This Timm-verse Animated series from DC Collectibles is as near to perfection as any toy line I can think of in recent memory. The sculpts (by Irene Matar) are spot-on, the articulation is incorporated expertly into the design, and the quality of the plastics used is very thought-out and intentional. I believe this Poison Ivy figure was originally slated to come out this past Spring, but there were production delays due to the QC concerns with the first few figures released this time last year. My Catwoman was fine, but I appreciate the efforts toward perfection. I'm hoping we'll get all animated versions of these character eventually. At least a BTAS one to compliment Catwoman (and likewise, a TNBA Catwoman to go with this Ivy). This line has almost unlimited potential in my opinion, but I'm still glad we're getting some of the second-tier characters first. Poison Ivy only appear four times in TNBA, but her bond with Harley Quinn has skyrocketed her popularity. Let's check out Poison Ivy in detail below!
The sculpt by Irene Matar is amazing. Rendering a stylized animated look in 3-D is one of the hardest feats for a sculptor, and she does an amazing job. She's also behind the Super Best Friends Forever figures.
Her hair is made from a hollow rigid plastic (the kind that clicks when you tap it with your fingernail). This eliminates the top-heavy quality we would have experienced if it were solid.
Ivy comes with two extra sets of hands (Grippers, fists, and open), Three lab vials, And a figure stand. I should note that the pegs that anchor her hands into her forearms are super sturdy. They may even be metal. Some of the wrist joints were stuck and for the first time in action figure history, I didn't feel like I was going to snap the peg by forcing it.
Her tiny hands can only hold the one vial well.
I should note that my store had 4 of this figure, and each one had very different looking eyes. None of them looked bad, but the way they were painted really altered her expression. I picked my favorite (obviously).
The articulation on these figures is great. We've reached an era where the toy technology can give us a big-headed, spindly-legged characters with crazy articulation that can stand unaided (although maybe not for long periods of time). It's really an amazing feat.
The figure stand is a nice addition, but I frankly think it's a little ungainly.
The only articulation gripe I have is that she can't place a hand on her hip. The elbow just doesn't give that range of motion.
This is good because the elbow joints now look seamless in profile, but bad because we can't put her in that classic Bruce Timm hand-on-hip pose.
So (surprise surprise) I'm very geeky and OCD. In prepping these photos, I wanted to see all the animated Ivys lined up for comparison. Hence I delayed this post in order to make this infographic showing animated Ivy's evolution. It involved watching a lot of youtube videos and taking split-second screenshots. Please enjoy the fruit of my compulsions. (And, yes, I'm aware it's not graphically good.. I did it in Paint and way too fast).
This is the other accessory she can hold. It is probably supposed to be some sort of lab equipment that I can't remember from my early chemistry days, but I'm just going to pretend it's a Curling stone.
Time for some Group and Comparison Pics!
Here she is with the BTAS Catwoman from last November. The style differences between the two series is more extreme than I thought. You could fit four Selina heads inside Ivy's!
Cheers!
Gorgeous! I'm looking forward to Harley being released, and Baby Doll too (as a companion piece to Killer Croc)
ReplyDeleteThere are so many I'm looking forward to. Batgirl comes out Wednesday!
DeleteThese look so great! I'm glad we finally got an accurate TNBA Ivy since the other two released didn't quite capture her look and the skin tone was off. I've been a long time reader of your blog and love all your reviews since I also collect all the girl figures. I love your collections! Catwoman is my favorite character and that animated infographic you made for Ivy is awesome!!! It would be amazing if you could make one for her and Harley as well, it looks so great and helps to organize them in my head. Thanks for all the time you put into this site! :)
ReplyDeleteI love making the infographics, too! You've inspired me to make a Harley one a little early. I should have made one for the BTAS Harley, but I've been rushed for time lately so I decided to hold off until the TNBA Harley comes out (apparently her prototype was secretly shown at SDCC). But now I honestly don't want to wait. I can't remember which characters I made them for, but rest assured I will make them all :) I'll post links in this comment thread when I make them. Thanks for reading!
DeleteThat's awesome, I'm glad I did! I wouldn't wait either then since who knows when she'll come out if her prototype hasn't even been revealed yet. I didn't even know they showed her. I'm actually surprised they're doing her so soon since her TNBA design really isn't that much different from her BTAS, as opposed to other characters like Catwoman and Ivy whose are more drastic. I really hope they do the both of them sooner than later though. I can't wait for Phantasm myself! Anyways thanks again and looking forward to Catwoman, Harley, and anyone else you might have in mind!
DeleteAlso, where did you get those great stands that are holding some of your figures up?! I have the most frustrating time trying to get everyone standing up and then keeping them standing, and those look great! Thanks!
Sorry for the delayed response! I'm working on the Catwoman graphic but it's really hard to get a good shot those early 1960's appearances. I actually have all the old box sets and I'm going to have to take screenshots.
DeleteI'm assuming you're talking about the black wire stands? If so, then those are Kaiser Doll Stands. You can get them on Amazon in a variety of sizes. I usually set the smallest (3") and next size up. They are kind of pricey for stands at just under $2 each (you have to buy them in packs of 12). But I think they're worth it.. i have a TON.
Omg that's awesome! I'm so excited, I can't wait now! I'm sure those are hard ones, especially getting them in good quality, so it's good you have those box sets. I appreciate the hard work you're putting into this.
DeleteThose do sound pricey, but they look like they'd be great for my collections. Sometimes I don't even want to bother displaying anything because it's so hard to get them all to stand and they constantly fall down on me. Thanks for the info!
Planning on getting this.. do you have a secret files Poison Ivy because I think she is the best PI figure out there
ReplyDeleteActually the Secret Origins figure is my favorite Poison Ivy figure. Poison Ivy as a character always annoyed me as a kid (this is back in the 80s.. her appearances were weird) but the first time I ever saw her and thought she was awesome was in Gotham Knights #15 with a stellar cover by Brian Bolland. The Secret Origins figure is perfect homage to that cover. I'll have to check if I ever reviewed her. If not, she'll be coming soon. Thanks!
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