I normally get actions figures every now and then. This year I'm planning to get a lot of them, far more than my normal two or three. Since there's going to be a new 52 Arsenal I decided to get a new 52 Green Arrow.
Packaging: I wasn't a fan of the new 52 packaging at first but it grew on me. The simple look works for it and the color coding to match the characters is a nice touch. One side has the outline of the figure, the other has the sculptor listed and shots of other released figures. Here's the text on the back.
Comic Superstars Geoff Johns and Jim Lee Make History!
The Green Arrow Takes Aim Against Injustice In This New Action Figure Straight From The Pages Of DC Comics-The New 52! But Does A Renegade Like Oliver Queen Really Belong With The Justice League?
This is my first purchase from the company since it changed from DC Direct to DC Collectibles. I can already see several changes, with the packaging for example it's smaller. That's important for more serious collectors that need the room. It's also more durable than the usual cardboard backing. A big improvement on what came before. That said mine was banged up some although most of the boxes I've seen of other figures don't appear as damaged. RATING: 8.0
Comic Accurate Likeness: This isn't who I think of when I think Green Arrow. I imagine a guy with a goofy beard that's grouchy, has kids and loves chili. Not that I liked everything about the old Ollie. The only time I've read the new one was in the RHATO Annual #1 which was a mixed bag with his character. As for the look, the costume is a VAST improvement. The Robin Hood get up was very dated and not really practical. This is definitely made for a younger archer in mind and I could see this look working for Conner Hawke too. The subtle arrow shapes in the lining on the chest is a good design element. In character too since Ollie wants attention to be drawn there. (Or did I don't know if he's still a lady chaser.) The belt buckle also has a "G" formed by negative space that makes an arrow shape. The only thing that keeps this from being perfect is the top which is paints green in areas it should be black. RATING: 7.5
Sculpting: As it says on the side this is sculpted by Jack Mathews. I don't recall seeing other packaging giving credit to the sculptors so this is a good addition to give credit where it's due. The amount of detail on this definitely puts Mattel and in some cases DC Direct to shame. The feet of the boots and the belt buckle particularly caught my eye. The hands can grip things although the arrows will usually slip out. While being able to grip makes sense for an archer it's also a huge plus since I hate the fisted hands that can't be used for anything. The right hand has the fingers posed to hold/pull back the bow string. The arm guards along with the belt and quiver are separate pieces that aren't removable. None of them hinder any movement and feel pretty sturdy. The figure looks like it's in Jim Lees' style. I have no complaints although it might have been nice to have an attachable hood. Still I can understand if DCC didn't want to do that. Having removable hoods on figures doesn't tend to come out well. Still this is remarkable work. RATING: 9.0Articulation: A lot is missing making Green Arrow a little stiff. There's no torso swivel or waist joint. No wrist or ankle cuts either. The arms have the most movement in them which makes sense considering the character. I do wonder if Arsenal will have about the same amount of articulation as GA or more. It's annoying that there's not more but if this was a bat character I'd be far more irked. I'm still taking points off because DCC should be putting far more motion since retail has no problem adding it. RATING:
(Just a bow I found it didn't come with the figure or fit in it's hands.)
Paint Job: There was slight overlapping on the belt section where the gold bars meet the straps. Since it's on the inside it's not noticeable. Otherwise this was neatly painted, another improvement on earlier lines. RATING: 9.5
Accessories: As you can see in the picture there's a empty space to Green Arrows' right. There should be a bow there but mine didn't come with one. I did get it at a greatly reduced cost because of this (which makes sense as it's a huge draw to the character.) But as far as quality control is concerned this should have been something they checked before shipping this out. There's no way this could have been taken out afterward since I checked for tampering. Green Arrow comes with two arrows to put into the empty space in his quiver. There's still room to spare which could have been filled with more extras. There's no way to secure them which kind of makes it moot. The arrows are short and flimsy which is a big disappoint. More should have been done in this sections especially since Green Arrows' weapons are a huge part of the character. RATING: 2.0
DCCs' action figures tower over past incarnations which makes mixing and matching the two companies a little hard depending on the characters. Although this does make the scale on kid figures like Damian work out better than they used to. In the end each has different issues but I do think Mattels' GA wins for having more accessories and articulation. DCC Green Arrow is a excellent figure but it doesn't have the edge. RATING: 5.5
Overall: Hopefully the next waves of DCC will put more movement in the figures and get more creative with the add ons. Still Ollie makes a good addition to put on display. I suspect he'll look even better when this years new 52 come in. At the moment he's the green giant among my DC figures. Bigger than both DC Direct and Mattel. I'd say this is a buy if you like the character or want him in a display with other figures (the JLA, Roy, etc.) I'd recommend getting this at a discount regardless if Green Arrow is one of your favorites or not. Since he's not close to my top ten I can't say I'm biased in this case. I maybe in Arsenals' if he shares too many thing with GA. It's just a bit of a let down to have little to no accessories and motion. This is normally $24.99 and I feel you should have more for that price. If I didn't get a huge discount I'd be let down.
Hey I purchased this figure too and I am having problems regarding his knee joints, when I bent his knees multiple times I could feel as if they were becoming looser and now I'm afraid to even touch him, its irritating me as I really don't want him to break, do you have any tips at all that could fix the legs? Thanks :) oh and great review.
ReplyDeleteI haven't gotten around to fixing mine yet but I do have a plan for that. Either to use a spare peg from another figure (I used to do customs so I have a few) or to use tiny metal screws. The main problem is that part of the peg snapped off in the opening you put the peg through. I might try putting the knee in boiling hot water to soften the plastic then use an exacto knife to get it out. If you're new to this be very, very careful.
ReplyDeleteFor yours it's hard to say since I haven't seen the damage. It sounds like it's going to break which you can't really do much for. I have heard some customizers using super glue and working the leg back in forth to tighten joints but I've never done it myself. I don't think it's would work in this case since it might get stuck or break while you're moving it back and forth. But really from what I hear the weak joints are a huge problem for DCC which is something they should be trying to correct.
Thanks, it was fun to do.