Despite not being an actual member of the Suicide Squad, the first Hot Toys figure from the upcoming film adaptation is none other than the Joker. Sure he plays a part, but just how large nobody can say for sure. We do know he's not one of the bigger pieces in the play, but his cameos throughout the film are clearly enough to generate more interest than the rest of the actual Squad members that star in the movie. At last insofar as Hot Toys is concerned.

What's most curious about this Toy Fairs exclusive (Hot Toys' series of yearly convention offerings) is how specific it is, and how limited it is. And I don't mean the availability. I mean it's a really limited figure in how it can be posed. Sure, there supposedly 30 points of articulation hidden in there, but with the straitjacket constricting him, there isn't a whole lot this Joker can do. It's a pretty good Jared Leto though, so there is that.

To this point, the Joker figures (and the rest of the Suicide Squad figures) haven't been anything to get excited about. Mattel's efforts, which are hitting stores now, are painfully average at best. While they are much more affordable than the Hot Toys Joker we're looking at here, it could be argued that money you're saving isn't quite as valuable comparatively. To be fair to Mattel, at least those figures certainly have visible and easy to understand articulation. Whether or not the lack of impressiveness is worth 10 times the cost is something only you'll be able to decide.

Anyway, going with such a specific version of the Joker for the first figure in the Suicide Squad line is an odd choice. I'm willing to bet there will be at least two other Jokers released in this line, too, and waiting out that purple snake skin coat version or a possible tuxedo version seems more the safe bet. You really have to be a Joker fan --- and a fan of this particular incarnation, which no one has seen in action --- to be invested in such a singular moment in time being on your shelf forever. That he looks so good does bode well for the rest of the upcoming characters though, so keep those fingers crossed Hot Toys doesn't fall prey to its own inconsistencies again.

The Suicide Squad Joker (Arkham Asylum) sixth-scale figure is available for pre-order from Sideshow Collectibles now for $219.99, and is expected to arrive in Q3 2016.

 

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