Summary

This set positively surprised me - I looked forward to building the set, liked the minifig of Harvey Two-Face, but enjoyed the build more than expected. The digger looks great, and the Bat Hawk looks awesome as well, better in real life than in the images. I would say the set is well worth its price.

Build experience

Stickers, stickers and stickers - a total of 23 stickers have to be applied in this set. And many of them add quite a bit of character to the models, so pretty much have to be included. Patience, a steady hand and Windex go a long way, as usual.

The techniques used in both vehicles are interesting, especially in the digger. Both halves are quite different by design, the mechanism that keeps up the bucket-arms is cleverly designed. I enjoyed building both vehicles.Total build time for most builders should be around 60 minutes or so, probably less.

There are quite a few nice pieces in this set - the tubes, the purple window and the orange cabinets first and foremost. There are also quite a few stud-on-the-side elements in this set.

The minifigures

Four minifigures are included in this set: Batman, two police officers (one male, one female), and Harvey Two-Face. The Batman figure can also be found in the Ultimate Batmobile set, and the two Gotham PD officers are unique, though nothing too special. The standout minifig is Harvey Two-Face, which probably is my favourite minifigure in the whole Batman Movie range. This minifig was one of the reasons why I wanted to get this set.

The builds

The Bat Hawk was another reason for me to buy this set, as I hope to collect all the named Batman vehicles from the Batman Movie range. I was pleasantly surprised by the look and design of the vehicle when the build was finished. Its sleek aggressive look somewhat resembles the look of the motorcycle that emerges from the Tumbler in the original Dark Knight movie. The one minus is that there are no studs to secure Batman when he is operating the vehicle. The two handles/levers have to keep him in position.

Getting Two-Face's digger was an added bonus. The Falcone's Construction Company sticker on the bucket arm is a nice reference to the 2005, 2008 and 2012 Batman movies. The split personality of Harvey Two-Face is mirrored in this digger, and is carried on throughout the vehicle: the clean, well-maintained side vs the rough, dirty and aggressive side mirroring the deformed half of Harvey's face. The many stickers definitely add to the looks of the digger, and are IMHO well worth the effort. They are also well designed.

Display vs play

The set is clearly designed as a play set, but IMHO could just as easy be turned into a display piece. The weaponry on both vehicles, the movability of the bucket, the flexibility of the digger, it all offers ample opportunity for playing out various scenarios. Both vehicles also are of a decent size, yet still easy to handle for children. They also feel solid, and I would argue they are also quite robust. The use of a technic ram-tube as a chimney prevents it from coming off easily during play, for instance.

The verdict

This set is actually growing on me - and might end up in my top three of favourite Batman Movie sets. The package as a whole - the Harvey Two-Face minifig, the digger and the Bat Hawk - makes it well worth its price, and makes for a nice play and display set. Personally I would recommend this set - ans superior to the Joker Low Rider (70906 - similar price), the Killer Crock monster truck (70907), and can compete with (and in bang-for-buck might even be superior) to the Batmobile (70905).