Harley Quinn (DC Icons) Review

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Harley Quinn (DC Icons) Review

Harley Quinn
DC Icons (DC Collectibles)Prototypes and artists' proofs look great in promo images, but the figures usually fall short after mass-production. Harley delivers a double wallop of satisfaction by having functional articulation while maintaining a shapely silhouette.

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SCULPT
There aren't any aggressive muscle striations threatening to shred Harley's suit like a hyperactive hyena, the figure is shapely with wrinkles in key places to indicate a skin-tight suit. There are seams where the black and red sections meet, because Harley may be a freak, but she's not into the kinky latex body paint stuff. Also, body paint wouldn't contain those big ol' sweater puppies 'cuz they're almost as big as her head. They aren't distracting, but...well...they distract me lol, especially on a 5.75-inch figure. I like the figure's proportions, no more scrawny DCUC T-Rex arms here.

Amazingly, the mold lines are almost invisible, as if they were shaved beforehand, or the factory molds are just so new there's very little leakage to cause flash. Compare it to Marvel Legends figures, that have so many sharp jutting flakes and chunks of plastic flash everywhere that even bald characters look like they have mohawks, and suddenly these Icons figs look like a great value, even at 25 bucks a pop. You can get them for under $20 online though, there's enough of them around that we don't have to have to resort to bidding wars.

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ACCESSORIES
Included with the figure are extra hands that easily pop on and off, used for punching, holding the iconic POP! gun or thwacking Bat-jerks on the noodle with a giant hammer. The mallet is more "refined" than the one included with the older DCUC Harley figure, it has a longer handle and the wood grain isn't as cartoony.

Also included in the understated packaging is a grainy folded instruction sheet that explains how to yank off the hands and how you can use hands to hold things. Thanks, DC, it's especially useful to keep that information when writing drunken action figure reviews at 2AM.

The figure's good looks, small size and extra bits make me want to use a word like "exquisite." I feel like I'm handling a Revoltech or Figma toy, only less frustrating because the body parts aren't flying everywhere when I make a brusque movement, like inhaling too sharply.

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ARTICULATION
On this figure, if it needs to move it moves. Mostly. I'm especially impressed by the neck, it doesn't look like anything special, and feels like a typical double ball-socket, but it's especially good for getting both subtle and expressive poses. It has a generous range of movement, with minimal clearance so it doesn't look like a hollow bobblehead when viewed from lower angles.

The ball-socket that floats the upper torso has a smooth action, it tilts in every possible direction without creating an ugly gap or exposing the internals at any point. The ab hinge is still necessary to supplement it though because for whatever reason the upper torso can't tilt forward as effectively as it does backward. Also, the hinge helps recreate girly pin-up poses, like arcing the back to stick her butt out.

Double-hinge elbow/knees, swivel-hinge ankles/wrists/shoulders, bicep swivel, all those work as expected. Overall, I think the design team achieved an admirable joint clearance/aesthetics ratio.

Now for some nitpicking!

A ball-socket barbell is used for the hip joints, the thigh pieces are made of the usual "soft" plastic used for limbs and simply pop onto the barbell. There's nothing inherently wrong with the set-up, and the pelvis area looks lovely, but damn those thighs are hard to spread open! No wonder "No Man's Land" is printed on the packaging. They're super creaky too, you may have to put a drop of lube in there to lower the chance of tearing. Use as directed, and talk to your doctor if you develop symptoms of swollen eyeballs or hysterical laughter.

I try not to read reviews of a figure before reviewing it myself, but I've caught comments here and there that casually mention the lack of thigh swivels on these Icons figures. Totally rational, sane, and concise comments about the topic, and in no way calling for the heads and giblets of DC's toy design team and the subsequent ruination of their offspring and/or mistresses.

Seriously people, quit overreacting and trying to destroy someone's livelihood with your bullshite.

However, I have to agree that I miss the thigh swivels. Disappointingly, as optimistic as I was, the ball-sockets in the hips don't provide enough twist for certain poses. Also, the feet are tiny and the ankles aren't very stiff, which causes problems with posing stability. I don't think it would have killed the designers to make the feet a hair bigger, but at least there are peg holes under both feet. And you'll need them.

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PAINT
Finally, let's cover the paintwork. No, really, let's cover the paintwork because it sucks on her face. (And no, there isn't a raunchy Poison Ivy picture coming.)

(Yes there is!)

(...No, there isn't, I can't sully Captain Coder's site like that lol)

I must have gotten the worst figure of the lot because the white on the face is dirty, the eyes look like bad water-slide decals, there's a patch of hazy red under the left eye, and the lipstick is too low by a millimeter...sheesh. There's a hint of red in the eyes to add realism, I think this face would look really nice if it was painted neatly...but it's not. The eyes and lips are glossed, so that's...neat.

Satin reds and matte blacks create an attractive contrast, the sharp red diamonds shine on the soft black field, for example. Something weird I noticed, the diamond groupings near the left wrist and ankle only have 2 diamonds, while the others have 3. Has Harley always been drawn that way? Is this a clever way for writers to sneak in potential for a 6-issue mini-series explaining how Harley lost her marbles- I mean, diamonds? Maybe a one-shot retconning Harley into a feminist fighter-pilot from the '40s?

Whatever. Steal this figure!