Christopher Reeve's image is ingrained into most of the human population’s brains as the one, true Superman. If someone were to tell you that Dean Cain better fit the blue tights, we’d hope you’d do your duly appointed duty and punch em in their lyin’ guts! That’s right, we’re vindictive! Ah, but in the Superman movies, Reeves portrayed the Man of Steel as a peaceful individual; so, we’ll try and stick to that example during this review…for now. Today, we here at MTV Geek, are previewing/reviewing the brand new 12 inch Superman figure from Mattel. It’s based off Reeve's appearance in Superman the Movie and is available exclusively on their Matty Collector website.
The sculpt is really all about the head. Reeve’s visage is instantly recognizable when looking at this figure; so, mission accomplished on that front. The eyes, nose, cheekbones, and jawline are all spot on. Even the spit-curl is nicely shaped on the forehead. The face is made to show a neutral expression, which in most cases is what we prefer; however, with this movie-inspired Superman, we wouldn’t have minded him having that knowing sideways smile he was always sporting after saving Lois for the millionth friggin’ time. How Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen ever survived into adulthood is beyond us. The rest of Superman is the familiar 12 inch body Mattel has used previously, and also with their General Zod figure (also on sale December 15th). It’s definitely more muscular than Reeve ever was in the films; but, is still slender enough that it makes a nice fit. It almost makes like a toy that resembles the way people remember him, more than how he actually was.
The paint is extremely well applied. There is no slop on our review copy whatsoever. All of the separating lines between the hair and skin are clean; and the same can be said for his piercing blue eyes. The only fault we really have with the paint detail is the shine. The figure is just a bit glossier than what it should be. It’s not to a point of being overly distracting; but, it’s noticeable enough that we felt it should be mentioned. The torso of the figure appears to have been painted as well in order for the neck to match the skin color of the face. The chest doesn’t appear to have the same sheen, so we’re assuming the protective coating over the paint on the head is the culprit for the gloss look. Darker tones have been applied around the cheeks and mouth to help show off the sculpt and give depth to the figure. The paint really adds to the overall likeness of Christopher Reeve and is one of the best paint apps we’ve seen from Mattel recently.
The costume is simply amazing! It’s made of actual spandex, and couldn’t get much closer to the real thing. It is a one-piece jumpsuit with a Velcro opening in the back, for if you wanted to remove it. (You dirty, dirty, people!) The cape is also made of the same stretchy fabric and is possibly the BEST soft goods cape we’ve ever seen on an action figure of any size. It drapes perfectly around the figure, and thanks to the weight of the spandex, doesn’t curl at the bottom. The boots are constructed from a red cloth that feels like velvet; but, is most definitely not. Damn, we are not good at describing this at all! Anyway, they look really f’n snazzy! The soles of the boots are even constructed from actual rubber! Superman is definitely dressed to impress. We’re amazed at just how well the suit is constructed considering the price point of the figure. Mattel did Superman a solid on this one!
Articulation-wise, Superman can be put into almost any pose you’d need him to be in. He features: ball-joint neck, swivel/hinged shoulders (with locking stops to hold the position longer), swivel biceps, double-hinged elbows, swivel/hinged wrists, ball-joint torso, ball-joint waist (Awesome!), swivel/hinged hips, swivel thighs, double hinged knees, swivel lower legs, and swivel/hinged ankles. Very nice! All of the joints on our figure are exceptional. There are no loose or overly tight points of articulation to be found.
The figure is packaged in a square display box like the ones used on their 12” Ghostbusters figures. It has the familiar cardboard insert to the side which can only mean one thing: accessories! Kal-El comes with 2 extra sets of hands (flying & grasping varieties), and extendable flight/display stand (featuring the silver Superman shield logo), the crystal podium/projector/Kryptonian-thing from the Fortress of Solitude, a clear crystal shard, and a green crystal shard. Granted, we would have soiled ourselves if Mattel had included his Clark Kent suit and glasses; what we DID get is a pretty good deal. The extra hands can be changed out by simply pulling the peg from the wrist and inserting the new hand. All sets look great and are the right size for the figure. The display stand is the perfect way to show this guy off on the shelf and the rod is extendable in order to give superman the appearance of flight. The ring on the stand is very tight, so you’ll need to work the costume around as you put it on in order to keep from bunching up the costume around Superman’s waist. The podium is made of clear plastic and has white detailing applied to the base. It’s a sturdy piece and adds a little something for display options. The crystals are the same mold, but one is clear while the other is green. Sure the green one probably holds all kinds of info; but when we see green, we think Kryptonite! Yep, the only substance that can weaken the man of Steel is packaged next to him. No wonder he couldn’t bust free from those accursed plastic ties and sticky tape!
This 12” Superman figure is incredible. That’s pretty much our rating. It goes on sale December 15th 2010 at noon eastern time, only on Matty Collector. We can’t recommend this thing enough. It’s priced at 60 dollars and has the quality of a figure double that price. The entire design team at Mattel, from packaging to the costume, has really created a fitting figure for the late, great Christopher Reeve and the Superman movie franchise.
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