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By Yik-Hai Chan
June 22, 2006 - 03:40
Superman – Superman/Batman Wave 2
DC DIRECT
Sculptor – Big Chief
After the destruction of the Kryptonite meteor hurtling toward Earth in the “Public Enemies” arc, it is discovered that a teenage girl, supposedly of Krypton heritage, had been trapped inside. Claiming to be the cousin of Kal-El, she was welcomed by Superman in open arms, without any scepticism from the Man of Steel. However, the interest in this young female seemed unusual. Feeling that her well being is his responsibility, Superman becomes increasing frustrated after she is ripped from his grasp and converted into one of Darkseid’s female furies.
Packaging
The blister card packaging for the figure is the same as the one used for the Supergirl figure. It has the same graphics for the front and back of the card where the only difference is the different frontal sticker. One thing to note is the summary on the back, indicating a part of the story where Superman had to use a Kryptonite ring to subdue the corrupted Supergirl. It is a fairly irrelevant piece of text since the figure itself has no evidence of the Kryptonite ring.
Likeness
This figure is supposedly “based” on the artwork of Michael Turner but I strongly beg to differ. The likeness from the head-sculpt of this Superman figure is the worst that I have seen from DC Direct. It looks too young to be the superhero that Turner draws while the stretched eyes affect the overall appearance. Other then the overly large red over-wear, the costume is fairly accurate if not for a few sculpting faults.
Sculpting
The major problems with this version of Superman lie with the sculpt of the figure. The head sculpt is disastrous where the hair is too flat at the top, the eyes are stretch out too far across the face while the chin is much longer then expected, even for a Turner-based male character. The head sculpt is not the only problem. To comment on the overall sculpt of the figure, it seems to lack finer detail which Michael Turner portrays in his Superman. Although the hair and the torso contain some detail, the musculature for the arms and legs seem rather light and is the main reason why the face looks so much younger then Superman should be.
Paint
The paint job is acceptable in not a little unexciting. There is still some paint bleed around the boot rims and the sculpted “S” shield on the back. The “S” shield on the front is printed on but in my opinion, seems stretched horizontally. Not only that, it also feels it has been printed at a slight angle.
Scale
In comparison with other Modern Age DC Direct figures, Superman is taller than most of the previously released figures but with their ever changing scale its difficult to tell which the proper standard is. His height is mainly affected by the stretched out hips which is evident from the large red over-wear the figure is sporting.
Stability
The body is so poorly done that most of the body parts feel as if they are slanted. The right leg is longer then the left, which prevents both feet from touching the ground making only way for the figure stand is in a hunched-back position. Superman stands fine on the provided base but attempting to place both feet firmly flat causes the left shoulder to seem raised above the right, creating an odd posture.
Articulation
This figure has 11 points of articulation similar to the Supergirl figure where the rotational mid lower torso joint is replaced by two rotational wrist joints. The additional wrist joints are more usual in creating more decent and different poses but the leg articulation still feels as if it’s been included for balancing purposes only. The ball jointed shoulders are somewhat restrictive while the neck joint works fine.
Accessories
The Superman/Batman logo base is the only accessory included with this figure. More could have been provided for this figure especially judging from the summary written on the back for Superman. An interchangeable hand or arm with him wearing the Kryptonite ring would have been an ideal.
Cost/Value
At £9.99 for this is some what of a stretch even if it from DC Direct. Although it is a figure of a fan favourite superhero with a blockbuster movie ready to hit within the month, there are a number of alternatives that fans would be better off owning. I would suggest clearance prices to be the recommended price for this piece.
Availability
Only having just been released this week, this Superman figure should be available at your local comic store along with the other four figures in the wave. However, I expect this figure to be hanging on to pegs for a long time.
Overall
This is undoubtedly a disastrous piece. Not only is the head-sculpt awful, the body proportions have not been thoroughly thought out which leads to a Superman figure that can not even stand upright. With the lack of detail, it’s far beyond being based on any artwork of Michael Turner. I advise that everyone should steer clear of this figure when considering the purchase of a figure.
Grade
4
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