Superman. It doesn’t get more iconic than that. Every modern superhero owes a debt of gratitude to Superman. I know there are some people don’t even like him, but regardless of where your loyalties lie, you have to respect him, and you have to respect his legacy.
But he has not had the best of luck in the toy world.
Superman has had scores of toys over the years. You could fill a room with just action figures of Superman. But I can’t point to one Superman figure that makes me say “There, that’s it. I’m done. I don’t need another Superman.”
But Mezco, you can do it. You can make the perfect Superman. But you have to fix the one you’re working on now.
In doing research on the One:12 Collective Superman, I ended up digging back to SDCC of 2015. 2015! Superman has been in the works for two years now, and his release date is still in a state of flux. For two years those of us who are both Superman fans and One:12 Collective fans have been waiting with various stages of patience for Superman to finally debut. I don’t know about anybody else, but for me, a DC line can’t call itself a DC line unless there’s a good, comic book Superman figure.
Superman was shown off yet again at the 2017 SDCC with one more overhaul to his general aesthetic. Mezco, I love you guys and I’m in for a massive amount of your figures, but Superman still needs work.
That’s not to say there have been no improvements. His clothes have gone from ill-fitting to tightened up, improving his overall look immensely.
Now, I understand that some might consider him just fine as is. However, the feedback I’ve seen on the forum hasn’t been too pleasant. I understand that Fwoosh is just one group of voices among the many, and it might not be representative of a whole. In the myopic bubble I view on a day-to-day basis, Superman is still not up to the standards that so many Mezco figures have achieved with far less angst.
So unsolicited and representative of my own view alone, these are the current issues with Superman that need to be fixed, in my eyes.
The “S” Shield.
Superman’s “S” is a defining trait. Without the S, you’ve just got a dude in blue pajamas. The S on the Mezco Superman has been pretty consistent, so far. There is a magnetic feature that allows you to place bullet-deflection “ping” effects on it, which is a very cool feature. But this necessitates a thicker, raised shield that looks, in a word, awkward. Superman would be a much sleeker, much more streamlined figure if you just got rid of the magnetic deflection feature and just went with a thinner S-shield similar to the Bat symbol used on the Dark Knight Returns Batman or Flash’s lightning symbol.
The magnetic effect would work fine on another Superman down the road, once all the bumps on this one have been fixed. But I’d much rather a Superman that eschews any gimmicks and looks like the absolute best One:12 Superman it could be than sacrifice perceived perfection for a cool photo or two. In short, for the inaugural debut of the iconic Superman figure, any of the bells and whistles that could detract from him being perfect need to be left off.
The belt.
The belt needs to be thinner. Superman’s belt has never been tactical nor practical nor needed at all, really. It’s purely decorative, but it’s such an integral part of his overall look that he would look weird without it. The current belt is “fine” as in it’s not overtly wrong, but it could stand to be a little less “there” as a separate piece. If it could be incorporated into whatever eventual solution for the trunks that would be ideal, as it doesn’t look right hovering overtop as a separate piece. 
Not to get too nerdy, but in terms of the belt and the “S” shield … Clark Kent wears his Super-clothes underneath his work clothes, so the costume has to work for me in that direction. Again — hardwired into my brain. I can’t see that big honking belt and large “S” not causing people to look at him weird at the Daily Planet.
Speaking of the trunks …
The trunks.
I am a fan of Superman’s red trunks. I am a fan to such a degree that I can’t truly consider any Superman without those red trunks to truly be “Superman.” The loss of that bold streak of color midway between head and feet just grates on me in any story featuring anyone who calls himself “Superman.” I can’t help it; that feeling is hardwired into me. So I am grateful that this Superman is proudly wearing a pair of red trunks.
But for two years the figure seems to be constantly searching for the best way to present those trunks. The initial images showed them as a separate piece — which I think everyone knew were going to be refined over time. But then time passed and they were shown to be stitched into the fabric. Unfortunately, this gave them a very strange look that took away the “trunks” aspect and gave them even more of an “Underoo” effect than a superhero usually has.
Clearly this was still a point of contention, because at SDCC 2017 he was shown with yet another attempt at the trunks, this time featuring a rubbery, vinyl-looking type of fabric. Admittedly, the fit on these are much better, and it is definitely better than having them stitched into his legs like the previous attempt, but it’s still … off. The idea is there, and it is heading in the right direction, but the difference in fabrics is jarring, and he ends up looking like he’s about to compete in the Olympics.
The trunks absolutely need to be a separate piece, but instead of a speed-swimmer look, they still need to be aesthetically similar to the fabric of his costume. If the direction is heading in a real world application of Superman’s costume, then it should have the overall look of a Frank Quitely-esque aesthetic, whose Superman was depicted in the same general manner of a Mezco figure, without the overly defined muscles. Quitely’s All Star Superman essentially looked like a One:12 Collective Superman.
The thing is, the initial One:12 offering — Dark Knight Returns Batman — did most of what needs to be done here already. There have been advances since then, but with an overall tightening up of those same aesthetics, this could finally be the best Superman action figure that’s ever been made.
I personally think the fit of the costume, the head and the accessories are looking really good, much better than the bulky Superman sweater of two years ago. Superman is only being held back by a handful of elements, all of which are fixable. It’s been two years since he was shown off, but I think most of us are willing to wait however long it takes if it means we get a Superman that is everything he needs to be.
If the “S” shield, the belt, and the trunks are tweaked, the entire figure will come together as the defining Superman action figure. While I don’t like the face, a 6-inch version of the Sideshow Superman from the neck down would be my ideal. Concessions would have to be made due to scale, but this general look would really hammer home what I want in a superman. 