High End Collecting : Tonner’s DC Stars Black Canary

It’s a strange coincidence that a B-list DC superheroine would suddenly have three high end action figures hit all at once, but Black Canary has taken over the month of December with a three-pronged assault.

Barbie collectors recently got a high-end Black Canary figure for about $40, but the figure caused something of an uproar because of Canary’s black-leather-and-fishnets attire. While the comic costume is meant to evoke something of a burlesque crimefighting kind of thing, overzealous parents decried Black Canary Barbie as a prostitute, or a participant in that most unholy of all personal practices, bondage. Never mind that most people should be aware by now that many Barbies are intended for adult collectors and are sold as such – someone just needed an excuse to be outraged.

DC Direct also released their 1/6th scale Black Canary, complete with alternate ‘screaming’ head (since that’s her secret weapon), masks, and various accessories. DCD’s Canary retails for about $90, and is definitely action figure oriented.

Tonner‘s new Black Canary fashion doll walks the line between the two, at roughly 16” tall, with rooted hair, completely removable costume elements, and retailing for around $150. As with the recently profiled DC Stars Batman, she’s definitely the highest of high-end superhero doll and figure collecting – and because of her place in the DC universe, as well as my love of creative iterations of characters, she’s found her way into my collection. What does it say about me that I’m more interested in her for her marriage to Green Arrow than her long, exposed legs and blonde hair?

Have a glance at the Batman review to familiarize yourself with the idea behind Tonner, and come back.

Tonner’s female figures are absolutely the company’s strength but my love of females definitely provides a bias. Man, do I love females. While I loved Tonner’s Batman, he’s a very pretty man. The delicate, angelic doll look that Tonner employs fits so much easier with the female figures, which are radiant and idealized – very true to the idea behind much comic art. Apparently, superpowers make you really, really hot – unless you’re being written by Grant Morrison. That guy’s messed up.

As with all Tonner dolls, Black Canary came in a very collector-friendly box, tied in gently with white ribbons, and easily removable and replaceable from her plain, black box. Her choker, boots, and gloves are packaged separately, and her wavy, blonde hair is protected inside of a plastic bag and a hair net. Unlike Batman’s requisite parts, nothing is made of the durable (but frightening in that whole ‘oh man, I’m totally gonna mess this up forever’ way) rubber – instead opting for all fabric parts, which comes as a relief. While they might not be as exactly form-fitting, they’re a whole lot easier to dress her up in and remove. The basic costume on her midsection is especially well-made, with corset-like boning running the length of the outfit – and I swear that I only know about corset boning from an adventurous ex-girlfriend. Snaps are hidden along the back, so even this piece is removable. The most bosomy part of the costume is held in place by very thin, clear rubber shoulder straps that disappear under the jacket.

The leathery jacket that comprises the outer layer of her costume is easily removed, and flexes beautifully with the articulation of the figure – which is located at the shoulders, elbow, hips, knees, hands and neck. While these don’t offer a full ball joint’s worth of rotation (to keep the clothes from bearing too much strain, presumably), there’s more than enough motion to keep the figure interesting. Replacing the jacket is another task, and my main concern was threading Canary’s hands back through the sleeves without tearing the lining of the jacket, since it’s a separate layer. With some gentle, slow jiggling, it’s not much of a problem at all.

Correct me if I’m wrong, ladies, but there must be something pretty awesome about modern fishnet technology, because I’m seeing it used everywhere, and more effectively than ever. Even DC Direct’s 6” Black Canary action figure had these great fabric fishnets fixed around her legs – which is always so much more aesthetic than sculpted-on fishnets, which often end up looking like scarring from some kind of horrible waffle iron accident instead of high fashion. Canary has great fishnet stockings, and under them is a thin layer of flesh-colored fabric that covers the leg as a second stocking, and completely hides the knee joins, creating a seamless leg very effectively. And the perfect little boots? They zipper down the back. I almost wish I had some kind of weird shoe fetish, because the engineering of these is really impressive.

Anyone who’s had a doll with rooted hair knows that after about a day of regular use, the mass of hair will become a matted, scraggly mess – so I’m always hesitant to display anything with rooted hair, instead of sculpted hair. Tonner’s dolls’ hair seems to be lightly waxed into shape, so that keeps everything pretty much in order. This might be a regular practice in the doll-world – I haven’t spent much time here. I tried, but the babies with biological functions scared me away. Either way, it’s a good idea.

Tonner’s newest DC Stars figure is an excellent addition to their growing heroine & villain collection, which already includes Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn. I can’t wait to see who’s coming next. Retro Catwoman in purple? Zatanna with a sexy tophat? Power Girl? Starfire with ridiculously long hair? A perfectly cheesecake Mary Marvel? Will they fulfill my strangest fantasy and create an Elasti-Girl from the Arthur Drake era Doom Patrol? Maybe it says a lot that I’m hoping that they make such a huge variety. I’m not even a doll person, but as I said in the Batman review, I really appreciate the respect and dignity that Tonner is affording these oft looked-down-upon comic characters, and the genres they’re boldly crossing.

Black Canary can be purchased from Tonner directly, and you can also pick up the other DC Stars figures for a huge discount, for a limited time. Check out this full gallery of Black Canary right here on Collectors’ Quest!