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By Hervé St-Louis
December 9, 2004 - 10:17
As popular as Batman is, some characters affiliated with him are very popular on their own right. This is the case with Nightwing and the first DCDirect action figure of the character is worthy of the character. Hush is a popular DC Comics story that pitted many characters' from Batman's universe against one another, looking for the answer of the elusive Hush's identity. Of course, Nightwing was in the mix.
Likeness
Jim Lee, the artist who drew the entire Hush storyline inspired the design of all the figures in the Hush line. The Nightwing action figure released by DC Direct is a representation of the current character as drawn by Lee. Artists specific action figures are not everyone's cup of tea. Many fans prefer generic characters. The Hush Nightwing should please all collectors, although he lacks utility packs at the forearms and calves.
Sculpt
All Hush action figures are pre-posed. They are not in generic position waiting to be posed by their owners. Nightwing's pre-posing is not as extensive as other figures from this wave and can still maintain a generic look, if needed. His right leg is opened wider than the left. His left arm holds a billy club in a twisted position. Nightwing's jaw is thick and long, like most of Jim Lee's characters.
Paint
The paint job is clean, although the blue highlights on Nightwing's hair are ridiculous. A darker grey would have looked better, or no highlights at all. Comic book colouring does not always translate well on action figures. DCDirect decided to polish Nightwing's boots instead leaving a rough coat, like the rest of the figure.
Scale
All Hush figures have small heads that make them hard to display next to other DCDirect action figures. Next to Titans action figures, such as Cyborg and Starfire, Nightwing's head looks odd. Don't even put him next to some Justice League figures from the second waved, such as Firestorm! He looks ridiculous. Next to the Contemporary Robin's action figure and the Silver Age Batman, Nightwing shines.
Stability
Nightwing stands up well, but the odd posing of his leg makes him easy to topple. It's best to put the figure on the action figure stand that came in the package for more stability. The figure is not top heavy at all, but there is too much weight forward and not enough in the back. The tip of his feet cannot counterbalance the weight properly. On a stand, Nightwing's left foot will float, making him looks odd.
Articulation
Nightwing has but nine articulations at the neck, the elbows, the hips, the knees and ball-jointed shoulders. Forearm articulations would have helped a lot and fixed the posing problem with the twisted left arm. Although it's ball-jointed, Nightwing's neck is stiff . It's hard to get the head rotating at first. The articulation and sculpt in that area is ugly and reminds me of cheaper Mattel Batman action figures.
Plastic
Nightwing's plastic is sturdy. All articulations are tight. DCDirect used good plastics on this set.
Props
Besides the action figure stand shaped into Batman's current comic book logo, there are two billy clubs that almost look attached to the figure's hands. The figure came packaged with them in his hands. They are hard to get out so be careful not to break them while pulling them out of Nightwing's hand.
Packaging
Like all Hush action figures, Nightwing comes in a compact box that's easy to store and open. The unpacking problems come after opening the sealable cardboard box, as there are several wires to remove. The left side of the box has a picture of the Nightwing action figure's bust, while the back has shots of all the figures from the wave. There's a large window box on the front.
Cost
Price on the Nightwing action figure vary. Price can range from $12 to $25 depending on the retailer. Don't expect the price to stay the same for long as this is a very popular and sought after action figure.
Availability
Specific figures in the First Hush set sold very quickly. Expect the same here, especially for Nightwing. He's probably the most popular character from this wave and it's the first time that he sees action as a DC Direct action figures. I estimate that there are just above 20,000 Nightwing produced by DCDirect. This is a limited quantity for such a popular character. It's unsure if the figure sells out, if it will be re-offered.
Update February 6 2005:
This figure has sold out from Diamond Comics, the exclusive distributor of this action figure.
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