Catwoman :: DC Super Heroes by Mattel

Back in 2007, everyone who collected the DC Super Heroes toyline was after this Catwoman figure. The line was not only Batman/Superman-centric, but it was also a sausage-fest. Besides a couple paint variants of Barbara Gordon Batgirl, a couple paint variants of Supergirl, and Cassandra Cain Batgirl, this was it for female characters in the line.

So the very few female characters were quite popular with collectors, and they tended to be very hard to find. I was lucky to find Catwoman but certainly missed my fair share of figures from the line (Azreal, Clayface, Babs Batgirl) so I suppose my Karma is pretty even-steven with this toyline.

Catwoman came with a whip, a cat 'statue' and a necklace accessory so she had something to steal. She also has this silly backpack, which would be ridiculous if it didn't actually make sense for her to have somewhere to stow her ill-gotten goods. Still, it comes across as a little too 'Japanese Schoolgirl Fetish' to me.

Sculpt-wise, the few who could find her at retail were not disappointed. Sadly that joy was quickly quashed by one of the oddest face paint issues in action figure history. For no logical or illogical reason anyone can imagine, the skin around Catwoman's mouth is a lighter shade than her cheeks and chin. In an almost perfect circle.

Like...I can't even...I just...I don't...

Seriously, this figure would have been perfect and flawless at the time and could still hold herself up proud to this day except for that damn weird-ass paint issue that makes her look like...well...just...I don't know.

Catwoman is pretty much in scale with Hellcat, but they don't mesh together flawlessly due to their design differences. And the fact that they are separated by eight years and two toy companies and rival comic publishers.

Cassandra Cain Batgirl Action Figure :: Mattel 2007

Back in 2007, before the DC Superheroes action figure line ventured out of the Batman/Superman character-centric territory into the all-encompassing DC Universe Classics, well, universe, Mattel surprisingly released the Cassandra Cain version of Batgirl.

I suppose it shouldn't have been a big surprise, as Mattel was able to re-use about 92% of the parts from the Barbara Gordon figure they had released previously in the same line. But still, she was an unexpected (and hard to find) character.

In typical Four-Horsemen female head-sculpt fashion, Cassandra looks great from straight-on, but flat-faced from the side. She came with a batarang or two but I don't have them within easy reach, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

The Babs Gordon body re-use may have made Cassandra look a little too blossomed-to-womanhood for her teenaged characterization, but if you want to get nerd-touchy about that you can just imagine that this action figure is the Huntress. Fun Fact: When this costume debuted during the No Man's Land storyline it was worn by the Huntress (Helena Bertinelli).

The headsculpt and sweet massive-pouched belt are the only unique parts to this figure, and the only paint apps are the bat symbol and some silver trim (some of which is completely unnecessary, but you gotta admit the silver stitches on the mask are pretty sweet!)

During the No Man's Land story, Gotham City was cut off from the rest of the world after a massive Earthquake, and Batman was who-knows-where. Helena felt that the city needed a human Bat symbol so she became Batgirl for a short time. Basically until Batman returned and got mad at her for, well, doing his job. And then a new kid shows up and hey here's a spare costume we'll save Alfred some time.

Comic book logic at it's finest.

Anyways, the figure is pretty cool, especially considering the unlikelyhood of the pretty well forgotten Cassanda Batgirl making new waves in action figure circles (unless that whole DC Convergence thing has brought her up again. I don't know, I'm not following it.)

Cassandra Batgirl was pretty tough to find at retail, so I consider myself lucky to have her. She's a cool and unique addition to my plastic Bat-family

Imaginext Solomon Grundy Coming Soon!

Fisher-Price recently revealed their newest super-sized Imaginext figure: Solomon Grundy! Not sure the exact scale on this guy, but based on the kid's hand in the following picture...

...he looks to be quite large - even larger than the Imaginext Clayface! Solomon Grundy will retail for around $15.00. No sign of him at retail or at any online retailers yet, but I expect he'll be showing up any day now, perhaps as part of stores' after holiday toy resets.

I will have to see this one in person before I commit - he may be a bit too big, although that might mean he's in scale with another action figure line like Hero World or something. He doesn't look overly kiddy/cartoony, in fact he doesn't really scream 'Imaginext' at all to me, although standard Imaginext themselves have been around so long that some older figures don't even match up with the new ones.

I regret that I never was able to get the limited/exclusive JLU Solomon Grundy, nor was I able to complete the DCUC Collect and Connect Grundy (thanks Mattel!) so I might be unable to pass on this one if I do see it at retail just to satisfy that gaping hole in my soul. Thankfully I do have the Brave and the Bold Solomon Grundy, one of the best Grundy action figures ever made!

Killer on the Loose! DC Super Heroes Killer Croc :: Countdown to Halloween 2014

What's a Halloween Countdown without a killer? Killer Croc, that is!

Real Name: Waylon Jones
Known Aliases: Killer Croc, Croc, Crock Pot, Crocodile Dunderhead

Wanted for: Murder, kidnapping, extortion, and jaywalking. Also: eating puppies.

Killer Croc is a member of the Batman Rogues Gallery, and was originally envisioned as  a man with a scaly skin condition that gave him a reptilian appearance. Over the years, his croc-y mutation has grown exponentially, and nowadays he's pretty much a human/crocodile mutant. Sometimes with a tail, sometimes without. Most times more superhuman Croc than man.

He is probably best known today for his appearances in the Batman: Arkham video games. But he first reached his widest audience outside the comics as a character in the legendary Batman: The Animated Series cartoon.

Of all the action figure versions of Killer Croc ever released, I have to say that this version - made by Mattel as part of their proto-DCUC 'DC Super Heroes' line way back in the early 2000s - is the best by far.

Because essentially, this Killer Croc action figure is a serious/realistic version of the Batman: Animated Killer Croc design. What''s more amazing is that this guy is only unique in regards to his head sculpt (and paint applications) - the rest of the figure is simply a re-used Killer Croc from Mattel's six inch Batman toyline - one where Croc was far more mutated, and even had a tail!

This version fortunately does not include a tail.

But he does have a thirst for human flesh!

Preschool Week :: Gotham Girls

Just a pair of pictures featuring everyone you've seen this Preschool Week, together with their respective toyline teammates: Gotham Girls - Imaginext and Playmobil style!

Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, official members of the Imaginext DC Universe lineup, and custom members of the world of Playmobil.

I have yet to come up with a way to give Catwoman cat ears (without her looking like a cheap custom job that is.) I keep hoping Playmobil will make a cat ear headband or hood or something for some Halloween themed figure or somesuch. Like I said before, these are just kitbash customs, no paintwork or part modification whatsoever. Just parts swapping. Doing these customs is challenging and fun, and while I am sure I could do all sorts of paint work or craft custom parts, I like to keep these things simple yet creative. At least for now. Who knows what the future holds?!

Preschool Week :: Imaginext Poison Ivy and Scarecrow by Fisher Price

Another theme week!

This week, we look at a bunch of toys intended for toddlers! So stick your thumb in your mouth or your finger in your nose and take a nap or throw a tantrum and don't eat your peas and be in bed by seven, because Preschool Week begins NOW!

Only the fourth female character to have made it to the DC Super Heroes Imaginext toyline line-up (behind Catwoman, Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn) - I present to you the chlorophyll cutie herself: Poison Ivy.

The detail on Poison Ivy is incredible. Her bodice and shoes are sculpted with all sorts of little details that could have been ignored in the design phase. Fisher-Price could have just given her a flat green oufit and called it a day. Her hair is nicely sculpted too, and the little plant details painted on her help her stand out as something more than just a green skinned gal. Of note: her arms are also much skinnier than the previous female Imaginext figures. It makes sense in a way because Ivy is not wearing sleeves/gloves like Catwoman or Harley, but I hope it doesn't mean female Imaginext figures are going to have a different body type moving forward. The line has lasted so long there are already design changes that make them a bit inconsistent when put together as a group (for instance, the previous sculpted faces vs. the latest painted-on faces.) And with the about-once-a-year female character releases Fisher Price seems to be keeping to, there will be massive design differences by the time we even get a handful of gals in our DC Imaginext collections!

Although Imaginext has been going strong for many years now, it's hard to believe Poison Ivy is only the fourth female character from the DC Comics line-up to make an appearance. More surprising, all three Batman themed females that they have made are villains! Sure, they made Wonder Woman, but considering other such no-brainers as Batgirl and Supergirl have yet to make the Imaginext roster of female characters, Poison Ivy is a welcome addition indeed, but does leave one wondering what goes on behind closed doors at the Fisher-Price offices!

Actually, as odd as it sounds, I honestly believe the primary gauge used for Batman themed character selection are the Arkham video games of recent years. Crazy, because this toyline is aimed at a fanbase much younger than that of the video games, but it makes sense considering that the Arkham video games have introduced Batman and his rogue gallery to a much larger audience than the comics and movies alone. It also makes sense because these toys are aimed at a young audience not familiar with the archaic mediums of entertainment their parents grew up enjoying. Like, basically, anything that doesn't have a screen!

When you consider the Arkham video games as a template for the Imaginext toyline, it makes sense to have Harley Quinn, Catwoman and Poison Ivy, who all make prominent appearances in the games and not, say, Batgirl, who does not appear in the video games (okay, she appears as Barbara Gordon/Oracle, but that is different, especially for the non-comicbook geek.)

Anyways, that's my theory, and I am sure there are many other factors that play into Fisher-Price's character selection. But I think my theory is pretty solid, and may also be reinforced by the character Poison Ivy is packed with: Scarecrow!

Scarecrow also plays an important part in the Arkham series, and is apparently lined up to play an even bigger part in the upcoming Arkham Knight game set for release later this year.

Scarecrow is incredibly detailed, you can tell a lot of love and attention went into his design. He even has a noose sculpted around his neck - or at least a rope with a knot in it - I'd love to talk to the designers and hear if they are ever asked to tone their designs down or if they are given any specific 'no-nos' when making these kiddy toys.

Scarecrow comes with a scythe that I do not believe has made a previous appearance anywhere in the Imaginext toyline, and Poison Ivy comes with a vine that seems designed to hook on other Imaginext figures' necks or heads or whatever.

Fun for the whole family!

Upcoming Imaginext Bane Battle Sled from Fisher-Price

Fisher-Price's DC Superheroes Imaginext line-up consistently slips new product out to market with little to no advanced warning; and that's a good thing. It's fun to be surprised from time to time.

Case in point, this upcoming Bane Battle Sled figure and vehicle set. Currently listed online at Smyths in the UK, this Bane and Battle Sled has been confirmed for US (and presumably 'everywhere Fisher-Price Imaginext toys are sold') via FP's Facebook Page (according to the AFI thread I discovered this on.)

The Battle Sled looks great and is a nice unique vehicle - not a re-paint. I admit the vehicle might be nothing but a 'maybe I'll buy it eventually and maybe not' since I already have a Bane figure, but the Venom attachment on Bane himself makes this set an absolute 'must-have.'

No word yet on a US release date, but count on Toyriffic to keep you posted!

Poisunday Ivy :: Imaginext Poison Ivy and More Coming Soon!

Action Figure Insider recently revealed some exciting upcoming Imaginext DC Super Friends sets, and the biggest highlight was this two-figure set that includes Poison Ivy! In a series with only three females so far (Catwoman, Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn) another female is BIG NEWS, and Poison Ivy is a welcome (if surprising) fourth female choice to add to the line-up. The set also includes Scarecrow, both brand new figures and both figures I will buy the second I see them available!

Also revealed is a new Batmobile with an all new Batman figure included. This new Imaginext Batmobile joins the roster as the fourth or possibly fifth Imaginext Batmobile design, and is clearly influenced by the Batmobile from the Arkham Asylum/Arkham City video games. I need this one!

Batman's Batpod Batcycle is also all new, as is the New 52 influenced Batman included with it. Geez, I need this too!

A Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle and Beetle-Mobile was also revealed...

...as well as a New 52 version of Martian Manhunter and a bendable Plastic Man! This set is also very tempting. Looks like I'll be adding a handful of new Imaginext toys to my (and my daughter's) collection very soon. Some of these are labeled as Target exclusives in the images, and although the Poison Ivy/Scarecrow set isn't labeled as such, I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being a Target exclusive as well. I'll be sure to post as soon as I find it and let everyone know!

Via ActionFigureInsider.com

Hero World Robin The Boy Wonder

I didn't even know this figure existed before finding him today - the DC Super Friends Hero World Robin by Fisher-Price:

This Tim Drake Robin came out in 2012, at about the same time as the hard to find Hero World Hawkman and Flash - right at the end of the standard Hero World line, before it changed from standard action figures over to the electronic Comm-Tech versions (that didn't appear to do all that well at retail.)

The strange thing is, I knew there had been a Hawkman and a Flash and an Aquaman and a Cyborg, but I had no idea there was a Robin! To paraphrase The Joker: 'Why didn't anyone tell me they had one of these...things!'

These Hero World figures have been fading out of retail for a while now - I found this one at Big Lots, who appear to have picked up the last of them from retail establishments who have now phased them out completely. I also saw Flash and Hawkman but (as I have mentioned before) I am not collecting this line (at least I thought I wasn't!) so I left them behind.

I still don't even have a Hero World Batman, for heaven's sake! But I do now have Dex-Starr, The Joker, The Bat-Copter, and now Robin. So it's now officially a 'collection' whether I like it or not.

Robin is a beautiful figure. He comes with a bo staff and his wrist rotates 360 degrees so he can spin it around helicopter style!

And unlike his Imaginext counterpart, Hero World Robin has a cape! A cloth one to boot. And it has a nifty split at the bottom - that's some cool attention to detail; they could have just as easily went with a flat bottom to the cape and no one would have really cared. But to quote Luke Skywalker: 'I care.'

Hero World Robin's sculpt and costume design are just awesome - lots of armored details and the areas of silver really make his gloves and boots pop!

Robin of course comes with a massive lame accessory, but I won't complain because Fisher-Price included the perfect and simple bo staff too.

The massive accessory will just sit in a drawer here, but it does shoot a couple discs (and shoots them well) in addition to clipping to Robin's back into a couple relatively unobtrusive holes WITHOUT making him topple over! I don't like the accessory, but I applaud the engineering of the whole package.

I love this Robin, and am glad to not have known about him before finding him because I might have gone crazy looking for him! And at only $8 at Big Lots grabbing him was a no-brainer.

Now, go crazy looking for him yourself!

Brainiac Trust

I've posted in the past about my DC Superheroes Brainiac and my recently acquired Super Powers Brainiac, but I really wanted to shoot the two together. Each Brainiac is a stand-out in their respective lines and each is a great example of what a cool action figure was/is in their eras.

The 80s Superpowers Brainiac has five points of articulation, an action feature, and a vac-metal coating to simulate a metallic finish. The 200x DC Superheroes Brainiac has a highly detailed sculpt, a shit-ton points of articulation, stands a head+ taller than his 80s counterpart, and even has clear bits on his head and shoulders with 'wires' and other electronic looking parts underneath.

Although I am usually of the 'less is more' camp when it comes to articulation, I must say having so much works well on a character like robo-Brainiac, since the unsightly seams and joints meld into his robotic form effortlessly. Both figures are great, but since I have no emotional connection to the original, having never owned him as a kid, I have to say the more recent version is far superior.

Harley Qwednesday :: NEW Imaginext Harley Quinn (and Joker too!)

"Hammer envy much? Maybe we should call you 'jelly'-face instead? HAW HAW HAW! Now get lost, ya' big turd, this is MY show!"

I officially declare the new Fisher-Price Imaginext Harley Quinn as the best Imaginext toy ever. She's only been with me a week and she's already terrorizing all my other toys, showing them who's boss and not taking anyone's crapola!

"Who the hell are you supposed ta' be, ya' cubist nightmare?"

Aww, but who can stay mad at that face?!?! And although a painted-on face at that, it is super cute and the rest of Harley's figure is nicely detailed and specifically sculpted (again - no parts re-use except maybe the hands.) Her arms and legs have diamonds sculpted on them (a little paint would make them pop!) her pixie shoes are in the (fun) house, and even her collar is a sculpted element.

As mentioned before, there are at least two Harley variants, and of the two I got both are the 'incorrect' arm/hand coloration. Not a HUGE deal, and my daughter won't care when she gets hers for Christmas, but I will need a 'correct' version someday. Fortunately Fisher-Price likes to push vehicles and playsets so I will hope for a future correct Harley in a neat themed vehicle set in the near future to be my excuse to get another!

"Ooh Mistah J, I know what THAT look means. MAYHEM!"

Harley Quinn comes with a hammer that has been released previously with older versions of the Joker as well as an all newly sculpted Joker too!

And I have to admit this new Joker is far superior to the previous version. Way more detail in the sculpt (down to the stitching on his shoes) as well as a mischievous smirk, this all new Mr. J is the perfect companion piece to the star of the show, Miss Quinzel herself! Also, Joker's hands are unique to his sculpt (they have those three 'lines' on them ala Mickey Mouse/Bugs Bunny that all good cartoon gloves have) making him 100% new! Nice!

Thanks Fisher-Price for making Harley Quinn! I thank you, my daughter thanks you, and society thanks you!

Imaginext Wonder Woman and Superman have landed!

My (daughter's) Imaginext DC Super Friends Wonder Woman and Superman arrived this week!

Thank Hera too! I was worried about my order after a few hiccups (which I won't bore you with again) and as of this writing this specific set is listed as 'sold out' on the Fisher-Price webstore!

I was worried I wouldn't get this set in time for it to fill a much needed slot in my littlest daughter's Christmas presents cornucopia. She has already amassed a good collection of Imaginext figures (thanks to her dear old dad) and has more playsets in store for her Christmastime fun, but she absolutely needs Wonder Woman to head up her little superhero army!

And here's the Princess of the Amazons herself in all her Imaginext glory! I still can't believe how easily Fisher-Price was able to slip this (and Harley Quinn) under our radars until it was already available online, (no leaked pre-prodcution pics, no Toy Fair previews...nothing!) and I can't thank Chunky B enough for letting me know about it in time to get the set before they sold out!

Wonder Woman is a beautiful little figure. Not a single part of her is designed with future kit-bash character re-use in mind. Ok, maybe the hands aren't unique, but that's it. Her tiara makes her head sculpt WW specific, her bracelets have stars sculpted on them, and the torso could be no one else. In a world of parts re-use action figures, it's nice to see so much attention to detail and specificity go into a toy aimed at the pre-school set. Let's face it, this is exactly the type of toy one expects a toy company to scrimp on. And to FP's credit, they didn't. And that's important, because these toys literally have the power to forge a geek's path for the rest of their lives, and I can't thank Fisher-Price enough for helping me to raise my daughter right!

Plus, the mere fact that Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn exist in Imaginext form now means you can't count out any female character in the future of this line. Because 1) these characters' inclusion proves that Fisher-Price is listening to fans and 2) their unquestionable success (see Catwoman - the first female Imaginext figure and a huge sucess) will further prove the value of female characters in toylines like Imaginext which appeal to both boys and girls (and let's face it, nutty adult collectors too!) who all want both boy and girl figures in their collections! Boy oh boy do I hope we get a Batgirl and a Poison Ivy next!

But back to 'now.' In addition to Wonder Woman's lasso accessory, the set comes with a brand new Superman in his DCnU costume!

Nice, value-wise, that Fisher-Price included an all new Superman for anyone who already has the previous version (which is still worth tracking down because he comes with Krypto!) This new Superman also has a 'painted' face as opposed to the previous version's sculpted face. Painted-on faces seems to be an across-the-board style change as Imaginext moves forward, with most new figures coming this way as opposed to previous fully sculpted faces being the norm (at least in the DC Super Friends branch of Imaginext.)

When I first got Aquaman I felt the 'painted' face cheapened the figure a bit, but the more I look at the stylistically the more I like them. They allow for more cartoony expressions and it would be nice to see the expressions changed for future/new pack-in releases (like an angry face Wonder Woman packed in with the inevitable Invisible Jet playset!) I also like how the head/hair for guys like Aquaman and Superman are sculpted specific to character, which also leads me to believe the painted faces are more a style choice then an attempt to cheapen the product.

A fan demanded figure since day 1, Wonder Woman doesn't fail to delight, and the all new Superman at least means you don't get something you already have to get her. Either way, at around $6.99 retail you can't go wrong with this set at all!

Harley Qwednesday :: Imaginext Harley Quinn Variants

While waiting for my Imaginext Harley Quinn to arrive I noticed something odd on the pics I've been seeing of 'in hand' examples:

On the left is a Harley Quinn currently listed on eBay (PS don't buy these on eBay - they're still in stock on F-P's website!) and on the right is the one Chunky B has in hand.

Anyways, lighting notwithstanding, the major difference between these two Harley Quinns are her arms and hands - note that in the pic on the left her arms/hands are correctly colored to Harley Quinn's original costume design and on the right (Chunky B's version) the red and black are inverted! This isn't a simple case of mismatched parts either - Chunky B reports that his arms hands are anatomically correct (and so are Harley's HAW HAW!) There are also more examples of each variation on eBay.

So it appears there is a variant out there. Why? Maybe she was 'fixed' early on in production and 'corrected' for the rest of her manufacture run. Or maybe there are just two different versions (possibly from two factories?) It is odd that they made both arms and both hands in both colors, yet did not mismatch the colors (ex: black arm black hand.) which makes me believe that it wasn't an assembly mistake.

I do hope when (IF!) I get mine she is the correct version. Sure, this isn't nearly as ugly a design faux-pas as Aquaman's yellow boots, but it would be nice to have Harley looking right.

Harley Qwednesday :: Imaginext Harley Quinn in hand!

Unfortunately it isn't my hand - but the hand of the Howard Hughes-esque Chunky B (who clipped his 6" thumbnail before taking this shot:)

So if you ordered your Harley Quinn or Wonder Woman Imaginext sets off Fisher-Price last week after seeing my original post on the subject, you can expect them to arrive any day now...

...unless their website decided not to ship your order, to prevent you access to your online account, and to stop processing your credit card.

Yeah, all that happened to me.

I called Customer Service. Supposedly I will get my order by next week, but with Wonder Woman already listed as 'sold out' on the site I daren't hold my breath for a happy ending.

And if you ordered and haven't gotten yours yet I suggest you do a little investigating yourself.

Heads up! :: Lego Bat Jetski available now!

I spotted this great polybagged Batman Lego minifigure (in Keaton colors!) on a Bat Jetski (30160) at Toys R Us today! Apparently there is also a mini Batmobile (30161) available soon, but I did not see it and it appears that it does not include a minifigure like the Bat Jetski does.

At around five dollars there's no better way to add a Batman Lego minifigure to your collection!