A look at my Toy Collection Display Cabinet

A view of my New Toy Collection Display Cabinet

After 2 weeks of painstakingly displaying my collections in their new display cabinet, I'm finally (almost) done. The easiest part was essentially unboxing/unpacking them from their large containers as seen here. The hardest part was displaying them. Now when it comes with my toy collections, I'm a very meticulous hack as I make it a point that no figures' parts should stick with another. I have this Obsessive Compulsive Disorder belief that if the figures would rub on each other, and under the warm climate of a tropical country like the Philippines, the paint apps of the figures would smear/smudge on each other. So I always made sure that all the figures will have spaces between them. That two weeks was also spent on planning as to how to display my action figure collections in a certain theme or grouping. I wanted my display to tell a story. I could have opted for a diorama like display but space constraints prevented me from doing such. What I opted to do instead is to present them in a way where there will be some sort of a cohesive theme. And the largest and most noticeable theme is that it's DC and Marvel all over again occupying the extreme opposite sides of the cabinet with Japanese and American pop culture icons standing in between them. Join me below as I take you a tour to my Toy Collection Display Cabinet.   

DC Direct, DCSH, and DCUC

Top Most Left Corner: Among all of my collections, hands down my favorite are the six inch ones from DC and Marvel. I put both of these on the extreme corners of my cabinet. The six inch DC action figures from Mattel's DCSH/DCUC and DC Direct/Collectibles occupies the top most left corner. They are separated into five layers with the top most layer housing an assortment of Super Villains of the DC Universe. Half of those are from Superman's Rogue Gallery while the other half are the main arch enemies of the other DC Superheroes. The second layer houses the Bat Family (Batman and his allies), Teen Titans/Young Justice, and Justice Society of America. For me it's a natural grouping for Batman to be standing side by side with the Teen Titans and Young Justice teams because Batman basically mentors Robin, the leader of the aforementioned teams. Justice Society of America (JSA) is also put on this layer because in the latter incarnations of the team in the comic books, the older JSA helped mentor the newer JSA members. The third layer meanwhile houses the Justice League of America (JLA) and the Green Lantern Corps (GL Corps). I put both of these teams together in one layer because majority of the GL Corps (the human ones that is) were also JLA members. Human Green Lanterns such as Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner were members of the Justice League in one time or another. The so called big seven (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter) of the JLA teams is also placed front and center. Martian Manhunter is partly covered because his role as one of the team's big seven diminished when the New 52 reboot happened. In fact, he was replaced entirely by Cyborg, a mainstay of the Teen Titans teams before the New 52 reboot. The fourth layer on the other hand displays the Superman family. As a huge Superman fan, I had to devote a special layer for my Superman collections. The fourth layer comprises the different Superman related characters as seen in the comic books. Prominently displayed on the left side are the Daily Planet staff while on the extreme right are the Reign of the Supermen characters that appeared after the Death of Superman. Of course you can also see two Supermen standing in front, the Classic costume and the New 52 costume. This helps transition into the last layer where I displayed an all exclusive Superman action figures that highlights some of the key incarnations of Superman by different artists or eras. In this layer, you could see the first appearance of Superman in the comic books down to the latest incarnation that he sports in the New 52 Universe. As of now, I'm trying to complete all of the DC Direct releases of Superman because I'm such a huge fan of DC Direct action figures that are artist centric. Noticeably missing here is the DC Direct Superfriends Superman, MAD Superman, and Dark Side Superman, among others. That wraps up the upper left corner of the shelf.    
  

Vintage DCs and Movie Masters

Lower Left Corner: The last layer of the top most shelf also transitions to the smaller scaled (five inch below) Superman action figure collections that I have which is housed in the first layer of the lower left corner of the shelf. The reason why I separated them from the six inch ones because basically they are vintage toys of the 80's to the 90's mixed with the more recent releases that were geared towards the kids. Among these are the more rare ones like fast food toys and other kiddie toys. This layer still has a lot more spaces left and I still might toy hunt on more Superman toys that would fit in this category. The second layer meanwhile houses the grittier DC Superhero Movies action figure collections. Prominently displayed in this layer are the action figure sets from Chris Nolan's Batman: Dark Knight Trilogy, Martin Campbell's Green Lantern, Bryan Singer's Superman Returns, WB's Smallville, Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, and Snyder's Watchmen. I also managed to sneak in a custom Christopher Reeve Superman in this layer. Since neither Mattel nor DC Direct had released a six inch version of Richard Donner's classic Superman movie, I took it upon myself to customize one. I'm also contemplating on completing the older Batman movies from Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher, but space constraints might prevent me from doing such. Moving on to the third layer, I opted to display the vintage Kenner/Hasbro Total Justice toy line from the 90's. I Absolutely love this toy line back when I was a kid because of the ultra sculpt detail it sports, way advanced during its time. It is also joined with other Kenner made DC action figures, namely the Man of Steel toy line. I also managed to sneak in a Justice League fast food toy collection set from Jollibee. This transitions to the fourth layer which houses the various animated incarnations of the Justice League in toy form. Of course on the center is the highly popular Vintage DC Super Powers toy line that were derived from the Super friends TV show. Displayed on the left most corner is the more recent Justice League Unlimited toy line which was derived from the highly successful Justice League animated series of the 2000s. This animated series in my opinion is the best animated series ever (yes it trumps Batman and X-Men the animated series). Joining them on the display is the Batman centric animated series that replaced the Justice League animated series. This Batman centric animated series is simply called The Batman and featured the Justice League in its last season. This animated series was also cancelled and replaced by a more kid friendly Batman centric animated series that involves a rotation of DC characters that served as Batman's guest stars. This newer animated series is called Batman the Brave and the Bold and I've made it a point to try to collect some key Justice League members that I could find in this toy line. Lastly, this layer is joined by the Young Justice animated series toy line, the most recent animated series from DC Comics. The last layer meanwhile houses the Masters of the Universe toy line and the Thundercats toy line. You might wonder what both of these toy lines had to do in a generally DC Comics part of the cabinet. Well, Masters of the Universe have been for the most part assigned by Mattel (the toy line's owner and current makers of DC Comics related action figures) to DC Comics for their resurgence in comic book form. Thundercats on the other hand in the mid 2000s was also assigned to Wildstorm comics (DC's sister company) when it came to producing comic books. So basically both of these properties were in one point or another a part of the DC Comics stable. I also decided to join both together because of their almost similar theme (sword wielding strongmen and both are 80s cartoon series). It does not help that when I was a kid, I always wondered who would win in a fight, He-Man from the Masters of the Universe or Lion-O from Thundercats. So merging them together in one shelf was only natural for me. This wraps up my left most corner of my display cabinet.

Hot Toys and Japanese live action series

Top Center Cabinet: I made use of the center cabinet to house the bigger action figures in my collections. By bigger I mean those who are scaled at 10 inch and higher. The top most layer of the center cabinet houses my one and only Hot Toys collection. And that Hot Toys is none other than the Christopher Reeve Superman. I have always been a fan of Superman ever since I saw the 1978 Superman movie which was starred by Christopher Reeve. Though Hot Toys are quite pricey for someone like me, I managed to turn a blind eye on its price just for this once. This is perhaps the holy grail in all of my collections. The Hot Toys Superman is joined by a cheaper 12 inch Superman Returns action figure/doll. I intentionally purchased this so that I could have him join the Hot Toys Superman since they are similarly scaled. Hidden at the back of this figure is my very first Superman toy that I owned since I was a kid. I also included in this layer the 10 inch version of the Justice League Unlimited Superman and a complimenting scaled Krypto the Superdog as well as the Kryptonian Battle Suit from the Kenner Man of Steel toy line. A Movie Masters Man of Steel Superman also stands there for the meantime as I contemplate if I should get a Hot Toys Henry Cavill Superman from the recent Man of Steel movie. The second layer on the other hand is devoted to Japanese pop culture icons such as Super Sentais (Power Rangers),  Rider series (Kamen Rider), Kaiju (Ultraman), Tokusatsu (Ryukendo/Shaider), and Mechas (Voltron) among others. Growing up, I've been a fan of Japanese live action series such as Bio-Man, Shaider, Ultraman, Power Rangers, and Kamen Rider. So I made it a point to collect some of the characters that I watched as a kid. I got them more for nostalgias sake.      

Anime and Basketball action figures

Lower Center Cabinet: The first layer of the lower center cabinet is a continuation of my Japanese pop culture related theme. This time, I focused on anime (Japanese for cartoons) like Dragon Ball. This is actually a work in progress layer as at this moment I temporarily displayed a Real Steel Rock em' Sock em' play set. I'm not quite a fan of anime except for Dragon Ball Z, Slam Dunk, and Samurai X. I'm a confessed Dragon Ball junkie and lately my toy hunting is spent mostly on completing the key Dragon Ball Z characters. Samurai X is also on my radar, I'm just waiting for a good deal to fall on my lap. The second layer is devoted to vintage Basketball figures from the Kenner Starting Line Up toy line and Space Jam. I'm a huge fan of Michael Jordan, and I have been collecting Michael Jordan memorabilia ranging from trading cards, shoes, to action figures. For the vintage basketball action figures, my focus was to collect all of Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls' main nemesis during their 6 championship title run. The bottom shelf meanwhile houses the more recent McFarlane NBA action figures. For this particular toy line, I focused on collecting Chicago Bulls action figures and the more recent NBA Superstars with championship titles such as Shaquille O' Neal and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat. I also collected some of the more popular NBA Superstars of the 90's like Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Charles Barkley among others. Basically the whole display cabinet is still a work in progress and I might change the contents over time. I'm still planning to collect a couple of Wrestling action figures that I might display here. I've also kept some of my Star Trek and Transformers action figures in storage while I'm still contemplating if I should put them in this display cabinet or if I should just sell them.  

Marvel Legends and Marvel Select

Top Most Right Corner: Since I'm a more outspoken DC fanboy, not many may have known that I'm also a keen follower of the Marvel Universe. And if my love for DC is well represented in 6 inch form through DCUC and DC Direct, my love for Marvel had brought me to collect their own 6 inch toy lines. Marvel's Marvel Legends and Marvel Select stands on the extreme right corner of my Display Cabinet. You could actually see from a distance that the extreme opposite corners of my Display Cabinet is devoted to two of these competing comic book companies. The first layer houses the Marvel Super Villains. I only cherry picked on the key arch enemies of the Marvel Superheroes and left out the more obscure ones. The second layer is devoted to the Fantastic Four and various Marvel Superheroes that are neither a member of the Avengers or the X-Men (except for multiple figures like Captain America, Iron Man, and Wolverine). Meanwhile, the third layer houses the Avengers. Majority of my Marvel collections are from the Toybiz Marvel Legends as I find them better compared to Hasbro's Marvel Legends. The last layer on the other hand houses the X-Men and their fellow mutants. And if you noticed, I chose to complete the X-Men movie versions first before going to the non movie characters. I've always hated Toybiz and Hasbro's uneven release. They are constantly releasing X-Men action figures sporting their costumes from different eras, eliminating the chances of having them displayed together with the same eras. The movie version at least gives the key X-Men characters a uniform look. So basically, I completed the X-Men movie action figure series first before venturing into the other characters that did not appear in the movie. So majority of the 6 inch X-Men action figure collection that I have does not actually represent the comic book versions. The comic book versions however will be represented in the lower corner.

Vintage Marvels, TMNT, and some G.I. Joes

Lower Right Corner: If I owned a number of vintage DC action figures from the 90's, I also own a number (albeit smaller) of vintage Marvel Superheroes action figures from the 90's. Though not as wide as DC's, I managed to collect a few vintage Marvel Superheroes from the 90's. The first layer houses the vintage 90's Avengers action figures, Sam Raimi's Spiderman movie trilogy, as well as the more recent kid friendly Avengers and Spiderman movie mighty battler toys. I opted these instead of the more pricey Marvel Legends movie action figures because these are great toys for my son because of their playability. When he's not playing with them, I usually store them in my display cabinet to balance my DC Superhero movies action figure collection. The second layer houses the vintage 90's X-Men action figure that I had since I was a kid. One can clearly see that I'm a huge X-Men fan because of the sheer number of these vintage X-Men toys that I managed to accumulate when I was still a kid. These toy line went into popularity right behind the strength of the 90's X-Men animated series, one of the best animated series of my time. So while my 6 inch X-Men collection are mostly the live action movie versions, these vintage ones represents the comic book versions. I think it's a good balance in my collection as I have both the movie and the comic book versions well represented in my display cabinet.  The third and fourth layer meanwhile houses the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT), one of my favorite toys when I was a kid. I'm a kid of the 90's, and I'm sure those who grew up in the 90's in one point or another owned a TMNT toy. The third layer houses the different versions of the TMNT. This ranges from the vintage TMNT, 2003 TMNT, CGI Movie TMNT, NECA Eastman and Laird TMNT, and the recent TMNT classics by Playmates. The fourth layer houses the allies and villains from the vintage TMNT toy line as well as the recent Nick Toons TMNT deluxe battle sound fx action figures. I opted for these battle sound figures in favor of the  basic ones because of its playability. My son enjoys all the noises that these Turtles (and Shredder) makes while he's playing with them. And finally, the last layer is an odd mix of Western and Eastern pop culture icons that I find very nostalgic. The left side is composed of the Western gun wielding action stars like the vintage Rambo action figures from Coleco and the 80's G.I. Joe cartoon series. On the right side, I displayed the Eastern Martial Arts action stars like Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee, and the cast of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I also included in this layer the vintage Street Fighter action figures that was produced by the makers of the G.I. Joe toy line. So basically, the front row is composed of the G.I. Joe scaled action figures like the G.I. Joes, Robocop, Rambo, A-Team, Indiana Jones, and the Street Fighters. While the back row is composed of the 7 to 8 inch action figures of Rambo and the Force of Freedom, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee. And as usual, all of my comic books are stored in the compartments below the showcase cabinet.

So this wraps up my blog entry for today. Hope you guys enjoyed the little tour that I gave. Will be reviewing all of my toy collections in this blog whenever I could find time. It just sank in to me just now that it feels daunting to remove all of these action figures from their display and one by one do a review on them. But we'll see. See you in my next entry.

Bootleg S.H. Figuarts Dragon Ball Z

I'm not much of an anime fan but I have always been a huge fan of Dragon Ball Z. I always enjoyed the fast pace action and the humorous stories that the Dragon Ball anime series always brought to our TV sets. I've got a couple of Dragon Ball action figure collections, mostly the Bandai Super Battle Collection and the Irwin Dragon Ball action figures. But that entry will be for another time. What I do want to share in this entry is one of the most fantastic bootleg toys that I've ever laid my hands on, the bootleg version of S.H. Figuarts' Dragon Ball Z action figures. The original version of this toy line is to date the best Dragon Ball action figure ever created. Stands at an average of 6 inch, this toy line is packed with extra head, hands, and accessories that makes them standout in your Dragon Ball toy collection. The action figures also boasts an assortment of articulation that rivals Hasbro's Marvel Legends and Mattel's DC Universe Classics. The bootleg versions however would sport lesser points of articulation. The bootleg version also comes with a couple of extra accessories, but not as complete as the original ones. Will be doing a figure by figure review below.

     Perfect Cell: Dragon Ball Z's main baddie.

The Perfect Cell bootleg action figure boasts nicely detailed sculpts. It's clear from here that the bootleggers made use of the original mold of this figure to come up with a bootleg version. The paint is also well applied that you wouldn't think that this is a bootleg action figure. This actually looks nice as a display piece if you are a Dragon Ball junkie who couldn't afford the more pricey authentic ones.

The Perfect Cell bootleg figure also comes with an extra face and hands that can be used alternately on the figure. This nice little gimmick for a bootleg action figure is really a nice touch as it tries to be more at par (in terms of playability) with the authentic ones.

The figure boasts an impressive points of articulation despite being a bootleg figure. It sports a ball jointed neck, swivel arms, hinged elbows, swivel wrists, ball jointed hips, double hinged knees, and ball jointed ankles. This is quite close to the original and too many for a bootleg action figure.

Piccolo: Namekian adversary turned ally

The bootleg Piccolo action figure also borrowed from the original mold. The details that can be found from the original can also be found here. Starting from the costume's creases down to the defined muscles of Piccolo. The figure had some minor paint slops though, which is natural for a bootleg action figure.

The Piccolo figure also comes with an alternate head and hands. The alternate head features his turban, the signature Piccolo headwear he uses in the anime series. His cape is also removable, giving it maximum playability for those who wants their Piccolo in his fighting form.

Piccolo without his cape

Piccolo's articulation is the same with that of the Perfect Cell figure. My complain for this figure is that its ankles are made of rubbery plastic. The weight of the figure deforms that weak rubbery plastic material in his ankle, making him hard to stand. I think the authentic ones are made with hard plastics. The bootleggers must have scrimped on the plastic material.

Vegeta: Saiyan Prince, Son Goku's former enemy turned ally

I think Vegeta is the weakest in this set. The paint used in painting his head is that of those cheap quality glossy paints used in most bootleg acton figures. The armor's paint is also very weak. These weak paint applications makes this Vegeta action figure look very much different from the authentic ones. You could easily surmise that this figure is a bootleg one. The exact original sculpt of the authentic one used for this figure could not even save this figure.

Vegeta also comes with an extra face and hands. It would have been nicer if we were given a non Super Saiyan extra head as the alternate one. It would have made this figure's playability more desirable.

Again, the articulation on this figure is pretty much the same with the other ones. His larger set of feet helps the displaying stability of the figure as compared to Piccolo's.

Trunks: Vegeta's son from the future

Trunks is one of my favorites in this set. His clean paint applications mirrors that of the original. The only problem with this figure is that it couldn't quite capture the minute details of the original's intricate sculpts, particularly on his belt and his sword. I'm not sure if those came from the original molds as both looks like they were just lazily sculpted on the figure.

Just like the Perfect Cell figure, Trunks also comes with an extra face and hands. But it would have been more cooler if we were given a Super Saiyan Trunks extra head instead. And also, a removable sword would have been a great addition to the figure.

Removable jacket but non removable sword

Trunks sports the same articulation with that of the others. He also shares the same problem with Piccolo in terms of its displaying stability. But nevertheless, it's one of the best figure in this set.

Son Gohan: Son Goku's son and Piccolo's apprentice

For those who are not familiar with Dragon Ball Z, you might be wondering why Son Gohan is garbed in Piccolo's signature suit instead of his father's. The reason for this is that Piccolo trained Gohan when Goku died. Again Gohan's sculpt is an exact carbon copy with that of the original. It even captures the intricate details of his suit's crease lines. The paint applications are also nicely done for a bootleg action figure. I think Gohan is my favorite in this set.

Gohan also comes with an extra face and hands. His cape is also removable, just like that of Piccolo's. I would have wanted a non Super Saiyan Gohan extra head as the alternate head for this figure, too bad the bootleggers didn't do that, but instead stuck with what the authentic one came with.

The removable cape helps Gohan maximize his articulation

Although Gohan also shares the same articulation with that of the others, there are some parts in his body that hampers the articulation. The hip articulation is restricted and his legs can't be moved upwards. Gohan also shares the same displaying stability problem with that of Piccolo. Something which shouldn't be too surprising considering they wear the same type of shoes.

Son Goku: The main protagonist of Dragon Ball Z

I could have easily said that this was the best action figure in this set, but unfortunately a painting error prevents me from treating it as such. Goku's shoulder shouldn't have been colored blue, as that color should have been painted on his upper biceps, signifying the sleeves of his inner shirt. But nevertheless, the sculpting remains faithful with that of the original. I also particularly like the detailed facial expressions which included some facial lines to give it a maximum expression. The face, I could say, looks exactly the same as the original ones.

Again, Goku comes with an extra face and hands. While both facial expressions are of my liking, I still would have preferred a non Super Saiyan Goku alternated head. That would have made this figure the best among this set. But I think Figuarts is releasing that non Super Saiyan Goku as a separate figure from this Super Saiyan version. The bootleggers I guess stuck with the Super Saiyan Goku release. Still not bad for a bootleg figure.

The articulation are the same with that of the others. Goku's larger boots also gives him better displaying stability compared to the others. Goku's facial expressions still are the best among this set. Should be one of the top two figures in this set.

P.S. These are not the Benda ones as the Benda ones are composed of a more hollow plastic. Benda's Goku looks better paint wise (the inner sleeves), but Benda's Trunks and Vegeta looks inferior compared to these ones. These came without boxes compared to the Benda ones.

My reaction to the just announced Superman/Batman movie

Photo by Jeffrey Velasquez

San Diego Comic Con 2013 just came and brought shock waves to the public when Zack Snyder announced that there would be a new Superman movie and Batman would be joining him. My initial reaction was that of disbelief. I can't believe that DC is bringing in Batman too early in the game. True that I was initially excited at the prospect of having a Superman/Batman movie going up against the Avengers movie sequel but deep inside my heart, as a Superman fan, this is an insult to Superman. I really wanted to enjoy a stand alone Superman movie before any involvement from Batman or the Justice League. Superman deserves that. At least for respect as a character in the sense that Superman can carry his own movie without any help from other superheroes. But this move by Warner reeks of as a business decision more than anything else. And I hate them for not giving Superman his due. They shouldn't rush things at this point because so far they have been doing great with their Man of Steel movie. This move leaves a bad taste in my mouth. And using a quote from Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns elseworlds story does not help as I believe this will only excite Batman fans because that story was the reason why Superman as a comic book character lost it's appeal. That story killed Superman's popularity and standing as DC Comics' number one Superhero.  But looking on the flip side of things, Batman had always played an essential role in Superman's life. And John Byrne's Modern Age Superman origin story even included Batman in one of the issues of that mini-series. So it's safe to say that Snyder and company stayed true to the course.

That said, here's a couple of Superman/Batman stories that they can draw inspiration from.

Man of Steel no. 3

The Man of Steel Mini Series
In John Byrne's Modern Age Superman reboot, he devotes an issue where Superman first met Batman and both had a feeling of distrust towards each other. They were pitted against a petty criminal named Magpie. Though Superman disagrees with Batman's methods, he readily accepts Batman's intentions despite his reservations. This establishes the relationship dynamics between Superman and Batman. You can check out my entry for Byrne's Superman here.

Will this work for the proposed movie?
The Man of Steel Mini-series basically rewrote Superman's origin story. And what made this one of the best origin stories out there is how they were able to present brief but concise events in Superman's life as they prepared him for his modern adventures. In the 6 part mini-series, they were able to touch upon Krypton, Smallville, Batman, Metropolis, Luthor, Bizarro, and Superman's Kryptonian heritage. The Man of Steel movie had already basically covered Krypton, Smallville, and Superman's Kryptonian heritage. Bringing in Batman for the sequel treads faithfully with Byrne's origin story. And Batman's appearance wasn't that significant besides establishing an early encounter with Superman. Luthor still remained the main villain in this mini-series. DC should stick with this or if they can't, they should initially put Batman as Luthor's ally and give us a Superman/Batman showdown to whet the fanboys' appetite. Batman as a Villain and as an ally towards the end sounds exciting. But they should not forget that this still is a Superman movie.

Dark Knight over Metropolis trilogy

Dark Knight over Metropolis
Superman and Batman's friendship went on to the next level when Superman finally entrusted his life to Batman. In the Dark Knight over Metropolis story arc, Superman teams up with Batman to solve the mystery of who was out to discover Superman's secret identity. The story concludes with Superman entrusting Batman Luthor's Kryptonite ring, telling him that he is the only person he could trust. And knows that Batman would do the right thing when a situation calls for Batman to use the ring. You can read the rest of the story here.

Will this work for the proposed movie?
This story arc can fit perfectly well as a part of a whole. The producers can choose key elements in this story where they can use it for the movie's best interest. In the movie Man of Steel, we have seen Superman go out of control and snapped Zod's neck, killing him instantly. This scene is a very good tool for the sequel where Luthor can utilize to his advantage, by making the people fear the alien Superman's unstoppable powers. Naturally Wayne Enterprise and Lex Corp should do something about this alien invasion. So a Batman/Luthor team up to combat Superman should be an interesting story direction. And what better way to end it by having Superman and Batman start a friendship once they unmask Luthor's evil plans.

Superman Batman Public Enemies

Superman/Batman Public Enemies
This story arc gives us a Superman and Batman who have already been friends for years. They team up against Lex Luthor who frames Superman for an impending Kryptonite meteor shower that is headed towards Earth.  Superman and Batman also went up against an assortment of Superheroes that Luthor organized to bring Superman and Batman in. This story arc to this day is still considered as one of (if not) the best Superman/Batman team up stories out there. You can read the full story here.

Will this work for the proposed movie?
As a whole, no. Superman and Batman's friendship had already been established by the time this story was written. So a complete adaptation will look awkward. Besides there was already an animated movie based on this story line. However, they can very much adopt some elements in this mini-series, especially Luthor's ingenious plot of framing Superman. Superman's dangerous nature was already established in the first movie. So it's going to be so easy to substitute the Kryptonite Meteor with that of the footage where Superman snaps General Zod's neck.

Superman v.s. Batman all over again?

There are actually more stories to choose from, but those that I mentioned above can be written all in together in a way to come up with a new storyline. But there is only one direction moving forward. There is no way that this is going to be a Superman film with Batman on it. Because for sure the direction that they would be taking would be a team up movie. My only hope is that DC rectify things. They owe it to all the Superman fans that they had just screwed with this decision. And how do they do it? Personally DC should correct things once and for all by establishing a Superman v.s. Batman showdown where Superman wins. They can't do a Dark Knight Returns inspired movie and not risk of destroying Superman forever. They have to bring that respect back. And with this announced team up movie, they have the opportunity to do just that. As stated in the few posts above, they should establish Batman as a villain, as Luthor's partner in going up against Superman. Superman should beat Batman but refrains from killing him, showing the humans that he has complete control of his powers and has a moral code to live by. By not killing Batman, this gives the people hope that Superman is not to be feared upon. And Superman entrusting Batman a piece of Kryptonite should speak volumes about how Superman trusts the human race through Batman. But really, despite thinking about the opportunity for this to become a very good action packed movie (imagine the potential of seeing one of the greatest Superhero fights ever), I'm still saddened by the fact that Superman won't be having a stand alone movie as a sequel. And if Warner/DC does put it in a way that Superman or Batman is superior to the other, they are going to lose fans. They will certainly alienate the fan bases of both characters. By doing this, they are writing themselves to a corner. It is still too early in the game for Warner to release a team up movie. I'm still hoping that they change their mind and bring in Batman in a cameo role. Or else, this could probably spell the death of their planned DC Cinematic Universe 

Spotted: Bootleg Mattel Movie Masters Man of Steel

I did not see this coming, but with the recent craze over Man of Steel, it was likely a sure shot that bootlegged toys of the Man of Steel action figures would hit the flea markets. When Marvel's Avengers became a big hit, bootlegged toys of the Avengers flooded the Market. I purchased a set of that just to see the workmanship of the bootlegged toys. My entry about that can be viewed here. When Iron Man 3 was released, there were also tons of bootlegged action figures based from the molds of the Iron Man 3 toy line. I skipped that though. As for Man of Steel, all I have now are stock photos of the bootlegged figures courtesy of Jeffrey Velasquez. But I will be doing a proper review of these once I get my hands on them.

Bootlegged Movie Masters Man of Steel Superman

Front

Back

The Authentic Movie Masters Man of Steel Superman

The photos of the Bootlegged Superman figure gives us brighter colors of the Man of Steel Superman costume. Personally, they look good as they closely resemble the comic book colors of Superman's costume. But I highly doubt if those colors would fit with the Man of Steel movie's direction. Man of Steel gave us a Superman in a much darker world, the movie's costume's color tone complemented that world nicely. I believe the bootlegged Superman figure also comes with lesser points of articulation. Recent bootlegged toys like that of the Avengers featured almost an exact mold of the original figure they patterned it from but lesser in articulation. As seen from the photo above, the bootlegged one does not feature ankle joints. And I highly suspect that the shoulders and hips articulation would be moved sideways. Bootleggers usually replaces them with a more traditional swivel articulation. I also think that the bootlegged one won't be having any swivel wrists, swivel biceps, and swivel thighs. I would be doing a more proper review of the figures once I get my hands on them though. Most probably side by side with the originals. As for my Action Figure review of the Original Movie Masters Man of Steel Superman, you can view it here.    

 Bootlegged Movie Masters Man of Steel Black Suit Superman

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Press photo of the Black Suit Superman

In the Man of Steel Movie, there was a dream sequence where Superman wore an almost similar black suit with that of General Zod as Zod was trying to convince Superman to join him in recreating Krypton on Earth. Mattel initially had denied that there was a variant Movie Masters Man of Steel Superman action figure featuring Superman in a black suit with red heat vision eyes. But just recently, Mattel made this variant available through their website. But of course the bootleggers beat them to it by releasing their own version as pictured above. Whoever was the brains behind these bootlegged Man of Steel figures, I've got to commend them for their creativity in milking the potential for repaints (something that Mattel is also giving us as a fourth variation of the figure) Mattel has already released four variation of the Superman figure, with the first two differentiating on the accessories department (the second release came with a Kryptonian Command Key), while the third one came as an SDCC exclusive as a two pack with Zod and featured a cloth cape and a light up heat vision. The fourth (and I hope the final variation) is a straight repaint of the original figure but comes with a new head sculpt. If I'm not mistaken, the head sculpt features an evil look and red eyes. The bootlegged one on the other hand reuses the same head sculpt of that of the original one and gave him red eyes. I have an inkling that the bootlegged one would have a light up eyes gimmick as bootlegged toys always had this trademark light up gimmick. I could be wrong though but the bootleggers better not mess up the potential of this bootlegged version of the black suit Superman.          

Bootlegged Movie Masters Man of Steel General Zod

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Press Photo of the Movie Masters General Zod

I skipped on getting the Movie Masters Man of Steel Non-Armored General Zod when I found out that there would be an Armored General Zod action figure up for release in Wave 2. To this day, I still held on my pockets and not purchase one because I think the figure is too bland for it's price. And like Superman, Zod also came in four variants with the first one being the blandest. The second variant came with a shackles accessory and featured a scar on Zod's face. The third one was the armored version (reviewed here) and the final one being the one in the SDCC two pack that featured the armored Zod's head sculpt on the armor less body. The bootlegged one on the other hand is a fail as it uses Superman's body bearing Zod's head. The bootleggers must have missed Zod's insignia and thought that since the bodies are made of the same mold, they must have been one and the same. So it ends up being brilliant in a crazy kind of way as this bootlegged Zod would mean that he is a part of Jor El and Superman's family because of the House of El symbol on his chest. Also, upon closer look at the head sculpt, the bootleggers also might have made use of the head sculpt that had a scar. I'll try to verify this once I get may hands on these figures. I believe these bootlegged figures will be a great fodder for customizers. There were remarks from Marvel fans that the Movie Masters Superman action figure's head sculpt (Superman star Henry Cavill) had an uncanny resemblance to Mark Ruffalo, who played Dr Bruce Banner/Hulk in the Avengers Movie. So it's safe to expect that Bruce Banner customs will come aplenty once these bootlegged Superman action figures hits the flea markets.          

My Movie Masters Man of Steel collection thus far

Nothing still beats the originals though. But these bootleg action figures are a quirky way to explore how far a popularity of a toy line gets you.

DC Collectibles: New 52 Superman

DC Collectibles New 52 Superman

Since the Man of Steel had hit theaters, a lot of mainstream audiences where quite at a lost as to why Superman had ditched his red trunks. Well, since the latter part of 2011, DC rebooted their universe and a new Superman emerged, younger, brasher, and without the classic Red Trunks. Read on for more of this development

New 52 Superman

In the latter part of 2011, DC Comics decided to reboot their universe and give it's heroes a fresh take. Fans were divided in reaction to DC's bold move. DC also stated that Batman and Green Lantern (the top selling comic books they had at that time) were not part of the reboot, and would just have their story continue to the new universe. Unfortunately, Superman became a casualty with this move as DC decided it was time to reboot Superman for the new generation. At that time, DC was also in a legal battle against the heirs of Superman's creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster for the rights of the Superman character. Many Superman fans took the reboot as a reaction to that pending legal rights case, with DC crafting their own new Superman origin and even coming up with their own Action Comics no. 1. This New 52 Superman (along with the other major Justice League members) would have a new First Appearance in their character bios, stating that they all first appeared in Justice League No. 1. The Superman books (Action Comics and Superman) would also get new creative teams, with Grant Morrison and Rags Morales on Action Comics (more on this later), and George Perez on Superman, with both books being labeled as first issues. This move broke my heart as MY Superman (Modern Age, Byrne to the last Pre New 52 Superman story) bowed out from the main DC Universe continuity. I vowed then not to purchase the New 52 books until DC give proper respect to MY Superman by giving him a proper send off ala Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow (The Bronze Age send off for Superman, giving way to the Modern Age Superman). Almost two years forward, I finally broke that vow by purchasing the second story arc of the Superman book only because Dan Jurgens was taking over the title. Jurgens as I've stated before is my favorite Superman writer/artist as I got into Superman comics because of him. I will be tackling more on that Dan Jurgens run in a future entry. For this particular Superman action figure however, DC Collectibles based this action figure from the art of Jim Lee.    

Justice League We can be heroes Box Set Superman

The Action Figure: I already did a previous review of this action figure when I reviewed him together with the other Justice League members that he came along with in the We Can Be Heroes Box Set. For this entry, I will however share a review of the DC Collectibles New 52 Superman single pack done by fellow Superman Homepage contributor Chris Meaux. His review can be viewed in this link http://www.supermanhomepage.com/other/action-figure-reviews/action-figure-reviews.php?topic=new52sup. I would like to highlight however that the box set Superman and the singles Superman does not share the same head sculpt, making this Box set a variant of the singles one that was released. This action figure is supposed to have been based on the art of Jim Lee but I can't quite figure out which of the two got Jim Lee's Superman facial art. I don't know what seems to be the problem with DC Direct/Collectibles sculptors as they can't seem to perfect their Jim Lee head sculpt. The last Jim Lee action figure that we had also suffered the same problem. Take a peek of that in this link. I skipped on the singles one as I've decided to only hold on to one DC Collectibles Superman action figure and instead spend for Mattel's New 52 Superman. Maybe down the line I might also get that singles released one. But for now I'm still kinda holding back on getting more New 52 Superman action figures and multiply it's numbers on my Superman toy collections. I don't want them to outnumber the classic costumed ones. To this day this Superman figure from DC Direct still stands as the centerpiece of my Superman collection. But as they say, never say never.

Jim Lee?

Back view with the Black S Shield

Wildstorm's Helspont makes an appearance in Dan Jurgen's book

Superman v.s. Helspont

New 52 Batman and Superman

Action Comic Volume 1

Defining comic book in my collection featuring this figure: Though this Superman figure was based from Jim Lee's Justice League Superman art, the so called first appearance of Superman. I did say that I wanted no part of this New 52 reboot. So I skipped Justice League No.1 and the rest of its issues. I however picked up Action Comics no.1 for the sake of "collectability". And also, I always had this love-hate relationship with Grant Morrison's works. I don't know why I'm always seemed drawn to his works despite the fact that his writing style are just too weird for my tastes. I patiently completed his entire New X-Men run, labored on his DC One Million experiment, got my brains twist and turned in his Final Crisis epic, and despite being impressed by his All-Star Superman run, I had mixed emotions on that, as for me it was one of the most inspirational and at the same time one of the most saddest Superman stories ever told. That said, I was planning on getting the Hardcover compilation of Morrison's first story arc, and as I was contemplating on getting the book, my sister in law gifted me one for my birthday. So I guess I was still able to keep my promise of not purchasing a New 52 book (wink wink). But joking aside, I'm driven to complete Morrison's entire run as I remember Morrison once said that all of his Superman works features the same character and continuity. So this New 52 Superman of his, which is set during the New 52 Superman's early years and first public appearance, can be a good supplement to his All-Star Superman. And if I may say, All-Star Superman's origin story. Action Comics Vol. 1 is an origin story that explores Superman's first appearance to the public and how the public reacted to this powerful alien life form. It also deals with Superman's first public battles against the super powered kind, like Metallo and Brainiac. It also briefly touches about the Planet Krypton's origins as well as Superman's early life in Smallville. Morrison's Superman created an uproar among the fans as Morrison wrote him to be more brasher, unpolished, and wild. Which actually harkens back to Superman's first appearance in the original Action Comics no. 1. Morrison made this so because Superman at this stage is younger, and alone. No Ma and Pa Kent to guide him at this stage in this new incarnation. So basically, Superman deals all of his problems and superheroing alone. Superman also no longer wears the red trunks, as we only see him in the initial few issues sporting a Superman T-Shirt and jeans. In the latter part of the book however, Superman finally dons his New 52 costume. The infamous no more red trunks costume. Thus the New 52 Superman's adventure begins.      

New 52 Superman, is he here to stay?

Well that's my thoughts on the New 52 Superman. So far I still have one more New 52 Superman figure on hand up for review, the Mattel DC Comics Unlimited New 52 Superman. But I might be skipping him for the next review since I still haven't taken enough photos of him as he is still somewhere stuck in one of the containers for my house moving. But before I end this entry, I feel the need to write a parting shot for DC Comics. I mean, I can accept this New 52 Superman. Really. But DC has to give the Modern Age Superman a better ending if they indeed have finally decided to shut him down. No, Reign of Doomsday does not cut it. Nor was Grounded. Those stories felt rush. And it lacked the drama and a powerful story of the Modern Age Superman's last days. Though DC is kinda reviving the Modern Age Superman with their digital first comics entitled The Adventures of Superman. But I still would prefer if they just instead give us a "The Last Modern Age Superman Story" and give that Modern Age Superman a proper send off in order not to confuse people. I don't care if they utilize The Adventures of Superman for that. DC can't always try to please both fan base. They eventually have to choose one. And if they are going with this New 52 version, then they better give the Modern Age Superman a proper ending. So what are my thoughts on a possible ending? Well Superman has to die. Superman has to fulfill that promise that the Earth people will be able to rally themselves and become a better race. Or, how about DC doing a Crisis on Infinite Earths style DC Universe spanning event. Not the lame Flashpoint excuse. I would very much like to see the DC Superheroes going up against an evil threat, fighting for their lives, and on the last panel they go through a white light, erasing the old universe and there emerge the New 52 Universe. Yeah, something like that. If DC could only grant me this simple request, then welcoming the New 52 Universe with open arms would have been easier to do.