Review of Catwoman - DC sixth scale action figure

Introduction

In the Bat-verse, the Joker tends to get all the press. He's Batman's arch nemesis, and not a Batman related toy line, television show, or movie franchise has managed to avoid his inclusion at some point. But he wasn't the only character to appear in Batman #1 way back in 1940 - Catwoman made her debut as well.

While her basic look - and back story - has changed over the years, her penchant for burgling and her sexual tension with Batman has remained consistent. Sideshow couldn't avoid her for long with their new DC series of sixth scale action figures, and she's managed to hit shelves even before the Caped Crusader.

There are two versions, the regular and a Sideshow exclusive.  As usual, the exclusive includes one additional accessory.  She retails for around $190, although you can get a deal on the regular release if you shop around a bit.

Packaging - ***1/2
There isn't any one thing about the box that screams outstanding, but the overall impression is one of simple, clean design.

I love the artwork on the cover of the box. The simple, sharp Catwoman logo design looks terrific, and the basic shoe box style works well.  It's all collector friendly of course, with no damage necessary.

Sculpting - ***1/2
This figure comes with two head sculpts, similar to the recent Harley. One has the calm, slightly sexy expression of a woman in control, while the other is a battle scream, with exposed teeth and dangerous, squinty eyes.

While both heads are quite pretty, it's the demure look that I prefer. There's something about it that fits in with the burglar persona better, at least for me. The secondary head will work great if you plan on posing her in mid-battle with Batman, however.

Like the earlier Harley, both of these are done in a more realistic, slightly less comic-booky style. They aren't going for absolute life-like here, but they avoided anything too extreme in the appearance.

I also really like the design of the cowl and ears. Somehow they've managed to stick cat ears on an adult woman and not make her look like a sad waitress in a 50's Kitty Cat Club. I did notice that from some angles and in some lighting the ears can look a little like horns, but that seems somehow appropriate.

There are three sets of hands, sculpted in various poses. A couple are designed to work with the accessories, while a couple others are for gestures. They all look great, and are properly scaled.

As you should have guessed, this is a sixth scale figure, and she's a tall girl. She comes in at the full 12" if you measure all the way to the tip of her ears, making her just slightly shorter than the average male.

Paint - ***1/2
It's tough to be playing in the sixth scale market these days. Companies like Hot Toys and Enterbay have found ways to make their production paint work look creepy real, and have set the bar extremely high, even for themselves.

This isn't one of those ultra realistic paint jobs, but it's not really supposed to be either. Remember, she's still a comic-based figure, and still needs to have that feel to both the sculpt and the paint.

While that means the skin tone and detailing aren't going to be quite as life-like, the quality of the work - sharp lines, no bleed, even tones, zero slop - still needs to be on point.

The eyes look excellent, particularly on the relaxed expression. The makeup is a little heavier and darker on the pissed off version, giving her an angrier look all around. Her gritted teeth are very well done though, with the sort of clean oral hygiene you expect from a beautiful criminal.

I noticed that in some of the photos it looks like she has a black left eye - that's just shadow. Both baby blues are identical.

Articulation - ***
The underlying female body is a bit thin in the legs and hips, but has plenty of other curves to make up for it.

There's all the usual articulation, including an excellent double jointed neck. Only the ankles are restricted in any way, and the boots are actually soft enough to get some play out of them. For a deeper stance which would require bent toes they've provided a second set of boots.

I do have the same issue here that I've had with a couple other recent Sideshow releases - body parts tend to pop off too easily, especially hands and feet. The head swap is good, tight enough to allow for posing but not so tight that you worry about breakage. But the hands and boots come loose at the slightest touch, which can make posing a more frustrating experience than it needs to be. It's not quite as bad here as it was with the Joker or Harley, but still a tad annoying.

I mentioned her curves earlier - the breasts are covered in a softer, rubbery material, giving them a more life-like appearance and feel. This softer material has that slightly translucent look that approximates real skin so much better. Since most of us are going to keep the zipper fairly low, the use of the softer material is much appreciated.

Accessories - Exclusive ****; Regular ***1/2
There are two versions of this figure, regular and Sideshow exclusive. The only difference is the inclusion of one additional accessory.

She starts off with three sets of hands. She is wearing fists in the box, and has an additional right designed to hold the whip handle, while the other three are in various poses. They are designed to give her a 'claws out' look, and work to great effect. They swap easily - a little too easily - but there are extra wrist pegs just in case.

There's an extra set of boots too, with the toes in a bent position. These also swap easily, and once again it's really too easy, as they pop off when posing. There's a couple extra ankle posts as well.

The boot and hand sculpts are excellent, as is the paint work. Using these in various combinations makes it easy to find multiple poses that stand out on the shelf.

She also has not one but two whips. One is rubber, thinner overall and easier to roll up and attach to her belt. The loop that holds it in place closes with a magnet, and the thinner whip is less likely to force the magnet open. It still falls out a little too easily, but it's much better than with the second, heavier whip.

The second whip is made from leather, and the more realistic appearance is the way to go if you're posing her in battle stance. Having both whips is a really nice option, and makes either look - loose and flowing or rolled and contained - work for the character.

She also has a small, light weight plastic pack. This fits over her shoulders and opens, with room for the extra whip, her goggles, or her plunder.

Speaking of goggles, the red lens are held in place around her head with an elastic band. They can be worn over her eyes, or up on her forehead - or not at all. I actually like her without them, especially in the sexier poses, and have included photos in all three states.

Every burglar needs some stolen goods, and Catwoman always did have a thing for diamonds. She comes with a very large rock, and it's clearly her best friend.

The exclusive includes one additional piece of plunder - a large Egyptian cat statue. Considering the thematic correlation, it's a great looking extra to have on the shelf, assuming you don't pay a whole lot more.

Finally, the figure comes with a display stand. Rather than go with the traditional black, the base is a chunk of the floor from the Gotham City Diamond Exchange. While I don't like stands myself, having them is a nice addition.

Outfit - ***1/2
I've already mentioned the goggles, pack and boots in other categories, so I'm not counting them here as part of the outfit. They are nice, but they've already been covered.

That just leaves her belt(s) and body suit.  The body suit is made from a stretchy material, with a dull black color. I like this quite a bit as it's a contrast to the usual high gloss finish we've gotten ever since Michelle Pfeiffer sported the look in Batman Returns. This material is more forgiving with posing and handling as well, with less chance of damage over time.

In the same vein, it's also a more realistic choice in general. She blends in to the shadows much better in the flatter black color, and looks more like a burglar, less like a dominatrix.

The belt around her waist is held in place with a large silver buckle. This is actually a magnetic closure, which works relatively well. She also has part of her climbing gear attached to this belt, and a loop for her whip.

While the costume is pretty basic, the tailoring and fit are excellent, and the choice of material makes you far less worried about posing and handling.

Fun Factor - ***
One of the greatest sources of 'fun' with a figure like this is in the posing and arranging of the character on the shelf. While the overall articulation and inclusion of key accessories makes that a lot of fun, it's negatively balanced by the hands and feet popping off much too easily.

That minor annoyance detracts slightly, but this is still a solid action figure that remembers what it means to be a toy.

Value - **1/2
You could pick up the exclusive for $190 directly from Sideshow, and the regular release can be had for around $180 or so at various retailers. That's a decent value, considering the number of accessories and overall quality. With Hot Toys figures reaching $220 on average, it's nice to see something in the licensed sixth scale market that's sub-$200.

Things to Watch Out For -
Take a little care when swapping the heads. The neck post can be a tight fit, and you don't want to jam it down to far into the neck itself.

Overall - ***1/2
I'm very happy with Sideshow's DC comics inspired line, and the fact that we've already gotten not one but two female characters is outstanding. These are the first really excellent sixth scale DC figures that have been available (yes, I know Medicom are doing some as well, but don't get me started on Medicom), and comic fans have had to live through years of truly awful 12" figures from Hasbro, Mattel, DC Direct and others. With Sideshow at the helm, we should be able to get a decent selection if characters in the series before it wraps up.

This is the time of year when we get excited about the potential news coming out of SDCC. For me, the Sideshow DC line could have the best announcements of the show, and I have my fingers crossed that we get some very cool, and much desired, additions.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***
Accessories - Exclusive ****; Regular ***1/2
Outfit - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
So far, Sideshow has released both the Joker and Harley Quinn. If you're a big fan of Catwoman, you should check out the second Cover Girls statue, or better yet, the excellent first Cover Girls statue.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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