Dark Knight Rises Mini-Busts - CATWOMAN!

DC Comics Batman Universe Bust Collection #32 Catwoman - Eaglemoss 2019

I figure with The Batman movie currently filming and Zoë Kravitz soon to take on the role of Selina Kyle in 2021, the Anne Hathaway Catwoman from Dark Knight Rises will soon be a thing of the past (at least as far as merchandising goes). I still fondly remember my surprise at seeing Hathaway's amazing performance. I'll be the first to admit that my expectations weren't very high. At the time, I had only really been exposed to her acting in more lighthearted fare (despite her having several super impressive roles under her belt already that I just hadn't seen yet). But her interpretation was fun, entertaining, and sexy. I only wish we could have seen more of her. These Batman Universe Busts from Eaglemoss have been pretty amazing. While they haven't all been winners (ahem.. Ivy), the majority have been awesome (Batwoman, Batgirl, Bluebird, and Catwoman especially). I have a feeling the line ended with Issue #35 which is a shame because I was really enjoying them. Let's check out DKR Catwoman below!

Batman Universe Busts - CATWOMAN '66!

Batman Universe Busts #28 - Catwoman '66 - HeroCollector/Eaglemoss 2019

Every time I see an image of a 1966 Catwoman I get overwhelmed by nostalgia. Whether it's Julie Newmar, Earth Kitt, or Lee Meriwether, there is something about the costume that sweeps me back to my childhood in the early 80s. I grew up without air conditioning or cable, and during the hot summer months my siblings and I would block out the shades, haul out the electric fans, make tons of juice pops, and settle in for long marathons of Godzilla movies, Star Trek the Animated Series, and the 1966 Batman show (all of which were in constant Summer rotation on our weird local stations). This was my first exposure to Catwoman and I was instantly entranced by her. I've loved almost every iteration of the character since, in both comics and movies, but I think I will always hold this version as the gold standard. It's only a shame that the likeness to the actresses are so consistently off-base. The merchandise doesn't look bad per say, but they certainly don't resemble Julie, Eartha, or Lee. Let's check out Catwoman below!

Eaglemoss BTAS - GOTHAM GIRLS!

DC Super Hero Collection - BTAS Gotham Girls - HeroCollector/Eaglemoss 2019

Batman the Animated Series did wondrous things for the female contingent of the Batman universe. Sure, Catwoman was a pretty major presence in the comics at the time (She recently had her first self-titled comic mini-series and she starred in Batman Returns just a few months before the BTAS debut), but Poison Ivy was practically forgotten and Batgirl had recently been paralyzed. Then BTAS burst onto the scene and made them all major players again, and of course the cartoon soon introduced us to the iconic Harley Quinn. Not only did these characters suddenly have a higher public profile, but their personalities and relationships with each other were developed into the intriguing dynamic we still see today. I was really excited when Eaglemoss first started soliciting this BTAS sub-line of the DC Super Hero Collection, I had hopes to get all four of the main girls, and thankfully my wishes were fulfilled. (Now I will patiently wait for The New Adventures of Batman versions). Let's check out the ladies below!

Batman Universe Busts - BATGIRL!

Batman Universe Collector's Busts #10 - Batgirl - HeroCollector/Eaglemoss 2019

Burnside Batgirl was a really fun phase in the evolution of Batgirl. It's amazing that she's already mostly phased out after only 3.5 years. In 2011 when the DC universe rebooted into the New52 and Barbara Gordon re-assumed the mantle of Batgirl, I personally felt the comic was almost unreadable. Part of it could be that the main casuality in this shift was the amazing Stephanie Brown Batgirl (who was written out in the reboot). It would be hard for anyone to take the place of Steph, but even without that competition, the rebooted Batgirl comic was just a lackluster snoozefest. I wanted really really bad to like it, but it had no heart. The feeling must have been mutual because in a few short years (2014), Barbara was revamped into a younger, hipper, more independent Batgirl. She wore a very utilitarian version of the iconic costume and she was relocated to Burnside (essentially Brooklyn to Gotham's Manhattan). It was a breath of fresh air. And this bust is a great homage to her first cover. Let's check her out below!

Batman Universe Busts - BATWOMAN!

Batman Universe Busts #21 - Batwoman - HeroCollector/Eaglemoss 2019

Kate Kane as Batwoman is such a great character. Not only does she have a terrific costume, but her backstory and personality have natural depth and believably (at least once her run in Detective Comics started... the 52 stuff just wasn't fully fleshed out yet). Also, the mantle of Batwoman itself has a great political history. She and Bat-Girl were the original beards of the comic world, so Kate's sexuality is a brilliant reimagining. I think she is going to be a solid fixture in the Gotham scene for many many years to come (and hopefully her costume doesn't change, because it's honestly perfect). It should be really interesting to see how the new Batwoman TV show effects her popularity. At the very least we're likely to see more toys. Look how Supergirl's show has amplified her toy aisle presence in the past few years. (I'm not being facetious... we've seen several action figures and statues as a direct result of the show.. and I have the same hopes for Kate). Let's check out the Batwoman Eaglemoss bust below!

Batman Universe Busts - GOTHAM CITY SIRENS!

Batman Universe Busts #3 Harley, Catwoman #5, Poison Ivy #8 - Eaglemoss 2019

I have a backlog of Eaglemoss products I've been dying to review forever. Last weekend I finally unpackaged a ton of my hoarded busts and figurines and photographed them and now I'm excited to post them all. For sake of brevity I will be lumping certain ones into groups, and the most logical grouping to me is the Gotham City Sirens trio of Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn. As much as this trifecta seems timeless, I did some research and discovered that Catwoman and Poison Ivy only ever crossed paths five times in the 27 years leading up to Batman the Animated Series (and I didn't actually read those five stories, but from the descriptions they seem like huge ensemble casts where it's very unlikely that the two even talked). Yeah, Batman books didn't really pass the Bechdel test until fairly recently. But once Harley was introduced, it wasn't long until these friendships formed and they haven't looked back. Let's check out Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn below!

Batman Universe Busts - BLUEBIRD!

Batman Universe Collector's Busts #35 - Bluebird - HeroCollector/Eaglemoss 2019

It's been a long time since a new Batman character has caught my attention. Something I've always loved about DC Comics is the long historical canons behind almost all of the heroes and villains. But something about Bluebird caught my eye and soon as I saw her suited up in the pages of Batman Eternal back in 2015. No, she didn't have an outlandish cape or some obscure tactile weapon that I crave. She wore utilitarian gear and carried guns. Plus she had a mohawk (I've known one too many folks with mohawks in my life, and they always end up a major disappointment.. so the haircut is now a red flag to me). But despite it all, the tempestuous hacker/engineer Harper Row in her new punky vigilante role quickly became an obsession for me. It was actually a few years until I realized her costume was an obvious homage to Nightwing, and that only made me like her more. This Eaglemoss bust is the first official piece of Bluebird merchandise and it's honestly a terrific debut. Let's check her out below!

Character Spotlight on BIG BARDA!

A Small Collection of the Grand Dame of the Female Furies: Big Barda 2007-19

I wasn't always a fan of Big Barda. In my less-enlightened youth I thought all superheroines had to fit a cookie-cutter body type and wear a nondescript spandex costumes to be worthy of my attention. But as an adult I realize that this large woman in a glaringly bold costume is all-around awesome (and a terrific example of non-conformity). And to add to my infatuation, I just learned Big Barda's look was inspired by Lainie Kazan (who I will always adore as the mom from My Big Fat Greek Wedding). I also appreciate her classic Jack Kirby geometric designs and her bold primary colors (all the primary colors to be exact.. I love it!) She is also currently starring in the comic Female Furies, which is her first (sort of) lead role in her 48 years, so the timing of this Character Spotlight seems pretty appropriate. Her merchandise makes for a fun-looking collection, like an exploded box of crayons. It's been a few years since I've done one of these posts, but it's really fun and I'm already brainstorming my next one. Let's check out the Bardas!

Eaglemoss Special - JANE FOSTER THOR!

Marvel Fact Files Special #26 - The Mighty Thor (Jane Foster) - Eaglemoss 2017

I have a real soft spot for Eaglemoss figurines. They were the first non-action-figure collectibles I bought when I started to branch out in my adult hobbies. But lately a lot of their flagship lines (the DC and Marvel Classic Figurine Collections) have come to an end. Then the various chess sets ran their course as well. Now the third wave is upon us and we have DC All-Stars, BTAS, Batman Busts, and Marvel Fact Files. This Thor figure is the first purchase I've made from any of these new lines. This particular sculpt is not the most dynamic or fun design. The pose seems stiff and the face seems expressionless. Previous Eaglemoss releases have never been known for expressive faces, but that was because the scale was small so it was also about colorful costumes and dramatic poses. But this Thor figure is huge. From base to hammer she is 7" tall and the figure herself is a hair over 5" - I think at this new scale they need to up their game. I'm excited for their new Wasp and Captain Marvel figures so my fingers are crossed.

Marvel Chess Collection - THE SPIDER-LADIES!

Marvel Chess Collection - Anya, Jessica, Cindy, and Gwen - Eaglemoss 2016

I hope Eaglemoss never stops making comic figurines. They started with the Classic Marvel Figurine Collection in 2007 and soon launched their DC Comics equivalent the year after. When both series ran their course, they began making Chess Pieces of the characters and the series continued. I count about 600 unique figures between DC and Marvel, and they're still coming. I thought I was showing great restraint with this line by only buying my favorite-of-favorites. But I just counted and I somehow acquired 37 over the years (including a purchase this afternoon - Hela). One of my greatest Eaglemoss joys came last year when there was a Spider-Man themed Chess series and they released four awesome modern Spider-Woman: Spider-Gwen, Spider-Girl (Anya), Silk, and a modern Jessica Drew Spider-Woman (which I think is the only representation of this look in plastic so far.. not even a Heroclix or Minimate). Eaglemoss has a knack for reading my mind when it comes to character selection. Let's check them out!

Character Spotlight on CARRIE KELLEY (AS ROBIN)!

A Small Collection of Carrie Kelly (as Robin) from Dark Knight Returns

This time last year I didn't own a single Carrie Kelley toy, but I was just learning about all the new figures about to be released and decided that I needed to assemble a small collection of the most popular female Robin in the DC Universe. I started by picking up the old DC Direct figure from 2004 and within a few months I was hunting the Mattel Multiverse Robin. Now a year later I've added three new Carries to my collection: an Eaglemoss figurine, a Funko POP! vinyl, and an animated-style DC Collectibles figure. There is also a recent mini-bust from DST in her animated style, but I've decided to pass on that particular item along with a few of the higher-end statues that have come out over the years. I somehow doubt that we'll see much more Carrie as Robin merchandise, but with the Dark Knight themes in the Multiverse line, there's a slim chance we could see her as Catgirl (from Dark Knight Strike Again) or Batgirl (from DKIII: The Master Race). Maybe there will be some surprises at SDCC. Let's check out Carrie below!

Character Spotlight - DOVE!

A Collection of DC's Beautiful Avatar of Peace: Dove (Dawn Granger) 2011

As enjoyable as it is to bask in all the Liefeld vitriol on the internet, I never take it too seriously. I'm secretly a fan. That's because in the late eighties I was obsessed with Rob Liefeld and his first Hawk & Dove miniseries. Those five issues are some of the most nostalgic pieces in my unwieldy comic collection. Traditionally Hawk & Dove was composed of the brother duo Hank and Don Hall as the avatars of war and peace. Shortly before the 1988 miniseries, Don was killed and a new female Dove named Dawn (a rather confusing homonym) took his place. I was pretty young and such a self-explanatory yin/yang type dynamic for a comic series was perfect for me. Add in the bird theme and I was hooked. I followed the subsequent Hawk & Dove ongoing series for years, got ecstatic when they briefly joined the Birds of Prey, and even found the 2011 New 52 reboot very enjoyable. I especially enjoyed those couple issues of Teen Titans that Liefeld drew which featured Dawn with her sister Holly as Hawk.

Character Spotlight on LADY SIF!

The Plastic History of Thor's Main Squeeze - Hasbro, DST, Eaglemoss, NECA

Lady Sif was first introduced in a 1964 issue of Journey Into Mystery as a love interest of Thor.  To my eyes, she never quite fit the image of the golden-haired Norse Goddess she is named after, but I actually just learned that early on, Loki had cut off her blonde hair and replaced it with black enchanted hair made by the dwarves.  I'm glad for this because a third blonde Asgardian (Valkyrie & Enchantress being the first two) would be a tad too much.  The 2011 Marvel film, Thor, featured Jaimie Alexander as Sif and really gave her a huge popularity boost.  Although the role in the film failed to highlight her feisty personality, she still came across as tough and formidable.  Since that movie, there's been an explosion of merchandise dedicated to this character. Before the first movie figure in 2010, there was nothing.  But now I have a small collection of Sif toys, with many in her classic look (which I love).   Hopefully we'll see more Sif love when Thor: The Dark World comes out.  I have hope.  Let's check out her figures so far!

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!!

Eaglemoss Chess BATWOMAN Revealed!

DC Chess Collection #27 White Rook - from Eaglemoss Publications

With the Harley Quinn Chess piece being released today, I thought I would google around to see if either of the two remaining ladies had been unveiled.  Sure enough, I hit jackpot with the solicit pics of the upcoming Kate Kane Batwoman rook piece!  She looks great, much more like the JH Williams III style than the previous DC Superhero Collection Batwoman.  I can't wait to complete this chess set and do a thorough comparison review with all the bat-ladies together.  Batwoman is due out in January 2012.  Also just revealed was Alfred Pennyworth as a White Pawn.  The only female yet to be revealed in this series is the Black Bat pawn.  I'm assuming we'll see her before too long.  Click through to see the ful solicit images and a new photoshop assemblage showing the lineup so far.

Eaglemoss Chess HUNTRESS Revealed!

DC Chess Collection #21 White Rook - from Eaglemoss Publications

I'm loving Eaglemoss these days!  I just bought the Poison Ivy piece last week and I'm getting very excited to collect all the bat-ladies together.  This time last year there were rumors of the line getting the axe; pre-orders being cancelled; uncertainty of how the DC reboot would affect merchandising; and just general doom and gloom about the whole series.  But now we've seen solicit pics for about 2/3 of the pieces and about 1/3 are actually in the stores.  While I am sad that we won't be getting Oracle or Stephanie Brown Batgirl, the excellent Babs Batgirl and the rumored upcoming Black Bat help ease the pain.  I love the look of this Huntress.  I was never the biggest fan of the previous Eaglemoss Huntress (although she was still amazing.. see pics here and here), but this figure makes up for her in spades.  She looks sexy, tough, and no-nonsense.  She should be on the shelves in November.

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 Chess HARLEY QUINN Revealed!

DC Chess Collection #17 Black Queen - from Eaglemoss Publications

I'm glad to have some non-Catwoman woman news this month!  The DC Comics Chess collection is going strong and I'm really excited to see the sculpts of all the upcoming figures.  Just revealed this past weekend were Bane, Harley Quinn, Black Canary, Mr. Freeze, Nightwing, Scarecrow, and Ra's Al Ghul.  I'm eagerly awaiting the pieces for Batwoman, Huntress, and Black Bat to be solicited.  I have the Catwoman and Batgirl pieces already and they are great additions to any bat-family collection (I'll review them shortly).  I should note that in the magazines shipped with those first two figures of mine, there is a thumbnail image of Cassandra Cain as Black Bat shown on the chessboard of upcoming pieces.  The image is just a panel from a comic book, but it's exciting news for Cass fans.

Character Spotlight on HUNTRESS!

Helena Wayne to Helena Bertinelli and back again.

I first discovered Huntress in the backup stories of Wonder Woman when I was a kid in the 80's.  I had never heard of her before, but I was instantly sucked in to the mythos of the vigilante daughter of Catwoman and Batman; Helena Wayne aka the Huntress.  Unfortunatley, it wasn't long before that character was written out of existence and replaced with Helena Bertinelli, mafia-entrenched vigilante out for justice.  While the new version still had a lot of the same elements as the original, I was acutely aware of how much the original Huntress' heroic lineage had contributed to my fascination with her.  (That, plus the fact that I really really really disliked the 1989 Huntress series.)  I was sad that the original was gone, but better to have a revamped Huntress than none at all.  Recently DC Comics has announced a new series, World's Finest, to begin in May, supposedly featuring the return of Helena Wayne.  I'm excited but I have no idea what to expect.

Character Spotlight on FIRESTAR!

X-Men, Avengers, Young Allies, Hellions, New Warriors... She's Been Everywhere!

Angelica Jones was one of the first super-heroes I became infatuated with as a young boy.  I remember watching Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends and eagerly anticipating her change sequence when a wall of flames would wash over her and suddenly she'd be costumed in that awesomely retro yellow and red outfit.  It's interesting to read all the creation stories about this character and how she came to be.  According to most tales, they originally wanted the trio in the cartoons to be Spider-Man, Ice-Man and the Human Torch, but either the legal rights to the human torch were tied up or they thought a boy engulfed in flames would send a bad message, so they had to create a substitute character in a hurry.  Apparently they took inspiration from Spidey's longtime love interest, Mary Jane, and viola!  (oh yeah, and she's apparently named after the creator's ex-girlfriend).  No matter how she came to be, I love her in all her microwave glory.