It can be difficult being a Batman fan in England. We have limited comic book stores, we rarely get all of the toys or figures and we only get about one DC Original Animated Movie released every two years. Come to think of it, I'd say there are only two things that make me proud to be a British Batman fan… first of all, we are getting Batman Live before you (ha ha, by the way!). And secondly, Eaglemoss' DC Comics Super Hero Collection figurines!
Now, I've known about these for a little while but never really known what they are, but basically, it's a hand-painted, lead figure as well as a 20 page magazine full of information about the character's origin and their general timeline up to current continuity. I also recently heard that these figure have snuck their way into America but my understanding is that they're quite rare and very expensive.
So what made me pick up my first Eaglemoss product? Well, I saw this figure sitting on the shelf and knew I had to get it, #81, Batwoman! First of all, the magazine was good; full color and very informative. I've been a little confused about Batwoman's history recently after 'Batman Incorporated' #4 so this couldn't have come at a better time. The only negative comment I have on the magazine is that it focuses entirely on Kate Kane; it would have been nice for at least a reference to Kathy Kane to differentiate the two characters. That seems to be common with these figures; we only get one interpretation of the character (with the exception of The Flash where we get both Wally West and Jay Garrick) it would be nice to get the golden or silver age versions of some of these characters as well, there's only one Robin figure for example and it appears to be Tim Drake, although oddly there is a Red Robin figure as well as a Nightwing, we also only have one Batgirl but Don will be happy, or maybe frustrated, as it's Cassandra Cain. The only other nitpick I have for the magazine is that the artists aren't credited, no big deal but it would be nice to know who's art you are enjoying. But now onto the figure…
The figure was great, especially for the price (just £6.99). It's nice and heavy and it feels good to hold, the pose is also interesting and the base is good too; it has a felt bottom so it doesn't slide around and every figure is numbered which is a nice touch; it makes it feel more like a collector's item. As you can probably see from the photos, the painting job isn't the best in the world but considering it's hand painted I think it's done very well, particularly on the scale the painter would have to work. This figure is a little top heavy however, it won't fall over but the slightest knock will send it toppling backwards but it's very stylish. The painting, whether intentional or not, evokes the style of J. H. Williams III and I am very fond of it for that. On the other hand, being made of lead, the figure reeks. I was tempted to keep it in its packaging but it looks too good to be kept behind plastic and it's not the fault of the figure, just the material. The only other thing I don't like is the size of Batwoman's mask- it's very large! Now, the size of Batwoman's mask does fluctuate in size quite frequently so this may be personal preference but for me, it's too big.
Other than those minor things I loved this figure and even found the magazine very enjoyable, it's made a good opening for me to the Eaglemoss DC figures and hopefully I'll be broadening my collection with more members of The Batman Universe soon! (I've already ordered a Batman).
Eaglemoss Batwoman:
Posted Joe Jinks
