Class of Bootleg	Class 2 - Duplicated and Modified
Class Notes:	Scale reduction, packaging style change, accessory swap
Bootleg Source:	Kenner Legends of the Dark Knight
Bootleg Rating:	(Four out of five stars)
Sightings:	California, USA
Vintage:	Spring 1999

The Legends of the Dark Knight line was, to me, one of the best offerings to come out of Kenner. The figures were larger than the "standard" Animated line, the scuplting and detailing was more realistic. (I mean, sure, it's a guy in a bat suit with musculature-o-doom with goofy plastic accessories. Not exactly the most "realistic" toy line in existance. But more "real" than the stylized look of the Animated Series.)

The bootlegs of this line have been generally high caliber as well. The Legends Extreme Bat Knight line was almost identical to the Kenner version, except for a slight scale reduction.

Well, that scale reduction trend continues here with the Legends of the Dark Knight Skywing Street Bike bootleg.

Instead of coming boxed as the Kenner version does, the bootleg Skywing comes on a blister card. The card is printed on only one side, but the front has full color graphics and artwork lifted directly from the rest of the Legends line.

Foremost on the card is an image of the Skywing itself...taken directly from the boxed artwork. Also present are photos taken from the action-figure listings - All four of the initial Legends figures are displayed.

Gone, however, are the Kenner logos and trademark information. In their place are the international child safety warnings and an "Ages 3 and Up" tag.

The card is roughly 9" by 12" in scale. The toy comes blistered to the card, covering the artwork from the base of the card to about the middle of the Skywing photo.

As mentioned earlier, the toy has undergone a vast scale reduction. The figure, who once towered over others at nearly 7" in height, is a puny 2" in scale. The painting on the figure is not stellar, but is reasonable adequate for the new scale. It is articulated at the same points as it's larger cousin. Some new holes have been drilled into the back, but more on that in a moment.

The bike has been scaled down to match the figure, and has undergone some simplifications. Instead of the "nose" of the bat being a spring-loaded missile, it is now cast as a single piece of plastic. The wheels, wings and head, however, retain their articulation.

The coloration of this particular bootleg matches the Legends offering exactly. Even the paint spray-ops are correctly applied.

Of course, there are other versions. I have heard reports of both a jet-black and a deep-red color scheme.

As seen at left, the batman figure comes with a variety of accessories not originally intended for this figure.

Cast in vac-metalized plastic, the "wings" appear to be an attempt to scale-down the "spline cape" Batman's accessories. Each comes with a tiny peg that fits into a new hole drilled into the back of the Skywing Batman's back. The wings are removable, but are packaged attached to Batman.

Also present are two wrist-gauntlet knife type thingies. I think these came from the Robin figure originally. These are also cast in vac-metalized plastic, but they do not fit on the figure at all. Maybe that's why they're packaged seperately from the figure.

Overall this is a pretty cool bootleg. I'm a sucker for motorcyle-boots, and this one delivers. The play value is high, the reproduction good, the packaging keen.

And, best of all, if you put it next to the real toy, you can play Dr. Evil and Mini-Me.

"No no, we don't gnaw on our mini-Skywing."