Imaginext Brainiac, Martian Manhunter & Plastic Man

I'd been on  the lookout for the Imaginext Martian Manhunter & Plastic Man 2-pack, when I unexpectedly found this cute little Brainiac with tentacles- I'm unsure if he's new with so much older stock reappearing in the last month, but he's new to me. The tentacles are pliable, a wire inside holding the position they are bent into- Fun! The pack from which they extend is removeable, and fits snugly over his shoulders & around the waist, a mechanical spinal column extending to the back of the head.

While the color scheme varies, somewhat in reverse, Imaginext Brainiac is very similar in design to the Mattel JLU Brainiac in several ways- the conical, collared head, studded belt & armbands, and striped boots...

I now have a trio of Superman's enemies, including Lex Luthor & Darkseid- I'm sure the Man of Steel will be fine...     :)

While on the subject of orphaned aliens, I was surprised & delighted to see an Imaginext Martian Manhunter this year, a favorite character of mine! Decked out in his New 52 gear, this 3" J'onn J'onzz has a torso piece that can be removed, revealing an alien torso, the sculpt in keeping with his bumpy/spiny forearms. I have a lot of Imaginext figures that seem like there's a joint at the neck, but the head doesn't move. J'onn shares this trait unfortunately, but this uncommon choice of hero is a delight to see. For a character so seemingly unknown to the general public, Martian Manhunter has had a surprisingly large number of action figures made in his likeness over the years.

Imaginext Martian Manhunter with my other New 52 styled Martian Manhunter by DC Collectibles, two wildly variant types of action figure...

Imaginext Martian Manhunter with Mattel DC Action League Martian Manhunter, another mini-action figure line I've collected- both simple, but dynamic and fun like a toy should be...

BubbaShelby informed me the Imaginext Plastic Man was a rubber figure, which makes sense and adds a unique novelty to this line of mini-figures, my only suggestion that he'd been more fun with wire in the limbs to hold bending poses.

Imaginext Plastic Man with Brave & The Bold Trap Hand Plastic Man and Happy Meal Plastic Man...

I'm a big fan of these cute mini-figures, and have a hard time resisting some of the other themes among the Imaginext line, that all have their own, extensive vehicles & playsets. I've passed on the new Justice League  Blue Beetle buggy set two or three times, but am unsure if I can again- too cool! Martian Manhunter & Plastic Man fit in nicely with this second bunch of DC Imaginext I've collected, don't you think? 

More Later-Make It FUN!

Hey, Mr. Postman: Plastic Man Fast Food Premium

I don't eat a lot of fast food nowadays, and the number of times I eat at McDonald's a year can be counted with the fingers of just one hand, but I'm crazy about the Happy Meal toys we've seen in the last couple years. I have all the Green Lantern toys from last year, thanks to a connection my loving Mum has at our hometown McDonald's, and a pal who stops at a local McDonald's for coffee weekdays. In 2010-2011, the popular fast food chain included a series of Batman: the Brave & The Bold toys with their Happy Meals, which I somehow missed out on- a surprising thing considering my enthusiasm for the animated TV show and subsequent line of Mattel toys, of which I possess a lion's share.

McDonald's released a later version of Plastic Man as a car, but this bendy toy is the one to have! I believe he's the only bendy toy in the whole bunch, but who better to present in this form- shouldn't all Plastic Man action figures be bendy toys?   :)  

I'm often amazed at the quality of  fast food premiums McDonald's includes with their Happy Meals, and Plas here is no exception. Not only does he have bendable appendages, but his neck and shoulders are  articulated! The head, torso, mallet, and fist are made of a hard plastic that's hollow, fastened by tiny, recessed screws- mildy unattractive, but hey, it's a fast food premium. There's a little paint slop around the glasses, but the rest is expertly done. The sculpting on the head and belt is excellent. 

Because of his articulation, Plas can hold a variety of poses, making him a really fun toy that's surprisingly functional! I never read that much about Plastic Man in my youth, but have read some Green Lantern and JLA issues recently featuring the wisecracking, reluctant hero, and have come to appreciate him much more. His comic relief brings a lot to the table, seated among DC's pantheon of more serious heroes.

I found Plas on eBay for two bucks, and knew he'd make some great photographs, of which I took nearly a hundred! That should tell you something about the success of this simple toy's design. I emailed McDonald's awhile back, and they were unable to give me an answer on who designed or manufactured their Happy Meal toys, but to whomever is responsible for this Plastic Man figure, I tip my hat!

McDonald's Happy Meal Plastic Man with my Action League hand glider Plas and 5" Brave & The Bold Plastic Man...

More Later- Make It FUN!

New DC Action League 2-packs

I've seen only one set of these new DC Action League figures in one dumpy K-Mart across the county- no where else. At $8.49 a pop, up from seven bucks when I first started collecting them, they had understandably lost my interest (ouch). These two were too cute to pass up however. The packaging has been updated, which I am quite fond of. The previous design, was fine mind you, but these have a likeness of the "main" character included across the front, warmer colors, and an even splashier, open feel. The character/characters are announced as part of a titled adventure, like in a comic or animated feature, with no further elaboration or explanation. In my opinion, Mattel/DC should include a mini-comic with these a package set, perhaps detailing Atom's escape with Plastic Man against "the Flying Creature of Doom",  especially if they are going to charge $8.50. 

Mattel's corporate machinations aside, this Atom/Plastic Man 2-pack is a triumph! Plastic Man in form of a hand glider, his tiny partner latches tightly onto his arms to ride out and save the day. This set could not be more whimsical and fun!

Plastic Man's arms move on a swivel at the shoulders, and his head is on a ball joint that also enjoys an added swivel at the neck, allowing him to look in almost any direction. I was pleasantly surprised by his expressive quality. His sculpt is simple but thoughtful, the bands at his waist actually incised into the sculpt, not just painted/tampographed onto the plastic.

I've come to appreciate both Plastic Man and the Atom a lot more as an adult comics reader- they aren't marquee heroes in the DC Universe, but their function is important. Their powers are as unique as their personalities, the Atom bringing his fluency for sub-atomic science, and Plastic Man providing comic relief.

Atom enjoys hinges in his shoulders in addition to the swivel joints like some of the newer Action Leaguers have, which he need to hitch a ride with Plastic Man. Other than that, his neck and waist are the only other points of articulation- very simple. His buck is also smaller than the standard Action League male, which was thoughtful, and an atomic symbol is neatly tamped onto this forehead and tiny belt buckle. While these are atrociously overpriced, they are wonderfully designed and cuter than a bug's ear! Love!

Atom has the dynamic running pose like the DC Action League Flash does, whom he pairs quite nicely with...

 I have a couple other Atom figures, including this very cool Justice League Unlimited Atom. I love action figures with a fun, cartoony sculpt and color as much as those with a realistic treatment. Mattel's JLU line was a lot of fun...

Larfleeze has a fun sculpt, clutching a small orange lantern to his chest. He doesn't have shoulder hinges like the Atom, so his insignia are not uninterrupted. He has neck and waist swivel, and a left elbow swivel that really adds to the lanky arm gesticulation his character is known for. Nice! And word to DC Direct: DC Action League Larfleeze has a neatly tamped lantern symbol on his tiny orange ring.

And though the holidays are behind us, I was reminded of the Larfleeze Christmas Special (Feb. 2011) in my collection when I started playing with him. Cheezy, but still fun  :D

Larfleeze's 2-pack partner is Glomulus, one of Larfleeze's creepy bouncing minions that bring Slimer from Ghostbusters to mind. He's bigger than Larfleeze which is fine because of their elastic physicality, generated by the orange Lantern's energy. He has no articulation, made of an translucent orange plastic with rubbery arms. He has a, ummm... cavity in his posterior where Larfleeze can put his ringed fist. Hard to get him to stand this way, plus it's embarrassing  :D

DC Action League Larfleeze & Glomulus 2-pack with DC Direct's Blackest Night Larfleeze & Glomulus...

And finally, Larfleeze with the rest of my DC Action League Lanterns- see more of them at all these embedded links. Freshly back into comics as an adult around the time of Geoff John's Blackest Night story line, I became a huge Green Lantern fan, a character whose toys and books I now own a great deal of.

More Later- Make It FUN!

More Brave & The Bold Total Armor!

So I was nowhere near the neighborhood at a Toys 'R Us, in the middle of a freak-snowstorm tonight, and guess what I found? That's right: More Brave & The Bold Total Armor action figures :D

*Cyclone Shooter Red Tornado!
Like the rest of these 5" Mattel action figures, Red Tornado has hexagonal slots in his back, shoulders, elbows, and knees where his cyclone shooter or other figures accessories can be attached. Red Tornado is one of the figures from this line that has a jointed waist, like the B'wana Beast and Superman do...

*Trap Hand Plastic Man!

Plastic Man's neck extends and his elongated rubber arm attachment can grip around the waist of another figure, adding a lot of play value to this wonderful toy. FUN! Looks like Joker won't be going anywhere!

*Total Destruction Batman!

This puppy was a no-brainer- if offered the opportunity to purchase this toy, do yourself a favor and go ahead. This well designed action figure stands pretty well with his massive rocket attachment, which to my delight shoots the yellow missiles about five feet when the barrel is twisted counter-clockwise. Words cannot express how much fun this is. I've already attacked my unsuspecting roommate with it  :D

The new additions to my collection, together- well worth going out in the snow for! I know how to have fun on Saturday night, Kids :D  I'm thrilled with these things- the limited articulation is more than made up for by their personality and playability. I've been havin' a ball photographing them- their whimsical nature fits with both this blog and my whole philosophy of what a toy should be! I watched someones scathing video review of one of these toys last night, and he just didn't get it: these are made for children, and are to be played with. Cute and fun, their purpose is to entertain and bring a smile to your face- and they do that very well!