Packaging - ***1/2
The box itself is a bit flimsy, but does have a nice sized window to show
off the vinyl figure (cut in a coffin shape, of course). It's even a
bit collector friendly, although there are a couple twisties to toss out.
But the reason this is getting such a high score is the nice graphics and
text around the box. While I find the general mayhem and destruction
in the strip funny, it's really the art that draws me in. The artwork
included on the box is extremely nice, and compliments the figure well.
Sculpting - ***1/2
I'm scoring high here, but let's remember that with items like this it's
very much 'art'. Personal tastes are likely to drive some difference
of opinion.
Lenore has plenty of different 'looks' in the comic, but here we get the
sort of aghast, shocked expression. Considering that she's managed to
get Ragamuffin swallowed by the snake, and considering that while it was
probably obvious to readers that it would happen, it would be a complete
surprise to her, the expression fits the scene perfectly.
The sculpting on the body, snake, and hair is terrific. The Play-doh
style hair is particularly well done, and captures the 2 dimensional
appearance quite nicely. The proportions are also good in terms of the
size of her head, eyes, body, etc in relation to her other parts.
My only issue with the sculpt is in the shape and placement of the eyes.
She seems to have a bit more chin and cheekbone than in the usual drawing,
but I have to admit that I'm getting a tad nitpicky here. It's
certainly not like you won't know who it is the minute you see her (assuming
you know who she is in general), and unless you spend some time comparing
the sculpt back to the art you're not going to notice the minor
inconsistencies.
And if you're a general collector of vinyl figures, you'll be happy to
know that Lenore stands just about 8" tall, fitting in well with other
figures in this style.
Paint - **1/2
The big issue here is the paint. While some of it is fantastic,
other areas are far less impressive.
First, the fantastic. I love the color and quality of the
aforementioned Play-doh style hair. The paint is clean and neat, and
extremely consistent in finish and application.
I also like the silver skulls, a color that can be very difficult to do
and get consistent coverage. They also added a plastic cover in the
package to keep the skulls safe from rub marks.
The white is also prone to such rub marks, but I found that it was
generally clean and very, very bright. The work on the eyes and lips
is good as well, improving the overall look.
The work on the eyes is much more subtle than we saw with the smaller PVC
version of Lenore, and the hair is much cleaner, making this one a better
overall version, at least for me.
The big issue comes on the body, hands and the eyes of the snake.
Where there are cut lines between the white areas and the black or red,
there's a lot of slop and bleed. Considering it's a specialty market
item, I expect much cleaner cut lines.
Articulation - **
I'm not including this score to actually detract from the overall - normally
vinyl figures have little to no articulation, so any score here is really a
positive thing. It's more important to inform readers that there is a
cut neck joint here, which *almost* works like a ball joint due to the
softness of the vinyl. It's not much, but it's better than nothing,
and doesn't hurt the overall appearance of the sculpt at all.
Design - ***1/2
Lenore tends to get people hurt, especially Ragamuffin. Having him
eaten by the snake was a cute idea, and worked extremely well within the
limited space that this figure could take up.
When you're desigining a pre-posed figure, it's important to select a
pose that speaks to the character's personality. Having a man (or
woman) of action standing statically isn't the best choice, for example.
Here, the design of the figure does work emote the personality of Lenore
well, and fans should be pleased.
Fun Factor - **
As you'd expect with most vinyl figures, this isn't really intended for
kids. Then again, I had vinyl versions of many of my favorite WB
characters as a kid, so you can't rule it out completely.
Still, it's mostly adults buying the cute little dead girl, and as such
this category won't have much effect.
Value - ***
Lenore's suggested retail is just $25, not bad at all for a) a vinyl figure
and b) one that's not mass market, but done in low specialty market
quantities. Quite honestly, I was expecting more around $40.
While prices on other items continue to rise, it's nice to see the cost of
vinyl specialty figures dropping.
And that's just suggested retail. I'm betting with a little work
you can find her cheaper than that.
Things to Watch Out For -
If you're grabbing her off the shelf, pay particular interest to the white
paint on the front of her body as well as her hands. That's where the
majority of the issues lie.
Once you've got her out of her box, you're good to go.
Overall - ***
I'm a fan of the art, so I'm happy to see Lenore finally get some sort
of three dimensional representation. There are some minor issues, but
had the white paint on the body and hands not been quite so sloppy, she
would have scored another half star from me. Even so, considering the
price, she's definitely something to check out if you're a fan of Roman's
work.
Score Recap:
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpt - ***1/2
Paint - **1/2
Articulation - *1/2
Design - ***
Fun Factor - **
Value - ***
Overall - ***
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