Super-DuperToyBox: McFarlane Toys Batgirl

Friday, February 14, 2020

McFarlane Toys Batgirl

I didn't keep up with DC Comics too far past the first year or two of the New 52 relaunch, so I'm unfamiliar with Batgirl in context with this Art of the Crime version, published in 2019. Regardless, I loved to this new outfit, drawing from classic Batgirl elements, updated to make her seem fresh. Like the McFarlane Batman, Batgirl has a very dynamically pronounced cape, which isn't the preference of all collectors, but I like it. The updated chest emblem, doubling as a harness for a backpack hidden behind her cape, and utility belt are fantastic.

As I said in my last post on the recent McFarlane Batman & Nightwing, the action figure community is mixed on opinions regarding this first wave of DC figures, but I sincerely like the figures I have picked up. I loved the DCUC line by Mattel, but a lot of their recent figures just haven't interested me much. Aa a fan of the old DC Direct figures, the 7" scale didn't bother me, and the McFarlane figures have a little more depth in their sculpted detail and better articulation. And maybe a little more … well, style. I was also grateful for the return of the figure base- I hated when DC Collectibles and Mattel stopped including them.

Like the McFarlane Batman, Batgirl gets a grapple gun and batarang, but unique in design- McFarlane could have given them the same sculpt, but went the extra mile to give Barbara her own. Sure the grapple line is permanently affixed in a partially ejected state, but it would take little effort to customize that if one cared to. A sturdy collector card was also included with this figure, as well as one third of the "collect to build" Batmobile that Nightwing also came with. For the figures with these CNC parts, we are asked to pay an additional five bucks- as this holds little interest for me, I will sell mine on eBay to offset that extra cost.