Play Arts Kai - Dark Knight Rises CATWOMAN!

Play Arts Kai - Dark Knight Rises Figure No. 3 - Catwoman - Square Enix 2013

My second Play Arts Kai figure is a hit!  My first figure was the Arkham City Catwoman that I reviewed back in January.  I didn't know what to expect when I got her soon after Christmas, but I was smitten with the brand as soon as I took her out of the packaging.  This follow-up Catwoman does not disappoint either.  I think I might go as far as to say this is the ultimate Dark Knight Rises Catwoman collectible.  Sure, the Hot Toys figure looks pretty much perfect, but the rooted hair and soft materials turn off a lot of collectors (me included) - not to mention the price is about triple what this Square Enix figure will cost you.  This Catwoman though, she's detailed, extremely poseable, lots of swappable body parts, moderately priced (for a higher-end collectable) and she just looks great.  I've been extremely happy with all my Play Arts Kai purchases so far (perhaps I'm foreshadowing my next two reviews...).  My only issue with this figure is that she's annoyingly difficult to photograph.  Something about the semi-translucency of her skin (which is fantastic in person) washes out under photo lights.  Let's check her out below!

Catwoman's packaging comes with the standard "bookcover" flap so you can view the figure and accessories in the tray.  It stays shut with two small pieces of Velcro.

 

 

 

I tweaked all these photos as best I could so you can see a bit of her nose at least.  The skin tone really washes out in the photos, but looks great in person.

 

 

 

Catwoman comes with two heads (Goggles up & Goggles down), two hairpieces (Windswept & Tame), three extra hands (making 5 total), and a pistol.

 

 

 

 

 

I think the fact that the hairpieces are interchangeable is very very cool.  It gives a lot more variation to how you display her.  I also love how the hair is cast in translucent brown plastic with a dark brown paint wash.  This adds a lot of depth to the sculpt and adds a burst of color to her overall dark palette.

 

 

 

 

 

Something to watch out for when posing these figures for long-term display is the rubberized crotch piece.  This is such a well-planned design to hide all the complicated (but ugly) articulation at the hips and waist.  However, like in the picture below, the rubber piece can often get caught behind the leg joints.  I always try to be cautious with rubber parts like this to avoid tears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Catwoman also comes with a display stand similar to the Mattycollector flight stands or the stands that come with Figma toys.  I personally rarely use stands like this, but it's a pretty great addition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time for some Comparison Shots!

 

 

First up is Goggles Up PAK with Goggles Up Movie Masters from Mattel.

 

 

 

 

First up is Goggles Down PAK with Goggles Down Movie Masters from Mattel.

 

 

 

Next are the two Play Arts Kai Selinas so far...

 

And finally, my standard shot...

 

 

 

Cheers!