Subject:
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4x2ReVu: 7888 Bat-Tumbler - Joker's ice cream surprise
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.reviews
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Date:
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Mon, 31 May 2010 21:26:00 GMT
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Ahh..nothing like Summer to bring the kiddies out in droves at the magical,
tinkling timbre of an old fashioned ice cream truck.
Hot and sweating on a
blistering day? Nothing will bring your temperature way down like cool,
quiescent treat from your Uncle Joker!
Hoo-hoo! Come one, come all. I scream,
you scream, we all scream from ice cream!!!
This review is done in retrospect. The 7888 was originally purchased two years
ago when it came out but has been rebuilt (and re-appreciated) for this review.
The 7888 set is a combination of two models. One is a variation on an armored
car/rover and the other is an ice cream truck. The truck is six studs wide and
approximately 16 studs long. There are no side doors for the driver cab (the
cab roof comes off to insert driver) but the two rear (cargo) doors on the truck
do open... not for handing out ice cream but for launching a spring-loaded
missile. A big hood scoop is featured on the front of the truck and there is
also a giant ice cream cone jutting out of the roof (nudging this giant cone
forward fires the missile launcher). There’s actually enough force in the
launcher to knock the rear doors open and hit your desired target (surprise!).
The Bat-tumbler is considerably larger than the ice cream truck. It measures
sixteen studs across and about 27 studs long. There’s no ample description for
the ‘tumbler’ unless you’ve already seen it. It’s probably best to describe it
as a low-sitting humvee-style rover with a centralized cockpit for driver and
passenger. The two front wheels are laterally forked and extend like mandibles.
The two rear wheels are actually two sets of dual-mounted tires. There’s a
single spring-loaded missile launcher mounted in the rear and a ‘flick missile’
is mounted on each side of the chassis (also near the rear). This vehicle is
one of the more vicious looking ground vehicles Lego or the cinema has come up
with in quite some time. The car/tank exterior is not smooth but basically has
a multi-faceted aspect to it adding to the ‘armored’ feel of the vehicle.
Access to the cockpit is given via a hinged hatch that opens to easily fit two
figures inside the car. Once the hatch is closed, it so well fits within the
contour of the exterior design that it’s difficult to note where the outlines of
the hatch begin. In my estimation, a true appreciation of the design of the car
is better gained through actually building or handling the model itself (rather
than from mere pictures).
Designs of both cars are solid. Colors are conservatively used (white and lime
green for the ice cream truck, black and grey with yellow interior highlights
for the tumbler) and the overall collection of plates, sloping elements and even
some technic pieces for the set make for a great collection of parts. Where I
usually enjoy an attempt at an alternate model for medium to larger sets, the
basic design of the tumbler leaves me with the feeling that I just couldn’t come
up with a better model.
Figures in the set include Batman, Joker, and a henchman. Notable accessories
include a pistol, machine gun, Joker’s pop-flag gun, two different kinds of
batarang (maybe one of these isn’t a batarang, die-hard fans will have to inform
me otherwise), batcuffs and two trans-lime green Popsicles (these are cool!!).
There was only one preprinted element for the tumbler (a control panel). A
sticker sheet came to decorate all other parts (panels on the tumbler and ice
cream truck, license plate, etc.).
The Batman models are a marvel to me. Not so much for the design of the models
in general but the incredible way they’ve gone up in price since discontinuing.
Where this set was originally available at $50, it can’t be touched in unopened
status for less than 300 dollars now. This same market appreciation goes for
every other set that was released in this theme (right down to the 76-piece 7884
Escape of Mr. Freeze set).
Bottom line on this particular set is that it’s a great value for the principal
models and pieces. Between this and the 7779 Dragster and 7782 Batwing set
(which were the three I picked up when they were available) this is hands-down
my favorite model. Interested collectors could still probably find this model
alone (without figures or ice cream truck) for around $50-$60.
!!! 4x2ReVu Stats !!!
Rating: 8 out of 8 studs
Pros: Terrific models, great piece assortment, excellent figures.
Walletwise: $50.00 for 449 pieces in it’s original release was a reasonable
price for this outstanding set.
Date: 5/31/10
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