(Mostly) a Review: Batman Power Attack Blast and Battle Batcave!

This is an odd time of year for action figure fans. San Diego Comic-Con just teased the rest of the year's new releases and brought a pile of exclusives; yet in many stores the shelves are being reset and old figures are being pushed out the door on clearance. Gently pushed in some cases: I saw more than a couple prices that were only maybe a dollar or so less, and didn't feel like a great deal. Today's purchase seemed like more of a steal, though: the Batman Power Attack Blast and Battle Batcave!

Actually, if you do a quick Amazon search for "Batcave" you can see there's been more than a few in recent years. Lego, Trio, Imaginext--that last one's pretty sweet. They all seem to share a few of the same design elements though: gray or black stone cave walls, with blueish metal supports; a door that may become a ramp or drawbridge; a big central computer terminal with multiple monitors inspired by the Burton Batman; maybe a holding cell (although I'm hard-pressed to think of the last time I saw Batman hold anyone in the cave...) and probably a huge and presumably neon Bat-symbol over the whole thing like a bar sign. BPAB&BBC follows suit, even with the optional extras like the "working elevator!" and the zip-line.

(Seriously, apparently Batman never sits...)

The zip-line is actually a metal rod, that snaps into to a pivot point, and has a little plastic clip to attach an action figure and slide them down. It's minutes of fun! Actually, it doesn't seem like that lengthy of a trip down the line, since the rod is less than two feet long; and the clip seems designed to clip on the forearm of a Power Attack figure--just not Batman, since his forearms have the traditional armguard ridges! The zip-line would work pretty well with any Power Attack Robin figure (sold separately!) and you can try to trigger the trapdoor to drop a bad guy figure (sold separately!) into the jail cell.

The jail cell is kind of neat, with a stout-seeming door with a turnable lock, and the aforementioned trapdoor roof. It might be my favorite feature of the set! The elevator is somewhat rickety, but slides well enough; and the drawbridge door appears to be the perfect width for either the Blast Lane or Power Attack Batmobiles (need I say it?) and hopefully the upcoming classic 1966 Batmobile.

As usual, the Batcave has absolutely no OSHA compliance. By the top of the elevator shaft, there is a little pop-out ledge where you can place the spring-loaded cannon. It reminds me of American Gladiators, honestly. Rounding out the set is an included Batman figure in gray with a cloth cape. The Power Attack figures only have five points of articulation (shoulders, hips, neck) but are very kid-friendly.

I am mildly disappointed the cave didn't come with a chair or console for Batman to work in front of the monitors, although the included figure wouldn't be articulated enough to use it. That upper floor isn't very deep, either; so you may not be able to pack the Batcave with figures.

Batman Power Attack Blast and Battle Batcave originally retailed for $42 or thereabouts; but Target (and apparently Amazon) are going half that now. Which makes me wonder if the bigger-ticket Batman items are moving off shelves: I picked up the Total Destruction Batmobile for $14.99, and you may even be able to do better than that, since you might find a pile of those at various discount retailers. This Batcave isn't an item aimed at the "adult collector," but it is a bit of fun and might make a nice backdrop, so keep an eye on those clearance aisles!