Countdown to Christmas 2025 Day 9: Hot Wheels Batman 5-Pack 2026

I also picked up this Hot Wheels Batman 5-pack 2926 last week as an early Christmas present to myself. I found it at the local Walmart's and it was the only one so I had to grab it before it was gone. The diecast vehicles include the Batmobile from the 1989 Batman movie, Gotham City Police Department SWAT Armored Truck, Killer Croc 70s Van, Catwoman Blvd Bruiser and the Batplane from tv's Batman: Animated Series. This makes my eighth Batman 5-pack.

Hot Wheels Batman 5-Pack 2026

Close up of 1989 Batman Movie Batmobile, GCPD SWAT Armored Truck and Killer Croc 70s Van

Close up of Catwoman Blvd Bruiser and Batman: Animated Series Batplane

Batman Stickers From Dollar Tree

I picked up this pack of ninety-six Batman stickers from the local Dollar Tree a few weeks ago. There are four sheets with twenty-four stickers on each sheet but there are only eight different stickers. Batman has four different stickers while Man-Bat, Killer Croc, Joker and Two-Face each has one sticker. They should have called this set Batman and His Villains set. Maybe there will be one with the various Robins and Batgirls in the Bat Family Stickers packs in the future. Yes, the pack of stickers cost me $1.25 thanks to Dollar Tree raising their prices but it's still a cool addition to my sticker collection.

Batman Stickers from Dollar Tree

Batman: Gotham Knight DVD

Batman: Gotham Knight is a DC Universe two-disc dvd set that I picked up at the local Dollar Tree a few weeks ago. Kevin Conroy is the voice of Batman in all six segments. I was surprised by the appearances of Killer Croc and Deadshot. This direct-to-dvd animated movie was released in 2008 and has a mostly anime feel to it. I did like the four episodes of Batman: The Animated Series but I have yet to watch the Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story documentary.

 

Batman Jumbo Coloring & Activity Book 2010 Covers With 2018 Interiors

I picked up a few new superhero coloring books at the local Dollar Tree earlier. Among them was this Batman Jumbo Coloring & Activity Book. The most odd thing about it is that the copyright on the front page and back cover is for 2010 but all the other interior pages show the copyright as 2018. I can only conclude that this was a rushed reprint error. The Robin that appears in this one is Tim Drake since there is a word search puzzle with his name plus the costume pretty much indicates that it is him. The villains that appear include the Joker, Penguin, Killer Croc, Man-Bat, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze and the Riddler. The activity pages include mazes, word searches, squares, puzzles, which is different,  crack the code, draw, make a match and unscramble words.

Batman Jumbo Coloring & Activity Book 2010 Front Cover

Batman Jumbo Coloring & Activity Book 2010 Back Cover

Batman Jumbo Coloring & Activity Book 2018 Sample featuring Batman

Batman Jumbo Coloring & Activity Book 2018 Sample featuring Batman & Robin

Batman Jumbo Coloring & Activity Book 2018 Sample featuring Batman fighting Joker

Batman Jumbo Coloring & Activity Book 2018 Sample featuring Batman & Penguin Maze

Countdown to Halloween 2019 Day 14: Gotham City Monsters #1 and #2

Gotham City Monsters is a six issue mini-series from DC Comics that started last month. The cover of #1 features Killer Croc, Frankenstein, Andrew Bennett, Orca and Lady Clay. The story takes place in MonsterTown, a section of Gotham City where monsters dwell. Andrew Bennett battles mad vampire monks before searching for their new king. Killer Croc is bummed because he can't find a "normal" job due to his looks after being released from the Suicide Squad. His friend, Tusk, offers him some opera tickets at the Magus Theatre, which he refuses. Frankenstein basically tracks down a possessed minotaur in a bar before setting him on fire. Grace Balin aka Orca attacks a ship in the harbor with a shipment for Bane, who now rules Gotham City, before retreating to her cave. Sandra Fuller aka Lady Clay flies to her apartment before heading to the Magus theatre. She enters disguised as man in a suit.

In the MonsterTown Station, Frankenstein learns from a talking mandrill that his master is giving an opera and would love for him to attend. A group of mandrills move a giant cauldron filled with bubbling green goop inside the Magus Theatre. Andrew Bennett joins a watchful Frankenstein on the roof of the theatre. They share information about Melmoth, the Monarch of Mars. Frankenstein literally cuts Bennett in half with a giant sword because he had bitten one of the vampire monks tainted with Melmoth's blood.

Inside the Magus Theatre, the mandrills are on stage with the cauldron while music is playing. A magician named the Red Phantom is being held captive in one full-length mirror while a demonic Melmoth is in another. The green goop goes to the enthralled audience including Tusk and Lady Clay like stardust before they start foaming at the mouth. I won't spoil the ending but it's a good one so pick up Gotham City Monsters #1.

The cover of Gotham City Monsters #2 features a demonic Melmoth stepping out of the bat-signal while holding Andrew Bennett. At his feet are the defeated bodies of Frankenstein, Lady Clay and Orca. I won't go into much detail about this issue except to say that there is more to the Red Phantom than him being just a vaudeville magician. Also, Frankenstein enlists the aid of Lady Clay, Orca and Killer Croc. Bennett tries to face a human-looking Melmoth on his own.

I really wasn't expecting the first two issues of Gotham City Monsters to be all that but they are and I can't wait to read the rest of the mini-series. I would like to see this title become a monthly or another mini-series in the future. Also, the Red Phantom needs his own series and become a member of Justice League Dark.

First Official Suicide Squad Look from Comic Con

Here's the first official look of the Suicide Squad movie from Comic Con with some interesting scenes featuring Amanda Waller, Harley Quinn, the Joker, El Diablo, Rick Flagg, Captain Boomerang and Killer Croc (yes, even Batman makes an appearance):

Suicide Squad Movie Cast In Costume

Here's the cast from Suicide Squad movie minus the Joker from 'Suicide Squad' suits up for the first costumed cast photo:

From left to right, the lineup shows Adam Beach as Slipknot, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, Karen Fukuhara down in front as Katana, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Will Smith as Deadshot, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc and Jay Hernandez as El Diablo.

The only ones I'm really interested at this moment are Enchantress and Katana. I'm sort of interested in Harley Quinn but I'm not digging this version of her so far.

Thrift Store Finds: Batman Fun Case Plus Bonus Activity Books

The last item that I picked up last week at a local thrift store was A Batman Fun Case for three dollars. The box promised two jumbo coloring and activity books, one digest coloring and activity book with stickers, one activity book with stickers and a four-pack of crayons. Unfortunately, the jumbo coloring activity book with Batman and Robin on the cover was not included nor was the box of crayons. The copyright date is 2010 and was produced by Bendon International, Inc.

The digest coloring and activity book measures 5 1/4" by 8 1/4" and the front cover states that stickers are included. Unfortunately, all I had was a page of missing stickers. None of the pages were colored or marked.

The front cover of the Batman activity book with stickers features the Dark Knight and Robin:

The back cover of the Batman activity book with stickers features door hanger that you can gut out:

The stickers are pretty colorful and features Batman, Robin, Mr. Freeze, the Joker, the Penguin, Two-Face, Man-Bat, Killer Croc and even logos (I was disappointed that there were no Catwoman stickers but then she is also absent from the coloring and activity books):

The only Batman jumbo coloring and activity book that was found inside the Batman Fun Case was the one featuring Batman and the Joker on the front cover:

The back cover features a match two card game that can be cut out (nice to see the Riddler but still no Catwoman):

Also included inside the Batman Fun Case was three jumbo coloring and activity books. Some of the pages has pencil and crayon markings but they are mostly on the puzzle pages. These were not originally part of the set and sold separately for a dollar each with a copyright date of 2012. They were available at the local Dollar General but the only one that I actually seen and picked up was the The Caped Crusader featuring the Penguin on the cover because I actually picked it up a few months ago but never got around posting about it here.

The first Batman jumbo coloring and activity book is Bad Guys Beware featuring Two-Face on the front cover:

The back cover of Bad Guys Beware features Batman and Robin swinging into action:

Next is the Batman jumbo coloring and activity book titled The Cahse is On featuring Batman and the Joker on the front cover:

The back cover of The Chase is On features Two-Face crashing into the batmobile:

Finally, the Penguin is getting beat up by the Batman on the front cover of The Caped Crusader Batman jumbo coloring and activity book:

Batman riding the batcycle is on the back cover of The Caped Crusader:

Whew, I think this has to be one of the longest posts that I have ever done here. That is why I didn't include any scans of the coloring, puzzle or maze pages.