Review of Poison Ivy - Cover Girls of the DCU statue

Introduction

The creative team of Adam Hughes and Jack Mathews team up once again on the latest release of the Cover Girls of the DC Universe - Poison Ivy!

Of all the ladies of the Bat-verse, poor Poison Ivy seems to always end up on the short end of collectibles. I'm not sure why it seems so difficult to make a plastic or resin version of her that's actually pretty, but the wait is finally over. Based on a design by Hughes, Mathews has sculpted this new statue that captures the beauty of the original tree hugger.

This is a limited edition of 7000, which is a pretty hefty number. It speaks to the success of the line of course, since these generally sell out. You can expect to pay around $85 - $90 for her, depending on the retailer. This series will continue with the upcoming releases of Supergirl, Armored Wonder Woman, and Hawkgirl.

Packaging - ***
The box has photos and text, but there's no window to see the actual statue. That's not too unusual these days, but I prefer when you can scope out the one you're buying before you buy it.

There's a Certificate of Authenticity as well, but the edition number is also printed on the bottom of the base.

Sculpting - ***1/2
Regular collectors of this series will be quite pleased with both the design and the execution of this lovely lady. From the soft facial features to the curvy, voluptuous body, this is one of the nicest Ivy statues we've seen.

The defiant pose works well, with the spade half buried in the base, right through her name. Her hand is sculpted to hold the handle, and it's a fairly complex design.

The nicest aspect of the sculpt is the intricate leaves on her costume. There's a ton of small detail work, and the contrast with the very smooth legs and skin looks great.

My only real issue here is the same one I've had with some of the other statues in this series - the hair. Once again, there's very little sculpting detail in the doo, and this time there so little that the hair looks almost like a helmet. There's no strands anywhere on the top of the head, and it's so plain as to be distracting.

Paint - ***1/2
Poison Ivy is going to be green - and as Kermit told us years ago, it ain't easy being green. But they went with some muted colors here, rather than the over the top bright frog colors we've seen at other times.

I particularly like the soft green on the legs, which has a slightly pearlescent quality. The legs are quite a bit of unbroken green, but by giving them the unique finish, they kept them from being overpowering or dull.

They also did some nice detail work on the greenery, with enough different shades to highlight various leaves. The pale skin is a nice contrast to the dark foliage, but there is a little slop here and there where flesh meets flora.

If I had one complaint, it's that the right pupil is a smidge - just a smidge - too far over. It's not quite into lazy territory, but it's almost there. It's actually a minor quibble, and it depends on the angle you're looking at her from, and it's my only real complaint in this category.

Value - **
While the price of some similar items, like the Gentle Giant busts and even the Batman Black and White statues, has stayed fairly constant over the last year or so, these have edged up in just the last few months, running $90 at more retailers than not.

Things to Watch Out For -
You'll need to take some care putting the three pieces together. I found it worked best by starting the two metal foot pegs in the base, then putting the shovel in place and sliding everything together.

Overall - ***1/2
Poison Ivy is another excellent addition to this series, due largely to the work of Hughes and Mathews. But DC Direct has taken their work and executed on it as well, mass producing a terrific series of statues.

Like the Batman Black and White statues, I'm a completist with this series. I'm not thrilled with the lack of detail in the hair, but it's a design decision that's been part of the line from the beginning, so I've learned to cope. I'll be buying all of these whether they turn out great or not - it's all the better when they, like Ivy, do.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Value - **
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has her at $100.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've covered quite a few Cover Girls so far:

- last up was Batgirl.

- there's been Harley, Power Girl, Catwoman/Wonder Woman, Zatanna, and Black Canary.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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