Pulp Arcana Studios: The Gray Ghost Lives

From Broadcast to Back Alley: The Gray Ghost Lives Again

Batman: The Animated Series is far and away my favorite rendition of the Dark Knight. The slightly retro vibe to the technology—and especially the architecture of Gotham—gives the show a classic pulp feel that I absolutely adore. The storytelling has a seriousness to it that is not marred by being overly edgy or complicated. One of my favorite episodes introduces a character who was young Bruce Wayne’s childhood hero: a shadowy pulp crimefighter by the name of the Gray Ghost. A clear homage to the pulp characters like the Shadow and the Spider who influenced Bill Finger and Bob Kane when they created Batman, The Gray Ghost was voiced by none other than 1960’s Batman, Adam West.

Now, we have a figure of this gray-clad crime fighter, and I am beyond excited.

A PULP ARCANA FIGURE FIELD REPORT Mission Brief: McFarlane Gray Ghost Figure Review

Artifact Identified:

The Gray Ghost
DC Direct – Batman: The Animated Series
McFarlane Toys

OUT OF THE CRATE:

The McFarlane packaging uses a clear front window that showcases the figure and accessories. I always appreciate this, especially since I tend to pick up McFarlane DC figures in-store rather than online. Seeing the figure clearly before purchase makes a difference.

My one gripe is the back of the box: it’s entirely devoted to art and build-a-figure instructions for Jonah Hex. Now, I like Jonah Hex as much as the next guy—maybe even more—but I wish we had gotten dedicated artwork showcasing the Gray Ghost himself, like we get on the side-panel.

THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILS:

As for the sculpt, its greatest strength is also its limitation: it looks exactly like the animated series. It captures that stylized Bruce Timm art style perfectly, which gives the figure an appealing authenticity. But the tradeoff is that the features are soft and simplified. He looks excellent alongside other Batman: The Animated Series figures, but won’t mesh as well with the more detailed McFarlane comic-style releases. It also is a smaller scale, closer to a 6 inch Marvel Legends in size than a typical DC Multiverse figure.

The paint applications are clean and my figure looked great, even up close and under the camera. However, the majority of the figure is the cool gray of the over coat and the darker gray of cape and hat. Still, the blue of the goggles pops nicely, whether on the shelf or in a photo.

Accessories, though, are a home run. We get the iconic toy bomb car from the episode, a sleek pistol, and my personal favorite touches: a VHS copy of The Gray Ghost that fits in an open hand, and an alternate right hand holding a pen—perfect for signing autographs. These deep-cut inclusions are exactly what fans of the episode will love, and I was thrilled to see them.

MOBILITY AND MANEUVERS:

Double-jointed knees move smoothly, and there’s some upper leg rotation, though a full thigh swivel would’ve been welcome for more dynamic posing. Ankle articulation is solid enough to allow stable standing stances. The legs will give you some poses and can replicate some specific movements, but deep crouches, high kicks, and wide splits are not in the cards.

The neck gives decent up and down for the chin and side to motion for the head. This is definitely a benefit, as the majority of character presence and story-telling for your poses for this figure is going to come from the head, with its bright blue goggles breaking up the swath of gray for the majority of the figure.

The arms are more limited. Single-jointed elbows restrict movement, but can still achieve believable aiming or gesturing poses. The biggest articulation issue lies in the torso. The soft plastic overlay of the trench coat limits any meaningful ab crunch, and overall range of motion in the midsection is minimal.

That said, in the episode the Gray Ghost is a middle-aged actor well past his pulp prime, so maybe limited flexibility is on-brand. Still, for fans hoping for heroic rooftop crouches or action-ready leaps, the articulation falls far short.

While the figure can strike some iconic silhouettes, he’s better suited for brooding museum poses than full-on alleyway brawls.

RECOVERED EVIDENCE:

FINAL RECKONING:

The Gray Ghost is a nostalgia-powered artifact for fans of Batman: The Animated Series. McFarlane delivers a figure that nails the look and spirit of the character. While the articulation is limited and the sculpt is too stylized to blend with other figure lines, the accessories and show accuracy are top-tier. Ultimately, this gives us a figure made for display and memory more than for battlefield posing. It is a fantastic addition to any collection focusing on Batman: The Animated Series, but will likely not have the overall appeal needed to capture a wider audience.