Mego 50th Anniversary WGSH (Wave 18)

I was super-excited about getting these Mego Wave 18 World's Greatest Super-Heroes, which included some bonafide B-Tier DC heroes and villains like Red Tornado and Dr. Fate! None of these were produced during Mego's halcyon days in the '70s, but they really capture the spirit! Check out the video:

There was also a Bizarro included in this wave that I could have pitted against my Mego 50th Anniversary Superman, but I just never cared about that character. I'm much more a fan of Brainiac!

As much as I loved Mattel's DC Retro-Action figures back in 2010, the quality of the figure construction can't match the new Mego figures. That said, the Retro-Action Two-Face is still a treasured item in my collection...

Below, Nightwing joins my modern Mego Batman and Robin for an evening patrol!

Below, Deadman, Firestorm, Dr. Fate, and Red Tornado team up with Aquaman, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, and Shazam- what a great time to be a Mego fan!

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DC Direct Brightest Day Dove, Jade, Firestorm, Martian Manhunter

I had started picking up some of the DC Direct Brightest Day Series figures in 2011, only to leave them all on card- the number of figures I picked up that year was larger than the amount of time I realistically had to photograph/document them in the very systematic fashion I had only recently adopted. In fact, I'd sold my Jade figure just over a year ago, deciding to buy her again while I was buying Firestorm and Dove at such good prices from an eBay seller recently. DC Direct was making some of their most beautiful figures in 2011, the year before they rebranded as DC Collectibles, and while these were designed specifically after the characters in the Brightest Day story, some of the figures from this series were just really nice evergreen versions of the characters that could plug into anyone's 7" collection. You won't get a great deal of dynamic poses out of these, but the sculpts and colors are fantastic, and they come with really nice display stands.

Firestorm had a pretty complicated history prior to the New 52 reboot, and I'm honestly less interested in that than I am as the character as an action figure. I've always loved his outfit, this version executed beautifully, the chest emblem actually sculpted around the torso and swirly crown of translucent fire atop his head. In Brightest Day, both the original Ronnie Raymond and the modern Jason Rusch merge into the Firestorm Matrix, the former having been resurrected.

Below, Brightest Day Firestorm with the DC Universe Classics Firestorm...

Jade is the Daughter of Alan Scott, the first Green Lantern of Earth, and former girlfriend of Green Lantern Kyle Rayner. She was not included in the New 52 or Rebirth timeline reboots, so her continuity in DC Comics is in limbo, as I understand it. Regardless, I love the character design and her facial portrait is perfect. The pearlescent white went a long way in making an otherwise simple figure kind of special.

Below, Brightest Day Jade with Blackest Night Green Lantern Hal Jordan...

Probably even less than with Firestorm, I've no real attachment to Dove as a character, having picked her up on her merits as an action figure alone. The character design is simple, but beautifully executed. Even back in 2011, I preferred the female DC Direct figures over the Mattel females, Dove here using the same buck as Jade. I love the colors and her little, winged cape. DC Direct produced a Brightest Day Hawk figure to compliment her, which I do not have. Dove suppresses her partner's rage & violent tendencies, which would be boundless without her. She is hypervigilant and can read how people will react, also possessing enhanced agility, flight and healing powers.

Below, Jade with one of her Wave 3 mates, Brightest Day Aqualad...

Now this Brightest Day Martian Manhunter has been on card in my collection for nearly nine years, so I'm really happy to have opened him. I loved the updated design of this character, having been brought back to life from his death in Final Crisis (DC Comics, 2008-2009). J'onn purportedly has a substantial role in Brightest Day, which I have limited knowledge of, having never read. I know that sounds crazy as I was such a Blackest Night fan, but I must've been consumed by the dozens of other books I was reading at the time, freshly back into comics as an adult. Regardless, J'onn is at one point in the series forced to choose between Earth and Mars, fulfilling a plan for the White Lantern Entity, and defending the Earth against the Dark Avatar as an Elemental.

I actually have a 3" DC Action League version of the Brightest Day J'onn J'onzz...

And finally, because I'm such a Martian Manhunter fanatic, a current lineup of my figures in this scale: DC Collectibles New 52 Martian Manhunter, DC Direct JLA Classified Martian Manhunter, DC Direct Brightest Day Martian Manhunter, DC Direct History of the DC Universe Martian Manhunter, DC Universe Classics Martian Manhunter, DC Direct New Frontier Martian Manhunter...

Visit Joe Acevedo's DC Direct Archive online to see all the figures from 1999 to 2012!

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Justice League Action Series 1, Batman Unlimited Series 3 Mighty Minis

Just as I'd come to accumulate some of the leftover Mighty Minis blind bags from the Batman v Superman and Batman Power Attack lines,  Mattel dropped these Justice League Action minifigs. I've yet to see any of the episodes, but these characters are among some of my favorite in the DC Universe.

Okay, comparison time:

Mighty Minis Blue Beetle with my Batman Brave and the Bold Series Happy Meal Blue Beetle...

Below, Mighty Minis Firestorm with my DC Action League Firestorm and Batman Brave and the Bold series Firestorm...

Below, Justice League Action Series 1 Flash with Batman Unlimited Series 1 Flash and with Imaginext Flash...

Below, Justice League Action Series 1 and Batman v Superman Series 1 Superman...

The Batman in this Justice League Action series reminded me of the Beware the Batman action figure in my collection- I really enjoyed what little I saw of that last animated Batman show...

Justice League Action Series 1 Robin with  Batman Unlimited Series 1 Robin, and below that, with Batman Unlimited Series 1 Batman Beyond. Like the Batman Beyond, Robin has a semi-translucent buck- they make a great pair!

While on the subject, I found a couple more Batman Unlimited Series 3 Mighty Minis recently, the Red Robin and Batman...

Batman Power Attack series 3 Batman now joins the ranks of Mighty Minis Batman gang, with Batman v Superman Series 1 Armored Batman, Justice League Action Series 1 Batman, Batman v Superman Series 2 Batman, Batman Unlimited Series 1 Batman, and Batman v Superman Series 2 silver Batman...

And finally, Batman Unlimited Series 3 Red Robin with Justice League Action Series 1 Robin and Batman Unlimited Series 1 Robin. As you can see, the Unlimited Robin shares most his parts with Red Robin...

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Batman: The Brave & The Bold Rocket Blast Firestorm

Got together with my family this past Sunday for some early birthday celebration, and my parents surprised me with this really cool Batman: The Brave & The Bold Rocket Blast Firestorm! If you are new to this blog, you may not know that I'm a HUGE fan of the animated show these 5" Mattel action figures are based on, and have kept an entire shelf dedicated to them for over a year.

A lot of action figure fans are annoyed by the hexagonal slots at the joints to accomadate the "Snap & Attack" play feature on these, but they are made for kids- made for play! I love they're chunky styling, and hope they continue with the "Stealth Strike" banner they've been rebranded under!

The folks at Mattel did a great job adapting Firestorm's character to the buck of these toys, his uniform details sculpted into the body, bringing just enough detail to make an artful but simple rendering. This appears to be the current Nuclear Man, Jason Rusch, his serious visage capped with a translucent orange flame. He looks great- had a ball taking pictures of this one!  :D

Firestorm has the standard articulation for this line of figures: a cut/swivel joint at the neck, waist & shoulders, hinged elbows, and T-hips. Simple, but tough enough for real play, and more articulated than the 5-point Star Wars figures we grew up with.

Firestorm's rocket blast accessory is the exact same as the one included with Total Armor Stealth Blast Rocket Batman, but molded in gold plastic. The press of a button fires the projectile at the end. The jets can be removed and popped into the hexagonal slots on any of the action figures in this line of toys.

The strange face capping the end of this accessory is a reference to the Metal Men characters, this one representing Gold, who could utilize whatever traits of their namesake metal necessary to accomplish a task or do battle. I actually have regular figures of both Gold & Iron from this series I'll have to show you some day. In fact, I have several more of these figures yet to be photographed! 

Firestorm has a complicated history, even for DC's convoluted continuity! Debuting in March of 1978, he is unique among all other superheroes: he is not merely one being with superpowers/super-abilities/super gadgets (as most superheroes are, such as Superman and Batman), nor is he one being when human and another distinct being in "super" mode (a la Captain Marvel or Etrigan). Firestorm instead is two normal human beings when non-powered, who then combine in "super" mode to form Firestorm. (Wikipedia) A crazy but interesting idea, the cast of alter egos having changed four times since the character's inception.

And now it's time for one of my favorite things here at the Super-DuperToyBox: BIGTOY/littletoy! Brave & the Bold Firestorm with DCUC Firestorm and Action League Firestorm...

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DCUC Haul No.2

I went back to BAM! again on Monday to catch the end of the Memorial Day sale and accidentally bought eight more DCUCs that were going for $6.69 each. I decided that even though I bought eight of these on Sunday, it was too good a deal to pass up getting a few more  :D

*Wave 9 Mantis

This is the classic variant of Mantis, whom I knew nothing of- I bought it because of the unusual cape design, attached to his appendages like some kind of flying squirrel. It's one of the ugliest DCUCs I've ever seen (aside from the variant Mantis that looks like a John Deere endorsed villain), and the sheer oddity of it's appearance appeals to me. The late, great Jack Kirby created some of the ugliest characters of comicdom, I swear! All the ridges & lines throughout the costume and giant ugly mask are a dead giveaway...

*Wave 8 Parademon (red Variant)

While on the subject of ugly villains created by Jack Kirby, this DCUC was the reason I went back on Monday. Another oddity among this line of action figures. Parademons are, of course, Darkseid's swarming troops on Apokolips... this one reminds me of Man-Bat & the Wicked Witch of the West's flying monkeys a little too  :D  What a FUN TOY!

*Wave 7 Big Barda

Another Jack Kirby Character I picked up was Mr. Miracle's wife, Big Barda- both orphans from Apokolips. They released a variant without the big, crazy helmet, but who wants that?  ...Without the helmet it loses it Kirby-ness.

*Wave 10 Beast Boy

Now I've been on the lookout for one of these at a decent price for awhile! I didn't see him on Sunday when I picked up my first batch, so I'm glad I went back. He's the only DCUC I have with the small/young buck, which some people didn't like, and his costume is styled after the Teen Titans cartoon, which I think is cool. The eagle's claws don't wrap around his arm very well- getting a picture was a real trick. The eagle isn't Gar's pet: Beast Boy is a changeling, able to turn into any animal he wants.

*Wave 10 Power Girl & Wave 2 Firestorm (Firestorm II variant)

They had a regular Firestorm at BAM! as well, but I liked the variant a lot better. Such a cool figure! The atomic gauntlets are made of a rubbery plastic that slips off & on easily- cool idea. And Power Girl... who does not love Kara? Does she look mildly similar to Cameron Diaz in this sculpt, or is it just me.

 

*Wave 4 Cyborg & 2009 MattyCollector Exclusive Adam Strange

This is a modernized stylization of Adam Strange, but he's still a great action figure! Love it! This Cyborg two accessory arms that can be changed out at the left wrist- the variant has the sonic gun accessory arm which is a lot cooler, but he's a unique DCUC nonetheless. A couple of really space age characters I'm having fun with on the desk... a Silver Age classic & a Bronze Age Teen Titan.

 

*See the DC Universe Classics checklist at DCClassics.Com! 

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