LEGO DC Super Heroes Polybag Set 30653 Batman 1992 Review

Today we will be taking a closer look at the LEGO DC Super Heroes polybag Batman 1992 set number 30653. This set came out in 2023, has 40 pieces, and was designed for people age six and up.

The Classic Batman Pose

Batman standing on a rooftop, looking out over Gotham City is probably one of his most iconic images. With a name like Gotham, it is practically a must for artists to include a lot of gothic architectural elements in their designs—which is why this famous picture often has the Dark Knight on or near a gargoyle. LEGO used this polybag set to give us their version of his classic pose.

Rather than making this a generic Batman set, LEGO named the polybag "Batman 1992." That title lets us know that this particular model is based on Tim Burton’s 1992 Batman Returns movie starring Michael Keaton. While Batman Returns is over 30 years old, Michael Keaton reprised his role in The Flash movie released the same year as this set.

Batman Minfigure

As of the writing of this review, Batman has close to 100 different variant minifigures, and I am positive that number will keep growing steadily. It takes a lot to stand out from the crowd, but this minifigure manages to do it. The all-black leg piece is the only part of this minifigure that is commonly available.

The Torso

The torso piece has amazing details to match its movie inspiration. The bat-symbol on his chest is perfect. The armor on his abs is almost an identical replica of his costume, and the muscle lines on the front and back are just as impressive.

I love the utility belt printed onto the torso. We can see the small capsules spaced all around the belt. The buckle on front not only captures the belt design but also includes the line down the center where the belt buckles together. The back has an extremely detailed batarang for quick access by our caped crusader.

The Head

The only critique I have for this set comes with the dual-printed head piece. The serious expression with his chiseled jaw looks great. I like the goggles on his forehead to create the white eyes while he is wearing his cowl. They look fantastic and make the character more usable when the helmet is off. I like this technique to get the eyes under the cowl much more than the white headband.

The other side has the cocky, crooked smile and raised eyebrow of Bruce Wayne. With no white mark on his forehead, the piece does not work well when the head gear is on. In fact, I actually looked through the pieces again to see if there was a hair piece for him to wear with his mask off. There was not.

The Cowl

However, It was the cowl piece that made me want this minifigure for my collection. Typically, Batman is given a cloth cape and a separate headgear piece for his cowl. This minifigure had the cape and cowl combined into a single piece. Using the soft rubbery plastic piece worked for two reasons with this character.

First, Michael Keaton’s costume had a thicker cape that was firmly attached to the suit. The overall costume also had a more rubbery look than other outfits that were either more like thin cloth or hard armor.

Second, the plastic allows the cape to be molded so that it looks like it’s billowing in the wind. This is the perfect look for a model that depicts Batman standing on top of a tall building in Gotham City.

The Rooftop Build

The build for this set was a rooftop corner with a gargoyle on the side. The base of the model uses a light bluish grey 3X3 plate. Bricks and inverted slopes are then used to expand the base out, so a 4X4 dark bluish gray plate could be added. This creates a nice tapered look for the rooftops edge.

Another layer of different styled plates were added to give more texture to the edge and start building the last level of bricks. The 1X2 bricks with masonry profile give us that old brick building feel. Cheese wedge slopes were added around the building to make sure this section of the building didn’t just look like a square block.

On the very top LEGO used a 2X2 jumper plate with a 1X2 rounded plate attached to its center stud. This allowed Batman to be placed securely onto the structure and look straight over the edge. Since there is only a 1 stud connection, you can easily rotate the 1X2 rounded plate into any position you want Batman to stand in.

I am not sure why, but a 1X2 plate with a vertical clip on the end was put near the bottom left side to attach a batarang. Other than giving builders another batarang, I can’t figure out a reason for this design element.

Gargoyle

The most creative part of this model is the LEGO built gargoyle in front. To me, it highlights how the designers at LEGO deserve the title Master Builders. I am going to give Justin Ramsden, the designer of this set, a special shoutout for coming up with this build.The body of the gargoyle is my favorite piece, the travis brick. The head is a minifigure binoculars piece. The binoculars are attached to the travis brick using a 1X1 round plate. This not only allows the piece to connect comfortably to the brick, but also acts as the gargoyle’s neck. Two flat silver barbs were then inserted into the lenses of the binoculars to create the horns.

A little side note: The plastic used to create these horns is very soft, so be careful not to grab them too hard with your fingernails. I did and now my gargoyle has a nice slice in its horn. Thankfully it adds to the old, worn gothic look of the building.

Two 1X1 round plates with a bar handle were added to the side to attach the wings. The wings themselves are light bluish gray 2X2 triangle road signs with an open O clip. The overall look is amazing!

Batarangs

The set officially comes with two batarangs. However, Batman’s most recognizable weapon is also a lighter piece and chances are you will get three of them in the bag. So you could have Batman hold two and put the third on the side clip. Which I still do not know what it is for.

Conclusion

With more Batman minifigure variants than any other licenced them character, I rarely buy a set for the Batman character. I typically get the sets for the Bat-insert object being built or the villains included. I bought this polybag for this minifigure.

The firm plastic cape being blown back looks amazing, and the figure is only available in the very expensive Batcave - Shadow Box set or a magazine gift from a Poland LEGO Batman Magazine. Neither is a realistic or affordable way for me to get this minifigure.

The model inside is an easy build, but utilizes LEGO pieces in such a way to create a unique and realistic looking rooftop. What I appreciate most about this build is that it works as a display stand or could be used as a starting point for people to build a larger MOC.