Darkseid – Superman/Batman: Return of Supergirl
By Yik-Hai Chan
June 29, 2006 - 10:00
Darkseid – Superman/Batman Wave 2
DC DIRECT
Sculptor – Ray Villafane
Being possibly the most powerful, dangerous and popular villain of the DC Universe, Darkseid is the creation of the legendary Jack Kirby during the 1970s. After killing his own mother, he became the ruler of Apokolips. Attempting to find the one who could replace Big Barda as captain of the honour guard within his female furies, he discovers that Kara Zor-El could be one to take her place, capturing her during a mass distraction with a horde of Doomsday animates.
Packaging
Due to the sheer size of the Darkseid figure, the packaging uses the thicker blister as seen with the Batman figure. The figure is clearly visible through the packaging and suits it more than the other four figures of the wave. The graphics are the same apart from the frontal sticker as expected.
Likeness
Although not quite the Darkseid seen in most comics or the JLU animated, at last we finally get the figure from this wave that very closely resembles Michael Turner’s artwork. The head-sculpt likeness is fantastic from all angles while the costume is extremely accurate. The figure is given a sculpted and painted stone-like skin as detailed as in the issues that Darkseid appeared. The only complaint is that the legs seem a little short in comparison to the rest of the body.
Sculpting
After the sculpting disappointments from the other figures of the wave, this figure truly shines. The head-sculpt is as close to a three-dimension replica of a Turner Darkseid as you can get. The eyes are the perfect shape and size while the creases and other finer features are all dominantly visible. The musculature on the torso is equally as well done. There is also a lot of detail on this figure ranging from the folds on the back as well as the textured feel and cracks of the skin.
Paint
Considering the paint jobs on the other figures, it is a surprise to find it well done on this figure. Although it is virtually only two colors, there are not any signs of paint bleed. I particularly appreciate that the skin color on the arms and legs are not simply one color grey but it is highlighted by a much lighter color to simulate the textured feel and is a step closer to replicating Peter Steigerwald’s work onto this sculpture. My only complaint is on the figure I own, I have these random glossy paint spots on the front of the torso which is visible under bright light.
Scale
Darkseid measures in at almost 9 inches which makes it one of the tallest DC Direct figures, if not the tallest, making it bigger then Green Lantern Kilowog. It is in perfect scale for the figures of this wave and due to the character’s natural height, it looks fine with the other Modern Age DC Direct figures. However, it may seem to touch too tall and large with Mattel’s DC Superheroes line.
Stability
Even without the provided base, it stands tall without any problems of toppling over accidentally. This is due to the large surface area on the feet and how they are both sculpted to touch the floor. There should not be any problems with it standing or readjustment required from the leg articulation.
Articulation
Darkseid has a limited number of 9 points of articulation consisting of ball jointed neck and shoulders, pivot joints for the elbows and knees and cut joints on the upper portions of the legs. The cut joints in the leg are virtually useless and do not help the figure to stand. With the arms down, the hands are actually sculpted in an odd position. With the lack of wrist cut joints, there is only a limited number of poses that Darkseid can be put in that look right.
Accessories
As expected, only a Superman/Batman logo base is included with this figure, which is also potentially useless considering how well the figure can stand without it. Again, to distinguish from the previous wave, it is in a yellow color as opposed to red.
Cost/Value
As it is a fine looking sculpture as well as it being big in size, you would be forgiven if you paid the recommended retail price of $15 but I would consider going lower by about $2 as a maximum to pay for now. For what you do pay for, it is a heavy and good quality figure and was indeed worth the £9.99 that I paid for it.
Availability
Only having just been released with the other figures of the wave, it has been a while since the last Darkseid figure. If you want one to go with your Modern Age DC Direct figures, this is the one to own and I advise you to grab one as soon as you can at your local comic store to avoid later disappointment. There will a DC Superheroes Darkseid figure later this year so it’s a matter of taste for which you prefer.
*
Overall
This is an exceptionally well sculpted figure that contains the likeness, paint job and finer details that the other figures of the wave are truly lacking. This is what high-end collector figures should be in terms of looks but it is let down severely by the lack of accessories and articulation especially considering the high price point that fans are expected to pay.
Grade
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