Villains fo the DC Universe: The Joker

The second villain from DC Direct to be offered in mini-bust format. If DC is now working to create an entire line of villains alongside the heroes busts, a DC geek can look forward to having quite a diverse collection.

Manufacturer DC Direct
Designed by Gary Frank
Sculpted by Jean St. Jean
Type Mini-Bust
Dimensions 5.75" H
Release Date May 2010
Retail Price $70.00

Zimm's Two Cents
Diversity is one of the things that I look for in my collection. In fact, I tend to gravitate toward the different pieces, and while the Joker is one of the more common characters put out by DC Direct, he is one piece of a larger collection.

Points in Favor

• At a quick glance, this is a good characterization of the Joker. Him popping out of the box, holding Batman's mask like a puppet, and laughing.
• I like the colors - very vibrant.
• For a bust, only 5.75" H, there are a lot of little details in this statue. The buttons, the box, his jacket.

Points Against

• Something about his face throws me off. I will have to look up Gary Frank's work.
• The bottom part of the mask looks stiff and not 'flowy'.

Recommendation: Neutral. While I'm not overly thrilled with the piece, it still would make a good piece for those of you collecting the entire line of DC busts.

Robert's Two Cents
I'm not sure why they'd choose Gary Frank to design a Joker bust. He's spent more time in the Superman world. I first discovered Frank's work in the Incredible Hulk back in the 90s. I think he was the guy who replaced Dale Keown on the Hulk.

Zimm, I think what's throwing the face off for you is the nose. It's a more normal schnozz instead of the giant one he normally sports.

Points in Favor

• He looks good. It's definitely a very Joker pose and the joker-in-the-box thing is classic Joker. They definitely captured the spirit of the Joker.
  
• Initially, I didn't like the face either, but after looking at it for a while, I do like it. It's more of a real world depiction of the character.
  

Points Against

• It's another Joker piece and, well, I just don't need another Joker.
• I think the pose lacks personality. Yeah, it's the Joker, but it doesn't bring anything to the game. You could be looking at the Riddler or Catwoman in the same post.
  

Recommendation: Neutral. It definitely looks good. I don't think I need another Joker and if I did there's certainly no drought of material to choose from. I'd probably prefer a more traditional Joker face.

What the...Joker Ski Mask

The Dark Knight Joker Combination Ski Mask & Winter Beanie

I'm not too sure what I think of this. Got it from Boing Boing.

Zimm's Two Cents:
I think that my nephew would love it, as he loved the movie; however, it makes me wonder if they are profiling the people actually purchase it.

If I had a say, I would profile everyone who bought it.

Superman vs. Darkseid Statue

Manufacturer: DC Direct
Product Type: Statue
Dimensions: 12.5" x 9" x 10"
Edition Size: TBD
Release Date: Dec-08
Retail Price: $224.99
Designed by: Walter O’Neal
Sculpted by: Ray Villafane

This is the second in a new series of DC Classic Confrontation statues. This one is pitting Superman against Darkseid, and while I enjoy the fact that this is an action posed statue, I find it lacking in character and appeal.

Points in Favor:

• Action pose of the two battling
• Second in new DC limited edition collection series.
  

Sidebar: I think that DC should continue to limit the number of statues and stop the constant reproductions and/or secondary offers. In my opinion, the constant reprints drive down the value of the statues and/or collector value. If DC can stay away from making making a "mini" version of this statue, that would make this statue something to think twice about and potentially drive up its value.

Points Against:

• Facial expressions - Superman looks more like he is struggling than resolved to win, and while Darkseid is okay looking angry, I perceive his character as prone to be more arrogant. Especially at such an early stage within the fight. How can I tell that it is the early stages of a fight? (See the next point.)
• Only Superman's cape is damaged from the fight, and that could have been charred by one of the pits. Other parts of the statue are inconsistent with the state of his cape.
• Superman's face - This is a personal preference, but I have gotten used to the spit-curl. The small "s" that Superman uses to differentiate himself from Clark Kent. Even a mussed up spit-curl would be a nice feature.

If you are curious as to why I am being so picky about this statue and the details, take a look at the first in the series: Batman vs The Joker Statue. It is fluid, maintains the characters, and offers some incredible detail.

Personal Choice: Pass and grab the Batman vs. the Joker instead.