Review of Harley Quinn mini-bust
Batman The Animated Series

Introduction

The animated Batman shows of the 1990's have been getting quite the revival lately, particularly with collectibles based on their designs. As a big fan, I'm all for it, and Diamond Select Toys is doing a series of mini-busts based on the original Batman: The Animated Series. We already have Batman of course, and there's Catwoman, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Robin and the Joker on the way. If you went to SDCC last summer, you could also pick up the black and white exclusive versions of Batman and Catwoman, jumping ahead of the regular schedule.

The most recent release is the fan favorite Harley Quinn. Limited to 3000 pieces, this is a resin bust, not plastic, similar to the normal bust material that collectors are accustomed to. However, the scale is a bit smaller, with Harley coming in at about 5 1/2" tall overall.

She's selling for around $55, depending on the retailer, and should be available in stock at most online stores right now.

Packaging - ***1/2
It's a box - big surprise!  But inside the box is that damn soft Styrofoam, which I loathe. It ends up all over the place...on the plus side, there is a nice Certificate of Authenticity, and the edition size and number is printed on the box and statue base as well.

While the foam might be annoying, it does keep the statue quite safe, and it's all very collector friendly.

Sculpting - ***1/2
The animated style of the original show is reflected nicely in the sculpted resin bust. She has a cocky attitude in the pose, and a sly look on her face.  Proportions are great, and there's about the right amount of detail for the cartoon style.

There could be a bit more texture in the puff balls on the hat and collar, as well as the cuffs of her uniform.  It's only a minor nit, but it is be one area that could use a slight improvement.

I like the design of the base as well, which will be a consistent feature from character to character in the series.  It echoes the architecture of Gotham itself, an interesting choice by the company.

As I said earlier, these are slightly smaller than what companies like Gentle Giant produce, and Harley is about 5 1/2" tall including the base.

Paint - **1/2
The one area where I was a little disappointed was the paint.  There's more slop here than I really like to see, even at a slightly lower price point.

For example, the lips are weirdly off. It appears as though they've been painted too thin on the left side of her face (right side in the photo below), because it looks like there are sculpted edges on the lips in the white of the face.  Add in the weird mustache effect of her upper lip (once you see it, you can't unsee it) and you have a odd looking mouth, all due to the paint.

There's some other sloppy edges as well, particularly around the white mask and white collar. This isn't a huge bust, but it's large enough that these issues are obvious in hand, and not just in macro photos.

Still, the colors are consistent and bright, and considering the lower price point of the series, the quality isn't way out of line. Had they cleaned up the lips a bit, I probably could have overlooked most of the other issues and gone with a *** score here.

Value - ***1/2
How often do we get resin busts - not plastic or PVC - at less than $60?  You can snag this one for $50 at some sponsors, and that's a great value. This sort of pricing makes picking up the entire run possible, rather than just one here and there. And everyone knows that with mini-busts, the more the merrier.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing! Although, if you're buying one from the store, you could request they open the box first so you can check out the paint job.

Overall - ***
I'm not quite the fan that Kevin Smith is - I'd never name my daughter Harley Quinn in her honor  - but I'm still a pretty serious geek when it comes to this lovely and dangerous lass.  She's one of the best characters to come out of the original show, and her characterization has remained strong in other versions. We'll see if the new Suicide Squad movie keeps that record clean...

This is a nice representation of the character, and I love the mini-bust format.  The overall series has been solid so far, and they have some great characters planned.  I'm hoping we get deep enough to see villains like Scarecrow, Killer Croc and Man-Bat, but any choice is a good choice when it comes to BTAS.

The biggest problem with this release is the paint, although it's not a deal breaker. I'm betting that the issues vary from bust to bust, so getting to see the one you're purchasing before you buy it would be a big advantage.

It's also important to note the pricing here.  This is a very good value compared to most of the mini-busts on the market right now, and the quality is generally where it should be.  Bring on the next member of the Rogue's Gallery!

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is also at $55.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
There's been lots and lots of Harley collectibles, including the terrific Batman Black and White statue, the Sideshow sixth scale comic based figure, the DC Bombshells Harley, the New 52 Cover Girls version, the Bishoujo Harley, or one of my favorites, the first DC Cover Girls rendition.

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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