POP Funko - CASSANDRA CAIN BATGIRL!

POP! Heroes #501 - Batman: Joker War Zone - Cassandra Cain - Funko 2024

It has been five long years since Funko has had a new comic-based DC Bat-character that got me excited. Back in 2019 they released a Batwoman and Huntress that gave me high hopes that we'd finally start seeing all the cool Bat-family characters that had been ignored up till then. But my hopes were dashed. There was nothing for years. I was still happy to get live-action versions of Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Batwoman, but the comic stuff was always my favorite. In 2020 there was a comic (that I haven't read yet) called Batman: The Joker War Zone that featured Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown teaming up on a side adventure. I always liked their friendship dynamic ever since Cass handed the Batgirl mantle to Steph way back in 2009. And I've been enjoying the current ongoing title, Batgirls, featuring Steph and Cass patrolling the city (with Babs in their earpieces). But this Joker War Zone story is what cemented their adventuring partnership and inspired these long overdue Funko Pops. Let's check out Cass!

Batgirls - CASSANDRA CAIN BATGIRL!

DC Multiverse - Gold Label (Target Exc) - Cassandra Cain Batgirl - McFarlane 2024

One thing I have always loved about Cassandra Cain is that she is the first Bat-female to be unmistakably badass. As a specific sub-genre of comicdom (that I am wholeheartedly obsessed with), the female characters in the Batman universe are always strong, independent, and capable. But the comics community is inundated with fanboys who think Wolverine, Deadpool, and Lobo are the pinnacle of cool. And trying to convince them that characters like Barbara Gordon were deserving of their respect was always a tough task. But then Cassandra Cain took on the mantle of Batgirl from Huntress in 1999's No Man's Land storyline and changed all that. Cass was a violent assassin with a deadly pedigree (she is the daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva). She was raised to be as lethal as possible, even foregoing verbal communication to dedicate all senses to body language. She was awesome, and her costume was cool. And she has remained as a consistent, but underused, character ever since.

Batwheels - BATGIRL!

Burger King: King Jr Meals - Batwheels - Batgirl (Cass Cain) - Burger King 2023

In late 2022 a new animated show debuted on HBO MAX called Batwheels. I was intrigued because I am drawn to all things Gotham. But I knew it was completely geared towards kids and wouldn't become a true obsession of mine - and I was mostly right. The show has a great concept: essentially mashing together the worlds of Disney/Pixar's Cars with the Batman Universe. There are so many outlandish character-themed vehicles in Gotham, it doesn't seem that crazy to actually give them voices and fully flesh out their personalities. I found it very clever. But I wasn't expecting to be so drawn to the human characters. They have really fun designs and the roles are filled by interesting characters - namely Duke Thomas as Robin and Cassandra Cain as Batgirl. I've been wishing for action figures, but all the official toys have been (predictably) vehicles. But then I was surprised by some Burger King figures from December that totally scratch that itch. Let's check out Cassie Batgirl below!

Two Years of DC Heroines from IMAGINEXT!

An Assortment of Imaginext DC Super Friends Ladies - Fisher-Price 2018-2019

I love Imaginext so much but I get overwhelmed with the sheer amount of figures I've collected over the years. So this post is collecting 23 amazing DC Super Friends ladies I've assembled over the past two years (and there are at least two I couldn't locate amidst my clutter to photograph).  I'm exhausted from editing 214 photos, but giddy about having them all unpackaged now. Way back in early 2012, the release of the Imaginext Catwoman was the push I needed to start this blog - which is funny because I never ended up reviewing that particular figure. But every time there is a new release I feel a nostalgic sense of excitement. The presence of female characters in the line is increasing at a shocking rate, and the two female-centric 6-packs in 2018 is a perfect example of Imaginext's new focus on gender inclusion. It was a very slow trickle for may years, but lately it's been an absolute flood (and I couldn't be happier about it). Let's check out two years of DC Imaginext ladies below!

Eaglemoss Chess BLACK BAT Revealed!

DC Chess Collection #28 White Pawn - From Eaglemoss Publications

Geez I take my eyes off the internet for one split second and I miss the reveal I've been waiting almost a year for.  Thankfully a thoughtful fan (Thanks Tommy D!) clued me in, because I would have surely been unaware until after my forthcoming turkey haze lifted.  Cassandra Cain has been such a great addition to the Batman family.  I reviewed all her various toys in a Character Spotlight from this past July where you can read a few quick tidbits about her history.  This incarnation of Cassandra, as Black Bat, is relatively new and definitely has some awesome potential.  It's such a coincidence that I first saw this solicit image today, because just a few hours ago I happened to order the Black Bat Heroclix piece - which will be the first version of this character in plastic released.  Heroclix fogires leave a lto to be desired however, so I'm deifnitely looking forward to picking up this gem.  On to the full-sized images!!

Character Spotlight on BATGIRL (CASSANDRA CAIN)

A Darker, More Deadly Batgirl Than We Ever Expected!

In 1999, nearly 10 years after Barbara Gordon was paralyzed by the Joker, the mantle of Batgirl was taken up by this very unique young girl.  Cassandra Cain is the daughter of the assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva.  She was raised with no reading or writing skills, just combat.  Her only language was body language and her dependency on subtleties and instincts as her sole form of communication made her an extremely deadly assassin.  She came into contact with Oracle and Batman during the No Man's Land storyline and was eventually adopted into the Batman family as the new Batgirl.  I was a latecomer to the Cass bandwagon.  It wasn't until near the end of her 10-year run as Batgirl that I began to appreciate her.  I liked the personal obstacles she had to overcome; a murderous lineage (and personal history); a severe communication handicap; and struggles with teamwork.  Plus I love that her Eurasian heritage added some much-needed racial diversity to the Bat-universe.

Eaglemoss BATGIRL and the Bat-Ladies!

Amazing little lead figurines from Eaglemoss Publications UK

The last of the DC Eaglemoss figurines have been announced (so they say...) and just recently the last of the Bat-Family females has hit the street.  This makes an impressive set of SEVEN Bat-Ladies in the collection.  If anyone hasn't started picking these up, I highly suggest doing so.  They average about 3-4" tall and each come with a fantastic magazine that reads like a heavily-illustrated wikipedia bio.  I've seen them priced at comic stores anywhere from $12.99 to $16.99 and to me are well worth the price.  The only problem for me is that very few stores around me carry them regularly so they usually require a special order.