First Look – Young Justice Red Arrow

Back at Comic Con this past July we learned that many things with DC Universe were changing. DC proper has been through a creative shift in the past several months and the entire universe recently got a “reboot”. To coincide with this, Mattel announced that some of their most popular DC lines (namely, DC Universe Classics) would be transitioning in terms of direction to support this shiny new DC Universe. A lot has happened in that time with the DCUC sub moving ahead (thank Grodd), but the future state of the 6-inch line at retail, and just what it will look like has yet to be revealed. I am hoping for some more solid news at New York Comic Con, but since most of this seemed to happen fast in the weeks leading up to Comic Con, people are busy getting their ducks in a row. I am excited to see the exact direction, but like all unknowns, there is a certain pitch of anxiety until it all comes out. So, it is actually very nice to have a line continue in the fashion with which it began, and with the brand spanking-new Red Arrow figure, the 6-inch Young Justice line is proving that it is doing just that. There were several new deluxe sets announced (you know, the ones that in include bases?) at Comic Con, including the first ever 6-inch Sports Master figure so today we bring you a First Look at everyone’s favorite comic “on the wagon” story – Roy Harper.

I will be the first to admit that I have a tough time keeping up with the Young Justice cartoon. It seems like Cartoon Network is playing a game of hide and seek with the show, just trying to stump me with the air times from week to week. I *think* I am pretty much up do date on what has aired thus far, and I am having a great time with it. Be that as it may, I am fan of DC characters and a fan of toys even before TV shows, so even if the cartoon was not a lot of fun, as long as it brought me some cool figures, I would be cool with that. Mattel has put together a scheme to support the show with two featured lines in two different scales. The first is a 4-inch line harkening back to JLU that includes a Build-a-Hall-of-Justice, and featured here (and what really piques my interest) is a 6-inch line styled after the show, but build like DCUC. We have brought you some looks at Robin and Artemis from this line so far (I still have not been able to find Aqualad, but I know he is out there somewhere) and I have found a home for them on shelf amongst the Public Enemies figures. While these YJ figures are similar in size and construction to DCUC, the style is just a little too outside of the aesthetic set by Classics, but your tastes will vary depending on how lenient you are with that kind of thing. I have to admit that I like the Robin figure quite a lot, and his rooftop base is a lot of fun for both display and posing so I am happy to say that Red Arrow follows suit with many of the same strong points, but it ultimately a better figure.

For starters I must admit that I am a huge sucker for cool figure bases. I especially love rooftops where my Beetles and Bats can pose and keep watch over their respective cities. Robin’s base is so perfect for him and the Public Enemies Batman figure to the point that, even though it is not an exact representation of Young Justice or any other show, I love it on the shelf. Red Arrow’s base is in the same spirit but while the former’s base certainly has a “Gotham” feel to it, this new one can work for a variety of characters. I really love the exhaust/smoke stack corner and with the wanted poster of Sports Master on the bricks, Red Arrow can still be posed taking target practice, but the base is still a multi-tasker (much more than say, Artemis’) and the young Master Harper can hide out too. These are the bases that really speak to me and I hope that Mattel will give some consideration to continuing this style across their lines. I would LOVE for a series of six figures to have bases that can join together in modular fashion to be able to create various dioramas for display. Fun!

 

Okay, okay, so I started a First Look at a FIGURE with some talk about his base, sue me. I just really like these bases and this one in particular. But, the figure is also, what I consider to be, the best one in the line thus fur (understanding that I have not seen Aqualad in person yet). His likeness is most certainly styled after the Young Justice cartoon that is certainly most apparent in his face sculpt. The YJ designs are slightly angular (not as much as Timm style though) so he has a strong chin and simple lines and details in his face. He certainly matches the source material though and he has a more stoic (though not placid) expression on his face that gives a feel that he is a bit more mature than say, Robin. When faces are smooth there is always a higher risk for paint rub or bleed but Roy is kept pretty clean in that regard, at least nothing out of the ordinary. Young Justice has also established the “white eyes with masks” effect on some of the males (though it does not seem consistent from character to character) and Mattel got Roy right to the source.

He is built in a larger stature than Robin to help illustrate his age and the base is very close to recalling the main buck used on the Legion of Superheroes set. That is to say, he has a very “teen” build to him. He is lithe and not as muscular as even Robin (especially in the arms) which is a good thing as it matches much more closely with the YJ designs. While I personally would have expected most of, if not all, the costume details to be achieved with paint, that is not the case. Nope, his upper chest is an all-new and unique piece with his quiver strap and “armor” detail sculpted in. While I am usually okay with painted details when it is something simple, I am ALWAYS a fan of going the extra mile with sculpt, so that is a good thing. The rest of his body is one that could be used as a base in this line, but also in the DCUC line too – it is constructed in the same way as DCUC and for a character that has one of those “blank” bodies, this could be serviceable. The exception to that is his feet/boots; they are blocky and a bit chunky befitting of the style, but they are also great for helping to provide balance for posing without looking weird. I put Roy at about the 15-17 range on the show and sometimes that awkward teenage build can include feet that the rest of a person has not yet grown into.

 

Red Arrow also comes with his requisite bow and an assortment of arrows. Now, there was no doubt that this would be the case, but it also lends to some enhancements with the figure as well. Since he is an archer like the DCUC Green Arrow or the MOTUC Bow figures, Roy benefits from having been given ball jointed wrists. These are absolutely imperative for archery posing so I am glad he has them. I am not sure why I just assumed that he wouldn’t (though, I guess this mold had not yet been established for the teen body) but, even when things are expected, it is nice when a design comes together. He also has his unique quiver that is attached to his back and not removable. It is stocked with some arrows that make him appear to be running with a full clip and they match the actual arrows that are also included. Which is a nice segue to…

His accessories! Past his impressive base, Roy also has his bow and four unique arrows, all with a specific function. If you have been collecting various Mattel lines of late, you know that they have made a new move to producing string-less bows. This done due to safety concerns (these are toys after all) BUT instead of adding a plastic string, they have left it off entirely you can string the bow yourself. I find that the little clear bands that hold the figure in place in the package work marvelously. His arrows are probably the best that Mattel has done so far in terms of designing “trick” arrow and I particularly like the “axe” arrow. This is a defining quality to Green and Red Arrow in the comics so I am glad it has not been overlooked. I still wish the arrows were a bit longer so that a more natural pose could be achieved, but Roy looks the most convincing of any archer we have gotten so far. The red and black deco on the bow and arrows is also very slick and like how there is a bit of a shine to them. They look more techie that way, and very modern.

 

Like I said, Red Arrow is my favorite Young Justice figure thus far. While I wait for my Sports Master figure, I certainly appreciate the figure on the whole, but also the really cool rooftop base. I HOPE that the cartoon stays popular and that Cartoon Network continues to promote it because it looks like Mattel has a real plan to keep supporting it with their various lines. This is obviously the “Cadillac” series and I think there are some really interesting possibilities to done in the future. Let’s start with Ms. Martian, please! Red Arrow should be hitting the store shelves at any time, don’t worry we are on the cusp of the 4th Quarter Product Deluge for the holidays so get ready to break the bank! It’s fun though, isn’t it?

*Many thanks to Danielle, Bill and the rest of the YJ team for making this figure a reality. There is a lot of passion from the designers on this line and it is really starting to show. Stay tuned as we have more to bring you this week!

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