I know that the timing of this might be a little off due to the recent announcement that the DC Club Infinite Earths subscription will not be proceeding in 2014. I hope beyond hope they still find a way to make DC figures available on Matty Collector; I am just not ready for the line to end, especially since they are so close to getting so many of the long-demanded fan-favorite characters done.
However, let’s look back and one of the best teams represented in DCUC/DCIE: the Justice Society of America. We have gotten a fair share of characters from the various incarnations of this team (but still not nearly enough), so there are a lot of avenues for picking a favorite JSA figure from the line. But what makes up the best of the best? What characters got the really great figure representations in the line? Let’s count down the five we think are the cream of the crop.
5. The Spectre
Overall, the classic or “Golden Age” team got some really solid representation in the line. The Spectre was one of the guys there from the beginning, and he was paid his due with a great DCUC figure. While he makes use of several base parts that were common throughout the line, the care that was given to the unique pieces is of the highest level. His face looks ominous and eerie, his hands are splayed for scaring the bejezus out of evildoers, and his hood/cape are very representative of the character. Oh, not to mention the fact that he got a variant that can glow in the dark — that is always way cool, right? So yeah, the Spectre is not the most intricate figure, but he is very well executed.
4. Dr. Fate
Dr. Fate is an icon in the DC Universe and his figure was a quiet but fantastic entry into the line for me. He was released in a wave that included Giganta, Gentleman Ghost, and two different Parademons, so it was easy to overlook him, but man, did he turn out nicely. I love the brightness of his colors and his helmet is fantastic in that it is very representative of the classic look, but is also very expressive. I know that seems like a strange thing to say, but it is cold and serious and you can tell just what he is thinking. His right hand is going to reach out and get ya, and the ankh accessory brings home his magical powers.
3. Mr. Terrific
Oh, but Terry Sloane has never had a chance as an action figure; however, his legacy character, Michael Holt, got a humdinger of figure in DCUC. I realize that a guy that wears a leather jacket that says “Fair Play” with a “T” mask and floating balls has potential to be a plastic disaster, but his Four Horsemen figure turned out stunning. The plug-in spot on his back not withstanding, this figure pretty much hits a perfect representation of the character. I consider him to be a leader of the “new guard,” so he gets to hang with the likes of Green Lantern, the Flash, and Wildcat, and he fits right in with the giants of the JSA.
2. Dr. Mid-Nite
Any figure of a guy that has an owl as a mascot gets consideration from me, and when the owl is included, you get a two-for-one deal. Yep, Hooty makes that already great Dr. Mid-Nite figure even better. His color scheme is iconic and the crescent moon buttons make this figure unmistakably “Dr. Mid-Nite.” While Charles McNider, the Golden Age incarnation, has been missing from the comics for a while now, it is always great to be able to revisit a character when they come to plastic. And when they are brought so perfectly, all is the better. The metallic paint job on his goggles looks really nice, and I absolutely love how Hooty can perch right on his arm. There is just no better way to display a guy and his owl.
1. Wildcat
Yeah, I will admit it, Wildcat is my favorite member of the JSA, so that is why it is so thrilling that I also find him to be the best Society figure we ever got in Classics. Sure, some might scoff that he only came with his more modern bandaged hands, but I think that look adds a lot of personality to the figure. His head sculpt is also one of the best in the entire line, and I LOVE that the mask/cowl is actually a separate piece to add depth to his face. Not even Batman got that kind of treatment in the line. His jaw is nice and square and his expression is no-nonsense. You can even pick between a black or blue version. One thing is for, though: no matter which color you pick, he will look great making your other figures black and blue.
So this is our list. What figure is your favorite out of the five? Vote in the poll below. Does your DCUC JSA list look completely different? Sound off in the comments. Now that the DCIE club is over we have all the time in the world to appreciate what we did get, so hopefully we will get to do more features like this. That does not mean that I will not be opining over that which never came. In fact, that might happen as soon as tomorrow…
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