Review: DC Direct Star Sapphire
Fans of Green Lantern will recognize Carol Ferris, the Star Sapphire, Hal Jordan's girlfriend and, on occasion, nemesis. But then, what relationship is perfect?
Of course, these days things are much more complicated, with the Star Sapphire re-imagined as love manifested. There's now a whole corps of Star Sapphires wielding violet rings. But, front and center, Carol Ferris is leading them into battle.
Of course THIS version of the character predates all of that. This is intended to represent the character as she appeared sometime between Green Lantern: Rebirth and The Sinestro Corps War. She's part of the same line as the guardians I reviewed several months ago, by the way (they were series one, and she's series three).
The figure was made by DC Direct, which meant I was very careful opening the pack. Like I've said before, I've had more problems with breakage from that company than any other. But not this time: Star Sapphire popped out in one piece.
If you're in the market for a Star Sapphire or other DC Direct merchandise, I suggest stopping by your local comic book shop; Toys R Us doesn't generally stock these. My wife and I actually found this one at FAO Schwartz, where she was marked down to about a third of her original price. One of the unfortunate side effects of Toys R Us taking over that operation is that they've stopped carrying DC Direct figures. On the other hand, considering the quantity of these sitting in clearance, maybe that's not a bad idea.
Of course, these days things are much more complicated, with the Star Sapphire re-imagined as love manifested. There's now a whole corps of Star Sapphires wielding violet rings. But, front and center, Carol Ferris is leading them into battle.
Of course THIS version of the character predates all of that. This is intended to represent the character as she appeared sometime between Green Lantern: Rebirth and The Sinestro Corps War. She's part of the same line as the guardians I reviewed several months ago, by the way (they were series one, and she's series three).
The figure was made by DC Direct, which meant I was very careful opening the pack. Like I've said before, I've had more problems with breakage from that company than any other. But not this time: Star Sapphire popped out in one piece.
If you're in the market for a Star Sapphire or other DC Direct merchandise, I suggest stopping by your local comic book shop; Toys R Us doesn't generally stock these. My wife and I actually found this one at FAO Schwartz, where she was marked down to about a third of her original price. One of the unfortunate side effects of Toys R Us taking over that operation is that they've stopped carrying DC Direct figures. On the other hand, considering the quantity of these sitting in clearance, maybe that's not a bad idea.
Appearance and Construction: 7/10
There's no denying that DC Direct knows how to make action figures look good. They prioritize sculpt and paint to the exclusion of all else, and it shows. Almost every piece of her costume is sculpted, giving the figure depth and realism. I love the headpiece, which simultaneously looks like a crown and an alien parasite latched onto her skull: that's pretty much the Star Sapphire in a nutshell.
The collar is also nice, though a black outline along the edge would have made it great. Same thing goes for the white stars on her head and abdomen. The highpoint of the character is her hair, which is simply stunning: it's long and beautiful.
But all is not right with the world. Her face looks a bit off to me, but that might just be the art style they're duplicating. The eyes are a definite weak spot: the irises look like someone did them in marker. The lines are clean, but they just don't look like eyes. I think a thin black outline around the eyeballs would have helped, and some gloss would have completed the illusion.
Her neck is highly detailed, in my opinion too much so. It contrasts with the rest of the figure, which is streamlined in comparison. On the opposite end of the spectrum, her arms and legs are too simple. It doesn't help they're molded in a dull-looking plastic. In particular, the high-heeled shoes really needed some added detail to make them stand out. The hand poses are a bit uninspired, as well. I'm sure these are reused from something else, but that's no excuse.
Finally, there's a little too much slop on the paint work. Overall, it's pretty good, but the lines aren't as clean as I'd have liked. Also, if you tilt her legs back to simulate flight, the paint line on her leotard ends. That's an issue for those of us who want to display her in flight.
She's right on the edge of getting an eight, and it's the construction that's going to keep her from crossing over. It isn't that she's bad; she's pretty much on par with other DC Direct figures I've bought. The thing is, DC Direct toys often have a cheap feel to the plastic used in the arms and legs. So, between that and the issues above, I'm going with a seven. It's still close though: this is a good figure.
The collar is also nice, though a black outline along the edge would have made it great. Same thing goes for the white stars on her head and abdomen. The highpoint of the character is her hair, which is simply stunning: it's long and beautiful.
But all is not right with the world. Her face looks a bit off to me, but that might just be the art style they're duplicating. The eyes are a definite weak spot: the irises look like someone did them in marker. The lines are clean, but they just don't look like eyes. I think a thin black outline around the eyeballs would have helped, and some gloss would have completed the illusion.
Her neck is highly detailed, in my opinion too much so. It contrasts with the rest of the figure, which is streamlined in comparison. On the opposite end of the spectrum, her arms and legs are too simple. It doesn't help they're molded in a dull-looking plastic. In particular, the high-heeled shoes really needed some added detail to make them stand out. The hand poses are a bit uninspired, as well. I'm sure these are reused from something else, but that's no excuse.
Finally, there's a little too much slop on the paint work. Overall, it's pretty good, but the lines aren't as clean as I'd have liked. Also, if you tilt her legs back to simulate flight, the paint line on her leotard ends. That's an issue for those of us who want to display her in flight.
She's right on the edge of getting an eight, and it's the construction that's going to keep her from crossing over. It isn't that she's bad; she's pretty much on par with other DC Direct figures I've bought. The thing is, DC Direct toys often have a cheap feel to the plastic used in the arms and legs. So, between that and the issues above, I'm going with a seven. It's still close though: this is a good figure.
Packaging and Extras: ----
I like that they incorporated the lantern symbol into the packaging. Personally, I think this is an area where DC Direct excels:
Of course, the downside here is that I've had some problems in the past with figures coming out the these packs busted. No problems this time, but I'm always wary.
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Her stand is almost identical to the two accompanying the Guardian figures, by the way. I liked them there, and I still like it here, though I would have preferred getting something unique to the character - say, a violet base containing a star - rather than a Green Lantern stand.
Getting creative, I can imagine some accessories; maybe an energy blast and/or shield to attach to her arm. But, as far as I know, she didn't traditionally lug around a lantern or anything, so it's not like they omitted something essential. |
It wouldn't have taken much to warrant a bonus point, but it would have taken more than the base, which you are going to need for most poses.
Play and Display: ----
There's so much good and so much that bad it's hard to know where to begin. So lets talk balance.
Even with her heels, you can get the figure to stand without her stand, but it takes work and it's a transitory state. With the base, however, you'll have some options. Her right foot has a peg hole, which will root her in place. In fact, it will support her on just one leg, in case you want a taking off/landing pose. If her left foot had a peg hole as well, you could open up some other options... but no such luck.
Of course, if you really want a dynamic flying pose, you'll set her base aside and get some wire.
The articulation on Star Sapphire is pretty much in line with DC Direct's other offerings, which is to say insufficient. Like they usually do, they've neglected to include wrist or ankle joints. The ankle joints actually aren't a big problem this time, but you'll definitely miss cut wrists. As is, you're stuck with the hand positions they've provided, and those don't work so well.
The hips are the standard "T" style joints that look all right but seem horribly outdated when compared to what Mattel's using. The ball joints in the shoulders and head are all limited. I can't blame them too much, though, because using this style of shoulder joint protects the integrity of the sculpt, while the head joint is limited by the hair, one of my favorite aspects of the figure. As it is, you can tilt her head down (but not up), and she has a tiny bit of side to side motion.
If they'd have included cut wrists, I think I might have been able to justify a bonus point because of the base. One day, I truly believe I'll find a DC Direct figure in this scale I can award a point to. But it's not today.
Even with her heels, you can get the figure to stand without her stand, but it takes work and it's a transitory state. With the base, however, you'll have some options. Her right foot has a peg hole, which will root her in place. In fact, it will support her on just one leg, in case you want a taking off/landing pose. If her left foot had a peg hole as well, you could open up some other options... but no such luck.
Of course, if you really want a dynamic flying pose, you'll set her base aside and get some wire.
The articulation on Star Sapphire is pretty much in line with DC Direct's other offerings, which is to say insufficient. Like they usually do, they've neglected to include wrist or ankle joints. The ankle joints actually aren't a big problem this time, but you'll definitely miss cut wrists. As is, you're stuck with the hand positions they've provided, and those don't work so well.
The hips are the standard "T" style joints that look all right but seem horribly outdated when compared to what Mattel's using. The ball joints in the shoulders and head are all limited. I can't blame them too much, though, because using this style of shoulder joint protects the integrity of the sculpt, while the head joint is limited by the hair, one of my favorite aspects of the figure. As it is, you can tilt her head down (but not up), and she has a tiny bit of side to side motion.
If they'd have included cut wrists, I think I might have been able to justify a bonus point because of the base. One day, I truly believe I'll find a DC Direct figure in this scale I can award a point to. But it's not today.
Price Tag and Final Analysis: 7/10
Honestly, if I'd have reviewed this two months ago, I'd have given her an eight rather than a seven. I think the construction element serves a good equalizer, though: at a glance, I think a lot of DC Direct figures tend to look a bit nicer than they should. These occupy a strange middle ground between statue and toy. I, for one, like collecting in that area, but I know there are some who'd prefer they chose one direction or another.
According to her price tag, FAO Schwartz was originally asking $17 for Star Sapphire. I like the figure, but she's not worth that much. If you can peel five or six bucks off that price tag, it stops being absurd, but this had still better be a character you really want a toy of.
My wife found Star Sapphire going for six bucks at FAO Schwartz: at that price, she's a fantastic deal. I haven't seen them around for a while, but I suspect there are comic shops who are trying to unload these for a lot less than they started. If you collect Green Lantern figures, she'd make a solid addition to your collection. Just be aware she's not a short toy: she towers over Mattel's Green Lantern, for instance. Still, I figure she'll look good flying around Hal and Sinestro.
According to her price tag, FAO Schwartz was originally asking $17 for Star Sapphire. I like the figure, but she's not worth that much. If you can peel five or six bucks off that price tag, it stops being absurd, but this had still better be a character you really want a toy of.
My wife found Star Sapphire going for six bucks at FAO Schwartz: at that price, she's a fantastic deal. I haven't seen them around for a while, but I suspect there are comic shops who are trying to unload these for a lot less than they started. If you collect Green Lantern figures, she'd make a solid addition to your collection. Just be aware she's not a short toy: she towers over Mattel's Green Lantern, for instance. Still, I figure she'll look good flying around Hal and Sinestro.
So the scale isn't perfect: big deal. If you're looking for some time to waste, why not stop by The Middle Room?
