A Look at Black Canary figures: Mattel vs DCD

With the Ross JSA figures being pushed back to March now I think, I’ve been going into a bit of action figure withdrawal since none have been purchased since last year. So boredom overtook me the other day, and decided to go out and hunt down something new. I’ve talked about the new lineup of the Justice League here, and since we are firming up the lineup I convinced myself that I needed to start working on the next shelf to display the new team James Robinson is building. I only have one Cyborg the original from DCD that is in my crisis display so I decided if I was going to move him to the new shelf I needed a replacement. You can rationalize anything if you want. Since that seemed to be the only figure that was plentiful around here from Mattel, I set out to buy one. Target was my first stop and no Cyborg to be found. They did however have a Black Canary. I had only seen this figure once before and passed on it due to lack of funds. That situation hadn’t changed but as I looked at the figure, it just looked to good to pass up. I thought long and hard and then decided to buy it. The junkie needed his fix, so he was desperate for anything.

Most of the rest of the trip was a frustrating drive from store to store looking for the item I actually wanted. I was going stir crazy in the house anyway so this was a diversion from that and I eventually found the droid I was looking for. Since I had the new Black Canary figure, and while I know it has been out for a while I decided to do a review and compare to past DCD versions of her for fun.

First let me say that I haven’t quite been a kool-aid drinker when it comes to Mattel’s line, while they have put out some decent figures their distribution infuriates to the point where I have been turned off by the line. It doesn’t do me any good to see a great Amazo figure on line but have no Wal-Mart in my area carry it. I refuse to buy $60 to $80 bucks on e-bay for these figures so I can live without them. The other infuriating thing is to see Mattel’s new WWE figures everywhere I went. The stores are clogged with them. While Mattel keeps blaming Wal-Mart for low store distribution, but they also keep rewarding Wal-Mart with exclusive waves. I’m a wrestling fan but it is hard for me to believe that Cory Rhodes or CM Punk will sell better the Atom. Wal-Mart obviously believes this so we are stuck poor distribution for the DC figures.

All of the above said, I could find few faults with this Black Canary figure. It may be the finest figure of her done to date. The one place that Mattel has excelled has been their female figures in this line. Wonder Woman, Artemis, and Hawkgirl have all been top notch. There have been some clunkers like Starfire who, how shall I put this? She is lacking in the chest area. The Canary figure goes in the former category by being great.  The likeness of the head sculpt is the best one ever produced as you will see when I have some comparisons shot below. Black Canary has always been drawn as one of the most beautiful women in comics and this figure certainly captures that. Prepubescent? StarfireThe outfit she is in is classic and well done and the articulation is enough for me. I’m not a big fan of the waist articulation, I think the cut takes away from the overall look of the figure and doesn’t add much to me. While it looks good on the female figures I hate it on the males from Mattel. She also can stand on her own two legs, something that the DCD females although beautiful sometimes have to be wall flowers if you know what I mean. The only minor beefs I have with this figure is I think the wash on the blonde hair is a little heavy, they could have lightened up on the black a little. This bothered me the first time I saw the figure and I passed. The second time I willing to overlook it since it is a great figure. I would have preferred that they had stuck with the bare legs look under the fishnet stockings but again that is a minor quibble.

So let’s look at her with so DCD version of her, first up is the original Hard Traveling Heroes version. There is really no comparison here. While I enjoy that figure, and still have it in my satellite league display, it is flawed. The likeness of the head sculpt is it strength surprisingly but it is pre-posed and prone to toppling over when anybody walks by near it. I think it fits in well with the rest of the Silver Age figures from DCD so it stays in my satellite era display. I suppose one could replace her with the Mattel one, but I’ve had the HTH one so long it would be like replacing one my kids. (If I had any, this is). Score one for Mattel here.

Next up is Bird of Prey Black Canary from DCD. A much better figure from DCD and I like the head sculpt but although it is pretty it doesn’t quite capture Canary they way it should. The outfits are completely different since this was the costume she wore for most of the early BOP run. You can’t really compare the two there. This Canary hangs out in my JSA display since it was also the costume of choice there when JSA first relaunched. It may surprise some of you that I don’t have a shelf for the Birds themselves despite my love of the title. The rest of the 3 Birds of Prey pack Huntress and Oracle are in my Morrison JLA display. The JLA display trumps BOP but just barely. I’m hoping Mattel gets around to Oracle someday so I can actually have a BOP shelf because I’m sure DCD won’t return there. Unless Barbara becomes a Red Lantern that is, Good Lord what did I just say? Let’s just move on.

Next up is the only place DCD gives this Mattel version a run for its money. The Ross Canary is a great figure with one flaw that we’ll get to. The fishnet stocking are perfect with the bare legs, the jacket is nice and shiny and looks like leather. The body sculpt is dynamite. Standing on her two legs without a base or the wall is a problem for the Ross version. Now we get to where this figure loses out to the Mattel version. The head sculpt instead of getting a beautiful woman in her 20’s we get the worn out version that looks like she’s pushing 50 with too much makeup to boot. DCD is cranking out the re-releases in two packs this year, why they haven’t put a better head on this one and packaged it with another Canary I don’t know. I believe that would be a sure fire seller.

We move on to the JLI Canary, it apples and oranges here. The JLI canary nails the outfit of that period and the Kevin McGuire look down to the hairstyle. It’s a great figure that can even stand but it really can’t be compared to Mattel’s version of a different era costume. I’d say tie here. Satellite fans are happy and so is the JLI gang.

Finally we conclude with the Meltzer era Ed Benes Canary. Another great figure with a giant flaw, the body is rocking but a little pre-posed. The Fishnet stockings are well done. It accurately captures the modern costume she is sporting now. The standability is questionable but can be done. Then they is the head sculpt, where we should get a woman in her twenties we instead get a teenager. The head although beautiful looks too young and throws the whole figure off. It is fine for my Metzler shelf and I put up with it but it could use a make over on the head for that two pack I mentioned.

So there you have it. I’m declaring Mattel’s the Best Black Canary to date despite some my biases against them. She’ll be hanging out in the crisis display until I can assemble some more Birds for her to hang with. Get busy Mattel. A Black Alice would be off the hook! Look for a Cyborg review soon.

EDIT : It has been pointed out the the identity crisis caanry is missing from this, can't review what you didn't buy sorry folks! My apologies for the broken links, it was early when I posted them and I had to get to school.

Comments

[TalonSoulbender]

Cool ass article Max!