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Silver Age Kid Flash Action Figure

By Hervé St-Louis
April 12, 2003 - 14:32

 

This is the second Kid Flash from DC Direct. The first one was a late teenage version of the character in his yellow costume. When DCDirect released the Silver Age set, it caused much criticisms. Many would have preferred an older Kid Flash. Others felt cheated from buying the previous one. Perhaps when the older Kid Flash was made, DC Direct had not plan to release sidekicks with their mentors.

Sculpt

This Kid Flash is very young. He still has chunky cheeks. I always call him Baby Flash. He looks small too. Kid Flash's right brow is raised slightly and there's a subdued smile on the character's face. His head is almost as big as Barry Allen's! However, unlike kids his age, his body is too muscular. The kids' biceps are too defined. It seems like he spends his entire days at the gym.

Like many bodybuilders, Kid Flash's upper body is too large for his legs. They look tiny. Perhaps stronger leg definition would have been better, since he runs so much. In the prototype pictures, first seen, his shoulder joints looked like they were lower. The final release does not have that defect. Speaking of shoulders, they are somewhat too large for a twelve-year-old kid.



Another problem with the sculpt is the way the right hand is designed. The fist is not parallel to the figure's body. It looks awkward when put in a running pose. The kid's legs are very wide apart. It does not look right, however, when the figure is running, it looks better. Like the Flash, he has tracking soles.

Paint

The paint on the figure is sloppier than the Flash. This is probably due to his smaller size. There is more bleeding. There is also smudge on the streaks of the belts, the gloves and the ear plugs.

Scale

The scale of this Kid Flash changed people's perception about their collections. The smaller scale meant that it was not going to be a part of the Teen Titans. The figure only looks right next to the Flash or Speedy, from the Green Arrow Silver Age Set. It is the smallest fully articulated action figure from DC Direct. Billy Batson and Oberon are not fully posable. Oracle is wheelchair-bound.

Kid Flash is smaller than Speedy. He reaches the Silver Flash' shoulder. However, he does look right next to petite women like Black Canary and the Huntress. He is too small to fit properly with Robin, Wonder Girl or Aqualad. When put next to the Yellow Kid Flash, one can only imagine the growth spurs in such a short time. The Yellow kid Flash is as high as an adult figure.

Standing Upright

This figure stands up very well, but can easily be toppled. Some readjustments may be required to find the best way to balance him. If you have a stand, it should probably stay there. The problem is the distance between each leg. He lacks a counterweight on his back to balance the front. The best position for him is straight up.

Articulation



Although the articulation on this figure is the same as the Flash, the sculpting forced the designers to make odd choices. The crotch of the figure does not follow the smooth V design of the Flash. Instead, it looks like a classic T-crotch. The cuts are very visible, because of the figure's smaller size and colour. The knees are strong enough though.

Be careful with Kid Flash's arms. They rotate better than Flash's but can pop out of their sockets. Kid Flash has the same ball rotating articulation as the Flash. His is more articulated and he can be placed in a mocking stance.

Plastic

The plastic on both figures does not seem like it is the standard DCDirect plastic. It doesn't seem as soft. It has a natural lustre that other figures don't have. It is very appropriate for them.

Diorama

The figures come with a treadmill based on the one the characters use when travelling back and forward in time. The carpet does not roll for real. When assembling the set, be careful not to break the clear plastic peg bar designed to hold the figures' legs when placed on the treadmill. It is very fragile. The treadmill is purple, grey and pink. It is made of hollowed plastic and is very resistant.

Props



The Figures come with a Flash ring that can be opened with a small switch. Inside, there's a Flash square with a Flash symbol that mimics the folded Flash costume that would enlarge once in contact with air. The ring has a gold paint and is not made of soft plastic like the Green Lanterns' rings. It consists of hollowed plastic. The gold paint fades quite easily when rubbed often. Be careful not to break the switch.

Packaging

The figures came in a cardboard box with pictures of them running and bust shots. The figures are packed in a window with a Flash bolt backdrop. There are cuts on the box to match the bolts. It's a very nice package.

Cost

The price of the Flash figure set is the same over priced one available from other DCDirect figures. However, at this time it's useless to go and run at your local store asking them to order it. The set is sold out. Sets can only be found on the secondary market such as E-Bay and they are pricy.

Availability

It seems that many fans joined the DC Direct bandwagon late or did not order the set when it was released. The Silver Age Flash was always a fan's favourite. Another version of the figure was released with the Justice League Five Pack in the Fall of 2002. Again, it seems that this figure is rare for fans. It is exactly the same as the first one. The Kid Flash figure can only be obtained through the Two Packs.



It is not sure if DCDirect will ever release these figures again. It has been suggested that Kid Flash could come with a set containing other sidekicks. Since the Five Packs was a winner for DC Direct, fans can only hope this set or the figures will be available from DCDirect soon.

Last Updated: July 21, 2024 - 13:40