Funko’s Impopsters Line Re-imagines Batman’s Rogues as the Dark Knight

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Funko's latest Pop figure line, Impopsters (I'm also not sure about that brand name, but what do I know?). On one hand, putting some (slightly) new spins on characters that have been around for decades is cool, and it lets Funko get a little creative with the standard form bodies they've been using to create hundreds and hundreds of collectibles. But I'm also not wild about just Batmanning the Dark Knight's rogues gallery. The concept certainly makes sense though. People love Batman and his big bads, so why not combine them into one thing?

Impopsters is just the latest in a long line of Funko's attempts to shake up the game with miniature, budget vinyl collectibles. While I wonder if this was the series of collectibles Funko alluded to in the most recent Marvel Collector Corps, I'm definitely wondering what the Marvel versions of these are going to look like. Oh, that's right. Impopsters won't just be limited this Batman series. Funko apparently has designs on the rest of the DCU and Marvel Comics, too.

We don't know anything about what the Marvel Impopsters might be, but we definitely know this first wave of DC Comics characters will be inspired by Batman. The line to this point consists of Riddler, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn (in two versions), Two-Face, Penguin and Scarecrow. If you're wondering where the Joker is, he was the potential impetus for this line way back in a LootCrate in late 2014/early 2015. As that Pop was an exclusive, it's highly unlikely we'll see it in quite the same form should Funko decide to release it again. That mash-up figure also wasn't labeled as an Impopster, but is clearly along the same train of thought as the rest of these figures.

Though I'm not terribly impressed with the Harley Quinns (both play it a little safe), the Two-Face is actually fairly intriguing. That's probably about the only time that color scheme would work for a character. Riddler is a nice throwback design to a 1966-esque idea, and Scarecrow's patchwork pastiche certainly suits the character. The Penguin is basically just throwing a cape on over his tailored suit, but he does make use of that monocle, so there's some bonus points in sticking to the idea of a Batman for the upper class society. Poison Ivy's riff on Batgirl looks very similar to her standard villain outfit, but the utility belt and Bat-boots add enough small flair to make her just different enough from the norm.

The Funko Impopsters will start arriving in stores this summer, with Riddler and Poison Ivy leading the way. The remaining figures will release slowly over the course of the rest of the year.