Tag Archives: Super Powers

#3879: Superman – Movie

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

SUPERMAN — MOVIE

SUPER POWERS (McFARLANE TOYS)

This month is shaping up to a pretty solid one in terms of super hero movie coverage, with offerings from both Marvel and DC hitting in the next four weeks, both aiming to refresh the companies’ respective cinematic universes.  DC is up to bat first, with their latest attempt at bringing Superman to the big screen.  There’s a pretty decent product push for this one, in contrast to the last several DC movie projects, allowing you to get Big Blue and his supporting cast in several different styles.  McFarlane’s got both 7-inch and Super Powers figures, and if you know anything about me, you can probably guess which direction I leaned on that split.  So, without further ado, here’s another Super Powers Superman!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Superman (Movie) is part of the 12th assortment of McFarlane’s Super Powers line, which is an entire assortment dedicated to the movie.  While Super Powers has never done direct movie tie-ins previously, there were plans to do some loosely tied-in items for the Reeve movies in the Kenner days, and both Kenner and Toy Biz would use derivatives of the original molds for figures tying into the Keaton Batman movies, so it’s not entirely unprecedented.  Given the aim of the film to be more classically comic-inspired, it also seems to fit with this movie specifically.  The figure stands a little over 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation.  At his core, he’s the same as the updated classic Superman, which makes a lot of sense.  I do really like this base body, and there’s no denying that it feels like a good extension of the vintage Kenner stuff.  He gets a new head, belt, and boots in order to help make him more in line with the new movie design.  The head is clearly modeled on Corenswet, but it’s not a direct likeness, instead being kind of merged with a more traditional Superman look, for something more “style guide” appropriate.  It does seem perhaps a touch too large for the body, but not to a ridiculous extent.  The new boots and belt modify the body to bring it more in line with the modified suit design, but still keep things a little more stripped down and clean than the actual on-screen design, which I think works a little better for the line.  He’s also got a cloth cape, which I find myself liking a lot more than previous ones; the neck clasp seems to have been made a slightly less odd shape, so it sits in place better.  His paint work is decent enough.  I like the distinct color palette, as it helps him stand out more from the other Supermen.  There’s a little bit of slop/bleedover, but nothing super noteworthy.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

At this point, I really am just kind of buying all of the remaining McFarlane Super Powers, in part because I just keep enjoying them, and in part because I know we’ve only got so long before there are again no more.  I wasn’t sure about movie figures, but at the same time, I knew I wanted figures from the movie, and I also knew that I’d want new Super Powers, so I guess it does sort of work out well.  Since Clark himself sold out almost immediately most places, I resorted to ordering him from GameStop, who have remained my most reliable source for these guys.  He’s neat, and I like him a lot.

#3839: Red Tornado

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

RED TORNADO

SUPER POWERS (KENNER)

You know, the last time I broke from McFarlane Super Powers coverage to go back to the vintage Kenner stuff, it was for a spinny sort of robot guy.  So, this time around, as I break from the McFarlane Super Powers coverage, it’s to look at a vintage Kenner figure of a….spinny sort of robot guy?  What are the odds?  Well, actually 1 in 17, because there’s the 2 of them in the original 34 figure run and all.  So, you know, simple math and all that.  Last time, however, it was Cyclotron, a character made up by Kenner for the line, but this time it’s DC’s original spinny sort of robot guy, Red Tornado!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Red Tornado was released in 1985 as part of the second series of Kenner’s Super Powers line.  This was Red Tornado’s first action figure, and would remain so until Hasbro added him to their JLA line in 2000.  The figure stands 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 8 points of articulation.  He’s got all the standard articulation, plus movement at the waist, which is tied into his action feature, though it does still actually hold a little bit of posing.  Red Tornado got a totally unique sculpt for the line.  He’s sporting his second, and by far best known design, which he’d had for almost two decades at this point, so it was a sensible choice.  It’s a solid recreation of things.  The design elements are all raised, which is actually quite a nice way of handling it, and gives the design quite a bit of pop.  He gets a cloth cape, as was the usual for the line.  It’s a fairly nice cape, with the collar, and printed striping on the sides.  His paint work’s rather simple, largely just being the yellow detailing.  It does what it needs to, which is the important thing.  Red Tornado’s action feature is “Power Action Tornado Twist;” squeezing his arm spins his lower torso at the lower half.  It’s a little finicky, but not a bad recreation of his comics power.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Red Tornado is actually one my earliest Super Powers…possibly even my first?  It was either him or Aquaman.  I got him at a Farpoint, and I was exploring the dealers room with my Grandmother, and I wanted either this or the ToyFare-exclusive Reverse Flash, both of which were kind of expensive.  This wound up being the one, even though he didn’t have his cape.  He went over 20 years sans-cape, but I finally got one thanks to Jason at All Time.  He’s a neat figure, and a highlight to a line that’s already itself a highlight.

#3834: Lobo

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

LOBO

SUPER POWERS (McFARLANE)

“Lobo is crude, rude and nearly impossible to kill. The super-tough bounty hunter wanders the cosmos on his space bike, flying from one assignment to another, with plenty of pit stops at local alien bars along the way!”

When I find myself in times of trouble, Todd McFarlane comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, “Super Powers”…. No?  Not working for you guys?  Yeah, I was iffy on it myself.  But, I decided to go with it, and here we are.  Congrats on getting here with me.  Today’s Super Powers focus goes a bit more modern…sort of.  Well, post-original run…sort of.  It’s a bit of a wibbly-wobbly thing.  See, it’s Lobo, who, in the form most people know, didn’t exist until the end of the ’80s.  But, he was introduced, albeit in a rather different form, in 1983.  So, you know, there’s something there, I guess.  Anyway, here’s Lobo.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Lobo is the final of the “standard” release figures from Series 10 of McFarlane’s Super Powers.  He’s another new character for the style, and honestly, on the rather short list of proper Lobo figures.  The figure stands 6 1/4 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation.  First and foremost, this figure is *huge*.  Like, the largest Super Powers figure thus far.  Lobo is traditionally a larger character, but not usually to this level.  I mean, he towers over Darkseid.  That feels a bit off.  But, hardly terrible.  Lobo re-uses the torso from Kilowog, along with an all-new head, arms, and legs.  It’s not a bad sculpt, and it certainly looks the part, but it doesn’t really feel like it matches the usual Super Powers aesthetic.  So, he sort of just exists a bit as his own thing.  I don’t hate it, but it’s different.  The vest is cloth, which is a nifty touch, and is the one thing that definitely feels like it’s trying for the Super Powers aesthetic.  Lobo’s color work is respectable enough.  He’s definitely got some DCAU vibes on the palette, which I definitely don’t mind.  The paint application’s basic and clean, and does generally what it needs to. 

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I’ve never been a *huge* Lobo fan.  To date, the only figure I’ve ever owned of him was the Minimate, and that was largely because he came with Ambush Bug.  I do like his DCAU appearances well enough, so I don’t hate him outright.  I wasn’t sure I was gonna get this guy when he was announced, because he doesn’t quite feel like he fits the general vibe of the line.  But, I ultimately decided I’d rather get him and not potentially regret missing him later.  He’s decidedly a different vibe than the rest of the line, but I think it works okay, and he’s still a very fun figure.

#3829: Robin – Jason Todd

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

ROBIN — JASON TODD

SUPER POWERS (McFARLANE)

“Jason Todd was the second Robin and easily the most troubled. Angry and with a desperate need to prove himself, Jason’s impulsive behavior led to his death at the hands of The Joker.”

Hey, we’re back in the Super Powers realm again!  Back when I reviewed the original Kenner Robin, I discussed how, even though it was clearly Dick Grayson Robin, Dick had actually given up the mantle in the comics, with Jason Todd having stepped in as Dick’s successor the very year the figure was released.  Despite all that, Jason didn’t get a figure in the vintage line, nor was he slated to in the abandoned series.  In fact, Jason’s never even gotten a proper figure from his time as Robin.  McFarlane to the rescue, I guess.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Robin – Jason Todd is part of Series 10 of McFarlane’s Super Powers continuation.  He’s the third Robin in this continuation, the other two having been Tim Drake variants.  He’s also part of the generally new character heavy Series 10, which is generally pretty cool.  The figure stands 4 1/4 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation.  His mold is largely new; he’s re-using the torso from Tim Drake, but is otherwise new.  The new mold is clearly patterned on the vintage Robin, but with a few minor tweaks, just to keep things a little more diverse.  He’s got a unique head, and it’s honestly a rather nice piece.  It gives Jason his proper spit curls, as well as a generally more sullen expression than the other two.  Honestly, I think it’s the best of the three Robin heads.  He’s got a cloth cape, which is notably longer than Dick’s; generally, that was the case in the comics, though it was rarely as pronounced as seen here.  Still, I don’t mind the larger separation in sizes, since it further differentiates a bit more.  Jason’s color work is generally decent.  He’s a little shifted from the vintage colors, but not especially so, and it fits in well with the rest of the line.  It’s very clean in its application at the very least.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

With the addition of Nightwing early in the McFarlane line, I sort of informally considered just repurposing the vintage Robin as Jason, but there’s enough differences there that it doesn’t quite work.  So, the announcement of a proper Jason was pretty cool.  I gotta say, it’s not a drastically different figure, but it’s a good one, and dare I say a better figure than the vintage Robin?  Blasphemy? Perhaps, but that’s the vibe I’m hitting.

#3824: Jay Garrick Flash

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

JAY GARRICK FLASH

SUPER POWERS (McFARLANE)

The vintage Kenner Super Powers line had exactly one JSA member in its entire run, Doctor Fate, who was left all by his lonesome for 40 some years.  McFarlane’s revival line has greatly expanded the roster in quite a short span of time, first with a whole three-pack of guys, and now with Jay Garrick, the original Flash!  Let’s check out this guy and his very shiny hat!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Jay Garrick Flash is part of Series 10 of McFarlane’s Super Powers continuation line.  He’s the fifth JSA-er in the style, and is based on his post-“Flash of Two Worlds” look, complete with the white streaks in his hair.  The figure stands just shy of 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation.  Jay is built on the updated skinny body, patterned on the original Barry Allen Flash, which I suppose does make it a fair but of sense.  He gets a new head, which is a rather nice piece, probably the nicest of the four McFarlane JSA sculpts.  It definitely feels very Jay in its characteristics.  He’s also got a belt add-on, as well as modified boots with the flaps and the ankle wings.  All in all, it’s a pretty good set-up, and its quite a nice recreation of his comics design.  His paint work is generally pretty good too.  The details are crisp, clean, and sharp.  I do feel like for proper authenticity, he really should have a chromed helmet, but the silver paint works okay on its own.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I love Super Powers and I love the JSA.  I also loved the three-pack, even with its slight flaws, so I’m game for pretty much as many of these guys as I can get.  Jay’s the biggest missing member, and kind of an essential counterpart to Alan, so you gotta have him.  He’s pretty much as on the mark as you can get with these figures, and a fantastic addition to the quickly growing line-up.

#3819: The Atom

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

THE ATOM

SUPER POWERS (McFARLANE)

Hey, ho, let’s get back to the McFarlane Super Powers!  I went proper vintage Kenner last week, but now we’re back with the continuation line, and also with actual new figures, rather than filling in with some of the back-releases I missed.  That’s always fun!  The latest round of figures is a pretty solid mix of characters, including one of the classic JLA-ers not included in the vintage line, Ray Palmer, aka the Atom!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Atom is part of Series 10 of McFarlane’s Super Powers line.  After the last assortment was a lot of revisited characters, this one’s a lot of totally new ones for the style.  Ray’s another addition to the Satellite Era JLA, which is a fun choice, and also a very classic, very solid selection.  The figure stands about 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation.  He’s ever so slightly too tall, I feel, since Ray’s kind of a smaller guy.  As it stands he’s a smidge taller than Hal, which doesn’t quite feel right.  But, it’s close enough to fudge, so I can’t complain too much.  He’s using the smaller Flash-inspired body, which works well enough as a starting point for Ray.  He’s got a unique head, belt, and boots, which sufficiently sell his look.  They’re clean and well-fitted to the character.  No muss, no fuss.  The color work is pretty basic, but it’s bright and it’s clean, and I especially like how the insignias on the head and belt look.  Atom gets no accessories, not even a little mini-Atom.  It definitely feels a bit on the light side, but it’s Atom, so I guess it’s not terribly surprising.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

At this point, I’ve given up on steady retail presence for this line, and given the jumping prices of some of the mid-range figures, so I don’t want to risk missing anybody.  So, I snagged a pre-order for the whole core set through Entertainment Earth.  I love the whole JLA set-up, and I was already fudging the smaller Atom figurine from the 7-inch line in with the Super Powers stuff, so this guy was a pretty natural addition for me.  He’s not anything revolutionary, but he’s another solid, fun figure.

#3815: Cyclotron

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

CYCLOTRON

SUPER POWERS (KENNER)

Okay, so I’m taking a brief intermission from McFarlane’s Super Powers to look at…Kenner’s Super Powers.  Look, I’m nothing if not a creature of habit.  When last I looked at the proper Kenner line, I looked at one of the line’s original characters made up by Kenner for the line.  Today, I’m looking at the other one!  Not content with two spinning heroes, Kenner decided to introduce a third, re-using a name that DC had already used, but on a completely un-related character.  So, anyway, here’s Cyclotron!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Cyclotron was added to the Super Powers line in its final year, alongside Golden Pharaoh.  It was, of course, his first figure, but, like Golden Pharaoh, he also turned up in DC Universe Classics.  Curiously, though he’s had two figures, neither of the two comics Cyclotrons have gotten any figure coverage at all.  The figure stands 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 8 points of articulation.  His waist joint is more meant to facilitate the action feature, but can turn independently as well, so that’s a nice little extra bit of movement.  Also, while he’s got the neck joint, when his face plate is in place, the joint can’t be used.  Cyclotron has an all-new, totally unique sculpt.  It’s based on a Jack Kirby design, which is honestly pretty nifty.  It’s definitely got some early Wonder Man vibes to it, which I don’t mind.  The coolest element by far, though, is the robot face underneath the face plate; it’s a bit rudimentary, but it’s still super neat, and quite unique.  The color work on Cyclotron is honestly pretty unique, so he stands out from the rest.  The application’s basic, but clean, and fits well with the rest of the line.  Cyclotron’s only accessory is the face plate, and he also gets his “Power Action Cyclo-Spin”; you spin the torso counter clockwise a few times, and squeeze his legs to release it and send his torso spinning the other way.  It’s actually a pretty fun feature.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Cyclotron’s an earlier addition to my Super Powers collection, and the first of the later run figures I got.  I was fascinated by his design, and found an eBay auction for one without his faceplate.  And I had that one for a good two decades, no faceplate at all, but there he was.  I honestly wasn’t sure I was going to complete him, but as I’ve neared the end of my Super Powers collecting, I’ve gotten a bit lucky on the parts front.  I managed to get a solid deal on a complete Cyclotron, so I could finally finish my original.  He’s goofy as hell, but also one of my favorites from the line.

#3810: Superman – Fleischer

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

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.

#3805: Robin

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

ROBIN

SUPER POWERS (McFARLANE)

“Growing up in Gotham City can be…complicated. Especially when you’re a kid who’s obsessed with Batman and Robin. For Tim Drake, learning everything about his favorite superheroes eventually led him down the path of becoming one himself, after he deduced the identities of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson.”

My last few McFarlane Super Powers reviews have all been re-hashes of characters that got covered in the original run.  But, the line’s actually got a solid run of new characters.  Today’s focus is *sort of* a mixed bag, since the name was in the vintage line, but it was actually a different guy.  That guy is Tim Drake, the third Robin.  Though his creation’s outside the window of Super Powers‘ vintage run, his first figure was a vaguely Super Powers-esque one, as part of Kenner’s Batman Returns line (which was largely built on re-worked SP molds).  But, now he’s got one (well, technically two) under the actual Super Powers banner, so let’s check that out!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Robin was released in Series 4 of McFarlane’s Super Powers line, alongside the updated classic Batman.  Since this assortment wound up being rather under-ordered, he’s gotten a subsequent re-release with a slightly changed up color palette, but the one seen here is the initial release.  The figure stands a little under 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation.  He’s more or less the same height and build as the vintage Robin, which is a pretty good set-up.  The sculpt is totally unique, and it’s…fine.  The body sculpt is decent enough, matching the style of the line, and also capturing his costume design pretty well.  I’m not super crazy about the head.  It seems a little wide, and the hair is…I don’t really know what’s going on there.  It’s certainly not the worst thing, though, and it does still feel more like authentic Super Powers than the earlier McF stuff.  Robin’s color work is rather on the bright side.  It’s not strictly speaking a match for Tim’s costume (which was usually a little darker), but it works well within the context of the line.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

One of the things I’ve been looking for in my Super Powers collecting is characters that feel authentic for a continuation of the original line.  It’s what kept me off the earlier stuff, but I’m willing to make something of an exception for Tim.  Of course, neither of his releases was *super* easy to find, so I kind of had to wait.  Thankfully, I was able to snag this one when he got traded in at All Time.  He’s not one of the stronger entries in the line, but he’s a respectable enough entry.

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.

#3801: Batman

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

BATMAN

SUPER POWERS (McFARLANE)

“As a child, Bruce Wayne watched as his parents were brutally killed in Gotham City’s Crime Alley. Traumatized by their deaths, he devoted his life to becoming the world’s greatest weapon against crime-the Batman!”

The gift that just keeps on giving here is McFarlane’s Super Powers re-launch.  Boy do I love it, to, like, an absurd degree.  Especially given it’s McFarlane.  How much do I love it?  It got me to buy a Batman.  And I pretty much never buy a Batman these days.  Other tangental characters?  Absolutely.  Batman, not so much.  So, um, here’s Batman.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Batman was released in Series 4 of McFarlane’s Super Powers line, under the DC Direct branding.  Series 4 was noteworthy for being the first not to be a Walmart-exclusive, which wound up being sort of late change-up.  The result?  The assortment was kinda under ordered and under produced, so they’re generally a bit rare.  The figure stands a smidge over 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation.  Though he was only the line’s second Batman, he didn’t re-use the initial mold, instead introducing an all-new one (courtesy of sculptor Owen Oertling), this one more closely patterned on the vintage mold.  While the later Superman revision changed things up a little to differentiate, this one’s more a direct imitation.  There’s some minor differences in exact details, of course, but it’s very, very close.  I can’t say it’s bad, because it absolutely isn’t.  And it’s emphatically better than the mold that preceded it (which makes it somewhat baffling how many times the original mold got re-used afterwords; it’s just not very good), so I can’t blame them there.  It does seem a little odd that it’s *such* a close match, and I feel like it’s maybe a missed opportunity to do something unique, like the Superman, but I really can’t actually fault it.  I still don’t love the cape clip shape, but that’s minor.  One thing I *do* love is the color work.  This is where they actually do work to set him apart from the vintage figure.  The blue has just a little more saturation, so it pops a bit more, and he’s also got the black shading at the front of the cowl.  I like the original, but the black is the one major thing missing, so I like taking the opportunity to fix that here.  The application’s also quite clean, and he’s just got a nice, vibrant feel to him.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Like GL, this was before the line had won me over, and I missed this assortment entirely.  I didn’t *need* another Batman, because the vintage one serves me just fine.  But, having gotten the updated Superman, I did sort of want the revised Batman to match.  Unfortunately, he’s gotten pricey, again like that GL.  Thankfully, the same collection that had the GL also had this guy, so I was able to work out an okay deal on him, meaning I didn’t have to feel *too* silly about what I paid out to get a figure I effectively already own.  I don’t love him quite as much as GL or Supes, but I will admit he’s pretty nice.

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.