DC Essentials Superman Action Figure Review

The long wait is finally over. DC Essentials Superman has finally hit our favorite collectible stores. And I thought I have seen the last of my days purchasing these action figures since I haven't found any more Superman action figures worth collecting. But the moment the DC Essentials line was announced, I knew that I had to get a Superman figure from this line. So how do I find the figure? Read On!

The first week of September 2018 was a great week for Superman fans as the DC Essentials Superman action figure was released along with the seventh concluding issue of the new Justice League story arc which featured Jim Lee's artwork on its variant cover. No Superman fan should let this week pass without at least getting one or both of these.

Upon unboxing, the figure is seen bounded with those annoying twisties on the waist and a transparent rubber band on the ankles. I'm also annoyed with those blister holes where they slide in the rubber capes. I always get freaked out while sliding the cape out to get the entire figure out from the blisters. Sometimes the sharp blister edges on the hole damages the rubber cape. So you'll have to take the cape out slowly.

For the longest time, one of the recurring complaints in a Superman action figure are their inability to look up, thus rendering those Superman action figures an inability to come up with accurate flight poses. DC Essentials fixes those problem as they finally gave us a swivel and hinged neck that could be posed way way up. This Superman figure finally solves a lot of action figure collector's problem when it comes to Superman's flight poses.

The figure is packed with tons of points of articulation. The figure has a swivel and hinged neck, hinged and swivel arms, swivel biceps, double hinged elbows, swivel and hinged wrists, hinged abs, swivel waist, G.I. Joe styled ball jointed hips, swivel thighs, double hinged knees, swivel boots, and swivel and hinged ankles. I could say this probably is the Superman action figure with the most points of articulation.  

I must say however that the ankle joints are such a pain as I feel overtime, they'd become loose. I had a hard time making the figure stand while I was taking photos of it because of the flimsy ankle coupled with a heavy rubber cape. But this Superman is best displayed in a flying pose because of its neck joint. So this shouldn't be a problem.

The paint applications are quite done well in the figure I got. And no, those solid yellow belts are not paint errors as DC Essentials designed those belts that way. I just don't know why they skipped the red colors in those belts as the source material in the comics also sports those red colors. There's a part of me that wants to do a quick repaint in those belts though.

One of the qualms I have with this figure is the cape's design. The folded cape design somehow makes this Superman look less grandiose than the usual. Or maybe I was just spoiled with the large capes that those Henry Cavill Superman action figures usually sports.

I couldn't seem to get which artwork this figure was based on. Kinda like a mixed between Jim Lee, Jason Fabok, or maybe even David Finch's art. But a lot seems to be in agreement that the likeness of this figure pretty much looks like this:

In case you guys don't know him, he is Herbert Chavez, the self proclaimed PINOY Superman. He has done tons of plastic surgeries on his face trying to capture the facial look of Superman. And my, in action figure form, this face has got to be one of the most beautiful Superman faces in action figure history.

The figure stands at approximately 7 inches. Usually comparable to the older DC Direct figures which stands between 6.5 to 7 inch. The figure towers over the older DC Collectibles Icons series, the action figure series that preceded the Essentials series. The photo above is a comparison of the Superman Rebirth figure from the Icons series.

The costume in this action figure is an evolved look of the classic Blue and Red costume. For close to 7 years, DC has done away with the Red trunks, only to have them back when DC celebrated the release of Action Comics 1000. This evolved look also adopted cuffs designs that was first seen in the Man of Steel movie and later on adopted by the Rebirth costume.

Through the years, contrary to popular beliefs, Superman's costume has been in constant evolution since from the beginning. Pictured above is the evolution of his comic book continuity costumes in action figure form. On the other hand, I'll be sharing more photos of this figure in various action poses below.

The fabled flight pose

Jim Lee action figure?

The first story arc where this figure's costume was extensively used.

Mattel DC Super Heroes Superman, DC Direct JLA Superman, DC Essentials Superman 

To end this entry, I can't really say that this DC Essentials Action Figure is the best Superman Action Figure for this scale. But for sure he belongs to my TOP 3 best highly articulated Superman Action Figures based from the Comic Book. I excluded other iterations especially the NECA Christopher Reeve Superman because in my book, that is still the best Superman action figure in this scale. This figure is highly recommended for those looking for a generic comic book Superman action figure. However, you'll be facing scale issues when displayed together with the smaller DCUC figures. But that is just a small problem to have because this DC Essentials Superman action figure is best displayed alone. Especially with the flight pose that it could give you.  

Superman II and the DC Multiverse General Zod action figure review

Takara Microman versus the DC Multiverse General Zod

Took me quite a while to write a follow up to my previously reviewed Superman: The Movie entry. I guess I couldn't quite find the right action figure to accompany my review of Superman II. I also got kind of bummed that someone criticized me for reviewing a lame custom action figure I created which accompanied my review of Superman: The Movie. So this entry will thus have two action figure reviews. The first one, a DC Multiverse General Zod action figure review. And a second review which is supposed to be the original action figure review that accompanies my Superman II movie review. I guess it's only fitting since I will also be touching on the original Superman II: The Richard Donner cut movie version in this entry. Read on!

Superman II

During the filming of Superman II, Richard Donner (the director of the first Superman Movie) was booted out by the producers due to differences in the approach that the producers wanted for the sequel. Producers Ilya and Alexander Salkind wanted to have more camp/slapstick and a lighter tone to the movie to make it more accessible to a larger audience. They brought in Director Richard Lester, who was known for his work on the Three Musketeers movies, to replace Donner. Despite more than 70% of the movie already been filmed under Donner, Lester would reshoot several scenes just enough to make it as a requirement in order for him to be credited as the film's director. Nevertheless, critics praised the film for its surprisingly coherent production despite being helmed by two directors and a reshoot of several key scenes. Critics hailed Superman II as perhaps the best movie in the Superman franchise under the Salkinds. This however did not stop Warner Bros. from releasing the Richard Donner version some 26 years later. Michael Thau, who was the editor in charge of restoring the Superman: The Movie film to DVD, became interested in coming up with the Donner version as he stumbled across some of the old footages that Donner filmed and was never used in the Richard Lester version. Thau was in the process of extracting Marlon Brando's Jor El scenes for use in the upcoming Bryan Singer's Superman Returns movie. Under the supervision of Richard Donner himself and creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz, Thau would recreate Superman II utilizing Donner's original version of the film by using almost all of the scenes that Donner shot while utilizing less than 20% of the scenes shot by Lester. This version of the film would serve as a supplemental movie to Superman Returns as Singer would acknowledge that Superman Returns is an indirect sequel to Superman II, writing off the events that happened in Superman III and IV.

The Phantom Zone criminals (from left to right) Non, General Zod, and Ursa

Superman II begins by recapping the events in Krypton days before it blew up. General Zod (played by Terrence Stamp) has led his crew to attack the Kryptonian Council as a form of rebellion to the regime. Unfortunately for Zod, he was defeated and was sent to the Phantom Zone by Jor El. But not before promising Jor El that he would make his heirs pay for what he did. Back on the present time, Superman saves Lois Lane from terrorists in London by hurtling an elevator equipped with hydrogen bomb to space. The explosion of the hydrogen bomb in space would set free General Zod and his crew as the Phantom Zone was hovering near the detonated bomb blast. General Zod and his crew would encounter space astronauts from Earth which would then point them to the direction of Earth. Upon arriving on Planet Earth, General Zod and his crew would gain the same super powers that Superman gained from the yellow sun, utilizing it in terrorizing the citizens of Earth as he searches for Kal El/Superman, the son of Jor El.

Superman battles General Zod

Meanwhile, Superman continues to fall madly in love with Lois Lane that Superman readily gave up his super powers and his alien heritage for a chance to become a full blooded earthling. Superman takes Lois with him to the Fortress of Solitude (and later makes love to her), where a special chamber under the Artificial Intelligence of Lara (Superman's mother) takes Superman's powers and transforms him into an ordinary earthling. As Superman (under his Clark Kent alter ego) and Lois makes their way back to Metropolis, Superman encounters a fight in a bar which left him bloodied and beaten up to a pulp. This makes him question if he made the right decision in giving up his powers. Superman also sees in a television broadcast of the President of the United States of America pleading for his help as the White House is under attack by the Phantom Zone criminals with the company of Lex Luthor. Superman goes back to his Fortress of Solitude and regains back his super powers setting the stage for their final showdown with General Zod and his crew. The battle was first held in the streets of Metropolis where too much destruction forces Superman to flee from the battle and retreat to his Fortress of Solitude. Lex Luthor takes the Phantom Zone criminals with him as they locate the Fortress of Solitude with Lois as their captive. Superman battles the trio (Zod, Ursa, and Non) using the very same Red Kryptonite radiation that took away his powers earlier. With the trio powerless, Superman manages to beat all three and sends Lex Luthor back to the prison. Back at the Daily Planet, Clark Kent/Superman kisses Lois Lane and takes away all of her memories of what had happened in the past few days, effectively making her forget that Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same.

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

Some 26 years later, Superman: The Movie director Richard Donner's version of the film was finally released as a supplemental movie to Superman Returns. In Donner's version of the film, the opening scenes of the film were a direct continuation of the climactic scene in the first Superman Movie that instead of the hydrogen bomb releasing the Phantom Zone criminals, it was the rocket missile that Superman diverted in the first movie which was responsible in releasing the Phantom Zone criminals. Some Richard Lester footages were also replaced by Richard Donner's original footages even to the point of using some screen tests of Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder when they auditioned for their parts in the first Superman Movie to fill in the gaps of unfilmed footages. This version also took away the slapstick humor scenes found in the Richard Lester version, making this film more serious in tone and a much more coherent sequel to Superman: The Movie. Just like in Superman: The Movie, this version also uses the Superman spins back the Earth power to erase key events that led to the release of the Phantom Zone Criminals, effectively erasing all of the events that happened in this movie, including Lois knowledge of who Superman was. Now as to which version of the two (Super Kiss or Spin back time) is much lamer with regards to Lois losing her memory of Superman's identity is left to the audience to judge. Superman II is a great sequel to the first Superman Movie where in the first movie we were thrilled to be introduced to Superman's amazing powers, Superman II gave us more thrill as we finally get to see Superman fight some super powered bad guys. The action scenes itself is worth watching as we finally get to see Superman use his plethora of super powers against bad guys of equal or if not greater super powers. Until to this very day, Superman II is the measuring stick for all Superhero Movie sequels. As to which version of the two movies are superior to one another,  I personally view both films as separate versions that could stand on their own as prequels to the succeeding Superman movies. Richard Lester's version could pretty much be succeeded by the campier Superman III and the Superman IV disaster. While Richard Donner's version could pretty much be succeeded by Superman Returns as Bryan Singer had said in interviews that Superman Returns is set in the same timeline with Richard Donner's Superman movies. A convoluted plot thread however hangs between the two as how did Lois Lane birthed Superman's son in Superman Returns if Donner's Superman turned back the clock, effectively erasing the possibility that Superman impregnated Lois during their Fortress of Solitude love making. Somehow, Lester's Super-Kiss would have worked. Ah, but the intricacies of this Superman franchise should be left to the viewers imagination. This does not diminish the fact that Superman II is perhaps the best Superman Movie before Zack Snyder's the Man of Steel reboot happened.  

General Zod

The Action Figure: I was actually reluctant to get this General Zod action figure since I'm not quite a huge fan of 4 inch action figures. But there were only two choices to choose from for a Terence Stamp General Zod. This one, the Mattel DC Multiverse General Zod, and a 12 inch Movie Masters General Zod also from Mattel. I couldn't quite find that Movie Masters figure so I had to settle for this smaller one. I'm bummed though that Mattel continues to snub  6 inch versions of these classic DC Superhero Movies. To the uninitiated, DC Multiverse is a toy line from Mattel which focuses on releasing different action figures based on the DC Superhero movies and video games. So far, this toy line has touched on the successful Batman: Arkham video game series, Batman movies that starred Michael Keaton (they had released a Danny de Vito Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman, Michael Keaton Masked and Unmasked Batman), and of course the Christopher Reeve Superman (Superman and General Zod). So far DC Multiverse has stopped releasing newer figures and I'm guessing the line might not have the same success as let's say Mattel's 6 inch lines. Being a huge Superman fan that I am, I was supposed to get the DC Multiverse Christopher Reeve Superman but I just couldn't pull the trigger with the selling price that I saw (P800 or close to $20). I however got General Zod at around $10 (though Mattel is selling them at $2.99 at a recent warehouse sale). So is the General Zod action figure really worth it at the price that I got him? Read on...      



Between Superman and General Zod, Zod actually has the better articulation count. General Zod comes with a ball jointed neck (but works like a swivel neck), ball hinged shoulders, swivel biceps, wrists, waist, hinged elbows and knees, and double pivot hips. Superman on the other hand lacks the swivel biceps. Pretty good for a 4 inch action figure actually but still falls behind when compared to Hasbro's G.I. Joe and Marvel Universe 4 inch action figures. The figure's likeness to Terrence Stamp however looks quite accurate. The same could not be said about the Christopher Reeve Superman however. I'm still hoping that someday we get to see a 6 inch version of this General Zod. NECA recently had been releasing 7 inch action figures based on 1980's Movie Icons that began with Robocop, Terminator, Rocky, and Predator. It made waves to DC fans when NECA released a 7 inch Michael Keaton Batman (bundled with a DVD), which set the stage for this year's NECA Christopher Reeve Superman (also bundled with a DVD). It seems that since Mattel has the sole license for DC Superhero action figures, NECA had to make it look like that their DC Superhero action figures are bundled by Blu-Ray/DVDs so that they could circumvent some legal issues as to why they were able to release Batman and Superman action figures. It isn't as if Mattel couldn't release one. They somehow managed to release 6 inch versions of the Adam West Batman series (though NECA's version is far superior), but failed to give us 6 inch versions of the Michael Keaton Batman. Maybe someday down the line we'll get to see Mattel's version for Christopher Reeve Superman? Check out more photos of the DC Multiverse General Zod below (pardon the use of the Microman Superman, he seems to be in scale with Zod and had to be made as a stand in to the DC Multiverse Christopher Reeve Superman).

Comparison Shots (L-R): Man of Steel mini-statue, General Zod, Microman Superman, and DC Infinite Heroes Superman

General Zod and some comparison shots of the 4 inch Man of Steel General Zod and Namek basic figures. 

General Zod takes flight

Kneel before Zod

The End for Superman?

Non?

So whatever happened to the DC Direct Commander Kal El body after I took his head to create my version of a 6 inch Christopher Reeve Superman? Well I had to make some random Kryptonian bad guy. I was hoping to come up with a 6 inch Non action figure to accompany my DC Direct Last Son General Zod and Ursa action figure. It puzzles me to this day why they neglected to release Non when he also appeared in the Last Son storyline. I dunno if this random Jakks Pacific Wrestler would fit the bill as Non's lookalike but I'm using him in my display anyway. And I'm having fun displaying him alongside General Zod and Ursa, this somehow completes the Phantom Zone criminal triumvirate. I however won't be reviewing this figure here as it shares the same body with the Commander Kal El figure. So this is the figure which I was saying earlier that I will be featuring along with the DC Multiverse General Zod. So a double Superman II movie feature and a double action figure feature for this entry. How cool is that? Lol! Check out more photos of this figure in action below.

Non!

General Zod, Ursa, and Non from Superman: Last Son

"Care to step outside?"

Super Brawl!

Superman v.s. Non

Superman v.s. Ursa

Superman v.s. General Zod

Kneel before Zod!

Superman triumphant!

Next up, Superman III. But my entry may take a while, I'm still waiting for my NECA Christopher Reeve Superman to arrive sometime next month. Got lucky that I managed to get one! I'm not sure if I should open it though LOL! See you guys in my next entry!

Custom six inch Christopher Reeve Superman and Superman the Movie Review

Custom Christopher Reeve Superman

I used to not own a Hot Toys Superman. My only relief in owning a Christopher Reeve Superman was through a custom Christopher Reeve Superman that I made utilizing a DC Direct Gary Frank Commander Kal El figure and the body of a DC Direct History of the DC Universe Superman. Having a representation of Christopher Reeve's Superman in my collection is very essential to me. But more on this custom Superman later, I would like focus first on reviewing Richard Donner's 1978 epic Superman: The Movie. I'm reviewing it with a current mindset (which means these contemporary times) and view it alongside the recent superhero movie explosions that seems to be enjoying huge success for the past 10 years or so. How does Superman: The Movie compare with them? Let me share my views below. 

Superman: The Movie

Superman: The Movie was the first attempt to bring a Superhero movie to the big screen. During that time, Superheros were treated less seriously because of the stigma that comic books and superhero fantasies were just childish pleasures. Ilya and Alexander Salkind, a father and son tandem who had drew interest to bring Superman to the big screen, gambled on acquiring Superman's film rights from DC Comics and decided to produce a two part Superman epic. They signed Richard Donner to direct both films and landed Christopher Reeve to play the role of Clark Kent/Superman. He is joined by a powerful set of casts in the person of Marlon Brando (who played Superman's biological father Jor El) and Gene Hackman (as Superman's arch-nemesis Lex Luthor) among others. Reeve is also joined by Margot Kidder who played his love interest Lois Lane (a role that would define her film career). After continuous rewrites due to campy stories turned in, a script was finally delivered with a story that was a brainchild of Mario Puzo (of The Godfather movie fame) and script by Tom Mankiewicz. Shooting commenced with Superman 2 being shot continuously with the first movie. But due to time constraints, the crew decided to went on instead to release Superman: The movie first and just follow up on the sequel once the movie is released. Thus, the intended ending for Superman 2 was used as the ending for Superman: The movie. The rest is as they say is history. Superman: The Movie thrilled a lot of audience and got eyebrows raised in the film academy circuit. 1978 was the year that a lot of kids began to take interest in Superman, and from what I understand, the movie was a key factor in establishing a new Superman fandom for the modern age. I know a lot of Superman fans who are aged 30 plus and above to have gotten their first glimpse of Superman in this movie. And since then, they have become avid fans of Superman.   

Jor El and Lara El

The movie opens in a cold and sterile planet called Krypton where we are treated to a contentious trial where three Kryptonian (who would be the main villains in Superman 2) insurgents are sent to the Phantom Zone, a prison that would house criminals to an eternal living death. These Kryptonian rebels were inspired to take up arms once they learned of their planet's possible fate. Jor El meanwhile tries to convince the Kryptonian ruling council that their planet is dying. And that they must act fast. Unfortunately, Jor El's effort to convince them fell short. However, joining the rebels was not Jor El's option. Jor El instead prepared a spacecraft that would send his son, Kal El, to a planet called Earth. It was his last ditch effort to save his son from the destruction of their planet. Earth was to be the new home of Kal El where its younger yellow sun would grant Kal El indestructible powers and make him a god among men. Krypton exploded to ashes just as Kal El's spacecraft departs for planet Earth. The spacecraft would crash in a deserted Kansas cornfield in a town called Smallville. Kal El is discovered by two kindly but childless couple by the name of Jonathan and Martha Kent, who adopted him as their own. Now christened as Clark Kent, he would grow up feeling alienated due to his powers as he made it an effort to conceal them at the behest of his foster parents. By the age of 18, and not soon after Jonathan Kent died, Clark would discover the spacecraft that housed him in his journey to Earth. A glowing crystal would beckon him. This encouraged Clark to go on a journey to the arctic where the glowing crystal created a Fortress that resembled that of Krypton. This became Clark's Fortress of Solitude and he would spend years in isolation and training before he finally reveals himself to the world with a costume in tow.         

Superman and Lois' romantic date up in the sky

Clark would find a job in Metropolis at the Daily Planet as a reporter and there he would meet Lois Lane, considered as the Daily Planet's top reporter. Clark disguises himself as a reporter by profession so that he would come to learn of accidents,disasters and crime as they happen, helping him get a head start in doing his super heroic acts. One of these accidents would finally reveal Superman to the world. When Lois' helicopter was about to crash, Superman appears and saves Lois and the helicopter. Superman became an overnight sensation. Superman would thwart various crimes and disasters and this would draw pique interest from the Metropolis citizens and the world at large. By this time, Clark began to have a romantic interest in Lois, but Lois ignores him as Lois seems to be romantically interested to Superman. Being Lois' partner as a reporter, Clark decides to give Lois the exclusive scoop through a one on one interview he arranges for Lois and Superman. The interview led to Superman touring Lois above Metropolis' skyline, flying up in the sky with Lois in tow. By then, romance was started to brew between the two of them. By the following day, Lois' one on one interview with Superman was on the press. The interview also formally introduces the name Superman to be used as Clark's superhero alias. Superman also continues his feats in saving the world, from big crimes to even a small deed like saving a cat that is stuck on a tree. Superman was just not a hero, but he also became a celebrity.    

Lex Luthor and Otis

Meanwhile, a self proclaimed criminal mastermind by the name of Lex Luthor plans a real estate scam by destroying parts of California with a nuclear missile, planning to have it sunk in the deep waters. He recently purchased a large barren desert which would benefit as the new west coast of the United States with California gone. Aware that Superman would thwart his plans if he comes to know of it, Luthor lures Superman to his underground lair and tricks him by using radioactive fragments of Superman's planet, Krypton. This fragment called Kryptonite has the ability to weaken or even possibly kill Superman. Luthor takes care of Superman by wrapping him with a chain with the Kryptonite tied on it. He then fires off two missiles headed on separate directions because he knew even with Superman's powers, he cannot be at two places in the same time. Luthor's mistress, Eve Teschmacher, however saves Superman from death when she realized that one of the missiles was going to hit the town where her mother leaves. She breaks Superman free from the Kryptonite, cheering him on to save her mother. With two nuclear missiles heading in separate directions, Superman races against time to thwart it. Superman manages to haul one of the missiles in space but was unable to stop the other. As the missile starts causing destruction, Superman goes on a one man mission to take care of the after effects. Superman successfully saves hundred of lives and manages to salvage the sinking earth of the California state. But unfortunately the after effects were too much, and Lois (who was on a scoop towards California) became a casualty as Superman was too preoccupied saving others. Upon knowing this, an enraged Superman flies up in the sky and went up against his biological father Jor El's advice not to interfere with human history. Superman however took hold of his foster father Jonathan Kent's advice that he must have been here for a purpose. Superman eventually decides to travel back in time and save Lois. He then captures Lex and sends him to prison. The movie ends with Superman flying above Earth, ready for more adventures.       

Christopher Reeve as Superman

Superman: The Movie if you actually compare it to the Superhero movies of our time feels a bit campy and less serious. But despite this, it did became a huge success. And just like how Superman became the pioneer Superhero character in the comic books, the movie became a template for other Superhero movies to follow. Non Superman fans who looks at the character as dull and boring would always find ways to diss the character but personally I find it a mystery that no one at that time could come up with a Superhero movie that would be at par with Superman: The Movie. True, that compared to today's standards, the film might look inferior in special effects, costumes, and plot tightness, but Superman is not supposed to be viewed as strictly an action movie. Superman: The Movie above all is a romantic sci-fi movie. It shows us that Superman is not just about saving the world and fighting bad guys. But the meat of it all is that Superman is about heart. And this is what the film set out to do. It made us believe that a man can fly. It made women wish that their Superman could fly them up in the sky every time they hear the famous song (Can you read my mind) in this movie. It inspired us to do good. Kids like me at that time was just so amazed at this brightly colored costumed Superhero could do wonders and feats that only gods could do. This Superman movie was just right for that time period. But if brought to our current standards, it still continues to be a legend, a classic. And despite all the success of the grittier Superhero movies that we are seeing now, people find it hard to move on from this Superman when given a modernized take on the character using the current standards. That's why Man of Steel (you can read my reaction here) was so polarizing. Superman: The Movie is the grand daddy of all Superhero movies. His legend is incomparable. You can't compare a legend from its spawn. It is a timeless classic that can stand the tests of time. It's no wonder why people had easily forgotten Tobey Mcguire's Spider-Man Movie Trilogy when a new Spider-Man starred by Andrew Garfield was released. Superman: The Movie is not a one-dimensional superhero movie. Not every Superhero movie can compare with a classic like Superman: The Movie. We don't compare this film to any Superhero Movie, even a movie that is a re-imagining of this classic like Man of Steel.  

Gary Frank's Christopher Reeve Superman

The Action Figure: Well, even up until now, there's still no 6-7 inch Superman action figure in the market. Hot Toys' Christopher Reeve Superman despite its perfectness is too big for me. And Mattel had recently announced a Movie Masters Christopher Reeve Superman but was downgraded in a 4 inch scale. Since 6 inchers are my favorite scale, I desperately had to have a Christopher Reeve Superman for this scale. And thank God for Gary Frank's Christopher Reeve Superman art. It disappointed me however that DC Direct opted to release the Commander El figure only and didn't chose to release Kal El in his Superman costume. That figure would have been selling like hotcakes because as far as I know, there are a lot of toy collectors who would want to own a Christopher Reeve Superman in 6 inch scale. The Commander El figure however gives us a head sculpt featuring Christopher Reeve's likeness. So this gave toy customizers an opportunity to create their own 6 inch Superman action figures. So it takes creativity to get the best look that they can create to give justice to a 6 inch Christopher Reeve Superman. Collectors who are skilled in painting and sculpting went to work with their customs and made use of the DCUC Superman bodies because of it being highly articulated. Others opted to choose bodies that already had the Reeve costume colors like the DC Direct JLA Superman to avoid doing a repaint on the figure. Still others chose the lesser articulated DC Direct Superman action figures like the Enemies Among Us Superman.     

My custom Christopher Reeve Superman

I however opted to use the DC Direct History of the DC Universe Superman for my custom project. That figure is one of the rarest Superman action figure of today but I have to sacrifice it in order for me to come up with my best rendition of the Christopher Reeve Superman in 6 inch form. I chose this because the body is a perfect replica of Reeve's costume colors. It also has better articulation than that of the standard DC Direct points of articulations. It features a ball jointed neck, ball jointed shoulders, swivel biceps, swivel forearm, swivel wrists, ball jointed torso, swivel waist, swivel hips, hinged elbows and knees, and a swivel lower leg. Some articulations are actually useless like the swivel lower leg and swivel forearm. They should have opted for ankle articulations. But despite these gripes, I still find this as the perfect body for my Christopher Reeve Superman project. The figure looks so gorgeous and really Reeve like because of the head sculpt and the right body build. Sometimes I'm tempted to restore the original head of this body and use the Enemies Among Us body instead because lately I've seen tons of them at a very low price. But that body looks more muscular for a Christopher Reeve Superman. So I guess I'll have to keep this one and sacrifice the History of the DC Universe Superman action figure in my collection. I'm keeping an eye on another one though. More photos below as I re-enact some of the Superman: The movie scenes.

"Krypton is doomed"

"I will seek revenge on you Jor El, and your sons"

"I got you Lois"

"Say hello to Kryptonite"

Superman!

Christopher Reeve

Fight!

Superman v.s. Ultron?

This wraps up my Superman: The Movie entry. Hope to see you guys next time as I review Superman 2.