Action Figure Review: Catwoman (Batman: Knightfall) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   So far as DC Multiverse figures go, this one is pretty significant to me as it's the figure that really caused me to start collecting this line. I've been watching McFarlane's DC Multiverse line since it started in 2020 and while I liked it, I didn't want another line that just came and went. Before 2020 McFarlane didn't have a great track record of sticking with licenses properties for too long. Before 2023 I had picked up a figure here or there, but it was when I saw the promotional images for this version of Ms. Selina Kyle, based on Jim Balent's artwork and the character's design through most of the 1990s, I decided that DC Multiverse was a line worth collecting. I love this version of Catwoman (probably my third favorite costume/ design) and I'm excited to finally be reviewing her. I've has her for well over a month but there's been so much cool stuff that it's taken me a bit to get to her. Ready to check out the Batman: Knightfall version of Catwoman? Then join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 3/4ths inches

Articulation: Hinged toes, double swivel hinged ankles, double hinged knees, swivel/hinge hips, balljointed waist, balljointed mid torso, swivel/hinge shoulders w/ ballsockets, double hinged elbows, swivel/ hinge wrists, and a ball jointed head.

 

Accessories: 4 Swappable hands, whip, collector card, and display stand.

 

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars

The Positives:

* Like many of the DC Multiverse figures based on older designs, Catwoman isn't a perfect interpretation of the artist's rendering of the character, but a figure with a mix of the design and the standard McFarlane house style, meaning she fits in with everyone else pretty well. I like her. Selina's sporting her incredibly tight purple outfit with lots of folds and wrinkles in the material. Those make it really look like someone in tight clothing and not just a toy with a painted on outfit. Her figure isn't as extreme as Jim Balent's artwork, but she still looks fantastic here. 

* Her head sculpt is well done and she really looks quite lovely. Very serious and tough, sure, but still quite pretty, too. Her eyes are well done and I'm loving the design of her hood. I'm actually a bigger fn of Selina's short hair from the Hush era onwards, but this long, curly hair is pretty memorable and I like how it's a mixture of black and blue to bring out the detail, just like in a comic. 

* The shiny, glossy paint work on her gloves and boots really brings the look of a pleather-like material to mind. It's kind of a dominatrix inspired look which makes Catwoman even more sexy and more dangerous. 

* The articulation is incredible. Besides some of the Japanese import figures, this might just be the most well articulated Catwoman figure ever released alongside McFarlane's Arkham City Catwoman. It's nice to have a version of Selina Kyle than can handle being posed in a variety of cool and sultry combat poses. She poses incredibly well and is sturdy as anything. 

* Catwoman comes with two sets of swappable hands. The first is a pair of clawed hands with extended nails and the other is a pair of standard grips for holding the whip. They swap easily and have the same shiny paint as the bicep length gloves. 

* Catwoman's whip is crazy long. Honestly, if I saw it by itself I would think it was for a 1/6th scale figure. It's quite nice, though, and looks like a braided leather whip with a very solid handle. It's quite pliable, too, and you can definitely do some neat poses with the whip wrapped around her. Whip it good, Catwoman!

* Since she's wearing heels Catwoman can have a hard time standing on her own, so the included stand is even more welcome than usual. It's just a simple disc stand with the DC logo on it but it works well and keeps her figure standing upright in most poses.

* The included collectible card features an image of Catwoman and a very respectable Catwoman bio on the back. 

The Negatives:

* If you're at all familiar with this figure then you've probably already heard the complaints about the "diaper" crotch on Catwoman. Usually I don't mind these at all but this one looks really off. First, the color doesn't match everything else. It's just a shade off. Second, the rubber overlay of this just doesn't blend well. Third, the, uh, crotch bulges a bit too much. It's noticeable off and definitely just doesn't look right. 

   Catwoman's waist overlay definitely is a bit off but if you have her in any sort of action pose it becomes far less noticeable. Honestly, other than that I like her quite a bit. I had the DC Direct Knightfall Catwoman for years but when I has this one I sold it off. It was a more true Jim Balent inspired figure, but it wasn't very articulated and the DC Direct stuff just hasn't held up well over time (they can become very fragile and brittle). This is a Great figure, though, and one of my favorite releases recently. She's really fun. There is a grey suited Platinum variant, but I haven't seen her anywhere. She's pretty rare, I take it. 


If you're looking for more of Catwoman/ Selina Kyle, I've also reviewed Mattel's Classic TV Series Catwoman, the Legends of Batman special edition Catwoman, basic Catwoman, and Egyptian Batman & Egyptian Catwoman, the Lil Bombshells Catwoman, the Greg Capullo Catwoman, the Darwyn Cooke Catwoman, the Arkham Knight Catwoman, and the Nano Metalfigs Catwoman DC44 from the series 3 5-Pack A and the series 3 10-pack and DC 112 from the Series 4 20-pack.

For more DC Multiverse reviews check out the following:

Bane
Bane (The Dark Knight Trilogy)
Batman (DC vs Vampires)
Batman (Hush)
Batman Duke Thomas (Tales from the Dark Multiverse)
Batwoman Unmasked (Batman Beyond)
Beast Boy (Teen Titans)

Deadman (DC Rebirth)
Earth-2 Batman (Batman: Arkham Knight)
The Flash Jay Garrick (Jay Garrick: The Flash Age)
Gladiator Batman (Dark Knights: Metal)
Grifter (Infinite Frontier)

Harley Quinn (The Suicide Squad)
The Joker (Infinite Frontier)
Kalibak (The Darkseid War)
Man-Bat (DC Rebirth)
Nekron (Blackest Night)
The Riddler (Arkham City)
Scarecrow (The Dark Knight Trilogy)
Two-Face (The Dark Knight Trilogy)