I've always been more inclined to DC Comics and their love of the color green (I don't mean money!). Mr. Oliver Queen here (otherwise known as Green Arrow) is one of my favorites (I know ...I'm unique) and although I own a few action figures based on him already, this is the one I've always been waiting for. Can Mattel possibly meet my high expectations with this DC Universe Classics Wave 9 release and a shot right to the heart, or has the arrow fallen short?
Name: Green Arrow
Line: DC Universe Classics, Wave 9
Manufacturer: Mattel
Released: Summer 2009
Price: Retail: $12.50-$14.99, Online: $13.00-$19.99
Scale: 6.00 in. (figure in 6.50 in. tall)
Accessories: Bow with attached arrow, boxing glove arrow, net arrow, time-bomb arrow, some other trick arrow I can't identify
Collect & Connect Piece: Figure stand
Sponsor Listings: Amazon-$24.99
This figure looks splendid. His accessories are another matter entirely, but we'll get to that. Green Arrow himself is the Four Horsemen sculpting team at the top of their game, because every detail and every care has been put into this toy. The proportions are exactly right, with a thin build and bulky, toned arms that of course belong on any archer. All the requisite cloth wrinkles are present, along with even more intricately tiny aspects that show a lot of time was spent thinking about the design and execution of the new tooling on this figure. Green Arrow does feature some parts we've seen employed in the line before, like most everything below the belt. It's always a welcome sight when new parts do show up though, and the one seen here are exceedingly well done, particularly his torso, which fits the character perfectly and has really well rendered laces up the front. The sleeves look nice too, as they're sculpted right in instead of just painted, and feature nice detailing along the edges, even with very subtle stretch wrinkles at the ends of the horizontal bands.
The real crowning achievement here might be the head sculpt; it's precisely how Green Arrow has always appeared in my head, an "artist-free" classic interpretation that captures the essence of the character. That sounds like lofty praise, but I really do think they've nailed it here. There are crisp features, and even his facial hair turned out great, with the little scoop at the end and textured wonderfully. The mask is sculpted in, instead of just relying on paint, adding a nice layered, three-dimensional effect like much of the rest of the figure. The hat seems to sit very naturally on his head, not too high or too low (it is permanently attached to the head). The spot where the softer plastic feather is attached does look a little messy, and that's my only complaint. I would have been just as happy with a hard feather sculpted right in, but I imagine there would have been some difficulties in accomplishing that, so this was probably the only option. I can't seem to find an angle from which his face looks at all awkward or wrong, and that's a welcome relief.
Now with all the unadulterated praise out of the way, it's time to hit the negatives, which are strictly related to his accessories. Everyone knows that Green Arrow is nothing without his bow, but unfortunately, that's what Mattel has reduced this figure to. His bow is absolutely terrible, and it's supposedly due to safety reasons (I have to believe them, because the rest of the figure is superb). The string is a thick piece of plastic that doesn't pull back at all, especially since an absurdly short arrow is actually connected from the bow to the string, as if it's ready to be fired. The arrows must have been limited due to choking hazards, and evidently, Mattel can't produce functioning projectile weapons like bows. So we're stuck with this monstrosity that the figure can't effectively hold, and sure as heck can't actually use. Even the bonus trick arrows are too short, looking much more like crossbow darts to me. This is continued with his quiver, which for some reason, is done pretty poorly. The arrow tails sticking out the top are a softly-sculpted mess with no definition, so much so that it's hard to tell that there are actually supposed to be individual arrows in there. They're not removable, and neither is the quiver itself, but it does have an attractive and separate strap that runs over his chest. It's also impossible to store any of his extra arrows in the quiver, so it's ugly, useless, and stuck there (without excessive force). This figure would be an easy 10 if the accessories were even marginally better, but as it is now, Green Arrow without a proper bow is a problem.
Sculpt Score: 8 / 10
This is usually the weakest category for DC Universe Classics figures, and it looks like today won't be any different. That's not to say Green Arrow is painted terribly, but things could definitely be improved. First off, there are some problematic color "matches", with different shades of green across plastics. It's most obvious from his hands to his forearms, as well as from (for some strange reason) specifically his right foot to his calf. A little more attention to detail with this would have improved the appearance, but the non-discerning eye or a darker lighting setup would nullify these complaints. Most of his applications are perfectly clean, particularly for mass market standards, and still yet a few messy spots snuck in, like above his boots and on his sleeves, where a considerable amount of overspray is present.
As far as the colors themselves, everything looks great. The two contrasting greens work well together, and his skin and hair colors are just fine. The hair does have some highlighting present, and other brushing effects include a darker spray on his legs and some blush on his face. These all look fine to me, but they don't add a lot either. There is a terribly ugly fade on the back of his quiver, going from the bright green to a much darker shade, along with some blatant discoloration. His eyes, mask, hair, and hat are all showcase splendid cut lines, without a single stray mark of color to mess up the face, although his beard comes up a little short from the sculpt. The accessories might be sculpted poorly, but they are painted quite well. For instance, the time-bomb arrow has the numbers ":00" placed on the timer, and the boxing glove arrow has laces painted on very cleanly despite how tiny they are. There are some real touches of genius here that are only held back by an accumulation small problems.
Paint Score: 7 / 10
If you've ever bought more than one DC Universe Classics figure, then you probably know what to expect with Green Arrow's articulation. If not, it's listed in the image above. Take notice of one special difference, his hands are actually swivel/hinges instead of the standard swivel. This does add a lot of poseability, especially with a bow (which was the intent, they just wasted it with a terrible bow). I appreciate that Mattel was willing to take the extra step when necessary. Though it just makes me wonder where Flash's mid-foot hinge was. Thankfully any frozen or broken joints that might have plagued the line in the past are long gone with Green Arrow, and every joint works splendidly; nothing's too loose or feels apt to break anytime soon. The articulation looks okay with the sculpt, if any point is too distracting it might be the thigh swivel, but that's a point I'm not personally willing to sacrifice for improved visuals. Green Arrow is a lot of fun to pose, and fight scenes with Deathstroke/Deadshot/Batman are going to be a terrific amount of fun thanks to all the different play and display opportunities that this articulation model offers. There is one disappointing joint, his neck, that's reduced to a swivel instead of a true ball joint, probably because of the thick neck sculpt resting underneath the head. Even in the face of that problem, this is still a fun articulation set with a lot of possibilities.
Articulation Score: 9 / 10
This could easily have been one of the most fun figures of the year, if it weren't for the poorly designed accessories. Green Arrow is one of the major players in DC Comics, and there's something inherently enjoyable about the Robin Hood bow-and-arrows guy that he exudes wonderfully well. The costume, the weapons, and the attitude are a classic combination that still works well today, and fans adore him for it. This figure has all that, except for the most key element, the weapons! And it's a shame too. There are admittedly a lot of accessories, and a kid might thoroughly enjoy them, but I imagine they'll be more frustration than joy to most collectors. Articulation is definitely diverse enough to make him entertaining for a while, and posing for a personality-laden display or slugging it out with Deathstroke on the carpet will come naturally, aided even further by the attractive visuals and strong costume design. His packaging is the standard DCUC affair with an interesting biography and images, although sadly without the added fun of relevant designs worked into the bubbles like Wave 8 had (i.e., crosshairs on Vigilante's package). Green Arrow is set in a very dynamic pose when in package, so some packaged collectors will find that an amusing addition. The Collect & Connect piece included with Green Arrow is just a figure stand, not a necessary element to build the bonus figures, and it doesn't really add to the fun of assembling Chemo, so that's not much fun either. I don't mean to convey that this is a boring figure by any means, just that a better bow (beating a dead horse) would have made him soar to the top of the scoring range.
Fun Score: 8 / 10
DC Universe Classics figures are about to make a huge jump upward in price, but at the current rate of $12-$13 at retail, they're still reasonably priced figures compared to the rest of the market. Green arrow include a variety of accessories that add to the plastic total, plus he also features a lot of new tooling, which understandably adds to production costs. Thanks to those facts, it doesn't feel inappropriate paying $12 for a big-name character such as this. He feels like a strong figure that's not particularly susceptible to breaking or joint loosening at any point in the near future. He's also a good sized figure for this scale, coming in over 6.5 inches, with a big quiver on his back too. Small touches like the added articulation really make me feel like thought and consideration went into his production, and paying an extra dollar or two for that is reasonable. The only improvement here would be the inclusion of a "real" C&C piece, because as it stands right now, Green Arrow isn't necessary to construct Chemo, and having a big chunk of that extra figure would add to the value considerably. The important thing to keep in mind for this category is how much you'll be enjoying this figure, and if you're a Green Arrow or DC Comics fan, I can imagine that your answer to that question is, quite a bit. And even if you're not, there is still a lot on offer in this package, so he might just be worth the purchase if you think he looks the least bit nifty.
Value Score: 9 / 10
8 / 10 - A near-perfect figure with poorly executed accessories.
7 / 10 - Great face amongst some color match and application problems.
9 / 10 - Lots of points and even some extras, but with a limited neck.
8 / 10 - A fun character and toy, again weakened by useless accessories.
9 / 10 - A fair price for a good action figure with a number of extras.
83 / 100 - This is a Great Toy
Green Arrow would easily have broken into the 90s with a better set of bow and arrows, but even against those deficits, he proves himself as a great toy and another great DC Universe Classics entry.
-The Articulated One
This could be the figure given away in this month's Review Commentator Contest. Join the discussion by leaving a comment for a chance to win!
_________
Looking for more DC Universe Classics reviews? Find them here!
