About ten years ago the Arkham Series of video games dominated the Gotham Girls merchandizing. For a brief period of time, I loved the new spin on my favorite characters. But I can admit it got old pretty quick. The darker, grittier designs were just too far of a stretch from the simplified comic designs that initially drew me to the characters. I would have been more excepting if almost every action figure of Catwoman between 2012 and 2018 wasn't in this style with a little tuft of hair on her forehead and unnecessary cleavage. But by the time her 2022 McFarlane figure was released, my criticism had abated a lot. So last week when I first learned that the third wave of the Blokees DC Defender blind box minis was Arkham themed, I was genuinely excited to hunt them down. And then within a couple days, my local toy shop got them in stock. Luckily the ladies are almost always the lightest figures in the assortment so they're relatively easy to pick. Let's check out Catwoman below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Catwoman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catwoman. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
DC Blokees - ARKHAM KNIGHT CATWOMAN!
Sunday, June 21, 2026
DC x Sonic - ROUGE as CATWOMAN!
Something about this Rouge the Bat as Catwoman design just looks right. Having an anthropomorphic bat character be pink and white with a heart motif never seemed weird to me before, but now seeing her clad in black/gray with goggles suddenly makes for a very nocturnal and aeronautical design. If you didn't know this was a Catwoman crossover (and you ignored the little cat icon on her belt), you might think this was just Rouge in a cool new stealth suit. I think this figure is a must-have for Sonic fans, even if you aren't into the DC x Sonic crossover. The leaked lists of Sonic products from last fall didn't include any of the 5" Sonic characters from this line (only the 2.5" figures in both blind bag assortments and the DC hero 2-packs), so when this 5" Rouge as Catwoman started hitting Gamestop two weeks ago, it was a total surprise. Not necessarily an unexpected figure, but it was pretty amazing there weren't any leaked factory pics or inventory lists. Let's check out Rouge as Catwoman below!
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Batman Returns - CATWOMAN!
I have been begging for a 6-8" scale Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman for as long as I've been collecting action figures. We've seen 3.75" figures, block figures like Kubricks and Mini-Mates, vinyl figures, and a glorious 18" figure from NECA. But all I wanted was something that could stand alongside all my superhero toys. It took a long time, but my wish was finally granted in the form of this near-perfect McFarlane figure. I managed to snag mine a few weeks before Christmas but was a little intimidated to open her until recently. It was actually the reveal of upcoming 8" NECA figure that lit a fire under me and inspired me to finally post this. She's as good as I've always hoped. She has the typical elongated body that all McFarlane DC figures are plagued with, but I'd always rather have a figure be too tall than too short. The placement of her mask can also vary figure-to-figure and greatly change her appearance, but I'm really happy with mine. Let's check out the Batman Returns Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman below!
Monday, February 9, 2026
Batman Classic TV Series - CATWOMAN Bust!
I'm pretty obsessed with the mini-bust format. In the early 2000s and throughout the 2010s, these were everywhere. Bowen Designs, Gentle Giant, DC Direct, and Diamond Select seemingly had releases every month. Plus several companies came to the game late like Monogram and Eaglemoss and produced some great pieces. But unfortunately, since 2019 almost all production seems to have ceased - with the exception of Diamond Select who was still occasionally releasing Star Wars and Gargoyles busts until just a couple years ago. My favorite character to collect in this format was Catwoman. I believe I have 12 different mini-busts representing a variety of her incarnations over the years (surprisingly there were never Pfeiffer or Golden/Silver Age representations - two glaring omissions). I excitedly bought this Julie Newmar Batman '66 bust when it came out 11 years ago, but was pretty disappointed in the paint quality. The difference between the paint masters and the production version was simple, but impactful. The solicitation photos looked decently like Julie Newmar (not great, but close enough).
Sunday, January 18, 2026
DC x Sonic - ROUGE as CATWOMAN!
Back in November, I came across some leaked images of a powerpoint presentation revealing details of the next few waves of DC x Sonic products. If these images were genuine, I was very excited. For a line that could have been a quick one-and-done release with the main characters all getting their second to shine, I was impressed by the offbeat choices and ambitious production schedule in these images. But those same reasons are why I suspected it was fake. I shared it on Instagram out of curiosity with a grain-of-salt caveat. Then to my surprise, I got a DM from Jakks asking me to remove the post. I complied of course and then got really excited at the prospect that the plans I saw were real. Now within six weeks of that ordeal I have in-hand proof. Wave 2 of the Mystery Heroes blind bag featuring Rouge the Bat as Catwoman. This is a very cool little toy that I'm very excited to add to my collection. I hope this line maintains the same momentum that Prime did. Let's check out Rouge below!
Saturday, January 11, 2025
Mezco 5 Points - BTAS CATWOMAN!
I have a lot of hope for the Mezco 5 Points line. I only own four currently, but I really appreciate the quality sculpts and solid feel of the figures. They are more expensive and less-articulated than similar retro-inspired lines, but there is something I find super appealing about the character selection and final product. This Batman the Animated Series line breaks some new barriers by offering individually-carded figures in wonderfully retro packaging. Previous releases were only offered as convention exclusives or in large playsets (The Julie Newmar Catwoman was released in a 7-pack with a Batmobile for $130). I'm looking forward to the Harley Quinn in Series 2, but sad for (seemingly) cancelled Josie and the Pussycats and Birdman figures. I truly think the single-carded business model will increase sales and popularity for the line. I'm certainly more excited now. I hope to see more BTAS ladies, as well as all the Burton and Schumacher characters. Let's check out the BTAS Catwoman below!
Thursday, January 2, 2025
Batman: The Animated Series CATWOMAN!
Near the end of DC Collectibles in 2020, there were a lot of Redecos and simple retools of previously released figures. The DC Essentials line was being re-released with zombie tooling and the original Batman the Animated Series figures from six years prior were being issues with slight paint upgrades. I ignored most of these toys and turned my attention instead to the new DC Multiverse line from McFarlane. A year later. McFarlane Toys surprised us by continuing these redecos under the resurrected DC Direct banner. I also ignored these. But eventually I picked up this Catwoman Version 2 on clearance. I hadn't noticed the significant improvement in her facepaint. And the previous ugly exposed pins on her hips were now gone. She is a beautiful figure. But I still didn't remember to open her until my recent Batgirl post (which was coincidentally the first cel-shaded figure I photographed). It took me a minute to find her buried in a closet, but here she finally is in all her glory. Let's check out Catwoman below!
Saturday, September 28, 2024
Imaginext - CATWOMAN!
When I first saw images of this new girl-centric Imaginext DC Super Friends line popping up this past Spring, I didn't think I would make the effort to collect them. The larger cartoonish heads and the limited articulation are a bit of a buzzkill after years of collecting the main Imaginext line. But when I saw pics of this reimagined Catwoman design, it really grabbed my attention. Having Catwoman be portrayed as African American isn't a new concept. Three of her (relatively few) live-action incarnations have been played by women of color, and numerous Elseworlds comics and animated series appearances have portrayed her as different ethnicities. But something about this simple little figure with her glittery outfit and hot pink details struck me as wholly original and really fun. Once I bought her, of course, I have to splurge and get all the rest - and now I'm committed for the long haul. I only hope they push out new characters instead of endless redecos like Fisher-Price is notorious for. Let's check out Catwoman below!
Saturday, June 8, 2024
Dark Knight Rises - CATWOMAN!
The MAFEX line from Medicom has come a long way since its beginnings in 2014. This specific Catwoman figure is the 9th release from 2015. And while this figure is very nice, it pales in comparison to the 2021 Hush Catwoman I recently opened. In fact, there is a version 2.0 of this Dark Knight Rises Catwoman released two years later in 2017 (MAFEX 050), that appears greatly improved. Unfortunately, that 2.0 figure's secondary market price is often in the hundreds of dollars. (But meanwhile you can easily get this MAFEX 009 version for $25 bucks today). I was really happy to finally open and review all my backlogged DKR Catwoman figures. I've had this one for seven years and she looks great finally displayed on my Catwoman shelf. My desire to do a group photo with the new McFarlane DC Multiverse figure made me finally dig all these figures out of the depths of my closets and finally give them the attention they deserve. Let's check out this (long-neglected by me) Mafex DKR Catwoman below!
Thursday, June 6, 2024
Dark Knight Rises - CATWOMAN!
This figure sent me on a crazy internet-searching frenzy this week. When I was photographing this figure, I had the sudden realization that she looked exactly like Sarah Michelle Gellar. This idea got so implanted in my head that I couldn't unsee it and created the (fictional) idea that Gellar was possibly considered for the role before Hathaway was cast. We see a fair amount of toys that are based on pre-production design, so my theory had merit (in my mind). Alas, I was wrong and the likeness is just a coincidence. But, wow, there is a lot of fancasting out there for Gellar in the role of Catwoman. For a long time, this S.H.Figuarts figure from Bandai was the nicest DKR Catwoman out there. She has great textural details, excellent articulation, and perfect proportions. Plus she was the victim of some bizarre merchandising practices and was heavily clearanced at GameStop for $30. This purchase started my obsession Mafex, S.H.Figuarts, and Figma (which I had always avoided). Let's check out Catwoman below!
Monday, June 3, 2024
Dark Knight Rises - CATWOMAN!
This figure was the Bane of my existence for years (pun intended). As a surprise pack-in figure for the gargantuan deluxe The Bat vehicle from Hot Toys (MSRP $779.99), she was simply unobtainable for me. I had hopes that someone would split up the set and eventually sell her cheap(er) on eBay, and a mere eight years later I finally had her. Beyond the general character appeal and my obsession for collecting variations, I also wanted this figure as a rare example of a 1:12 scale figure from Hot Toys. As a company known for its large high-end 1:6 figures and smaller SD Cosbaby line, a traditional 6" scale figure is an oddity. And while she's not as detailed or articulated as her Mafex and SHFiguarts versions, she is still a fantastic rare figure. Her face and eye details are especially amazing. Although she kind of looks like she's about to cry with that Hot Toys' signature glassy shine and pink-lined eyelids. She probably saw her pricetag. Let's check out this rare Dark Knight Rises Catwoman below!
Sunday, June 2, 2024
Dark Knight Rises - CATWOMAN!
I had a provocative thought recently. Sometime in the past 12 years that amazing code-switching scene from Dark Knight Rises where a confronted Selina Kyle says "Oops. Nobody told me it was uncrackable" has become as iconic to me as the Michelle Pfeiffer "Meow" explosion. An almost blasphemous statement, I know, but I feel what I feel. The YouTube clip of that scene shows up on my playlist all the time because I've watched it so much. I think I, along with the rest of nerddom, was apprehensive about Princess Mia Thermopolis stepping into the coveted role of the greatest femme fatale of all time (imo). But that scene was when I breathed a sigh of relief and realized Ms. Hathaway could handle that responsibility just fine. This McFarlane figure is pretty great and has prompted me to open photograph a handful of other DKR Selinas I've acquired over the years. I will post them all in quick succession this week so bear with me. Let's check out the McFarlane DC Multiverse DKR Catwoman below!
Monday, April 1, 2024
MAFEX - Batman: Hush - CATWOMAN!
Hush is probably my favorite Batman storyline of all time. It ran twelve issues from Batman #608 (2002) through Batman #619 (2003) and featured nearly all of the active bat-characters at the time with a story by Jeph Loeb and art by the one-and-only Jim Lee. Everything about it was iconic and it's amazing to see it's still being celebrated (and merchandized) twenty years later. One of the unsung side-effects of Hush though was the elevation of Catwoman's utilitarian costume to permanent status. We may take this black goggled costume for granted now, but when Hush started, Selina had been wearing it less than a year. I feel that there is always danger of a new costume fading into obscurity too soon. The Darwyn Cooke redesign was amazing, but not everyone was into the stylized art in the Catwoman title, so its future was uncertain. But there was something about seeing the costume through the filter of an industry legend like Jim Lee that got everyone on board. This MAFEX figure perfectly captures that look.
Sunday, April 2, 2023
Batman Knightfall - CATWOMAN!
I have this insane competition in my head where I always want a specific toyline to have more Catwoman figures than Wonder Woman. It's usually a losing battle for Selina (and probably will be yet again in the McFarlane DC Multiverse line), but right now, if you count variants and the two Batman '66 figures, they are tied at 9 figures each. This newest Knightfall Catwoman in her 1990's purple Jim Balent costume is always a nice change of pace from her modern all-black designs. I was never a huge fan of this design in the comics, but in toy form I've really grown to love it. I especially love more recent toy interpretations where her hair isn't so exaggerated, her chest is a more proportional size, and her face displays an expression that is not a gritted-teeth snarl. This specific sculpt may have swung a little too far in the other direction and made her look a little bored, but it's a solid figure overall. I'm also excited to find the gray variant of this figure showing up in stores now. Let's check out Catwoman below!
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
A Busy Year of DC Heroines from IMAGINEXT!
The DC Super Friends Imaginext line from Fisher-Price is still going strong eleven years after I bought my first figure (Catwoman). I don't often post about these figures when I acquire them, but trust me I am quite the completist. There are new sculpts released occasionally. But for the most part, the line subsists on clever (and sometimes not-so-clever) re-use of existing sculpts. For instance, there is a newly sculpted Man-Bat hitting stores right now, but 99% of the figures on the shelves (including all 10 in this post) are simple redecos. The big gimmick in 2022 was the use of transparent plastics (aka "Bat-Tech"). The figures utilize light wells, often with holes cut in their capes, and accessories or playsets with pinpointed light sources to illuminate your figures from behind. It's a fun upgrade that has given us a handful of color variants (which I gladly purchase). I'm personally most excited about an upcoming Stephanie Brown redeco of Batgirl, a character who is shamefully underrepresented in plastic.
Monday, February 20, 2023
The Batman - CATWOMAN!
Yet another McFarlane Toys variant that should have been the original figure. As much as I have appreciated McFarlane's DC Multiverse efforts, the blatant cash grab of the figure variations is a little frustrating. It seems like every other toyline or company has no issue including an alternate head when appropriate (and oftentimes when it's not), but McFarlane releases a feature like that as a new limited variant, makes it an exclusive, and suddenly you're re-buying a figure. It's kind of genius from a business perspective, but I predict it's going to make me give up on the line in exasperation eventually. This Gold Label Catwoman should have been the first one released. It has a movie-accurate headsculpt which looks great. The first release had a full skimask that (as far as I can recall) never appeared in the movie. But at the time it was the best movie representation. It's surprising how much I love this Gold Label version considering the difference is so minor. Let's check out Catwoman below!
Tuesday, December 13, 2022
Arkham City - CATWOMAN!
The Arkham Series of video games injected a new life to the Batman franchise. The Dark Knight was released in theatres in 2008 with great success and paved the way for Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009, the first game in the Batman: Arkham series. While movies are extremely popular and arguably the best way to expose a character family to a wider audience, when it comes to merchandise, video games have much more staying power. Movie toys get a mere six months on the shelves, and maybe a nostalgic resurgence in the future, but video games (especially a successful series of games) can give us years of product and are constantly finding new audiences. I have a love/hate relationship with the Arkham City Catwoman design. I love it because it has given us so many great toys and exposed a lot of kids to a great character. This was at a time when there was a bit of a Catwoman drought as well. Plus my most-viewed post on this blog is her 2012 DC Direct figure with over 39K hits.
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Batman Classic TV Series - CATWOMAN!
As much crap as I want to give Todd McFarlane about his gender politics, I can't deny that his toy company has given me a ton of figures that I adore. Just in the last twelve months, I have picked up eighteen female figures from McFarlane toys and I only had negative critiques for two of them. The rest have been truly great.. including Carrie Kelley Robin, Eartha Kitt Catwoman, Batwoman Beyond, and Three Jokers Batgirl among them. This new Julie Newmar Catwoman is just one more example of a figure I have been wishing for since I started my adult collecting hobby. This specific portrayal of Catwoman is what launched a niche villainess to a household name. I have yet to experience a Halloween without seeing at least one Catwoman costume... often from people who have never read her comics or seen her on screen. She has just become a cultural icon, and I credit Julie Newmar with catapulting the character to that level. An action figure of this quality has been a long time coming. Let's check her out below!
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
BendyFigs - CATWOMAN!
For the past few years I've been noticing this great new series of bendy figures from Noble Toys at places like Barnes & Noble or the electronics section of Walmart. Ten years ago I would have completely ignored these with a "these aren't even action figures" snub. But then I discovered two great characters who were only available in bendy form (yet could still fit in to my collection nicely with the aide of a figure stand): Inque and Angel Jones. Quickly followed by my discovery of NJCroce and their irresistible bendies of Batman '66 and BTAS. So suddenly I wasn't such a snob. Until recently, I only saw these BendyFigs for movie tie-in product. Their Wonder Woman 84 and Suicide Squad figures in particular always caught my attention. The quality and scale was a noticeable improvement over past bendy lines, but I didn't find the movie licenses tempting until this comic-style Catwoman. It's an iconic look at this point but gets almost no merchandise. Let's check out Catwoman below!
Friday, June 10, 2022
Mezco 5 Points - CATWOMAN!
In the next 30 days I'm predicting the announcement of a Julie Newmar Catwoman from McFarlane Toys. And based on the Eartha Kitt figure we already got in that line, I'm expecting this to be the pinnacle Julie Newmar Catwoman toy. In the meantime, I would say that high honor belongs to the recent Mezco 5 Points Catwoman from the Batman Classic TV Series box set. This collection has an intimidating price point at $139, but I find it's very much worth the price. Included are seven 1:12 scale figures (six of which have alternate heads), a great Batmobile, and a detailed cardboard diorama of the Batcave (interior) and Wayne Manor (exterior). I picked up the whole set plus an extra Catwoman on eBay to display both heads. This figure easily has the best Julie Newmar likeness so far, although not perfect. But I have a hunch she has a face that's hard to capture. We should see how McFarlane fares soon enough. I'm very excited. Let's check out Catwoman below!
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