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Sunday Toy Chest: Batgirl of Burnside

This past week, the unfortunate passing of on-screen legend Yvonne Craig had many of us waxing poetic about her legacy as an actress, but also about Batgirl, a character that owes much of her lasting appeal to Craig. When Barbara Gordon first appeared on television sets across the country, she was heralded as a new kind of hero. She adopted the same Bat-insignia as the World’s Greatest Detective and held her own, on her own terms. And she had a hell of a high kick.

Fast forwarding through the decades, Barbara was Batgirl, she was a congresswoman, and she was the master information broker Oracle, the latter incarnation cementing Gordon’s relationship with writer Gail Simone. When DC rebooted their entire line of comics with The New 52, Simone bridged Barbara’s journey from Oracle’s chair back into Batgirl’s cowl.

After more than 35 issues at the helm, Simone departed the book and now the reins are in the hands of current creative team Cameron Stewart and Brendan Fletcher (writers), and artist Babs Tarr and they have introduced us to the current Batgirl of Burnside. Stewart and Fletcher have moved Ms. Gordon out of Gotham Proper and into the borough of Burnside. For the uninitiated, Burnside is to Gotham as Brooklyn (and maybe, more specifically, Williamsburg?) is to New York City. It is a borough across the Gotham river, and it is Barbara’s newest domain.

After an explosion destroyed her last remaining cowls, costumes, and gear, Barbara found herself getting back into the crime fighting game with some DIY disguise handiwork. The design of her newest duds is thanks to a collaboration between writer (and frequent Batgirl cover artist) Cameron Stewart and new-to-comics artist Babs Tarr.

Batgirl’s newest costume finds the creative team paying homage to her original purple jumpsuit, with the golden bat across her chest. It features a utility belt (one that actually looks large enough to hold legitimate crime-fighting utilities) that has one extra large pocket that requires a secondary anchor strap around Batgirl’s right thigh. The snap-on cape is short, resulting in effective silhouettes and preventing snags along the skyline. If a foe were to grab it and try to yank her down with force, the snaps would allow her to break free with ease. The yellow Doc Marten’s are stylish, but utilitarian; a quality boot does not have to be covered in Kevlar to kick some ass. The purple leggings have a black stripe reminiscent of a policeman’s uniform. (It was Jim Gordon’s discouragement towards Barbara from entering the police force that led her to strike out in her own form of vigilantism, after all.) Her leather jacket actually appears on the page like leather would appear in real life: there are no inexplicable boob-shaped basins to be found on this garment.

As part of the Batman Black & White statue series from DC Collectibles, every aspect of Batgirls thoroughly modern throwback outfit is recreated to the finest detail. The laces on the Doc Martens are as clearly defined as the recessed zippers on the jacket pockets. The only thing missing is the bright color scheme of the comic book, but, this is the “Black & White” series, after all. The full-color edition will be hitting store shelves near the end of 2015.

Batgirl stands at roughly 7.25 inches tall, give or take the amount of lift she’s given by the two-toned bat-base. The base comes with two pre-drilled holes matched up perfectly to the two pegs under Barbara’s left foot. Her stance is aloof, with the right foot crossing back behind her, and her shoulders at an asymmetrical angle. It may seem a bit carefree, but Barbara is a dancer and a gymnast, after all; this is a moment in repose, not a fighter’s stance in the middle of battle.

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Check out the gallery below for a more detailed look at the statue. It’s hand-sculpted by the incredible Irene Mara from cold-cast porcelain. Like last week’s spotlight item, Batgirl of Burnside in Black & White is limited to just 5,200 pieces. Pick one up now before they’re all gone! The figure retails for just $79.99 MSRP, and its size makes it perfect for even small desks, shelves, or workspaces. Slightly larger than a standard 6″ action figure, this Batgirl is ready to fend off your daily foes.

Now, when an actual Batgirl of Burnside figure is released, you best believe we’ll be covering it right here on some fine Sunday in the future! Have any plans to pick one up? Did you already get yours? We want to know what you think, so let us know below!

Toy News Round-Up

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