I was a big DC Universe Classics collector, but I haven’t been very tempted by many of Mattel’s recent DC Multiverse figures until now. Reaper was the villain in one of my favorite graphic novels by Alan Davis, Batman, Full Circle. Let’s take a look at the DC Multiverse figure — Reaper!
Reaper comes with two swappable scythe hands and a build-a-figure piece.
In the book, the scythes are something Reaper holds in his hands, so I think I would have preferred it if they fit over the existing fists. It would have been nice to have that bit of wrist articulation for the scythes. I would have also liked it if the scythes were painted metallic silver rather than the swirly metallic plastic they used.
The sculpt is pretty great. The only criticism I have is that it’s slightly short; Reaper was a bit taller and more imposing in the books. The spikes are duller, but I’ve come to expect that from Mattel. The skull is nicely detailed.
An interesting feature of Reaper’s design is that his eyes glow. Rather than paint red eye dots on the figure, there is some sort of plastic piece inserted into the head. That piece actually reflects light pretty well, so if you hit it with a red light, the eyes light up.
The cape and chest armor is one big piece, and it’s glued into a peg at the back. I like that because it keeps the cape oriented pretty well most of the time.
Reaper has the following articulation
- Ball/socket neck
- Swivel/hinge shoulders, hips, wrists, and elbows
- Swivel thighs, waist, and biceps
- Single-hinged knees, abs, and ankles.
The articulation is pretty standard for the DCUC line, and I find myself really missing the rocker ankles. The swivel/hinge at the elbow doesn’t really work, but since there is a bicep swivel it’s not a big deal. The arms are a little limited by the cape/chest armor.
The paint is pretty simple, with red plastic making the majority of the figure, but there is some metallic red on the spikes. I think a wash would have been cool to bring out the armor details.
Overall, this figure turned out pretty nice. I think my main beef with it is the lack of ankle swivels. It’s a good representation of the character and I’m glad to be able to dip in and add to my DCUC collection every once and a while.
