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The Story of DC Comics toys is a long one and a bit complicated. Unlike other mainstream franchises, DC Comics toys were produced by a few different toy companies along the way, but it all began with Mego in 1972. Mego acquired the toy rights to produce action figures based on DC Comics and Marvel characters in the early 70’s, and the World’s Greatest Super Heroes line went on to become their flagship franchise and one of the most successful selling action figure lines of the decade. After Mego’s run ended in 1981, the DC Comics toy license was back up for grabs and Kenner happily snatched them up. Since their iconic Star Wars toy line was coming to an end, they needed another big time franchise to step in, so the DC Super Powers Collection launched their first wave of toys in 1984. Two more waves followed in 1985 and 1986, but interest in the Super Powers line began to wane and came to and end.

After Kenner’s Super Powers Collection ended in 1986, a new company named Toy Biz swooped in to produce DC toys, and attached itself with the biggest blockbuster movie of the year, Batman! They launched their DC Comics Super Heroes line in 1989 with only a few figures and several vehicles and accessories. two more waves of DC characters followed, which included several Batman villains. Kenner returned to the world of DC Comics with many Batman themed lines throughout the 90’s, but the first was a hastily produced and short lived toy line loosely based on the blockbuster Batman move of 1989, called The Dark Knight Collection. The line was rushed and contained only two characters, Batman and the Joker. There were also several vehicles, and a few roleplay accessories. The lack of variety doomed this line from the start and was really just a stop gap until the next big movie hit the theaters in 1992.

Speaking of that next big movie……Batman Returns hit the big screens in 1992, which was promptly followed by Kenner’s latest Batman toy line. This collection featured eighteen new figures, along with deluxe editions, accessories, vehicles, and an impressive Batcave Command Center playset. The Batman Returns toy line sold well and ultimately provided Kenner with the successful franchise they had been seeking. Warner’s Brothers followed that movie with two more, Batman Forever in 1995 and Batman & Robin in 1997. The Batman Forever toy line continued to build on the continued success of its Batman franchise, with a whopping twenty-three standard action figures—many of which were different variations of Batman himself—supported by a wide assortment of deluxe figures, multipacks, accessories, playsets and vehicles. Batman & Robin was the final entry in the original run of Batman films, and Kenner went big with a large and ambitious collection, encompassing a wide range of action figures in multiple formats, supported by an extensive selection of vehicles, playsets, multipacks, and special releases. It should also be noted the Legends of Batman toy line was also released during this timeframe from 1994 through 1997, which was a concept-based assortment that focused on imaginative variations of Batman, Robin, and classic villains rather than direct ties to a TV show or film.

Batman: The Animated Series was a successful animated show that launched in September of 1992 and ran on the Fox Network for 85 episodes until September of 1995. Mid-way through the series’ run, it was re-titled The Adventures of Batman & Robin. The series was hailed as groundbreaking for the super hero genre, receiving widespread praise for its unique design and modernized source material. Kenner released their toy line based on The Batman Animated Series from 1992 until 1994, before rebranding it to The Adventures of Batman & Robin from 1995 to 1997. Unlike all other Batman toy lines, this one had a variety of different characters, which led to its sustained success. The Batman: Animated Series line included a total of 29 standard released figures, along with Deluxe Batman variants, a 15″ Ultimate Batman figure, an impressive Batcave Command Center playset, accessories and 13 vehicles. And if that wasn’t enough, Kenner also gave us a small wave of figures called “Crime Squad” and another based on the animated movie Mask of the Phantasm. The Adventures of Batman & Robin line included only 9 standard released figures, highlighted by the action figure debut of Harley Quinn. In addition, there was a second wave of Crime Squad figures and another sub-set called the “Duo Force”.

Over its long and storied history many quality Batman products have been released over the years by Mego, Toy Biz and Kenner. Just like every toy line, the values of certain items can greatly fluctuate over time. This is based on several factors, including the item’s time period, scarcity, consumer demand and overall condition. The good news for Batman collectors is there always a demand for these items, as Kenner, Mego and even Toy Biz created some truly iconic pieces. Loose individual Mego figures can still be found on the secondary market in varying degrees. The same goes for the playsets and accessories. Carded or boxed items can still fetch quite a bit of money. Kenner’s Super Powers line has gained a cult following by DC fans and has remained insanely popular. The Toy Biz line still holds nostalgia for many fans and collectors, but can be easily found on the secondary market. The remainder of Kenner’s Batman toy lines of the 90’s (Dark Knight Collection, Batman Returns, Batman Animated Series, Adventures of Batman and Robin, Legends of Batman, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin) can usually be found at affordable prices, but later wave releases in each line can be a bit more expensive. Values on Batman items remain steady with values and prices always inching up each year. The market remains strong due to an ever present nostalgia and a rabid fan base. The figures, playsets, vehicles, and other accessories from the various Batman lines will only increase in value as these figures and sets become harder to find in the future, especially with James Gunn’s new DCU creating more excitement with the promise of further Batman movies and appearances.