DC Entertainment: Harley Quinn(Suicide Squad)

I will not pay a huge amount of money for a special collector's edition of a Bluray release. What you get for the extra few bucks usually does not entice me; a hard case cover, some printouts, etc. Not my style, that is of course until I saw that this lovely thing was going to be the 'extra' that is attached to the Blu-ray release of DC's Suicide Squad. It's no secret that I do like the Cinematic appearance of Harley Quinn. While some of the qualms of fans are valid and I do agree with, I can't say that I can completely disregard this version of her because Margo Robbie played her quite well. Sex appeal high, yes, but the character portrayal is as good as you are going to get. So... how does a high price point statue/Blu-ray fit my geekdom? Let's find out!

It's more like a Harley Quinn statue with a bonus Blu-ray of Suicide Squad, to be honest with you. If you are familiar with the size of a standard Bluray case, then you know that this size comparison definitely states which item is sought out for. There's a variant of Will Smith Deadshot that one can purchase but seriously... who is the main attraction of the movie? Enchantress and her dancing can come to close second. HA!

So right from the get-go I'm just going to talk about just how awesome this statue is. Details. Plenty of it! Anyone who got a kick out of Harley Quinn's costume in the movie will definitely appreciate ever detail this statue has to offer. The way the molding just replicated every piece of her clothing, the wrinkles, the rips, the way it adjusts to her body, it's almost too real when looking at it from certain angles. Too real and very accurate to Robbie Margo's appearance as the ever so popular jester of the DC universe. Say what one will about the costume, as far as the action figure goes, one has to really admire just how accurate this statue takes it.

Everything about this figure is sculpted, down to the very detail of her hair. The only thing that isn't and I would have preferred it to be are her fishnets. They are 'cloth' that are draped on her legs and seamed at the back, which looks god awful. Well, not that bad but takes away from the statue.

The paint on this is amazing! Again another movie-accurate job well done and it definitely captures Harley Quinn's appearance(though the face isn't that accurate, but still pretty). The bright pink and blue tints on her blonde hair, the vibrant red and blue jacket, the flesh tones, the makeup, and then the way her accessories are painted (the choker, the bracelets, the belt, her footwear), definitely makes it realistic and a good contrast to the rest of the figure. And speaking of painted details:

The tattoos are painted clean and it's even dark enough to be seen through the fishnets! Her fingernails also have writing that this statue made sure it captured. Something I wasn't able to get a good pic of was the tattoo on her back, which was also well done.

The paint on her bat is also a stellar job done! And not exactly paint detail, but the writing on the back of her jacket is sculpted and it's well appreciated. Even if I think Joker's decision of outerwear for her is kind of... abrasive and crude, but it's Joker, right? Why did I even bring that up?

The posture is something to gawk over for plenty of reasons. And while we're at it, the gun that is holstered is also sculpted well! This posture made sure it showed it off without taking away from the way she is "modeling".

As one would expect from a modern day Harley Quinn, she is provocative and still manages to exude that badassery(I hate that seam so much! Okay not that much). The way her hip is cocked to her left, holding the bat over her shoulder, then with that eerily calm smile.... definitely is a sexy looking figure even if it's a little far away from an exact copy of Margot Robbie(face wise). I'm going to let a few thousand words do the talking for me:

And something I have yet to showcase is her stand:

Along with the "rotten", the bat, and the heart symbol, I guess now's the time to check out Harley's unorthodox, but stylish boots/heels... makes one wonder how she can be so agile with that damn thing. Anyways, the logo is regularly used for promotions when Harley is being shown with the DCU Suicide Squad. Aside from the jester symbol on the handle of her gun, I don't think of Harley too much when I see the symbol. But all in all, it's a good stand; heavy and firm, something that really keeps the statue standing up.

Just to show how tall this figure is, here she is next to two Bishoujo Harley I have in my collection: my most recent one, The New 52 and then, of course, The Classic. These two are by no means small statues, more like average, and then we have the towering Suicide Harley Quinn in the back! Definitely a tall figure, thus the price. And just while we are here, it's cool to see these renditions of Harley: Original Animated, Somewhat Recent Comic Book, and then the Movie version of her. The only thing I am missing is her popular Akrham City version(which I might still get).

All in all, if you can't tell, I love this statue. It is a pricey one, and the gimmick came with a Bluray, which is a win-win. If you have the cash to fork and you are a big time Harley Quinn Movie fan, or just a Harley Quinn fan in general, this statue has a lot to offer. I couldn't simply type out everything of how much I adore this piece. I LOVE it. Sure there are some flaws like it doesn't resemble Margot as much as it should and that annoying seam in the back, but all in all, it's a great piece! Just telling you right now, she might very well be the winner of the statue of 2016.
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Seriously, FFXV?!

Are you serious right now, FFXV?! Seriously? Okay, maybe I need to take it back a notch or two here but this is my main qualms with Final Fantasy XV right now: ONLY FOUR CHARACTERS. Sure, sure, there are guests, but overall it's only Noctis, Ignis, Gladious, and Prompto and everyone else are just guests. As you all know, I am a huge fan of the "Rikku" type of gals so when I heard there are only four characters and all males, I was slightly taken back, but I will accept any changes as long as it is a TRUE Final Fantasy game.

I had the same reaction when I found out, Rikku.

So only a good 20 hrs in the game(okay, I'm totally not a true Final Fantasy fan as of late! I have RL keeping me away from playing Noctis' role, okay?), I get enamored with FFXV's gameplay, world, I'm so-so with the characters; liking Noctis, but I don't have that 'background' with the four yet. They're close friends but I don't feel the weight other than 'we're bros'. The story is unfolding and I don't have a good grasp of the world yet but I am side swiped when I get introduced to:

Iris! The cute, scantily clad, hyper-go-spunk sister of Gladious! She is this:

((Shame there is no real this character type in FFVI. I also intentionally didn't mention a few FFs for a reason)). She's literally the reincarnation of these character types! I mean COME ON!

From where I'm at, there seems to be some implication that there is something between Noct and this gal. I'd totally pair her up with Noct over Luna. From what I've seen of Luna in Kingsglaive, she is useless even for a damsel in distress category! Speaking of, there might be a chance that Iris will be joining as a guest with Noctis and the crew. Surely hoping so though! I'm smitten, yes!

So with that said, what the hell is up with that, Final Fantasy XV? Your main flaw so far is taking away the joy of "PHS"! And these adorable characters that fill the roster! But she is always a good attention for fanfics and.... DiD attention!

I mean how can she NOT be when....

She's standing like that in the menu screen OBVIOUSLY wanting to BE tied up. 

R.I.P Carrie Fisher

While I may not have been the biggest Star Wars fan, I am always going to remember Princess Leia and the role she played. Star Wars was a big part of my childhood even if I didn't get into it like most of my peers at that time did.

Rest in Peace Carrie Fisher.

The First Princess of a Galaxy Far Far Away...

10/21/1956 ~ 12/27/2016

Why DCU definitely needs this: WONDER WOMAN - Official Trailer [HD]

DC has had a rough few kickoffs with their Cinematic Universe. Batman Vs Superman led the universe, and Suicide Squad followed suit. Now, I'm going to be the first to say that I enjoyed the first two installments of the DCU enough. Suicide Squad more than Batman vs Superman. I had a great time seeing characters like Harley Quinn and enjoyed Affleck's take on Batman (better than Bale for me). I liked how they managed to catch some of the aspects of these characters that made these characters popular (Harley's crazy but off the wall jokes that often pertained to killing someone and Batman's angsty moment when he was at the lowest). The problem with those movies is that they are FAR too crowded. The Amazing Spider-Man 2, a movie that I like but abhor for being too crowded also falls into that same curse. A comic book movie's BEST chemistry, trait, etc, could be forgotten because of underdeveloped characters and rushed fanservice antics. Also, both movies seem to lean on the idea that they are setups for other movies and for a Cinematic Universe that is barely learning how to stand, it's already starting to jog--SPRINT to the crossover arena.

They are trying fervently to do what Marvel Cinematic Universe had accomplished(and is accomplishing). That is all well and good but DC has to build its lore first. While DC has a pretty strong standing mainstream presence where both casual and diehard fans can say who is Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, DC needs to remember that they STILL need to build a universe where all fans are on the same page when it comes to knowing what is the general backbone of the Cinematic Universe: where the characters stand, what is, and what isn't. Just like Marvel has done over the years.

"Listen to our stories! Seriously! Listen to all of us at once!"

DC didn't do that. They jumped right in and everything about the first two movies of the DCU are crossovers and heavily dependent on fan knowledge--if not, backstories are just crammed into this tiny little space that we as viewers barely got to acknowledge the existence of the lore. Casual and movie fans aren't allowed to get attached to these characters because there are SO many plots, characters, and lore to catch up with. I mean let's just use Henry Cavill as a good example; his Superman is BARELY taking off. From what I have heard, fans are split in half about how he portrays his Superman. Honestly, I think he did well with Man of Steel and I think with one more movie, he might've made his mark but the sequel... we get BvsS; it was supposed to be Man of Steel 2 with some Batman involved but when more and more characters are added in, it became just BvsS and Superman got lost in Batman, Wonder Woman, the messy Lex, and every other set up that DCU is trying to pull.

"Bringing sexy back with a phallic symbol behind my back!"

DC needs to get back to building ONE character. With that said, what better character than someone who is by far something Marvel hasn't been able to compete with: a "Super" woman, a heroine, sexy but strong, and alluring as she is intimidating. Who better than Wonder Woman herself? Of course there is a Captain America feel to this movie, but origin story is a must. Building a character just BY HERSELF/HIMSELF is key to build a bigger world. This is what DCU needs! And if Wonder Woman is done right, this might very well be DC's opening to a better shape; I doubt they'll catch up to what Marvel has done, but hey, it can be better for DC!

I have hope~!

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Marvel Legends BAF: Onslaught

(Kitty Pryde), Whirlwind, Mockingbird, Taskmaster, Scourge, Cottonmouth, Captain America, Agent 13

This is going to be a BAF review that definitely stands out compared to my other ones. First and foremost, I did NOT get the wave as a whole; I bought the completed BAF through Ebay and the ONLY figure that I purchased was another figure from another wave that just happens to carry the alternate(original) head of Onslaught, which is Kitty Pryde from the Juggernaut BAF(which I did not and am not planning on completing). So this review will more or less be a figure focused review, but I will touch base on the notion as to why I didn't go ahead and finish (Red) Onslaught by buying every figure.

So this BAF was not exactly the Onslaught I was introduced to way back in Marvel's X-Men days. This BAF is actually the newest form of Onslaught known as "Red Onslaught". Basically, Red Skull managed to use the Onslaught powers and.... there we have it. The thing is, Onslaught is dominantly red and instead of getting a newer version of Onslaught's armor, he just replaces the cool "Magneto" helmet with his Red Skull face.

I don't read comic books anymore to get a grasp of how good that storyline was (which turned into Axis), but I will say that Red Onslaught does not interest me. Basically, just like that Captain America from the Trio Pack, I will be shelving the idea of Red Onslaught; or at least his variant head. Just to give the Red Skull head a quick review, it looks pretty detailed; it looks like Red Skull. But I only took two photos of it. So this review will go on as just "Onslaught".

Right off the get go, we can see that this is definitely a vibrant looking figure. I mean, Onslaught was pretty colorful with the Magneto colors, but the color palette on this figure is really animated. And as always, aside from the Red Skull alternate head, Onslaught comes with NO paint details, no shadowing, nothing to signify some kind of attention to detail to make him look slightly less cartoony. The plastic used is shiny, and it does serve its purpose to make him look like the Onslaught that I remember from the major crossover of Marvel in those days.

As for his sculpt, there is plenty to like. Right off the get go, this is a unique mold, and perhaps no one else will use it; I can see Hasbro recycle some pieces, but for the most part, it is for Onslaught to own. Every rivets, every cracks, design, armor details... this is Onslaught, and it looks awesome. He does look menacing, but as I mentioned earlier, the cartoony coloring does take some of it away... but it stays faithful to his first comic book appearances, for the most part.

Now to compare him with another BAF I just recently reviewed, Dormamu. He is pretty much in scale with the recent BAF addition in my collection. He towers a standard 6 inch, but he isn't gargantuan like BAF of days passed. He is a bit bulkier so I suppose that's something. But just to get right on to another comparison:

People complained that Toybiz's Onslaught BAF from way back when was too small and had 'fragile', rubbery material... Putting the new and the old together and... My verdict is on the original Toybiz Onslaught BAF and there are several reasons: DETAILS. The Toybiz Onslaught has way more attention to details, paint articulation, nooks and crevices, and much more darker theme; he looks menacing in a 'realistic' way, if that makes sense. In terms of size, they are just about the same size wth Toybiz Onslaught slightly taller if legs are fully extended. Lastly, Toybiz Onslaught as a set was a bit more 'special themed'; as in it was all villains and it wasn't a bad set either.

Now this is Onslaught's biggest downfall: his articulation. For some reason, despite him having some standard and expected range of movements, Onslaught fails to deliver a lot of dynamic poses that are convincing. I'm not quite sure how to put it, but I will lean on the notion that he just needs some kind of special effects. His whole "behold my mighty hand" phrase does not quite flare up with just him just being vanilla. The stands I have are also unable to hold his weight so no flying poses there. Without alternate hands or anything of the sort, I feel as if there are only 'standing' poses I can accomplish easily.

Really, I think adding some special effects on him is something that would have amped him up. I think Hasbro needs to really start getting into that department.

Seriously, behold his mighty hand because it's just about what you are going to be seeing. Less intimidating though without that special affect. As for the Set grading:

I didn't exactly purchase the set and I only have one figure who is an OPTIONAL figure from another wave. But IF I would have bought the set and judging from what I have seen...

(Would have been)My Favorite: Scourge OR Mockingbird
(Would have been) My least favorite figure: Cottonmouth

Obviously I can't give the set a proper grade BUT since it didn't convince me to BUY it, it's a little bit below mediocre for me. A couple of figures I want like Mockingbird, Scourge, Whirlwind, and MAYBE the new Taskmaster, but not enough to get me to buy the BAF. Though I did buy Kitty Pryde with the knowledge that I will have this BAF by itself in the future.

Onslaught was an anticipated BAF for many especially this version of him and suffice to say, Hasbro delivered. I wouldn't say he is a failure, but I can't say that he surpassed the Toybiz version. Then again, I always liked the Toybiz figure since it offered so much that a lot of BAF collectors just can't see. But regardless, I do like this. I don't think he offers much, but he does look great and he is the definitive figure of Onslaught that we are going to get... unless we get another one in the future (I doubt it).

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