A little while back I checked out my first Collector Edition figure from McFarlane’s DC Multiverse series. I liked the figure well enough, but questioned why it was billed as a premium Collector Edition release with a ten dollar price increase. In the end I came away deciding that I was going to be very selective with which characters I buy in this sub-line, and so far there haven’t been many. I did, however, preorder this Rebirth version of Starfire, mainly because she looked great and I wanted her on my Teen Titans shelf. All I can say is Todd must know what he’s doing, because this figure sold out fast, although it has been recently coming back up for preorder. So, is this irresistible Princess of Tamaran worth it? Let’s find out.

Kori comes in a window box very similar to all the other DC Multiverse figures on the market, from the black deco on the box to the blue tray behind the figure. The big difference here is the foil lettering running beside the window exclaiming this to be a Collector Edition release. Also, instead of being sealed to the blue backer tray, the collector card is front and center, held in a special display stand. It’s almost collector friendly, but you do have to tear the stand off the backer tray to get it. And instead of the typical black disk figure stand you get a translucent flight stand that needs to be snapped together.

I’ll always be partial to Starfire’s space bikinis, but in the last decade or so Kori’s outfits have become less revealing. Why can’t we have nice things any more, DC? The Rebirth costume is similar to her 2015 Amanda Conner look, but they even had to cover up her midriff. At least we get a flash of shoulders and thighs. And with that out of my system, I actually still like this outfit quite a bit. The purple and lavender of the deco compliment each other nicely and pay respects to the older costume colors, while also contrasting well with her orange skin. A lot of the costume details here are achieved with paint, but you do get some sculped flourishes, like the raised disks above her thighs, the rumpled knee guards, and the green stone in the center of her chest. There are sculpted lines at the tops of her boots and ends of her sleeves, and she’s sporting some elegant high heels. Unfortunately, the paint lines between the purple and lavendar on her one-piece are just sprayed on, and I would have liked to see those a lot sharper. That’s why sculpted lines in these costumes are always the best, albeit not the cheapest, way to go.

The portrait here is quite solid, with maybe just a hint of Jennifer Aniston in there. Kori has a pretty strong jawline, but I still think she comes across as pretty. The lips and eyebrows are perfectly painted, there’s some nice gradient work in her skin tone, and the painted eyes are absolutely gorgeous. They have a haunting glow that could legitimately be mistaken for some kind of light piping and that’s impressive. I might have liked a little smile, as the expression is very somber, but I still dig it a lot. The hair sculpt is also well done, as it snakes down her back and almost down to her knees. The strands around her face are a little chonky, but I still think it works fine, and the coloring gradually goes from red at the top to orange at the end of her copious coif.

The articulation here is mostly what we’re used to seeing out of the DC Multiverse ladies, which is good. Although I will say that I absolutely hate the ball-style wrists. Not only are they kind of ugly, but they are extremely fragile. I’ve had one come apart on me once. It’s easy to pop it back together, but it’s a really bad design. Ironically, I usually complain about the balls in the ankles, but here they actually look OK, and haven’t given me any problems. As expected, the balance on this figure isn’t great, as her high heels and heavy hair does make her a challenge to stand. Kori does not come with any extra hands, so you’re stuck with just the fists and frankly that’s inexcusable for a Collector Edition figure that costs $10 more than the main line. I really wanted some relaxed hands for her, and maybe some power projecting hands as well.

Starfire does come with two power effect parts, which slip onto her fists. These are cast in a bright neon yellow and they look really nice. On the other hand, they fit very loosely on her tiny fists, so I’m pretty sure these are maybe recycled from another figure. Normally, I don’t have a big problem with that, but when they don’t fit the figure, Todd, you probably shouldn’t use them.

I am happy that we got the flight stand. I know these aren’t popular with some collectors, as they can feel a bit flimsy. If McFarlane were selling these separately I would agree, but as a pack-in accessory I like them a lot. We see them every now and then in the main line, so I think bundling one in with Collector Edition flyers should be essential. You also get the collector card stand, which is the one stand out extra in these premium releases, but certainly not worth the extra ten bucks. Todd is infamous for packing in collector cards that don’t match the figure. Here, the suit is pretty close, but the hair isn’t.

Starfire is a great looking figure and I’m happy to have her with my Titans, but I have the same problems here as when I reviewed the Collector Edition Green Lantern… the money doesn’t add up. In this case, with flimsy wrists, no extra hands, recycled effect parts, and some sprayed paint lines, it’s hard to see how this is a premium figure. She’d be a solid release for the regular line, but I’m just not seeing where my extra ten bucks went. I’ve said it before, I think Todd is just stacking this premium line with regular figures of characters that they think are in demand enough to sell at the higher price point. And I’d say it’s probably working, because I rarely see these go on clearance, so either the demand is there or they aren’t producing as many.