As much as I love BTAS, I’ve never been a huge fan of Catwoman’s grey outfit. I always thought it lacked a certain pizazz and flair. And yet, as time goes on and I see it re-adapted into new stories and media, I find myself enamored of it. I really can be striking when properly drawn/built/worn.

This particular custom is based on the print and statue offered by Sideshow. There’s no question Sideshow’s were based on BTAS, with a few updated twists. I, in turn, was inspired to to build a custom figure based on Sideshow’s offerings. (Thus the name of this custom.)

At first I was hesitant to take on this project, as I’d already made a Year One Catwoman using a similar recipe, and they are both primarily grey. But in the end I decided I could make this one different enough to proceed.

I started from the obvious place: a DC Direct Essentials Catwoman. I cut off her hair, and swapped the right hand for something that could hold a whip. The belt is from a Marvel Legends Black Widow. I did add some vinyl strips to the top of the gloves, just so they would have more dimension that paint would allow for.

The unmasked head is from another Marvel Legends Black Widow figure. It’s so perfect for a Darwyn Cooke-inspired Selina, I can’t believe I didn’t use it before. The collapsed mask around her neck is taken from an older Batman figure. I only repainted it.

The backpack was in my fodder supplies. No idea where it come from originally. It’s got a peg, so I drilled a hole on her back to accommodate. The shoulder straps are cut from black elastic and hand-sewn. They are present to sell the illusion of the backpack. They don’t actually hold up anything. As such, they are easily removable.

Hands down one of my favorite Catwoman figures so far.

Created June 2021