DC Direct - DC New Universe (DCNU) Action Figures from the SDCC 2011

With the new DC Comics reboot of 52 different comic book series coming up in September 2011, we can't help but wonder what this means for action figure collectors.  So far, Mattel has been pretty quiet about their intentions.  They have indicated the the DC Universe Classics line will be stopped at the retail level after Wave 20 and you will need to joint their online club to get any further DCUC action figures (if enough people subscribe).  They have hinted at starting a new toy line featuring the new rebooted line up but little details have been given so i guess we'll have to wait on further news from Mattel. 




Meanwhile, DC Direct didn't waste any time as they showed up at SDCC 2011 with action figures of the revamped Justice League.  The knock, in my opinion, against DC Direct action figures, it their lack of articulation.  They are sometimes missing valuable joints in the abdominal, hips, legs and arms that give you a little more range of motion.  My other gripe is that their action figures are not always in scale with different DC Direct sets. I wish they were more in scale with Mattel's DCUC toy line as well.  But the bottom line is DC Direct does produce some really good looking action figures and they have a bigger variety of characters available so they should not be overlooked by collectors.  Lets check out the new look Justice League. 

A lot of negativity surrounding Wonder Woman's new outfit but I like it.  Gone is the short shorts and replaced by pants.  Less Gold and more silver makes her outfit look more modern in my opinion.  Thumbs up here.

 Little change with the Flash's look.  He's supporting a chin strap and the lightning bolts are going up his forearms instead of around his wrists.  I still say Thumbs up here.

I can't say I'm a fan of this version of Aquaman even though it is still fairly close to his classic look.  I'm not liking his hair or the shade of green used on his pants and boots.  He is probably my least favorite of the group.

 Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) looks pretty similar to his classic version as well.  The only visual difference i see is the detail in his shoulders.

Very little change in Batman's look as well.  Most noticeably is the lack of underpants (lol).  It actually makes his outfit look a little plain.

Superman's new look is also taking a lot of heat from fans.  Gone is the red underwear (DC doesn't like underwear anymore i suppose) and he now support a red belt instead of yellow and his collar goes right up to his neck.  Also, the design of the costume makes it look like Superman is supporting some kind of armor.  Why?...i have no idea but I actually quite like this new look. Sorry to the die hards out there.  Thumbs up for the new Superman. 

Missing from the DC Direct Justice League action figure line up was Cyborg.  He's seems to be promoted as one of the main members but a Cyborg action figure was M.I.A. at the SDCC. 

These action figure will be available later this year so be sure to keep your eye out for them.  As usual, I'm a bigger fan of eBay and make the bulk of my collection purchases from there.  There is always a deal to be found.  To see eBay's selection of DC Direct action figures, click here

Hopefully Mattel comes out with some new information surrounding their intentions with the DC New Universe reboot.  For those of you who are still big fans of the DC Universe Classics - eBay also has a very large variety of Mattel's cool toy line - click here

DC Superheroes - Superman

Looking for information on DC Comics Action Figures? You've come to the right place. Welcome to Action Toy Review. My main focus is the DC Universe Classics and DC Superheroes toy lines by Mattel but I will also throw in some DC Direct and even the odd Marvel Legends & Star Wars figure just to mix things up.


Today's review will be from Mattel's DC Superheroes series 2 - SUPERMAN.

Since I've already gone through a few Batman characters from this toy line, I figured it's time to look at DC's other poster boy.

This Superman was originally released in the 2nd series of the DC Super Heroes toy line back in 2006. It was re-released again in the 5th series in the newer purple packaging. The only other difference was the Series 2 Superman came with a short comic book. The series 5 figure did not. Check out my Mattel DC Superheroes checklist for the others figures from these sets. This figure also came in 2 separate Two-Packs. One packaged this figure with an original Clark Kent figure. The other pack included both Superman & Bizarro from DCSH series 2.

If you only get one Superman action figure, then the DCSH Superman is the one you need to get. The face sculpt is the best I've seen. DC Direct as a few decent figures but I really like this one. The figure has a strong and classic look. I'm not a fan of the older looking Supes either. The cape is big and looks great but it is very heavy and can sometimes weigh the figure backwards. Like some of the other figures from this line, Superman's legs have a bit of a wider stance and can't be closed together.

The rest of the figure's design is also just classic Superman. Red undies & boots, blue tights and a yellow belt.

DCSH Superman (below middle) about 6.25 inches tall. About the same as the DCUC series 2 Blue Superman (below right) and a bit shorter than the DC Direct Doomsday Collectors set Superman (below left). If your collection mainly consists of DC Direct figures, then this DCSH version may be a bit short compared to the rest of your figures.

Like all the figures from this toy line, the paint job on DCSH Superman is reasonably well done considering it is a mass market toy. Generally, it's not uncommon to find some minor issues with the toy's paint job in certain areas. My Superman has a few sloppy areas. In the pictures below, you'll see on his right hand, a bit of the blue has run over onto his hand. (click pics to enlarge). Also the red paint on his belt is a little sloppy. The other issue was on the face. One eyebrows was painted on thicker than the other. As i mentioned, each figure might have some minor issues like this. You're best bet when buying anything from the store is to examine it before you purchase it and pick the best one.

Superman does not come with any accessories. The DCSH series 2 version came with a comic book but the series 5 does not. The Superman from the Doomsday set also comes with a Doomsday figure and the Death of Superman comic graphic novel. For info on Blue Superman, check out the DC Universe Classics series 2 review.

DCSH Superman has great articulation, like all of Mattel's DC toys in the 6 inch size range. Starting from the top, he's got joints at the neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, wrists, abdominal, waist, those awesome Mattel hip joints, thighs, knee and ankles. The same as Blue Superman. DC Direct Superman lacks the waist and abdominal joints. None of the joints on DCSH Superman gave me any problems out of the package.

Overall, I really like the look of the DCSH Superman. The face makes the figure. The paint job is great and it fits in nicely with the other DCSH & DCUC toys. I really feel its the best of the bunch.

Sculpt/Design - 8.5, Paint - 8.5, Accessories - 5, Articulation - 9, Fun - 9

Overall Score - 8.5/10

This figure is discontinued but can still be found at many online retailers, eBay & Amazon. You should be able to find it still in the $10 range or even less for a "loose" figure (meaning out of the package). Just watch out on the shipping.

If you're into the DC Direct instead, you can probably find the DC Direct Doomsday Collectors set for around $25 bucks. For 2 figures and a graphic novel, that's pretty good value.

Mattel's DC Superheroes Superman on eBay

DC Direct Superman/Doomsday set on eBay

Series 4 of Mattel's DC Universe Classics should arrive next week at my door step. Living in Canada, I pretty much have to rely on eBay and online stores to get these toys. Other than Series 1 of the DCUC toy line, I haven't seen any of figures at my local toy stores from series 2, 3 or 4. Once I receive series 4 (aka wave 4) a review of each figure will follow. Apparently Series 5 & 6 will be coming out soon just in time for Christmas shopping followed by series 7 early 2009. My DC Universe Classics checklist will show you which characters you can expect to see in the upcoming waves.

Thanks for reading my action figure review blog. Be sure to check back for more reviews on Mattel's DC Universe Classics, DC Superheroes and other action figures.