DC Collectibles We can be Heroes Justice League Box Set review

DC Collectibles Justice League Box Set 

Something changed last year in the DC Universe. My DC Universe has been discarded in favor of a new, younger universe, that is out to reintroduce the DC Universe to a more darker audience. DC calls it The New 52 (as in 52 brand new titles restarting the issue's numberings at no. 1). I'm not really happy about DC's move. Partly because the continuity that I faithfully followed (most especially Superman's) was easily wiped out. And using Flashpoint as the vehicle, it is as if a whole DC Universe was conveniently wiped out via a Flash-centric storyline. But what enraged me is that DC never even gave "my" Superman a fitting and epic ending. We get an ending thru the Grounded and Reign of Doomsday storyline that felt so rushed. They could have at least followed the Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths formula by giving the Pre-Crisis Superman a fitting closure to his adventures. Whatever others think or whatever DC is thinking, I am not satisfied with Flashpoint, Grounded, and Reign of Doomsday. They could have just ended the Pre-New 52 DC Universe with Final Crisis. Now "My" Superman continuity ended with no definite conclusion. No final adventures, no earth shattering conclusions, nothing. I guess I'll just have to pick a DC Elseworld story and make it as the definitive conclusion to "My" Superman (I'm looking at Superman at Earth's End, The Adventures of Superman Annual 6 and Superboy Annual 1, Son of Superman, or something else). But enough of the rant. I'm here to review the DC Collectibles (formerly DC Direct) We can be Heroes Justice League Box Set. A 7 figure box set composed of DC's New 52 Justice League. Below is the press release from DC Collectibles.

From the Manufacturer:

"The most powerful heroes in the universe, together in one box set. It’s the worst hunger crisis in 60 years. More than 9 million people in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya are in need of immediate assistance. They need our help. We Can Be Heroes is a giving campaign designed to increase awareness and raise funds to provide relief for the drought and famine in the Horn of Africa. Using the iconic Justice League characters from DC Entertainment – Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg – We Can Be Heroes helps our nonprofit partner organizations Save the Children, International Rescue Committee and Mercy Corps provide on-the-ground support where it is needed most. One small act can make you a hero. Your purchase of this very special set featuring DC Comics–The New 52 action gures will benefit We Can Be Heroes. 10% of the purchase price will go directly to saving lives."

New 52 Justice League

This is actually a sweet deal for those who want to start a DC New 52 Justice League Action Figure Collection. The box set already includes figures of the JL members that are yet to be released as singles. I did not hesitate to buy the box set because as the press release stated, a portion of the sales from this box set will be donated to support the alleviation of the hunger crisis. I also bought this set because I wanted to own a DC New 52 Superman (despite not really a big fan of the rebooted character) after missing out on Mattel's DC New 52 Superman. I sold the rest to my fellow group members in the DC-MOTU Facebook group. In the rebooted DC New 52 Universe, each of the character's first appearance has been pegged to have appeared in Justice League no. 1 which was written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Jim Lee. I surmise that these action figures are based on the art of Jim Lee. In their first adventure together, the Justice League faces against the invasion of Darkseid and his Parademons. Six members from the JLA big seven of the past DC Universe is intact with Martian Manhunter being replaced by Cyborg. I'm going to do a brief figure review as well as a back grounder on these New 52 characters below.

DC New 52 Superman: So what changed as far as my favorite Superhero is concerned? For one, this Superman is alone more than ever. In this universe, both of his adoptive parents are dead. He does not have any semblance of a good familial relationship with any human being, and he is aged a bit younger than the Superman of my universe. He is also brash, erratic, and less polished with the way he handles his fights. He is also too "emo" for his own good. Though I'm sure the story of this Superman is still developing but personally he is not the Superman that I know. I tried staying away from buying any comics that pertains to this Superman, but I was surprised when Dan Jurgens went on board for a 6 issue run. And since he is my favorite Superman writer/artist, I bought copies of his entire run. I'll be closely watching this Superman though, if he would ever shape up to become someone similar to the Superman of my generation.

The Action Figure: One thing I noticed with DC Collectibles (formerly DC Direct) is that they really made an effort to make their action figures more like action figures and less statue like. DC Collectibles has been well known to produce highly detailed action figures but less in articulation. I actually prefer DC Collectibles when compared to Mattel's DCUC. The only thing that keeps DC Collectibles from being perfect is in the articulation department. But the figures here in this box set sports better articulation than the past DC Direct offerings (though for the past 2 or 3 years, DC Collectibles has been maintaining this number of articulation).  This Superman features a ball jointed head, ball jointed shoulder, swivel biceps, pivot elbows, and pivot hips. The figure is composed of a bit rubbery plastic (almost Mattel like). I think this makes the figures sturdier and flexible compared to the hard solid plastic of the past releases that tends to break off once there are tight joints due to the paint's sticking with the joints. I also love how the figure is painted and the blue plastic used on the body. There are no visible overlapping paint washes. The sculpts of the figure also looks great, though I don't quite dig the face. I don't know, there's just something off with the face sculpt. I'll also admit that I'm not a fan of this Superman's new costume and look, because I've always preferred the classic/iconic costume (the one with the red trunks). But presented in Action Figure form, the costume looks great in this figure. I'm actually loving the look of this figure more than the art done on the comic books. This figure is a definite keeper

DC New 52 Batman: Now this Batman is messed up. Being DC's bread and butter, The New 52 Batman is vaguely explained as the same Batman of the Pre New 52 Universe. Meaning, all of the important events of the past universe happened. So I wonder, how do you fit in his dealings with the Pre New 52 Superman with this Batman's New 52 Universe? Well DC is making it quite confusing. But there are a lot of things to be excited with this Batman, starting off with the return of the Joker in an upcoming storyline Death of the Family. I have a couple of New 52 Batman comics, namely the issue where Superman fought the venom drugged Batman.

The Action Figure: Batman shares the same plastic material and articulation with Superman. The figure looks great with it's minimalist paint usage. Majority of the figure is composed of grey plastic (for the body) with a glossy black paint used on the chest emblem, cowl, gloves, and boots. The cape also looks great as it drops all the way to the ground.

New 52 Wonder Woman: Wonder Woman's long known origin has been drastically changed in this universe. Instead of being birthed out of clay by the magic of the gods, she is now an illegitimate daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta. It was revealed that the previous origin was only a ruse created by Hippolyta to hide Wonder Woman from those who seek to kill the illegitimate children of Zeus. In this universe, Wonder Woman is also the current romantic flame of Superman. This caused major uproar from the fans of the Lois and Clark/Superman romantic relationship. Though DC has remained firm that in the end Superman will end up with Lois, this phase in Superman's life and his relationship with Wonder Woman will be worth watching.

The Action Figure: I actually find it weird that DC Collectibles utilized a skin colored plastic for this figure. Though it is understandable that they are maximizing costs, I'm just not a big fan of skin colored plastics. But the figure is really good. I could say that this is possibly the second best Wonder Woman figure that DC Collectibles has ever made (the Terry Dodson Wonder Woman is still the best Wonder Woman figure to date). Her costume now also looks less american compared to the Pre DC New 52 one. Wonder Woman shares the same plastic material and articulation with Superman and Batman.

The New 52 Green Lantern: Green Lantern is also similar to how DC explained the Batman of the New 52. His stories also remained intact. I guess DC made this so because prior to the relaunch, Green Lantern has been one of the busiest characters that DC has been writing. Starting off with Green Lantern Rebirth, major Green Lantern events (which also were DC Universe spanning) came one after the another. He is made to be more reckless in this universe which led to his resignation from the league on their second adventure. Hal is currently lost in a realm of darkness along with Sinestro when the Guardians decided to disband the Green Lantern Corps in favor of a new army. Hal and Sinestro also are currently without their power rings. Both of their Power Rings were fused together and found it's way to a new Green Lantern, Simon Baz.

The Action Figure: I think not much has changed with this figure when compared to the past Pre New 52 Green Lantern. Yes he does feature a new sculpt, but the costume kind of remained the same. I do love the metallic green look of the costume though. The figure is also well painted as the metallic green and black seamlessly complement each other. The figure also shares the same plastic material and articulation with the ones on the above.

The New 52 Flash: Well this guy is the culprit as to why we are having this new Universe. His work on Flashpoint altered the Universe that I love. Now we are looking at an extremely different universe. The Flash is no longer married to his wife Iris, but instead has a relationship with a co-worker. He's also a bit younger than the Pre New 52 Flash. I don't know but it seems that Flash always has himself involved in Universe/Reality changing events. In DC's very first reboot (Crisis on Infinite Earths), Flash died as a hero when he sacrificed his life to save the universe that they lived in. In Flashpoint, it seems that he is the only one from the Pre New 52 Universe to make it to the New 52 Universe. But he loses his memory of the old universe while handing Batman a letter from Batman's father who was Batman in the Flashpoint reality (ok ok, I don't know what I'm talking about and my head hurts because of all of the thinking in trying to make this reboot make sense). In the New 52 Universe, Barry Allen remained as the only Flash so far. 

The Action Figure: This Flash figure is one of the best Flash figure that I've ever seen. The pre colored red plastic used on the body is nicely colored. I like how they sculpt the left hand to make it like he is running with an open hand. The shiny metallic look of the yellow boots also reminisces the golden colored boots of the Pre New 52 Flash.  It also shares the same plastic material and articulation with the ones on the above.

The New 52 Aquaman: A lot of people are raving about the New 52 Aquaman's stories. Currently, his comic books are one of the surprising top sellers of the relaunch. DC seems to face all of the lingering misconceptions about Aquaman head on. In the Pre New 52 universe, Aquaman was more or less grounded in Atlantis where the source of his adventures and stories are set. He has lesser involvement in metahuman affairs and was more focused on his kingdom in Atlantis. In New 52, Aquaman decides to leave his throne in Atlantis and takes a more direct involvement in metahuman affairs. It is here where current Aquaman scribe Geoff Johns made Aquaman face head on the misconceptions and ridicule from the public that his character has been enduring since the Super Friends days.  

The Action Figure: In this boxset, Aquaman is definitely one of the best figures. He is also the lone figure that comes with an accessory. The figure comes with his trident which has a golden chain attached to his belt. He also comes with a necklace. I'm not quite sure though if it's removable. The paint was on the body also looks amazing as they utilized several shades of orange to make the figure look cooler and not bland. It also shares the same plastic material and articulation with the ones on the above.

The New 52 Cyborg: The most surprising addition for the New 52 Justice League is the drafting of Cyborg as part of the roster. This move omitted the Martian Manhunter (who was a longtime staple and solid member of the League). Prior to New 52, Cyborg has been a long standing member of the Teen Titans. I personally view him as the Titan's anchor in the same way as what Martian Manhunter was for the League. Cyborg though did have a brief Justice League connection in the past. He was a member of the League in the cartoon show Super Powers: Galactic Guardians (which was the last season of the highly popular Super Friends cartoon series way back in the 70's and 80's). Cyborg was also part of the last Justice League team that did not feature the big 7 before the New 52 reboot happened. Cyborg is currently being groomed as one of the most important characters in the New 52 Justice League. His origin story was featured in the first story arc of the New 52 Justice League. He also played a key role in beating Darksied and the Apokoliptian invasion in the League's first adventure. The retconned origin of the Justice League places Cyborg as one of the founding members of the team.

The Action Figure: The Cyborg figure is the bulkiest among the group. He also stands taller than the others. I like the way they redesigned Cyborg for The New 52. This action figure managed to replicate the Cyborg designs on the comic books. He looks mean with his added bulk. The paint job on the armor look good on the figure as it emits a metallic look. The plastic material used on this figure harkens back to the old DC Direct I guess, or maybe it just feels that way because of the bulk. The figure shares the same articulation with the other figures in this box set.

Overall I've really fallen in love with this box set. Too bad though that putting these guys together on display would render the majority of my DC Collections outdated. I'm torn between getting a box set again and keep it unopened or just forego the entire set. Whatever the decision is, I guess I'll have to find another set first. From what I heard, this box set is disappearing in toys shelves quickly than I have imagined. So for those of you who wants to start a DC Action Figure Collection, I highly recommend this Box Set. 

Ala Carte DC Super Heroes Chess Set

Justice League of America

One of the rarest find that I own is this Ala Carte DC Superheroes Chess Set. I bought this at a local toy store here in the Philippines and I think it is the modified version. I've tried to gain some background information on this chess set on the net but unfortunately I couldn't find one. The closest that I could find is a similar set but instead of the Justice League, the opposing team consisted of Batman's rogues gallery. And also upon closer look at the box, a sticker that reads "Special Collection Superman v.s. Batman" (though it should have read as Batman v.s. JLA) is superimposed on the opposite chess pieces. So yes this is indeed a modified version of the original set. The contents of the set are: A 32 piece nicely painted and detailed chess figurine, A chess board made of the same carton material from other board games, and a four page black and white manual of the original chess set but the photos that they featured there are those of Batman's rogues instead of the Justice League. (Photo of the contents below)

Chess Pieces/Figurine

Chess Board

Manual's Cover

Inside Page of the Manual

Photo of Batman's Rogues chess pieces/figurine

The Justice League: I'll start off with these guys. I believe the roster chosen for this chess set is based on Grant Morrison's JLA run because I remember there were a few issues wherein Steel and Hawkman joined the team, if I am not mistaken. I also believe that this chess set was released during that period. In this chess set, Superman is the designated King, Wonder Woman is the Queen, Hawkman is the Bishop, Flash is the Knight, Steel is the Rook, and Green Lantern is the Pawn. It would have been cooler though if they have opted to put the big seven in here. Aquaman in lieu of Hawkman and Martian Manhunter in lieu of Steel. I love the idea that Green Lantern was the designated Pawn. It would have been way much cooler though if they opted to use the Green Lantern corps as pawn. I will be breaking down below each of the Justice League below as well as their roles in the chess set.    

Superman-King 

Superman: Let's start off with Superman as the King. Of course he is the obvious choice because people usually identify Superman as the King of DC comics (sorry Bat fans *wink* *wink*). While current times dictate that Batman is DC's top property, I still believe Superman is way more popular than Batman if we take into consideration his role in the birth of the golden age in the comic book industry. Of course, Batman is on the other end of the chess board where he is also the designated king of the Bat Family. Naturally on this team though, Superman is the king because if you take out Batman from the Justice League, Superman gets sole ownership of the league along with Wonder Woman. The three of them are considered as the Trinity. Superman's designation in this Chess set as King though limits his mobility and attacking opportunities. It's no fun using Superman in this game because he's supposed to be more of a brawler than as a strategist. But for the opposing team, this means that when you take down Superman, the Justice League falls apart. So I guess his role as King means that he's the game changer for the league. You take out the king, the league loses it's luster. And maybe so, if Superman does indeed step down from his throne and decide to join the fray, then the Bat Family might not stand a chance.

 

Wonder Woman-Queen

Wonder Woman: Well it's no surprise that Wonder Woman is designated as the Queen. Despite the obvious fact that she's the only female in the team, she also happens to be the only female in the Justice League's Holy Trinity. His designation as the Queen is also perfect because the Queen has infinite mobility (moves horizontally, vertically, and diagonally from end to end) in chess games. This reflects nicely for the Amazonian Princess because Wonder Woman has always been known as an Amazonian Warrior. More often than not she throws punches first and asks questions later. As Queen, she can be used in a variety of moves and attacks. I believe the Queen is the most powerful chess piece in terms of offense and defense. Her role in the league is very important in order for the player to win the game.

Hawkman-Bishop

Hawkman: Hawkman as the bishop makes perfect sense because the bishop can move diagonally from end to end. This simulates Hawkman's flying capabilities. Hawkman as far as I know is more identified with the Justice Society of America than with the Justice League. It puzzles me why they chose him instead of Hawkgirl. Hawkgirl is more recognized as part of the league due to the popularity of the Justice League animated series. I also think it would have been cooler if instead of using two Hawkmen as bishops, they should have opted for Hawkman and Hawkgirl instead. It won't be confusing for the players because both shares the same profile, most notably the wings.

Flash-Knight

Flash: The Knight's move in a chess game is not hampered by obstructing chess pieces, Flash as the Knight is a good choice. Though a Knight's move is not as far reaching as the Queen, Bishop, and Rook, for someone who does not fly, Flash is a good choice. Being known as the Fastest Man Alive, Flash is an unstoppable force. No obstructions can hamper his speed as he can quickly evade any opposing forces that are blocking his way. This movement can allow Flash to easily reach the other end of the chess board and create offensive moves that can create an opening for the rest of the league to follow. So how's that for the fastest man alive? Two Flashes for this chess set also means that we have Barry Allen and Wally West donning the Flash costume. A little rendering on the costume's colors would also have helped in determining which is which.

Steel-Rook

Steel: A Rook is like a castle stone. Steel is made of solid steel. As part of the Superman family, Steel is the natural "castling" partner for Superman. Steel got his origins when Superman died at the hands of Doomsday. Inspired by Superman's heroism, John Henry Irons designed a suit made of pure steel. Equipping himself with a Hammer made of real solid steel, flight boots and gun powered gauntlets to become Steel.  For the uninitiated, think of Iron Man wielding a hammer like Thor, that is Steel for you. Though not really possessing any super powers (same as Iron Man), Steel is a valuable member of the league because of his technical knowledge of creating weapons (sound familiar again?) Steel's possession of the flight boots makes perfect sense for him to be designated as the Rook because like the Queen and Bishop, the Rook can move from end to end (either in a Horizontal or Vertical way). They also should have opted to use Red Tornado for the other Rook piece since Steel and Red Tornado shares the same cape colors, and since Red Tornado is an android, he also is made of Metal.

Green Lantern-Pawn

Green Lantern: Green Lanterns are the space police peace keeping force created by the Guardians of the Universe. The Pawns have the most number (eight) of multiple pieces in a chess set. Having The Green Lantern as the Pawns is a no brainer. Though it is unfortunate that instead of seeing Hal Jordan as the Green Lantern, we are seeing Kyle Rayner as the Green Lantern in this set. Pawns have the ability to upgrade their capabilities once they are able to invade the opposing player's home base. And just the same, Green Lanterns possess power rings that are capable of creating constructs that can be animated to simulate any form of material the ring bearer wishes to use. It would have been cooler though if they opted to use different Green Lanterns as Rooks. I can easily name eight Green Lanterns that can be part of this chess piece. So far we have four human Green Lanterns (not counting Alan Scott), namely Hal, Kyle, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner. The other four can be alien Green Lanterns Tomar Re, Kilowog, (oh wait, I can't name anymore GLs during this Chess set's time period), possibly Abin-Sur?, Sinestro?

The Bat Family: On the opposing side, we have the Bat-Family standing on the Justice League's way. The Bat Family is composed of Batman as King, Batgirl as Queen, Robin as Bishop, Nightwing as Knight, Commissioner Jim Gordon as Rook, and the Gotham City Police Department as Pawns. This team look pretty "human" when fighting against the Justice League invasion but with Batman as lead strategist, a Bat-Family victory is not as impossible as one would think. But I think Ala Carte should have chosen to use the Huntress or the Outsiders to fight alongside Batman instead of Gordon and The Gotham Police. But having the human police force in this chess set makes a great story. I will be breaking down the Bat Family below and their designated roles in the chess set.  

Batman-King

Batman: Batman as King? Now that is a perfect fit. You take down Batman, the Bat Family crumbles. There is no greater strategist in the DC Universe than Batman. Though he possesses tremendous fighting skills, his detective skills is even way more better. He can take down the entire league all by his own if given the proper time to strategize his moves. Batman does not need to be fighting in the streets to be effective (check out Batman Beyond where we see an aged Bruce guiding a new Batman). He'll be directing the fight in the Bat Cave where he can oversee the battle and throw out strategic directives to the Bat Family where they can hit the league. The King's limited mobility is all that Batman needs to evade the league and guide the his team to victory. For the League to win, they need to "checkmate" Batman fast before he can create more damage.

Batgirl-Queen

Batgirl: Nightwing should have been here but since a Queen is a female, naturally Batgirl owns this spot. I surmise this Batgirl is Barbara Gordon as evidenced by her red locks. In the comics, Barbara Gordon hanged her cape when the Joker badly left her a paraplegic. Taking a new role as Oracle, Barbara served as the eyes and ears of the entire DC Universe because of her expertise in intelligence gathering through the web. A Queen's limitless movements can be easily associated with Batgirl/Barbara because the Oracle knows no limits. She's a valuable help for Batman because she can easily locate the whereabouts of the League members. She is also a highly skilled combatant capable of downing any foes with her lethal strikes and blows. She's a valuable chess piece for Batman.

Robin-Bishop

Robin: Well Robin is the assigned Bishop in this team. This Robin I guess is Tim Drake. Tim Drake has always been considered as the better detective compared to the previous Robins. Having him as the Bishop means that Robin can easily move in the Chess board to create strategic opportunities in winning the game. A Bishop's long reach can easily put Robin in a strategic position where the player can corner an opposing team's chess piece or take it upon himself to initiate offense. During this period, Tim Drake was the third person to don the Robin identity. Previously Dick Grayson (now Nightwing) owned this identity followed by Jason Todd (now Red Hood). In the succeeding years Stephanie Brown (formerly Spoiler) became Robin. She was followed by Damian Wayne, Batman/Bruce's Wayne's own son. This chess set has two Robins, though I'm sure at this time the producers of this chess set doesn't have any inkling that in the near future a new Robin will emerge. I would like to think that these two Robins are Tim and Damian.

Nightwing-Knight

Nightwing: The original Boy Wonder, Dick Grayson grew up from his Robin antics and as Batman's sidekick to become a solo vigilante known as Nightwing. His role as the Knight in this chess set means that Nightwing can easily navigate the streets of the battlefield to attack the enemy fortress in the quickest amount of time possible. Because of his years of experience as Batman's sidekick, he has learned the nuances of Batman's stealth operations making it a valuable part of his operations as a solo vigilante. He is also the natural pick to succeed Batman and there are already countless storylines where Dick Grayson became Batman every time Bruce Wayne went missing. And since there are two Nightwings in this chess set, a natural pick for the other Nightwing will be none other than Jason Todd (the second Robin). During this time though, Jason Todd was not yet revealed to be alive. In the succeeding years, Jason Todd for a time wore a variation of the Nightwing suit, instead of the Blue motif, Jason wore Red. Perhaps an ode to his Red Hood character.

Commissioner James Gordon-Rook

Police Commissioner Jim Gordon: When you put a Jim Gordon as the bastion of a castle,  you get an assurance that Batman's war on crime can never go wrong. Jim Gordon has always been Batman's bastion in his war against crime. Unflinching in his belief that you cannot combat crime by becoming one of them. Although he has established a healthy respect and relationship with Gotham's premier vigilante, he has always upheld the belief that you cannot take the law on your own hands. And Batman respects this by still letting the police authorities take care of the criminals once Batman has put them on their place. As the Rook in this team, Gordon's role is to make sure that he can protect Batman from outside forces while also leading the Gotham Police in the battlefield. There are two Rooks in a chess piece, the other one should have been Bruce Wayne's ever loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth. While Gordon serves as Batman's Bastion in his War against Crime, Alfred has always been the father figure to
Bruce Wayne. His presence in Bruce's life makes him his bastion to not forget that inside that cowl lies a man named Bruce Wayne.

Gotham City Police Department-Pawns

Gotham City Police Department: If Batman needs an army in his fight, then he can always turn to Gotham's finest. While there are still a number of corrupt police officers in the Gotham Police Department's ranks, their numbers has thinned down ever since Batman announced his presence in the crime world. There are already a number of times when Batman summoned the Gotham Police to help him reclaim Gotham (most notably in the No Man's Land story arc). The GCPD are the designated Pawns because like soldiers they will lead the frontline in the war. And upon capture of enemy base, these Gotham Policemen can easily equip themselves with the enemy's weaponry. They also have the potential to become more than Superheroes themselves if given the chance to be recognized as one.

The Battle

The Invasion of the Justice League

Why the Justice League will win: Of course it's a no brainer. This team is composed of Meta Humans (with the exception of Steel). The League can swiftly win the battle behind the strength of their superpowers. What chances can the GCPD have when pitted against the so called Space Cops, the Green Lantern Corps. Steel can take down ill-equipped forces of Gotham. Flash can do quick work against Nightwing. Hawkman and his Thanagarian fighting skills can prove superior against a young Robin. Wonder Woman, the Princess of the Amazons, can surely beat a human Batgirl. And what chances does Batman have if Superman behaves differently from his Boy Scout persona, if he's willing to cross the line (which means to kill) to achieve his goals. If the League goes rogue and behaves in contrast from what they are used to, what chance does a human population have? Batman can strategize all he wants, but what if the ace on his sleeves (which means betting that Superman still has that Kansas boy scout Clark inside of him) is no longer there? Can he really find a way to beat Superman if he's not given the luxury to re-strategize against a Mad Kryptonian God (I'm using the word Kryptonian here because this is presuming that Superman is being more alien than having a grasp of his human upbringing)?

Batman's Last Stand?

Why the Bat Family will win: Because he's the God Damn Batman that's why. As DC's master strategist, Batman can cook up a plan that can attack the weak points of each League members (see the Tower of Babel storyline). There are already countless of instances in the comic books where Batman has thought ahead of the possibility of the League going rogue. And countless of time these defensive measures fell into the wrong hands (see Tower of Babel and Infinite Crisis), where we saw how the League struggled mightily and it took Batman to destroy his own creations to save the League. The Bat Family and the GCPD can be easily briefed on Batman's strategy in fighting the league. Batman is also capable of utilizing the skills of the Bat Family (most specially Batgirl/Oracle's intelligence gathering) to win the war. Batman can equip the GCPD with Sinestro's yellow ring, fighting the Green Lantern Corps with the same firepower. Jim Gordon can talk sense to Steel to the extent that Steel would be willing to betray the League. Flash will be a big challenge for Nightwing, but a right strategy can turn the tables in his favor. Robin versus Hawkman would be like a David versus Goliath match up, but Tim Drake's resourcefulness will be useful against a brute like Hawkman. Batgirl against Wonder Woman would be quite a challenge but with Batman's help, Batgirl can devise something to make Wonder Woman become a loose cannon for the League. And of course Batman against Superman, see the results of The Dark Knight Returns, the Hush encounter. If Superman does not lose touch of his humanity, Batman can easily take him down. If he does lose touch of his humanity, well I don't see any chances Batman beating Superman (Sorry Bat fans, it's hard to see how Batman can take Superman down if Superman goes out of character. Just see what happened to Batman in the Elseworlds story Superman: Red Son). :)

Jollibee Kiddie Meal Voltron

Voltron: Defender of the Universe

The Lion Bots

There were only two Super Robot Anime series that I followed as a kid (no, I'm not counting Mazinger Z and Grandizer though I managed to watch an episode or two of those shows). One was Voltes V, the other  one was Voltron. Among the two, I've always preferred Voltron over Voltes V. I was more fascinated with Voltron's Mecha Felines than Voltes V's vehicles. Personally, the Mecha felines are way much cooler than the common vehicles transforming into robots thing. Voltron is composed of four brave young Men and a Woman who pilots five mechanized lion bots, and when the going gets tough, these five lion bots merges together to form one huge humanoid Super Robot called Voltron. This peacekeeping force patrols the galaxy against the evil forces of King Zarkon and his son Prince Lotor and their evil minions.  This Blog entry will feature a Toy Review of one of the most amazing fast food toy that I have ever come to know and own. Here in the Philippines, McDonald's doesn't own a monopoly on fast food toys. Rival Chicken and Burger joint named Jollibee has been giving McDonald's a run for their money. And this Voltron fast food toy is one of the prime examples why Jollibee is capable of beating McDonald's. I'll be doing a lion bot by lion bot review below as well as give a brief backgrounder on the lion bot's respective pilot.  

Black Lion

The Pilot: Commander Keith pilots the Black Lion. He is considered as the team leader and the love interest of Princess Allura (Blue Lion Pilot). Being the leader, he directs and strategizes the team in their battles. His Lion bot forms the bulk and head of Voltron. It is numbered as Black Lion 1

The Toy: The material of this fast food toy is made of soft but sturdy plastic. It utilizes specific plastic colors for the body parts to save paint. It only uses paint on the eyes, nose, and Voltron's and lion's face. The chest and belt emblem is made of sticker. The bot has a whooping 15 points of articulation. It features a ball jointed head, swivel arms, hinged knees, swivel wings, hinged tail and ears, as well as a hinged jaw that reveals the hidden head of Voltron. My only qualm is that it lacks articulation on the ankles (which would later on affect the appearance of Voltron as you could not hide the ankles by folding it, but not as much as we would like to think). But for a fast food toy, that's a pretty amazing amount of articulation already. Among all the Lion bots, this is easily the best.

Red Lion

The Pilot: Lance pilots the Red Lion. He is designated as second in command in the team. He is a wily and reckless pilot that often times earns the ire of his co-pilots because of his excessive jokes and teasing.  The Red Lion forms the right arm of Voltron. It is numbered as Red Lion 2

The Toy: Like the Black Lion, the Red Lion bot is composed of soft plastics with respective plastic colors used for the body and legs. It utilizes white paint to paint the lion bot's face and ears, using black paint for the nose. It also utilizes sticker decals for the bot's number on the back. it sports a lesser amount (12 POA) of articulation compared with the black lion bot. It features a swivel head, swivel arms, hinged knees, swivel waist, retractable tail, as well as a hinged jaw. And just the same, my only qualm is that it lacks articulation on the ankles.

Green Lion

The Pilot: Pidge pilots the Green Lion. he is the shortest and youngest but the smartest among his co-pilots. Like all the other pilots, he is also skilled in Martial Arts. He is an outspoken pilot who wears his heart in his words. The Green Lion forms the left arm of Voltron. It is numbered as Green Lion 3

The Toy: It shares the same plastic material and articulation with the Red Lion bot and differs only on the Lion bot's body color (wherein this is colored Green). The body sculpt also differs because while the Red Lion's body is boxed in nature, the Green Lion is round shaped. Very faithful to the T.V. show.

Yellow Lion

The Pilot: Hunk pilots the Yellow Lion. He is the resident strongman of the group. He has a soft spot for children and puppies despite exhibiting a tough and mean appearance. He also has a large appetite, which is the object of his co-pilots' teasing on him. The Yellow Lion forms as the left leg of Voltron. It is numbered as Yellow Lion 5. 

The Toy: Just the same, it utilizes the same plastic material with the others. But the head articulation of this lion differs from the previous three wherein this lion has hinged head in order for it to transform as Voltron's feet. In total it sports 11 points of articulation. Apart from the aforementioned head articulation, it shares the same articulation on the jaws, arms, knees and tail as the other lion bots. Minor paints and sticker decals are also used just like the others.

Blue Lion

The Pilot: Princess Allura pilots the Blue Lion. She ruled the Planet Arus after her father died. She is the object of Prince Lotor's obsessive affection, thus conflict is established because Lotor wants to rule Arus by marrying Princess Allura much to her objection. Princess Allura is also Commander Keith's love interest. But although she rules planet Arus, she defers to Commander Keith (an Arusian) when it comes to matters concerning Voltron. The Blue Lion forms as the right leg of Voltron. It is numbered as Blue Lion 4. 

The Toy: It shares the same plastic material and articulation with the Yellow Lion bot and differs only on the Lion bot's body color (wherein this is colored Blue). The body sculpt also differs a bit because the Yellow Lion sports a mini-cannon on it's back. And before I forget, each head sculpt of these lion bots differ from one another. Making this Fast food toy an impressive premium item for casual Fast food toy enthusiasts. 

Voltron

Voltron: When the going gets tough, these five lion bots combine to become Voltron: Defender of the Universe. Piloted by Keith, Lance, Pidge, Princess Allura, and Hunk, this humanoid looking robot is an unstoppable fighting force that does battle against the evil forces of King Zarkon. Zarkon's minion, Haggar the Witch, is responsible for creating gigantic robo beasts to terrorize the citizens of Planet Arus. Armed with his blazing sword, it is up to Voltron to end the reign of terror by battling these robo beasts and destroy it's existence.  

The Toy: Standing at an impressive 8 inch, this Fast Food Toy is simply eye candy. Voltron's colors are very faithful  to the T.V. show despite opting to use pre colored plastics and sticker decals in lieu of paint. As Voltron, this toy sports a ball jointed neck, swivel hips, hinged knees, hinged ankles, swivel wrists, swivel elbows, swivel arms (courtesy of the connector but you can't actually swivel it, but you have to disconnect the arms and connect it with the lion bot facing forward), the arms can also be raised sideways courtesy of the connector. The only thing lacking in this figure is the elbow joints, lion's ankle joints, and it's blazing sword, otherwise this toy is perfect. I can still remember that this toy flew fast off the toy counter as it did not take more than one week for this to be sold out. I managed to get lucky and acquire 3 sets of these babies. So imagine all the burgers that I had to consume. (More Photos Below)

Blazing Sword

That's a Gundam sword in lieu of the blazing sword.

Overall this is an impressive toy. And up until now there is quite a spike in demand for this toy because a lot of toy collectors in the Philippines weren't able to grab this when it was offered as a Fast Food Toy. Although this is not designed as a toy for rough play (parts tends to fall off when in Voltron form when used for heavy play), but it looks really good when displayed. This is a pretty much cheaper alternative to vintage Voltron robots if you managed to acquire this at it's Fast Food meal price (less than $10 for the set). But if you are getting it on the secondary market, it will cost you much (as high as $100). But still, this is definitely a must for Voltron collectors. The rarity of this figure alone will make you an envy to other Voltron collectors who miss out on this. So if you see one, don't let it get off the hook.