Review of Hawkgirl Animated
Femme Fatales Statue

Introduction

The new Femme Fatales statues from Diamond Select are hitting up many of the lovely heroes and villains of the comic book universe in various styles.  I've been sticking with the animated characters, to avoid going off the deep end and buying way too many more statues. Hey, a man has to know his limitations.

The latest release in an animated style is Hawkgirl from Justice League Unlimited. These statues are all in that 8 - 9" range, but are made from plastic and kept at a very low price point.  Hawkgirl will only run you around $40 at the local comic shop.

Packaging - ***
The statue comes in a basic window box, which allows you to easily see the actual item you're buying. Knowing how inconsistent paint operations can be with cheaper items like this, having the window is a big plus. Of course, that assumes you're buying it in person. While the graphics are fairly basic, the overall design is adequate.

Sculpting - **
I feel for them here, I really do. This is a tough design to pull off in three dimensions, and unfortunately, they missed the mark.

The basic quality of the plastic and sculpt are fine. There's not a lot of textures, but that keeps her in lockstep with the earlier releases. I'm not knocking this figure for any issue with the overall quality, particularly at this price point.

But the eyes and mask look really bird-like, as in 'not human'.  The large eyes are way back on the face, almost on the side of her head. That's very much in line with what a bird looks like, but the actual mask and cowl from the show didn't have this problem. Of course, this is because the cartoon is only two dimensional, and they could flatten the mask and hawk nose to make it look more human. That extra dimension forces the beak out, the eyes back, and creates a really freakish looking character. Try to imagine what she would look like without the mask on. *shudder*

I've got a second gripe as well, and it's the same one I had with their first animated release, Supergirl. I'm not digging the dynamic pose. Getting the wings on is not easy, and once you do, you'll find she's leaning quite a bit to the side, with a weird angle to her overall stance.

Your mileage may vary on these two points, because they really are more aesthetic issues than quality issues. Even if you are good with both, I'm betting that obvious seam on the shoulder of the right arm is going to bug you...

Paint - **1/2
I don't expect the same level of paint quality here as you'd get with a Bombshells statue, or even a Batman Black & White release. There should be a reason - there better be a reason - that those cost two or three times as much.

But there's a fair amount of slop this time around, and some of it is in pretty key areas.  Those freakish eyes don't seem to be looking at quite the same thing, and the broad, simple colors of the suit, skin, and wings are less consistent and clean than I'd like. What few details there are - like the belt and buckle - have wavy edges and poor definition.

Value - ***
One thing this statue really has going for it is the price point. While there's issues no doubt, the $40 price tag makes the overall line far more attractive.  When they have a hit, like the did with Batgirl, the price point is all the more appreciated.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not much. Getting the wings on can take some effort, but once in place the light weight plastic is pretty sturdy.

Overall - **1/2
This series has been really hit or miss for me up to this point.  I really liked Batgirl, and Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn were decent.  But poor Hawgirl joins the ranks of Supergirl to be at the bottom of my list so far, thanks to the really creepy appearance of her mask and eyes.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - **
Paint - **1/2
Value - ***
Overall - **1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is also at $40

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I just checked out Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and Harley a little while ago, and before that it was Supergirl.

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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