Monday, May 21, 2012

Big Head, Big Hair, But Undeniably Jadzia Dax! Art Asylum Gets Another DS9 Figure Right!


The Good: Great sculpt, Good accessories, Coloring, Poseability, Articulation
The Bad: Cannot hold all of his accessories, Slight issue with head/hair size
The Basics: Great flexibility and a generally amazing sculpt make up for the lack of ability of Jadzia Dax to hold all of her accessories. A wonderful figure!


When I was younger, like many young adults, I baby-sat for spending money and to save for college. My young charge - for eventually I found a place that needed me with such consistency I only needed the one - was a boy who had a pretty massive collection of toys, especially of Marvel heroes. I remember distinctly the female figures because they were usually so unrealistically proportioned that it was impossible for them to stand on their own. So, for example, She-Hulk was so busty it was physically impossible for her figure to stand up in any pose except with her leaning back so extremely it always looked like she would fall backwards. So when I observe that the new Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax action figure sets a pretty good example for young women by being realistically proportioned, I'm not just being salacious.

With the release of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Series One figures, I set aside my standing rule - I had been getting rid of toys - and picked up the set of four figures. This morning, I cracked open the Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax figure to accompany the others who seem to rapidly be taking over my desk. Fans of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and of action figures will not be disappointed. This is, by far, the best Lieutenant Dax figure to hit the market yet! Indeed, with realistically proportioned breasts and a plethora of accessories, it's hard not to say that this is the best Dax figure yet. In fact, if there is one complaint to be had, it is only in the hair and the inability to hold most of her accessories.

Basics

The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Series 1 set of action figures contains a Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax figure, technically as she appeared in the last two seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (that she appeared on). She is wearing the black and gray uniform with the teal (Sciences) top peeking out from beneath. Standing seven and one-eighth inches tall, this is an amazing likeness of Lieutenant Dax immortalized in plastic. The uniform is well-detailed for the character and the face is a strong likeness of Terry Farrell's legendary character. The figure includes such important details as the continuity of spots on the neck and face! This is truly an incredible sculpt! In fact, the only problem with the sculpt is in the hair - her head is a bit boxy and the proportion of the hair makes her look a bit like the Frankenstein monster - and her fingers being opened too much so she can barely hold any of her accessories.

The paint job is generally well done. The skin tones are colored well and they even include the detailed shapes of the spots up the neck and around the eyes for a more realistic look to Lieutenant Dax! The uniform is appropriately colored and the figure looks good in that respect. In fact, my only beef with the paint job is a slight mark on the figure's communicator badge where it seems it was either not perfectly painted or it was slightly chipped away at! This is a minor complaint, even for me.

Accessories

Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax comes with six accessories: A StarFleet phaser rifle, a Type II phaser, a PADD, a bottle of Klingon blood wine, a d'ktang Klingon dagger and a bat'leth Klingon sword. That Lieutenant Dax comes with weapons makes a great deal of sense, as much of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was a war story and Jadzia was often at the forefront of that war. The Type II phaser is incredibly detailed, including accurate coloring for the buttons and charge indicator. Unfortunately, I found the figure had limited success with holding the phaser in her hand at any sort of reasonable position (though I did notice that rather incredibly the fingers flex and can be molded around different object to hold them more securely). I was disappointed there was no way to connect the phaser to Dax's hip to keep her packing but not armed.

Similarly, the Klingon knife is extraordinary in its detailing, but cannot reasonably be held by Jadzia.

The PADD is a 7/8" choking hazard that is equally incredible in its detail. This works as a decent accessory for Jadzia as she was a strategist in the Dominion War. It does fit in her hands (either of them) and instantly the bounty of accessories makes me wish that Diamond Select and Art Asylum would be ambitious enough to release a Defiant bridge playset with the helm console for Dax to sit at. It would have to be huge, but . . .

Part of that desire for a more complete Deep Space Nine environment is the Klingon blood wine accessory. If ever there were a Quark's Bar playset, the bottle would be perfectly appropriate. As it is, it fits the more jokester nature of Dax and it fits well in her left hand.

What doesn't fit at all is the Bat'leth. Unlike some of Diamond Select's toys which come with interchangeable hands, this one does not. As a result, it is near impossible to get both hands on the bat'leth to have Dax hold it for action. To be fair, though, it is remarkably detailed like the other accessories.

Then there is the phaser rifle. Three and a half inches long, this firearm is in perfect proportion to the rest of the figure and the attention to detail on it is as astonishing. Unlike the old Playmates figures, which came with solid-colored accessories, this phaser rifle is gray and black with colored details for the sight and the display. The figure is able to hold it with two hands in an appropriate pose and it's possible even to extend the right trigger finger to place it on the trigger. This is truly incredible for a toy in terms of detailing and styling.

Playability

Lieutenant Dax sets a decent standard for Art Asylum and Diamond Select Star Trek figures in terms of playability. Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax is blessed as well by having sixteen points of articulation: ankles, knees, groin socket, biceps, elbows, wrists, shoulders, neck, and waist. The neck articulation is incredible given that the base of the neck is a ball joint, allowing for up and down posing as well as left to right movement. But the shoulders are equally impressive. As ball and socket joints (like real shoulders!), Lieutenant Dax is able to strike a number of poses that might otherwise be impossible and allow her to be posed in pretty advanced poses.

Moreover, for use with actual play, Lieutenant Dax has all sorts of movement potential making her one of the more realistic Star Trek action figures to play with (for those who actually play with these toys!). But for those posing the figure for display, this is THE Jadzia figure to have. Well balanced, even in a running pose, Jadzia is kept stable by the ankle articulation that keeps her sturdy. Indeed, this sculpt balances perfectly the look of Jadzia in motion with the articulation to keep her standing. Having figures on display that do not tip over is a wonderful thing and Jadzia's balance makes her decent.

Collectibility

Art Asylum and Diamond Select mass produced the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Series 1 figures, including the Lieutenant Dax. However, their version of "mass produce" is pretty limited. Unlike previous toy lines, there are no individual numbers on these figures, but mostly they were only available at hobby and comic book shops, so it is not like they were drastically overproduced by any means. The Jadzia is one of two more common figures in the line (Odo and Ezri were exclusive and short packed, respectively) but even then, it does appear that the market was never flooded with these and as a result, it has - at the very least - retained its original value.

Overview

It is hard to complain about this sculpt as it is incredibly detailed, despite the hair and hand issues. This is the Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax action figure to buy, hands down. A must for any Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fan!

This toy is based upon Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax as she appeared from the mid-fifth season and beyond of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, reviewed here!

For other Diamond Select figures or figures of Jadzia Dax, be sure check out my reviews of:
Captain Benjamin Sisko
Ezri Dax
Jadzia Dax from “Blood Oath”

8/10

For other toy reviews, please visit my Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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