McFarlane DC Multiverse Gen. Zod, Superboy Prime, Lex Luthor, God of Apokolips

 I received my preorder of Superboy Prime, Lex Luthor, and "God of Apokolips" Darkseid/Lex variant from McFarlane Toys a couple weeks ago, bumping into the new General Zod just last weekend. I thought all these might make a nice group. I'm barely interested in the Darkseid/Lex variant, but paired with Lex in his green power suit and the throne included make things way for inviting. I haven't read The Darkseid War story arc, purchasing both these figures solely on their merits as action figures.

My last post did in fact include both General Zod and Lex Luthor in 14" Mego form. While I love the more retro Mego costumes, the modern styling McFarlane chose for these characters works better with their DC Multiverse line, and current comic book styling..

I had a DC Direst Superboy Prime in this scale for years, but never a General Zod. I felt they would pair well when I saw Zod in a local Walmart this last weekend. Their sci-fi armored gauntlets, boots, and chest harness/shoulder pauldrons complement one another. General Zod is based on his current appearance in DC Comics as best I can tell- I really liked the outfit!

There is another McFarlane DC Multiverse Kryptonian in my collection, the ElseWorlds-inspired Red Son Superman. I love the muted colors on that figure, he looks fantastic!

Etrigan the Demon might be a McFarlane figure that could pair well with Zod for battle. The sword that came with my McFarlane Toys Bloodshot makes a great accessory for Zod- like it was made for him!

While there are aspects of McFarlane figures I sometimes don't like- the ball-swivel joints in the wrists and ankles can be cumbersome when posing, and larger figures can have balance issues. I like the aesthic of these figures individually and together, particularly Superboy Prime and Zod. There is a plainness to the Darkseid Lex's paint scheme, but the chair adds a lot. While flight hands were appropriate, I wish Superboy Prime included additional hands like Lex and Zod included. Not sure if I care about the collector cards these came with, but I appreciate Mcfarlane including a base with each figure. Complaints aside, I enjoyed these figures together, and though I haven't kept up with DC Comics' current stories, these are just fun character designs and "toyetic" action figures. 

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Dargo Block World Darkseid, Grodd, Igor & Hulkbuster

I received a few more of the larger character Lego knock-off minifigures from China after the Block World Hulks came, Darkseid, Grodd, Igor & Hulkbuster this time...

Darkseid & Gorilla Grodd have somewhat loose shoulder swivels, but look satisfactory, simple in their design like the Hulks, only swivels in the wrists & shoulders and stationary heads.

Igor and Hulkbuster are a level above in their detail, the latter an added point of articulation at the elbows. These are simple toys, but I really enjoy their chunky styling and tiny size, three inches head to toe. I'm unsure of the legal implications of companies producing these, but I love a bootleg- especially of this quality. That is a Lego brand base plate their standing on however, so I file these under Lego-compatible...

Understandably, I couldn't wait to pose Hulkbuster with my Hulk! I had wondered why that Hulk came with a wrench and hammer... possibly for Hulk to hammer Tony Stark's creation back together after stomping him? At any rate, these two are fun together!

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Imaginext Justice League Figures

I stopped buying these Imaginext DC figures some time ago mainly because Fisher-Price stopped releasing new characters. These chunky, little cuties are made for smaller children, and limited in their articulation- swivel wrists, heads in most cases, hinge swivel shoulders, and a single horseshoe-hinge for the legs are what you get here. Like the Playskool Marvel Super Heroes in their construction, their bright colors and sturdy construction will appeal to and survive a preschool play session. See a bunch more photos of these little guys along with more from my collection of Imaginext DC figures in a the video I just made:

 It seems like I heard about a New 52 Superman coming out a year ago, but packaged with a Wonder Woman- I did see this 2-pack on the pegs, but could not pass on this amazing little Darkseid figure! He's almost a little too well sculpted, the detailing far beyond other characters in the line. His hood and shoulder overlay are molded in a softer, more flexible fabric, allowing Darkseid to turn his head, a point of articulation Superman disappointingly lacks. I like his bright colors however, and he wears a tiny cloth cape. There was a Superman slightly darker packaged with the conventional Wonder Woman, while a New 52 deco of the Amazon is packed with her invisible jet, a vehicle I covet but can't commit to.

Aquaman and Roboshark were released a while ago, under the "DC Super Friends" banner, before the recent Justice League wave Supes and Darkseid  were part of, but I finally decided to photograph him after finding new Imaginext on the pegs. Aquaman's head turns, but he's not so steady on his feet, the flat bottoms not flush to the ground, making the King of the Seas really wobbly- some boiling water may help me realign his feet. Some didn't prefer Arthur's variant yellow boots, but I did- you can get him with fully green legs now if you prefer, but he's packed with a New 52 Flash, not this killer Roboshark... !

By pressing Roboshark's dorsal fin, his articulated jaw action feature is activated! He's cast in a metallic grey, sculpted with rivets and mechanical details, his eyes painted red and gill vents black. He's rad! Aquaman's other accessory is his yellow trident, that also has some simple, but thoughtful sculpt details. This was a great set I saw only once on the pegs until recently, and a lot of fun to play around with out of packaging

I wasn't surprised to see an Imaginext Cyborg figure as I was to see the Red Tornado in this 2-pack I found while picking up Superman & Darkseid. DC has really been pushing Cyborg for awhile, in both the most recent Teen Titans animated shows, with the Flashpoint series, and finally with the New 52 Justice League title. Red Tornado showed up recently in issue #15 of Earth 2, apparently feminine in this alternate dimension/reality- looking forward to the next issue! These were far too cool to pass on, my only gripes being Tornado's head doesn't turn, nor does Cyborg's gun barrel arm. Their detailed decos are unique and beautifully done, particularly Cyborg's. Super cute!

The new Green Arrow trough me off at first, evoking suspicions of reused parts from some medieval Imaginext toys, which he may be, but I rarely pass on a new Green Arrow figure- especially one with a projectile accessory!  The projectile takes a firm push of the light green buttons at the rear of the barrel, and fires with  a good amount of force- keep it pointed away from your face. The crossbows fire and swivel vertically independent of one another, and move horizontally together on the quad-legged base. It's fun!

The rigged/armored look of the sculpt , highlighted piping in the chest, and hooded head are reminiscent of the DC New 52 G..A. He's a great little figure with a lot of detail., down to his painted buckles on the sculpted shoulder straps to the impossibly tiny arrowhead etched into his belt buckle. Snappy!

See a bunch more photos of these little guys along with more from my collection of Imaginext DC figures in the video I just made!

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DC Collectibles New 52 Darkseid!

Well, I knew it would likely come to pass, and while stopping by Comic Headquarters on Friday afternoon to rap with Steve and his friendly staff, I saw the new DC Collectibles Darkseid on sale for $64.99! At the regular retail price of eighty to ninety bucks, I wasn't going to pass on a deal like that and bought him on the spot...

 

Let's take a look at the video  :D

 

 

 

There are big fun action figures, and there are others that fall into the fine art category- Darkseid here files under the latter. DC Collectibles, formerly known as DC Direct, are known for their excellent sculpt and paint, and this mammoth 13" Darkseid is the pinnacle of their artistry. Sculptor Phil Ramirez pulled out all the stops on this bad boy, creating a piece that rivals any of the fine art statuary DC or Marvel has released to date. The texture and cracking throughout this piece is spectacular, and the paint apps are subtle and expertly applied- it's as though he is standing right there in front of you. Absolutely amazing... !

 

Such as the case with DC Direct in the past, Darkseid's articulation is very simple: hinge-swivel shoulders, swivels in the biceps, forearms, wrists, and boot tops, single-jointed elbows and knees. His ball-jointed head is relatively expressive, but lacks any upward range- this isn't too disappointing as he looks down on most every action figure in my collection. Darkseid's shoulder pads are on a ball joint, one of which popped off while messing with him- it was most difficult getting it back on, and I feared the tiny, clear peg would break off during the entire ten minutes it took me to get it back on. I'm not crazy about this design feature, and would recommend doing everything you can not to unseat the shoulder pads from their pegs.

 

  

 This DC Collectibles Darkseid dwarfs all previous version of the Dark Lord of the Apokolips- here he is pictured below with my DC Direct New Gods Darkseid, inspired by the late, great artist Jack Kirby. I love the angular styling of these New Gods figures, and I think King Kirby would have been impressed by this DC Collectibles version of Darkseid...

 

Pictured below are a couple other size comparisons with larger action figures in my collection, DC Direct 13" Deluxe Superman, and Hasbro 16" Marvel Universe Sentinel. It should be noted that the Marvel Universe Sentinel retailed at only fifty bucks, and while his sculpt and paint aren't nearly as artful as Darkseid's, his articulation is superior, and he features lights and sound...

Darkseid with my DC Collectibles New 52 Superman and Wonder Woman...

 

 

This action figure is a work of art! In spite of the trouble with the shoulder pad, I'd certainly recommend him to any DC Comics fan. To that I'd add, get him on sale- while he's a great figure, he's way overpriced at the suggested retail of ninety dollars. That said, DC Collectibles raised the bar on sculpt and deco on this amazing action figure- Bravo!

 

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