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Class of Bootleg Class 2 - Duplicated and Modified
Class Notes: Molds used from both Animated and Forever figures.
Bootleg Source: Kenner Batman Toys (Specif. Batman Movie Line and Animated Series)
Bootleg Rating: StarStarStarStar (Four out of five stars)
Sightings:Canada
Vintage:Winter 1997

Batworld Card Front This is another Bootleg in the long line of Batman Animated/Movie figures. Following in the tradtion of Bat-Hero and Companion, the Batman Animated name has been changed - this time to BATWORLD.

All of the figures in this set come on a modified Tornado Batman cardback. All refrences to DC Comics have been removed, and every instance of Batman has been replaced with Batworld. This makes it read as if Batworld is the name of the character, as opposed to a location he can be found....

"W-W-Who ARE you??"

"I'm Batworld!"

Anyway, like most BTAS-Boots, the backer card has art on both sides. As seen below, the top of the card back features several Batmen whose molds were utilized for the Batworld line. Again, all refrences to Batman are replaced with Batworld.

Batworld Card Back
There are at least nine distinct figures in this set. A weapon color variation has been found on one of them, so presumably there are other color-combos to be found.

The weapons that accompany the figures are lifted from various Batman Animated and Batman Forever figures. There are three basic "assortments" that occur:

  1. Tornado-Batman Gas Mask, Axe, and Sword
  2. Staff from Ground-Assault Batman, Pincher
  3. Sword, Axe, Mace
And two figure-specific assortments: If the figure has a cape, it is a molded black one from, I think, a Forever figure. Most of the Animated series figures here originally came with a cloth cape.

Here's a closer look at each of the offerings:

Tornado Batman

Tornado Batworld

This is the figure that most closely resembles the card-art. This figure is lifted directly from the Tornado Batman from the Animated Series. The painting on the figure is pretty close, although the Bat-Symbol is absent from Batworld's chest.

He comes with accessory pack 1, wich at least includes the Tornado-Batman gas-mask shown on the card. The other two weapons, however, are new additions. The cape is, of course, ill-fitting and not original to the figure.

The detailing is pretty accurate, although the painters didn't stay within the lines at all times - there is significant overspray on the figure's legs.

Deep Dive Batman

Pirahna Blade Batworld

I'm pretty sure on the name for this one. I checked the Batman Animated Archives and found a picutre, but the pictures for this series weren't clearly labeled. In any event, the colors are from a Crime Squad Batman repaint. The painting is done in green and white, with black accents on the trunks, cowl, boots and gloves. Again, the Bat-Symbol is missing from the figure's chest.

The body of this figure is from the most poplular of all Batman Animated molds - Aniti-Freeze Batman. This mold has been used over and over again, most notably as Superman in the Superhero bootleg line.

This Batworld comes with accessory kit #1, none of which came with the original figure.

Air Assault Batman

Air Assault Batworld

Another figure I had to go running to the Archives to ID. There sure are a lot of Batman repaints!

This figure is done up in black with silver triangle highlights. The belt is in yellow, and again the Bat-Symbol has been left off.

This figure comes with accessory pack #3. It is interesting to note that the handles on the axe and mace are much too small to be eaily utilized by Batworld. I guess they're just for show.

This is still a tough looking Batworld, at least to me.

Lightning Strike Batman

Lightning Strike Batworld

Very similar to the figure above, it has white highlights instead of silver, and the graphics are a bit more "lightning like". The Bat-Repaints really step over each other territory, no? At least the two figures were from different waves of the Animated Line, and they use different molds for the actual figure.

Continuing the trend, the Bat-Symbol has been left off the figure's chest. The yellow paint needed for it is present on the figure's belt, so the lack is a bit puzzling.

Finally, this Batworld comes with accessory pack #1, again with no relation to the figure's original equipment list.

Cyber-Gear Batman

Cyber-Gear Batworld

The painting on this Batworld is pretty bad. The gold highlights on the Cyber-Gear are just sort of haphazardly sprayed all over the base figure. AGAIN, the Bat-Symbol is left off, despite the presence of yellow paint on the belt.

The figure comes with the popular Accessory Pack #1, maintaining the lack of continuity between original figure and weapons.

This is probably my least favorite of the Batworld Bootlegs. It just lacks punch in the coolness department. Oh well.

Decoy Batman

Decoy Batworld

From the Mask of the Phantasm line, we have the Decoy Batman ripoff. The base figure is pretty accurate, following the color scheme employed by Kenner. The decoy, however, is a bit wacky.

With a green cape and red chest-piece, the decoy changes the Bruce Wayne figure into a sort of Robin/Batman hybrid. Still no Bat-Symbol, though.

This is the only figure to feature a cloth cape in the Batworld line, and comes with none of the standard accessory assortments. He does come with a crossbow-looking-thingie, in addition to the cowl.

Retro Batman

Retro Batworld

Probably the coolest figure in the Batman Animated stable, Retro Batman offers a good basic Batman, even if the suit is painted in a light blue/silver. It was the first normal-looking Batman since the Comabat Belt Batman of the very first Batman Animated Assortment.

He comes with accessory pack two, with the Ground-Assault rod cast in hot pink. Of course, no correlation to Reto-Batman's stuff. BUT.....Look at the chest! For the only time in the Batworld set, the Bat-Symbol is present! Of course, it's not painted very well, but at least it's there!

One interesting feature of the Batworld in my collection is the face...when the plastic was poured for this figure's head, the mold wasn't filled completely. As a result, I got a cool "Scarface" Batworld, as shown in the detail below.

Scarface

Forever w/pink weapon

Batworld Forever

This same figure mold showed up in the Total Justice line. I couldn't remember the figure's name there either, apparently. Anyway, this figure is from the first wave of Batman Forever movie figures. It orignally came with the first of the now ever-present Kenner Disc Launchers as an accessory. (Knight-Disc Batman? Nahhh.)

The Batwold version of this figure is painted reasonalby accurately, but still lacks the effing Bat-Symbol.

Batworld comes with Accessory Pack #2. Versions of this figure have been found with both a Black and Hot-Pink staff. Both are shown here. It is interesting to note that the other Batman Forever figure in this line - Fireguard Batworld - comes with accessories kept directly with the figure, while this Batwold uses a more generic approach.

Forever w/black weapon

Fireguard Batman

Fireguard Batworld

Another popular mold to bootleg, the Fireguard Batman from the Batman Forever movie line has also turned up in the Batmen Fovever and Galaxy Ninja bootleg lines. The accessories (in particular that goofy looking gun) have shown up in the Superhero line of bootlegs.

This figure comes with accessories specific to the figure, although the color scheme is a bit off from the Kenner version.

The painting on the figure itself is, again, fairly close to Kenner, but the Bat-Symbol fails to make an appearance. The figure has a bright-yellow oversray on the shoulders that looks very powdery and fake. The Kenner version has a much more airbrushed look to it.

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