Review: DC Universe Classics: Black Canary
Black Canary is one of DC's more intriguing characters who remains almost completely unknown to the population at large. She's gotten a little exposure on various animated incarnations of the DC Universe, as well as a role in the disappointing "Birds of Prey" series, but she remains fairly obscure.
I actually have a theory about this. The way I see it, there are three kinds of mainstream comic book characters: those who define their universe, those who support and mirror them, and those who support the universe.
Characters like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are examples of the first category. Batgirl, Superboy, and Wonder Girl are the second type - incidentally, these probably make up the bulk of the good guys, far outnumbering the main characters (there's one Hal Jordan, but there are thousands of members of the Lantern Corps). In general, both of these groups wind up getting fairly well publicized. Sure, more people are familiar with The Flash than Kid Flash, but neither is all that obscure.
The third group contains characters like Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, and Mr. Terrific. These characters tend to be very important in the comics, but most non-geeks have never heard of them. They've never broken out as culturally significant icons, and they aren't able to piggy-back on more famous characters wearing the same outfits.
So, even though she's one of comic's most successful legacy characters, been around for decades, been leader of the JLA, and married her long time love interest, Green Arrow, Black Canary is still virtually unknown. A pity: she's a great character.
This is hardly the first action figure made of Canary, but it is the first produced as part of Mattel's DC Universe Classics line. In theory, these are available in toys stores everywhere; in reality, good luck finding them: Mattel didn't make enough. I just reviewed Green Arrow, who was released in the same wave (number nine, for those counting).
I actually have a theory about this. The way I see it, there are three kinds of mainstream comic book characters: those who define their universe, those who support and mirror them, and those who support the universe.
Characters like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are examples of the first category. Batgirl, Superboy, and Wonder Girl are the second type - incidentally, these probably make up the bulk of the good guys, far outnumbering the main characters (there's one Hal Jordan, but there are thousands of members of the Lantern Corps). In general, both of these groups wind up getting fairly well publicized. Sure, more people are familiar with The Flash than Kid Flash, but neither is all that obscure.
The third group contains characters like Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, and Mr. Terrific. These characters tend to be very important in the comics, but most non-geeks have never heard of them. They've never broken out as culturally significant icons, and they aren't able to piggy-back on more famous characters wearing the same outfits.
So, even though she's one of comic's most successful legacy characters, been around for decades, been leader of the JLA, and married her long time love interest, Green Arrow, Black Canary is still virtually unknown. A pity: she's a great character.
This is hardly the first action figure made of Canary, but it is the first produced as part of Mattel's DC Universe Classics line. In theory, these are available in toys stores everywhere; in reality, good luck finding them: Mattel didn't make enough. I just reviewed Green Arrow, who was released in the same wave (number nine, for those counting).
Appearance and Construction: 7/10
This is a story of real fishnet stockings and the sacrifices Mattel made to include them.
Yes, they look awesome, duplicating the look of the character's legs from the comics. When I heard Mattel was doing this, I expected the stockings to look out of scale. But they look just like they do on the page; this is a great effect. As an added bonus, they make the joints in her legs less obvious.
Of course, it's not so great from the back, as you can see. But that's the price we pay. Actually, that's part of the price. The real issue is something we'll discuss under Play and Display.
Besides the stockings, there are a few other areas I want to commend before the other shoe falls. And speaking of shoes (or boots), hers look great: the sculpting is excellent. Her coat is likewise fantastic, as is her choker. Her head also looks fantastic, though I expect no less from this line.
In the "most improved" category, both Canary and Green Arrow have excellent flesh tones which were missing from most of the earlier waves.
All of that aside, there is a major problem here, and some of the above contributes: her proportions are ridiculous. This is partially an issue with the female body Mattel uses: the waist is too small for the hips. This is an issue with every female figure in this line, but Canary takes it to a whole new level.
What's happening here is a conflict between design and execution: her small coat draws attention to her slender midsection, while her stockings increase the width of her hips. Add to that baby-sized hands, and you've got an awkward looking toy.
On top of that, there are some construction and materials issues: her arms feel flimsy and cheap, and she has several loose joints.
It's tough, because aspects of this figure are amazing. It's as though half of the figure deserves a nine. This was a great idea with some great sculpting and paint work, but it just wasn't planned out right.
Yes, they look awesome, duplicating the look of the character's legs from the comics. When I heard Mattel was doing this, I expected the stockings to look out of scale. But they look just like they do on the page; this is a great effect. As an added bonus, they make the joints in her legs less obvious.
Of course, it's not so great from the back, as you can see. But that's the price we pay. Actually, that's part of the price. The real issue is something we'll discuss under Play and Display.
Besides the stockings, there are a few other areas I want to commend before the other shoe falls. And speaking of shoes (or boots), hers look great: the sculpting is excellent. Her coat is likewise fantastic, as is her choker. Her head also looks fantastic, though I expect no less from this line.
In the "most improved" category, both Canary and Green Arrow have excellent flesh tones which were missing from most of the earlier waves.
All of that aside, there is a major problem here, and some of the above contributes: her proportions are ridiculous. This is partially an issue with the female body Mattel uses: the waist is too small for the hips. This is an issue with every female figure in this line, but Canary takes it to a whole new level.
What's happening here is a conflict between design and execution: her small coat draws attention to her slender midsection, while her stockings increase the width of her hips. Add to that baby-sized hands, and you've got an awkward looking toy.
On top of that, there are some construction and materials issues: her arms feel flimsy and cheap, and she has several loose joints.
It's tough, because aspects of this figure are amazing. It's as though half of the figure deserves a nine. This was a great idea with some great sculpting and paint work, but it just wasn't planned out right.
Packaging and Extras: ----
At a glance, it looks like the same packaging that these have been sold in for ages. But my wife pointed out something I didn't catch at first. Take a look:
It's subtle, but they've sculpted rings in the plastic emanating from her head. This is of course a reference to the "Canary Cry", her devastating sonic attack. It's nothing I can reward - it's still just packaging - but it further reinforces Mattel's commitment to respecting the property. The biography, which mentions her mother, the original Black Canary, doesn't hurt either.
 |
The only thing you get this time around is a chunk of Chemo, the wave nine Collect & Connect figure. Judging by pictures I've seen, Chemo looks pretty cool. In addition, if this is his waist, he can't be small. But, frankly, I don't care about Chemo, certainly not enough to buy five more figures to get him. Even so, I'm grudgingly accepting this as fulfilling the extras requirement this time around, mainly because I can't think of anything Canary is really missing. The only thing she should have is a stand, not that even that would necessary solve her problems... but we'll take that up in a moment. |
Play and Display: -1
I never thought I'd see the day.
When I reviewed Green Arrow, I mentioned that he had the single best articulation I'd seen from this line. Well Canary has the worst.
The real hit comes in the waist. This is a simple 'T', like you'd expect from DC Direct. She's only got about ninety-degrees of motion - even that estimate might be generous. I assume they couldn't get the joint they've been using to work with the stockings, so they had to lose it.
It's especially a shame, because Canary, more than most, should be able to perform a kick. She's a martial artist, after all.
Now, to be fair, they did include an extra cut joint on each ankle to try and make up for it. It's appreciated, but it's not the same. Moving on, she has all the other joints. They've wisely moved the cut from her wrist to where her forearm meets her coat, and she has the standard cuts on her legs, waist, and biceps. She has ball jointed shoulders and head, though her hair sculpt makes this effectively useless. And she's got pins on her ankles, knees, and elbows.
Her balance is okay, but it's not up to par for the line. This is mainly due to loose joints on her ankles, which prevent her from holding many poses. I can't even get her to strike an interesting pose on a stand. The loose joints, along with almost no head articulation, necessitate a penalty. Normally, these would be countered by the hip joints, but we lost them to the stockings.
When I reviewed Green Arrow, I mentioned that he had the single best articulation I'd seen from this line. Well Canary has the worst.
The real hit comes in the waist. This is a simple 'T', like you'd expect from DC Direct. She's only got about ninety-degrees of motion - even that estimate might be generous. I assume they couldn't get the joint they've been using to work with the stockings, so they had to lose it.
It's especially a shame, because Canary, more than most, should be able to perform a kick. She's a martial artist, after all.
Now, to be fair, they did include an extra cut joint on each ankle to try and make up for it. It's appreciated, but it's not the same. Moving on, she has all the other joints. They've wisely moved the cut from her wrist to where her forearm meets her coat, and she has the standard cuts on her legs, waist, and biceps. She has ball jointed shoulders and head, though her hair sculpt makes this effectively useless. And she's got pins on her ankles, knees, and elbows.
Her balance is okay, but it's not up to par for the line. This is mainly due to loose joints on her ankles, which prevent her from holding many poses. I can't even get her to strike an interesting pose on a stand. The loose joints, along with almost no head articulation, necessitate a penalty. Normally, these would be countered by the hip joints, but we lost them to the stockings.
Price Tag and Final Analysis: 6/10
I actually lucked out and found Canary for $11 at FAO Schwartz. It's not often I get to pick DC Universe Classics figures up for their suggested retail price, and, to be honest, I found the experience somewhat dizzying.
Was she worth it? I'd say yes, but barely. As much as I like the stockings and the head, this may be the worst overall figure I've gotten in this line. Losing those hip joints is really painful, especially on top of the loose ankle joints. Even so, it was worth eleven dollars just to be able to display her with Green Arrow.
It does strike me as telling that I paid $17 for Green Arrow and $11 for her, but I feel like Arrow was by far the better deal.
If you're looking for these, the best advice I can offer is persistence. They seem to be trickling into the larger retailers now, and you should (hopefully) be able to locate some. You may have even more luck with comic and collectible shops, but don't expect a bargain. Still, you'll likely get a better deal through those than you'll find online, where these are costing an arm and a leg.
Was she worth it? I'd say yes, but barely. As much as I like the stockings and the head, this may be the worst overall figure I've gotten in this line. Losing those hip joints is really painful, especially on top of the loose ankle joints. Even so, it was worth eleven dollars just to be able to display her with Green Arrow.
It does strike me as telling that I paid $17 for Green Arrow and $11 for her, but I feel like Arrow was by far the better deal.
If you're looking for these, the best advice I can offer is persistence. They seem to be trickling into the larger retailers now, and you should (hopefully) be able to locate some. You may have even more luck with comic and collectible shops, but don't expect a bargain. Still, you'll likely get a better deal through those than you'll find online, where these are costing an arm and a leg.
Don't forget to swing by The Middle Room, my blog dedicated to geeks and their interests.
