Whenever dealing with classic 1966 Batman related materials, there’s always a strong urge to get campy. However, for the sake of clarity here I will avoid the usual “holy this” and “gosh that” phrases that come immediately to mind. Growing up in that era, however, let it be noted that the classic Batman series with Adam West left an indelible impression on my young mind. I will always have an abiding fondness for the series, which now possesses an innocent charm lacking in more recent incarnations.

Moebius Models has heard the siren call, and their first new figure kit from the series – Batman himself – is a wonderful beginning to what looks to be a fascinating collection of characters. They have captured Adam West’s appearance to a “T” and expert figure modelers should be able to make real masterpieces of this kit.

Now onto the kit itself. This is ostensibly a snap fit kit, with the shortcomings this entails. I found the basic parts came together well, but there were inevitably some gaps that needed filling, especially on the boots and hands, which didn’t fit quite as well as I’d hoped. However, fixing this required nothing more than basic modeling skills.

Moebius Models has gone to some effort to simplify the assembly work, as both Adam West’s face and such items as the Batarang are separate items, easing the painting process immensely. The utility belt is for the most part also a separate item, which is good because yellow is always a challenge. The two portions of the belt that are integral to the torso are easily masked and airbrushed if desired.

As with all large figures, the painting is where the challenge lies. I airbrushed the overall figure in shades of light gray which served both as the basic leotard color and provided a primer coat to the other surfaces. The dark blue items were hand painted, then airbrushed afterwards to give some highlights. A final dry-brushing of the dark blue areas with Tamiya Metallic Blue served to create the impression of satin.

The face was painted with oils while still on the sprue, which helped immensely. The only part of the model with significant flash was the single-piece cape, which also has some odd mold lines across the middle of the inside portion, which are a bit difficult to sand out. Fortunately, this part is mostly hidden, so any difficulties encountered there should not see the light of day.

The only other real detailing is on Batman’s mask, which has both white eyebrows and a kind of box around the nasal area. Although the mask itself is black, the interior of this boxed area should actually be the same blue material as the cape. I noticed this detail while watching some old reruns, but it was too late to alter mine without some effort, so I let it go.

The Batarang can be placed in the hand after complete assembly. Moebius Models has provided some hemp for the Batarang, but it was such poor quality that I dived into my shipbuilding materials and found a suitable substitute for the lanyard. You simply thread the material through the hand multiple times to make the coils, so this can also be performed after full assembly and painting.

Moebius Models also includes both decals and stickers for the belt and chest emblems, obviously intending this kit to be suitable for all ages. Surprisingly, I found both to be useful. The belt decal worked beautifully, but the chest emblem cracked on drying, so I replaced it with the sticker, which was also a better fit. Initially I was unhappy with the slight gloss of the sticker until I reviewed the reruns again and noted that the actual chest emblem has a slight sheen to it. Perfect.

The model also comes with a stand-alone Batman logo which I found easiest to hand paint. Unlike the box illustration, the lettering should actually be in white rather than yellow, so take note.

Moebius Models apparently intends to make six companion pieces with bases that will all fit together to make another Batman emblem. I am deeply impressed with the quality of this figure as it really captures Adam West’s appearance in every detail. If every figure in this range displays this quality, collecting these alone would make a truly memorable addition to one’s Batman lore. I look forward to building more in this range, especially Julie Newmar’s Catwoman. I can only assume the figure model will be as statuesque as the actress herself.

My deepest thanks to Moebius Models and IPMS/USA for the privilege of adding this superb piece to my collection of Batman memorabilia. Wonderful!