Black Label event series Three Jokers by Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok, Brad Anderson and Rob Leigh was one of the premier DC Comics events of the last decade. Building off a surprise plot element from 2015's Darkseid War, it saw the Bat-family come to odds with the existence of (what else?) three Jokers.
It only makes sense that the event would also spawn a figure line from McFarlane Toys, which CBR was sent for review. While many of these figures are of characters McFarlane Toys has already covered in some fashion, Three Jokers is easily one of the most visually impressive waves the DC Multiverse line has seen yet. However, that doesn't mean its shortcomings aren't glaringly obvious.
Clown Princes of Crime
The crowning achievement of the line is the titular three Jokers, and any one of these could easily be the de facto toy shelf representation of the iconic Harlequin of Hate. Three distinct eras of The Joker are captured here, all using similar bodies with unique clothing sculpts, heads and accessories. Clad in a shockingly vibrant pink-red coat and violet pants, the Clown is a surprise stand-out here. He's also got the most traditionally deranged head sculpt of the three, not to mention the most effective movement, thanks to how his coat is designed. He's such a vibrant and energetic figure that's right at home with any Batman display.
That's not to downplay the other figures in the range, though. The Criminal is a moodier, older interpretation of Joker, and he cuts an appropriately somber silhouette. Though he's built with the same body as the other two, the dark, royal purple suit and sulking face create a much more restrained feeling Joker. The paint is beautifully applied to the face, though the shadowing over the eyes is a little too dark for our tastes.
Of course, the one every collector is clamoring over is The Comedian, though. Hearkening back to The Killing Joke, the figure looks downright terrifying with bright white pupils peeking out from the shadow of the fedora. The purple coat is sculpted impeccably, adding some great layer and depth, though it does mean it's hard to get his arms to lay flat by his side.
As the showcase pieces of this line, the three Jokers are easily some of McFarlane's best work. It's a shame the accessories are so few and far between (Comedian comes with a camera and crowbar, Clown with a laughing fish and crowbar and Criminal with just a cane), but that the figures are so distinct from each other highlights how good McFarlane Toys is at using a similar body to create multiple, unique characters.
An All-New Bat-Family
On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have the Bat-family. These are still some of the best versions of these characters that McFarlane Toys has put out, but they feel like they're missing something compared to the Jokers.
Red Hood is a clear stand-out here. The other McFarlane Red Hoods have been good, but the look and feel of this version of Jason Todd goes above and beyond. It helps a lot that this was easily the best Red Hood design in comics. The coat is a beautifully made mix of materials with a harder plastic used to sculpt the hood. The actual helmet itself has a wonderfully glossy shine to it that makes it pop and a scowling stare that lets you know Jason means business.
The biggest drawback to this stellar Red Hood is the same issue affecting other McFarlane Toys figures like Peacemaker and Bloodsport: no guns. It's a shame, too, considering how essential Jason's use of firearms was to Three Jokers and that the figure is clearly sculpted to hold guns akimbo. Our understanding is it's a licensing issue that prevents the figures from being released with firearms, so it isn't McFarlane Toys' fault, but it's still pretty disappointing.
Batgirl is also one of the best interpretations of Babs to date, and in a beautiful rendition of her classic costume, no less. Unfortunately, she's stricken by the side-eye that has been an issue with the line as of late. Batgirl is dynamic and gorgeously sculpted, but she doesn't stand a chance if the problem isn't on her left side. The Batarang she comes with looks great posed as if she's preparing to throw it, at least.
Rounding out the family is the requisite Batman figure, which is, oddly enough, the weakest figure of its own line. That's not necessarily a knock, mind you. The figure is gorgeous and perfectly represents Fabok's Batsuit design, an updated hybrid take on the 1989 Batman suit and the then-current New 52 look. The figure looks and feels great; this is a gorgeous, chunky Batman with some real heft to him that towers over the other figures in the line. Still, something about it -- be the design, the more standard posing or the fairly plain look of the suit -- just doesn't pop as strong next to the stunning Red Hood and Batgirl designs. Against any other range, this Batman would probably stand out; in this wave, it feels like the workhorse of the line.
Sadly, these figures are light on accessories, too. Red Hood only includes his crowbar, while Batgirl comes with a Batarang and a grapnel launcher. Batman has what appears to be an oversized take on the grapnel launcher from the comic (which was based on the one from Batman' 89) with a giant handle. They look fine, but Batman and Batgirl's grapnel launchers don't feel like they're scaled quite right.
Should You Buy the McFarlane Toys Batman: Three Jokers Wave?
Fortunately for the discerning collector, the figures hold up well. We saw no real significant QA issues, though the figures aren't necessarily perfect. Batgirl's head was popped off from the pressure of the cape and hair being held in by the packaging, but it popped right back on and held up even as we tested the figure's joints. Batman has looser joints than we'd like (and it may have just been the one we got), which made posing him a bit of an issue; he has just enough heft to topple over in some poses. Still, once we got him locked in a pose, he was rock solid.
With those in mind, this still feels like a must-have line for Batman fans, especially if you loved Three Jokers or are looking for perfect versions of these characters for your shelf. There have been more than a fair share of these characters released, but these designs are truly incredible, and McFarlane Toys did a spectacular job of capturing their tone in plastic. The Jokers and Red Hood are some of the best we've seen, but if you're looking for a Batman and a Batgirl to add to your collection, you can't go wrong with these versions.
DC Multiverse - Batman: Three Jokers action figures from McFarlane Toys are available for pre-order now at an MSRP of $19.99. CBR received these products for review from the manufacturer.