Continuing the Man of Steel theme, we need to go back almost to one of the greatest Superman action figures to ever grace this green Earth. And I do mean almost!
DC Direct
Superman Series 1
Released March 19, 2003
Perhaps almost one of the best Superman toys ever created. Why almost? Well, due to some factory hiccups this figure did not come out 100% as planned. There was an error or adjustment in the waist that resulted in a loss of some centimeters at the lower abs to accomodate the waist swivel. The end result is a very high-pants Superman. If you look at the original press image and the actual figure, you can see the difference. Then take a look at Cyborg Superman who was based off the same sculpt and you can see what could have been.
Superman is one of those iconic characters that can be interpreted in different ways and everyone has their own view on how he should look. For me, this version (munched chest and all) is what Superman should look like: the boy-scout good looks, tall, muscular, but not Mr. Universe size. The face needs to show power, confidence, and yet a flair of humanity. The posture should be the same; Supes isn’t hunched over, he’s standing tall. Tim Bruckner, the sculptor for DC Direct that worked on this figure, managed to capture all that and more. Bruckner has a love for pop art of the ’40s and ’50s and his best works always lean in this artistic direction.
This DC Direct figure was ahead of its time for DC Direct toys. It had tons of articulation, like hinged ankles, hinged knees, thigh swivels, a t-crotch, a swivel waist, ball shoulders, bicep swivels, hinged elbows, hinged and swivel wrists, and ball head. Quite a bit of articulation and all of it works, allowing for some very dynamic poses. The only thing that would improve this figure is ball hips or hip hinges. That would take this figure from really good to really damn good. I know there is always a demand from double-jointed knees and elbows, and while I do prefer them, I think it would break up the sculpt too much. I feel the same way about an ab joint. Plus, I’m not certain which would work: a ball and socket or a hinge. Both seem like they would disrupt the sculpt. Ankle rockers are really the only joint that I can see as straight-up bonus for this figure.
The knees suffered in the factory process; they are severely warped and it looks like one leg is slightly longer than the other. When you heat them to make them straight there is a huge gap on the inside that isn’t stable. I had to “jimmy” that gap with “cardboard and duct tape.” This issue is fixed on Cyborg Superman. Even with the flawed knees (horrible factory engineering and package warp) this Superman figure still stands as “the Superman” toy for me.
I rarely cover paint in my reviews of toys, and while I like a good paint job, and while a good paint job can do a lot for a figure, I tend to gloss over it. But this time I’d like to mention that I love the paint job on this figure. It’s simple, straight-forward, and well done. It is incredibly difficult to screw up Superman’s costume up and I’ve seen many a figure with off coloring. In this case, it is perfect. The shade of blue is spot-on for what I like in Superman, and the red is good as well. The chest “S” is beautifully designed — it’s the big “s” from the late ’80s and early ’90s, and while at times I think it is ridiculously huge, I love the way it is in your face, almost like he could defeat Lex Luthor just by flashing that big-ass “S” at him. And the skin color is just right for what I consider to be the boy scout look of Superman.
It’s difficult to think that in this day age with teams like The 4 Horseman, Gentle Giant, NECA, and DC sculptors that this figure, sculpted ten years ago, still holds its own as THE Superman Action Figure.
You can still find this figure through Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Superman-Action-Figure/dp/B000RJSINA/ref=pd_sim_t_7
http://www.amazon.com/DC-Direct-Re-Activated-Series-Superman/dp/B000N5UHHI
http://www.amazon.com/Superman-Doomsday-Collectors-Action-Figure/dp/B000P0T6QO/ref=pd_sim_sbs_t_9
As always you can discuss this topic further on the fwoosh forums: https://thefwoosh.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=13
