DC Super Hero Girls UK

DC Super Hero Girls UK: Supergirl and Batgirl Action Figures

Ever since the line was announced last year, I have been waiting for the DC Super Hero Girls UK toys to be released. Well, we finally got our hands on a couple – these Batgirl and Supergirl action figures from Mattel.

The line is a DC superhero sub brand, that reimagines female DC characters as teenagers at an exclusive superhero school. This line offers a great way to bring girls into the stereotypically boys world of superheroes.

DC Super Hero Girls animated series, Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Supergirl, Katana, Bumblebee, Cheetah, Hawkgirl, Catwoman, DC Super Hero Girls UK

One of the things I like about DC Super Hero Girls is the focus on them being a group of friends. Disney Princesses, while promoted as a collective, are essentially out for themselves as they’re individual characters in their own separate stories. No sisterhood there.

Added to that, superheroes are also often fighting – even with each other. But here, instead of Batman v Superman, here we have Batgirl with Supergirl.

DC Super Hero Girls hit the UK

These DC Super Hero Girls UK action figures are from the 15cm range. There are also 30cm action dolls, as well as assorted accessories (such as Batgirl’s utility belt) and other merchandise (like stationary, eg. we were also set a notepad).

As befits the high school makeover, the looks of these classic characters have been made more teen like. Tech expert Batgirl wears a geek chic hoody and chunky boots, whereas cheerleader-like Supergirl has what looks like Chuck Taylor All-Stars and a very short skirt.

Despite Supergirl’s skirt length, these toys for the most part avoid the sexualisation that is associated with so many female toy figures. To my mind, the figures look more athletic than anything, though they still have big eyes and pursed lips often seen in dolls.

The toys are pretty well articulated. One of the bold claims made on the packaging is how these figures can stand up by themselves. Well, this is just about true, though the choice of stable poses is more limited than I’d like.

They don’t really come with accessories as such. Batgirl has a backpack (Bat-Pack?) while Supergirl has a detachable cape – which is molded plastic instead of vinyl or fabric which would have been preferable. Same goes for Supergirl’s skirt, which prevents her from sitting down properly.

DC Super Hero Girls UK, DC Super Hero Girls Batgirl
If you want to give Batgirl an extra accessory, in a sneaky hack LEGO Batarangs fit perfectly into her hand.

Action Figures for girls (and boys)

The absolute best thing about these toys is frankly this – they are female superhero figures that will hopefully be highly visible and readily available in shops.

Try as I do to introduce alternative toys and brands to my daughter, it’s a lot harder when all she sees on the high street – and possessed by her female peers – are Disney Princesses and the like.

While this line may be cordoned off in their own same sex bubble universe, that doesn’t stop them sitting in the toy box alongside any other superhero figures.

DC Super Hero Girls Action Figures compared with Batman Unlimited, DC Super Hero Girls UK, Mattel UK
These DC Super Hero Girls action figures complement my daughter’s Batman Unlimited toys pretty well.

While these DC Super Hero Girls action figures are clearly intended for the girls market I hope this will lead to further blending of the pink & blue aisle too. They could quite easily sit in either. There is nothing to prevent boys playing with these toys as well. I hope parents of superhero loving boys encourage this.

For my daughter, these toys have enabled her to add these characters to her imaginative play (they are best friends) and have finally demonstrated that like daddy always tells her, superheroes are for girls just as much as boys.

DC Super Hero Girls Action Figures - Supergirl and Batgirl playing, DC Super Hero Girls UK

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These DC Super Hero Girls UK Action Figures have a UK RRP of £9.99.

Disclosure: We were provided with these toys free of charge for the purposes of this review.

2 thoughts on “DC Super Hero Girls UK: Supergirl and Batgirl Action Figures”

  1. These sold out pretty quickly here in the States, furthering my argument that the market is not only there for these toys, but starving for them. I would have liked a bit more articulation, but I complain about that with all our action figures. The GI Joes from when I was a kid had much better joints

    1. Yup. I think they had a pretty limited initial run – not sure if it was capacity or something else. Now is the much bigger roll out, so I hope it proves successful. I generally always complain about the articulation too. Sometimes, there’s even too much…

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