Its common knowledge that Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster are the creators of Superman, but few people realize they developed the Man of Steel’s supporting cast, as well.
The Kents, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor — they all appeared within the first two years of Superman’s existence. And while comic historians consider his first appearance to be Action Comics #6, it wasn’t until 1941’s Superman #13 that readers were introduced to intrepid boy photographer Jimmy Olsen.
Jimmy proved to be a grounding influence for Superman. While his unrequited passion for Lois lead to the Man of Steel occasionally flying off the handle, his concern for Jimmy manifested in more of a big brother approach. When he was given a special signal watch to summon his Kryptonian “pal,” Jimmy became the ultimate kid sidekick.
Between weekly appearances on The Adventures of Superman TV show and the launch of his self-titled comic, Jimmy was nearly as ubiquitous as Superman himself. Through Kirby-era weirdness, Byrne-ward revamps and the New 52, Jimmy has remained as constant as Kryptonite. If anybody deserves an action figure, it’s Mister Olsen.
So how did DC Direct do? Well, they nailed it. While collectors have made it their ritual regimen habitual to pick apart DC Direct releases, there is very little to find fault with here. Jimmy looks as if he lept straight out of Curt Swan panel: with his camera at the ready and his freckles front and center, this is Olsen, accept no substitutes.
Jimmy was released in 2006 as part of DC Direct’s Silver Age Superman line. The figure stands 6.5 inches tall and comes packed with Jimmy’s trusty camera and a circular base. The sculpt does a great job replicating the art style of the Silver Age: capturing comic likenesses is really where the old DC Direct figures really shined and Jimmy does not disappoint. From his freckles on down to his patent leather shoes, this is a perfect representation of Curt Swan’s art.
Areas like Jimmy’s jawline are especially on-model: in an era where even the Supermen were on the doughy side, Jimmy was a very “normal” looking person and the sculpt hits that mark. He’s been given bright eyes and an easy smile, no doubt excited at the prospect of whatever Silver Age madness awaits him this month.
The suit is nicely sculpted. The jacket is a rubber overlay, but it matches the color of the plastic perfectly. The bow tie is a separate piece but is firmly attached so there’s no worry about it flying off somewhere. The suit has a very natural “hang” to it, wrinkling in the right places without appearing too baggy. Areas like the pocket-flaps on the jacket and the cuffs on the pants are cleanly defined and give the simplified Silver Age look some pop.
Jimmy also gets his signature “signal watch” for alerting Superman when there’s trouble. Due to the nature of the sculpt, the sleeve of the jacket partially-obscures the watch, which is unfortunate. It would have been nifty if DCD had provided a swappable lower arm with the sleeve pulled up, but that’s a nitpick. With a little fiddling Jimmy can convincingly activate the watch
Jimmy’s paint is good, Everything is very bright and clean, in keeping with the Silver Age aesthetic. Tiny areas like his freckles and the signal watch are ably done. I’ve seen examples of the figure with a wonky right eye, but happily mine is perfect.
On the articulation front, Jimmy has a swivel neck, pegged shoulders, mid-bicep swivels, hinged elbows, swivel wrists, pegged hips, single-hinged knees and pegged feet. In these days of hyper-articulation it might not seem like much, but its enough to get him into a few character-specific poses. He’s not doing hot yoga, the kid’s a photographer! As long as he can point his camera he’s good.
Jimmy comes with said camera, which is strictly vintage — no JPEGs here. The leather-style strap is pegged to the sides of the camera– well, it was. One of the pegs sheered off halfway through the photo-shoot, so I just removed it for convenience’s sake. The use of pearlescent paint on the bulb really “pops” and looks convincingly glass-like.
Jimmy also included a black circular stand with a “classic”-style Superman logo. He doesn’t really need it, but why argue with free? Use it as a drink coaster if you’re so inclined.
When all is said and done, Jimmy Olsen is a terrific figure. If you’re a fan of the character or just Superman in general, Jimmy can still be found fairly inexpensively. He’s well worth it.
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