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ADVANCE LOOK: DC Collectibles DC Core The Joker Statue

-Review and photos by Scott Rubin

DC Collectibles has been a powerhouse on the scene when it comes to statues, action figures, and other collectibles, stretching back to the days of the previous incarnation DC Direct.  And while they say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, the company is bucking that trend with a new statue lineup that combines dynamic versions of characters with high levels of detail all for a wallet-pleasingly low price point.  The line is called DC Core and brings our favorite DC Comics heroes and villains into the 9 inch scale in PVC forms like you’ve never seen before.  Among the debut items in this new line is the Clown Prince of Crime himself, the Joker, and we’ve got an advance look at him for you today!

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Following in the footsteps of other popular lines from DC Collectibles like the Icons, Designer Series action figures, and Artist Alley figures, the DC Core statues come to you in sleek box packages with a sliced off front right corner.  Appropriately for the Joker this box is white with purple accents including a wrapround frame.  On the front panel you’ll find the company and line names along with DC Collectibles’ catchphrase (“Direct from the Source), and the cut-off corner has gold graphics including a 20th anniversary icon. 

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There’s a photo of the statue on one side of the box while the other has a big window, and the back of the box features the same image, a description of the piece and the DC Core line (with a “Fun Factoid” about the Joker), and a “Collect Them All!” section showing off upcoming statues of Batman, Batgirl, and Wonder Woman.

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One of the aspects of the Joker’s character that’s frequently hard to get across in collectible form is his zaniness; too often it’s hard to translate that into a typical action figure or statue format.  Well, leave it to DC Collectibles’ Jim Fletcher to design a version that has the villain literally skipping along with an extravagant pose and a gigantic, freakish smile on his face!  Part of the draw for the company to get into the PVC statue format was the flexibility to achieve extreme poses thanks to the strength of the material, and this first outing definitely proves that. 

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The Joker stands just over 10 inches tall with a great retro style.  He wears his iconic dapper suit (complete with tails), a green shirt, yellow vest with red buttons, and matching purple necktie, gloves, and pointed shoes.  The Clown Prince of Crime further accessorizes with a red and yellow acid-squirting novelty flower on his left lapel, and plugging into his open right hand is the maniac’s signature purple cane topped by a golden joker.  Now, that’s all a pretty dry description of the presentation, because the Joker literally skips forward with one foot barely attached to his base, leaping into the air with limbs and clothing flying in all directions!

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Joker’s sculpt, by David Pereira, is quite good.  Digging in past the extravagant pose you’ll see all sorts of neat details.  There’s texture all over the clothing including lines, creases, hems, seams, buttons, and more, and a highlight is definitely the black and purple shoes.  The way the sculpt handles the trailing edges of the villain’s jacket and tie add so much to the sense of movement and how the statue fills up space.  Oh, and you can’t overlook the raised pinky on the hand holding the cane!  But what we really need to talk about is the Joker’s visage, a hideously smilling face with exaggerated cheekbones and chin, a huge mouth complete with jutting teeth, arched eyebrows, and tightly textured hair.  Last but least, Joker stands on a very unique “Ha ha ha” display base that’s literally composed of multiple “has” including the ones making up the protrusion holding up the statue.

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While different versions of the Joker have worn various outfits over the years, purple has long been his signature color and that’s in full effect here.  He’s wearing the color over most of his body, while the dark shade is broken up nicely by the bright yellow of his shirt and the inside of his jacket.  Then of course there’s the not-quite-matching green shirt and the eye-catching flower.  The Clown Prince of Crime’s cane also adds a splash of color with its gold trim.  With so much dark coloration the statue naturally draws your eyes to Joker’s face with its bone white skin (washed to provide depth and detail), deep red lipstick, and gross little yellowish teeth.  The shocking green of his hair is repeated on the miscreant’s eyebrows and green eyes.  Speaking of green, for the base DC went with a solid color foundation that doesn’t distract from the statue presentation.

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If you’re a Joker fan or a collector of DC Comics characters in statue form you’re definitely going to want to check out the new DC Core version of the Batman villain.  He looks great and is extremely dynamic, whipping around on his base with maniacal glee.  DC Collectibles has done a great job with this statue and it definitely proves where they can go with this PVC line; I’m very excited to see further characters and the other three debut offerings (Batman, Batgirl, and Wonder Woman) looked great on display at SDCC. 

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The really crazy part?  Joker is only MSRP $50!  That’s a tremendous value in a big size for the cost of some high end action figures.  Look for the Joker to land in specialty stores and online in October, around the same time as his archenemy Batman and then the two ladies (note that after Joker these other three have an MSRP of $54.95, still a really good value).  What do you think of the Joker and this new direction for DC Collectibles?  Let us know in the comments!

-Review and photos by Scott Rubin

-Review sample courtesy of DC Collectibles

[See image gallery at www.figures.com]


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