DC Collectibles: Arsenal

Many consider Roy Harper the heart of the Outlaws as he seemed like the most determined to keep the group together. Arsenal is the former partner of Green Arrow that tries to rebuild his life after the fall out and believes Jason, Kori and him can make it together. But how did his figure turn out?

Comic Accurate Likeness: This design is hands down my favorite Roy Harper costume. I never hated the baseball cap although I first thought it was kind of weird. I've grown to love it as it gives Roy some personality and shows that the character doesn't take everything seriously. The sense of fun with the cap is fully embraced in his figure. The uniform might have arm guards and a quiver but there's no doubt that Roy isn't a Green Arrow clone (which is why I never got into Red Arrow.) There's a lot of arrows on the costume design. All of them on the chest point inward, which is a nice nod to the character using inner strength to recover from past self destructive behavior. Unlike GA Arsenal has two quivers, one on the hip for more ammo. There's also the tattoos which haven't been explained in comics though they seem to tell a story with the design. (The design sheet for said tattoos are here.) This figure is very accurate. RATING: 10

Sculpting: This was sculpted by Derek Miller. Much to my surprise the Outlaws were done by three different sculptors although this will be a little more apparent once their all out of their boxes. I did notice how tiny Roy was before removing the figure from the package. While the scale of this three isn't far off I could easily see that the boys could be used for teen bodies. Superboy looks bigger and I'm not sure what went into the thought process, if DCC has anyone to keep track of scale but I guess not. Kon EL was always too massive and these aren't as big as they should be. As for the rest I'm thrilled how the figure looks, if there was a grin/smirk this would have be perfect. As mentioned above this is my favorite Roy Harper outfit and it came out great. Unlike GA there's no empty space in the quiver either which is an improvement in my book. My only complaint is the scale problem which is more of a problem with DCC as a whole than just the figure. Still I'm glad the trio at least fit together. RATING: 8

Paint Job: I think this is the best I've seen in the DCC lines. There's a lot of work that went into this one and that helps elevate it above the others. First of all the color selections are perfect reflecting the comic well. There was only one mistake to be found and it's so tiny it's really not noticeable unless you're looking for it. The arms are a highlight of their own since DCC tries their hand at shading the skin in the creases. Even if the shading did look off it won't be a big deal since Roy is the tech guy always fiddling with a machine. Roy's the first figure in this line that I'm aware of that has tattoos. They are all spot on as is the raccoon logo on his cap. They can't be painted and I'm not sure of the process but it looks like digital work to me. That level of detail really is appreciated. RATING: 10

Articulation: I'm wondering if DCC wanted to do something different with each of the Outlaws to be memorable. Starfire gets the most amazing hair sculpt, Red Hood gets the flight blades and Arsenal? Able to move the baseball cap from back and forth. I adore this addition as it full embraces the fun of the character. The rest of Roy's articulation is about the same as Green Arrows' save the movable ankle joints which Ollie lacked. So yes, Roy can move better than his mentor. I love the creativity used here. RATING: 8.5

Accessories: Only two which are expected for an archer, the bow and a single arrow. Although I noticed Roy's arrow is longer and more stable than GA's which you can take however you want. Things like a unmasked head could/should be added but this is alright for what it is. RATING: 8

Comparison to other figures: Roy is superior to the DCC Green Arrow not just because his leg didn't snap off from gentle movement (although I did the boil method to loosen the joints. I fixed GA here with a metal screw that I haven't painted yet.) The paint is better and there's slightly more articulation with the hat adding a lot of personality. Mattel and DCD figures still have better joints which has to do with the clear plastic used in DCC figures. Roy was the only one that at least had some movement in the arms prior to me loosing the joints. RATING: 8

Overall: There are flaws with the scale, the stiff and potentially breakable joints, limited accessories and articulation that could be better. Still I adore this figure since it's so fun. Starfire and Arsenal have become my favorite action figures from DCC.