DC Collectibles Earth 2 Flash & Green Lantern

Finally digging into some of the DC Collectibles I got a year ago from BBTS, specifically the Flash and Green Lantern- two heroes I tend to couple together because of their friendship. I enjoyed the first many issues if the New 52 Earth 2 book, taking the Scarlet Speedster and Galactic Cop on an updated tale of Jay Garrick and Scott Alan's characters' origins. I liked the variant costumes given the revamped heroes...

In 2014, DC Collectibles started expanding the articulation of their 7" figures, these being some of the first. They aren't quite as expressive as Mattel's DCUC line, but certainly more poseable than than before, and more unique than the DCUCs. DC Direct could occasionally temperamental in their quality control, historically- forgivable for their beauty in my book. Some of the shading is a little splotchy on Green Lantern's face, rough casting artifact in the shoulder/chest armor, and sloppy painting on the line work up close. I'm not enchanted with Flash's facial expression or craned neck, but nothing that's a total deal-breaker on these two. From where I sit, it would seem DC Collectibles has made some of the most beautiful and unique figures ever recently, so many in fact there seems a glut of them on the market currently- you can get some great prices on these now.

DC Collectibles has added an increasing amount of articulation to their action figures in recent years, which oddly doesn't necessarily make me like them anymore than their past work. I've long been a fan of DC Direct's comic art-specific action figures, preferring looks over articulation, and it's my hope that as DC Collectibles, the company will remember that. It's the adult collectors like myself that are buying them, and they spend most of their lives sitting on a shelf looking pretty.While these are nice action figures, I still love the Justice League Flash and Green Lantern from 2014...

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DC Direct First Appearance Figures

It occurred to me after posting about my DC Direct First Appearance Series Batman that I may or may not have shown the rest of my collection of this series, so here's a look at them all packaged. While DC Collectibles is making some of the most articulated and best sculpted figures ever today, I'm drawn to the simple charm of some of their earlier figures, and still hunt for them.

Characters chosen for the fourth wave in 2007 strayed from the portrayal of their original designs, the core theme of the First Appearance series, instead taking their looks from the recent, Brave New World story. Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes), Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter are from this fourth wave, who also included Atom (Ryan Choi) and Warlord. 

The capes on the earlier waves of the First Appearance Series are a really luxurious, double-layered satin material, like Superman, Robin, and Green Lantern wear. While Martian Manhunter has a plastic cape, I like the black body suit he wore around this time period and loved The Others Among Us book from that year.

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DC Direct Deluxe Golden Age Green Lantern

While I haven't any deep or long-time associations with Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern, I certainly do appreciate his classic uniform of the Golden Age of comics. Yes, the tall collared cape & loud colors come off somewhat goofy, but that's what I love about him. Appearing within both All-American Comics, and as part of  Justice Society of America in All Star Comics in 1940, Alan Scott was the only Green Lantern until 1951, when he stopped appearing due to a waning popularity in costumed heroes. He was eventually revived and retconned into the DC Comics Universe, along with the other Golden Age members of the JSA when All-Star Comics was resurrected in the 70's. Most all of my experience with Alan Scott comes from more recent, post-Crisis On Infinite Earths portrayals, before his re-imagined presentment in the New 52 Earth 2 title.

There were a lot of complaints about these 13" Deluxe figures by DC Direct, I have several I love. Their bodies have some cut joints that show through the costumes at odd angles, there have been wardrobe malfunctions, and some of the hand pegs haven't fit into their holes well. Still, Alan here is a standout, due in part to his simple, but beautifully tailored outfit and luxurious cape. The cape! Thick and silken, Alan's cape is attached securely onto four metal snaps on his red shirt to prevent shifting- a small detail that works really well. The body suit is one piece, opening up at a zipper down the back of the costume, like his boots which are made of a soft, faux leather, allowing his hinged ankles to move.

There are some nice details on this figure, the crown jewel of them being the artful sculpt and paint on the face- the eyes and lips glisten in a very life-like fashion, as though Alan might open his mouth and talk to you. It's not quite the caliber of a Hot Toys likeness, but it's nice. The ring is crisply sculpted on Alan's hand, neatly painted in metallic green. While simple, his pleather belt is functional and works visually. The Green Lantern insignia cleanly screen-printed on his red shirt really gives the outfit a retro, sci-fi feel, all the colors and dramatic cape straight out of the age of Flash Gordon.

 

The Green Lantern of Golden Age comics acquired his powers through an ancient Chinese lamp, carved from a meteor that fell onto the countryside thousands of years before, fulfilling the final movement of a long fabled prophesy. After the Silver-Age reboot of the Green Lantern, Alan Scott eventually reappeared as  the Green Lantern from the parallel world of Earth 2. Alan's power ring has no effect on wood, a safety measure installed from a time when many weapons were carved from trees, to protect against the corruption great power often brings. This part of Alan's story remains intact with DC Comics' New 52 Earth 2 portrayal of the character, challenging the new hero in his battle against Solomon Grundy.

When you put the mask on, Green Lantern really takes on the look of the legendary, Golden Age character. It's sculpted on the back to fit in the hollows of his eyes and bridge of his nose with reasonable security. Aside from a second set of  bendable, outstretched hands, Alan comes with a battery powered lamp that really puts out a glow. Like the others DC Direct deluxe figures, Green Lantern comes with an adjustable stand, the character's name stamped onto the base. While his joints are tighter than some of my other 13" DCDs, and he stands securely on his own, it's nice to have, keeping the expensive doll from toppling over.

While my Green Lantern Corps deluxe figure came with alternate heads, Hal has a lot of pageantry to compete with, the spectacle of Alan Scott's uniform hard to beat! I found mine on Amazon this past April for fifty bucks- about ten or fifteen dollars less than he went for on his retail debut a couple years ago, the last of this line of deluxe figures by DC Direct we've seen.

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DC New 52: Earth 2, #3

In continuance of my recent post on issue #2 of DC New 52: Earth 2,  Alan Scott makes his debut as Green Lantern in Earth 2, #3. As I said before, I'm uncertain if this Earth 2 fascination is a passing faze, or if it's actually good, but it inerested me enough to throw a few posts up. Personally, alternative versions of our favorite heroes, one-shot novels out of regular continuity, "what-if" stories and the like fascinate me, so this falls into that sort of novelty for myself.

When Alan Scott emerges from the train wreck at the end of the last issue, a voice tells him he was saved for a higher purpose- the fight against a great evil to come, the same warning Mercury delivered to an astonished Jay Garrick in issue #2. He is magically restored as the the Green Lantern, swearing to honor his deceased lover Sam. In Poland, as Hawlgirl tests the inexperienced new speedster, she notices the forest beginning to die under their feet.

 The spreading death Flash & Hawkgirl witnessed were the wake of  Grundy's destruction of Washington DC- an attempt to lure the Green Lantern into a fight, the only one Grundy perceives a threat to him quest for world domination.

Again, I like Nicola Scott's pencilling, nicely complimented by Trevor Scott's inking, which is most evident in the last page's illustration of Grundy. Solomon looks different here- more like Nekron than the Golden-Age enemy of Green Lantern. I'm not going to do the 31 days of Halloween here on the Super-DuperToyBox, but this last page is sufficiently creepy. Well, I guess I gave away who shows up in issue #4...

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DC New 52: Earth 2, #2

In continuance of my earlier post on DC New 52: Earth 2, #1, we are introduced, or reintroduced to Jay Garrick at his moment of truth- when he acqires his powers of speed from Mercury...

When the World Army shows up, the reluctant Jay pleads with Mercury to understand he's just a regular guy and they are the good guys & here to help. Mercury insists that Jay's gallant heart combined with his own power of speed to get away and to save the world from an impending darkness to come.

Elsewhere, Mr. Terrific arrives from another Earth, confused at the alternate version of Manhattan he's found himself. A man named Terry Sloan approaches him, somehow aware of Terrific's identity and time of arrival, and quickly turns the hero's own tech against him.

Running in thrill of his new power, Jay finds himself in Poland, the mysterious Hawkgirl having somehow been expecting him.

We were introduced to business mogul Alan Scott in the last issue. Meeting his partner for a holiday in the country, the two board a train, upon which Alan proposes to Sam just before the shocking ending to this issue...

Nicolla Scott does some expert penciling in this issue, and though I was initially unsure about the Flash's new outfit, it's grown on me somewhat. I dig the colors that pay homage to the original Flash. My main complaint with newer comics is that it seems there are too many ads and not quite enough story, especially when I'm paying three bucks an issue for this title. That could be nostalgia talking. It may take some more for me to decide if this Earth 2 fascination is a passing faze, or if it's any good- I'm not a literary critic. But hey- I am curious enough that I bought a couple more issues after this one, so DC's little New 52 hype worked to a degree... well at least for now  :D 

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Hey, Mr. Postman!

That's right- it's time for another installment of Hey, Mr. Postman! here at the Super-DuperToyBox! If you are beginning to wonder, if you are starting to get the impression that there are always parcels of toys arriving at my apartment faster than I can write about them, well... you would be (laughs) correct! I'm WAY behind, LOL! Things get more and more fun here by the day, I swear! I got this haul about nine days ago:

*I won a set of four D.C. Direct 1st Appearance action figures on E-Bay for the paltry sum of $31.01 (price included shipping)! This was an exceptional deal Friends, due the well known fact that the Robin figure alone can go for upwards of $25.00 alone, and I've seen people asking for way more. 1st Appearance Superman can fetch the same kinds of prices. I had to E-Snipe some poor fool at the last second to win them, but all is fair in love and toy collecting...  I have six of these retro-cool series action figures now- I love their styling and fabric capes! They make me feel like a kid again!

*D.C. New Frontier, Vol.1.  I'll confess: I LOVE Darywn Cooke's artwork. This is a GREAT story that I enjoyed immensely! See my entry on the New Frontier action figures I got before I read the book- FUN toys!

*Hasbro Marvel Legends 6" Scarlet Spider came loose in his own box- I had two other Marvel Legends Spidermen that I love, and I like this guy too... I like the reworking of the red and blue suit and the metallic wristbands. I had recently read a 1996 comic featuring this Spider-Man (Ben Reilly, not Peter Parker) teamed up with Gambit & Howard The Duck- the artwork was great!

DOUBLE BONUS ROUND of Hey, Mr. Postman!

Yes, because I'm behind on these, and this delivery was somewhat related, let's take a peek at what arrived just a few days later, m'kay?

*D.C. New Frontier, Vol.2. I finished this two volume series just a couple nights ago, and I must say it was a great ride! It would behoove you to check into this great story of these classic D.C. heroes set in the Cold War Era. Check out D.C. Comics New Frontier page! I was cheering out loud by the end of it! GREAT, I say!

*Related to another fun graphic novel I read just last year, Alan Moore's seminal tome Watchmen- D.C. Direct Series 1 Nite Owl. This character appeals to me for a very specific reason- he's a lot like Batman. His nocturnal alias, reliance on gadgetry, inherited wealth, and scientific background bears an uncanny resemblance to the Dark Knight. The outfit featured on this figure is based on the updated Nite Owl from the 2009 motion picture Watchmen rather than the 1986 comic book version- he'll fit right in with my other 6" D.C. figures!  

Well, I was feeling somewhat blue today for some reason, but writing about toys seems to have lifted my spirits... that and news that known dolly persecutor BubbaShelby had purchased a "larger-scale action figure that features a cloth outfit"! Shiver me timbers! ...Boy, was I ever (laughs) delighted! I am CERTAINLY looking forward to seeing a picture of this toy!