DC Universe Classics Batman Legacy Collection Mr. Freeze

I was glad to finally get Mr. Freeze out of the latest Batman Legacy line--he was the one Bat-villain I had missed out on when I started collecting DC Universe and could still find some DC Superheroes stuff.  I'd seen the regular colored silver/blue/gunmetal-grey version many times but at prices which then seemed a tad too high.  So I waited...

And he finally got re-released in this line...with funky colors.  But that wasn't gonna stop me from snaggin' ol' Victor "Burger &" Fries here, oh no.  While the unusual Super Powers color scheme puts most off, I think it's just about wacky enough to be part of a Bat-villain display, which already has a ton of color--purpli with Joker, Red and Black with Harley Quinn, Brown with Man-BAt, Neon Green with the Riddler--some pink couldn't hurt, right? ;)

Colors aside, there weren't any changes for the re-release of Mr. Freeze, who debuted in the 2003 DCSH line.  I have to say the paint apps then were quite something. There was another release at New York ComicCon 2007 that looked like this.  Less icy, more metallic.  So that would make this repaint of that classic sculpt more, um, strawberries and cream?  (Ice cream of course--no less.)

So if you've got your fruit smoothie in hand and you're ready to go, let's take a look at the latest release of one the (n)iciest, fruitiest villains ever, shall we?

The Chase Variant Christmas Stocking!

What a Christmas it has been!  Chase Variant (aka me) didn't get lots of toys this year, but what I did get was awesome.  Quality over quantity, I always say (when I get less toys for X'mas).  So what did I receive from Santa in 2010?

Nothing.

Told you he's awesome! :P

But I did get a Masterpiece Black Optimus Prime from my wife! Thanks Dear, you're the best! :D

Thanks, Bro!

And I got me a Henkei Transformers Animated Voyager Class Black Out from the Rangerlord, all the way from Japan!

And just for good measure, he threw in a DC Superheroes Scarecrow!  Awesomeness!

Now how will I be able to open and review all these on top of the swag I got from the Singapore Toys, Games, and Comics Convention?  How?  How?

I'll also be away for the next two weeks for my much delayed Honeymoon in New Zealand.  Once I get there, I'll have no chance whatsoever to take pictures of toys.  (Photo studio's at home, see?)  I'll also be checking out whatever toy joints they might have and adding to the review backlog!!!  What terrible problems I have, eh?

Anyways, hope all of you had a great Christmas with all the toys you can have and then some.  here's also wishing you only the best for the New Year ahead!

Cheers
-Ewan

(P.s-Don't forget to check out the last review of 2010 on Chase Variant: Transformers Challenge at Cybertron 3-Pack!)

DC Superheroes Parasite!

There's nothing more this guy loves to do than suck at the sunny, juicy taste of Superman's god-like powers.  Indeed, he was one of the bad guys that keep returning to torment Superman in whichever version of the Kryptonian's universe--All-Star Superman, Kingdom Come, Red Son, the Animated Series of the 90s--you name it, he always presents a threat to Supes and is one of the few baddies who can kill the Big Blue Boy Scout out right with his powers.


Truth be told, I find the Parasite intriguing not just because of his power, but also because of his psychotic character and his avaricious appetite for sucking power and life-force out of things.  In essence, he's like a rabid drig-addict and because he's tasted Kryptonian power once, he's not going to be sated by anything less.

But where the Animated Series made him look like the standard animated big-guy-in-a-costume, this version is awful scary.  He looks like leech, has red gums and sharp teeth, and also has monstrously large and over-developed neck and back muscles--all the better to suck you with, Superman!  *Shudder*

Since this character appeared in the now defunct DC Superheroes line which focused on Supes and Batman along with their more popular enemies, we're unlikely to see him in DC Universe Classics anytime soon I guess, because he's not that popular or (correct me if I'm wrong) hasn't featured prominently in any major story arcs recently.  But there's always a chance that he might emerge as a 2-pack re-release, since we've seen many of the great sculpts from DCSH like Power Armor Luthor, Supergirl, and Man Bat make it back into the fold.  But I've been waiting on this sucker (see what I did there? :P) for too long and thanks to the  Rangerlord, I've managed to get him for cheap.

So how good is the Parasite at latching on and sucking popularity from the current hotness that is DCUC?

Click to find out!

DC Universe Classics Captain Atom

I think it speaks volumes when we look at a toy from from an older wave in a line or series we like and think that it's better than the newer stuff.  Well, Captain Atom from Wave 4 is just like that.

In fact, the loose one I got from my constant hunting companion, the Rangerlord, is probably a factory reject from China--And it's still better than whatever you can get from the current waves now (like 9 through 11.  I haven't had the chance to crack open my Mary Marvel from Wave 12 yet. ;])

Yes, the newer waves offer better paint and sculpts, while also ensuring the quality control is there for packaged figures.  And this old dude does have his paint issues and joint problems, but he does have his upsides compared to the newer figures.

Just what might they be, you ask?  Well click on the link to make the jump!

Two Face, Zero Weapons, Gotham City 5-Pack

I guess that's the only problem with DC Universe Gotham City 5-pack Two Face--he needs accessories.  And it doesn't even have to be his trademark tommy gun.  Give him a coin, give him a knife, give him a cigar, give him anything, and give us a break, Mattel!  Something's wrong when the set comes with five figures and only one has an accessory (Catwoman and her whip).

Seriously, for the S$140-150 we're being asked to fork over (works out to about S$30/US$21.40) a fig), is it too much to ask that the figures that need accessories get them?  Batman needs a batarang, Luthor needs some kryptonite or ray gun, Catwoman has her whip, and Two Face should get his tommy gun like in the DCSH release from 2007 (of which he's a repaint of).  Superman doesn't need anything and I'm sure if they didn't give him an accessory it wouldn't be a big deal.  But say Supes came with a Phantom Zone Projector or even one of Mattel's new-fangled flight stands, I'm sure lots more people would grab this 5-pack, myself included.

Well as it happened, I instead chose to try and get the 2 figures I wanted (Catwoman's the other) from the pack, hopefully loose, and be done with this set.  The best part is that no one wants ol' Harvey, really, so I only had to pay S$12 (US$8.59, shipping included) for him.  So even if he doesn't have a gun/coin/whateva, he's still a steal.

So how does stand on his own, especially when compared to the previous DCSH version (which I don't have)?

Cat's Outta the Bag!

Look what the cat dragged in!  Er, or rather the cat..er...um...yeah, it's DC Universe Classics Gotham Universe 5-pack Catwoman!

If you missed the boat to get the DC Superheroes black suit version way back when (and chances are you, like me, probably did) or you don't want to fork out a fortune for te DCSH version, then you'd really want to get this figure!

The problem then is what to do with your 17th Superman, 25th Batman, '60s Flash Gordon suit Lex Luthor (aka Danger Disco Dancer Lex), and Two-Face (but zero accesories).  In fact Catwoman is the only one of the five that comes with an accessory--her whip!

Indeed, some of you may like skin-tight-purple-shirt-starched-collar Luthor, and some (like me) will want a Two-Face to round out Bats' rogues gallery.  So what to do but turn to Ebay?  And that's where I found this gem along with half-orange-suit-half-Green-Goblin-Doc-Brown Harvey Dent (Review to come!)

But she didn't come cheap, at least far as DCUC figures and Cat Burglars go....

Heeeeeere's Lexie!

I used to hate Lex Luthor so much when I was a kid.  He wouldn't stop bugging the nice Mr. Christopher "Superman" Reeves, whichever Superman movie they showed on TV. He was there in the first one.  He's there when Zod and gang terrorize in the second. Can't remember if he made an appearance in the 3rd with Ricahrd Pryor.  But he was also there again in the 4th hatching his nasty Nuclear Man (whatever) super villain plan.



But 20 odd years on I've grown to realize why Lex is Superman's greatest enemy and will always be: he represents all that is brilliant and flawed in humanity.  He thinks he's the smartest guy around and therefore feels humanity doesn't need the Man of Steel.  So he devotes all his time and energy trying to destroy "The Alien."

But for all his intelligence he fails to see that he's wasting his brilliance trying to get rid Superman, thinking that ending Supes is the best way to serve humankind. Sounds like the Devil to me.

Such a complex character deserves a great toy to go along with it.  And granted, Mattel have come up with a 5-pack Walmart version, which is the Legion of Doom version (with funky collar) from the Superfreinds cartoons.  But this DC Super Heroes power armour incarnation from 3 years back, I feel, is the best version out there.  He's going to be released under DC Universe Classics in a 2-pack with Supergirl next year, I hear. But since I had the luck to chance upon him, I couldn't turn down the oportunity to give my plastic Supes his greatest nemesis.  So how does he measure up to the Last Son of Krypton?  Check it out.

Score!

I found him! I found him! Hahaha! It's DC Superheroes Lex Luthor (Does the dance of joy)!

And he was priced at S$35, which is retail for DC Universe figures here. But the store I walked in had a 20% discount on toys.  The best part is that the store is mainly a provision shop, selling cigarettes and tidbits and what have you, with half of it rented out to another guy who sells toys.  And is never there. And I guess decided to part with his Lex Luthor, because the last time I stumbled upon the place for the first time, Lex sure wasn't.

So with the discount, the price came to S$28, which is about US$20.  Now that's a great deal I feel, for something so rarely found here.

I've just read the Superman Batman: Public Enemies graphic novel and I've also just seen the awesome animated version, so I can't wait to crack him open and get him started in a fist fight with Supes and Bats!  And you can be sure a review will be up when I do. ;)

Bats Shows the Ropes

Uh, I'm sick as a dog. Down with the flu and my head feels like exploding, while my nose is like a faulty faucet.

But I don't feel so bad that I can't post! Here's a bit of a left over from the DCUC Batman Beyond review.

It's Bruce showing Terry McGinnis a thing or two on one of their beats:

(The Death of) DC Super Heroes Superman

Well okay, I didn't really kill him or anything. Really. But after finally hunting him down for a really good price and from a guy who kept him in loose but excellent condition, I sorta, well, injured Superman.

Since I'd found the perfect Superman sculpt in DCSH Variant Black 'S' Supes, I was sorta on the lookout for the original, yellow 'S' fig which was hard to find for 2 reasons: the DCSH line ended some time ago (like 5 years give or take) and because it seemed like Mattel sent more villains here to Singapore than Supermen. Hence a reasonably priced original Superman was tough to come by.

By lo and behold my patience was rewarded after 6 months when Mark decided to sell off his Superman collection on Ebay Singapore. I managed to benefit form this by bagging MISB DCSH Steel variant and Cyborg Superman on top of original Supes for a really, really good price. He's still got a whole bunch of DC Direct Supermen on sale so go to his seller's page to get 'em fast!

I was thrilled to have finally added the original Supes to my collection, and so I up and happily started shooting photos of him.

But alas, as he was winding up for a mighty blow on Kalibak there, I over-wound his arm and his shoulder got scratched/cut by the harder plastic of his arm-hole (right about at the chest).

My heart sunk and I thought, that never happens with my Variant Black 'S' Supes, so I went and tried winding up his arm as well--and almost did as much damage to him.

The moral of the story? After you play with a whole bunch of 3.75" figures like GI Joes and Marvel Universe figs, please be gentle with your larger scale ones. The little fellas are WAY more flexible than 6" DCSH/DCUC figs. Yep.

The good thing that came out of this is that I now also know that DCUC figures are made of better quality plastic than DCSH. Why? Because my DCUC Green Lantern also had some scuffs from a fair amount of posing, but it took some looking before I noticed the slight amount of wear in the same area of his shoulder as Supes.

The other good thing is that I now have a better feel of how new toys are not necessarily improvements of old ones. For example, the new DCUC black suit Supes may have the same shoulders as any of the DCSH Supermen, but they have a smaller, narrower chest.

Aesthetically, DCSH Supes still beats DCUC (from hair, to face, to jaw-line, to eyes, to expression). The skin tone is also more natural and pleasing to the eye.










Black 'S' Supes/ Yellow S Supes/ Black Suit Supes

I also noticed that between black variant and yellow 'S' Supes there are also subtle differences. The eyes, for one, are red on black 'S' but ice blue on yellow 'S'. And though Supes has baby blues, somehow the red eyes seem to fit better on a figure, they're somehow more piercing, viewed from near or far. His skin tone is also slightly more tan on black 'S', giving him more of a summer tan look. The biggest difference though, is the lighter, more comic book accurate blue of yellow 'S'. So while yellow 'S' is more of a classic look, black 'S' is a grim, darker variation.

But both are equally awesome, whether beating up on Kalibak...















Or fighting off Brainiac.


















So here's how I rate DCSH Original Yellow 'S' Superman.

Aesthetics: 10/10 - hands down the best Superman 6" scale action figure out there. He even has sculpted lines for his underwear. The DCUC versions don't. What can I say? Underpants beats no underpants when flying outdoors. ;)

Poseability: 9/10 - Still good, but defnitely not on the level of 3.75" Joes or Marvel Universe Heroes. Gotta be careful not to over-extend him again. :(

Fun: 9.5/10 - Lots to be had here still, especially with his cape which is long enough for him to do some off-balance poses, such as landing or taking off.

Value: 9/10 - Get him if you can find him for S$20 of below. If MISB, he'll come with a diorama stand made of some thick folded cardboard which'll make him look like he busted outta some chains.

Overall: 9.4/10 - Hey, it's Supes! I just can't wait till they come up with a DCUC Martian Manhunter and my Magnificent Seven Lineup will be complete. Ok so I need Aquaman too. But who doesn't? :P

The Man Who Broke the Bat

What the heck, he's been slimed and he's been killed. So let's check another one off the list--broken!

Enter Bane!

Here's a little of what Wikipedia has to say on this little bad boy:

"Bane has been one of Batman's most intelligent and physically powerful foes. He is best known for breaking Batman's back in the "Knightfall" story arc...

Bane was born to serve the life sentence of his father, his childhood and early adult life are spent in Peña Duro, a prison located in Santa Prisca. Though imprisoned, his natural abilities allow him to develop extraordinary skills within the prison's walls. He reads as many books as he can get his hands on, builds up his body in the prison's gym, and learns to fight in the merciless school of prison life. Despite his circumstances, he appears to have found teachers of various sorts during his incarceration, ranging from hardened convicts to an elderly Jesuit priest, under whose tutelage he apparently receives a classical education. Bane...commits his first murder at the age of eight, stabbing a criminal who wanted to use him to gain information about the prison...

Bane ultimately establishes himself as the "king" of Peña Duro prison. The prison's controllers take note and, eventually, force him to become a test subject for a mysterious drug known as Venom, which had killed all other subjects. It nearly kills him at first, but he survives and finds its effects enhance his physical strength, although he needs to take it every 12 hours (via a system of tubes pumped directly into his brain) or he would suffer debilitating side-effects."

DC Superheroes Series 1 Bane doesn't come with any accesories, but boy is he sure well detailed. And while the DCSH line has been long out of production, the detail on these figures never fails to surprise me, especially when compared with the current DC Universe Classics line.

Not that DCUC figures are poor by any stretch of the imagination (in fact it's quite the opposite), but DCSH figures such as Bane sport an older(?) method of washing that gives a different sort of paint effect.

Take Bane for example. The wash on his skin serves to give his muscles shading and definition, and at the same time makes him look a little unwashed (Like he's been Bat-bashing for hours). Haha.

DCUC figures, on the other hand, have nicely blended washes for certain colours, like the yellow on Flash and Shazam, but almost always sport flat colours (which is not always a bad thing).

I have to confess that after I impulse-snagged him for S$23 dollars, I was worried that he wasn't quite up to the mark, especially poseability-wise. You see, I realized that he didn't have a chest hinge joint present in all DCUC and leaner/smaller DCSH figures like Supes and Bats. And his leg/hip joints were probably not swivel and hinge double-joints (They're just hinges). Plus no accessory. (What?!)

But he turns out to be a very, very well articualted figure with 18 points in all. I know, that's a whole 3 points short of regular DCUC/SH figures, but what he has, he is able to move well. Bane's able to kneel on one knee (DCUC figures can't do this) all due to extra flexible swivel leg/hip joints and double ankle joints that give him forward/backward as well as side to side foot articulation. Yay!

What he lacks compared to DCUC figures are: head ball joint (Bane's is swivel), chest joint as mentioned above, 2 thigh cut joints, and 2 bicep joints. He gains the extra flexi ankles in exchange. Really, it's not bad at all. In fact, it's good. :)

And look how well he poses with Batman and Robin.

In fact, all 3 of these figures come from different generations of the DC Universe line.

Batman is from DCSH Series 3, Robin from DCUC, and Bane is of course DCSH Series 1 (which I felt has inferior versions of icons Superman and Batman. Supes with poorer face-sculpt, Bats with chest ball-joint.)

But Bravo to Mattel and DC for coming up with toys that go very well with each other across 'generations'. It gives collectors the fabulously nice option of picking fave versions of their characters and creating the ideal display. ;)

Ratings!

Character Accuracy: 9.5/10: Really nice likeness to the ideal look of the character (if there's ever such thing. Hah). Size and proportions are right for this line.

Poseability: 8.5/10: Only because his legs are in a perpetual open stance does he suffer in this category. Ok, so he has no chest joint as well. And no thigh cuts. But he can still be pose! Flexible joints. look at that wingspan! ;)

Aesthetics: 9.5 - Very nicely painted and washed. His head and tubes are just so well done! His boots are also higly detailed, right down to the soles and his hands are scary veiny due to Venom overuse. Beautiful! ;)

Overall: 9.2 - Lots more than I expected, especially after playing around and reviewing DC Direct Elseworlds Red Son President Superman (See below. Yes, I even went back and changed Pres Supes' poseability rating!). Bane is so refreshing in his poseability, yet he looks no less menacing than Kal-L. Especially when he's posed like this:

BREAK YOU!!!

BREEAAK YOU!!!

















BREEEAAAAAK YOOU!!!!

Ouch.