I was at the advance screening of the new Superman movie, and here's my spoiler free review!

 

It's been a very tumultuous time for DC Comics' film division. With the DCEU sputtering towards the end of its run, as a DC Fan, I just couldn't wait for James Gunn's attempt at rebooting the entire DC Movie franchise. Of course, as someone that has a Marvel cinematic universe pedigree, you'd expect that Warner Discovery had finally found the right man for the job. Paired with Peter Safran as the main architects, I initially wasn't too enthusiastic as I wanted to see Zack Snyder's DCEU be given a proper ending. But you'd eventually have to move on. And as a true DC Fan, the first and foremost priority is to support every film that they are releasing and just judge them after you've seen the whole film. Of course, coming from David Zaslav (Warner Discovery CEO), to hear him say that he values Superman and has chosen Superman as the franchise starter in this reboot, I knew that Warner Discovery is making the right decision in this reboot. But just to back track a little, in case you're wondering why Snyder's DCEU had to have that direction and tone that was grounded in realism when they kicked it off with Man of Steel, one must not forget that the template for DCEU had always been the success of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy. That was technically the main reason why DCEU had that serious tone as compared to Marvel's standard pop corn movies.The unfortunate thing however with DCEU was that Snyder just wasn't able to deliver his entire vision without the meddling of Warner Bros. executives. So aside from Man of Steel (which was the only 100% Snyder's vision), we ended up with a very uneven slate of DC movies. With the constant meddling making the franchise non-cohesive and weird. But enough of the past. It's time to move on from all that and look to the present with a renewed hope. And it all starts with the new Superman movie by James Gunn.  

 

 

The advance screening didn't actually feature the whole movie, it was only the first 30 minutes of the film. With most of the footage already been released as part of the trailers. But this time in its full sequence and context. I'm not going to spoil the film for you, but all I can say is that it starts with a bang that quickly establishes David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent. With action sequences that's a joy to watch, in broad daylight as compared to Man of Steel's dark hues. Of course, since this is a James Gunn film, humor is always a staple (I totally enjoyed the Peacemaker series). But I don't think they were done in bad taste as compared to Joss Whedon's Justice League where forced humor was applied. I love the dynamic between Superman and Krypto as well as his super robots. Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane I could say is on of the best Lois Lane portrayals in the big screen (never was a fan of Amy Adams and Kate Bosworth's takes), evokes a lot of Margot Kidder if I might say. Lex Luthor was menacing, but I need to see more to be totally convinced that Nicholas Hoult could better Kevin Spacey's take. I feel like there's still some Jesse Eisenberg in there. Jor-El and Lara also appeared in the movie (not spoiling who the actors/actress were). Tonally, the movie strikes the right balance and fears that it would be too goofy are unfounded. It has some classic Christoper Reeve Superman feels to it but updated to be more in line with the modern superhero movies. Superman Returns was dour, Man of Steel was dark. But this one just had the right tone for a modern Superman movie. The justice gang didn't make an appearance in the preview, so I couldn't say if their presence here would distract the movie's focus on Superman. So that remains to be seen. As a die-hard Superman fan, I'm totally excited for this movie to be a blockbuster. If my only basis is the 30 minutes, I could say I've seen enough to probably say that this is the modern Superman movie that we have all been waiting for. It's less serious than the past two Superman movie but it does not border on the post Snyder DCEU's (Shazam/Flash and the likes) level of comedy. At least with what I've seen so far. But yes, James Gunn is on a good start here. Can't wait to see the whole movie and judge it in its entirety! 

 

Leaving behind some photos of the whole day event that I've attended. From the Look Up Fan event in the morning, the Red Carpet Fan event in the late afternoon, and the special screening in the evening. Full photos can be seen on our Facebook Page:  

  

Look Up Fan Event where we were made to wear Superman t-shirts and capes as provided by WB and formed a giant S that was shot by a drone as seen on the screen

 

Peter Safran, Rachel Brosnahan, David Corenswet, James Gunn makes an appearance

The cast did their rounds shaking our hands and thanking us for joining them

Red Carpet Fan event in the afternoon

There were fireworks, short interviews, and a lot of autograph signing.

Popcorns and drinks were provided

Some merch we got from the event

The shirt and cape we wore in the morning

 

Full Event photos can be seen on our Facebook Page:   

  

 

Spin Masters The Batman 6 inch Basic Figure Review

For an old timer action figure collector like me, the new McFarlane ones are just a pain scale wise. I've been trying to look for an alternative The Batman action figure that would fit well with my old 6 inch scale Mattel Movie Masters collection dispaly wise. And fortunately I saw these Basic Spin Masters The Batman action figures being sold online that says it is on the 6 inch scale. I've been scouring the internet for reviews and scale comparisons of this figure but unfortunately I couldn't find one. Well no surprise there since most action figure reviewers are adults, and clearly this action figure is meant for kids, and not for the "adult" collectors. So I'll just take the liberty to do the review instead. 

In Package

Spin Masters Basic Superman and Batman Figures

From the packaging alone, it is pretty clear that this "Action" Figure lacks the "Action" Feature. The packaging itself does not state the "Action" part. But I already know about this because I have previously bought a Superman figure from Spin Masters that is of the same classification. Forgot to make a review of that one though. 

Out of the packaging, details are pretty bland and the figure itself is made of hollow plastic or light plastic. The cloth is made of some flimsy plastic material, not even cloth type. Of course articulation is limited to ball jointed head and swivel arms. That's all you could do for this figure. It is also the cheapest Battinson Figure arround, way cheaper than the Spin Masters 4 inch ones. Although those figures had way more articulation than this. You also have to watch out for quality issues on the head sculpt as I had to check more than a dozen of these figure to find the best quality. So I guess we are off to a pretty bad start lol!

With the Mattel Movie Masters Affleck Batman and the Mattel Christian Bale Batman

Now off to the most exciting part, the scale comparison with the old Mattel Movie Masters line! Well sad to say, it is an epic fail. This basic Spin Master figure is so small compared to the Mattel ones. Though to be fair, Mattel always had this uneven scale for their Mattel movie Masters line. The Christian Bale Batman were their initial foray for this line. Followed by the Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern Movie which was smallish compared to the Bale Batman. Then followed by the Man of Steel Movie Master line which set the standard for their succeeding Movie Masters toy line. So as seen on the photo, even the Bale Batman is smaller compared to the standard Movie Masters action figures that they eventually settled on.

However, when you compare it to the recent Mattel basic Movie Figures, it fits snugly with them. Shazam, Aquaman, and the Justice League were the only movies that got this treatment before Mattel relinquised the rights to produce DC Action Figures to McFarlane. The older basic figures of Mattel from the Bale Batman is still smaller. The vintage Kenner ones too. You'd think Spin Masters should have opted to copy Mattel's basic figures. But their basic figures costs half of Mattel's. I guess these were just token releases meant for dollar stores or discount stores. They however invested heavily on the 4 inch and 12 inch line. Their 4 inch figures beats Mattel's by a mile. Remember those Man of Steel 4 inch figures? Those were horrendous! 

With the Spin Masters Basic Superman figure and the Mattel Superman Returns premium statue figures

With a customized Joaquin Phoenix Joker figure

Some quick thoughts about the upcoming The Batman movie by Matt Reeves. First, I would love to see his Batman crossover with Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. I don't know if that ever happens but I'm thinking that both could share the same cinematic universe. Secondly, as much as I love Zack Snyder's plans for DC's Extended Universe, and had defended him many times, I think boycotting this movie is too much and too toxic. We can't stunt the growth of the DC Universe in the big screen just because we hate what the WB execs did to Snyder. I actually abhor it and wish that the executives there would be replaced. But I think it would be more prudent to give the creative directors a chance and judge the movie by seeing it first. As it is, the post Snyder DCEU had been a hit and miss. And I would have preferred for Snyder to be able to complete his whole "Snyderverse". But in a way, the way the Justice League Snyder Cut ended, I find it just satisfying to see his vision for the Justice League finally get to be seen as it should have been. And even way back when the Josstice League cinematic version was released, I always took a stand that Flashpoint would reboot everything whether Snyder was able to release his version of the movie or not. So we are at a new dawn for the DC Cinematic Universe. I love how DC's approach has been so far. How their movies are character centric rather than force everything to be serious. Being serious, grounded, and gritty works well for characters like Batman. However it wouldn't be right for characters like Superman, Shazam, and the more brightly colored ones. Though I totally dig and understood Snyder's take on the Man of Steel. I might have preferred a brighter Superman but I'll fight anyone who takes a dig at Snyder's iteration of my all time favorite Superhero. 

Anyway, I'll leave you guys with more photos of this Spin Masters Batman figure below.

So what's my final verdict for this figure? Unfortunately, the details are bad, articulation is lacking, and the scale when compared to the Mattel Movie Masters are not a good fit. So I suggest that you just save your money and buy the McFarlane one or the smallish Spin Master 4 inch ones and start to rebuild your collection again.

Legion of Super-Heroes by Brian Michael Bendis!

Legion of Super-Heroes

Last 2019 I had the opportunity to meet Brian Michael Bendis. Back then, he was working on a secret project. Not yet revealed to the world. When he knew that I came all the way from the Philippines to join his signing event, he graciously let me in on the secret project. It was this book. The Legion of Super-Heroes. This series is special in a lot of ways for me because not only was I one of the first to know about this series’ existence, but it also happens to feature the first appearance of a Filipino DC Character. The Gold Lantern. Too much connection for me. From probably the first Filipino to actually know about the project. To having a Filipino Character, the Gold Lantern to first appear in this book extensively (he had a cameo on the 2019 series Superman no. 14). When Brian showed me the photo, he however failed to tell me that there was actually a Filipino character on the Legion line up. But maybe the nationality wasn't fixed yet at that time. So maybe the nationality was inspired by..... nah.... too much coincidence already. LOL! Anyhow,  A TV series is in the works for HBO MAX…. I'm just glad to finally be able to complete the whole series. Best of Luck Brian!

Check out the Variant Covers of the whole series, from the two-part primer Millennium issue 1and 2, to the complete 12 issue Legion of Super-Heroes series by Brian Michael Bendis. And of course, the bio of the Gold Lantern which appeared extensively in issue number 6 of this series! 

Ever wondered why the Filipino DC Character is a Gold Lantern? The Gold Lantern draw their power from their members' unfathomable happiness and joy. And Filipinos are basically renowned in the world as one of the happiest people on Earth. DC got it right!

 Source for Filipinos as among the happiest people on Earth: PH third happiest country in the world - Gallup survey | ABS-CBN News

Who is Superman's Son, Jon Kent?

With the recent coming out of Superman's son, Jon Kent, as a Bi-Sexual, it seems the fandom are getting mixed reactions. There are a number of them who hates the thought that a "Superman" could come out as Bi-Sexual. That how could someone who is so masculine as Superman (Clark Kent/Kal El the Dad) father a son that turns out to be Bi-Sexual. Did Superman remiss his duty as a Father? Hence Jon not getting the proper guidance in eventually becoming straight like his Dad? If not, what were the circumstance or was there any signs that Jon would have a gender identity crisis? In writing this article, I want to stay away from any conspiracy theories about a certain agenda or any religious undertones and arguments. I just want to focus on the character development of Jon so people would know more about him. I've already said my piece in my Action Figure Planet Philippines Facebook page with regards to my sentiments about Jon's coming out which can be accessed here and my response to those who do not agree with my stand which can be found here. Now with that out of the way, let's trace Jon's origins.     

Jon was born in a world that was not quite here nor there.

Jon's first appearance in a comic book (Convergence: Superman no. 2) was when he was born in the Convergence world, a pocket reality in a DC Comics event book called Convergence where various multiverses collided. At that time, Superman was replaced by a younger Superman during DC's New 52 reboot. The old Superman (we call him the Post-Crisis Superman, as rebooted by John Byrne) appears once more to take part in this cataclysmic crossover event along with his wife Lois Lane after being temporarily wiped out from existence during the Flashpoint event. By this time, Lois is already pregnant and was about to give birth to Jon. As the two part issue ends, Lois finally gives birth to John (though this origin story was also rebooted in the succeeding years). But the final battle of the Convergence event would vaguely put Superman and Lois along with Jon to get stuck in limbo. As DC proceeded to continue with their New 52 continuity with the new Superman.

But as the years went by, it was suddenly revealed that Superman, Lois, and Jon were actually able to reach the New 52 continuity, albeit in hiding and enjoying family life while the new younger Superman continued with his adventures. In the 8 issue maxi-series Superman: Lois and Clark, the post-crisis Superman returned with his daring adventures as he rescues his family when Lois and Jon were kidnapped by Bruno Mannheim and Intergang. It was also on this storyline where an elemetary schooler Jon first discovered that his father was actually Superman and not long after, he also discovered that he had inherited his father's powers. Jon also during this time dealt with his parents' constant lying and pretending to be normal people when in fact his father is Superman. Though he eventually accepted this. We don't know what the cost of this to a kid being lied to. To be given another identity. And dealing with early tragedy. And then soon after faced another tragedy when he accidently killed his pet cat. For character development, is this an early sign of a kid facing some kind of Identity Crisis?

When the DC Universe Rebirth relaunch happened, Jon resumed his adventures with his Dad. And also found a kindred spirit in Batman's son Damian Wayne, having their own solo adventures as the Supersons. Jon would also come across The Eradicator, the designated protector and preservator of the Kryptonian race. Knowing that Jon is Half-Kryptonian and Half-Human, The Eradicator seeked to eradicate Jon's human genome. Only for Superman to intervene and save Jon. Thus teaching Jon (with his mother's help Lois Lane) a very valuable lesson that eventually, he would have to accept his "dual" identity as a Half-Kryptonian, Half-Human, who would eventually inherit the mantle of Superman. Being of two race, he'll have the potential to be the best of two worlds and is hoped to be destined to do great things.

An Origin is Retconned

Jon's origin however was retconned when he was kidnapped by Mr. Mxyzptlk and taken to the Fifth dimension. It is here where he was exposed to the other Superman and Lois reality, the one from The New 52 reality. Since in that reality, Superman and Lois never got married, Jon was disowned by his parents initially but eventually found a way to merge the essence of both the Supermans and the Lois of both worlds (his and New 52). Another traumatic experience for a young kid who at his young age had already dealt with various traumas and identity crisis. The merging would retcon Jon's story, with now being revealed that he was born shortly after Clark and Lois marriage before they both retired to start a family. He was also rejected by the Teen Titans, voting not to include him on the team except for Damian who gave him an affirmitive vote. With the new origin of Jon's beginnings established, things gets complicated when Jor El (Kal El's Father and Jon's Grandfather) offers to take Jon with him to help him discover his true "self" and "identity." Superman and Lois initially refuses to let Jor El take Jon but eventually gave in when Jon pleads to his parents. Sharing that he had been facing a traumatic experience so far. Seeing glimpses of the future where he turns him into a despot, and killing millions of people. Pleading for them to allow him to find "his" self and understand himself better. The trip however would not be as smooth sailing as it is, with Jon being separated from Jor El and ends up in Earth 3, the twisted Alternate Earth where an evil Superman exists, Crime Syndicate's Ultraman. Taken as a prisoner by Ultraman (who is actually an evil version of his father), Jon was severely beaten up and abused for years. Not only by Ultraman, but an evil version of his mother Lois a well, Crime Syndicate's Superwoman. Imagine the trauma that he had to deal. His own father (even if it is from another reality) beating him up, abusing him because he was "different". This happened for years. Jon was captured as a kid. Spent years in an abusive relationship with his alternate reality father. Only to escape in his adolescent years, until Jor El rescued him. And to make things worse, Jon was transported to the past, wherein in reality, he was only lost to Jor El for three weeks. Thus growing up to be a teenage kid once he returned to the current timeline of his Earth. 

A Bi-Sexual Superman

To recap, Jon was a young kid dealing with an identity crisis, trauma, rejection, tragedy, abuse, and other horrible things that you could think of that is too much to handle for him as a kid. And he dealt most of it without the guiding hands of his father, specially the formative years of his transition to pubescent. But before Jon would eventually embrace his sexuality. He had one more trip away from his parents. That was the time when he was recruited to join the Legion of Superheros, a team of Superheroes from the far flung future. And this happened just a few days from his return from that long abusive trip with Jor El. Being with a group of Superheroes that almost shares the same age as him, and to be truly accepted by his peers, Jon finally found a home. And he was actually attracted to Saturn Girl in the course of their adventures together. Though the relationship would not last beyond their first kiss. Jon would then return to the present times to continue his adventures with his Dad and begins to take the first step in his attempt to inherit the mantle of Superman of Earth. In the far flung future of the current DC Universe. In the DC Comics wide event called Future State, there was no hint of Jon's sexuality in all of the stories that he was involved in. He was however very close to the future Wonder Woman, Yara Flor. But in the current times, DC Comics had decided to make Jon a Bi-Sexual. Causing an instant outrage to most DC Fans. The more reasonable ones however were more acceptable to the development, as long as there was character development to justify the move. With that said, I am writing this blog entry to chart Jon Kent's story, his character arc and development, and all of the trauma that he had to suffer in his road to assume the mantle of Superman of Earth. But there's one common thread I could see in his story. And it would seem that Superman (Kal EL) seemed to be an absentee father. He was not as present as he should have been during Jon's formative years. With that said.

Does his story relate to the real world tragedies and trauma that the LGBTQ+ community had to deal with? You be the judge. As a longtime Superman fan, I always looked at Superman not as a symbol of masculinity. But as a SYMBOL of HOPE. HOPE that is for everyone and not for the exclusive few. HOPE that we all eventually find TRUE LOVE. And not just the workings and desires of the flesh. But to find SOLACE in LOVE that can only come from one SAVIOR. No not the Kal EL Superman, but that guy that Superman has always been projected as an allegory of.... JESUS CHRIST! 

Sharing what's inside my DC Universe Cabinet

So I just recently had my Man Cave renovated and I would like to share the DC Part of my display area because of course I am a huge DC Universe fan first among all things. But I also love Marvel. But I can't say that the display area will be as huge as the space I allocated for my DC Action Figure Colllection. Now most of my collection is from the Mattel DC Universe Classics and DC Direct era. In my opinion, to this day, both of these toy lines are still the standard for DC action figure collecting. Though with McFarlane Toys' recent acquisition of the DC Direct brand, things will start to look interesting for DC Action Figure fans. Anyhow, my shelf space is divided into five layers. And each layer will have its own story and composition of the various DC Characters as seen in the comic books. This DC world building project that I started was thought of with a goal of acquiring at least one action figure representation from the comic book. So without much further introductions, let's go to the top most layer...

I call this the DC Super-Villains layer. Sorry if the others on the back can't be seen from here. I guess I need to invest on those display risers to make them look better on display. I'll probably enumerate them below...

From the back row to the front row

1.) DCUC Mr. Freeze

2.) DCUC Catman

3.) Kenner Legends of the Dark Knight BANE

4.) DC Direct Last Son Bizarro

5.) CNC DC Multiverse New 52 Doomsday

6.) King Kong (stand in for Grodd)

7.) Custom Giganta

8.) DC Direct OMAC

9.) DCUC Dr. Impossible

10.) DCUC Ocean Master

11.) CNC Solomon Grundy

12.) DCUC Yellow Lantern Scarecrow 

13.) DC Direct Anti-Monitor

14.) DCSH Mongul

15.) DC Direct Joker

16.) DC Direct Harley Quinn

17.) DCSH Doomsday

18.) DC Direct Justice Parasite

19.) DCUC Nite Lik

20.) DCUC Skallox

21.) DC Direct Parallax

22.) DC Direct Justice Lex Luthor

23.) DC Direct Justice Toyman

24.) DC Direct Justice Brainiac

25.) DCUC Black Manta

26.) DC Silver Age Direct Catwoman

27.) DC Direct Deadshot

28.) DC Direct Last Son Ursa

29.) DC Direct Last Son Zod

30.) DC Direct Public Enemies Metallo

31.) DCUC Eclipso

32.) DC Direct Monitor

33.) DCUC Captain Cold

34.) Custom figure Non

35.) DCUC Amazo

36.) DCUC Silver Banshee

37.) DC Direct Ra's Al Ghul

38.) DCSH Brainiac

39.) DCUC Reverse Flash

40.) DC Direct Mxyzptlk

41.) DCSH Darkseid

42.) DCSH Desaad

43.) DCSH Deathstroke

44.) DC Direct Alexander Luthor

45.) DCUC Black Adam

46.) DC Direct Dr. Sivana

47.) DCUC Star Sapphire

48.) DCUC Cheetah

49.) DC Direct Black Hand

50.) DC Direct Livewire

51.) DCUC Sinestro

52.) DC Direct Superboy Prime

Next two layers are the DC Superheroes layers. With the top layer composed of the various Justice League members and the Green Lantern Corps. With the second layer consisting of the Teen Titans, Marvel Family, Justice Society of America, Crime Syndicate and other heroes affiliated or those briefly joined the aforementioned teams. Here's what I have according to teams and in no particular order.

Justice League

1.) DCUC Mr. Miracle

2.) DCUC Big Barda

3.) DCUC Atom

4.) DCUC Green Arrow

5.) DC Direct Black Widow

6.) DC Direct Orion

7.) DCUC Captain Atom (Gold)

8.) DCUC Red Arrow

9.) DCUC Adam Strange

10.) DCUC Deadman

11.) DC Direct Lobo

12.) DCUC Firestorm

13.) DCUC Wonder Twins (Zan and Jayna)

14.) DCUC Red Tornado

15.) DC Direct Aquaman (Hook Hand)

16.) DCUC Aquaman

17.) DCUC Wonder Woman

18.) DCUC Superman

19.) DCUC Custom Batman

20.) DCUC Flash

21.) DCUC Hal Jordan Green Lantern

22.) DC Direct Elongated Man

23.) DC Direct Plastic Man

24.) DCUC Martian Manhunter

25.) DC Direct Zatanna

26.) DC Direct Vibe

27.) DC Direct Fire

28.) DC Direct Ice

29.) DCUC Booster Gold

30.) DCUC Blue Beetle

Green Lantern Corps.

1.) DCUC Guy Gardner

2.) DCUC Sodam Yat

3.) DC Direct Kilowog

4.) DCUC Abin Sur

5.) DCUC John Stewart

6.) DCUC Kyle Rayner

7.) DCUC Tomar Re

DC Direct Justice Alex Ross Box Set

1.) Superman

2.) Batman

3.) Wonder Woman

4.) Green Lantern

5.) Aquaman

6.) Flash

7.) DC Direct Martian Manhunter

Kenner Super Powers

1.) Firestorm

2.) Aquaman

3.) Wonder Woman

4.) Superman

5.) Kenner Movie Batman

6.) Flash

7.) Green Lantern

8.) Cup Holder Superman

9.) Cup Holder Wonder Woman

10.) Darkseid

11.) Steppenwolf

12.) Desaad

13.) Kalibak

14.) Penguin

15.) Lex Luthor

16.) Joker

17.) Brainiac

DCUC Crime Syndicate of America

1.) Ultraman

2.) Super Woman

3.) Earth 2 Batman (Thomas Wayne) (still can't get a decently priced Owlman figure)

4.) Johnny Quick

5.) Power Ring

6.) Earth 3 Lex Luthor

Teen Titans/Young Justice

1.) DCUC Beastboy

2.) DCUC Wally West

3.) DCUC Raven

4.) DCUC Starfire

5.) DCUC Cyborg

6.) DCUC Donna Troy

7.) DC Direct Wonder Girl 

8.) DC Direct Super Boy Kon El

9.) Mattel Robin

10.) DC Direct Impulse

11.) DC Direct Brother Blood

12.) DCUC Arrowette

13.) DCUC Aqualad

14.) DC Direct Blue Beetle

Marvel Family

1.) DCUC Shazam

2.) DC Direct Billy Batson

3.) DC Direct Mary Marvel 

4.) DC Direct Captain Marvel Jr.

5.) DC Direct Hoppy

Justice Society of America

1.) DCUC Dr. Fate

2.) DC Justice Direct Hawkgirl

3.) DCUC Spectre

4.) DC Direct Identity Crisis Hawkman

5.) DCUC Dr. Midnite

6.) DC Direct Sandman

7.) DC Direct Jay Garrick Flash

8.) DC Direct Alan Scott Green Lantern

9.) DC Direct Starman

10.) DC Direct Hourman

11.) DCUC Mr. Terrific

12.) DC Direct Stargirl

13.) DCUC Commander Steel

14.) DC Direct Crisis on Infinite Earths Superman

15.) DCUC Wildcat

16.) DC Direct Public Enemies Power Girl

17.) DCUC Superman

18.) DCUC Supergirl

19.) DCUC Magog

20.) DCUC Martian Manhunter

21.) DC Direct Golden Age Atom

22.) DC Direct Golden Age Atom (alternate costume)

Outsiders

1.) DCUC Black Lightning

2.) DC Direct Batman

3.) DCUC CNC Metamorpho

 

Lastly, the last two layers of my display cabinet consists of the Superman/Batman Family and a layer full of my favorite Superhero of all time, Superman. 

Daily Planet

1.) DC Direct Perry White

2.) DC Direct Jimmy Olsen

3.) DC Direct Lois Lane

4.) DCSH Clark Kent

5.) Custom Lex Luthor (DC Multiverse Luthor Head on DCUC Question body)

6.) DC Direct Norman Mckay (from the Kingdom Come mini series)

7.) DC Direct Diana Prince

8.) DC Direct Red Son Hal Jordan

9.) DCUC Guardian

Reign of the Supermen/ Team Superman

1.) DCSH Supergirl

2.) DCUC Eradicator

3.) DCUC Superboy

4.) DCSH Steel

5.) DCSH Cyborg Superman

6.) DCUC Black Suit Superman

7.) DC Direct Natasha Irons

8.) DC Direct Mon El

9.) DC Direct Kingdom Come Magog

10.) DC Multiverse New 52 Wonder Woman

11.) DCUC Dark Knights Returns Superman

12.) DC Direct Dark Knight Returns Superman

13.) DC Icons Rebirth Superman

14.) DC Icons Jonathan Kent Superboy

15.) DCSH Kal El Superman (Which I use as a stand in for Jor El)

16.) DC Direct Super Lois  (Which I use as a stand in for Lara with a baby) 

17.) DCUC Armored Suit Lex Luthor

18.) DC Direct Composite Superman/Batman (which I use as the centerpiece to divide Superman/Batman)

Bat Family

1.) Mattel Batman

2.) Mattel Superman

3.) DC Multiverse Dark Knight Returns Flash

4.) DC Multiverse Dark Knight Returns Armored Batman

5.) DCUC Arkham Origins Batman

6.) DCUC Vigilante

7.) DC Direct Arkham Batman

8.) DC Direct Lee Bermejo Batman

9.) DC Multiverse Red Hood

10.) DC Multiverse Batwing

11.) DCUC Batgirl

12.) DCUC Robin

13.) DCUC Batman (Black Suit)

14.) DCUC Jonah Hex

15.) Kenner Knightfall Azrael Batman

16.) Kenner Martial Arts Batman (Stand in for Dick Grayson Batman because of the bluish Batman insignia, same as Nightwing's blue)

17.) Mattel Unmasked Bruce Wayne (custom made)

18.) Custom Catwoman (Marvel Legends female body with Arrowette's head)

19.) Mattel Nightwing

20.) Mattel Bruce Wayne

21.) DC Direct Dark Victory Jim Gordon

22.) Kenner Azrael

23.) DCUC Question

24.) DCUC Batman Beyond

25.) DC Direct Custom Superman (Gary Frank head from DC Direct New Krypton Commande El head on DC Direct Superman body)

The last layer is an all Superman related display depicting various versions and incarnations of Superman. Here's the list.

1.) DC Multiverse Calvin Ellis Superman

2.) DC Direct New 52 Superman

3.) DC Direct New 52 Wonder Woman

4.) DC Direct Last Son Superman (Art of Adam Kubert)

5.) DCSH Superman

6.) DC Direct Black Lantern Superman

7.) DC Multiverse Injustice Superman

8.) DC Direct Enemies Among Us Superman (Art of Ethan Van Sciver)

9.) DCUC Ultraman

10.) DC Direct New Krypton Commander Kal El (Art of Gary Frank)

11.) DCUC  Red Eyes Superman

12.) DCUC Superman Red

13.) DCUC Superman Blue

14.) Hasbro Superman

15.) DC Direct Superman (from Box Set based on the art of John Byrne)

16.) DC Direct Superman (from Muhammad Ali two pack Art of Jose Luis Garcia Lopez)

17.) DCUC Mullet Superman

18.) Playskool Krypto

19.) Mattel Superman (from kids Batman toyline)

20.) DC Direct Silver Age Superboy

21.) Kotobukiya Super Powers Superman

22.) DC Direct Kingdom Come Superman (Art of Alex Ross)

23.) DC Direct Hush Superman (Art of Jim Lee)

24.) DCUC Super Powers Custom Superman (DC Multiverse Kingdom Come Superman head)

25) DC Direct Justice Superman (Art of Alex Ross)

26.) DC Direct First Appearance Superman (Art of Joe Shuster)

27.) DC Direct Justice League Superman (Art of Ed Benes)

28.) Direct New Gods Superman (Art of Jack Kirby)

29.) DC Multiverse New 52 Superman

30.) DCSH Superman (Black S Logo)

31.) Mattel Total Heroes Supeman

32.) DC Direct Showcase Superman (Art of Curt Swan)

33.) DC Direct JLA Superman

34.) DC Multiverse Rebirth Superman

35.) DC Direct Red Son President Superman

36.) DC Direct History of the DC Universe Superman (Art of George Perez)

37.) DC Direct Superman (Art of Ed McGuiness)

38.) DC Direct Superwoman (Art of Ed McGuiness)

39.) DC Direct All-Star Superman (Art of Frank Quitely)

40.) DC Direct All-Star Super Lois (Art of Frank Quitely)

41.) DCUC Public Enemies Superman (from the Public Enemies Animated Movie)

42.) DC Direct Infinite Crisis Superman (Battle Suit Damage Art of Phil Jimenez)

Some of my more recent Superman collections were put back in the box because of space constraints. But you can check out some of my reviews by clicking on the link above. Hopefully I would be able to do more reviews soon.

So basically, that's all that fits my DC Display Cabinet for now. Still my favorite section of all my Display Cabinet. 

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My thoughts on the Superman and Lois TV Series

Wow! I was definitely surprised that this TV series has exceeded my expectations. With the recent full season one release of this TV show on HBO GO (Asia’s counterpart to HBO MAX in American territories), I immediately dropped all the other shows I was watching in the other streaming platforms and dove in. I actually watched the Two Season Krypton series first (no connection with Superman and Lois) before Superman and Lois just to give me more Kryptonian background before I dived into this show. I was surprisingly entertained with Krypton but that is for another post. Superman and Lois was a surprised announcement to CW’s new Arrowverse shows because for the longest time, writers and producers seemed to have a hard time adapting Superman in live action treatment (be it on the Big Screen or Small Screen). This incarnation of Superman is not really new to audiences because this version of Superman (played by Tyler Hoechlin) had already appeared in Arrowverse shows like Supergirl and in the annual Arrowverse crossovers Elseworlds and Crisis on Infinite Earths. But for his previous appearances in the aforementioned shows, Superman mainly played a support role if not a punching bag for other Arrowverse Superheroes. Now getting his own show changed that dynamic. And I really wondered how CW will pull it off considering the huge failure of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel to gain approval from most audiences (though I’m on the side of those who definitely dig Snyder’s Superman). 

Superman and The Stranger

The show’s premise has Superman and Lois (played by Elizabeth Tulloch), years after the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, returns to Smallville to settle with their twin sons Jonathan (played by Jordan Elsass) and Jordan Kent (played by Alex Garfin). And wherever Superman goes, disaster follows in the small quiet town of Smallville where incidentally he spent his younger years living with his adopted parents the Kents. True to Arrowverse form, we get to have a mystery villain who eventually turned to become an ally in the form of The Stranger (played by Wole Parks). In the first few episodes of the show, we are led to believe that The Stranger was Lex Luthor from another universe, only to be sidestepped in finding out that this guy is actually John Henry Irons, the comic book Superhero inspired by Superman to become a Superhero named Steel. And of course, the big baddie of the series turns out to be someone left out of the field for Superman fans like me. The revelation that Superman has a half-brother Tal-Rho/Morgan Edge (played by Adam Rayner) who also crash landed on Earth years before. Now here’s where the Krypton series comes in handy as in the series we are introduced to the various customs and traditions of the Kyrptonians, which helps us understand some terminologies mentioned in this show as Superman battles not only his half-brother but hordes of resurrected Kryptonians by the way of the Eradicator. 

Superman wearing the Max Fleischer Superman costume in his first Metropolis appearance 

How does it compare to past iterations? Tonally, it borrows heavily from Man of Steel, from costume colors down to the fight scenes. But we are also treated to a bunch of Easter eggs that establishes a connection to past Superman shows. First and foremost, the first Superman Cartoon show by Max Fleischer as we see Tyler Hoechlin wear the Superman suit from that cartoon show. The appearance of John Diggle (David Ramsey) and the mentioning of ARGUS and Layla clearly establishes that this show is still a part of Arrowverse and whatever happened in those shows with regards to Superman remains cannon. It was mentioned by Tal-Rho that Superman was active in the 80s, the peak years of the Christopher Reeve Superman. Smallville was even set in the same place as the Smallville of the Smallville TV series. The Lois and Clark Superman series ended with Superman's marriage to Lois (to this day is still my favorite Superman related TV show until this series), thus this series skips that part. While Lois and Clark focused on the romance and drama between the two, mixed with Superman action, Superman and Lois gave us all the Teen Drama and Romance of Smallville (courtesy of their sons), and action by way of Man of Steel. Every episode has a mix of drama and top notch Superman action that rivals Man of Steel.  Tyler’s Superman also is a good blend of Henry Cavill and Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of the character as we see a tough and bad ass Cavill Superman when it comes to fighting super powered baddies but also see the heroic and inspirational Superman as perfectly played by Reeve. I’m not too fond of Tulloch as Lois compared to Teri Hatcher (she’s still my all-time favorite Lois) but I can see why the casting crew got her because she definitely channels Margot Kidder’s Lois. The Super Sons Jonathan and Jordan is also a fresh addition to the mythos of Superman as we get to have two kids of Superman and Lois with one having powers and the other don’t, channeling the old dynamics of a Superman and Lois adventure. 

Now what sets this show apart from other Superman iterations in the past movies, TV shows, and even comic book stories is the presence of his two sons. This idea is entirely new in the sense that we get to see Superman and Lois deal with two teenage sons who are in the process of discovering their identity and their sometimes rebellious streak and all that teen angst. I think this was a missed opportunity in the Comic Books with Superman and his young son Jon Kent because DC took away Jon from Superman when Brian Michael Bendis came. Only to return him as a teener and then took him away again. This prevented us from being given a longer Superman as a parent dynamic (except for that brief 30 plus issues during the DC Rebirth reboot). This is where the show spent most of the stories and I definitely love it as a Superman fan because it fits nicely with my current stage as a parent too. I mean I’ve been reading Superman from his adventures as a boy down to his married life, and it is at this Super-Dad phase that I am certainly relating to Superman again as a Dad. It is also a great opportunity to explore Superman and his connection to Smallville as we are introduced to old friends like Lana Lang (played by Emmanuelle Chriqui) who also has her own family. As a Superman fan, it felt like a homecoming of some sorts for me too. Teeners on the other hand will love the teenage drama and romance explored by the Super Sons. Felt like Smallville TV series redux to me. 

I do have minor annoyances with the show, though it is distracting for me, but it’s not necessarily deterrent enough for me to ditch the show. I hated the padded Superman suit that Tyler Hoechlin wears. Though I think his Superman suit is a very huge improvement from his old suit from the Arrowverse appearances. The high neck line of his suit is also too high for my taste and makes it look like Tyler is closed to being choked with it. The facial stubble of hair is also annoying as I am more accustomed to a clean shaven Superman. I also don’t dig Liz Tulloch’s beauty as Lois Lane. But hey, after Teri Hatcher, who comes close? Uhm…Erica Durance comes into mind. I’m totally annoyed by Amy Adams' soft speaking Lois Lane. I guess that’s it. All in all it is a great show! And I am pleasantly eager to know what comes next. Season One’s bar was already set so high by making Superman battle a powerful foe and the show looks high budgeted for a TV show, definitely a huge improvement from past Arrowverse shows. I don’t know if they could ever match what they did with season one, especially with the big villain they gave Superman in the first season. Though there are plot threads that remains to be explored, most notably the arrival of Natalie Irons, the daughter of John Henry Irons. The drama part, they've got a lot going to last for more seasons. The villains however will have to be quite impressive to top season one's big bad. And of course there's always a Lex Luthor around the bend. Or even Brainiac, that big villain from the Krypton TV series. But, sign me in for more! 

P.S. The show borrowed heavily from the Superman: Eradication storyline albeit expanded it with additional twists. The appearance of Steel, Eradicator, and Killlgrave (and to an extent a Superboy) is a clear reference to the 90’s Superman books. That period is still my favorite Superman stories of all time.