It's that time of year when the Batman News team helps with the holiday shopping. However, rather than post one article with all of our favorite Batman merch of the year listed out with a mere one or two sentences per gift idea we're going to highlight one item or brand each day. This way we can provide more details about why we think a candle or vinyl record deserves a spot on your Bat-wish list!
Roaring into Day One of the 2022 Batman Gift Guide is the Hot Wheels RC Batmobile from Matt Reeves' The Batman. We picked this one to kick things off because it's guaranteed to satisfy fans of all ages, from those that want to play to those that want to keep a collectible mint-in-box. It's genuinely fun to drive and it sports screen-accurate features that make it a terrific showpiece for those who aren't RC enthusiasts.
Hot Wheels' RC Batmobile is a thrilling, entry-level RC Car capable of hitting 10 MPH in no-time. It is rear-wheel drive and boasts surprisingly great suspension, making it great for outdoor operation. Hot Wheels claims it can handle tough terrain like sand and gravel, and while I don't have any sand to traverse I was able to test drive the vehicle over a gravel road. Rest assured, had there been any crime on that stretch of rocks the RC Batmobile would have stopped it. It was not phased by the bumpy terrain in the slightest. It also picked up a bit of muddy splatter around the wheel wells which only made it look more screen-accurate.
Speaking of looks, the car boasts an excellent body mold and matte finish to make it a spot-on replica... minus all the "spots" that is... Yeah, there are no imperfections. This is Pattinson's Batmobile on patrol numero uno. It's spotless, so you'll have to provide your own battle damage by applying various art supplies, if you so wish to enhance the appearance with faux distressing for an even more impressive shelf display. You're not likely to pick up many dents through regular wear-and-tear, at least not right away, as the soft plastic body is incredibly forgiving on collisions. I know. I'm not a good RC driver and I've crashed Batman's ride quite a bit over the past two weeks. I'll also add that it doesn't really gather fingerprints, but it does attract dust and gather light scuffs easily and somehow this actually enhances the look of it and makes it appear all the more rugged and, well, like what we saw in the movie. And that has to make this the first time where I've ever been able to say that "shows dirt" and "easy to scratch" are strengths rather than flaws.
For added flair, the Batmobile shines white headlights and an equally vibrant orange jet exhaust that make for some visually brilliant night time driving. However, I will say that I wish there were more lights integrated into the design, especially on the hood. The amount of fire rolling off the Batmobile in various shades of orange and blue was a big part of what made it so intimidating. What made it even more aggressive on film, though, was the sound and this Batmobile doesn't feature any sound effects, which is a real shame. It does allow you to insert your own action figure into the surprisingly detailed cab, though, and that's something I think children and adults can have fun experimenting with.
As for how you actually control the car, it includes a full-function remote that boasts a pistol grip design featuring a trigger for forward and reverse, plus a steering wheel that resembles one of the tires (if you look closely you can see bats molded into the rubber tread). The remote uses a pair of AA batteries to power it on while the Batmobile itself charges with an included USB cable. You'll get about 20 minutes of driving in and then, unfortunately, you'll have to wait about 2 hours before you can get back to cruising the streets of Gotham... err, I mean, your neighborhood sidewalk.
Whether you want something that'll look good on a shelf or flying off a makeshift ramp in your backyard, Hot Wheels' RC Batmobile definitely fits the bill. It's currently an Amazon Exclusive with a price fluctuating between $87-107.00 and I think it's well worth it. Especially when you consider Hot Wheels' deluxe version (that sold out) was $500 bucks and if you want anything of comparable quality you'll need to look toward somebody like Hot Toys whose preorders of their version of the Batmobile will be over $600 and you can't even take it for a joyride!
Disclaimer: Batman News was provided a sample of this item for the purpose of this article.
