For some reason the whole The Dark Knight Rises merchandising didn’t hit me in the face as The Avengers did. Maybe it’s because I’m so used to seeing Batman memorabilia all the time that it all looks the same. The only reason I know it’s marketed as The Dark Knight Rises comes from the words on the packaging. But leave it to a four-year old toddler to make you aware of the situation especially when he points out that he wants The Dark Knight Rises Cowl and Batarang Playset.

My son loves dressing up as different characters and pretend he is going out to battle evildoers. He has the Thor hammer that lights up and makes noises. He wanted a Captain America shield (translation: frisbee) to which I quickly said no. He has a couple of domino masks to pretend that he is Robin the Boy Wonder. But he doesn’t have a Batman mask at all. I usually turn a blind eye to these masks. He has tried many different ones at the store that includes Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, and Wolverine. While they all look good, I just didn’t like the hard plastic. The edges do cut into the skin if it isn’t on properly. They also crack eventually. Considering how rough he is with his toys, I knew he would hurt himself in the process.

But The Dark Knight Rises Cowl and Batarang Playset is actually different from all of these. Instead of hard plastic as with all the other ones we have seen, the Batman cowl is constructed with with flexible vinyl. I really love this so much better because the cowl will conform to your face. While this is meant for children four years and up, I had to try it on myself to see if I liked the material. I found myself wearing it on my face quite comfortably despite the fact that it’s on the smaller scale. This is because I was right in my assessment that the cowl would be flexible to sit on top of my face. I’m sure I looked ridiculous wearing a smaller sized cowl but I can honestly say that I didn’t even know it was on me.

The construction of the cowl is amazing. It looks exactly what Christian Bale wears in the movie with the pointed nose and stark brows. The horns aren’t even that long and obtrusive. There is ample space in between the mask and the nose in order to breathe properly. It fastens around your head with a flexible string that attaches to either side of the cowl near the eye sockets.

A bronze batarang is included with the set. The bat is shaped as the logo used for the movie. There is a combination of materials. The shape of the bat Is constructed of a harder plastic, similar to a plastic beach pail. But the edges are lined with soft and flexible rubber. It helps maintain its form and makes it safe for playability. Obviously this shouldn’t be thrown directly into anyone’s face for safety reasons.

The Dark Knight Rises Cowl and Batarang Playset really impresses with its construction and material usage. It’s also reasonably priced at $9.95. To show just how much my son loves this, he saw it at Target and put it on his face. The packaging was still intact, as the batarang is packaged up in the ears area. So throughout the store, he elicited some great reactions from people who saw a mini Batman riding around in a Target shopping cart. That’s my boy, the next Caped Crusader.


_____________________________________________________________


***This is part of my 2012 Funny Pages Write-Off. Let your inner geekdom out. You have until the end of July.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 9.95
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years