Each figure stands about 6 inches tall and is an exclusive, explained by the manufacturers as such:

* a new Lex Luthor in his iconic purple and green jumpsuit,
* Superman from the Braniac / Superman 2-pack but with normal eyes,
* Batman from the Batman / Clayface 2-pack but without the mud splatters,
* Two-Face from DCSH with new paint deco, and
* and Catwoman from DCSH with new paint deco.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold is everything that the 90s Batman Animated Series wasn’t: light-hearted, bright-coloured and occasionally musical. But despite being a major departure from what Batfans have come to know and love in past years, it has managed to find a place in the hears of the new generation and proven itself to be a great entry into the Batman mythos–even with the song-and-dance numbers of Neil Patrick’s guest appearance.

Now, Mattel has released its first line of 5- and 6-inch figures based on the hit show and there are 10 figures in all, including several variations on the Dark Knight himself, Solomon Grundy and Plastic Man. Plus, you can find the Batcycle there, too, giving the world’s greatest detective the world’s coolest motocycle. Check ‘em out!

Based on the art of the late, great Michael Turner, DC Direct has released two new figures from Turner and Jeph Loeb’s SUPERMAN/BATMAN: SUPERGIRL. Telling the story of Batman and Superman’s team-up to rescue Supes’ beloved cousin from the evil Darkseid, it was a pivotal work in the Supergirl mythos and more than deserving of toy representation.

The Superman figure stands approximately 6.75″ high, while Supergirl stands 6.5″ and the set also includes a copy of the 160+ page Loeb/Turner work that inspired the figures. That makes it a great buy not only for fans, but for anyone looking to discover unread tales from the DC Universe.

And if you still need more Supergirl in your life, check out the always-incredible Project Rooftop for a new batch of awesome superhero redesigns. Artist Cory Walker has Supergirl Collection you’ve really gotta see to believe.

Single or coupled up, this might actually be the best way to celebrate love this February 14th or beyond: a set including the most twisted love story ever to appear in DC Comics (although I did once pick up a comic in which Clayface fell for a mannequin…), Harley Quinn and The Joker.

Featuring repaints of the best-slash-most-popular figures of the two (DCU Harley and Alex Ross’ Joker), the set is sure to find a place in the hearts and on the shelves of anyone who has appreciated the love that was was born on the awesome animated series in the 90s.

Better yet, the pair comes with Paul Dini and Bruce Timm’s Eisner Award-winning graphic novel, MAD LOVE, which provides a glimpse into the depths of insanity, obsession and backwards affection that has come to define the pairing. Years ago, some might have scoffed at the suggestion of introducing a sidekick for the Clown Prince of Crime, but ever since Harley first appeared, it’s felt like she was there the whole time. Check out this set and pick it up for your puddin’ today!

New arrival over in our DC Comics section: Series 2 of the 6-inch figures from DC Direct’s Justice League of America line. Batgirl, Blue Superman, Green Lantern and the bearded Aquaman (of the future!) make up this new foursome, available as a set or individually. They join the likes of the Flash, Wonder Woman, Batman and Martian Manhunter in this collection, which is made up of reissues and repaints of the most successful Justice League figures ever made.

This new figure is available for pre-order now and ships in May of this year. She stands 12 inches tall and features real cloth on her bustier, which can be removed to reveal her classic costume worn beneath. Definitely a neat take on the overall look, with an oddly wanting, innocent expression on a character whose range rarely exceeds the knowingly sensual. Definitely one for collectors, though my personal tastes tend to lean toward the considerably less poisonous Catwoman (shipping in March!).

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Some mornings you wake up in bed. Some mornings you wake up trapped in a wrecked train car that’s hanging off a cliff. That’s life when you’re Nathan Drake, artifact hunter. The charming, roguish Drake is after the secret of Marco Polo’s lost fleet, and it’s going to take a lot of fisticuffs and gunplay and problem-solving to find it. The hunt takes you through an unbelievable sequence of epic settings, one after another, each one topping the one before it: jungle ruins, mountaintops, Tibetan cities. As if that weren’t enough, the writing and voice acting are way above par for a video game. Seriously. Anybody who was disappointed by the last Indiana Jones movie — meaning everybody — should try Uncharted 2 instead.

Assassin’s Creed II for XBox
Assassin’s Creed II for PS3
Most sequels are creative flops, just cheap makeovers of the originals. Not Assassin’s Creed 2, a follow-up to the 2007 smash hit. This is a smarter, more polished version, with a visually stunning backdrop — Renaissance Italy. While the game looks beautiful, game play has been refined and tweaked for the ultimate open-world RPG experience. There’s even more assassinating, jumping from rooftop to rooftop and history lessons, with an emphasis on Renaissance art. Leonardo would be proud — except for those cheesy Italian voice-overs.

Halo 3: ODST
Just when it was starting to look like the Halo franchise was played out, Bungie took it for a sharp turn, down an alleyway and directly into the shadows. You no longer play the superpowered Master Chief; instead, you play, serially, the members of a squad of comparatively vulnerable Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. The squad is lost and scattered through the ruins of New Mombasa, on a secret mission the point of which its members are only gradually figuring out. It’s a dark, slow, jazzy, hard-boiled take on the Halo world — think Master Chief as Philip Marlowe.

Scribblenauts
Maybe the developers of Scribblenauts were bored with existing puzzle games, but something inspired them to think outside the box. In fact, that’s also what they want players to do. You’re presented with one objective at every level of play, with different parameters and limitations. Your quest is to capture the Starite, and you’re allowed to bring in help. Think a stapler or a dinosaur or a wizard can assist you in your quest? Simply type in the name of your chosen ally, and, poof!, it appears. As your vocabulary grows, so does your potential army of allies

Geo-Defense Swarm (available on iTunes)
I never thought I’d be sitting around singing the praises of the iPhone on this list. The hardware was just too limited — no buttons, no sticks, no tactile feedback. But hordes of developers have proved me totally wrong: this thing can game. Exhibit A out of dozens of quality iPhone games this year: Geo-Defense Swarm, a rich, fast-paced, visually stunning take on the tower-defense genre. Tricked out with neon-glowing candy colors that show off the iPhone’s ridiculously overpowered display, Swarm is a little masterpiece of interface design, balanced game play and clever level design.

New Super Mario Bros Wii
Welcome back, Mario. We missed you. The classic side-scrolling platformer is back with updated graphics and a multiplayer mode that’s so much fun it might supplant DJ Hero as the go-to party game. The story isn’t much different from what we’re used to and involves rescuing the princess because, yet again, she’s stuck in a castle somewhere at the other end of the map. But you get some nice 3-D effects and better use of lighting, which gives the screen more depth. What’s more, the little kids watching you play can join in the game as novices. Of course, that means there will be no one left to get you popcorn.

Borderlands for XBox
Borderlands for PS3
Borderlands for PC
Pandora is a down-and-dirty mining planet that resembles a trashed, irradiated version of the American Wild West. Your job is to scour that landscape in search of the Vault, a semi-legendary cache of technology and wealth. This mostly involves collecting an astounding variety of bad-ass guns and tooling around in funky dune-buggy-type vehicles with really bouncy suspensions while blowing away deranged and mutated bad guys. Borderlands is a marvel of hybrid game design: you add levels and skills as in a role-playing game, but you’re doing it in a sandbox-style open world while engaging in run-and-gun first-person-shooter combat. Add in astounding graphics and wickedly clever writing, and you have something that’s about as close as you can get to a perfect game.

DJ Hero WII Bundle with Turntable
DJ Hero Bundle for XBox with Turntable
DJ Hero for PS3 Bundle with Turntable
In a world of wannabe rock bands — enough already with the rehashed songs from yesteryear — DJ Hero offers a welcome change. With an incredible sound track of exclusive mixes and some lush nightclub graphics, DJ Hero is the new contender for best party game. True, it feels a bit awkward at first to be hunched over a plastic faux turntable, but once you start scratching and mixing, you’ll quickly fall into the groove. And where else could you blend Blondie with a mix of the Gorillaz or Daft Punk with Queen?

Batman: Arkham Asylum for PS3
Batman: Arkham Asylum for XBox
Batman: Arkham Asylum for PC
The ghoulish Joker may never scare movie audiences again, but the struggle between good and evil rages on with Batman: Arkham Asylum, which picks up right where Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight left off. Gotham’s savior finds himself trapped in Arkham Asylum, surrounded by every deviant he’s ever put away — with the Joker at the helm. Unlike earlier video-game adaptations of the DC Comics hero, Arkham Asylum is the total package, with compelling story lines and a kick-butt combat system. Of course, you’ll have to supply your own cape.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for XBox
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for PS3
This is a game that sends a message: Video games have something intelligent to say about contemporary military conflicts. In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, you hop around the globe, chasing the front lines of globalized, asymmetrical combat, where not everybody wears uniforms, war isn’t always declared, and the battlefield isn’t clearly marked — battles rage through suburbs, airports and people’s living rooms. There’s tons of raw, riveting military action in Modern Warfare 2, but it’s very much about how the game has changed: limiting civilian casualties and figuring out whom to fight and why are just as important as staying alive.

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And for those of you who want to take gaming into the real world, we’ve got a huge selection of video game toys over in CmdStore’s Video Game Section! Check ‘em out!

Having already seen the release of multiple Batman Begins and revamped TDK Batman, Bruce Wayne, The Joker, Bank Heist Joker and Harvey Dent/Two-Face, Hot Toys now brings us a figure that captures one of the most exciting scenes in the film, which sees Batman forced to use echolocation to find his enemies, thus getting the signature all-white eyes we see so often in the comics. It’s an awesome part of the movie and makes a great figure.

Alex Ross has produced some of the most memorable superhero and comic art seen in the last few years. The realism and retro sensibility in every one of his paintings is stunning, the style all his own while still encompassing what was beautiful about so much of the art that’s come before.

Naturally, a style as distinctive as Ross’ is something that is perfect to be captured in three dimensions for figures and statues, but it’s also something do distinctive that it would be very easy to make mistakes. Fortunately, the folks at DC Direct got it right on the original Justice and Kingdom Come and they’ve continued this trend on a brand new 12-inch scale figure of the older Kingdom Come Superman. Check it out!

And if the 12-inch figures aren’t enough or you’re just looking for something with a little more variety, check out the complete collection of 6-inch Kingdom Come figures, featuring all the characters from the epic story.

Okay, I won’t lie: as a Batman purist, I couldn’t stand Battle for the Cowl or anything that came with it. Not the constant presence of Damien Wayne, not even the Black Casebook. Nothing.

I’ve never liked opening the world of the Dark Knight to too much ridiculousness or soap-opera style death and undeath (except in the case of Ra’s al Ghul, of course). But despite my feelings on the matter, Morrison continues to push ahead with all this and DC Direct has released the first series of non-Batman Batman figures under the name BATMAN REBORN, where everyone who isn’t Bruce Wayne gets a shot at being Gotham’s protector.

Sigh. At least the sculpts are done well. They all stand about 6 inches tall and come with relevant accessories. They do not, of course, come with the 3-D glasses that the Harvey-Dent-as-Batman costume would seem to demand!

Personally, I tend to think that when former Robin/Spoiler Stephanie Brown’s action figure look is the least garish of all the options, it’s time to bring back Bruce! …Or maybe just Darwyn Cooke. He could fix this.