What’s this? An actual DC Friday? Yup! It’s hard to believe I used to have enough material (and time) to do these every week, but if sure feels good to come back to it every now and then for old time’s sake. If you’ve been with me for a while than you may know I was an avid collector of the second series of DC Collectibles’ Cover Girls cold-cast porcelain statues. But when the series rebooted again I decided that in the interest of diminishing display space that I would call it quits. For someone with very little willpower when it comes to buying collectibles, I have remained surprisingly true to that decision. That’s not to say that I haven’t been admiring them from afar. And ultimately, it was a price that I couldn’t refuse on Mera that made me finally dip my toe into this third series. It’s been about two years since I last visited with this line, so I’m more than ready!

The previous line was based on the art of Stanley Artgerm Lau, whereas this time around it’s Joelle Jones’ turn and I dig both artists’ work a lot. The packaging on this line hasn’t changed much since my absence, although this time around they are scaled bigger and the size of the box obviously reflects that. The statue still comes in a fully enclosed box and sandwiched between two Styrofoam trays to keep it safe. I’ve heard one or two horror stories about breakage with this new series, but I was happy to see that mine survived. The only assembly required is pegging Mera’s single foot post into the base. Let’s do that and check her out!

Standing tall and proud, Mera strides across the waves with confident poise and her head held high. It’s an appropriately regal look for the Queen of the Depths. And regal is also the word I would choose to describe her attire. She sports the very familiar form-fitting scaled bodysuit with some stylish gold piping on her arms, torso and boots. I also dig the stylized “M” strategically placed where her belt buckle would be. The bulk of the scales are painted over in a stunning emerald green, as are the boots. The center of her chest and her arms are painted gold, making for a very striking two-tone deco. Every detail on this costume is part of the sculpt and the precision and quality of the paint applications are both excellent.

Moving on to the portrait, and oh boy do I get a major Filmation (as in He-Man/She-Ra) vibe off of this. I’m not sure if it’s from the eyes, but I saw it right away and can’t unsee it. It’s not a bad thing, mind you, just that I find the styles highly similar. Mera’s face is framed by a gold tiara, behind which flows her voluminous red hair. The sculptor really went over the top on her hair and it looks great. The painted facial features match the impecable quality of the rest of the piece. Her eyes are straight and even and the eyebrows and lips are crisp and sharp. No complaints here.

And that brings us to the base. As with the previous Cover Girls Mera, they went with a translucent plastic to simulate water and the effect works beautifully. The splashing water erupts from beneath her feet and curls up at the ends, all set upon a disc-shaped platform. Flip the base over and the bottom is branded with DC Collectibles and shows that the piece is hand-numbered. Mine is 324 of 5000 pieces produced. The previous series produced 5200 of each, so it looks like they shaved a whole 200 off each run.

The previous Cover Girls Mera was one of my favorite statues in that series, so it comes as high praise when I say I like this one almost as much. There are actually some things this one does better, like that superb water effect, and in truth this one has a far more intricate sculpt. Plus the green paint used for her suit looks a bit more premium here. With that having been said, I do really like the way the Artgerm version is balanced, as if defying gravity, and the portrait is less stylized and still absolutely drop dead gorgeous. Did I really need two Meras on my Cover Girl shelf? Nah, but I picked this one up over the holidays for around $40, which was a deal I could not refuse and I’m glad that was the case because she is a very beautiful piece. Does it mean I’m going to dip into any more of this third series? Eh, maybe. I sure have been eyeing that Catwoman, so if you’re interested in that one you may want to keep watching this space.

The current incarnation of Cover Girls of the DC Universe is running out of time. There are only three more statues due to release before it reboots in favor of a new artist. Conversely, there are only three previously released Cover Girls that I need in order to get all caught up, and I’m opening one of those today. I hope you like Tamaranean T&A, because it’s time to check out the lovely Princess Koriand’r!

I’ve showcased enough of these statues by now that I have precious little left to say about the packaging. Starfire comes in a fully enclosed box and sandwiched between two styrofoam trays. It’s not the snazziest presentation out there, but it’s collector friendly, and I’ve yet to receive one of these pieces damaged, so obviously the packing is doing its job. Starfire requires no assembly. She’s already attached to her base and ready to go.

And WOW! Starfire hovers in mid-flight supported by the toe of her right boot, which dips into the fiery trail left behind by her hair. There are so many things I love about the composition of this piece. The graceful flow of her body, tapering off to her outstretched right hand is absolute poetry and the way her hair arcs alongside her is stunning. It’s not only a great comic statue, but a wonderful study of the female form. The balance (both literal and figurative) of the statue is also fantastic, as Starfire looks like she’s defying gravity. Cover Girls is so often about museum-style posing, but every now and then DCC lets loose and delivers a release like this one. It’s definitely one of the most kinetic statues in the line, and yet she still feels right at home when displayed among her fellow Cover Girls.

The costume is lifted directly from her appearances in Red Hood and the Outlaws, although purple and skimpy has almost always been the order of the day for Koriand’r, so this New 52 look isn’t a huge departure from her more classic appearances. Granted, she covered up a bit more once she got her own book by Amanda Connor, but that’s another statue for another day. It’s perhaps worth noting that there isn’t a lot of sculpted muscle definition here. I only tend to notice it around her abs area where it’s totally smooth. Not a problem for me, but I thought it was an interesting choice on the part of the sculptor and I feel it gives her a slightly more animated appearance.

From the neck down, the paint on this piece is quite good, both in terms of quality and application. The metallic purple used for her costume is right on the money and is nicely complimented by the silver borders. Her distinctive orange skin is just the right shade as well as being smooth, warm, and even. There are a few areas on mine where the paint lines don’t quite conform to the sculpted lines, but I really had to scrutinize her carefully to notice them. Needless to say whatever tiny flubs are here, don’t bother me at all.

And as long as we’re doing paint checks… nothing wrong back here!

I like the portrait a lot, but I think there are just a few areas for improvement here. Normally, I wouldn’t bother mentioning them, but since all I’m doing is gushing over this piece, I’ll play devil’s advocate for a bit. The first is just my personal preference that I would have liked to see a little smirk or smile on her face. As it is, it’s a very neutral expression, and that’s fine. There’s so much great stuff going on here, that I’m not immediately drawn to her expression anyway. Secondly concerns the paint application, which is a tad off on the hairline and the lips, both of which are only really an issue if I get in super close and start to scrutinize it. Still, it’s not bad and I’ve seen far worse paint applications on far more expensive “premium” statues.

The base manages to maintain the uniform oval generic theme of this line, while still going above and beyond. For most of the Cover Girls, the bases are just something for the figures to stand on, but here, it’s an integral part of the presentation, as her hair flows down and transitions into the fire effect. It’s beautifully done and genuinely hard to tell where the cold-cast porcelain ends and the translucent plastic begins. The effect is quite similar to what we saw with Bleez’s fire base and Mera’s water base. It’s an effect that could easily make or break the statue, but here it succeeds brilliantly. As always, the limitation is hand numbered on the bottom of the base. Mine is 2,223 of 5,200.

Starfire’s MSRP is right in line with the other Cover Girls at around $100. It’s certainly a fair price for what you’re getting, but I try to do a little bargain hunting when it comes to this line, and was able to pick her up for just under $70. Between the elaborate marrying of hair and base, the vibrant combination of colors, and just the overall beauty of her form, I think this is one piece that really sticks out, even in a display case full of Cover Girls releases. It’s also a piece that makes for a great stand-alone representation of Koriand’r for someone who isn’t collecting the line. And considering that Kotobukiya’s Bishoujo Starfire is now selling for well over $100, this one is a damn good value too.

Apologies to DC fans who have missed DC Friday for the last two weeks, but truth be told, I’m almost caught up with opening my DC figures and statues, so I’ve been rotating DC Fridays out in favor of other areas. It’s going to continue to be a little hit-or-miss in the weeks ahead. But I’m bringing it back home today with a look at another DC Cover Girls statue. This time, it’s one of my all time favorites… Power Girl!

If you’re unfamiliar with this line, these are approximately 9-inch scale, cold cast porcelain statues released in numbered editions. The box she comes in is mostly white with, in this case, a blue swipe running down the the front. You get some photos of the statue and credits to the designer, Stanley Lau, and the sculptor, Jack Matthews. The box is fully enclosed and collector friendly. The collectible comes wrapped in plastic and sandwiched between two hearty styrofoam bricks. The only assembly required is to plug Kara’s feet into the base via the metal posts. It’s a comfortable fit, they go in easy and despite just balancing on one foot, she’s very sturdy.

Power Girl stands confidently with one knee bent and palming her fist as she prepares for a fight (someone’s about to get the most enjoyable beat-down they’ll ever get in their life!), while a breeze blows her half-cape and short coif of hair off to the side. This is a great pose that not only characterizes the nobility and courage of Power Girl beautifully, but also fits in right at home with her fellow Cover Girl statues. It’s cover-worthy composition with the promise of a little action to come.

The sculpt does a fantastic job of recreating Power Girl’s timeless outfit. The white one-piece features sculpted seam lines and some slight wrinkles to suggest it’s properly snug in all the right places. Of course, you also get the high collar and her iconic boob window. Hey! Her eyes are up there, mister! Her cape is perfectly sculpted to billow in the breeze and is secured by a sculpted gold painted disc and braided cord. The rest of her costume is rounded out by her blue buccaneer boots and gloves and a blue belt with gold buckle. About the only downside is that her cape obstructs the view of her caboose. Just saying.

The coloring and quality of paint on this statue are both exceptional. The white is clean with a subtle glossy sheen, the blue is deep and rich, the red is vibrant, and the gold adds that perfect little pop to the whole ensemble. What’s more the flesh tones on her legs and chest are warm, even and clean. When it comes to the figure itself, I have to say I’ve seen far more expensive statues painted with a lot less care than this one.

The portrait is spot on and absolutely lovely. The shape of her face and the contours of her perfect nose make her a sight to behold. The paint on the eyes, eyebrows, and lips is all crisp, and the sculpting on the wind blown hair is perfect. If I wasn’t already in love with Power Girl, admiring that face would surely push me over the edge.

The base is the standard oval that we’ve been seeing throughout most of this line. It’s painted white with blue edges and you get her trademark “P” at the cardinal points. The base is also the only place on this piece where the quality of paint application stumbles a bit. It’s not terrible, but the lines are certainly not as straight and even as they could have been. Nonetheless, if the paint has to take a hit somewhere, I’d much rather it be down on the base than on the figure itself. As always, the limitation is hand numbered on the bottom of the base. Mine is 2,722 of 5,200.

The suggested retail here is around $99, but a little patience and hunting netted me this one for $66 shipped and it’s hard to beat that! Most people who know me are surprised that I didn’t jump on this one the moment it was released. The truth is that most of the official photos gave me pause. Even the shots on the box don’t do the finished product justice at all. When she arrived and I opened her, I was practically bracing myself for disappointment. And in fairness, my love of Power Girl means that I often hold her merch up to especially high standards. But, as it turned out, I couldn’t possibly have been more delighted with the way this statue turned out. I have just a few more DC Cover Girls to get caught up on and then there’s three more yet to be released this year before DC Collectibles reboots this line again with a new artist. Will I still be on board after the reboot? Most likely.

I’m just about done going back and picking up all the older Cover Girls that I needed to fill out my collection. In fact, Mera here was one of the last. There are a couple recent releases I still need to grab, Raven and Power Girl, but what the future holds for this line is still uncertain. The only Cover Girls solicit I’ve seen for 2017 so far is Hawkgirl, so it could be that DCC is wrapping this one up. And that would make sense, what with the shakeup from New 52 to ReBirth this year. But I’d best not get ahead of myself, let’s live in the moment and have a look at the lovely Mera!

After looking at over a dozen of these ladies, there isn’t much new to report about the packaging. Mera comes in a fully enclosed box with some pictures of the statue on the front and side panels. The back panel advertises the Katana statue that I’ve already looked at here, and Starfire, which I’ll be getting around to eventually. As usual, the statue comes wrapped in plastic and encased in a styrofoam brick. The base comes separate from the figure, so you need to do some assembly that is minor, but no less harrowing. I’ll come back to that when I talk about the base.

Once set up, Mera makes for both a majestic and gorgeous display piece. All of these statues are executed in roughly a 9-inch scale, but Mera’s a bit bigger since she’s elevated. She rises from the waves with her back arched and her right arm reaching out to the unseen object that has captured her gaze. For a line that has gotten by with mostly static and almost museum-style poses, Mera here really breaks tradition with a composition full of grace and energy. Just the engineering of the balance here is impressive as she appears to defy gravity.

Mera is clad in her fish-scaled green bodysuit that covers from the tips of her toes all the way up to her shoulders, allowing for a deep and revealing plunging chest cut-out and ending with long sleeves. Apart from the individually sculpted scales, the only other detail and paint variation on the bodysuit itself comes from the gold shell patterns on the cuffs of her sleeves. The green paint used for the suit features an appropriate sheen and the flesh tone used for her hands and exposed neck and cleavage is soft, warm and evenly applied. The paint and quality of application here is some of the best I’ve seen in this line.

Mera’s portrait also ranks up pretty high on my list. Previously, my favorite was the other green costumed redhead, Poison Ivy, but I think Mera is giving her a run for her money. The sculpt is beautiful and the paint applications, from her lips to her eyes, are neat and precise. The subtle green eye shadow is a nice touch as are the gold hoop earrings. She has a gold tiara and her red hair spills out the back, with some stray strands snaking around her neck. Oh yeah… and bewbs! Mera is not too modest to show off her goodies.

As a rule, I don’t have a lot to say about the bases on these statues, but Mera’s is an exception. She manages to retain the familiar and uniform oval style with her emblem positioned at the four cardinal points. However, this time instead of a mere painted platform, we get a sculpted transparent blue wave of water that cradles her feet and ankles. It’s a similar flourish that we saw with Bleez’s firery base and it looks just as magnificent here.
What’s also magnificent, and a little scary, is the fact that Mera does not have any actual pegs or posts to support her connection to the base. Instead, the waves are sculpted so that they grab her ankles and provide a slot for her right toes. There are no instructions, and it took me a while to get the figure positioned correctly in the base. And all the while, I was worrying about scratching her paint. Fortunately, the plastic waves are soft, and when you do make the connection, it’s secure enough that you can pick her up from the figure and that base isn’t going anywhere. That having been said, if I ever need to re-box this lady, I’m not looking forward to trying to get the two apart again.

As always, the bottom of the base is hand numbered. Mine is 2,561 of 5,200.

In a line that seldom disappoints me, Mera shines all the more brighter. One of the things that has impressed me the most about the Cover Girls line is the work that DCC puts into some of the backbench characters. Statues like Mera, Katana, Bleez, and Vixen have all turned out fantastic and certainly rival some of the A-listers in terms of overall sculpt and composition. And maybe I just have a thing for busty red heads in tight green costumes, but Mera and Poison Ivy are among my favorites in this collection. As always, these statues carry an MSRP of about $100, but are easy to find a lot less. Indeed, Mera is currently being clearanced out at a number of online retailers and I was able to pick her up for the sweet price of $65.