While Mezco’s action figure run has been consistently full of hits, there are a few that regularly make the list for needing another shot, and it seems none moreso than Superman.
Honestly, I like the figure. I bought it after the initial release, after getting the Red Son variant- which I love. But, I can see the issues. For one thing, his base body is a bit of a mix of parts, and they leave him a little short next to other comic Mezco figures- something Red Son’s boots help him circumvent. The other big, over-arching issue that hamstrung the poor guy was just too many damn revisions. The cut of the costume changed. The shorts changed. The base body changed, and so on. And while the final figure is still worth owning, at least for me, It makes sense that there would be a lot of folks looking for another option.
DoorMatt Studios (@doormatt_studios) has been cranking out new Supersuits for a while now. After a really cool Bane kit, Matt decided to take a crack at a fan favorite model for Superman, complete with some beautiful headsculpts. And this is, of course, the Superman of Kingdom Come.
I actually got this beauty just after Christmas. Matt had designed the suit for direct replacing of the Mezco Superman suit, but I had another idea. But that meant I had to wait for the new parts to get here before I added the suit. But I think it was well worth the wait.
I wanted to use the Black Adam body- which Mezco, if you’re reading today, THIS is the body Superman V2 should come on- it’s a little bit thicker and taller, though I do think it shares a couple common pieces with Supes. I waited as patiently as I could manage, picked one up on eBay for just under retail, and then set about assembling this Superman.
Two parts had to be changed to get the right look, the first being the forearms- he needed a full arm without a gauntlet, which came from a Commander Rogers. Matt uses (and recommends) the DC Collectibles Essential Superman boots, since these help add height to the original Mezco body, but since Adam has longer shins, I used some Daredevil boots. Or rather, I used them as placeholders. Then, like every other time I’ve used them, I liked them enough to leave them. Obviously, they aren’t very on-model, but they are red, they are Mezco, and they look plenty good enough for the girls I go with.
The suit application is only a little scary. The blue bodysuit goes on first, very carefully inching it up not to pull on that fantastic “S” logo. Then just a quick stitch up the back. Don’t worry if you’re a not so great seamstress- the cape will cover your sins. The shorts slide over the top, and then you can secure the belt over those. I used some fabric tack for the belt-loops to the shorts, but of course there’s a few ways to do this. Then tuck the cape into the collar, affix it with the method of your preference, and you’re all set.
With the excellent Alex Ross custom head on top, and especially with that thicker Adam body, this makes more a regal, powerful Superman that just exudes that Kingdom Come prowess. When he’s all put together, you can really see how beautiful the color choices are- they are subdued but still striking. He scales wonderfully, and with a couple little Mezco-like touches- the boots in my case- he feels like he still matches the aesthetic enough to fool the non-devout among us into thinking he’s factory. You have the option for a standard and/or a heat-vision head, and they are equally excellent- but I just love the standard. And I couldn’t find the damn thing til just now.
Unfortunately, unless you already picked one of these up, you might have to wait and hope for Matt to do another run. But there are some other fun projects he’s working on currently, like a great animated-inspired Bane. If you aren’t keeping tabs on him via social media yet, definitely do so. Matt is an excellent talent and a great guy- you won’t be disappointed if you give his stuff a shot. You can find him on Instagram @doormatt_studios !
