TAO: "I don't think I want to let you write another review of a redhead. They end up having the word 'sexy' used every other sentence."

Nightmare: "Oh, come on! Her hair isn't that red, it's practically orange!"

TAO: "Fine, but only if you catch and tag all the Wes's tomorrow, they've already chewed through the tracking-bands we put on them last week!"

Little does TAO realize that Orange is my second favorite color!

Name: Poison Ivy
Line: Secret Files Series 3 (Batman Rogues Gallery - Series 2)
Manufacturer: DC Direct
Released: 2008
Price: Online: $9.00+
Scale: (Let's say 6.5 in.)
Accessories: Gotham Sidewalk Base

Brian Bolland isn't my most favored artist, but I still think he drew a fantastic rendition of Ivy. His design was translated perfectly into action figure form, though I think the figures suffers a bit from Elongated-Man Syndrome, where it looks like the figure was sculpted in the 6-inch scale then slightly stretched-out to make it fit-in with DC Direct's average height of around 6.5 inches. Many DC Direct figures seem to suffer from this condition, it's aggravating, especially when the head looks smaller when compared to the stretched-out body.

Ivy outfit is simple but kept from being too cartoony by the interesting details. Instead of a plain green corset, her torso is covered in overlapping leaves of, you guessed it, ivy! They're the garden-variety though, not the toxic kind, the suit brings the ivy, Pamela brings the poison, har har. Moving the legs doesn't break the leafy quilt at the hips since it's also sculpted onto the the top of the legs. I like the pixie-boots, they resemble Harley Quinn's boots from the DCUC figure! Coincidence? I especially like how the corset rises above and over the breasts, seems like the upper-torso is glued into the bottom half, creating a more realistic transition between flesh and leaf. Instead of a plain seam running down the legs, there is another leafy pattern that looks a lot like stitching holding two pieces of fabric together. Little details like that make me happy to spend money on DC Direct figures.

I looooove how cute the hair is! It's not hyper-detailed, but like the leaves on the torso, it has enough folds and layering to stay one step ahead of cartoony (not that cartoony is a bad thing, I love the animated DC series!). The detail completely disappears from the vines writhing through the hair and around the neck though. They're too thick I think, and look like twisty-ties painted green with vaguely leaf-shaped spikes protruding from them. The white flowers help break-up what would otherwise be some odd-looking tubes.

There's a twang of mischief in Ivy's expression, or maybe it's murderous intent? Either way, she's so pretty! Everything about the face, from the angled eyebrows to the sharp eyes to the slightly-too-wide-to-be-sane smile scream this is a person you do not want to turn your back on. I'd never turn my back on her, why would you want to anyway, looking like she does? Rawr. I don't care if she's a few fireflies shy of a lantern, I still love her.

Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley has the body of a super-model, which I don't like, but she doesn't look emaciated, rather healthy actually, so I don't mind it as much. The waist is waspish when viewed from the side, but she looks huggable seen from the front. The arms and legs aren't just smooth rods, they're shapely with a bit of muscle-tone peeking through, this helps the leggings look like they're clothed instead of like they're dyed, as is the case with the super-shredded male DCUC figures. The neck is feminine but not frail, the breasts are generous but not unweidly, the slender hands give her a gentle touch while the claw-like pointy tips of the fingers give her a sinister edge.

Sculpt Score: 8 / 10

As you can tell by now, this is a balanced figure, not only physically but also artistically. There's enough detail in the sculpt to allow the figure to look fine when displayed next to your more intricate figures but enough softness to display it along with your DCUC figures as well. That softness comes from the satin finish all over the body. The pastel color-palette also adds to that effect, and I like it, but I think the colors need more saturation because the figure is looking a little on the pale side. The skin is ashy and the leaves on the torso aren't vibrant, despite having a slight gloss to them. They're dry-brushed with a lighter green though, so their edges do pop, unlike the vines and flowers which look like unpainted playdoh. The leaves along the legs aren't perfect, but I'm glad they're not painted enough rather than being painted too much, makes it easier to fix. The lips are glossy but the eyes aren't, which takes away some realism, but you can use a little semi-glossy Mod Podge or clear nail-poish to add the sheen.

What happened to the hair...it's not visible in teh pictures, but Ivy's soft orange hair looks like it was handled by someone with dirty fingers. The raised areas have an unnatural black dusting, which makes me think this wasn't done on purpose, but on accident, like the toy was dropped at the factory or something. Hell, maybe I did it without realizing it after handling the figure soon after I was finished drawing a few sketches. Whatever the case may be, I think it looks horrible enough that it couldn't possibly have been a deliberate act, so I'm not going to blame the designers for that. Also, since the figure and base are entirely painted, they have a satisfying heft when held, like a hard-earned trophy.

Paint Score: 8 / 10

There's no such thing as bad articulation, if it's there then cool, if not, the figure simply looks sleeker for it. Ivy's minimal artic. allows her lithe form to stay slim and sexy, being a vegetarian pays-off! But seriously, the joints don't detract much from the figure's overall shapeliness. The hinges in the knees and elbows dont' bulge-out at all, laying neatly inline with the arm's/leg's contour; there's no large gap where the leg slides under the corset; the neck and shoulders look natural. And...well, that's it, it is a DC Direct figure after all, hah.

All that gorgeous hair limits the head's movement, Ivy can do little more than glance to the sides and down a little, but I think it's a fair trade-off for a mostly static figure anyway. The legs swing back all the way 90 degrees, but only go forward until they bump up against the leaves (which is actually almost 90 degrees as well!). Elbows bend 90 degrees, knees a little less, and the arms move anywhere there isn't some hair to restrict them.

I appreciate that the legs have the normal T-swivel instead of the V-swivel, believe it or not I think the "V" would look more unnatural than the current "T", which is camoflauged suprisingly well by the leaves. I understand DCD figures are meant more as collectibles than play-things, but I can't help but think some kind of pivot could have been added to the torso, possibly hidden by the corset. Like, everything flesh-colored on the upper torso could be a separate piece that tilts around with the corset made of a more flexible material. Of course, that would mean the boobs would be able to slide out from under their covers...I don't see a downside!

It's obvious the wrists are too narrow for a swivel, but the feet could have had one, they could even have a ball-joint! The booties would hide it completely and you'd get fully articulated ankles! A socket-swivel on the arms like female DCUC figures have wouldn't have been that distracting, adding a swivel above the knees would have been slightly more jarring I suppose.

Articulation Score: 6 / 10

Admittedly, it's almost impossible not to be biased when saying just how much fun it is to play with a figure you love. There's no denying Redheads (or Orangeheads, or Purpleheads, or Blueheads, women in general, haha) have a spell over me, one which I have no desire to dispel. But despite all those circustances, I must say this figure isn't all that entertaining. Yes, it's an attractive model, sure it has nifty details, like an inviting pirate smile, but there's no way for a kid to play with this figure without at the very least marring the paint-job or breaking some of Ivy's thin fingers within the first few minutes of receiving her. This is the reason DC Direct places the "figure is intended for adult collectors" warning on the package (yet also adds the "For ages 4 and up" logo, go figure!). The figure is sturdy, but even a pillar of concrete breaks when it isn't reinforced.

Now, assuming you don't want to buy this for your kids, and they're so young that they make a face and say "Eeeewwww! I don't want a girl-toy!", it's entirely possible for you to have some adult fun with it. Wow, that sounded almost as dirty as the "For Adult Collectors" tag on the front of the sweaty bare-chested MOTUC figures, eh? I refer to photography, making comics with the figure, and lastly, customizing. This figure is a joy to photograph! Thanks to the matte-finish across the entire body, glare is reduced drastically, making for some great pictures despite my current crappy lighting setup. As you read before, customizing this fig seems like it would be a worthwhile endeavor because the parts are sculpted and assembled in such a way that facilitates disassembly. Also, DC Direct figures tend to be made entirely of softer plastic so you can pop the major parts off with a little heat from a hair-dryer.

There is no mention of it on the package, but the base included is designed to connect to the bases of the other figures in this series. Two connector-pieces are included as well, this base looks like it can have two more bases attached to either flat edge, so it must be a corner piece of the display. I love it, the textured manhole-cover reads "GOTHAM POWER" and looks like rusty copper or bronze (I'm not sure I'd want to use those particular metals for a manhole-cover though, hah). There's a fine spattering of black on the grey to make it look like concrete, a creative and effective method of creating that rugged illusion on a flat surface. Also, you'll most likely use the base at all times since Ivy's feet have a small footprint, not ideal with all that pretty hair making her top-heavy, but it is possible to stand her alone.

Fun Score: 7 / 10

One of the more appealing attributes of collecting DC Direct figures is that if a character isn't super-popular, you can usually buy their figure on sale a few months after it's released. I love Dr. Isely, but let's face it, she's just not that big of a name. Just more Ivys for us to buy, I say! This figure was $9, which is a steal considering DCD figs are usually over $16, she's entirely and flawlessly-painted, has a large display-base, and is insanely gorgeous. What was the last 15-dollar DCUC figure you called "insanely gorgeous"? No, bare-chested Hawkman doesn't count!

An MOC collector or shopkeeper will appreciate the sturdy fused clamshell construction of the package, with a slightly recessed back to make stacking them a little more stable, and to save a little space when on the pegs. The graphics on the paper-insert aren't eye-popping, but like a sexy goth-chick, are beautiful in their own depressing way. Ivy rests on a background that resembles a padded-cell with a stone floor, the cushioning yellowed with age, the hard floor cold and uninviting despite the warm tint. Above the bubble, Batman's suspicious eyes leer-in thorugh a slit in the room's door, and you know he's leering, come in, it's Poison Ivy, who can help it? The "Rogues Gallery" title looks embossed just under him, while "Secret Files" is displayed in bold white lettering on the top left. A warning not to give this toy to children under the age of 4 lies to the right, and if you're cool enough to give this sexy toy to your kid at 4 years-old, then you are one cool parent indeed!

Ivy, along with the 3 other figures in this series, are displayed on the back, along with the names of the sculptors (Michael Locasio, Jack Matthews sculpted Ivy and Two-Face). I can't help but laugh at the "Products may vary from images shown" line, DC Direct is one of the few companies who I think don't have to include that because what they show you in prototype pictures is exactly what you get. The incredible figures you see in catalogs and magazines are exactly what you're getting in the package. Also, the paper-insert opens-up to show you other figures DC Direct was making at that time.

The bat-shaped sticker on the front with Poison Ivy's name on it deserves a sentence of it's own, it is very, very...sexy. If you collect stickers, you might like that too.

Value Score: 9 / 10

  77 / 100 - This is a Good Toy

I'm not too keen on the proportions of this figure's limbs, they look stretched-out, like many other DCD figures I've seen. If the sculptors are making them in 6-inch scale, then DC Direct needs to either tell them to sculpt the entire bodies bigger to begin with so they don't have to be stretched, or leave the freaking things in that smaller scale. It's not like they care about scale anyway, but that's no reason to screw with a figure's proportions. If the success of the DCUC line is any indicator, making some DCD figures compatible with them will only please fans even more and tempt them to buy the more expensive DCD figures.

-DrNightmare

 

Poison Ivy Sketch by Steven Sanchez

Something I love to do here on AD is spread the love and joy our hobby brings us by spotlighting, or at the very least linking to, various talented artist's work. Whether it's an action figure custom, a sculpture of Pac-Man made of scrap metal, or in this case, a slick sketch of one of my favorite villainessess, if it's awesome, then I'm more than happy to tell everyone about it.

Tonight we have on display a piece I commissioned from one of the quickest and most talented sketch-artists today, Steven Sanchez! He's currently taking commissions from anyone interested in owning a piece of his action. You can get a full-sized 8.5'' x 11'' headshot sketch of any character you want for only 15 bucks! You even get the original drawing shipped to you! Don't waste your money on another dull Movie G.I. Joe figure or 5th repaint of Batman, spend your cash on something you're actually going to enjoy and your girlfriend won't give you grief over! It's sharp, it's stylish, it's classic, it's a Sanchez. Support the arts by supporting the artists!

(If anyone wants a high-resolution scan of this to ink or paint, drop me a message with your email and I'll send one your way!)

 

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