Review of Batgirl Bishoujo statue - Black Costume Variant
Kotobukiya
Date Published: 2011-11-16
Written By: Michael Crawford
Overall Average Rating: 4
out of 4
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Introduction
Kotobukiya's Bishoujo statues have been a huge hit with fans of both Marvel and DC female characters. They've hit up heroes
and villains alike, and with the latest release they go back to the beginning of their DC series.
They are re-issuing the very popular Batgirl, using the same sexy pose and style. The original statue was done in classic blue
and gray, and sold out very quickly. Now, they've re-released her, but this time in the more modern black and yellow/gold
costume.
This is actually a bit of an early review, as she isn't slated to hit retailers for at least another month, maybe even six
weeks. Like the other statues in the series, you should be able to pick her up for around $50, depending on the retailer. As
always, I have some suggestions of site sponsors at the end of the review, all of which are reliable choices.


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Packaging - ***
The package is similar to past releases, including the nice big window you can use to see the statue itself. It's a bit
obscured by the plastic wrap used to protect the paint from rubs, but that's understandable.
The box is black this time around to set it apart from the first release, but there is no COA or other edition size
information included. It's completely collector friendly of course, which means you can easily remove the statue from the
package and return it later, all without any damage to the box or trays.
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Sculpting - ****
Not all the poses of the Bishoujo statues have been to my liking - some seem silly, while others exude the kind of sexy
toughness I'd expect.
This is one of the later - lots of attitude, lots of personality, lots of kick butt style, and plenty of sexy.
These are in a 1/7th scale, and with the base Batgirl stands 8 1/2 inches tall.
There's plenty of detail work in the hair, and the suit wrinkles and folds in all the right places, but the eyes and face are
done in the traditional manga/anime style.
One of my favorite aspects of this (and the original) statue is the highly detailed gargoyle that she's using as a foot rest.
The stone appearance looks very realistic, and the scale works well in relation to the figure.
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Paint - ***1/2
These statues are usually painted extremely well, and Batgirl is no exception. There is just the slightest issue around the
edges of the mask and her lips, but it's so minor that most people will have no real problem with it.
The body suit is a matte black, while the cowl and cape are a very shiny gloss black. The interior of the cape has the yellow
gold color of the boots, gloves, belt and symbol, and the combination works extremely well together. Her red hair is the
perfect compliment to the costume colors!
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Value - ***1/2
One of the best things about the Bishoujo statues is the price. While they are slightly smaller than the Cover Girls (which
run close to $80) and slightly larger than the Batman Black and White statues (which run around $70 each), these come in at
just $50 at most retailers. These are more plastic than resin, but it's a minor quibble considering the quality. An average
value for me is a **1/2 score, so these are getting a big boost in this category.
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Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. The statue, gargoyle and base are all permanently attached already, so no assembly is required.
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Overall - ****
Whether this one was a ***1/2 or **** star statue was a tough call for me. On the one hand, I love the sculpt (and I'm loving
it more the longer I look at it, always a good sign), and the paint work is well above average. But the key turning point for
me is the price - it's rare to get any sort of decent statue in this price range today, especially one with this high of a
production value.
It probably also helps that while the blue and gray might be the more traditional colors for Batgirl, I much prefer this
updated color scheme. It's much more striking and eye catching, and makes complete sense as a re-issue.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Value - ***1/2
Overall - ****
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Where to Buy
Online options include these site sponsors:
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has her at $48.
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has the pre-order at $50, and they also have the original blue/gray version on 'back order' at $50. Not sure what that means, but it might be worth a try if you
wanted the first version.
- Entertainment
Earth has her at $50.
- or you can search
ebay for a deal.
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Related Links -
I've covered several of the Bishoujo releases so far, including Supergirl,
Wonder Woman, Phoenix
and Rogue.
And if you just like Batgirl, you should check out the Cover
Girls of the DCU version, the Ame-Comi version,
the 13" Deluxe action figure, the Elseworlds action figure, the DC
Superheroes version (one of my favs), the DCD
Silver Age figure, or the nifty Microman version.
You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case
any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.
Discussion:
Want to chat about this review? Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing
it!
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This product was provided for the review by the manufacturer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.
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