I've seen the recent spate of bootleg LEGO superhero minifgures all over the internet over the past few months, usually from bloggers in the orient, or for sale on eBay from Chinese sellers. And while some of them have been tempting, I am hesitant to buy bootleg anything without seeing them in person, since bootlegging isn't an industry that is always known for it's quality control.
Well, the bootlegs have started popping up at my local flea market, and I have been able to assess their quality in person. Most of them are of a low quality and aren't even worth their weight in 'novelty factor,' but this Batgirl, and the series she comes from, are surprisingly nice, good quality minifigures!
The minifigure on the left is the bootleg, and the one on the right is the official LEGO Batgirl minifigure. As you can see, the bootleg has a unique cowl - part of the reason I bought her even though I have the official figure - but more on that later.
I honestly don't know how to define this bootleg. The base she comes with says 'ShengYuan Herd Series' - I don't know if that means anything in a foreign language or if that's some misinterpretation of English, but I'll call her that until someone corrects me in the comments.
Anyways, unlike other, cheaper bootleg LEGO minifigures, ShengYuan Herd Series minifigures come in a nice quality full-color box. This is already retail quality here, no flimsy cardboard or cheap-o graphics.
As I stated earlier, part of the appeal of Batgirl was her unique cowl. I like the fact that the ShengYuan Herd Series has not only directly ripped off LEGO in their character selection, but they have also come up with some parts (and whole figures) that LEGO did not previous release. I am glad to give LEGO my money, and would never buy one of these figures in place of a LEGO minifigure, but to get something unique - yeah, I can handle that.
What makes Batgirl's cowl unique is the prominent proboscis...
...and the flatter hair. You can also see some excess plastic on the cowl and hair - this is something you would never see on an official LEGO minifigure!
By comparison, the official LEGO Batgirl's hair is much more well defined. And as you can see in the first picture, her nose is much more subtly defined. The ears are also longer/pointier on ShengYuan Herd Series Batgirl. These differences help to make ShengYuan Herd Series Batgirl not merely a straight-across rip-off, but a unique figure in her own right.
Not only is the quality of the ShengYuan Herd Series Batgirl on par with LEGO, but you get a nice base and a mini-build of relatively random pieces, but also a batarang and a gem.
Other figures also include accessories and bases.
ShengYuan Herd Series Batgirl also has a different face than LEGO Batgirl, and only on one side (LEGO Batgirl has a happy face and an angry face.)
The cape is of much lower quality than LEGO capes - and a few minutes of play begin to wear heavily on it. The cowl is super-tight - in fact, I doubt I'll ever get her head out of there again! Which kind of pisses me off because I didn't line it up perfectly. D'OH!
But beyond that, you would have a hard time telling the difference - in fact, you probably couldn't. The body paint apps are the same - ShengYuan Herd Series Batgirl's are actually brighter...
...and both are painted on the backs, too!
Finally, all the ShengYuan Herd Series minifigures come with a couple cards.
I got Batman and Robin - not sure if there's a variety, or if this is all you can get. The 'stats' look like they should be part of some sort of card game. But look closely - Batman and Robin's stats are exactly the same! MAYBE that's just because this is Damian Wayne Robin - but I doubt it.
ShengYuan Herd Series Batgirl isn't perfect, but she's a great novelty and a good quality toy, and for the price of equivalent LEGO I don't feel ripped off at all. Beware lower quality bootlegs, there is some real crap out there, but I do recommend the ShengYuan Herd Series if you have access to them at a fair price.
Lastly, I can understand that there may be no recourse for LEGO to go after these manufacturers, as they in no way state 'LEGO', but DC (and Marvel etc) MUST be peeved that these are being made and their copyrights are all over them, and there's no money coming in to them. Regardless, I will probably pick up a few more unique minifigures if I continue to find them in the future!
