Mattel's Arkham City HARLEY QUINN!

Batman: Legacy - Series 3 Singles - Arkham City Harley Quinn

While I will always prefer Harley's classic look, this Arkham City style is definitely growing on me.  I don't mind the fact that she looks like she accessorizes at Hot Topic or that the dye isn't staying in her ponytails like she planned.  I absolutely despised the Arkham Asylum "slutty nurse" looks that preceded this incarnation.  Perhaps it was that distaste that made me resist this version so long.  In fact, the first time I appreciated the re-design was when I first saw the DC Direct Arkham City Harley last month.  She still doesn't really fit in with the rest of my comic heroes -- looking more Spawn-Family than Bat-Family -- but i've officially caved and integrated her into the collection.




I was excited to find Harley today at Toys'R'us (along with Arkham City Catwom(e)n and Marvel Legends Hope Summers - all to be reviewed in the coming days- it was a big toy spending day needless to say!)  She comes in the typical Batman: Legacy packaging, but with the Arkham City logo instead of the classic Batman logo.

She comes packaged with a Baseball bat, a figure stand, and a poster as shown on the side graphic above.  My posters always come out dented and look awful.

The figure is great!  Mattel has really upped their game with this figure.  The articulation is smartly concealed with tight joints, the paint is top-notch, and the details of the costume are amazing.

Until a few months ago, I honestly didn't realize that both DC Direct and Mattel were producing versions of this character.  Even looking at advanced solicit pics I was confused.  They are two very similar figures.

The immediate difference for me when I see them side-by-side is the face, but there are a ton of little differences.  I like both figures a lot, but I prefer the Mattel version overall.  Here is a list of my personal pros and cons:

Mattel Pro:  Face looks better, more sinster - DCD looks scared.

Mattel Pro:  Diamonds on legs are raised, creating a cool texture - DCD is just painted.

Mattel Pro:  Much better articulation than DC Direct - DCD arms can't even point down.

Mattel Pro:  The hair has a better texture than DC Direct.

Mattel Pro:  The arms have a better shape than the toneless limbs on the DCD version.

Mattel Con:  Missing little metal stud details on legs like DC Direct has.

Mattel Con:  Tattoos are black and white, as opposed to DC Direct's colored versions.

Mattel Con:  The bat is soft and doesn't have the same level of detail as DCD's.

Mattel Con:  The chain on the belt is sculpted and awkward, DCD included a real chain.

Time for a group shot!

Cheers!