Review : Black Canary DC Collectibles Wave/Series : DCTV (CW) Arrow #11 Released : 2016
£19.99
After getting a Sara Lance Black Canary in the early 2015 releases of the DC TV figures, we had to wait until the 11th Arrow figure to get the Laurel Lance version of the character in her Season 3 outfit.
The figure arrives in the stark white DC Collectables box with angled figure window and the character name printed in white on the angled part of the window. Being an Arrow release a green trim wraps the base of the box along with the Arrow TV logo and the figures number, #11, in an arrowhead design.
The side spine carries an impressive close up shot of the figure against a green backdrop. Round the back we get a larger Arrow logo, under which sit the three figures from this 2016 wave - Season 3 Arrow, Black Canary and Malcolm Merlyn.
Black Canary is strapped into an inner tray with some twisty ties, her baton sits to her side and is held in with tape. The tray sits in an inner box and on here we get a city scape as a band through the centre.
While the image on the box is a very good likeness to actor Katie Cassidy, the reality of the figure is a little less impressive. While there is a passing resemblance, the skin has a waxy tone with no definition and the eyes and lips then seem to float on the face. The hair is well executed with two tone colouring to add depth to the blonde.
The outfit is very intricate and while the overall colour is black, there are a variety of tones and finishes - from matt areas to gloss areas. Zips and buttons are defined in silver and the boots have grey straps and a full length silver zip up the back of the boot legs.
She stands 6 1/2" tall which is a bit taller than the traditional 1/12 scale (Legends) but not quite big enough to sit comfortably with 1/10 scale 7" figures like NECA and Diamond. The DCC scale fits somewhere in the middle, around a 6.75" scale.
The DCC figures are not the best articulation, with Black Canary weighing in with 14 points of articulation. The head is ball jointed and despite the hair can rotate fully round and look forward and backward - although when the head is tilted forward the hair sticks out quite unnaturally. The torso joint is a ball joint just under the chest and this gives a decent amount of rotation and lean.
The legs are rounded ball jointed hips and then double jointed knees. This allows for wider action stances, but not much more. The ankles are rockers and despite the slim design and heels on the boots - Canary still stands pretty well.
The arms are ball jointed at the shoulder. There is then a single rotating elbow joint which is restricted by the sculpting and it cant even reach a 90 degree bend. Each wrist has a peg and pivot and these do work a lot better than some of the earlier DCC figures where the paint was often thick and chalky and prevented movement. There are three sets of hands included ranging from a pair of fists, to a pair of gripping hands and then open palms.
The gripping hands are used to hold the sole accessory of a baton / night-stick. This is a basic design cast in black with no other paint apps. It can be held by the main handle or side handle and then positioned in a number of poses either out as a baton or up the arm as more of a defensive block.
When not n use there is a hoop built into Canary's belt and the baton slips into this snugly.
Overall, Black Canary ticks most boxes as a well proportioned and well executed figure. The face likeness is a bit off but nothing out of line with other figures at the £20 price point a couple of years ago. Articulation is a bit behind competitors like Hasbro, and for a figure that uses martial arts in the show the lack of movement in the arms and legs is a bit frustrating.
Taking all this into account, I score Black Canary (Season 3) a mid range 3 out of 5.
