DC DIRECT’S BIG, FAT JUNE
Review
by: Troy
Brownfield
Shipping
schedules baffle me. Originally, there were three figures
and a two-pack set to ship from DC Direct in June. However,
two of the July releases were suddenly thrust back into June,
giving DC Direct fans a fairly heavy opening to summer. That’s,
as we’re prone to say around here, a whole lotta milk-a. Still,
it is my duty as reviewer to give you the DL on the DC. Even
if it does assault the wallet.
Martian
Manhunter
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Martian Manhunter ©
2001 DC Direct
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Let’s
start big. Previously only immortalized in plastic twice (once
for the Super Powers line, and once with a redecoed
Superman body for the JLA line) and beanie form once
(a Warner Bros. Store exclusive), J’onn J’onzz is the most
frequently shafter original JLA member in terms of toys. DC
Direct has attempted to kiss his green shape-shifting ass
by producing a spectacular figure that is truly one of their
best so far.
First
off, he’s tall (naysayers can check Who’s Who and pay
more attention in JLA; the Manhunter is supposed to
be about 6’ 7”). The extra size has give the sculptor, Sam
Greenwell, more room for detail, and he’s nailed every aspect
of the character. J’onn carries appropriate musculature, a
great red-eyed gaze, and a well-detailed costume. He also
has some generous articulation. The plastic cape billows slightly,
creating a bit of a wind-blown look. Overall, this is a super
piece; it’s an easy choice for the collector.
Red
Tornado
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Red Tornado ©
2001 DC Direct
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Another
Leaguer from the day, Reddy has been produced in his classic
look from the late ‘70s/early ‘80s. Tornado has gotten even
less figure props than J’onn; previously, he had one Super
Powers figure and a reproduction of his current look in the
JLA line. Fortunately, Greenwell does another swell job. While
not immediately projecting the grandeur of the Manhunter figure,
the Tornado comes off as a winning piece.
Honestly,
my only negative here is that the new Red Tornado doesn’t
have the torso-spinning action of the old Super Powers
figure. Man, that was one of my favorites. Still, Tornado
is very colorful, decently articulated, and absolutely deserves
a place of respect.
The
Demon
I thought
about rhyming this whole entry, but geez, how annoying would
that be? At any rate, here’s Etrigan, done justice in figure
form. I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of the Demon,
but I’m glad that DC has chosen fit to make a figure of him.
I admire the fact that they are consistently staking out various
areas of their universe. The face on this one is just about
perfect, and the cloth cape is a nice touch. I also like that
the figure has hunched quality to go with the massive width
of the character itself. It’s pretty striking.
Deadman
Here’s
irony: DC Direct goes all out with the articulation, and the
guys a corpse. Someone has a sick sense of humor over there.
I have to admit, though, that Boston Brand here comes off
extremely well in sculpt. The glow-in-the-dark white skin
contrasts nicely with the red outfit. Plus, the figure’s height
adds a bit of a skeletal look that matches the nature of the
character perfectly. While he’s not the biggest guy in the
DC pond, this is one that’s worth owning because he looks
great.
Hal
Jordan as The Spectre
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Hal Jordan
becoming the Spectre during Day of Judgment? Interesting
idea. Hal staying the Spectre and starring in his own series?
Bad idea. And yet, when we could have had the Phantom Stranger
or Wotan or the freakin’ Blue Devil to go with the other supernatural
figures, we get GL Spectre. Yee-haw. That’s not to say that
this isn’t a nice figure; it is. It’s just that I’m annoyed
that DC Direct by-passed other characters for it. Plus, the
body is exactly the same as the GL Hal figure; it’s just repainted.
Orion/Darkseid
2-Pack
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Orion and Darkseid ©
2001 DC Direct
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Now this...
THIS is nice work. I’ve seen some online complainers, but
if you go back to the old school Kirby stuff, THIS is what
the two guys looked like. The more massive Darkseid is a recent
thing, as is the huge Orion. I’ll review these on terms of
“spirit intented”, and in that sense, they ROCK.
Orion
is made with a lot of versatilty. He’s packed in with an astro
force harness, a removable helmet, and two exchangeable heads:
one with his passive face, and the other with his “true face
of rage”! Orion is also fairly bristling with articulation;
the arms are ball-jointed, and the legs, elbows, knees, and
ankles move as well. In addition, the paint is very nice.
I think Mr. Kirby would be happy.
As for
Darkseid, his “face of rage” is great. This is one pissed
off New God. Of course, I’d be pissed off too if I couldn’t
get that Mother Box out of my hand. Generally, I hate “sculpted-on”
accessories, but at least it’s better than the damn stupid
Total Justice Darkseid’s claw. What was up with that?
At any rate, the inclusion of the Mother Box actually is a
nice touch. I like this one; that’s my opinion, and I’m stickin’
to it.
EXTRA
FEATURE
DC DIRECT PRODUCT UPDATE
DC Direct
continues on with their stellar work into the next year. Here’s
the most recent update:
July
2001: Flash and Kid Flash (in red) two-pack
August 2001: Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Star Sapphire,
Sinestro, Silver Age Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl (in red)
two-pack
September 2001: Elijah Snow, Jakita Wagner and The
Drummer of Planetary
October 2001: Lobo w/bike, Eclipso, Gorilla Grodd
Novemeber 2001: Daniel, Delirium and Desire from The
Sandman, plus a Silver Age Superman and Lois Lane two-pack
December 2001: Wildcat, Power Girl, Solomon Grundy,
plus a Silver Age Green Arrow and Speedy two-pack
January 2002: Green Lanterns John Stewart and Tomar
Re, plus a re-released Hal Jordan
Beyond
that, the following are confirmed with no set dates: GL Kyle
Rayner, Black Adam, Shazam (unknown if this is the old Wizard
or another version of Captain Marvel), Blackhawk, Sgt. Rock,
Unknown Soldier and Uncle Sam. A DC Direct section for the
DC Comics website is
set to open this month; watch for it!
Troy Brownfield is the Editor-in-Chief of Shotgun Reviews. Since we got screwed
on the Watchmen figures, his DC figure suggestions this time
are The Question, Blue Beetle and Captain Atom.
Email him at psikotyk@aol.com.
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