Both of these sculpts are complete reissues of past releases. Clayface is exactly the same figure seen a few years ago, and while that might make him redundant to some of you out there, it doesn't by any means make his sculpt a weak one. He's full of so many details that he's a real pleasure to look at over and over again. A majority of his body looks to be composed of a semi-liquid mud that convincingly appears as if it's sliding down his frame under the effects of gravity. He's like a droopy skinned grandmother without an ounce of botox for miles, escept that in this case it's a good thing. This really nice effect is achieved through a combination of sculpted wrinkles and layers, as well as actual added layers of plastic on top of the basic sculpt to add even more three-dimensionality and visible levels of mud. It turns out particularly well at his feet, which actually have flattened sections around the edges to suggest that the mud is pooling on the ground. This sculpting all "flows" together really nicely, and only in a couple spots does it ever look the least bit awkward. Other parts seem to have a harder, more rock-like quality. There are some spikes, and globs that stick out of him, and these add a cool diversity to his appearance. The neatest effects are the strands of mud in his hands, connecting finger to finger, much like you would imagine mud separating. This is some of the Four Horseman's finest detail work, effectively capturing a character that is otherwise difficult to envision. Clayface is proportionately very inhuman, with tiny little legs and a monstrous torso, almost gorilla like in appearance. This has a much more DC Animated Universe feel, but I think it has still translated well into the more realistic proportions of DC Universe Classics, just because he's a whimsical character anyway. All of this is pulled together with the head sculpt, capturing the shapes and unique scope to match his body. The expression is one of unrelenting anger, with a glimmer of stupidity. It's a near-perfect sculpt without a single lacking element. There's really very little to complain about when looking specifically at the sculpt. 
     Batman isn't quite so amazing, but turned out pretty good too. If you've been following DC Universe Classics in its entirety, then you've seen this exact sculpt on the Series 1 release. The head sculpt is a no-nonsense classic look at Batman with a stern expression and square jaw. The bat-ears are a little dull, but just the right length, while edges around his mask are sharp enough and keep his face a distinct entity. The body proportions are a pretty basic heroic standard that don't take muscle groups into steroid territory and still keep Bruce looking fit enough to fight. His boots and gloves are sculpted in instead of just relying on paint to define them and there are some added costume wrinkles on his shorts, ankles, and wrists to help bring things to life. Both of his hands are open, and while having one that way to hold his comic-styled batarang is a good idea, seeing the other as a closed fist would have been an improvement. The cape looks great with deep-set folds and pointed tips, but for some reason it doesn't sit very well on his shoulders, rising up to meet his chin instead of resting firmly. That's not a deal-breaker, but it does look funny when you notice it. Batman also has the ever-present flat crotch which bothers me more on some figures than others, and for whatever reason, I keep looking at Batman's crotch in disgust.

Batman's Sculpt Score: 8 / 10

Clayface's Sculpt Score: 10 / 10

     This Batman figures' paint may have been one of the most discussed topics of the toy world in the last year. There are a huge number of people (me included) who wanted to see a Batman just like this one, but without the "crap" (see comic) splattered all over it. I'm a little biased here, but I'm putting that aside as best I can and judging this fellow on the quality of his paint, and quite frankly, the crap splatters aren't very well done anyway. Few of the patterns look like natural globs of mud that might come from fighting Clayface, and most come off too clip-artish. I also feel like his whole costume should just have a muddy wash if they really wanted to give the mud effect an honorable treatment, or at least recreated the stains as actual physical globs  instead of invisibly thin stains (I've seen mistakes on other DCUC figures that would have made for very realistic mud spots). They did do what they intended relatively well (i.e., deny people their real Batman!), because the stains are very cleanly cut and visible to the eye, just poorly designed. The rest of his applications are mediocre at best with some stray paint marks and rough cut lines between colors. The emblem turned out clean and centered, and his face and eyes are crisp too. The colors all work well together and look like the Batman we all know and love (unless of course you're a blue Batman fan). It may be worth noting that the mud splatter color is actually a shade lighter than Clayface himself, so I have to question the authenticity of these "mud" splatters (again, see comic).
     Clayface is cast in this reddish dark-brown color, except for two very different places, his arms. They are actually made of rubber instead of the usual plastic used for the rest of his body, and as such are actually a distinct color. They're much lighter, but also have a matte appearance instead of his shiny plastic. I think both look independently good, and I'd be happy if the figure was entirely composed of either look, but instead we have a Clayface with some sort of weird mutant arms that don't match his body, and it looks silly. If you live in a cave and use fireflies for light, you may not be able to notice, but even in standard house lighting, it's a clear difference (not quite as bad as in my photos though). Aside from that big issue, the work here is relatively well done. There is a nice dark wash (and maybe even a light one) over a lot of his body to help bring out the sculpt details. His teeth are painted well and seem as if they could be rocks or dried clay, so they don't look out of place. His eyes aren't quite as clear, with a little slop migrating to his face. A really nifty detail is that the inside back of his mouth is actually painted a darker shade of brown which makes it look like the shadowed inside it should be.

Batman's Paint Score: 5 / 10

Clayface's Paint Score: 6 / 10

     Batman features the reigning DCUC standard for articulation (pictured above), which is a pretty solid amount of points that allow him to achieve a good number of poses and display options without compromising the attractiveness of the sculpt too much. Most all of Batman's joints feel solid and have full ranges of movement, not to mention that these are the tightest DCUC joints I've found yet, and that's a great change I hope to see more of. I say "most all" because his swivel wrists feel very gummy, as if the peg inside will tear at any time when you're turning them. They work, but precariously. Clayface is totally different than your average DCUC figure in this category. First and foremost, his arms are rubber with a metal rod inside, supposedly able to be shaped almost anyway you'd like them to be. This might be great in theory, and produced as such to simulate his mud-like qualties, but it's actually really poorly executed. It's almost impossible to shape the arms in any natural pose, and doing so makes the wire inside feel as if it will puncture the rubber at any point (mine actually did create a small tear very quickly). I can appreciate the thought and intent, but people complained when the original figure had these problems, and I think Mattel and their customers would have been better served by giving him plastic arms articulated in the normal style, or at least as close to it as possible without changing the sculpt too much. Alas, we're stuck with this, and it's not very functional. The rest of his joints work well, and you can find a surprising number of ways to pose his legs and keep him balanced even if most of the joints are at least a little limited by the sculpt. The neck is very limited by his sculpt, so don't expect a lot of range there.

Batman's Articulation Score: 9 / 10

 

Batman's Fun Score: 9 / 10

     This two pack is only avalable at online retailers, and seems to average out at about $25, but then there is the added shipping that means you won't find one of these for a total price of less than $30. That's $15 apiece for two figures that have already been extensively released, and only with minor modifications. This is definitely not worth it if you already own Clayface and don't care for this Batman, and even if you're in it for both fellows, it's still hard to accept that hefty price tag. They're not exceptionally well made like 6 inch figures from Mezco or NECA that warrant a slightly higher price tag, and they also feel a little flimsy in spots (wrists and arms respectively), so I'm afraid to issue a statement of confidence regarding their durability. The packaging is nothing special enough to cost extra, and there is only one very tiny accessory to add to the value here. In reality, neither of these figures is worth what they cost, but due to his size and previous rarity, Clayface does end up a little better

Batman's Value Score: 5 / 10

Clayface's Value Score: 6 / 10

 

Batman's Summary

8 - Simple but effective body with some good details and just a few problem areas

5 - Mud splatter is undesired and poorly done along with other weak application amidst nicely chosen colors.

9 - A tight joint set and diverse number of points that are mostly free of problems.

9 - He's Batman, includes a batarang, and his articulation leads to some interesting possibilities.

5 - Overpriced for an average sized figure that's all parts we've seen before.

 

Clayface's Summary

10 - A well designed and attractive sculpt with a plethora of details.

6 - Some good effects but occasionally sloppy with a huge color matching problem. 

6 - Lower half works really well despite some movement limitations, but his arms ruin it as they're difficult to manipulate and flimsy.

8 - He's big and fun to look at but his frustrating arms will try your patience.

6 - A relief to those who couldn't find him before, but he lacks durability and is still overpriced.