Gotham City and its residents have been made famous in comics, TV shows, video games, movies, and more. Popular characters like Batman and his fellow heroes who appeared outside of the comics usually received merchandise and toys. Kenner started making DC action figures in 1984 and became known by fans for staying true to the source material.
Toys based on characters from the comics were released in the DC Super Powers line, though movie tie-in toys became big after Tim Burton's 1989 Batman and its sequels. Many characters have been made into toys over the years, but only a few have stood out. Batman was especially a hit, brooding over Gotham in miniature, plastic form.
Updated on October 10, 2022 by Scoot Allan: While fans enjoyed the NYCC announcements of new Batman figures coming from McFarlane Toys, some classic collectors are still holding out for rereleases from older DC toy lines. Kenner was especially known by fans in the '80s and '90s for its DC-based lines. The company released a number of interesting and unique movie tie-in figures that can still be found online on sites like eBay for nostalgic collectors.
10 The Riddler (Batman Forever)
Average eBay Price: $9.99
Director Joel Schumacher was able to create a very toy-friendly Gotham City in 1995's Batman Forever due to its campier but divisive tone. The Riddler is one of Batman's most famous adversaries, and he was portrayed by Jim Carrey in Batman Forever. Carrey brought charisma, humor, and some of The Riddler's greatest riddles to the big screen.
Jim Carrey's likeness is fairly accurate for a figure made in the mid-'90s and the question marks look great. His green costume stands out and he comes with a few fun accessories, including a trapping brain-drain helmet or a giant question mark rocket launcher, depending on the variant.
9 Transforming Bruce Wayne (Batman Forever)
Average eBay Price: $20-25
There have been several Bruce Wayne figures made over the years, though usually included parts of a Batman costume. While the costume from Kenner's Transforming Bruce Wayne figure wasn't one of the best Batsuits from the comics and didn't appear in Batman Forever, it still looked great. Bruce Wayne's likeness truly resembles actor Val Kilmer, who portrayed the Dark Knight.
Bruce was already wearing gloves and dark clothes, which allowed the Batsuit to snap right over his civilian look. The head of the figure also popped down below his neck so his cloth cape and cowl could cover it for an easy transformation. The packaging resembled the Batman Forever movie posters and stood out due to the contrast of bright and dark colors.
8 Batman (1989 Movie)
Average eBay Price: $35-45
The first black suit Batman figure is a true classic and still holds up today. In 1989, Batman hit movie theaters and Michael Keaton's Dark Knight became an overnight sensation. The 1989 bat logo stood out because of the yellow circle around it. This figure's utility belt was also yellow and was connected to a bat rope contained inside the figure for grappling hook action.
Batman's white eyes looked unusual at first glance but added to the mystery and matched his comic book counterpart. The gold packaging with the Batman movie title and picture helped catch the eyes of toy and Batman fans alike. The accessories included a grapple gun and a Batarang, which were used for throwing around the house and upsetting parents everywhere.
7 The Penguin (DC Super Powers)
Average eBay Price: $20-80
The Penguin has been causing the Caped Crusader problems since 1941. While Burgess Meredith's 1966 take on The Penguin was a funny interpretation, he seemed to be a bit too skinny for the character. Oswald Cobblepot's rotund body is one of his most famous traits and helps differentiate him from Batman's other enemies.
This figure's color scheme comes straight from the pages of the Silver Age comics. The figure comes with his trusty umbrella and featured a "power action umbrella arm." He's also wearing a bright blue tuxedo, top hat, white gloves, and monocle. The DC Super Powers line started in 1984 and had wild colors that made them stand out in the toy aisles.
6 Two-Face (Batman Forever)
Average/Approximate eBay Price: $20-30
Director Joel Schumacher admitted his Batman movies may be over the top, but he definitely gets an A+ for complying with the studios' desires to release tie-in figures. Tommy Lee Jones took over the role of Harvey Dent from Billy Dee Williams and gave more of a campy take on the usually darker Two-Face.
This detailed Two-Face figure matches his movie counterpart perfectly and comes with loads of movie-accurate accessories. It has a giant missile launcher and came with a silver gun molded onto his hand. The best part is the full-sized, double-sided coin that Harvey relied on to make difficult decisions.
5 Robin (Batman Returns)
Average eBay Price: $23.00
Tim Burton's Batman Returns didn't include the Robin character, but at one point were toying with the idea. Fans were disappointed when the Boy Wonder was left out of the sequel, but they appreciated the action figure that still got released alongside the film.
Robin's long, dark-green tights and yellow and black cloth cape were inspired by the Tim Drake version of the character. The packaging also looked sharp with the darker tones and Robin logo. Anything Batman had, Robin usually had a smaller or different version, so the grapple gun further added to the fun of the figure.
4 Catwoman (Batman Returns)
Average eBay Price: $20-25
Catwoman is arguably the most important woman in Batman's life, both as an adversary and a partner. This Batman Returns version looked amazing and really captured actress Michelle Pfieffer's take on the ferocious feline. She was easily one of the best actresses who've played Catwoman. Her skin-tight black vinyl outfit looks like it came right from the 1992 movie.
The mask was sculpted nicely to her head and her high-heeled boots even looked tough to walk in. Just like many Batman figures, this Catwoman comes with her own personal grappling hook and, more importantly, her trademark whip.
3 Batman (DC Super Powers Line)
Average eBay Price: $50-70
This DC Super Powers Batman is a definitive take on the classic era of Gotham's hero. Kenner's DC Super Powers line was a must-own for all superhero fans of the 1980s. These figures have recently been brought back in a 6-inch size and seem to almost be as popular as they were in the '80s.
The line included many beloved superheroes but Superman and Batman were high in demand so more of them were made. The blue and gray mesh well together and appealed to younger fans more than the later, darker version of Batman. The yellow utility belt and logo were universally loved and worked well with both this and the black suit.
2 The Joker (1989 Movie)
Average eBay Price: $40
The DC Super Powers made a really classic Joker figure. However, the 1989 movie figure added some fun details. Although the face didn't resemble Jack Nicholson, the purple worked better than the blueish look of the Super Powers version and became one of the best versions of The Joker.
The green hair is shorter but still looks nicely coiffed and makes the Joker's white face stand out. He also came with his signature purple top hat, black cane, and a squirting flower. ToyBiz released a similar figure around the same time that was comparable to the Kenner version.
1 Guardians Of Gotham City (Batman Forever)
Average eBay Price: $40-50
This dynamic duo two-pack was known as the Guardians Of Gotham City and had the two best figures from the original Batman movies. Batman and Robin were portrayed in their costumes from the finale of the movie. The duo officially became partners to take on the Riddler and Two-Face in the movie and deal with some of the harsh realities of living in Gotham City.
The Batman mask and head sculpt look great and his full costume shines. Robin's mask is movie accurate and so is his great red and green costume. The half-orange and the half-copper cape are different from the usual yellow or green cape but add to the charm of this Boy Wonder. The two-pack included the standard grapple hook and Batarang accessories.