The Lego Batman Movie is pretty full of comics-nerd gags, ranging from some lighthearted meta-commentary on Batman and the Joker’s relationship to sight gags referencing Batman’s, ah, curious past. And if the new minifigs tied to the movie are any indication, what we’ve seen is just the start. Amid the Commissioner Gordon’s and the Glam Metal Batmans, here’s the nutty stuff that, yes, the comics beat Lego to.
The Eraser
Yes, Batman once fought a human pencil who could “erase” people, and this was after the Batman comics decided they’d gotten too weird and goofy in the ’50s trying to get along with the Comics Code. Remember, this was the same era where DC heroes regularly fought gorillas solely because a gorilla on the cover sold more comics.
The Mime
Not, amazingly, a Silver Age villain, the Mime was, well, a mime turned martial artist and thief after she opened a performing mime troupe and saw it promptly shut down. Believe it or not, she actually managed to choke out Batman on a few occasions, but DC learned that people just generally don’t like mimes, supervillains or not.
March Harriet
March Harriet was a small-time grifter recruited by some supervillains because they were putting together a “Wonderland Gang,” her name was Harriet, and they wanted to stay on theme. On the other hand, considering what Gotham was like, probably joining Tweedledee and Tweedledum in a gang would be a step up, in terms of risk reduction if nothing else.
The Calculator
The Calculator, in comics at the moment, is basically an information broker in a suit who works for villains. Back in the day, though, yes, he wore a suit of armor and a visor with buttons on his chest. He could even push the buttons. It’s a running gag in modern comics just how embarrassed he is to have ever worn that outfit in public.
Orca
Admittedly, we have a soft spot for Dr. Grace Ballin, a villain from the 2000s who was a deliberate throwback to the days of meaningful names and goofy gimmicks. She is still basically a supervillain who doubles as a fat joke, though.
Zodiac Master
To his credit, Zodiac Master had a pretty awesome scam going: He’d convince gangsters he could predict the future by engineering disasters and then pretending he’d seen them. If he had waited about thirty years, he’d probably have gotten his own grim and gritty ’90s anti-hero book and throwing stars shaped like Zodiac symbols. Zodiac Master was ahead of his time!
These minifigs will be available in blind bags in January. Or you can just buy the whole set, because let’s face it: You want the whole set.
(via Kotaku)
