Toys / Toy Collecting

Transformer, DCDirect and Marvel Legends

By Hervé St-Louis
February 17, 2003 - 10:56

More Transformers Alternators news
The first thing I'd like to say to all the folks who slammed me about my commentary on the Transformer Alternator Tracks is, yep, I was wrong. The prototype, as seen at the 2004 Toy Fair in New York is the real deal. It's the same car that was available on auction sites and that I said may not be the real thing. You can gloat now. That's cool with me.

I'd still like to address this thing. I received many inflammatory messages and got insulted, and cursed several times on a specific message board for writing this article. People slammed my "action figure review" which my commentary clearly wasn't. They slammed me for saying I wasn't an hardcore Transformers fans, as if that in itself was an evil thing.

There's a guy in particular who kept sending messages arguing about the article and calling me names. I kept answering that it would be best to slam me at the Comic Book Bin's message boards instead of wasting time with his email insults. At the very least, others could have read the stuff he wrote. As I kept blocking his new email addresses, he opened new ones to slam me.

Because of that one article, others said I was spreading rumours. Some slammed me for saying Smokescreen wasn't the same colour as the original Generation One cartoons, others said that I shouldn't question comments made on message boards, because, everything posted on message board is true. You know, because some guy said so, it's true. Of course, I'm paraphrasing.

The best part was the debate that sprang out about what a test shot and prototype is. My view on this is "what the?" Here's a few pointers to all hardcore fans. Just because someone who's not hardcore has an opinion about something you care a lot about, it doesn't mean that it's rubbish. You don't have to call people name, insult them or be disrespectful.

Related to that, if you guys find anything you don't like at the Comic Book Bin, you can certainly send me, a message about it. However, don't expect me to debate stuff with you over several email messages. Once I post an article, that's it. Besides typos, I won't change it. I do add comments by readers to articles, when they are respectful. There are several already.

If you really want to slam something I wrote and you really want to debate it to death, post it at the message boards. I don't edit the message boards. It also gives you more strength if others can read your comments. Opening new Hotmail accounts, after you've been blocked, is a few step short of stalking or sounding very lunatic to me.

Decepticons as cars?

Hasbro's Transformers' site says that some Alternator Decepticons will be repaints of Autobot cars with new parts. That's not cool. When I think Decepticons, the first thing that pops in my mind is never a car. That's for the Autobots. My first thought is about jets and then, devices like tapes. Except Roadmaster, the big truck, I cannot name any Decepticons' cars.

Tracks on Hand

With the close-up shots of the yellow Corvette, I have less doubt about the identity of this Transformer. I still don't like the way the front hood is split in the middle. The Alternator Sideswipe uses the front hood as his legs too, but there's a canopy that covers his legs, keeping the front hood without a slice when he's in car mode. I would have liked that for Tracks.

Some things from the Toy Fair prototype that I don't like are the exposed thighs. There's a cavity in the front of his thighs. I guess one could say that I just don't like this figure and that it hasn't brought me any luck yet! Perhaps when I finally locate some this model and other Transformer Alternators locally that will change!

 

DCDirect
DC Direct is back in the business of making action figures I care about. Pics of the new Teen Titans and the Satellite JLA are available at other action figures' news sites and magazines. There will be at least two Teen Titans' waves. The first one includes Deathstroke the Terminator, Robin, Wondergirl and Blackfire, Starfire's sister. The second set includes Superboy and Kid Flash II.

Deathstroke looks great. However, it seemed that he sports black instead of dark blue. We'll see how that turns out. I don't follow the Teen Titans and never read Young Justice. I'm not much of a fan of third second generation sidekicks of major DC Comics characters. However, that new Wonder Girl would make a great base for the first one. The first one lacks articulations.

Robin looks fun too, although his scale is too big. He's taller than Deathstroke. Wondergirl looks like a midget next to him. I have a feeling DCDirect used a standard adult body for Robin. Blackfire would look much better could fit with the Starfire figure. Her hair colour is off and her scale is too small next to her sister. Hopefully DCDirect can fix that before releasing the figures.

Satellite Justice League

As for JLA figures, we've got the whole gang promised much earlier by Georg Brewer. Finally. DCDirect fans from several years were promised Firestorm, the Atom, Elongatedman and Adam Strange years ago. Every new convention, they repeated the promised, but no new figures were on hand. Many fans lost fate in DCDirect. This JLA wave is the ultimate and calms many of us.

From what I can see, the JLA figures' scales match each other. However, as these are "Silver Age" figures, it would be fun if they matched other figures like the Silver Age Flash, Superman, Aquaman, Green Lantern and Batman, instead of the JLA figures we got in December 2003. The JLA figures were just too big and didn't fit wit anything but each other.

Firestorm doesn't come with a little Professor Stein clear plastic head, as I suggested years ago. Too bad. At least, the Atom comes with two little versions of himself. One is in the JLA chair, the other, a bit taller stands up but doesn't look articulated. The smaller versions are different from the small Pocket heroes Atom who had articulations. Adam strange comes with a usable holster!

First Appearances

I had mixed feelings about the First Appearance set, but for fans who lack the first DCDirect versions of the Golden Age Green Lantern, the Flash, Wonder Woman and Hawkman, this is a good as it gets. I'm not a fan of DCDirect's straight adherence to first appearances. Even in the Golden Age artists refined characters and later versions always look better.

The Flash looks very thin. I bet he'll have problems standing up like the Super Friends' Sinestro. It doesn't seem like he can balance his weight. Green Lantern is perfect. He looks slimmer the first figure. If I didn't have the old one, I would definitely settle for this one. My only peeve is that the cape seems like it's made of fabrics instead of soft rubber. Fabrics always kill the look.

Hawkman looks cool, but the wings are a bummer. You can't do much with these thick plastic things. The best wings ever made by an action figure company, for me, are still those from the Silver Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl set. Now these were wings. Wonder Woman looks better than the first Golden Age figure. At the very least, she isn't a statue like the first.

The Captain Marvel figure will be the final figure I get of this character. It better be good. With so many Captain Marvel figures released, it's bad that none have been appropriate. This one looks too stern, compared to the boyish look to which we're so used. That's why I'm not sure First Appearances are better than refined Golden Age versions.

The First Appearances Batman, Robin and Superman do nothing for me, except as custom fodder prospects. No matter how much one will tell me that purple gloves on Batman are historically accurate, they will always look silly to me. Superman's shrunken abdomen annoys me. So does his grin. After buying the Silver Age Robin, I know I don't want any other figure sporting that suit.

 

Marvel Legends Six
The release date for Marvel Legends Six is in July. This is gonna be a very dry period for Marvel Legends' collectors. The next figures have been confirmed as brown Wolverine, Cable, Deadpool, Juggernaut, The Movie Punisher and Phoenix. Darn Darn Darn. Phoenix is the figure I want the most, yet, it's the rare one. You know what they say, female figures don't sell.

 

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12