March 22, 2010

My Blood Runs Cold...

Today we take a look at the second character design of Mr. Freeze in Batman: Animated continuity, which first appeared in the re-christened "The New Batman Adventures" episode Cold Comfort. To be fair, I'll post a spoiler warning here if you haven't watched the episode. And if you haven't watched the episode WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?!

Ahem.

Now that that is over with.

Mr. Freeze was given a much more Grand Moff Tarkin/Nazi General look for his redesign in the updated cartoon, and the action figure looks like it literally stepped straight off the screen. This is one action figure that delivers!

Dubbed "Insect-Body Mr. Freeze," (the reason why is the "big reveal" of the episode,) Freeze appeared in the Mission Masters sub-set of The New Batman Adventures action figure line, released by Kenner in 1998.

Click the picture to look closely at the cardback, for all of you who are into that sort of thing.

The card art on the front shows you what old Freezy has been up to since we last saw him. Yipes - spidery upgrades!

The absolute beauty of Insect Body Mr. Freeze is the fact that his "action feature" in no way detracts from his figure's look and form. You want a solid Mr. Freeze figure, you got it. But you also get the spidery goodness of his new form. Wow, the toy designer who got this one past his superior will forever have my gratitude!

His head and face sculpt are also spot-on to the cartoon.

"You would prefer another target, a military target? Then name the system!

err...umm..I mean...

Revenge is a dish best served...cold."

Mr. Freeze comes with a simple black plastic Freeze gun.

"Hold it right there, you!"

Of course the part that shoots this action figure over the top is the "Insect Body" feature, which Freeze's head can be attached to after detaching it from his "human" body.

Creepy and cool, Insect Body Mr. Freeze is one of the only characters from the redesigned New Batman Adventures to see plastic during the cartoon's time. The cartoon, the toys and the era were heading towards an end, or an evolution if you consider the Justice League and JLU cartoons...


...but what an era it was!

12 comments:

Mario! said...

Cool!

Wes Grogan said...

Holy cow, that's pretty freaking awesome. I love the spider setup, too. Fantastically well done. This was a time when I was out of toys.. shame that I missed out on this one.

Tom Freak said...

How in scale is this guy with the JLU figures. Cause I'm craving for a figure that can use the pun "Ice to see you" in my collection...

I know we're getting Captain Cold, but's just not the same...

Bubbashelby said...

Thanks Mario!

Wesley, it is never too late, I just got him last weekend myself ;)

FS - This Freeze is a good inch taller than JLU scale-wise; but he is in a robot body so you could use your imagination and just imagine he made the robot body bigger ;)

Tom Freak said...

Why not? that's what I would have done! :)

Brian B said...

That is a Mr. Freeze that I don't have though I often look at them on Ebay.

Ice post. Er... I mean nice post.

chunky B said...

I have searched for this one since it was released and never found it in stores, that is a great figure E!

I think in the show, wasn't he taller than before? So the scale may not be too far off.

Brian A said...

This is, by far, my favorite Mr. Freeze figure. I got him back when he was on store shelves. I was keeping most of my figures MOC, then, but I just HAD to crack this one open and check out the cool feature. So glad I did. This is definitely one of those "I can't believe they DID that!" kind of figures.

Great post!!

googum said...

Early into Batman: Beyond's run, they did a piece in Toyfare where (I think) Bruce Timm and some of the other writers kicked around possible future fates for Batman's villains. One was a throwaway scene where old Bruce opens the freezer, where Mr. Freeze's head still lives and badmouths him. "One day, Wayne, I swear--" and Bruce shuts the door on him.

Man, I want one of these now.

Nacho said...

i think kenner improved their work at this moment of the toy line, figures like freeze, creeper, riddler were fantastic, great sculpt

Bubbashelby said...

I agree Nacho, and that reminds me I have got to get my Creeper figure on this blog soon!

Nacho said...

Funny thing, i got today an extra mr. freeze figure,that make 3 of them...hmmm... it´ll be a really cold day in gotham!