I was stunned when I walked into Wal-Mart and saw a number of Mattel's DCUC Series 6 figures hanging on the pegs. Of course I knew they were hitting everywhere, but given my past history with the line I never actually assumed I'd find any in a store. Thankfully I did, and I've got a nicely done Superman figure to show for it.
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Many people are aware that Mattel already released a pretty classic version of Superman in the DCSH line that was also sculpted by the Four Horsemen (you can see a comparison pic later in the review) but this version is a much updated figure that's representative of good old Clark Kent from the early to mid 90s where mullets were all the rage. Some people hate the mullet, and others are okay with it. I just like to recognize it as a real part of the character's history and try to ignore it as best as possible. This sculpt uses a much different body buck than the previous version. It has less stylized muscular features and more realistic ones instead while totally eliminating the split-legs problem by allowing the figure to stand with legs completely straight up. The proportions and muscle groups all look accurate and powerful like they should. His shoulders may appear a little on the large side, but I think the cape helps avoid that issue to the fullest extent. Superman also has a lot of good sculpted details like wrinkles in his costume, sculpted boots tops, and well done hair. His facial expression is a nuetral one that looks very much like the character we all know while remaining heroic and steadfast. This sculpt does everything pretty well, there just isn't that much to be done because of Kal's basic costume and body type. One improvement I'd like to see is a cape that hangs more naturally downward, this one looks like it's blowing back in the wind. I think the problem could be fixed by pushing the cape further into the peg hole on his back, but then more skin would be exposed where his cape meets his costume on his chest. This sculpt is nothing else if not an improvement over previous versions and definitely one that does the character justice.
Sculpt Score: 8 / 10 - All the detail that needs to be there, natural but heroic muscles and proportions, good neutral face sculpt, ugly hair, cape hangs funny.
Superman's paint job has the basics down perfectly but when they tried to push things a little further, it only managed to hold him back. His colors are absolutely fantastic. This guy is bright and vibrant, just like Superman should be. The blue is just so deep and rich while the red stands out perfectly. The yellow on his belt is also great but suffers from being too thinly applied on his chest emblem, some of the blue behind it sneaking through. The yellow on his emblem just looks washed out. Applications are pretty clean across the board with tight lines at his boot tops and costume switches. There is a little slop on his red shorts and hairline, but it's definitely not terrible or overly distracting. There is actually a lot of overspray on his eyebrows that makes him appear to have a unibrow, although it might be hard to see in the photos. The thing I like least about this guy is that they tried to apply some sort of black wash on certain areas of his costume that's way too localized so he just has specific spots of black paint on his outfit. This figure looks great from far away because of perfect color choices, yet with close inspection you start to see more issues. All the same, it's pretty good paint for a mass market figure in this price range.
Paint Score: 7 / 10 - Generally good applications, great color choices, a little slop here and there, some weird wash problems.
Superman uses the standard DCUC articulation model, meaning he has hinged ankles, hinged knees, cut thights, hinge and swivel hips, a cut waist, an ab crunch, ball shoulders, swivel biceps, hinges at the elbows, cut wrists, and a ball style neck. That may not be as much articulation as you see on a lot of figures today, but it's still enough to get the job done with some fantastic poses and play options. DCUC has recently suffered from terrible joints that are fused or broken right out of the package and this figure has managed to escape that problem altogether. Every joint worked smoothly right away (even his hips) which is a welcome relief. The only articulation issue is that his ankles are very loose, making it difficult to balance him in a lot of positions. Every other joint is tight enough while staying easy to use, exactly like they should be. This basic male buck manages to make the articulation fit the sculpt quite well despite the lack of costume elements to hide articulation. Things still look good even though there are joints everywhere; this is helped by this attractive style of hip joint.
Articulation Score: 9 / 10 - This is a solid articulation model with functional, attractive, and numerous points, loose ankles are the sole weakness.
There's a reason Superman has been around as a character for 70 years now. He has a design, style, attitude, and lifestyle that attracts people and makes them want to live vicariously in his shoes. There are few things more American than the image of Superman and this figure benefits from that simple fact. He's fun just because he's Superman. I bet a number of people who couldn't tell you a thing about the DCUC line will be buying this figure just because it's Superman, kid and collector alike. The figure lives up to that legend by being an accurate representation of the character that brings over the core design elements while remaining fun and functional through his articulation. He's great to pose on a shelf and drop into battle as well. He could addmittedly benefit from some sort of accessory, like a phantom zone projector or even a piece of kryptonite to add to the fun.
Fun Score: 8 / 10 - A character and design people love, articulation that provides posing fun and play value, no accessories or action features.
Superman cost me just under $12, which is about what you can expect to pay for him anywhere. He's a decent sized 6" figure that's sturdy and feels durable (unlike some previous waves) so it's a fair price. Some accessories would sweeten the deal, but just knowing you're getting a well made figure with solid sculpting and above average mass market paint makes him feel worth it. The great bonus here is the inclusion of a collect and connect piece that allows you to build another figure after you've bought every figure in the wave. Assuming that you do manage to purchase everyone and build the extra figure, that element really adds to this figure's value, meaning you're getting 1 1/5th figures instead of just 1. Another thing that could've improved this figure's value is including a head-swap with shorter hair, which would probably help sell an extra truckload of 10 of figures too, because some people are going to be turned off by this hair.
Value Score: 9 / 10 - Solid, well made figure, fair price, classic character, comes with C&C piece, no accessories, some people will hate hair.
Summary
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Overall Score: 82 / 100 - This is a Great Toy
Superman manages to bring out the classic character that everyone loves with a solid sculpt, decent paint, and great articulation, while staying fun and worth the cost.
P.S. This could be the figure I'm giving away this month, just leave a comment for a chance to win (if he's the one).
-The Articulated One
