Made By:
Mattel
Scale:
1/24
MSRP:
US$12.99
Overview: | |
---|---|
Packaging (Design): | 8/10 |
Packaging (Durability): | 9/10 |
Casting (Body): | 7/10 |
Casting (Interior): | 7/10 |
Casting (Chassis): | 7/10 |
Casting (Engine): | 7/10 |
Paint (Exterior): | 8/10 |
Paint (Interior): | N/A |
Paint (Trim/Graphics): | N/A |
Overall Panel Fit: | 9/10 |
Total Score: | 7.8/10 |

Other Batmobile Models
2017: The LEGO Batman Movie (v2)
2005: Batman/Danger Girl
1989: Detective Comics #597
1992: Batman Returns (Review)
2008: Batman and the Outsiders
1995: Batman & Robin
2005: Detective Comics #800
1968: Detective Comics #377
1970: Detective Comics #400
1979: Legends of the Superheroes
2015: Arkham Knight (Review)
1944: Batman #20
2006: Legends of the Dark Knight #198
2022: The Batman (Review)
1992: Batman Returns Batmissile
1944: Batman #25
2017: Justice League (Review)
1969: Detective Comics #394
1980: Batman #330
Other Racing Vehicle Models
‘19 Monster/Napa #19 Camry (Review)
Driven Target CART Racer
Ford GT (Review)
Born 2 Race Subaru Impreza WRX STi
‘64 Corvette GS
Cyber Formula Stealth Jaguar (Review)
Transformers Jazz
Speed Racer F1 Mach 5
Ford v Ferrari 330 P
Transformers Wheeljack
The Circuit Wolf Jota
Rush Ferrari 312 T2 (Review)
Cyber Formula SIN Ogre AN-21 (Review)
Rush McLaren M23
The Fast & the Furious ‘70 Charger
‘13 GoDaddy #10 Chevy SS (Review)
The Circuit Wolf BMW 3.0 CSL
‘15 Rev Racing #4 Camry
Speedway Dodge Charger







Background
After a few years of Spin Master holding the license, Mattel regained it and dropped an all-new "Batman" for 2024 under their Hot Wheels Monster Trucks banner.
Packaging
The 2024 is an evolution of the packaging we first saw in 2010: large plastic blister with a folded cardboard base and separate cardboard backdrop that fits into a slot in the base. The base is simply printed with the classic Hot Wheels blue around the edge. A taller part of the front panel has the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks (Oversized) logo, and to the right of that is the space for the vehicle name. In this case, the "name" is simply the Bat symbol and "2024" set against a dark blue comic style scene of the Gotham skyline. These logos are flanked by the age and material callouts. The truck still sits on muddy terrain, but now with a large Hot Wheels logo in the center. The back panel is the same blue as the base, and has a large Hot Wheels Logo near the top left and an image of Batman and the DC logo at the top right. The back side is printed on brown cardboard (much like their traditional 1/64 vehicles), and has a profile image of the truck, the appropriate DC/Batman branding, and all of the legal information that couldn't fit on the underside of the base. The dome has been changed only so far as to fit Mattel's updated chassis and tire designs.
Casting/Paint
As with Spin Master, Mattel had to come up with their own design for Batman. Essentially, they took a chibified version of the Tumbler and plopped it on top of a monster truck chassis. The main body is diecast metal, which includes the mandibles, upper and lower fuselage, and engine compartment. Plastic is used for the diagonal strakes, upper control surfaces, and jet exhaust. Dark smoke tint translucent plastic is used for the glass. Most of the Tumbler's features are represented, but massively simplified. Control cylinders are half circles, the dorsal planes are a single stairstepped feature, and intakes lack any depth. I'm not counting these against the casting, though - see below.
The updated chassis is further simplified from the original design, now being a single piece that includes the suspension, driveline, steering, interior, and frame. Detail inevitably suffers a bit, especially the underside of the chassis, but it gets the point across. The engine is a separate piece, almost entirely hidden deep in the middle of the truck. Like the chassis, there's not a lot of detail but you get the gist of what's going on. The wheels are nicely done with beadlock, spider, and lugnut details. They carry a set of vinyl tires with Hot Wheels sidewall branding and nice sharp tread detail.
Only the metal section of the body and the engine block have been painted, both in gloss black. The finish is smooth and clean, and a tolerable match to the black plastic. The only parts of the truck that aren't cast in or painted black are the metal axles, which do stand out against their plastic housings.
Features/Accessories
As with the post-2009 Monster Jam chassis, this has angled slots for the axles to allow for steering and some suspension travel. Both work as well as they did before.
Accuracy
There is currently no Batman monster truck, so I assume this is an in-house design from Mattel. It's similar to the truck owned by the Australian company KC's Fireworks in the mid-2000s, but only in the broadest of strokes.
Overall
While it would be easy to dismiss the simplified body as the result of a toy company making a cheap and dirty representation of the Tumbler, I think there's more to it than that. The oversized side windows, reproportioned front cabin and rear engine, and the overall way the body has been interpreted suggest that this was designed as if it was a fully workable truck design. These aren't terribly complex bodies - they're fiberglass shells made to fit over a dedicated roll cage and look good in an arena setting. Individual cylinders, planes, vents, etc. would be lost at a distance and function as easily broken shrapnel in a rollover. This is a caricature of the Tumbler, and works quite well in that regard (stand back about 4-5 feet to look at this, and you're at roughly the equivalent distance you would be watching a 1:1 truck at a show).
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