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The pure talent of the artists working for Tonner Doll Company reveals the genius of the company as a whole. Though some toy collectors may be scared of the label doll, the unbelievable artistry of Tonner’s “Character Figures” show these collectibles to be unparalleled in design, construction, and look. And considering I own several Character Figures myself, all prominently displayed amongst the rest of my superhero toys, it’s hard to ignore their size, impressiveness and beauty. That being said, today we examine another character in the Tonner DC Stars line: Poison Ivy.
The box, similar to other DC Stars releases, comes completely in black with the DC Stars’ logo at the bottom. The fact that the box doesn’t catch your eye makes sense, as the goal isn’t for the box to attract collectors, but safely deliver what’s IN the box...
Upon opening the box, you'll find yourself staring at closed flaps made of tissue paper. Further investigation reveals the beautiful Poison Ivy and her accessories, bagged and stapled to the interior of the box for safe keeping. Covered in plastic, the figure’s hands and upper body come protected while a hair net covers the head to protect the hair and face.
The accessories contained within the box include the arm and base to her display stand, her boots and a leaf decorated belt. Let’s take a look at her boots first. These boots are an amazing bit of work, decorated with leaves in a few various places on the surface. They are made of what looks like leather. When placed on the legs the boots create a very sexy aura. The boots have a hand-sewn zipper along the back that moves up and down rather easily providing a snug fit. Once the zipper has been pulled down, they open up rather wide to accommodate placing the dolls feet into them, and then they can be zipped back up along the calf.
Poison Ivy's leaf decorated belt is also very nice. To put it on, simply loop it around her torso and through itself letting the belt hang seductively off of her waist.
This display stand for Ivy has been designed a little different from some of the others in the DC Stars series. Instead of going around her waist like the others, the stand is made so that she sits on it. It’s a little strange at first, but it helps her stand without getting in the way of her ornate belt. The arm’s post fits into the base securely and allows for a bit of back and forth movement.
Poison Ivy has quite a bit of articulation for a doll of this nature, but it’s the details in this doll that really sell this piece. Ivy is decked out in her iconic suit, Tonner tailoring it perfectly! She wears a green one-piece over her upper body that has been decorated to appear covered in leaves, similar to the ones on her boots and belt. Her legs are encased in green pantyhose.
Around her upper body Tonner has added a nice detail of what appears to be a group of vines that have a piece of poseable wire in it so they can be bent and moved around her arms. Her one-piece drapes over her shoulders, down around her arms and ends right before her wrists. Very cool small details like this is what propels these "Character Figures" from the normal realm of dolls and into true pieces of art.
The body and face are sculpted and cast in soft vinyl. This really seems to allow a far greater range of detail on the faces of Tonner products. Her fingernails and toenails are painted green, another very cool little detail. But it is her face where Tonner's talent truly shines.
Ivy’s face has been sculpted and painted in a very seductive and alluring manner. First, her hair has been made from hand-rooted saran and has been done in such a way that it hangs in numerous curls. A vine weaves through her locks adding to the beautiful craftmanship. Tonner’s dolls always have some amazing hair on them.
Over all, this is one Tonner Doll release that you should find and add to your collection. I know it’s going to be displayed in a prominent location in mine.
You can find Poison Ivy for sale at www.tonnerdirect.com or from some of our fine sponsors listed above, priced at around $130. CLICK HERE for more images of Tonner's Poison Ivy.
Review and Photos by Jason Devall
Review Sample Courtesy of Tonner Dolls