Batman Fans Can Own The Dark Knight's Most Controversial Costume - As A Toy

Azrael's Batman is getting a brand-new action figure, bringing one of his darkest times as the hero to life.

Jean-Paul Valley's Azrael became Batman in the 1990s, sporting an overdesigned suit of armor as he took over for the Dark Knight after the villainous Bane broke his back — famously adapted on the big screen in "The Dark Knight Rises." In the "Knightfall" arc, Azrael's Batman takes to the streets, offering a more brutal version of the hero. However, despite the injured Bruce Wayne's Batman believing Azrael could do well in the role, Valley slowly becomes increasingly unstable, unpredictable, and violent. In "Batman: KnightsEnd," he loses the trust of Wayne, who retrains his body to become Batman after his serious injury to stop Azrael from causing harm in Gotham.

In the "KnightsEnd" storyline, Azrael's Batman wears a color variation of his usual Dark Knight look, with a red helmet and cape, gold armor, and a tactical grey suit underneath. McFarlane Toys revealed that it is adapting the look into a new action figure, showcasing the "Batman: KnightsEnd™ 7" scale figure" on X, formerly known as Twitter. Considering Azrael's "KnightsEnd" costume is very '90s, featuring a flamboyant design, many pouches (a trademark of the era), and a handful of unique armor details, seeing it adapted from the page is an incredibly exciting development.

The response online to McFarlane teasing the Azrael from "Batman: KnightsEnd" has been quite positive. @Wes_Green responded to the company, saying, "Now THIS is how you make a freaking action figure!!!" Another user, @GJMartinez81, commented, "Oh, I'm definitely getting this figure. I'm a big fan of Azrael and especially this armor." @MattSaidThat24 added that he was bummed to miss out on the previous Gold Label Azrael Knightfall release, which was a Walmart exclusive featuring the hero in his most popular armor, but will jump at the chance to get the KnightsEnd version. "Now this is a must grab I missed out on the first one, so I'm happy to get another opportunity to grab it," he wrote.

While Azrael's Batman might seem like a minor, inconsequential character to do an action figure for, his popularity in the '90s means collectors today have long been waiting for McFarlane to do different versions of the hero, especially in such detail. With the "KnightsEnd" Azrael, toy collectors can own an item they've wanted to see for decades. Overall, it perfectly captures what made the version of Batman so beloved during a transitional era for the character. The Azrael (Batman Armor) from Batman: KnightsEnd 7" scale figure pre-order officially begins at select retailers on February 29. Details on which extras might come with the figure haven't yet been revealed.