Monday, November 7, 2016

Silly, Cute And All Right, The 2016 Supergirl Ornament Is A Mixed Release!


The Good: Good pose, Decent balance, Different rendition of the character
The Bad: Odd choice for an ornament, Light on coloring/sculpted details, Seems expensive for the character
The Basics: The 2016 Hallmark Keepsake Supergirl DC SuperHero Girls ornament is an odd choice for a DC Comics-themed Hallmark ornament that is about as good as could be done given the source material.


Somehow, I have gotten a bit into Supergirl, the character. Most of my attention for Supergirl comes from getting into the CW television show Supergirl because Lynda Carter was cast as the President of that DC Comics Television Universe. So, when Hallmark announced it was making a Supergirl ornament for 2016, the natural assumption would be that it would be the Melissa Benoist Supergirl rendition of her. But, alas, once again, assumptions are what they are and Hallmark has rather bafflingly released the DC SuperHero Girls version of Supergirl as their 2016 Supergirl ornament. In addition to being an obscure choice for the ornament release - it feels exploitative as DC SuperHero Girls is a series of three-minute shorts that has only had about thirty episodes over the past two years. In other words, this rendition of Supergirl is hardly iconic or instantly recognizable.

It is the DC SuperHero Girls version of Supergirl, leaping into action, that is the subject of the 2016 Hallmark ornament!

Basics

The Supergirl ornament faithfully presents Supergirl as seen on the smattering of episodes and specials produced for the DC SuperHero Girls series. This version of Supergirl features the iconic DC Comics super hero in high top sneakers, with a headband, in an outfit that has short sleeves, a collar, and a white trim at the bottom of her skirt. In addition to her flowing blonde hair and over-large eyes, this version of Supergirl has a cape that looks good and like Supergirl is in motion.

The ornament, released in 2016, is a very basic work for both the sculpted and coloring details. The colors are cast and painted in monotones and the detailing lacks finer points, like fingernails. Measuring four inches tall, two inches wide and three and one-quarter inches deep, the DC SuperHero Girls Supergirl ornament is one of the few DC super hero-based ornaments released by Hallmark and what might be most frustrating about it is that it is released at the same price point as the three character ornaments based on a live-action work, which are much harder to get right.

The Hallmark DC SuperHero Girls Supergirl ornament is made of durable plastic and it looks good. Supergirl's costume is colored in red, white, and blue for the outfit, with yellow accents and the typical "S" symbol painted onto the character's chest. This version of Supergirl looks just like Supergirl from DC SuperHero Girls, as voiced by Anais Fairweather. The sculpt is decent and detailing like the way the legs are molded and the character's left hand is raised for the sky make it look like Supergirl is ready to lift off and fly!

As for the coloring, the DC SuperHero Girls Supergirl is very basic, which makes some sense given the animated nature of the character the ornament is based upon. The skin tones are monolithic, save the bright pink lips and the rest of the character is very basically colored. The accents on the sneakers are somewhat sloppy for both molded and coloring detailing, but the "S" House Of El symbol looks quite good; crisp and clean. But the coloring makes the character look exactly like this version of Supergirl actually is: very simple and animated in appearance.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the Supergirl could have a sound chip, but she does not. This is just a basic rendition of Supergirl as she appeared on DC SuperHero Girls without any additional flair.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Supergirl ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate super hero Christmas Tree, the Supergirl ornament is anything but an essential piece, at least in this incarnation. The ornament has the standard brass hook loop embedded into the top of Supergirl's head, on her flowing hair. While it is hard to make such a thing invisible, the hook loop looks a bit obvious at that point. From the hook loop's position, the DC SuperHero Girls Supergirl ornament hangs fairly level, which is good for her action pose!

Collectibility

Hallmark Keepsake began delving into the collectibles market in 1991 with Star Trek when it introduced the exceptionally limited edition U.S.S. Enterprise ornament (reviewed here!). Since then, they have made ornament replicas of almost all major franchises like DC comics, The Wizard Of Oz and Harry Potter. The DC SuperHero Girls Supergirl ornament did not sell out at any of the Hallmark stores I have yet been to, which probably has to do with this being a very new and not inherently popular version of the iconic character. Especially is DC SuperHero Girls is cancelled sooner, as opposed to later, it is hard to imagine this ornament truly appreciating in value.

Overview

Fans of Supergirl and DC comics characters are likely to have a decidedly mixed opinion of the DC SuperHero Girls Supergirl ornament. Hallmark did the best they could with the source material, but it was an odd choice to choose this rendition of Supergirl and it was released with hardly impressive results.

For other DC Universe Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2016 Wonder Woman Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice ornament
2015 Lynda Carter As Wonder Woman
2014 Bane The Dark Knight Rises (Limited Edition)
2014 1989 Batmobile
2014 Defender Of Mankind Superman
2013 Man Of Steel
2013 Descending Upon Gotham City Batman ornament
2012 The Bat The Dark Knight Rises Limited Edition Ornament
2012 Catwoman ornament
2012 "Beware My Power" Green Lantern ornament
2012 The Dark Knight Rises
2011 Batman Takes Flight
2011 Green Lantern
2010 Limited Edition Harley Quinn
2009 Wonder Woman ornament

5/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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