Funkos, I recommend it.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Poison Ivy figure from McFarlane

If any character from Batman & Robin deserved a better action figure it's Poison Ivy. She got two versions for the Kenner toyline and both had a face sculpt that looked nothing like Uma Thurman and both costumes looked nothing like any of the outfits she had in the film.

25 years later McFarlane had righted that wrong and made - in my opinion - the highlight of their Batman & Robin line.

The body is really accurate to the movie costume. If I was pedantic, some of the colours could gave been closer - the red hair for instance is maybe too vibrant. But they're accurate enough for me.

It's the face sculpt that is the most impressive element. They've really captured Uma's likeness. If you only buy one figure, this is the one to get.

Batman Forever Merchandise Review - Robin and Ivy 2 Pack from Kenner

Given all the heroes and villains in Batman & Robin, it should come as no surprise that Kenner made a plethora of two-pack figure sets.

This week I'm looking at Evil Entrapment  Poison Ivy and Night Hunter Robin. 

The Robin is pretty standard. It benefits from a metallic red all over but the accessory is a dud. 

The Poison Ivy figure is great though. Love the green transculent bits and the Little Shop of Horrors-esque Venus fly trap is greaf. I kind of wish they did more Ivy figures - Uma Thurman had 4-5 costume changes throughout the film.

Anyway, this set is worth getting for the Ivy figure. Get it if you can.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Poison Ivy figure from Funko Pop

Okay let's take a break from the Kenner reviews and take a look at something else this week. 

A couple of years ago Funko did a great set of Batman villain figures based on the Burton and Schumacher movies. Having bought the Riddler and Two-Face figures I cooled on getting the ones for Batman & Robin. One of the things that put me off was that they priced the Poison Ivy figure at £25 rather than the usual £10 price they retail for. I don't know why this was - maybe they felt they wouldn't sell as many because the character isn't as popular as the others.

Anyway it recently came down in price to £10 so I snapped it up. It's pretty fun and as always with Funko there's a real attention to detail. All the little bits of the costume are present and correct as are the colours. 

If you like this character/movie and you like Funko Pops there's never been a better time to pick this up.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Jungle Venom Poison Ivy figure from Kenner

Sadly Poison Ivy was not best represented in the Kenner action figure line and only received two figures (despite being a major villain). 

The main one was Jungle Venom Poison Ivy - a generic representation of Uma Thurman in a plain green bodysuit. It's a little disappointing. The accessories are kind of fun though. The vines are good at tangling up other figures and the water cannon (a typical Kenner play feature) fits the character's green fingered tendencies. 

I maybe prefer the other Ivy figure (Evil Entrapment Poison Ivy - part of a two pack with Robin) but this figure does have the better accessories. Get either. Get both.

Concept Art: Poison Ivy costumes

This week we're taking a look at some of the concept art for Pamela Isley aka Poison Ivy. 

First up in a nice black and green design by Tim Burgard. 

Followed by a wild, spiky (and kinky) design by Miles Teves that would have surely caused a lot of parental complaints!

Then two by Wil Rees that more closely resemble the finished film (though I don't think Uma's nipples were that prominent).

And finally two entries by Susan Zarate. I really like these alot. The framed basque cleverly recalls the kind of trellis work you get in gardens. Again, maybe just a tad too sexy for a kids film.

Miscellaneous content: Batman & Robin Style Guide illustrations part 3

 This is a final batch of illustrations by José Luis García-López for the Batman & Robin Style Guide.

Miscellaneous content: Batman & Robin Style Guide illustrations part 2

 More illustrations by José Luis García-López this week to enjoy. I particularly love the way he's kept the yellow oval symbol. I wish the film would have included that rather than the plain blue one.

Miscellaneous content: Batman & Robin Style Guide illustrations part 1

Unfortunately I still haven't managed to track down a hardcopy of the Batman & Robin Style Guide however there are lots of images online. I've pulled together as much as I can find. 

These are mostly illustrations by José Luis García-López depicting the various characters from the film. His beautiful line work really works well and lets us see the characters/designs in a fresh light. These were all used in a variety of Batman & Robin merchandise.