The box might say “Freddy Freeman,” but we will all marvel at this figure. Rights be damned, this is Captain Marvel Jr!
Yes, Marvel Comics be damned (and I mean that in a loving way), the ORIGINAL Marvels are from the DC Universe (by way of Fawcett Comics) and even though they have to be called things like “Freddy Freeman” and “Mary Batson” on toy packaging, they will always be the Marvels, Earth’s Mightiest Mortals, to me. The great thing about this release is that we finally have the Marvel triumvirate completed on our shelves and that, my friends, is what the Club IE is all about. We are really knocking out some of the “team builders” this year, and even though Freddy is not one of my most desired figures, I will take any team/universe builder I can get.
It is funny about the timing of his release, as he is the July club figure, because he will be out just in time to accompany Captain Marvel (Shazam) in his NU52 look as the SDCC 2013 exclusive. Well, if the reaction on the internet is any indication, Freddy Freeman got a stroke of luck from the action figure gods as he will undoubtedly be the preferred Marvel this year, which is cool since he is a definitive background character. I am glad that he can get his day in the sun, but, for me, he really harkens the arrival of Fire in August. If you are keeping score, Freddy here was an entrant in one of the Fan Choice polls from a few years back (I forget if it was the first or second), so I think that leaves only, like, Vixen and Geo-Force left in the list of unproduced names. That is pretty good, if you ask me.
If you are a Marvel fan (like the Four Horsemen’s resident Cornboy), I think that you are going to really dig this figure. But if you are not, you are still getting a solid addition to your DC shelf. I must admit that there is nothing really exciting about the figure save for a style and quality of sculpt that you should be expecting right now, but since Huntress is coming later on this year, the releases need to be balanced out. All of his visual requirements are accounted for, though, and it is achieved through a healthy balance of new and reused parts.
Being a kid and all, Marvel Jr. here is built mostly on the “teen” base body; it is the on a larger body than what was used for Beast Boy, but not as big as the “skinny” adult body of Sinestro. He has newly sculpted gauntlets and boots, as are required, and his cape matches the Batson sibling’s adornments. The lightning bolt is painted on, again like his two friends’, and the blue used for the primary pieces of the costume are much more “Blue Beetle” blue than DCUC Superman blue.
The strongest aspect of this figure is the head sculpt and it carries quite a bit of personality. The Freddy figure doesn’t look like a little kid, but he is obviously isn’t a grownup either. That “teenager” look is only heightened by the slightly pensive and cool facial expression that is just perfect for the age. Unlike Shazam himself, I cannot really think of a particularly iconic look or expression for Freddy, so the sculpt works here, but I think it can also be used well as just a generic background character head as he does not particularly resemble anyone. I have a feeling we will be seeing this head-sculpt show up in the periphery of many a staged action figure fights as “young goon #297.”
Like all of the recent DC and MOTUC releases, Freddy’s construction is solid for his traditional joint scheme. There are no loose points to speak of, and he stands without the requirement of any kind of effort. I find him to be much more poseable than the previously released Elongated Man and Larfleeze, so you should have no trouble at all with fighting or flying poses. I am not the most dynamic figure poser when it comes to my shelf (most of them are rather vanilla, actually), but the red, white, and blue of Billy, Mary (alternate), and Freddy does look really neat and I am not particularly patriotic.
Black Adam now has his hands full (or does he?) as he has all three of the mortal Marvels to contend with in the plastic DC Universe. Only the very unlikely turn out of the wizard Shazam or Mr. Talky-Tawny could push the odds of good even further, but you never know what the subscription might bring. Like I said, Freddy Freeman is a very solid figure — quite basic, but well done. He will follow up June’s figure, Red Hood (not yet featured for a First Look), in the midst of the Comic-Con fervor, so if you do not have a subscription, don’t forget him for your final piece of the Marvel puzzle.
*Thanks for reading and thanks to Toy Guru and team for sending Mr. Freeman along for a First Look!
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