By Hervé St-Louis
October 13, 2003 - 14:35
The action figure of the Silver Age Flash's most important Rogue, Captain Cold is a worthy opponent to the fastest man alive. The Captain Cold figure premiered when the Mirror Master, another Flash villain and Green Lantern fiends' Star Sapphire and Sinestro. Captain Cold has recently been given an edgier personality in the pages of the current Flash series. This figure comes at a good time.
Likeness
The Captain Cold figure is based on the traditional costume worn by the character in the comics since his creation. However, a good thing about this figure is that his face is essentially based on the looks he received in the pages of the Flash drawn by artist Scott Kollins. Some fans don't like it when characters are too identified with specific artists. However, here, Captain Cold gains more individuality.
Sculpt
Captain Cold's sculpt is dynamic. When his right arm is raised, he looks like his about to shoot an opponent at point blank with his freeze gun. When his right arm is lowered, he looks like a man containing his anger. The character leans on his left leg while his left fist is clenched. He looks mean and ready to kill. Though he's wearing a winter suit, Captain Cold has a strong build that makes him larger than the Flash.
Paint
DC Direct worked harder than usual when designing this figure's paint scheme. All the white areas have shades. The coat and boots' trimming have intricate colouring. The basic blue areas of the figure have no paint. The yellow paint used on Captain Cold's belt and holster are not covered completely.
Scale
This figure fits perfectly with the Mirror Master figure and other villains such as Vandal Savager, The Shade and Solomon Grundy. Unfortunately, the figure's scale is too large for the Silver Age Flash. The major problem here is the scale of both the Flash and Captain Cold's heads. Flash is too small. Captain Cold's is too small.
Stability
This figure is somewhat stable. After a few months, one must readjust the knees and hips to ensure more stability. Since the figure's weight is well assigned on the two legs, stability is improved. The figure's torso is top heavy. His head weights a lot too because of the hood. When pointing the weapon forward, stability is not compromised.
Articulation
Captain Cold has eleven points of articulations at the neck, the shoulders, the elbows, the wrists, the hips and the knees. The shoulders have no ball-jointed action. The character's waist suggests that articulations in that area would have benefited the character a lot. Most of the articulations, such as the elbows are very stiff. One can insert and remove Captain Cold's sub temperature glasses from peg holes in the hood.
Plastic
Captain Cold consists of sturdy plastic. Although quite similar to DC Direct's usual stock, it seems more resistant.
Props
Captain Cold comes with a freeze gun that cannot be inserted into his holster. It has shiny paint.
Packaging
Captain Cold comes in a blister card.
Cost
Captain Cold retails for the regular single pack DC Direct action figure. Retailers have no set price for DC Direct action figures. DC Direct does not have a specific suggested price for retailers so buyers beware.
Availability
This figure is still available from Diamond. However, good deals can be found in many stores' cheap bins. This is not the most popular DC Direct action figure. It is a beautiful figure and the only one ever made of the character.
Update February 6 2005:
This figure has sold out from Diamond Comics, the exclusive distributor of this action figure.
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