“Well that’s… big.”
I was looking through my doorbell cam at the package left on my front porch, the one that held the DC Collectibles Gotham City Garage Harley Quinn statue. Maybe it was the fisheye lens, but the box looked to be about the size of a healthy adult golden retriever.
I waved it off to careful packaging on DC Collectibles’ part – after all, Harley is a cold resin statue with lots of fragile bits. That’s not the kind of merch you slap a label on and chuck out the door.
When I got home though, the box somehow looked bigger in my foyer. With trepidation, I unpacked the box only to find the actual product box inside was… only slightly smaller than its shipping container.
Suffice to say, when I got the amazingly detailed statue out of its packaging and assembled, the first reaction from my wife was “And where do you think you’re keeping that?” Yes, Harley meets the “you must clear this with the SO prior to acquiring” size requirement.
Gotham City Garage Harley Quinn continues DC Collectibles’ long-storied reputation of churning out jaw-dropping statues. With Ms. Quinzelle designed by Dustin Nguyen, Harley’s chest tat done by Katherine Brannock, and sculpting by Adam Ross and James Marsano, there’s the fear that this piece could end up having a “too many cooks” problem. But it totally works.
Nguyen really captures Harley’s carefree, violent attitude, as her bike peels out and she lobs a fittingly-labeled “ACME” bomb. Her jacket is reminiscent of her black and red jester costume, with what’s become her signature pigtails poking out from under her skull cap. You almost don’t need the white face paint… almost. The tattoo is gorgeously designed. I do wish it tied into her character’s mythology a bit more (like on the upcoming Wonder Woman statue; more about her in a minute), but it does seem like ink that Harley would get done.
The bike is retro and janky and completely befitting Harley’s “chaotic neutral” attitude (at least, that’s her alignment in my headcanon). I love the little details, like the scuffed deco on the side, and the puffs of dust behind the wheels. About the only thing I take issue with is that there’s so much unused room on the base. Of course, there’s a method to this madness. The original version of the Harley statue featured a sidecar with Joker’s hyenas, Bud and Lou. But DC shied away from it because it pushed the cost of the statue up another $100, well past what they thought the market would support. So this statue was released at the price of the GTG Catwoman statue, sans sidecar.
But never underestimate Harley fans! Due to the success of the first Harley statue, you can now grab version two of Harley, with her “doggies” restored! It’ll cost you; but you’re taking up the same amount of space and getting twice as much craziness. It’s worth the investment.
Once you start down the GCG path, it’s going to be hard to stop! I mentioned the Catwoman statue; but there’s also an amazing Wonder Woman statue on the way! Announced at Wondercon this year, the statue is what made me take notice of the line. From the partially translucent concept bike, to Wondy’s “no bull” expression, to her freaking BRACER TATTOOS, there nothing that I don’t instantly love about it (don’t worry, I’ll have a full review once it’s released).
It would have been easy to go the “biker chick” route with this line. Honestly, it’s why I dismissed it initially: the Catwoman statue was too on-the-nose for my tastes. But Harley proves that DC is dedicated to providing high quality alternate versions of our favorite heroines that just ooze character.
So clear off a shelf, eBay off some action figures, and get ready to upgrade your collection!
Disclaimer: DC Collectibles provided samples for this review. Opinions are my own.
