REVIEW: Guillem March’s HARLEY QUINN: RED, WHITE & BLACK statue leaps into action

Current events notwithstanding, Harley Quinn has been having a pretty good year. Between headlining the Birds of Prey film and the acclaimed animated series on DC Universe, everything is coming up Harley! Arriving this month from DC Collectibles is the latest from their “Harley Quinn: Red, White & Black” statue series (a collection of statues based on various depictions of Harley re-created in vivid 3-D detail), based on the artwork of Guillem March. Sculpted by Jonathan Matthews, the 6.9″ tall is based on the Harley Quinn #58 cover that imagines Harley springing into action with the Dark Knight wearing her own version of the Robin costume.

March has been the cover artist for the current Harley Quinn ongoing series since writer Sam Humphries began his run. With over two years of eye-popping cover images to bring to life, DC Collectibles certainly had an embarrassment of riches. I’m a bit surprised out of all the possible March covers, this one was chosen as opposed to Harley Quinn #49 with the titular character sporting the Apokolips armor. Perhaps seeing Harley in Apokolips armor in the cartoon just has me keen on merchandise in the near future. Here’s hoping!

I’ve seen criticism for statues that the texture and images depicted on the boxes doesn’t always accurately represent the actual product. Thankfully, this is not the case with the Guillem March statue. Matthews has crafted a beautiful sculpt. Both the cape and the skirt replicate that dramatic sense of flying through the air. You also gotta love the grooves in the statue in replicating March’s ink lines.

At first glance at he Harley Quinn #58 cover, one might mistakenly assume like I did that Harley is jumping through the air hammer in hand. But upon closer scrutiny, you’ll notice that Harley is actually sitting on her weapon of choice while Batman holds the hammer as he swings on his grappling hook. As a statue by itself, you may find it odd or confusing as to why Harley is sitting on her hammer midair without the context of the original cover. A small pedantic nitpick but one that can be easily overlooked.

The base naturally is the line’s trademark “Harley Quinn” logo. Replicating Harley’s jumping into action midair pose, the statue is supported by a thin pole. It fits snugly and tightly into the base so you don’t have to worry about any instability issues that you usually find with larger top heavy statues.

The statue arrived incredibly mint and undamaged in the box. The handle of the hammer is fairly delicate, so I could see potential damage to that part of the statue as well as the pole stand supporting the statue if improperly handled especially during transportation. But as long as you don’t jostle the statue excessively and you place it on a stable surface, it’s a superb decorative piece.

Admittedly, the Harley Guillem March statue is a bit shorter compared to others in “Red, White & Black” line that are also supported by poles in midair poses. Considering the price, collectors who expect more bang for their buck may be taken aback by the statue’s relative small size.

Nevertheless, the joy and attention to detail more than makes up for any shortcomings. Definitely consider adding it to your collection! The Harley Quinn: Red, White & Black by Guillem March statue is due in comic shops later this year.