Thursday, August 22, 2013

Play Arts Kai - Arkham City POISON IVY!

Play Arts Kai - Arkham City Figure No. 6 - Poison Ivy - Square Enix 2013

As much as I tend to gripe about modern character redesigns, I'm not a complete purist because love this Arkham City version of Poison Ivy.  A lot of that may have to do with the fact that the previous (bewilderingly popular) green-skinned "Hush" version always felt like a lazy design in my eyes.  To me, this updated version has equal parts elemental goddess, sinister villainess, and alluring seductress - a formula that other versions of Ivy failed to perfect.  I think if I had to analyze my own contradictions when it comes to character modesty, I think it oddly enough boils down to skin color.  Meaning that a green or blue skinned woman being scantily clad doesn't have the same lurid quality as a normal-hued woman would have.  I know it doesn't make sense, but I'm always overanalyzing myself and that was my latest self-revelation.  This 2011 Arkham City design seems unchanged from 2009's Arkham Asylum design.  If there are differences, I certainly can't spot them.  Anyway, it's 2am and I'm rambling.  Let's check out this green goddess below!







Ivy's packaging comes with the standard "bookcover" flap so you can view the figure and accessories in the tray.  It stays shut with two small pieces of Velcro.













I have two minor criticisms about this figure.  First, her face seems too shiny.   And secondly, her hair sticks out from her back exposing a gap between the top of her neck and the bottom of her skull.  I feel that a design flaw like that shouldn't happen on a figure of this quality and price point.








Poison Ivy comes with two extra hands (making a total of 4), a three-part base, and two flexible vines.




I had trouble figuring out what to do with the flexible vines.  They're thicker than I would prefer them, but they bend easily and pretty much hold their shape.





















Poison Ivy also comes with a display stand similar to the Mattycollector flight stands or the stands that come with Figma toys.  I personally rarely use stands like this, but it's a pretty great addition.







Time for a Comparison Pic!
Finally we have the Gotham City Sirens all together.  What a fine looking group.





Cheers!



6 comments:

  1. The Play Arts Arkham women are soo freakin awesome!

    Ivy has always been once of my fave comic villains. I remember when I was young & saw the BTAS figure on a peg in Toyworld. I nearly crapped my pants (I would have been around 10 or 11 at the time). Mum bought it to give to me for my B'day in a few weeks time...that was a long few weeks! haha

    The face is a bit shiny of the PlayArts, but the body is amazing. Love the physique.

    Really have to buy this one!!

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    1. I was never a fan of Poison Ivy until I was an adult. In the 1980s and early 1990s, she wasn't a main Batman rogue. She made maybe one appearance a year, usually in an issue where all the villains were teaming up and her role would be little more than a cameo appearance. Then on the rare occasions where she would be the focal point of a story, her character just didn't seem fleshed out or interesting at all. (which is crazy for me because I LOVE characters with elemental powers).

      I never watched any of the animated Batman stuff when it originally aired so I wasn't following the character when she started developing into the Ivy we know today.

      My next major exposures to her were Uma Thurman (ughhhh) and Jim Lee's Hush version (where she seemed like every other generically sexy Jim Lee bad girl that I was bored with after years of Wildstorm comics).

      So at some point after that, most likely in the Harley Quinn comics, I finally saw what everyone liked about her, and I've pretty much been a fan ever since. I even like the video game and New52 versions. The DCD version of this toy didn't do the design justice at all, because it's really well done take on the character.

      The Play Arts Kai Batgirl is the only potentially tempting figure on the horizon for me. But I really need to see the final painted version up-close and in person before I make a decision. I think she looks a little odd in the photos I've seen. I'll hopefully see her at NYCC in October.

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  2. I just recently got this figure and I LOVE it. This has been one of the first figures in a long time that I bought just for the sculpt.

    And the AC Catwoman is on her way thanks to a great sale at EE. See what Ivy started?

    Just wanted to say that I LOVE this site. You have a gift for photography, and havea really nice style with reviews that I like :)

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    1. Thanks so much! It's easy to take fun pics with figures like this one though :) I really hope PAK makes classic-styled superheroes eventually. Those stylized ones coming out now are cool, but I'm on the fence about shelling out for them. I would also love to to see a Michelle Pfeiffer or Julie Newmar Catwoman too! I can dream :)

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  3. If you end up getting the variant armor series Wonder Woman, be VERY careful when first moving the joints. The left arm is notorious for breaking at the pin, as is the left hand. I had this happen with the first one that I got and had to replace it. After checking around, it seems to be a widespread issue. I would suggest heading the joints with a hirdryer and carefully moving them first.

    Otherwise she is a great figure, although it is strange that the varaint armor series is a larger scale (10 inches or so).

    (Also this is "Lacoue" from above, long story)

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    1. Good to know about the joints! I would be devastated to break one of these ladies. I totally had no idea about the scale difference for the variant armor series. I've seen them multiple times now in person (at conventions) and didn't notice. I'll have to pay more attention now. I won't be getting Wonder Woman (unless I stumble across a great sale in the future), but I'm always a sucker for bat-characters and that Batgirl has been very temping...

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