Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Fighting the Frozen - BATGIRL (and PLATINUM)!

DC Direct Page Punchers - Batman: Fighting the Frozen - Batgirl - McFarlane 2023

For the last year, the platinum chase version of this figure has been the bane of my existence. The standard edition was a scarce enough - I saw the other three figures in abundance, with Batgirl only showing up in the mix six months later and still seemingly only a single figure per Walmart. The chase version seemed like a pipe dream. She was selling for around $300 on eBay. But I honestly didn't even love the figure enough to pay more than retail (yet I thought the purple recolor was more desirable). I didn't know the context, and caveman-type variants don't really appeal to me. A couple weeks ago I noticed full cases of single characters were being restocked at Walmart (over a year since their original release). I saw a store with six Robins, then a store with six Mr. Freezes. Eventually I found a Batgirl store and finally found my Platinum edition at MSRP. I've since learned that these Page Punchers figures are an original creation from a McFarlane-commissioned comic (variant cover included with each figure).



The story deals with Mister Freeze accelerating his attempts to revive his wife Nora and accidentally sending himself and his equipment into the far past. The equipment malfunctions and starts freezing the area for miles around, and spreading fast. This historic Gotham area is seemingly protected by the Bat Clan. Prehistoric-looking versions of Batman, Robin, and Batgirl. The gather to confront Freeze and save their land. I was intrigued by the story and would enjoy reading more. But it seems like there is only this one introductory story (with four variant characters covers). Let's check out Batgirl and her Platinum Variant below!












STANDARD - PLATINUM
  Black Cowl and Cape - Purple Cowl and Cape
Golded Bat Symbol and Boots - Yellow Bat Symbol and Boots
             Tan Pants and Tan Belt - Lavender Pants and White Belt
    Cream Undershirt - Lavender Undershirt
           No Tattoos on Skin - Arm and Stomach Tattoos




















Batgirl comes with a figure stand, a collector card, a grappling hook, and two axes.
The Platinum Chase version has a brown grappling hook and slightly darker handles on the axes with lighter blades.































I made a slight modification on my figures. I thought her face looked a little too startled. I used an Xacto blade to trim the edge of her cowl so it raised a bit off her nose and cheeks. Then I painted around her eyes to give her a more squinty look. And finally I darkened her lips because they blended in a bit too much with her skin. I used the comic as a guide. I love the changes, but I admit they photograph oddly. Below are the only pics of my mods.














Time for a Comparison Pic!





Cheers!




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