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Classic Crime Syndicate Johnny Quick Action Figure

By Hervé St-Louis
June 23, 2015 - 07:47

The DCDirect Johnny Quick action figure was release on November 2002 by DCDirect, the former name of DC Comics’s collectable department. The toy was part of a wave featuring the core Silver Age villains known as the Crime Syndicate. This wave, labeled the Classic Crime Syndicate, represented the earlier version of the villains that were evil clones of the Justice League. The Johnny Quick represented here is of course, not the super hero competitor of the Golden Age Flash. Rather, he is the evil copycat of Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash.

It is ironic that characters named Johnny Bullet are always perceived as challengers of the Flash. However, instead of being a twisted version of Doctor Zoom, the now famous super fast Flash villain, Johnny Quick hails from the parallel Earth-3. In this parallel universe, good is bad and had is evil.

Johnny Quick was released after the Silver Age Flash and Kid Flash set and also sculpted by Tim Bruckner. Yet, I can’t say that this action figure is a worthy opponent to the Barry Allen Flash action figure sculpted by Bruckner year before. They have the same styling but his articulations are stiffer although he has the usual neck, shoulder, elbow, pelvis, and knee articulations. The pose for an older DCDirect action figure is plan. He is not in any specific action scene. Posing him as a runner is also difficult. Like I just wrote, his articulations are too stiff.

Just like the rest of the Crime Syndicate, the first Johnny Quick action figure by DCDirect will just look good if it stands on its own next to other villains or counter the Silver Age Flash. He is taller than the Flash. The one appeal of this action figure is its face. Bruckner gave him a classic look and made silly helmet work. I’m not sure if the body is a stock body used by Bruckner, but it could have been. His lightning bolts are incrusted but besides them, there is nothing distinctive with the character. It could serve as a good base for a custom action figure, if it were even easy to find.

A good action figure, this Jonny Quick action figure never appealed to me or stood out in anyway from the rest of my collection. It’s too bad because he is a swell character. The plastic used at the time by DCDirect was hard, making the toy’s torso heavy. He did come with a Crime Syndicate pedestal. Only get Johnny Quick is you want to complete the old Crime Syndicate team. Otherwise, even if there might be cheap ones still available, it’s not a great action figure.

Rating: 6.5 /10

Last Updated: July 21, 2024 - 13:40