McFarlane Toys is winding down its DC Multiverse line as it loses their DC Comics license this year, and the result is us finally getting iconic, fan-favorite characters that aren't Batman in a reasonable time frame.
Looks like I jumped into the line just in time, because when they announced a DC Multiverse Collector Edition Zatanna figure, I was on that like chili oil on dim sum. I missed out on Wonder Woman, and now that Zatanna is on-hand, let's see if getting my first female DC Multiverse figure was worth it!
I've only been collecting DC Multiverse figures for less than a year, but I love their collector-friendly boxes. The huge box and plastic window let you see the figure in all its glory and is nice to display.
Out of her plastic prison, DC Multiverse Zatanna is stunning. When you think of Zatanna, you think of the sexy stage magician outfit, fishnets, and boots, and this is undoubtedly her iconic look in action figure form. Good job, McFarlane Toys!
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Looking closer, you'll see a lot of nice details. Her crisp white shirt is textured and even has realistic-looking creases. Her yellow corset has lovely, sculpted details. And I'm glad they went with tampo'd fishnets instead of soft goods, though the risk of misalignment is there, as you can see on my copy. Thankfully the error looks minimal enough that I can ignore it.
But the details are just icing on the cake. The cherry on top of this gorgeous figure is DC Multiverse Zatanna's head sculpt, which to me is the best female head sculpt I've seen in action figures at this price point. I'm awestruck at how expressive it is, with her red-tinged lips in a playful smirk that accentuates her glamorous cheekbones while her pretty eyes are dolled up for a performance. Even Marvel Legends doesn't care enough to put in this level of detail and expression in their female figures!
Strangely, my Zatanna's hairpiece is not glued or connected to the head at all. I thought it was by design, but nope, just free-floating black hair for the Mistress of Magic. I'm torn on whether to glue it down or not, since this gives her neck some more poseability.
I've also noticed that the McFarlane sculptors gave DC Multiverse Zatanna sticks for arms, making her look like she's squeezed into a coat 6 to 7 sizes too small. Her hilariously malnourished appendages ruin an otherwise great silhouette. How can I take the Princess of Prestidigitation seriously when she looks like she'll get an arm fracture from a stiff breeze?
Thankfully, the rest of the figure distracts you from her noodle arms. DC Multiverse Zatanna moves with superheroic grace, with articulation that supports expressive poses and natural stances that look good without fighting such a great sculpt. A character like Zatanna doesn't necessarily need extreme articulation, and I feel in this case McFarlane was wise not to chase it.
This magician is not without her tools. Included with DC Multiverse Zatanna are some relevant accessories like her top hat and a hand holding a wand. The hat is cast in black rubbery plastic with the hatband painted red. Meanwhile, her wand is just a gray stick molded into the hand, so you have limited options in terms of poses. She's not even holding the wand right; more like she's gripping a relay baton for dear life.
Both accessories are comically oversized too, but I concede that it's difficult to make accessories at this scale and price point. At least she looks real good with 'em!
She also comes with a pair of open hands with yellow swirling energy effects, which are just straight up sculpted into the hands and painted yellow. They look cheesy in their own charming way, but I wish they just gave us separate energy effects as an accessory. As it is, it just looks like Zatanna scooped up some lemon ice cream with her bare hands like a caveman and scaring supervillains with it.
Strangely enough, DC Multiverse Zatanna comes with a whole-ass character as an accessory: Detective Chimp, her simian teammate from Justice League Dark! He stands a little under 4 inches tall and is practically a statue with just four points of articulation. He can move his arms up and down and turn his head and torso.
It would be a weird accessory to have if not for the care McFarlane gave its sculpt. It really looks like a chimp in a suit, and the realistic looking face with a slight sneer is sending me. Two figs for the price of one? Thanks, McFarlane.
Like all McFarlane Collector Editions, DC Multiverse Zatanna comes with collectible trading cards. The art is nice in the front (Adam Hughes really knows how to draw women), but something hilarious was waiting for me at the back: the names of the characters in this set are switched! Seeing Z's pretty face being labeled as Detective Chimp's made my day, even if it is a glaring QC issue.
Despite the niggling issues I have, the star of this set is still a dream come true. The DC Multiverse Zatanna Collector Edition figure is an instant classic, a beautiful action figure of a beloved comic book character and is a worthy addition to your DC Comics figure shelf. Now if only they re-release their Wonder Woman, that would be great.
I hope you found this review helpful. So who are you waiting to add to your DC Multiverse collection? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading!
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