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Introduction
It's hard for me to believe, but it's been 25 years since Harley Quinn was introduced on the show Batman The Animated Series. My God man, that's a long time...and yet it seems like yesterday. You youngsters will understand what I'm talking about one of these days.
To celebrate the anniversary, Diamond Select Toys produced a new statue of Harley and Batman. It's a cute concept - in recognition of their time together, the Joker has sent Harley a 'present' of Batman tied up with a ribbon and card.
The statue is part of their Gallery Deluxe series, and will run you around $50 - $60, depending on the retailer. It's currently shipping as well.
Click on the image below for a Life Size version
Packaging - ***1/2
DST likes to give you big windows in their boxes, which is a plus. You can check out the statue in advance that way, at least if you're buying from your local comic
shop or at a show. The interior plastic trays hold the statue safe, and the graphics and text are reasonable if simple.
Sculpting - ****
This is a terrific looking statue, and I really love the concept and design.
Harley, at her best, has a goofy naivete to her personality, and her relationship with the Joker is layered. Her silliness, offset by danger, dovetailed with the show's aesthetic. They've captured that same feel here, with the potential for true violence intertwined with a goofy romantic gesture.
The detail is appropriate for an animated design, and scale between the characters and within themselves is good. The expressions on both the face of Harley and Batman are quite fitting as well.
An interesting feature is the separation of the base from the statue itself. There's no pegs, no connectors of any kind. This works because of the pose - Batman is on his knees, with plenty of surface area to support him and Harley. They could have still put a post hole in one knee to attach the base, and that would have been the 'we do it this way all the time' response. But by spending a little time thinking about the result and making a change, they've given you a statue that can be rotated on the base itself, while keeping the placard straight toward the front. It also means you don't need the silver base at all, and having options like this really make for a better overall customer experience.
The statue is just over 10" tall with the base.
Paint - **1/2
The paint work isn't as high of quality, but let's be honest - it's pretty good considering the price point.
The problems are general, covering all the minor issues you see with regularity on the market. There's sloppy edges, stray marks, some uneven coverage, and the matte black tends to pick up rub marks and gloss spots.
The issues aren't super obvious at first glance, but careful inspection reveals more problems than I'd really like. However, I have to be willing to accept reality - at this low of a price (more on that in the Value setion), it's the paint that will take the biggest hit.
Accessories - ***
I've already raved about how much I appreciate the separation of the base and statue, but it's worth noting again that this technically makes the base an accessory.
It's not necessary for displaying the statue, and this can save you some real estate on the shelf.
Value - ****
Most statues - even PVC statues like this - will run you $80 - $120 these days. This is not a hollow piece, but rather a solid, heavy statue like something you'd see
from Kotobukiya. The fact that you can pick it up for as little as $50 at many retailers is simply astounding. There's no doubt that the paint quality took a hit,
but considering the cost, the hit is more minor than I expected.
Things to Watch Out For -
Of course, you'll want the best paint job you can find, but the large windows on the box allow you to check it out completely before you buy.
Overall - ***1/2
The Gallery statues and the other busts being produced by DST are great low cost alternatives in today's collector's market. While the paint often has issues, the
overall quality is quite good for the price point.
This one stands out from the pack with a terrific sculpt and design. I'm loving the sassy attitude, and I suspect this is a statue that will get a place of honor on the shelf, due in no small part to my affection for the characters.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ****
Paint - **1/2
Accessories - ***
Value - ****
Overall - ***1/2
Where to Buy
Online options include these site sponsors:
- Entertainment Earth is at just $50, but are waiting for more stock.
- or you can search
ebay
for a deal.
Related Links -
Most of the recent Harley's have been based on her new look in Suicide Squad, but there's some good releases out there that hearken back to BTAS, like this Femme Fatales statue or the mini-bust from DST.
You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.
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This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.
