Tag Archives: DC Universe Classics

#0516: Katma Tui

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

KATMA TUI

DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS

KatmaTuiDCUC1

Occasionally, the randomized list from which I pick the next review doesn’t seem quite as random as it should be. Right now, it seems like it’s in a DC Universe Classics sort of a mood. Which is alright, I guess. This does, however, mean that my typical re-hash of my issues with Mattel seems more than a little redundant. So, yay for the readers! No “Ethan hates Mattel” rant.  One of the things that the line definitely had a focus on (outside of re-creating Super Powers) was the Green Lantern side of the DC Universe. Since I’m a pretty big GL fan, I really didn’t have a problem with that. So, what do you get when you combine DCUC’s penchant for making somewhat obscure characters with a focus on Green Lantern stuff? You get Katma Tui, (gesundheit!) one of the earliest non-earth Green Lanterns. Katma was somewhat prominent in the GL books into the mid-80s, where she was paired up quite nicely with Earth GL John Stewart. Then she was killed off rather stupidly, and, in a rarity for comics characters, she actually stayed dead. Hence the obscurity. But, here she is, so let’s review the figure!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

KatmaTuiDCUC2Katma was released in the 11th Series of DC Universe Classics. The series marked the first real entrance of GL stuff; John Stewart was the anchor figure, Kilowog was the Collect-n-Connect, and there were also two GL villains (Shark and Cyborg Superman) featured. Katma mostly squeaked in by association. The figure is about 6 inches tall, with 25 points of articulation. Katma is based on her late 70s look, from when she was one of the main characters in Green Lantern Corps. It’s the way the character looked when she was at her best, and it’s more distinctive than the generic GL uniform she had before, so it’s a good choice of design. Sculpturally, Katma’s rather straight-forward, especially for a DCUC figure. She was built on the first female buck (the only one at the time) with a new head and right hand. The buck isn’t a bad body, though it isn’t without issues. The most glaring is how small the arms are in comparison with the rest of the figure. If they were just a little bulkier, they’d look a lot better. Other than that, the body’s pretty decently proportioned (an argument could be made that the legs are a touch too long. I’m a rather long-legged person, so I don’t notice that kind of thing very often). No insanely large breasts or impossibly small waist, which is always nice to see. The new pieces fair better than the re-use here. He hand is pretty standard, but still well sculpted. The head is easily the best piece of the figure. It’s a pretty much pitch-perfect recreation of how Katma’s been depicted in the comics. To a fan of the character, it’s pretty clear who it’s meant to be. The hair in particular is spot-on, both in shape and in the level of texture and detail present. The figure’s paintwork is decent, if maybe not outstanding. The work on the head is generally pretty clean, and they managed not to make her eyes look too wonky, so that’s good. The costume isn’t quite as good. The logo looks pretty sharp at least, but most of the transitions between the green and black areas of the figure are really soft, which doesn’t grant her the sharp look she should have. Also, this is probably more of a personal preference thing, but the green just feels too dark. Katma came armed with sword and shield constructs, as well as the torso of Kilowog.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Like Green Arrow from the other day, Katma was a DCUC figure I was actually able to find at retail. My dad and I ended up coming across a pair of Katmas at our local TRU, which was pretty cool. If I’m honest, Katma’s not one of the most thrilling DCUCs produced. That said, she’s still a pretty solid figure, and I’m happy that the character was given the chance to get an action figure. My GL collection wouldn’t have been the same without her!

#0512: Green Arrow

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

GREEN ARROW

DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS

GreenArrowDCUC1

In a lot of ways, Mattel’s DC Universe Classics was really the true successor to ToyBiz’s run on Marvel Legends. Now, before you grab the pitchforks and the torches, hear me out. Both lines were the hottest action figure line around at the time of release, both offered a surprisingly expansive look at their respective universes, and both were renowned for their representations of obscure characters. They’ve also both begun to show their age, and they were both a pain in the butt to collect. And of course, they both have their fanbases, who don’t tend to like being compared to each other. If I go missing, you know where to look. In the moment, I think I enjoyed collecting DCUC a bit more, just because I gained more of a mastery of tracking stuff down online, which made getting the figures I wanted a whole lot easier. So, why not have a look at one of my favorite figures from that line, Green Arrow.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

GreenArrowDCUC2Green Arrow saw release in the 9th Series of DC Universe Classics. He served as the “anchor figure” of the series. With shows such as Arrow on the air, Green Arrow being an anchor figure nowadays wouldn’t be a huge shock, but at the time, it was actually a pretty bold move. However, given the presence of another 11 series of the line after this one, it’s safe to say it paid off okay. The figure is about 6 ½ inches tall and he has 27 points of articulation. He gets an extra two points of articulation compared to others in the line thanks to some hinge joints at the wrist, in addition to the usual swivel joints. It’s a nice addition, although it would have been nice if they’d made it standard to the line. Green Arrow is based on Oliver Queen’s Bronze Age (read: 70s-80s) appearance. It’s easily the character’s most distinctive look, and it’s one he’s returned to many times over the years. Also of note, it’s the look he had in the DC Super Powers line in the 80s, which was what Mattel was working to recreate.  DCUC generally operated on the buck system, but characters such as Green Arrow tend to need more unique pieces than others, resulting in him being more new than re-use. The waist, upper legs, and shoulders are re-used from the medium sized buck, but I believe everything else on the figure is new. Ollie ended up with one of the best sculpts DCUC had to offer in that regard. All of the little details of the costume are sculpted, and they are done with the necessary precision. They are also spot on to design from the comics, right down to those weird draw string things on the front of his costume. The pointed shoulders of his costume also help to mask the slightly large shoulders that were an issue with the line, and the rest of the pieces being new meant that Ollie ended up with a build that was appropriate to him. The figure’s hands are both sculpted to work well with the accessories, and they really turned out great. The head sculpt really makes this figure, perfectly capturing the Neal Adams Green Arrow of the 70s. He’s got just the right “charming rogue” look, which sells the character really well. In addition, they’ve managed to render his hat in three dimensions without it looking the slightest bit silly, which is really great. Where the figure ends up falling down just a bit is the paintwork. The paint certainly isn’t bad. In fact, the colors are well chosen, and it’s overall pretty clean. However, there’s a little bit of slop and bleed over. The worst thing on my figure is the airbrushing, particularly on the face. What was clearly meant to be a little bit of color on his cheeks ended up looking rather ridiculous, almost to a clownish level. The figure included his signature bow, a few different arrows, and a clear blue display stand. The bow ends up being another point of contention. There’s an arrow molded to it, meaning not only can the other arrows included not be used at all, but he also can’t draw the bow back any further, and he looks silly when just holding the bow one handed. Why Mattel decided to handle it this way (and to continue to handle it so on all the archers that followed) is baffling.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Amazingly enough, Green Arrow is one of the DCUC figures I ended up finding at retail with no real issues. I stumbled across him (as well as Black Canary) at my local Target and happily purchased him. Issues with the bow aside, this was one of the best figures that DCUC had to offer, and he still holds up, even while the rest of the line begins to look dated. It’s a shame that Mattel couldn’t keep up the effort they put into this figure.

#0423: Vigilante

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

VIGILANTE

DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS

DC Universe Classics may have ended up supplanting Kenner’s Super Powers as the “greatest DC toyline,” but the line owes a lot of its life to its predecessor. It’s been viewed by many as an update on the earlier line, and it’s worth noting that DCUC ended up releasing an update of every figure in Super Powers. But it seems that wasn’t enough. They decided to go further and release several of the characters who would have been featured in the proposed 4th Wave of the line. While some characters, such as Man-Bat and John Stewart Green Lantern, aren’t too surprising in a DC line in this day and age, one character in particular, Vigilante, seems rather out of place in a current line. The character was essentially DC’s answer to the Punisher, and he was fairly popular in the mid-80s, explaining why he was set to turn up in Super Powers. However, the character died in the final issue of his series, leading to him becoming largely forgotten. Still, he turned up in DCUC, joining the likes of Jemm, Kamandi, and Tyr.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Vigilante was released in Series 8 of DC Universe Classics. Vigilante was the most obscure character in the series by far, which is really saying something in a series that contained Gentleman Ghost, Sergeant Steel, Mr. Terrific, and Dr. Fate. The figure is a little over 6 inches tall and features 25 points of articulation (yay ankle rockers!). He’s based on the character’s look from the 80s, which as far as I know, was his only look. The figure uses the mid-sized buck as a starting point, with a unique head, forearms, and left hand, as well as shins from Series 7’s Flash, and an add-on piece for his belt and holster. The medium buck is as good as ever, and it works very well for the character. The new pieces are all very well sculpted, though it’s odd that they only gave the figure one hand with a trigger finger when he’s meant to hold a gun in each hand. The head features a fully sculpted set of eyes under the visor, which is a cool touch, especially since it’s almost impossible to actually see them. Vigilante’s paint is very nicely handled. Everything is nice and clean. The colors are mostly vibrant and bold, though this figure shows the start of Mattel’s tendency to muddle the whites a little bit. Vigilante was well armed, with a mac-10 submachine gun, an m-16 assault rifle, and a revolver (special thanks to Tim for the help on those). In addition, the figure also included the left leg of Giganta, but my figure was bought loose and did not include this piece.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

When Series 8 was first announced and I heard Vigilante was in it, I assumed it would be the Greg Saunders version (who had appeared on Justice League Unlimited). When I found out this was the version of the character being released, I must admit I was a little let down. Still, it’s not a bad design, so I definitely wanted the figure. Sadly, the distribution issues hit their hardest with Series 8, and I never saw a single one of the figures on shelves.

Vigilante was the fourth and final DCUC figure I picked up at The House of Fun, which is an awesome store. Vigilante was one of the many, many loose DCUC figures the store had. I was really happy to find him. Odd choice of the character aside, this is a very well done figure. It’s a shame that Mattel couldn’t maintain the quality on this line.

#0422: Tomar Re

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

TOMAR RE

DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS

Although my interest in the character has waned a bit in the last few years, I’m still quite a bit of a Green Lantern fan. So, that means I find myself drawn to just about everything Green Lantern-related when it comes to toys. Some of it’s good and some of it’s bad. Today, I’ll be looking at the DC Universe Classics interpretation of Tomar Re, one of the many non-earth GLs. What’s interesting is that the last GL figure I looked at was ALSO a Tomar Re figure, from the movie line. I promise that this one’s better.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Tomar Re was released in the DC Universe Classics line as part of a Green Lantern themed 5-pack. He was one of two characters released exclusively in the set. Something that’s important to note about this figure is that while he’s called Tomar Re on the box, the figure actually seems to be a bit more in line with the look of Tomar’s son Tomar Tu. The differences are minor: Re was generally depicted with larger eyes with pupils and a less present mask. Ultimately, the two essentially look the same, and Tomar Re is the one more people know, so it’s a forgivable change. The figure is about 6 inches tall and he has 23 points of articulation. Tomar is built on the medium sized male buck, which is a good fit for the character. His right hand has a Green Lantern ring, and it’s been used on numerous GL figures. He has a new head, though it appears it uses the previously released Romat Ru’s head as a starting point. Romat’s scars have been filled in and a mask has been added, which is enough to sufficiently differentiate the two. The head is a truly beautiful sculpt, and it does a fantastic job of translating Tomar’s look into three dimensions. The paint work on Tomar is nicely done. Everything is very clean, and all of the details are sharp. It’s hard to tell from the pictures, but the green used here is slightly iridescent, which looks really cool and gives the costume the appropriate other-worldly vibe. Tomar includes his lantern-shaped power battery, which is a re-use of the one included with the Series 3 Hal Jordan figure. It’s been done in a darker green, which really makes it work.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Like the last two figures I reviewed, Tomar was acquired from The House of Fun. The store is a really cool place, and I definitely need to go back soon. Unlike the last two, Tomar isn’t a figure I missed in stores, and he doesn’t command a huge aftermarket price. I just was iffy about buying the whole 5-pack when I really only wanted 2-3 of the figures included. So, when I found Tomar on his own I was very happy. Tomar has long been one of my favorite Lanterns. I’ve always thought he has one of the coolest looks. The figure showcases the character spectacularly. I can’t believe I passed him up for so long.

#0421: Gold

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

GOLD

DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS

DC Universe Classics, through all of its victories, was not without its flaws. When the line ended, more than one team of heroes was left incomplete. That being said, the line did manage to finish up a couple of teams. One of those teams, the Metal Men, hadn’t seen toy form ever before. That’s not a particularly shocking thing, truth be told. The Metal Men are far from one of DC’s more well-known properties. Still, they managed to all show up in this line, and they serve as an example of the line’s strength in rendering oft-forgotten characters in action figure form.

As a bit of backstory, the Metal Men are a team of robots, constructed by Dr. Will Magnus, who were each made out of a particular metal, animated by a “responsometer” which gave each of them a distinct personality. Today, I’ll be looking at the team’s field leader, Gold, who was the member of the team who best fit the traditional hero archetype.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Gold was a figure in Series 14 of DC Universe Classics. Series 14 was the third Walmart exclusive series in the line, and it fell somewhere in between the impossible to find Series 5 and the rather plentiful Series 10 in terms of availability. Gold is a little over 6 inches in height and he features 23 points of articulation (he was released after Mattel removed the ankle rocker joints). He was the second Metal Man released in the line, following Series 12’s Iron. The figure makes use of the mid-size male buck as a starting point, with a new head, forearms, and calves, as well as a set of die-cast hands (first used on Iron), and an add-on for the front of his torso. The mid-size body is a good fit for Gold, so it was well chosen. The new pieces match up pretty well with the body, while giving him some individual flair. The head is the only piece to sport any flaws. It’s not a bad sculpt, but it doesn’t seem quite right for Gold; he should look more confident and self-assured. The hands being actual metal is cool, though the fact that they were originally sculpted for Iron means that they have some dings and things that aren’t quite right for Gold. Gold’s paint is rather straight-forward. He’s painted from head to toe with gold paint. The decision to use paint rather than gold plastic was a wise choice, as the end result is much cleaner. In addition, he also features a few details for his symbol on his head and torso, as well as his eyes. The eyes are rather clean, but the symbols are a slight bit off center. Gold included two hand attachments: a buzz saw and a pick axe. Both are well done, but the buzz saw really stands out, just for the sheer amount of imagination that went into it. If you look closely, you can see that it actually looks like a stretched out version of his hand is holding the blade. It’s a great touch. Gold also included the left leg of the series Collect-N-Connect, Ultra Humanite, who you can read about here.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

After finding Iron at a reduced price, I was all on board for getting Gold when he was released. My dad is a pretty big fan of the Metal Men, so this was one of those instances of both of us wanting a certain figure. So, when we finally came across a set of Series 14, the single Gold figure went to him. I didn’t mind, seeing as I got all the other figures I wanted, but I still hoped to find another. The figure’s price jumped and I figured I’d missed my shot. Fortunately, while checking out The House of Fun, I found a loose Gold amongst their large selection of DCUC figures. I’m happy to have the figure. He’s not perfect, but he’s pretty close, and he’s a key piece of one of DCUC’s greatest legacies.

#0420: Guardian

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

GUARDIAN

DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS

Ah, yes, DC Universe Classics. One of the most confusing lines I’ve ever collected. Purely viewing the figures offered, it’s easily the greatest DC toyline ever released (beating out Kenner’s Super Powers). The sheer breadth of the line is truly astounding. But, it was a Mattel toyline, which means the line was met with mismanagement, strange choices, and some of the worst distribution I’ve ever seen on a major toyline. An entire series of figures would be completely absent from store shelves in most areas of the country, leading to insane aftermarket prices. Because of this, I’m still filling holes in my collection two years after the line ended. One of my recent acquisitions is Guardian, DC’s resident shield wielding hero who is totally not Captain America. Let’s see how the figure turned out!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Guardian was released in Series 9 of DC Universe Classics. He’s one of the line’s more odd-ball choices, but that’s never a bad thing. The figure is a little over 6 inches tall and he features 25 points of articulation. He’s based on the original Jack Kirby-version of the character. Early prototypes for the figure showed the 90s incarnation of the character, and comments from Mattel indicated that that version might surface as a variant, but such a figure never surfaced. Sorry Guardian fans. DCUC was primarily a “buck-system” line, and Guardian is no exception. He’s built on the mid-sized buck, with a belt add-on and a new head. The mid-size buck seems like it might be a bit too small for Guardian, but it doesn’t look terrible. One thing I’ve noticed is that since getting back into Marvel Legends, the shoulders on the DCUC bucks look larger than they should, but overall, the bucks were well done, so this is a good starting point. Guardian’s head is really nice. The helmet is a separate piece, so the face is actually below it, which gives the figure the appropriate amount of depth. Guardian’s paint is rather simple, but what’s there is cleanly applied for the most part. There is a tiny bit of slop on the neck line, but that’s about it. The work on the face is the highlight of the figure, mostly due to just how clean everything is. The colors on the costume are really bright, which is befitting of a character like Guardian. They really make him pop. Guardian included his trusty shield, which is sort of silly looking, especially given the size, but it’s actually quite well sculpted. He also included the right leg of Chemo, but my figure was purchased loose and therefore did not have that piece.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I wanted a Guardian when he was released. In fact, I wanted pretty much all of Series 9. However, the series never really showed up in my neck of the woods. I was able to track down a few of the other figures from the series, but not Guardian.

The weekend before Thanksgiving, I accompanied my dad to Philcon. We decided to explore the surrounding area on Saturday and came across a very nice toy store, called The House of Fun. The store’s selection was actually a bit overwhelming, if I’m honest. Anyway, my dad and I decided to focus on the large selection of DCUC figures they had, and Guardian happened to be amongst them. I’m glad I finally found the figure. He’s often been referred to as the sleeper hit of this series, and I can see why. He doesn’t have the bells and whistles that some of the better DCUC figures had, but he’s a solidly put together figure who is just undeniably fun.

#0251: Kyle Rayner

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

KYLE RAYNER

GREEN LANTERN CLASSICS

KyleRayner

To the outside observer, the identity of Green Lantern can be a bit confusing. To date, there have been six humans to bear the name, not to mention the countless aliens that use the name throughout the universe! Which one of them you think of when you hear the name largely depends on when you were introduced to DC. Many DC fans learned about the character through Challenge of the Superfriends, which featured Hal Jordan (my personal favorite). People who were fans of Justice League consider John Stewart to be the definitive GL (with good reason). And people who got pulled into comics in the 90s, well they tend to be fans of a guy called Kyle Rayner. That’s the guy I’ll be taking a look at today.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Kyle was released as part of the first series of Green Lantern Classics, which was a subset of DC Universe Classics intended to tie in with 2011’s Green Lantern. The figure stands a little over 6 inches tall and features 23 points of articulation. He’s based on Kyle’s post-Sinestro Corps War costume, which was the one he was wearing at the time of this figure’s release (I believe he’s still wearing it, though I don’t know for sure. I haven’t read a Green Lantern comicbook in almost two years.) Personally, I think it’s his best costume, so I don’t mind it’s inclusion here, but I can understand why some people were bummed we didn’t get Kyle’s main look from the 90s. Like DC Universe Classics, Green Lantern Classics was built on the buck system. Kyle makes use of the standard medium build body with a new head and a right hand borrowed from DCUC’s John Stewart. The head is a very nice piece, perhaps one of the finest head sculpts in the line. It very nicely captures Kyle’s look. The figure relies on paint to handle most of the costume’s details. The paint does pretty well, although there are a few fuzzy lines here and there, and a noticeable line of black plastic between the greens on the lower torso and the waist. All in all, it looks pretty good, though. Kyle includes a sword construct and a piece of the series’ C-N-C Arkillo. The construct is very impressive, and snaps easily over Kyle’s hand. It’s a great sculpt, and it’s nice to see include a fun accessory for a change.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

As a Green Lantern fan, I’m sure it’s no real surprise that I ended up with this figure. Even so, this is actually one of two figures from the first series of GLC I actually kept. This was another series where my brother and I split buying a series so that one of us could get the C-N-C. He wanted Arkillo, so I helped him finish the set. Not that it took too much pressuring to get me to buy Kyle. Even amongst all the versions of Hal Jordan offered, Kyle may well be my favorite DCUC-styled Green Lantern (although John does give him a run for his money). It’s a great figure, and I’m definitely glad I got one!

#0248: Nekron

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

NEKRON

DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS

Nekron

It’s not an uncommon thing to see Death personified as an actual character in a work of fiction. It’s actually really common to see such a character appear in comicbooks. DC Comics actually has five separate versions of death, for various different groups of people. Today, I’ll be looking at Nekron, who is sort of the Green Lantern version of death I suppose. Sadly, he’s not the version of death that rides around on cosmic skis. Lower your standards on this one, guys.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Nekron was the Collect-N-Connect figure for series 20 of DC Universe Classics, which was themed around Brightest Day, a storyline kicked off by Blackest Night, which featured Nekron as the main antagonist. The figure is about 9 inches tall and has 26 points of articulation. He’s based on Nekron’s look during Blackest Night, which is slightly different from his original appearance. The figure features a completely unique sculpt, courtesy of the Four Horsemen. It’s pretty good, with lots of nice tattered and decaying textures. It does a decent job of conveying the corpse that Nekron is meant to be. The paintwork is actually quite nice. There’s no issues with slop or bleed-over, and he has some nice weathering to make him look like he’s been buried in the ground for a while. The figure features no accessories. Normally this isn’t an issue with a C-N-C, given that they’re packed with other figures in a series, but Nekron was initially shown with a scythe accessory that was dropped right before the series was released. It’s kind of important to the character, so the absence is kind of glaring.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I got Nekron along with the rest of Series 20 from online retailer Big Bad Toy Store. My brother and I decided we wanted to split the figures in the series, and since he had no real attachment to Nekron, I got to have him. I gotta be honest, Nekron’s not one of my favorite characters either, but he’s a Green Lantern villain and I do have a rather impressive Green Lantern shelf…

#0209: Stargirl

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

STARGIRL

DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS

Stargirl

If you liked yesterday’s Aquaman review, you’ll be happy to know I’ll be taking a look at yet another DC Universe Classics figure today. This time around, it’s Stargirl, who is most commonly known for her association with the Justice Society of America. She’s one of DC’s better characters in recent years, and if you’d like to know more, you can check out her entry in the Backstories section, here.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Stargirl was released in the 19th series of DC Universe Classics. The series was themed around the Justice Society, so her inclusion makes sense. Stargirl stands about 6 inches tall and features 25 points of articulation. Astoundingly for DCUC, Star Girl is almost an entirely unique sculpt. Only her forearms and boots are re-use, hailing from the 90s Supergirl from Mattel’s earlier line DC Super Heroes. The body sculpt is pretty decently done. She’s well-proportioned all around, and looks appropriate to the character. Sadly, the head doesn’t fair as well. They tried to give her a grinning expression, and she ends up looking a bit like the Joker. I’ll give them credit for trying something different, but it just didn’t work out. The paint work is all very clean, and I really like the metallic blue they used, but the head is once again hit the hardest. The paint on the teeth makes the sculpt look even worse, which is really sad. Stargirl includes her cosmic staff and a piece of series 19’s C-n-C, STRIPE. The staff is a nice piece, though it’s been molded in clear yellow for some reason, and she has a little bit of trouble holding it.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Stargirl was picked up for me by my Dad. He found her in the store and knew I’d been looking for one, so he bought it for me. I know I kinda ragged on her, but I honestly don’t think Stargirl’s that bad a figure. Sure, the head sculpt leaves a bit to be desired, but I’ve seen worse and the rest of the figure is handled very well. Plus, it’s a character I like, so I’m just glad she got a figure at all.

#0208: Aquaman – Camouflage

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

AQUAMAN – CAMOUFLAGE

DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS

Aquaman(Camo)

Aquaman tends to get a bad rap. People are very quick to label him as “lame” or “stupid.” Now, I’m not one to tell people they aren’t true fans, or say my opinion is law or anything, but I feel like people that write the character off like that aren’t really looking at the character too closely. I mean, the guy lives at the bottom of the ocean. Dude’s gotta be super-jacked! Certainly not the kind of guy I’d want to make fun of.

That being said, in the 80s, Aquaman got a mini-series where he was given a new costume to replace his classic orange and green look. It was water camouflage.  It was lame. It was stupid. And, it was one of the versions of the character released in Mattel’s DC Universe Classics. “Ethan, if you think the costume is lame and stupid, why do you have an action figure of it?” Because shut up, that’s why!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Aquaman was released in the 7th series of DC Universe Classics. He is in the aforementioned “Aqua-Camo.” The figure is about 6 ½ inches tall and features 25 points of articulation. He’s built on slightly larger male buck, which fits the king of the seas, I suppose. His head is reused from DCUC’s previous Aquaman figure. Yes, he was a total re-use figure. At least the reused parts are good pieces. The head sculpt is definitely one of the line’s stronger pieces. It has just the right amount of nobility and heroism that should be present in the king of Atlantis. One thing I did notice is that he has a slight mutilation on his face that results in some lines that shouldn’t be there. I actually like the look, as it kind of look like some cool scarring, but I imagine not everyone would be so thrilled. The paint work is pretty good. They’ve replicated the design of the suit very well, and it does really pop, which is always nice. It has a few fuzzy lines here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary for a DCUC figure.  Aquaman includes a trident and a piece of the series’ C-n-C, Atom Smasher. This is my first Aquaman I’ve reviewed on the site, so I’m gonna address this here: what is up with the tridents? Aquaman pretty much never carries a trident, and yet every single Aquaman figure’s got his friggin’ trusty trident!

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I purchased this figure for two reasons: I wanted to finish Atom Smasher, and the basic Aquaman was hard to find. Seriously, I’ve never actually seen the regular Aquaman in person. The series he was in was pretty much impossible to find. So, I had to settle for true blue here. He’s actually not a bad figure, even if I’m not the biggest fan of the costume. He also adds a nice splash (heh!) of blue to the JLA shelf.