And as we bid adieu to the DC Universe Classics, we return to the line that set the bar and was a major influence on it: The Super Powers Collection.
It is hard to imagine that anyone collecting DCUC does not know about the existence of the Super Powers line. Up until the release of Classics, Super Powers was the standard in terms of DC action figure lines. Even though it is now thirty years old, the innovation, design, character selection and nostalgia attached to that old Kenner line has remained strong to this day. So, even though I think that most collectors will now call DCUC the “most complete” or “most expansive” or even the best overall DC action figure line to date, there is no denying the influence of the great line that set the tone.
Thus, that influence is being celebrated in what appears to be the final offerings of the Four Horsemen DCUC-styled figures in the form of Super Powers tribute figures. Originally debuted at Toy Fair in February, these final six figures are the last pieces to the history of the Super Powers characters in action figure form. Some of them, like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman feature decos and costumes to match the classic SP incarnations, while others are figures that did not make it into the line properly like Mister Mxyzptlk, Gold Superman, and The Riddler. For the former, it is a long time coming for a lot of collectors as these versions are their iconic “Bronze Age” looks; the latter is a lot of fun because it is a chance to get characters that never had a chance in the 1980s line. Plus, you get to build a new Kalibak figure that is a color tribute to his entry into the Super Powers line.
These figures are not going to be for everyone, but even if you are not into the whole Super Powers “tribute,” it is hard to deny the fact that these have been created with a lot of affection toward the inspiration. The card backs are even recreation tributes of the old SP cards and take advantage of the same colors and designs. Sure, the art doesn’t always match the incarnation of the packaged figure (see: Wonder Woman), but they are going for a tribute to Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, and, for me, his work is still the pinnacle of iconic DC character design and imagery. I cannot say that the art stacks up to his (especially with Mxyzy), but it is pretty easy to see that is what they were going for. When I think of the classic looks of these characters, his art is what immediately pops into my mind. Plus, you get a recreation of the old Super Powers checklist on the back, made with DCUC figures, and that kind of thing strikes all of the right notes with me.
SUPERMAN
There is no way you were going to get a Super Powers tribute without Superman. He occupies elite space with his pals Bats and Wondy, and he was the anchor of the line with the most fleshed-out rogue’s gallery. Plus, fans have been demanding the “light blue” costume deco for, like, ever, and it seems weird that we are finally getting it after all of this time. I wish the blue was a bit more “sky” in color because as it stands, it is pretty muted; also, I wish the plastic used in his face wasn’t so shiny, but this figure will take over the Superman spot on my shelf. Aside from the lighter blue and lack of “S” shield on the cape, this figure is the same as all of the classic Superman figures we got during the DCUC run.
BATMAN
Remember that very first Batman that came out in DCUC Series 1? Remember how it was a really nice Sliver/Bronze age figure? Remember how fans were split 50/50 on the black “shadow” on his mask? Well, now the shadow haters have their own Batman and he just happens to be a good representation of the SP figure. If I am not mistaken, this figure also has the smaller upper arms that some the DCUC males used (like Blue Beetle), but other than that, you should know what you are getting.
WONDER WOMAN
Wondy is actually the closest to her original DCUC figure in that the only thing that has changed is the gold in her costume has been changed to yellow. It is obviously more representative of the SP figure, but also the way her costume was colored for most of her comic history. She did lose all of her accessories as well, but I was never one to display them with her. Still, it hurts to lose stuff at a $30 price point, when they were included at a $10 price a few years ago. Unlike Superman, I think I will probably go with the old Series 4 Wonder Woman as my default Diana; this one just doesn’t seem quite as dynamic.
“GOLD” SUPERMAN
To help celebrate the vast history of DC comics (and Superman’s 50th anniversary), Kenner was going to produce a Superman in a gold deco in the Super Powers line. This is what you get here. It never happened then, but it is happening now — that is one of the staples of DCUC. I don’t think there is a whole lot more to say other than the gold is nice and shiny without resulting to the “vac metal” method. This is a fun tribute, but I wonder if “El Captain Rey” would have been a more on the nose in-joke.
MISTER MXYZPTLK
Hey! We ARE getting a unique character out of all of this! Mr. Mxyzptlk is more of a partially articulated statue than an action figure, but it is cool that we finally have him in the DCUC line. The sculpt is probably the best out of all of these figures (save for, perhaps, Kalibak), and the Horsemen really captured the classic look of the little imp. I do wish he moved more and wasn’t seated, but he is fun for what he is, but the asking price is probably going to be a bit tough pill for most people. Diehards will have to have him, but I know there is a DC Direct alternative that has been around for a while.
EL ACERTIJO
Super Amigos, andale! Okay, so this is probably my favorite figure in the entire assortment, even though it is a bit of a tongue in cheek nod to a figure that was only released in South America. Yep, Acertijo is Spanish for Riddler and even though he never made to the proper Super Powers line, he was released in the southern hemisphere and has been the object of SP chasers for years. The figure is, just like the vintage, a repainted Green Lantern figure and it is made complete by even having the mismatched green plastic below the knees. The card is even completely written in Spanish, so that is an hilarious nod too. Sure, this one won’t be for everyone, but I can certainly appreciate the direction. If you are going to keep any of these MOC, this should be the one.
KALIBAK
We even get a Collect-and-Connect figure spread out amongst all of the single figures. The old DCUC series 6 Kalibak is, well, back — and he is now colored in his SP deco. Sure, the vintage figure itself has a completely different look (as designed by the King, Jack Kirby, for the line), but since we were not going to get a ton on new tooling for this final go, it is still a nice nod. Kalibak is not packed on the actual figure cards, instead his connectable bits are stored in the white shipper boxes, so don’t overlook them. I am certainly an original Kalibak fan, but I think this one will make a lot of people happy, and he is nicely painted for what he is.
Overall, I think this is a nice way to bid adieu to DCUC. It is not perfect, but the heart is in the the right place and, at the very least, you will get a new Mister Mxyzptlk out of it. Each figure will run you $30 (on sale later this autumn on Matty Collector in two waves of three), so that will sting a bit, but if you were going to keep any DCUC figures mint on card, these would be them. I am very sad to see DCUC come to a close. I would still buy everything released under that banner, but it had a great run and became, to many, the new definitive DC line. It had to overcome Super Powers to get there, but it sent the vintage line a love letter this release.
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