I don’t think that I am remiss in saying that it is an uncertain, perhaps even uneasy, time to be a DC action figure collector. DC Comics and their “New 52” initiative seems like it might already be running its course to a degree (ready for another re-launch in less than a year, kids?) and the universe is being filled out with new continuities and personas and is being subjected to unhealthy doses of Rob Liefeld. More so is the uncertainty of where our DC action figure lines are heading. It also looks like DC has new mandate about what they want to push at retail (the BIG characters). There is a lot of speculation around the online communities about direction and Mattel has recently issued a brief statement that there are plans and announcements coming down the pike for new offerings as we trudge through 2012 and move into next year. One thing is for sure though, after some trials to get it off the ground and a couple of release delays, the collector-oriented online exclusive DC Club Infinite Earths gets its start next month with the release of the first figure, Jay Garrick – the Golden Age Flash. We are moving toward a new and uncertain world in terms of offerings and executions, but it looks like the subscription will remain our place to get the characters that the collector community has been clamoring for since the start of DCUC.
It is hard not to speculate or tie in the current climate of not knowing where our path is going at this point, but since you can read all about it to your heart’s content, I am going to try to stay as on-point with this First Look as possible. Hey, today we are all about Jay because it is long past the deserved time for him to get his due! Plus, taken on its own current merits, since Toy Fair 2012 I have been very pleased with what the subscription is bringing us (so far as has been announced) and, for the most part, I feel we are getting the characters that are appropriate for this kind of release pattern. Metron, Platinum & Tin and Mirror Master are particular highlights for me (we will get to Rocket Red in time), but Jay is a great choice to get us off to the races for the Club Infinite Earths.
The funny thing about all of the new things involved with the end of DCUC proper and the start of Club IE is that the actual figures are remaining pretty much the same. We are going to be getting some different types of executions now and hopefully the character selection will go deeper than it ever has, but when you hold the figures of Jay, Metron (coming soon!) and Atrocitus (also coming soon!) in your hand, they are almost comforting in their familiarity. I stand by my prior assertion that the fact that the Four Horsemen still have the reigns is the biggest contributor to this. I still want my iconic looks in a consistent style and, for the most part, we are getting that. But let’s see what is different first.
The biggest shifts from DCUC to Club IE are that the figures are now exclusive to the online Matty Collector store and they come to you in all-new packaging. I don’t think the online exclusivity needs any further explanation at this point, but if you are a MOTU and/or a Voltron collector, you should be pretty familiar with the process by now. I will admit that the format is not for everyone, but for those that want to build out their DCU in diverse fashion, things are looking pretty solid so far.
As for the figure packaging, gone, gone is the form of blister cards and moving in are smaller window boxes. They are mostly black and blue to match the new/old DC Comics logo (not that wreck of a new DC entertainment/whatever thing) and the window shows off the figure well. The new box reminds me of the individual figure inserts that housed the Legionnaires in the LosH set. Like the aforementioned MOTU and Voltron lines, Club IE also features those white mailer boxes as outer packaging to help keep your figure and window box safe in transit. This is probably most important to the MOC collectors, but any extra padding for the figures is a good thing in my opinion.
Since the figures are getting released one at a time now, the packaging can really take advantage of being uniquely tailored to the character. The consistent colors and the new title of “Signature Series” (I don’t think we have heard where this came from yet) helps to tie them all together, but the boxes now feature more character specific artwork and a brief biography. Normally, I am all about artwork like this on a package, and I do like the idea, but I am not really impressed with the rendering of Jay in the art. I know this is probably nitpicking a small-ish point but his physique is kind of strange and his hat seems to be floating above his head. I think he might be doing the Charleston too. Just because he is from the 1940s doesn’t mean he has to dance like it. Plus, while I think his boots would look bad ass on Marty McFly, they don’t really suit Jay. Fortunately, I think Metron and Atrocitus fared much better in the art department, but it might be cool if Mattel can get a signature DC artist to do the packaging going forward. Make it similar to how Hasbro hires an artist of note for each year of packaging for their Marvel Universe and Legends lines. Like I said, I really dig the idea, I just want it to be the best it can be knowing this is all-new territory.
One thing I really, REALLY love about the packaging is that the figures are being packed out in a completely neutral, arms to the side and feet shoulder-width apart configuration. Since this is an online-exclusive line for collectors, the “dynamic” posing to attract moms and kids to the product is no longer a required consideration. So, hopefully we will be free of warped limbs, stressed joints and paint smudge on the packaged figures. I am positive that there will be some issues here and there as the manufacturing process is anything but perfect, but hopefully this will help alleviate most of the issues regarding this age-old back and forth between collector and company.
For the actual figure, I think that Jay looks pretty great. Metron is (by far) my favorite of the three figures I have right now but from an aesthetic point of view, Jay is looking good. I, like just about everyone else by now, am suffering some Geoff Johns fatigue at this point. However, I will always be a fan of his run on the “JSA” and “Justice Society of America” books from a few years ago. When he was “just” a comic book writer, he could really hit a lot of great notes for my personal favorite superhero super team. I think that the overall look for Jay, especially in his face was taken from that era and he kind of looks like a Dale Eaglesham/Alex Ross/Four Horsemen mash-up. This is the senior statesmen Jay with graying temples and I am cool with that. I like having a Jay that can hang out with the most characters as possible. That being said, I can totally see how some might be disappointed with making Jay older instead of his wily younger self. There are a LOT of years to support that, but maybe we will get a chance to see a younger Jay in the future. As it stands though, I still think he looks pretty good standing with the Golden Age JSA DCUC team too.
His trademark hat is cast with a silver and gold vac metal finish to give it that super speedster shine. I am personally not the biggest fan of vac metal, but I think it does work here and helps to make him pop. The real issue with the helmet is that it does have a small seam running right down the middle of it due to the way it was tooled. How it shows up has a lot to do with how you photograph it, and giant pictures are certainly going to make it more obvious. Just standing on the shelf though, you actually have to look for it to be able to spot it. I am not defending or downplaying its existence (though it is what it is), but I do not see it being a big issue for most collectors once they have the figure in hand. Judge for yourself though.
Moving below the neck, Jay is a very well-constructed figure. He is made of strong plastic that has just enough give so that it is not brittle, but the joints are nice and tight and do not have a rubbery quality to them. He is built on the standard DCUC articulation system so you should know it by now, but I do want to point out that his neck has a great range of movement and his hips are fluid enough that they allow for his ankles to touch when folded together. In no uncertain terms – he is NOT a wide-stanced figure. He is painted well and I do not notice any real bleed lines or slop. This is most important in the face (his head is cast in his flesh tone plastic) and the lightning symbol on his shirt. The latter is crispy clean and sharp, just as it should be. He does have a belt piece (more on that in a moment) but the buckle is a painted detail, not sculpted. He does have some subtle air brushing on his shirt, pants and shoes, right in the vein of DCUC figures past.
As for his build/proportions, well, I think this will be a double-edged sword for a lot of people and will be the main topic of discussion for Jay once he is released next month. See, I personally think that the same thing that makes him great in one regard also makes him not so great in another. Confused? Let me see if I can clarify. Looking at the figure in terms of build, I think he is fantastic. He is lean and lithe and is well-proportioned for runner. I think his physique is much more appropriate to the speedster silhouette than the DCUC Flash or Kid Flash figures. In that regard, he is a complete winner for me. On the other hand, the contributing factors that help make him look mean and lean also make him too tall. I have included some comparison pictures, but I am glad I will be displaying this figure next to Alan Scott (who is also a tall figure) to help offset it somewhat. I am pretty certain he is getting his extra verticality mainly from his shins with a little bolstering from the belt and natural heightening from the hat. Standing right next to another standard figure, it is pretty obvious: the knees and shoulders sit much higher up on Jay than most of the rest of the figures. However, in a group, it doesn’t seem as noticeable. Look for yourself and come to your own conclusion. I think I am fine with him standing in my JSA display where he becomes a piece of the pie with the rest of the team, especially since my configuration is tiered. If you are an action poser, having Jay in his running pose will help defer some of the height too with bent knees and crunched abdominals. As always, your personal tolerance for something like this will vary.
Whew! For me, Jay Garrick is a very, VERY long time coming for my collection. When DCUC started all those years ago I have about four main objectives: get a good Blue Beetle figure, get as many New Gods as possible, complete as many incarnations of the JSA as possible and have a giant and consistent collection. Jay certainly contributes in large fashion to the latter two points so overall, I am happy with the figure despite a couple of foibles. Now let’s see the likes of Liberty Belle, Golden Age Mr. Terrific, Hourman II, and tons of other JSAers show up in the sub. I am still very much on edge about what the future holds for me as a DC action figure collector and the wait for SDCC 2012 is going to be brutal, but I am completely onboard with [most of] the Club Infinite Earths offerings thus far, so I am satiated for the moment. I love the DC Universe (well, at least the one I know) and I want to continue collecting these figures in the Club as well as retail for a long time to come. While I wait for the future though, I will look forward to new DC figures arriving each month.
*Thanks for reading, and fear not, we have more Club IE First Looks coming very soon. Thanks again to Toy Guru for sending this inaugural Club figure along, we are in a brave new world, people!
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