Harley Quinn: Premium Format Figure - Sideshow Collectibles

Sideshow Collectibles has been hard at work making some nice things that I can't afford right now, (and also spelling collectables in a way that offends both my British sensibilities and my spellchecker, but that's another matter entirely) so I thought I'd spend a little time talking about one of their new statues.

One thing I really appreciate with Sideshow is that they seem to understand the appeal of the classic Harley Quinn along with her various reiterations. They're also good at interpreting Classic Harley Quinn for people who want something 'new' without going as far as say, the Suicide Squad movie version of her outfit which is basically two-toned apples and oranges and a far cry from what she started out in.

That and their items are really high quality - hence the 'premium format figure' name being trademarked by Sideshow. They go above and beyond to make sure what they sell is great and packed with fun props/features and detailed bases. So, let's get into it.

Starting with the interchangeable faces - here we have two options. One has a skinny domino mask which showcases her eye make-up, which is sort of thickly winged out and has more traditional clown 'tears' make-up. Her eyes are ringed by light red colouring - which I think is meant to be a nod to her current style - one eye blue one eye pink/red - as opposed to the usual clown face paint.

This head has white greasepaint with a very very underhanded and pleasing blush effect. Her lips are a dark red with a bit of a black tinge - which combined with her displeased expression makes Harley look like a much more dramatic character. I like her loose pigtails - the colour is nice, I'd almost forgotten what she looked like without the dip dye! - and the highlights weaved through the natural looking strands looks realistic.

On the other hand - the other Harley head has a much wider domino mask - almost as wide as her cheerful yet vaguely garish grin. Her lipstick is just dark red, and looks a lot like Joker's smile, with the edges of her lips exaggerated and almost brought out into a Chelsea Smile. Her face has the same greasepaint and blush tones as the other head, but is encased in her classic jester hat. Her eyes have more of a smoky look to them - light greys gradually getting darker. Her eyeliner is still winged out and heavy towards the end. 

DC Universe: Harley Quinn #60

Holy crap, this issue only has one cover that I can tell! I don't
actually know what to do with myself..
There is so much confusion in my life right now and I honestly don't know what's real or not. Is up down, and vice versa? Is there a spoon? Is the world actually flat but not as bad ass as Discworld?

No, wait, I lied. Or rather, I was misled. There is a second cover where a fancy Harley contemplates killing a bat. I don't see why you would go to the trouble of dressing up like that and then keeping your normal hair style. Right? Keep it period appropriate.



Ohhhh... I see what happened here.... Harley's variant got kicked off of the digital copy I had to make room for Shazam! movie advertising. I still haven't seen that yet. Oh well. The ordinary cover's fine.. I guess. Nothing to write home about, it's not even a good parody of an overblown action movie because I'm sure I've seen at least ten other covers in her solo series just like this. Plus we're back with another speech bubble "pun". Like, it's too generic and so far over into 'Not Trying Land' ... why should we care?
Also Harley's ribs are visible through and over her tube top. That's... probably not good.

In fact, this whole issue is an up and down mixed bag of something. It constantly brings in a cool concept with the benefit of nice art, but then keeps dragging itself down with the terminal stupid and a bad case of the 'whatever, this is good enough to churn out an issue with'.

Starting off with a alien/horror movie setting jumping on from the ten seconds we saw of S.T.A.R. labs Coney freakin' Island last time. She's freaking out saying she's trapped and being hunted.. everything's dark and she's alone. This is good, it's a great set up and it makes you wonder how she got in this situation. It makes you wonder what she's going to encounter. It makes you wonder if this is real because Harley's being unusually sombre.

Then you realise that she's probably only in this situation so her fancy alien ray guns can match her stupid hair colour.

Then you get told this is what she's doing and why she's in this mess.

"Hi, it's me, Harley! Trying to be Deadpool by breaking that fourth wall! LOL!! Totally changed since the old stupid classic version of me but I'm still doing crimes! For my mom! Who has cancer! Haven't mentioned that in a while! You know my mom has cancer. Cancer mom!
Yeah, remember how she's already being treated by competent doctors? And how she tells me not to do anything stupid?? Lulz here I am breaking in to find some random magical cure I just invented in my head because there's no proof such a thing exists in this place! Or even if this building existed prior to today! So random!@! Rawr!!"

Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #1

Feb 2017
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Jason Fabok
Colours: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Rob Leigh

It's taken me a while to get into this mini series because it was just...
Well, I mean, look at it. A  bunch of C and D listers at best, who can't even commit petty crimes without getting caught going up against The Justice League? Half of them don't even have powers... and we've all seen the memes.

The baffling thing is that this comic came out a year after Suicide Squad: The most incompetent and needlessly confusing entry into DC's movie list. That movie had the SAME problem and not only was it not resolved, it was written into the script as the gosh darned PITCH to CREATE the Suicide Squad. Sure, everyone expects them to die Mr. Bond hence the name but the fact remains that someone literally proposed that these non-powered boobs were the answer and the solution to stop an evil Superman when these idiots probably couldn't agree on a Pop-Tart flavour without breaking out into petty squabbles.

So - no powers/limited powers, no team work..... not the greatest idea ever thought up, that's for sure.

I wondered if it was an attempt to recover from the movie or an attempt to cash in from the movie. Then I was like, nah, I think they're cashing in on Harley Quinn. Damn - top billing right next to Batman. Looking like Superman be punching her in her oversize tits while Aquaman looks on from behind, having given his last heck eons ago.

Aquaman be like 'Y tho?'

That said, the cover looks nice. I can appreciate the symmetry business they got going on, and I like that Harley actually looks nice here. As in, she looks like she actually has human hair, not just oddly coloured growths on either side of her head. The playing card tattoos on her face don't even bother me that much. I still think the pink and blue is so stupid but if you're gonna do it I guess do it better than everyone else. Her red nose is what ruins it for me. Lousy Harley Quinn Solo writers.

Now, the variant covers.... hmm. Well, let's just say if you wanted a weirdly drawn picture of Deadshot sitting on Batman's chest/shoulder like a messed up Santa Claus photo op, you got it! If you wanted a picture of Batman and Deadshot leaping at each other looking more like they're in a dance battle rather than an actual battle, you got it!
If you want obligatory women fighting women covers with slight bondage thrown in, you got it!
Oh you like that, huh? Here ya go, have it in black and white too!