Harley Quinn is the latest release from Square Enix's Play Arts Arkham Asylum line of action figures. For those who don't know, these "Kai" figures feature a larger scale (most hover around 8 or 9" tall), hyper-detail and articulation (26 points), often alternate hands, heads, and assorted accessories, and (usually) a colorful window box...along with a very high price tag, which has been steadily creeping higher. I picked up my first 2 Play Arts figures, Resident Evil 5's Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar, when they were first released a couple of years ago for about $35 apiece. Now, that would be a steal. Current releases seem to run closer to $60, with a slightly smaller scale and fewer accessories than Chris or Sheva had. I tend to think of Play Arts as the action figure version of Hot Toys releases, and they are released infrequently enough to where it doesn't sting too badly...unless the figure is disappointing, of course.
Which brings me to the arrival of Harley, here. I bought the Batman figure from the first wave, but passed on Joker. At this price point, I've decided to cherry-pick, and I'm glad I did- from what I've seen, I have no regrets about passing on the Joker. Likewise, I've elected to pass on Figure No. 3: Batman Armored. But I just couldn't resist Harley Quinn. So, when she arrived on my doorstep earlier this week, I dove into the package with much anticipation. My initial reaction? "I'm not buying any more of these," is exactly what ran through my mind. I put the box on the counter, and both of the kids came by, took one look, and exclaimed, "That looks horrible!" I didn't completely agree with that- horrible? Not really. Disappointing? Quite. Why? We'll start with the face. It's good, but not great. In fact, I much prefer the DC Direct version's face.
There's a roundness to this one that just doesn't quite fit for my tastes. I felt the same way about Sheva. The head was shoved into the plastic tray with a severe downward tilt, which didn't help. The other thing that jumped right out (at my kids as well), is just how exaggerated her upper torso is. To say she's thoroughly out of proportion is a slight understatement- she makes the DC Direct version look like an 8-year-old in comparison. And finally? The lack of accessories. Harley comes with Scarface, one extra hand, and her staff. For $50, I was hoping for much more. So, I tossed the box aside...until tonight.
I'm happy to report that Harley Quinn is one of those rare figures (for me), that improves once opened. She really does look quite good on the shelf. She stands a bit shorter than Batman, despite the huge platform shoes. I tend to lean towards the DC Direct version in almost all categories: their sculpt is better, the fishnets are cooler (the Play Arts Harley does not have real ones), accessories are about the same, DC's paint is better, as is their price point. The only place the Kai Harley wins out is in the articulation department.
Her head is on a terrific ball-joint with plenty of movement and tilt. The shoulders are on balls with hinges, and there's a forward/backward slide that allows her arm to come across in towards her chest. Elbows are on balls with hinges, as are the wrists. The legs also have ball/hinged joints, which are hidden completely by the skirt, which is sculpted and glued solidly in place. The knees and ankles are also on ball/hinge joints, as well. Oh, and lest we forget, my favorite joint, which I didn't even notice at first because it was so well hidden is a torso joint which provides a wide range of tilt and rotation, lies between the buckle straps at her abs. The hinges take some getting used to, but they make for a pretty pose-able figure, without being too ugly (well, except the elbow balls- they are hideous).
The hip articulation is hindered by the skirt, so I had trouble with deep crouches and high kicks.
The paint is kind of a mixed bag. The flesh tones are a little over-airbrushed below the neck, and things just aren't as crisp and clean as I'd like at this price. Mine has a little overspill around the top right eye of her mask, with the purple just over onto the white of her face. It's acceptable - I've seen worse - but it could have been better.
Harley comes in a colorful window display box, through which you can see what you are getting. She's got her staff, one interchangeable hand, and Scarface, who's got her hand sculpted into his back. Scarface is a neat addition. In case you're wondering, he is articulated at the hips (swivels), and I think at the shoulders (there are cuts, but mine doesn't want to move, so I'm not going to force it at this point), and there's an excellent ball-joint at the head. He's painted well, and that's about it, as far as he goes.
I really started to have some fun when I messed around with posing Harley. As I said earlier, her articulation is what sets her apart from the DC Direct version, which is mostly a statue. The Play Arts Kai Harley is made for playing. Yes, I'd recommend her, but not for MIB collectors, and I'm still a little disgruntled about the price, the shrinking scale, the lack of accessories, and the average paint. But...she's Harley Quinn!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment