Sideshow Collectibles has revealed their coming Catwoman (1992) Premium Format Figure and I will now give my initial thoughts on this piece based on the material currently available. This should not be considered a review, but rather as my first impression of the piece.
Facts
- Price: $449.99
- Exclusive: N/A
- Expected to ship: Jan 2017 – Mar 2017
One of my favorite renditions of Catwoman is finally coming as a 1/4 scale Premium Format. I’m really excited about this since I loved Batman Returns (1992) and Michelle Pfeiffer’s portrayal of Selina Kyle. So, is this the Catwoman statue that will finally make it into my collection? Good question. Let’s have a closer look at this piece.
The Sculpt
The level of detail on this piece is amazing. I’ve always been a fan of the rather grotesque suit of this character, with the rough stitching and latex. It gives me some strange uneasy feeling. It’s a rough suit, and it doesn’t convey the aesthetics of heroes and villains that we normally see. Obviously, this is a very Burtonesque design. We see that some of the seams are tearing, which suggests that she’s been in a (cat)fight (lol) recently.
The material of the suit is a mix of latex and leather (I’m guessing), and these different types of materials are represented well in the sculpt. The suit itself is a shiny/glossy latex and her boots have a more dull texture. Everything looks very convincing, in my opinion.
The portrait is very good and possesses a high degree of likeness to the actor, Michelle Pfeiffer. I hope that this accuracy will be present on the actual production pieces as well. Her expression is very much true to the nature of the character (as seen in the movie), and conveys her sensuality as well as her seductive personality. She looks both beautiful and dangerous.
Her claws are very nicely detailed. I completely forgot how they were done for this movie, and the efficient design of them really works well with the overall look of Catwoman here. It’s a great combination of beauty and grotesque.
Overall, I find the sculpt here to be extremely well done. There’s been given a lot of attention to the small details of character. Her physique is spot on, and the portrait is accurate and realistic.
The Pose
I’m very happy about the pose here. It’s a great combination of her fundamental feline and female qualities. It’s a static/resting pose, and this gives us time to really take in all the details and the emotion that the pose conveys. It’s a very feminine pose, and it obviously communicates her sensuality and seductive nature.
I love how her whip is wrapping around her body from around her torso, and all the way down her left leg, and finally ending at her boot. The whip almost feels alive, and it almost functions as a guide that is telling us to study and appreciate her body even more. Love it.
The Base
The base is really simple, but I like it. The emphasize needs to be on the character here, and she has a rather petite stature, so the base needs to be balanced, and not steal our attention. Sideshow went with a simple rooftop section here, and it is a perfect theme for Catwoman – a renowned prowler of rooftops.
It’s not a huge base, and it flows well with the compact pose of the character. It’s not too space demanding, and I always appreciate that. The colors are also adequately subtle so that no attention is taken away from the character.
The details and everything is done in a satisfactory way. Not really any bells and whistles here, but I find that a perfect fit for this character.
The bottom display base is very nice. It’s a simple layered design that looks very stylish and it compliments the overall piece quite well. It’s looks way more luxurious than other display bases that we see, and it actually is something that I’d love to see on other pieces as well. It gives the piece a feeling of quality.
Final Thoughts
I really like this statue. It has a lot of good stuff going for it, and it really delivers the character that we remember from Batman Returns. It’s a simple, but efficient portrayal of my favorite Catwoman, and I’m so pleased with that. The face of this character is the most important part, and I feel that they nailed it very well. The likeness is spot on (again, I really hope that this will carry over to the production pieces), and the expression and attitude conveyed by this statue is just exactly how I remember Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman.
The compact size of this piece is great for collectors that are having a hard time finding available space for new statues. This statue functions well with a compact design since this piece is all about character and personality. It doesn’t need to “wow” us with an impressive pose or a show-stealing base.
I feel that Sideshow has done a really fantastic job here, and if you are a fan of the Tim Burton’s Batman, this is most certainly a must-have. Obviously, it also would go great together with the 1989 “Keaton” Batman Premium Format.
I’m really considering if I should pair this piece with my Batman Premium Format (not the Keaton one). I still haven’t quite made up my mind.
