SUPERMAN — FLEISCHER

SUPER POWERS (McFARLANE)

And we are back with the Super Powers reviews, something that I find thoroughly entertaining.  With the news that Mattel will be regaining the license for DC in 2026, we’re now up in the air as to exactly how much more Super Powers there might be, but I guess right now I’m just still reveling in what we’ve got.  Today, we’re back to retreading on characters that already had coverage.  Since the beginning of his run with the license, McFarlane’s had some difficulties getting a solid Superman out at any scale, and Super Powers was no exception.  We’ve officially gotten a good Superman from the line now, but there was a lot of time before that one, so, um, here’s one of those?

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Superman – Fleischer was released in Series 8 of McFarlane’s Super Powers.  He’s one of the two unannounced “secret” variants that they did for this assortment, the other one being DKR Batman.  Both are just simple repaints of the original molds.  In Superman’s case, he’s meant to evoke his design from the Fleischer Studios movie serials.  It’s…well, it’s a mixed bag.  The figure stands about 4 3/4 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation.  Since this figure was released one series before the introduction of the new Superman mold, he’s using the Series 1 version, which, I’ll be honest, isn’t a favorite.  It’s too tall, pigeon toed, and I’m not much of a fan of the “Todd-ized” head sculpt.  It’s very clearly not meant to be the Fleischer model, so it affects how well it works.  With all that said, I’ll admit, I’ve warmed up to this one over time.  It’s not great, but it’s not awful.  His cape clasp is notably a better fit this time around, but the cape is definitely on the long side for this version of the character.  In terms of the color work, he honestly does alright.  The face paint’s a lot cleaner than earlier versions, and the eyes are decidedly less wonky.  I also do like the general color palette, as well as how the insignia has turned out.  The only down side is that the dye on the cape has stained the figure’s shoulders, which is a real bummer.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I’ve done my best to avoid this mold up to this point.  I didn’t love it when it first hit, and I haven’t loved any of its subsequent uses.  But, I do really like the Fleischer look, and it’s rare on the toy front, so I was interested, if perhaps bummed by the mold choice.  I got the opportunity to see it in person, and opted to give it a try.  It’s better than I expected.  The mold’s still got its drawbacks, but they make the best with what they’ve got.  If nothing else, he’s nifty.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.