MISTER FREEZE - DC Direct Batman Arkham Deluxe Figure

Let's get this out of the way right here: Mr. Freeze is outrageously overpriced. On taking him out of the box, you are almost guaranteed to feel disappointed, fleeced, bamboozled...whatever the right term is. Which is all very unfair to this figure- he's starting the game a leg down, so to speak. So, let's consider him on his merits, and go into the purchase knowing exactly what you are getting: a regular-sized figure in a deluxe box. Of course, keeping him MIB could soften the blow, because you'll never know how much you paid for empty space, but to each their own.

Mr. Freeze comes in a box that matches Killer Croc's in almost every way. It isn't particularly attractive, and doesn't show the figure off well (though Freeze isn't as tucked away as Croc), but it does an effective job of protecting the contents, as well as hiding most of the empty space. Like I said earlier, this is one figure that's better left in its package. Freeze comes with his freeze gun, a standard black disc display stand and the front shield of his helmet. The face plate has a slight blue tint to it, which looks good until its removed from the box. Close inspection will show that the tint isn't uniform, and lays thicker in some places, and is absent in others. Once it's clipped firmly into place, however, you can't tell (the dark background of the helmet interior effectively hides the inconsistencies). Packaging Freeze without the shield in place was a pretty good call- it really allows you to appreciate the head sculpt, which is brilliant.

The sculpt, from head to toe, is top-notch, and it's the one reason to bite the bullet and pick up this figure. The detailing is gorgeous- the pictures really can't do it justice. There's a subtle texturing beneath the hexagonal patterning of the pants, a faint ribbing beneath the torso hoses, and smooth metallic angles to the chest piece. You really get a sense that the suit is made of many different elements, kind of like NECA's Dead Space Isaac Clarke figure. The shield magnifies Freeze's face a bit, and makes him really difficult to get into focus for photographs, but the look is a super one. The paint is strong, for the most part, as well. The silver highlights and metallic drybrushing work very well, and the blue is a great shade (actually, it's in a couple of shades), but its coverage isn't uniform, and even looks sloppy in two notable places on my figure's legs.

Mr. Freeze is a super looking figure, with two exceptions: I feel like his left fist is really tiny (minor quibble), and the sculpt around his knee joints is very odd. They are VERY thin where the back of the thigh meets the top of the calf, and the whole thing doesn't really line up very well. He's either knock-kneed or they are just sculpted off-angle on my figure. In fact, the magnification of his head under the faceplate combines with the thin arms and legs to make him more bobble-headed-looking than he actually is.

I feel like I'm coming across as harsher than I intend: Mr. Freeze is an awesome looking figure with a top-quality sculpt and paint job. Once we move away from the sculpt, we get to some weaknesses. Mr. Freeze is not very well-articulated. His head has a nice ball-joint that's tough to get to because the face shield needs to be removed to do so. He sports ball-jointed shoulders, single pin elbows and knees, cut ankles and thighs, and standard T-hips. You can get a decent look or two from the arms, but the legs are going to be pretty vanilla in terms of poses.

Freeze's gun has some nifty detailing, and fits his grip well, but the front nozzle (gold part) is warped from the package. The black disc base does fine holding Freeze up (he doesn't really need it), but it's too small so one of his feet is hanging off the edge.

Mr. Freeze is a nice addition to the Arkham video game line. He looks great with the other characters, and I'm pretty sure he looks really close to the in-game design (like most of the Arkham figures do). He doesn't move well, he doesn't come with much, and he costs twice as much as he should, but if you're a die-hard fan of the game, you'll be able to overlook the small complaints and the bloated price to enjoy an amazing Mr. Freeze.

Batman Power Attack Deluxe - Mallet Smasher THE JOKER

The Joker is the fourth villain released as part of the new Power Attack Batman toy line, along with Killer Croc, Mr. Freeze, and Two-Face. I've taken a look at the other baddies in previous reviews, now it's time for The Joker to get his turn...

The first thing you'll notice that's different about Joker is that he's a "Deluxe" figure. What that means, in a nutshell, is that he's carded, but not within a bubble, has an action feature that trumps articulation completely and he costs about $3 more than a standard figure. As you can see, the aesthetics of the packaging are nice- vibrant colors and you can see exactly what you're getting. It may be a little busy for my tastes, but it does the job. Kiddies can even get their hands on the figure's legs to play with the "squeeze" action feature in the store. That said, 40% of the package is complete waste- the bottom 4 inches (everything under the mallet) serve no purpose (no, there's nothing hidden under there, it's just empty space). The Joker comes with a cardboard Batman target for him to knock over. Whatever.

The back of the card foregoes the cartoony artwork of the regular figures, and gives us an in-action shot of The Joker smashing the cardboard Batman target. It's nothing you can't figure out from looking at the front of the package, and the photo Mattel has used actually does nothing more than draw attention to the lack of paint apps on the actual figure as compared to the prototype. The photographed Joker has darker highlights on the eyes, and additional green paint added to a buckle on his left thigh and shoes, which are absent from the final product. The other Deluxe Batman figures are highlighted as well.

The Joker's strength, as with the other figures in this line, lies in his sculpt. He's got a cool, pretty unique look, full of sharp angles and lines. His hair is sculpted into two short horns above his pointed ears, and comes to a giant bubble above his forehead. The eyes sport red pupils with black outlines, and a faint green "dagger-like" line above and below. Joker is baring some seriously pointed fangs for teeth within his wicked grin. The rest of the sculpt isn't too bad- not an overabundance of detail, just enough to give him some highlights in the form of buckles and straps here and there. His coat tails are sculpted to look like they are blowing in the wind behind him. It's an eye-catching sculpt, and fits in well with the other figures from the line.

The paint isn't too bad for a $12 figure. It isn't too sharp, but there isn't a ton of bleed either.

Most of the figure is molded in colored plastic, with the notable exception of the lower torso, which is painted, along with the hands and face. The orange paint has a hard time covering the dark plastic from underneath, but it's nothing too terrible, and the face is very nicely done. 

The Joker's downfall is his articulation. The action feature is the predominant characteristic of this figure- when you squeeze his legs together, the torso twists at the waist, and his right arm swings down and forward, allowing his mallet to smash. The feature works very well, and my kids have a blast with it. Unfortunately, it means The Joker is forever holding his mallet up in the same pose, and he looks ridiculous without it in his hand. The Joker sports 2 points of articulation: his head turns from side to side, and his left shoulder has a cut joint. The rest of the lines on the figure are part of the action feature. This Joker is meant to be played-with, not displayed.

The mallet itself is molded in green plastic, and each flat face sports a grinning clown face upon it. Joker's hand clips onto a separate small cylinder which slides up and down the hilt, allowing for...I'm not sure why, exactly.

The other notable quality of The Joker is his size: for some reason, there doesn't seem to be much consistency (for me, at least) across the Power Attack Batman line. Batman and Robin are much smaller than Two-Face and Mr. Freeze. The Joker comes in somewhere in-between. He's bigger than Batman, but not quite as big as Two-Face and Mr. Freeze. He's just a smidge taller than Batman, but his head much bigger. I guess Mattel isn't too concerned about details like consistency in scale for a line geared at kids, but it does create an odd look when the figures are displayed together.

The Joker is a good-looking figure, but he's more of a statue than an action figure. I would have liked to have been able to pose him somewhat, but that probably would have been detrimental to the action feature, which really does work quite well. I'm not a fan of action features: if a company is going to include one, it needs to work- and this one does. Batman's Rogue's Gallery wouldn't be complete without The Joker, so he had to be added to the display, however grudgingly. I'm hoping somewhere down the line that we get an action figure version of The Joker, but for now, this one will have to do.  I'm happy that I picked him up- he's a nice addition as long as you know exactly what you're getting, and you keep your expectations appropriately low...

Batman Power Attack - Dual Destruction Two-Face

I started collecting the Batman Power Attack series of figures because they have an interesting and unique look to them, with a range of figures available at a price I can readily afford. At $9 a figure, I'm not expecting top-of-the-line collector material, but rather something that will grow steadily over time and look great as a group. These figures are something for me to be pleasantly surprised at, rather than anxious to track down. So I was pleased to find both Mr. Freeze and Dual Destruction Two-Face this past week.

Two-Face's card matches the rest of the line in terms of design and art-work. The figure and accessories are effectively displayed and protected, though a good portion of the gun is hidden by the insert. The card back features an action drawing with a small caption, along with shots of the other figures in the "mission" series. No twist ties on this guy. The axe is made of plastic and the gun is made of rubber, and comes out of the tray bent. The axe pegs into the underside of the gun to make a super-weapon. Two-Face doesn't have any way to store either the axe or the cannon.

The gun slides over Face's arm (either one will do), and is pretty snugly in place. It's huge, so he'll topple over without some support, and the articulation is restricted enough to where he can't hold it with two hands, enough if one of them wasn't in a permanent fist. The open hand can hold the axe, but the grip on the cannon is too wide, so sliding it over the forearm is the way to go.

Two-Face sports a neat sculpt with some great details. I'm not crazy about the simple paint application to the right (human) eye, but he's otherwise well-done, if rather unspectacular. Either profile, by itself, is rather good, with the creepy purple side stealing the show. His squished nose makes for a bit odder look from the "regular" side. Harvey sports a turquiose turtleneck under his jacket, which sports matching buttons and a cool silver badge on the left breast. The forearm bracers are individually sculpted with neat differences, as are his arm details: the white side is whole and gets a shoulder pouldrun while the black side is unprotected and torn, showing purple flesh through the tear.

Two-Face has a swivel neck, swivel shoulders and hips, a cut waist below the jacket and single pin elbows. He's sculpted with a permanent bend in his knees and large feet, but is still unbalanced enough to topple forward if both his elbows are bent at the same time. You won't get many dynamic poses from this figure.

Dual Destruction Two-Face is a well-sculpted figure with an interesting pair of accessories at an excellent price, and I would NOT recommend him to anyone. Why? Two-Face has a HUGE flaw, one that there's just no getting around, no matter what: he's way too big. Just see the pictures below. He towers over Batman and even Killer Croc. In fact, he fits in better with my DC Universe Classics figures than with the other Power Attack Batman figures (his head is out of scale even for the DCUC). Simply put, beside the other figures, he looks ridiculous. And this is something you can't tell while he's still carded. My advice is to keep him in-package for display, or pass on him entirely, unless you can overlook his gargantuan size. It's too bad, because Hagrid Two-Face is otherwise a pretty good figure...

Batman Power Attack - Ice Blast Mr. Freeze

 

Mr. Freeze has long been absent from the Power Attack Batman pegs- despite the promises of the initial release card backs, the only villain who seemed readily available was Killer Croc. Well, Freeze has finally made an appearance. Was he worth the wait? Absolutely yes!!! And no...

Freeze comes on a blister card that matches the earlier releases. The front sports eye-catching artwork, the figure is nicely displayed, while protected, and the accessory is made to look like accessories. He's labelled as "Ice Blast" Mr. Freeze, so that he won't be confused with Flamethrower Mr. Freeze, I guess. The card back sports the same huge action panel with both characters in a pose that the figures can't match, shouting silly things at one another. In this case it's Freeze shouting for Batman to "Chill out". The package does its job well-enough. I really don't have any complaints, but the tray does the usual job of warping the accessories that are forced into them. In this case, it's the two halves of Freeze's Ice Blast...sword? The two halves snap together securely, fit into his hand tightly.

There's an additional nice touch, in that the hole in the sword fits snugly around a large disc on Freeze's back, which means he can take his weapon with him when he goes traveling. The plastic is translucent blue, which means that the pegs holding the two halves are clearly visible. The sword is huge, standing taller than the figure itself, but that seems to be the norm in this line (Two Face has a gargantuan gun, as well).

As far as Mr. Freeze, himself, goes, the figure is probably my favorite in the line so far. The sculpt is cool, and I do like the way the different plastics work together aesthetically. The idea is great. The execution isn't quite as terrific, but he's still good. Both arms are made of a translucent blue rubber, which looks great but feels very fragile. The smaller arm (left) is the worse of the two; moving the elbow joint feels like it's going to tear the arm every time. The torso and helmet are clear blue plastic, with paint applied over top or underneath. There's a bit of slop nearly everywhere, but not enough to really detract from the figure. The head sculpt is awesome- lots of angles and a very stern expression. Freeze has a nifty pair of goggles on, and seems to be sporting a mohawk. In terms of articulation, you get: swivel shoulders, hips and waist, and pin elbows (6 pts.). No, he's not going to be doing any dancing with your Play Arts Harley Quinn. And that's nearly it for Mr. Freeze. Nearly...

So everything sounds pretty good- this figure is right up there at the top of the line. But an odd thing happened when I went to display Freeze with my other Power Attack Batman figures:

I noticed that Batman can stare Freeze from eye to...chest. For some reason, Mr. Freeze (and even moreso Two-Face) is much larger than Batman. You may be able to chalk that up to the suit for Freeze, here, but I can't find much of an excuse for Two Face. In any event, if you can forgive the scale change, this is a great looking figure. Otherwise, keep him in-package and you'll never be able to tell...

Play Arts Kai - HARLEY QUINN Arkham Asylum Figure review

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!!!