I think my absolute favorite DC character is Stephanie Brown - specifically her brief stint as Batgirl from 2009-2012. She is primarily known as Spoiler, a teen vigilante introduced in 1992 hellbent on thwarting (spoiling) her father's crime - Arthur Brown, the Cluemaster. She was a regular feature (and eventual love interest) in the pages of Robin. Then after twelve years she had the notoriety of becoming the first in-canon female Robin, and promptly being killed. Luckily she didn't stay dead for long. And by 2009 she was back and took on the mantle of Batgirl when Cassandra Cain stepped down. This was when I fell in love with Steph. The comic was funny and fresh with great art and relatable stories. It had a Spider-Man sense of playfulness with the grittiness of Gotham and all the tropes of a Coming of Age storyline. It was just great. Unfortunately it was a victim of the infamous New52 reboot of all DC titles. Steph is still around as Spoiler thankfully, but her brief time in the cowl will always be special.
I admit I thought this figure was a simple redeco of the (many) Barbara Gordon figures in this line. But the figure seems to be mostly new. The head is the same old mold, but the arms with the gauntlets are new (similar to the Teen Titans Ravager, but different), the purple ribbing all down her sides is sculpted, the belt, leg pouch, and shoulderpiece are all new. I searched through my collection and couldn't find any reused parts. I'm impressed by the attention to Steph-specific details, especially when no one would have balked at a simple repaint. Kudos Imaginext!
The multipack comes with several accessories which aren't specifically designated for any one character.
These two stood out to me as being related to Stephanie.
BATARANG: The first action figure of her, the 2010 DC Direct figure, came with a distinct yellow batarang. All other batarang accessories I had ever seen in a traditional action figure line (for Batman, Batgirl, or anyone) were black, gold, or silver. Although Imaginext has actually had tons of yellow bat-accessories, so who knows. This batarang is extremely oversized so it's unlikely to be used by anyone.
BO STAFF: A lot of Bat-characters use a bo staff. Most likely this accessory was intended for Damian Wayne Robin. But this was also Steph's weapon of choice
Here are the members of the Batman Family Multipack: Nightwing, Damian Wayne Robin, Stephanie Brown Batgirl, Batwoman, and Batman.
Time for some Group and Comparison Pics!
Here are three Imaginext Batgirls together: Cassandra Cain (slightly modified*), Stephanie Brown, and Barbara Gordon.
*this Cass figure from DC Slammers Series 1 inexplicably had long black hair (the same head mold as the other Batgirls). I took an Xacto and chopped off the hair to give Cassandra her proper hair-less look.
Here is Steph with two recent Imaginext ladies: Supergirl (Flash Movie) and Harley Quinn (Color Changers).
FYI here are the three Batwoman Imaginexts so far. From Left to Right: 2020 Gotham City Pop-Up Playset, 2023 Batman Family Multipack, and 2018 Legends of Batman Super Heroes & Super Villains 6-Pack. Funny thing is I think they all have the same hair, just glued on very differently.
Here are the three Stephanie Brown as Batgirl products: DC Direct, Imaginext, and Heroclix.
And here is the entire Stephanie Brown collection, regardless of title. From Left to Right: Medicom Kubrick Spoiler (2003), DC Direct Batgirl (2010), HeroClix Robin (2017), Imaginext Batgirl (2023), HeroClix Spoiler (2005), Mattel DC Multiverse Spoiler (2018), and HeroClix Batgirl (2012).
Cheers!
Awesome review and collection! I just managed to get my own, and am thrilled! In some ways, it's actually more accurate than the DC Direct figure, and doesn't sand weirdly on one hip! And so fun that Steph and Cass finally have action figures in the same scale and same set! (I prefer her Black Bat figure personally, because it's uniquely Cass's and fits with the Steph Batgirl time period!)
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