DC Universe takes a look back at one of their most iconic villains in comic book history with their Joker action figure from the popular Crisis line.
You'd be hard pressed to find a person that doesn't know of the fearsome grinning visage of Batman's number one bad guy. The clown prince of crime made his debut in Batman issue #1 making him the first exclusive villain in the Batman universe and has been terrorizing the citizens of Gotham City for almost 70 years.
Recognized for his ghostly white face, vibrant green hair and eerily grinning smile, the Joker has made a name for himself as a diabolical killer, often concocting schemes with a gallows humor twist.
The Packaging
The Packaging for the DC Crisis line has made its mark in the toy collecting world with its unique blister design, representing a life-sized hand curling its fingers around the figure, accentuating the figure's classic 3 3/4" size, hearkening back to the heyday of action figures, when that particular size ruled the action figure market. This is further pointed out by the series' tag line, "An army of heroes within your grasp!"
The line's collectibility declares itself on the front of the packaging from a graphic insert telling collectors which series and which figure in that series you are buying; in this case, figure 20 of series 1.
The Crisis line also gives collectors a series of statistics on the back noting such character attributes as strength, intelligence, speed, agility, energy or magical powers and training and fighting skills.
The Figure Itself
The Joker is represented as the classic comic book version Joker that fans will remember from the 1970s - '80s, with his signature purple tuxedo, wild green mane and elongated nose and chin. The sculpt on this figure brilliantly catches the evil menace in his grinning face, with stunning paint detail like his gruesome yellow teeth.
The figure's outfit boasts the tiniest of details from his acid-squirting flower on his lapel to his dapper pin striped slacks.
The one downside to the figure is that his head seems a little too small for his body, but considering the overall design of the figure, this is something that most collectors will probably be able to look past.
Figure Specs:
Measurements: 3 3/4" tall
Articulation Points: 12
- Neck
- Shoulders (bend and swivel)
- Elbows
- Waist
- Hips
- Knees
Accessories Included:
- Signature Joker walking stick
Final Thoughts:
Overall, this is a beautiful figure, despite the aforementioned head-size issue. Many action figure collectors are enjoying this resurgence of the classic 3 3/4" size and this figure does very well in this format. Usually, in figures this size, one wouldn't expect smaller features such as the bend-and-swivel shoulders, which greatly add to the figure's posablity, so this is decidedly a nice touch.
One thing that I would like to see in this series are more accessories included with the figures. Sure, the Joker isn't exactly known for carrying a lot of gear with him, but it would still be nice to have a couple more weapons to switch out in his hands, like a giant mallet or gas gun. Still, this figure's one accessory still beats the total accessories that come with the Batman figure of the same line. Also, a figure stand would be great for immediately displaying on a shelf.
However, all of these minor complaints do not overshadow the fact that this is one of the best Joker action figures in history.
How Much?
Suggested retail price of $6.99.
Where Can You Find It?
Most department stores such as Target, Wal-Mart or specialty toy stores such as Toys-R-Us.
