My search for a proper Batman Returns Catwoman!

I absolutely adore 89’s Batman, especially it’s sequel, 92’s Batman Returns. So much so, that on the day of the videocassette release, both my mother and father arrived home from work with a copy! I was one happy nine year old! (Some might think this movie was a bit too dark or too adult-oriented for a 9 year old, but Batman was life and I loved it!)

Even when I got my Hot Toys Batman Returns figure back in early 2016, I always hoped to pair it with a matching HT Catwoman, but sadly that never materialized. It wasn’t until about a year ago when I found the seamless 1/6 figures that I really got back into this scale again, and so now begins my hunt for a sixth scale Catwoman, even if I am a bit late to this party… (okay, a LOT late )

I have seen many officially licensed statues available over the years (by the likes of Tweeterhead, Iron Studios & Sideshow, among others) and even NECA has a 1/4 scale action figure (which I actually already have) but I want a 1/6 scale figure to pair with my HT Returns figure. So, after some extensive searching, I found out that there were many different releases of the Returns/Pfeiffer Catwoman in sixth scale dating back to at least 2010, and it seems they are all unlicensed (not really a huge issue with me, so long as it looks proper.) Each of the figures have their own varying degree of accuracy to the film, in my opinion.

As far as I can tell, it appears that the following options were available at one point in time or another:

* Catlady Custom Hand Made Figure by unknown, ~2010


* AC Play Catwoman ATX027, ~2017


* Supermad Toys Cat Lady 1.0, ~2017


* Supermad Toys Cat Lady 2.0 (battle-damaged variant), ~2017


* Kumik Toys Catwoman KMF022, ~2018


In my opinion, the strongest of the above overall would be either of the Supermad Toys versions or maybe the AC Play Toys version. The Supermad seems to have most of the correct stitching on the suit, and the AC Play Toys does decent on it as well, but needs more variation in the stitching patterns. The corset seems to look the best on the Supermad Toys version. I really didn’t compare heeled boots, but I believe one of them had wedges over heels, which isn’t right (but probably used for stability would be my guess.) All of this was compared by photos. I’d have to inspect the head sculpts in person, but the AC Play Toys head sculpt looks pretty good, too.

Sadly, of all of the variations above, it seems that the only one that is readily available for purchase today is: the Kumik version (and maybe knockoffs of it because the prices vary widely.) I feel the Kumik is the least accurate, and very well might be itself a knock off of the first one available from unknown manufacturer, as they appear to be pretty close to one another. I believe I’ve found the “unknown” version at one stateside vendor, and I think I’ve found a vendor outside of the US that has the AC Play, but not for sure if it’s actually in stock nor looked up the exchange rate. Still looking otherwise, and added saved searches to keep an eye out.

It’s sad that there isn’t any authentic release available from reputable manufacturers these days. You can see that there’s clearly interest in that there have been at least 4 unofficial releases of this figure so far. I thought I read that Hot Toys intended to produce these after the MMS293 & MMS294 from Batman Returns, but something obviously happened as they’ve since moved past Returns and now they have the Forever pair they’ve announced that (supposedly) ships this summer.

I would get a seamless body and attempt to add the stitching to this bodysuit myself (would have to get another latexy part to cut up and add as collar):

Here's an idea for the whip
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t2302-miniature-whip

Given the lack of availability of the more ideal versions, you might have to do a bit of a combination kitbash to get what you want. I think the Kumik head has potential. Might have to purchase the Kumik figure, see what is salvagable from it (the head at least, maybe the whip, too?), and then get a better body for it (might have to use a standard, large bust Jiaou, because I find Kumik heads aren't always compatible with tbleague necks), and then modify one of those black latex suits that Diana suggested (which are actually tailored perfectly to the Jiaou body). Not sure what to do about the corset, maybe the Kumik one will be salvageable, too.

Once I'd kitbashed the version I wanted, I'd just sell whatever was left that I didn't use from the Kumik figure on ebay.

The Kumik one has a nice head; AC Play looks great overall. But you have a greater attachment to and knowledge of the character, and I might be overlooking details that are more important for you (I'm actually with you, that she is the classic Catwoman for me).

Diana wrote:I would get a seamless body and attempt to add the stitching to this bodysuit myself (would have to get another latexy part to cut up and add as collar):

The thought of actually making my own did cross my mind. Thank you for the photo and suggestion, Diana!

shazzdan wrote:Here's an idea for the whip
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t2302-miniature-whip

Very nice, indeed! I did pick up one of the boxed sets I was able to find stateside, so depending on how well the whip that comes with it is made, I may go this route because yours looks phenomenal! Great work, Shazzdan!

skywalkersaga wrote:Given the lack of availability of the more ideal versions, you might have to do a bit of a combination kitbash to get what you want. I think the Kumik head has potential. Might have to purchase the Kumik figure, see what is salvagable from it (the head at least, maybe the whip, too?), and then get a better body for it (might have to use a standard, large bust Jiaou, because I find Kumik heads aren't always compatible with tbleague necks), and then modify one of those black latex suits that Diana suggested (which are actually tailored perfectly to the Jiaou body). Not sure what to do about the corset, maybe the Kumik one will be salvageable, too.  

Once I'd kitbashed the version I wanted, I'd just sell whatever was left that I didn't use from the Kumik figure on ebay.

Well, I ended up going with the first one I listed (made from the unknown manufacturer) as I found Black Ops Toys had one remaining in stock. While it’s not the best looking one that’s been released thus far, it is the best looking one that I was able to purchase today. I will likely end up making adjustments as I see fit, and may possibly replace the figure inside with a seamless one, but since she’s fully covered, that may be a moot point. It all depends on how those body seams visibly come across on her outfit. My only worry is that whatever material the suit is made out of is, hopefully not, made of a material that is prone to breaking down and deteriorating. If that’s the case, I’ll replace the suit with my own like above and add the stitching myself.

GubernatorFan wrote:The Kumik one has a nice head; AC Play looks great overall. But you have a greater attachment to and knowledge of the character, and I might be overlooking details that are more important for you (I'm actually with you, that she is the classic Catwoman for me).

Indeed, Pfeiffer is the best portrayal of Catwoman to date, imo, and her costume was just phenomenal, so I had to have her specifically! At first glance, the Kumik one seemed promising. Unfortunately, upon further inspection there are a lot of variances between the photos being shown and the sellers who’ve offered them, which makes me think that the majority of them are Kumik knockoffs (which again isn’t a huge concern so long as the quality is there…) Clearly, some sellers “borrow” other sellers photos, but what throws me off is that some photos show more stitching in the chest area while others don’t have any stitching there. Upon a more thorough inspection, parts of the Kumik head seem off depending on the angle, mainly the bulges on each side under the ears. Additionally, the Kumik seems that it might itself be a reproduction of the unbranded Cat Lady (albeit of a much lesser quality—or at least a lesser attempted quality) and it’s seems they may have made some smaller adjustments to the head sculpt. Look above her right eye where the seams at the top of the eye hole in the mask are split/separating… Kumik is sculpted without the tear—like how it appears when she’s first introduced. Then again, I could be completely off base. Anyways, the unbranded appeared better overall than the Kumik.

So, to be safe, I went with the “Custom Hand Made Cat Lady Figure” as reviewed here. I was kinda shocked that Black Ops Toys still had one left in stock 12 years after release. What’s even better is they honored the 25% off code on it, so it came out to $150 versus the $200 they were asking.



It seems one thing the unbranded figure got wrong, and it’s debatable, is Pfeiffer’s eye color in that they’re painted green. One photo that springs to mind (a heavily altered one, that is) shows Pfeiffer in the Catwoman costume up close with very accentuated blue eyes. Watching the movie, they look both greenish and blueish. I say they’re blue-green myself. Alas, this is just a tiny nit-pick.

I’ll update after arrival.

I think the ACPlay version looks the best to my eyes. (They we’re also the same company that did the first Slave Leia outfit/head sculpt set — though they made it for a TBL with large boobs, since that was what was available at the time).

Stryker2011 wrote:I think the ACPlay version looks the best to my eyes. (They we’re also the same company that did the first Slave Leia outfit/head sculpt set — though they made it for a TBL with large boobs, since that was what was available at the time).

Trust me, Mark, if I would have been able to find either the AC Play or Super Mad Toys version, I would have chosen either of those two before I chose what I did. I guess that’s all just part of being way too late to the game… happens to me a lot.

I did see an auction that ended last December for the Super Mad version 2.0, and it fetched over $300 (granted that issue was limited to 200 pieces worldwide) so maybe it’s better financially that I just go the route I did, cause I ain’t paying $300 or more for one figure, especially one that cost under $180 to begin with.

I swear I saw the Kumik version on Aliexpress recently, but can't find it there anymore.

See this is why I keep dropping money on pre-orders and such lately, there's so much cool stuff I missed out on and will never be able to find...and especially not at that new price point.

I hope you find her, though I do think with cult classic types like this there's a tendency for a new version to come out sooner or later? The fact that there's been several takes on her already kinda bears that out...

Yeah, that's a good point. It's likely that another version might be released within a few years.

Faster Than Life wrote:I swear I saw the Kumik version on Aliexpress recently, but can't find it there anymore.

See this is why I keep dropping money on pre-orders and such lately, there's so much cool stuff I missed out on and will never be able to find...and especially not at that new price point.

I hope you find her, though I do think with cult classic types like this there's a tendency for a new version to come out sooner or later? The fact that there's been several takes on her already kinda bears that out...

Yeah, I guess since the Kumik was the last one released time wise, it’s about the only one you can find. EvilBay has plenty as of late. I did see an Aliexpress link during my research, but never clicked on it. And I totally get it with preorders. I only have two figures on preorder right now, and that’s because they’re not cheap…  I’d love to preorder so much more, but have to be selective due to other collections, as well as other hobbies taking my funds. Worst thing about that is the launch retail vs. years-later retail. I hope another company takes a shot at another sixth scale again soon!

skywalkersaga wrote:Yeah, that's a good point. It's likely that another version might be released within a few years.

Quite a possibility… I’ll likely either buy the Kumik to kitbash the two, or wait and hope someone else takes a stab at this iteration.

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Well, the “Custom CatLady Figure” arrived a day earlier than expected. After unboxing, one of my fears was true… deterioration of the 12 year old materials. Not to mention todays manufacturers have come leaps and bounds since 2009/2010 in terms of materials and quality. You can see the hard body they used put too much stress on the front/middle area of the chest, causing the black shiny material to stretch and deteriorate. It also seems the boots have maxed out in terms of their stretchiness.



I grabbed my HT MMS293 Batman to get a few poses…





I’m using a newly acquired RGB 6 inch LED ring lamp. (cheap at Walmart) It has 3 white color modes, and a plethora of color and multi-color flashing/spinning options available. I picked out a few shot for you guys…















In all honesty, this figure, as old as it is, is actually a pretty good representation of the overall character and I can look past the inaccuracies for now. I might upgrade the whip, and have been thinking about getting my 3d printer back in line so I could print an Omega-like taser and affix a tiny rare earth magnet to it. A small metal plate under the top of the left boot would mount it where it’s seen in a couple of promotional shots, although that may require another pair of boots as these are shot. I’d also like to either buy or 3d print a short haired black cat, “Miss Kitty” as Selina called her pet cat.

That looks like a great start! She does look good overall. And the JXK black cat is still available on Ebay. I've been eyeing it myself.

Nice pictures!
I hope the deterioration on the pleather is not too bad. Pleather flaking is my biggest nightmare...

Sorry for the deterioration on the figure. Though for a figure that's 10+ yrs old and dressed entirely in pleather, I guess that sounds about right. She looks the part in the photos though! I honestly can't tell anything is amiss with the outfit just by the pics. : )

Diana wrote:That looks like a great start! She does look good overall. And the JXK black cat is still available on Ebay. I've been eyeing it myself.

Thanks for the recommendation of the JxK black cat. I found a generic one about half that price on the ‘zon with many other poses, but I wasn’t sure of their exact scale, plus the detail on that JxK cat is amazing by comparison!

Randam Hajile wrote:Nice pictures!
I hope the deterioration on the pleather is not too bad. Pleather flaking is my biggest nightmare...

It’s only flaked away mainly where the ‘nips’ are, for lack of a better term. You can really see it in this close up picture, both where it’s worn away and where it’s cracking (against the upper chest area.)


I blame the old school hard plastic body putting pressure against the pleather over time, at least where the two pasties are. The lines on the upper chest probably happened by my hand when I pulled the suit off to compare with my TBLeague bodies. Wasn’t even thinking about my moving the (is vintage the correct word? ) fabric causing distress… live and learn I suppose.

skywalkersaga wrote:Sorry for the deterioration on the figure. Though for a figure that's 10+ yrs old and dressed entirely in pleather, I guess that sounds about right. She looks the part in the photos though! I honestly can't tell anything is amiss with the outfit just by the pics. : )

Like you say, it’s to be expected, just due to the nature and age. I wonder if I could just put some ink over the areas where it’s no longer black, at least to minimize the appearance. From a distance or within various color lit environments (like the shoot above) can hide it, heck, even inking will hide it, but I know it’s there. No matter what you try to do to circumvent it, deterioration happens. At least with this older stuff. Likely going to have to rebuild it using the suit posted by Diane above. That or try the Kumik version to build upon. I’m also interested to see which style base body that one uses, as well as how the head sculpt attaches.

Some people have used angelus leather paint to touch up those pleather areas. I haven't tried myself but have seen pics and it looks good.

So, no update on getting a better suit for Catwoman, but I did happen to pick up a "Miss Kitty", a JxK Toys 1:6 scale black cat that is the purrfect (sorry, I couldn't help myself! ) companion piece.



It's arrived to the US Customs sorting center, so should be here relatively soon...

That is a very nice cat, Steven. The sculpt reminds me of the one I have in this photostory:
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t5291-house-of-gopnik-updated-with-part-iii#74552

“Miss Kitty” finally arrived.







I love the level of detail in this piece.

And here is the ensemble in its current state.

Great shots!

It is so fortuitous that she has a matching animal associate!

Thanks for sharing your Catwoman.
Still hating HT for not pushing through with her figure
I missed out on the 1st Supermad figure from my local seller, had the chance to buy the battle-damaged version but i waited for re-stock of the 1st one which sadly didn't happen then the BD sold out.

Btw, i just saw the 1/4 scale maquette up close at a store last week, too gorgeous!

Meow ! Rrrrrr... Thanks for showing, this is a great figure and great pictures of her. Especially next to batman