The weather gods finally cooperated I was able to go outside and do some photos for that Barbie I got early last week and put the figure through its paces. So here we go - the Barbie Signature: Black Widow figure. or as I like to call her, Covert Combat Barbie.  There are two versions of this figure - her standard black suit and ponytail, sold by Amazon, and her snow suit with long unbraided hair, sold as a Walmart exclusive here in Canada. This is an interesting release for me. Having played with Hot Toys over the years, the bar for what a definitive sixth scale figure ought to be has been somewhat etched in my mind. Clearly, at roughly 14 the price of your typical Hot Toy, theres no way that this figure is going to match those standards, though I will admit I giggled at the multitude of people swearing that the Barbie version would couldnt be beat. Now, the body this figure uses is bigger and more articulated that the typical Barbie figure. She actually towers over the Hot Toys End game Widow, and based on my guess is about the same size as the Iron Man 2 release - officially shes 11.5 inches tall. Shes also not quite as impossibly proportioned as the typical Barbie fashion doll. but you can clearly tell that human anatomy was not the strong point of the design. Surprisingly, shes REALLY light on the accessories. Widow comes with two batons that are hilariously undersized and a fixed height stand. I guess if youre a stickler, she also comes with an official certificate indicating this is an official Barbie Signature Black Label release in conjunction with Marvel. Her guns are part of the holster and cannot be removed, which really sucks and Im guessing is the result of wanting to be family friendly. Shes also a right pain in the ass to get out of the box. You figure at this price point, theyd use clam shell packaging or something that would be easier to access and perhaps reuse. Nope. elastic bands, cardboard. the usual. Her head is a soft plasticrubber whic h honestly fits the aesthetic of the figure just fine. The actual sculpting and paint work isnt bad either - its clearly not Scarlett Johansson, but its not like they just slapped a Barbie head on the figure and called it a day. It looks like they used the digital painting technology for the eyes, which makes it look pixelated. Otherwise, the only other paint apps would be the colouring on her outfit pieces, including her bracelets, belts, shoulder pads. and hands, all of which exhibit acceptable paint quality. Hair is rooted and has a nice rich red colour.  The costume is effectively what Id say is used for your higher end childrens costumes. A printed nylon suit, there are obvious seamlines where stitches are made. The actual printing on the suit isnt bad and is quite sharp looking. But remember it is printing, so theres no raised textures or anything like that.  One of the aspects I do like about the costume is that backpack for storing the batons and her beltholsters are actually m ade to be removed. Its not quite realistic, but it certainly makes for ease of repurposing for other figures. Boots are also designed for easy removal. Articulation is relatively limited, though Im not entirely certain why as the price tag would have supported a somewhat nicer body. She has double jointed knees, hips with some leg rotation, standard shoulders with some minor lateral movement, double jointed elbows, wrist and ball jointed head. So, basically she can kick alright and kind of move her arms and head. For me, I guess that would be the biggest issue. I mean, I dont expect 40 points of articulation, but when a Marvel Legends figure has you beat, its time to kind of hang your head in shame if youre an action figure. But, to be fair, Im not entirely sure if Mattel was trying to make an action figure, or just a Barbie with more action. So all in all, an interesting figure. As mentioned, there was no expectations for this to meet Hot Toys standards, but the lack of accessories an d limited articulation make this a figure that is more of a novelty item. Which is a shame, as I honestly dont mind the aesthetics. in fact it would have been fun to have a Barbie that can pull off combat poses. Oh well. but hey, at least I can check off played with a Barbie from my Bucket List.