The Chase Variant Christmas Stocking!

What a Christmas it has been!  Chase Variant (aka me) didn't get lots of toys this year, but what I did get was awesome.  Quality over quantity, I always say (when I get less toys for X'mas).  So what did I receive from Santa in 2010?

Nothing.

Told you he's awesome! :P

But I did get a Masterpiece Black Optimus Prime from my wife! Thanks Dear, you're the best! :D

Thanks, Bro!

And I got me a Henkei Transformers Animated Voyager Class Black Out from the Rangerlord, all the way from Japan!

And just for good measure, he threw in a DC Superheroes Scarecrow!  Awesomeness!

Now how will I be able to open and review all these on top of the swag I got from the Singapore Toys, Games, and Comics Convention?  How?  How?

I'll also be away for the next two weeks for my much delayed Honeymoon in New Zealand.  Once I get there, I'll have no chance whatsoever to take pictures of toys.  (Photo studio's at home, see?)  I'll also be checking out whatever toy joints they might have and adding to the review backlog!!!  What terrible problems I have, eh?

Anyways, hope all of you had a great Christmas with all the toys you can have and then some.  here's also wishing you only the best for the New Year ahead!

Cheers
-Ewan

(P.s-Don't forget to check out the last review of 2010 on Chase Variant: Transformers Challenge at Cybertron 3-Pack!)

DC Superheroes Parasite!

There's nothing more this guy loves to do than suck at the sunny, juicy taste of Superman's god-like powers.  Indeed, he was one of the bad guys that keep returning to torment Superman in whichever version of the Kryptonian's universe--All-Star Superman, Kingdom Come, Red Son, the Animated Series of the 90s--you name it, he always presents a threat to Supes and is one of the few baddies who can kill the Big Blue Boy Scout out right with his powers.


Truth be told, I find the Parasite intriguing not just because of his power, but also because of his psychotic character and his avaricious appetite for sucking power and life-force out of things.  In essence, he's like a rabid drig-addict and because he's tasted Kryptonian power once, he's not going to be sated by anything less.

But where the Animated Series made him look like the standard animated big-guy-in-a-costume, this version is awful scary.  He looks like leech, has red gums and sharp teeth, and also has monstrously large and over-developed neck and back muscles--all the better to suck you with, Superman!  *Shudder*

Since this character appeared in the now defunct DC Superheroes line which focused on Supes and Batman along with their more popular enemies, we're unlikely to see him in DC Universe Classics anytime soon I guess, because he's not that popular or (correct me if I'm wrong) hasn't featured prominently in any major story arcs recently.  But there's always a chance that he might emerge as a 2-pack re-release, since we've seen many of the great sculpts from DCSH like Power Armor Luthor, Supergirl, and Man Bat make it back into the fold.  But I've been waiting on this sucker (see what I did there? :P) for too long and thanks to the  Rangerlord, I've managed to get him for cheap.

So how good is the Parasite at latching on and sucking popularity from the current hotness that is DCUC?

Click to find out!

Like: He's got an absolutely fantastically swollen neck and upper torso, and super scary head.  There's nothing like a unique sculpt and Parasite is full of it in this areas.  Though he looks like a regular guy in the Animated series and is eerily scary, I love this monstrous look better because the fearsome neck muscles kinda make you feel like if he ever sank his teeth into you, he'd never let go until he sucked you dry.  In fact, he's so powerfully built in the upper body that it looks like a giant tick swollen full of blood--except there's no squishing this guy!

Like: His head deserves special mention too because of the fierce yellow eyes, the thick red lips and the double row of white teeth.  The head is purple and swollen like a big bruise atop the powerful torso and I like that while it may look like a small grape, it contrasts well with the big lips and mouth, the sharp teeth, and the humongous body and arms.  It's like his head is there for one purpose only: to suck, suck and suck!

Like: His arms.  Because they're larger than the standard DCSH or DCUC size and reach down past his knees.  It makes sense because he's gotta hold on tight while he feasts on his superhero buffet.  His hands are also larger than usual and have 4 fingers to lend to his monster-like appearance.

Like: His lower torso and legs are standard DCSH/UC fare, but his feet each only have 2 toes, so that's pretty unique and inhuman as well.

Like: Great articulation on a big figure.  He's the size of DCSH Bizarro so he's not quite as tall as a fully stretched out Man Bat.  Yet he's still got the full articulation of the regular sized figures on the DCSH/UC line.  He's even got rocker ankles.  Yes, rocker ankles!

Dislike: The white paint is sloppy in some areas, with flaking off, blurry lines, as well as being too thin in some areas.  It's not a shocker, but it is a pity because the lines off his costume are sculpted into the figure and lend a real sense of texture to him, which unfortunately, is lost with the sloppy paint application.

Dislike: Head is almost only a swivel because of the engorged neck.  It does retain some of the ball-jointed qualities but only slight.  I was happy when I discovered he could look from side to side without swiveling his head--it's a combination of the angle his head attaches to his body as well as the slight ball articulation retained.

RATINGS

Aesthetics: 7.5 - A brilliant and unique sculpt which is let down by poor white paint.  The dark wash they used to deepen his muscle tone and the apps on his lips, teeth and eyes are excellent, but the color that stands out most is the white.  And it's in the white that there's a distinct lack of sharpness.  Unfortunately, you won't notice how great he looks until you get past the flaws and get a closer look.

Poseability: 8/10 - Some great stuff here despite the restriction of the neck ball-joint.  This guy already looks scary just standing there but with the amount of motion you can get out of his points of articulation, he can achieve some really great poses.  Especially in the upper body, where he's got longer limbs, a large back, and a narrow chest, he quite easily gets into grabbing poses.  But equally, if you need him to open up and lash out, he'll do it looking really terribly fearsome and rangy.


Fun: 9/10 - Parasite is the one villain you do not want to tell to "go suck it."  With the way his super powers work and his avaricious character, he's set up perfectly set up to suck, suck, and suck.  And what's more fun than absorbing life/energy/super powers through the very physical act of biting and consuming? (I just described the way I eat my lunch every day.)  It's kinda like how people like to watch vampire movies or read the books or dress up like them during Halloween or role play them.  The Parasite is hardly any different, except he's probably the only guy who can do this to Superman the way no vampire could.

Value: 7/10 - I've been dying to get Parasite for a while now--he's ben out of production but has popped up now and again in Singapore and in the East Asian region.  Thing is, those who have him for sale here have prices marked way up, while he's been sitting on shelves in Malaysia for some time now without going on clearance.  Thanks to the Rangerlord, who travels frequently on "ranging expeditions," I managed to wait until Parasite's price dropped to S$18 (US$12.86) before picking him up.  That's about half the current retail on DCUC figures.

Is he worth even half of retail?  For sure he is.  Parasite's larger than usual and has arms, hands, a upper torso, and a headthat's unique to this figure.  He does come with a hard cardboard figure display, which is neat the first time around, but pretty blah after you realize the other figures get the same thing except for a name change on the bottom.  A figure stand, even a plain one, would've served better.  And of course, if he had an accessory, like maybe some power absorption electrical effects (I can dream, can't I ;P), the value would have been much improved.

Overall: 8/10 - I just love this guy!  Superheroes are great but without their villainous counterparts it makes for a lot less fun, especially when posing for action scenes.  Usually, there are not many villains who can come within touching distance of a real powerful superhero like Superman.  But the Parasite is one of those who can and actually will present huge problems to the Man of Steel.

Furthermore, character and super powers aside, our Purple Power-sucker here is has a great unique sculpt, looks real scary and dangerous, and is really poseable!  Putting him next to the likes of Man Bat and Bizarro in my toy cabinet display really makes for a fearsome sight.  So get him if you can because he'll fit right in next to your highly poseable menagerie of DCUC nasties!

DC Universe Classics Captain Atom

I think it speaks volumes when we look at a toy from from an older wave in a line or series we like and think that it's better than the newer stuff.  Well, Captain Atom from Wave 4 is just like that.

In fact, the loose one I got from my constant hunting companion, the Rangerlord, is probably a factory reject from China--And it's still better than whatever you can get from the current waves now (like 9 through 11.  I haven't had the chance to crack open my Mary Marvel from Wave 12 yet. ;])

Yes, the newer waves offer better paint and sculpts, while also ensuring the quality control is there for packaged figures.  And this old dude does have his paint issues and joint problems, but he does have his upsides compared to the newer figures.

Just what might they be, you ask?  Well click on the link to make the jump!

Like: First thing's first: his head has a full range of motion.  I mean full.  Like looking up, down, left, right--this guy beats the pants off any of the new "swivel" heads.


Dislike: That he's practically a bobblehead because the neck joint is soooo loose.  That's easily remedied with nail polish after removing his head, so no biggie.

Like: His silver paint.  It's pretty consistent all over his body and his head.  The yellow paint and black outline for his eyes are pretty nice.

Dislike: That it's flaked off at the shoulder hinges.  Also, his left shoulder looks like it's lost a sizable chunk/slice off the top, like the arms have been raised too high and the shoulder got sloughed off as it went into the torso.  Good thing I guess is the increased range of motion? The bad thing is that he literally has a huge chip on his shoulder. Har.

Like:  His general articulation, especially the chest hinge, which is not too tight nor too loose and has great range.  But I guess I'm digging it only because it's been a while since I've played with and reviewed a DCUC figure.

Dislike:  The red paint used for his gloves and the off-centredness of his chest symbol.  The gloves look a tad faded, as if they used the wrong shade of paint for 'em.  These, along with the bobble headed-ness, could be why the figure didn't make it past QC.

RATINGS

Aesthetics: 6/10 - I also forgot to mention his head sculpt, which is a repaint of mullet Superman's head with the hair chopped off.  The hair's simply too long and wavy for a captain in the US Army.  On the other and, the colours are right despite the gloves being a little faded, and chest symbol being off centre slightly.

Poseability: 8/10 - The fantastic range of the head and the chest pivot allow for flying poses.  Along with the standard 23 points of articulation that work the way they are supposed to, it adds up to an easily poseable figure.

Fun: 8/10 - Flying characters are always fun because they add a whole repertoire of poses that a grounded character wouldn't otherwise have. The good Captain here also fires energy bolts from his hands so he'll be a fun guy to make comics with.  He'll also look great alongside Major Force and the rest of the DCUC Public Enemies figures.

Value: 7/10 - I got him real cheap, like around S$12 (US$ 8.50), I think.  That more than S$20 off retail here.  Even with the amount of flaws he has and the touch ups I'll need to do if I want him looking spiffy, I thin he's not bad value for money.  If only he also cam with some accessories, an energy bolt, anything!

Overall: 7.25/10 - I would've really preferred a square top or shorter haircut for Cap Atom, but he's the only version in 6" scale we've got right now, so I'll deal.  I like this figure enough that I'm willing to try and fix him up better.  If you're looking for a solid figure to add to your collection from the older waves, someone who also has a pretty distinct character (who can forget that fight he had with Superman in Cadmus in JLU Animated?), then you could go for Captain Atom here.  He should be reasonably cheap, especially when loose, and has lots of play value despite the lack of accessories.

Two Face, Zero Weapons, Gotham City 5-Pack

I guess that's the only problem with DC Universe Gotham City 5-pack Two Face--he needs accessories.  And it doesn't even have to be his trademark tommy gun.  Give him a coin, give him a knife, give him a cigar, give him anything, and give us a break, Mattel!  Something's wrong when the set comes with five figures and only one has an accessory (Catwoman and her whip).

Seriously, for the S$140-150 we're being asked to fork over (works out to about S$30/US$21.40) a fig), is it too much to ask that the figures that need accessories get them?  Batman needs a batarang, Luthor needs some kryptonite or ray gun, Catwoman has her whip, and Two Face should get his tommy gun like in the DCSH release from 2007 (of which he's a repaint of).  Superman doesn't need anything and I'm sure if they didn't give him an accessory it wouldn't be a big deal.  But say Supes came with a Phantom Zone Projector or even one of Mattel's new-fangled flight stands, I'm sure lots more people would grab this 5-pack, myself included.

Well as it happened, I instead chose to try and get the 2 figures I wanted (Catwoman's the other) from the pack, hopefully loose, and be done with this set.  The best part is that no one wants ol' Harvey, really, so I only had to pay S$12 (US$8.59, shipping included) for him.  So even if he doesn't have a gun/coin/whateva, he's still a steal.

So how does stand on his own, especially when compared to the previous DCSH version (which I don't have)?

First off I'd like to say that this is an odd figure.  When I first saw this version of him it was an automatic "The DCSH version has a better colour scheme, so I'd rather hunt for that one".  Well, I still think the 2007 version does have better colours, but mainly because DCSH Harv is quite classic: two colour scheme except for the scarring, with the black and white representing the two halves of Harvey's split personality.

But the more I look and the 5-pack Two Face, the more I find little things that grow on me.  There are still things that I prefer on old Harv, but hey, he retails for $US75 on Amazon and no one's really gonna pay that much for a single carded figure (I hope).

So here's what I Like:  His evil half has a groovy colour scheme.  What goes best with his green skin?  His purple suit, of course.  Just ask the Hulk. :)  If you were to imagine evil half Two Face as a complete figure, he'd look pretty awesome.  But then you wouldn't be able to convinve anyone that he's Harvey Dent and you'd have to settle for saying he's the Toxic Crusader's granddad.  (Heh, at least that dude comes with a mop and a bunch of other accessories)  He may even be mistaken as Evil Mutated Doc Brown from the Future.

Like: The lines on his jacket are clear and unbroken, but they ain't on his pants.  It the same deal for DCSH Two Face and DCUC Wave 9 Joker.  But what lines they've done, they've done well.

Like: The detail of his scarred face and his hand.  It really looks like he's been boiled/scarred/mutated.  A really top class job done by the Four Horseman.  I also really like that they painted his eye-ehites and well as giving him regular gums and white teeth.  Just look at what his DCSH form had!  Yup, magenta eyes, gums and teeth!

Dislike: The suit colour of his human half.  Why orange?  That ceratinly doesn't complement the purple of his suit.  And which half-decent lawyer would wear an orange suit?  I guess you could explain this away as Two Face being more than a little spotty after his accident and multiple run-ins with Batman, but even then, one half of him will always be the old District Attorney Harvey Dent and the other one of Bats' greatest nemeses.  So I don't buy the orange.  I guess it sorta goes with his green mottled skin, but just barely.

Dislike: No accessories is a pain.  Even a stand would have been good.  Really.

Dislike: The paint on his human half of his face is sloppy.  A mispainted eyebrow, sideburns spilling into his ears.  And it also looks like they got lazy with the shirt and tie.  The DCSH version had a black and white halved tie, while his collar and shirt were also opposing colours.  What do we get for the 5-pack version?

Just a white shirt and black tie.  It's not a huge thing, and I'm nitpicking surely, but if you're gonna repaint a figure, wouldn't you at least make sure it matched up to or exceeded its predecessor?  The shirt/tie combo simply isn't eye-catching.  If Mattel had doen a purle/orange reverse, or even simply a black white reverse like the older figure, it would impriove the figure drastically.  Ah, well.  Maybe Two Face will becaome my first attempt at repainting an action figure. ;)

RATINGS

Aesthetics: 8.5/10 - It's a great sculpt, it is. But while I like the purple and green, I just can't get past the orange.  Two Face also loses points for poor paint on his face, which is most distinctive feature.  He is, after all, Two Face!

Poseability: 9/10 - He's not as poseable as your standard DCUC figure because he's missing an ab crunch and a waist swivel.  It also doesn't help that he's got nothing to pose with other than his two gun-holding-shaped hands. 

Fun: 8/10 - Despite his obvious shortcomings, he's still good to have just to round out my Batman Rogues Gallery.  It would be easy to increase his score here--just find him a machine gun he can hold, better yet, a tommy gun.  The other option would be to get him a coin.  I'm sure I'll be able to find something for him down the road so he can finally make his trademark coin-flip decisions.

Value: 9/10 - For the amount I got him, I can't really mark him down in this category.  But as part of a 5-pack where only Lex Luthor has new sculpted parts, he might not be that worth it.  Also, his bieng the only currently available Two-Face makes him a must-have for people who don't have him and want to get him.

Overall: 8.65/10 - 9 is my usual mark of a good toy, so Two Face is average.  Granted, I rearely give a bad rating, but then again I rarely buy stuff I don't want in the first place. :)

Cat's Outta the Bag!

Look what the cat dragged in!  Er, or rather the cat..er...um...yeah, it's DC Universe Classics Gotham Universe 5-pack Catwoman!

If you missed the boat to get the DC Superheroes black suit version way back when (and chances are you, like me, probably did) or you don't want to fork out a fortune for te DCSH version, then you'd really want to get this figure!

The problem then is what to do with your 17th Superman, 25th Batman, '60s Flash Gordon suit Lex Luthor (aka Danger Disco Dancer Lex), and Two-Face (but zero accesories).  In fact Catwoman is the only one of the five that comes with an accessory--her whip!

Indeed, some of you may like skin-tight-purple-shirt-starched-collar Luthor, and some (like me) will want a Two-Face to round out Bats' rogues gallery.  So what to do but turn to Ebay?  And that's where I found this gem along with half-orange-suit-half-Green-Goblin-Doc-Brown Harvey Dent (Review to come!)

But she didn't come cheap, at least far as DCUC figures and Cat Burglars go....

The Walmart Exclusive DCUC Gotham City 5-Pack (6-inch) sells for S$140 (US$100) here in specialty stores that bring it in.  Now when you break that down it works out to be S$28 (US$20) a fig, which is about S$7 less than retail.  Definitely reasonable except for the two deal-breakers--Superman and Batman, considering they're not new figures and you're never really gonna be able to sell them to anyone else. (You're better of donating it to charity or giving it to lil' nephews and nieces who probably prefer Ben10 anyway.)

So 140 buckaroos for 3 figures? That's waaaaay too much for me.

So when I saw Catwoman going for just over US$20 (final price was $21.02 after s&h), I jumped at the chance to get her because it meant getting her, and just her, for what she would ordinarily cost in the 5-pack (plus shipping) minus the pesky Justice League do-gooders. Heh.

And boy was she worth it!


Like: Colour scheme.  Well, I know some purists believe that either Catwoamn is in a purple suit with just a face mask or she's in black with goggles (current suit).  But the truth is I like the blend of old(er) and new.  She won't look too dull on the shelf among the dastardly denizens of Gotham, and she'll also look great next to Batman, whether blue/grey, black/grey or all black (go Keaton lips!).

Also, Catwoman's purple in the goggle getup can be equated to Batman's blue and grey appearance--the blue and the purple were/are used to add highlights to what (the inkers thought) would amount to a dull looking costume.  And presto, a variant is born!

Like: Paint on her face.  She's got great  big green eyes, which they didn't really have to do all that well because they're hidden from almost all angles behind the goggles, unless you look closely. Its fantastic cuz they're large and blue.  Her lips are also a nice shade of red and her skin tone is just about spot on.

Like: Tooling on belt, boots, sculpted detail in the costume, goggles, zipper.  All of these look great from far but look excellent up close.  Her belt's got a nice wrinkles leather effect, while her boots have straps and molded buckles.  They gave her the nice, round zip while also sculpting in the zip!  Her suit wrinkles in the right places around the neck and waist and her mask also has sculpted seams.

Like: Articulation to match the character.  She's got 25 points of articulation, up form the standard DCUC 23.

Catwoman can fully unilize every joint and look ever more so like Catwoman with every movement.  She's got her left hand in a cat scratch position and the right molded to hold her whip.

You need a whipping pose?  No problem.

A high back kick?  Any time.

A back flip?  Sure thing.

Dislike: Compared to her DCSH black suit version, she's got very much less accessories.  But then again, the old version came with the whip, a cat statue, removable backpack, and a pearl necklace.  And we all know that's ridiculous by today's DCUC accessory standards. :P

Dislike: That she's a Walmart exclusive and I have to pay a premium to get her, if I can find her in the first place.  But the thrill is in the hunt, is it not? ;)

Dislike: That she's in a 5-pack with 4 dudes.  C'mon, Mattel!  Give us say, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Batgirl, and Huntress instead! So what if Ivy and Huntress don't exist? Make them exist!  Now that's a 5-pack we would all want. ;)

RATINGS

Aesthetics: 9.5/10 - From afar, she stands out from other Bat-villains (or any villains) because of her colour scheme. Up close, there's all that wonderful tooling and a great looking face and green eyes.  She could do with a little bit of a smirk/expression, though.  But her goggles hide just enough that it isn't completely necessary.

Poseability: 10/10 - On her own or with the Bat (to come, hopefully), this cat's full of surprises. Catwoman is so agile that she rarely looks out-of-pose.  Every turn of a wrist, twist of a thigh-cut joint or turn of a shoulder gives you something and make you think, "Yeah, Catwoman could do that." Her score here has much less to do with her articulation than it has with her character and how she'd use it.  Oh, and her head can tilt up and down unlike the current DCUC figures.

Fun: 9.5/10 - Many a time I pick up a figure thinking that if I'd just get through taking photos of it for a review I could move onto something better.  And many a time I end up thinking, "Wow.  This toy is pretty darn neat.  I should've opened it earlier."  This is one of those times.  And I couldn't stop trying to pose her, much like how I am with GI Joes, Marvel Universe, and other 3.75 inch figures.

Value: 8/10 - Yeah, I know, it sucks (an 8 sucks? Wha?...)  But the truth is that she comes only in a 5-pack, she's only got one accessory, and she's a darn tootin' Walmart exclusive!  We don't have any of those here.  That makes local seller hike the price up for shits and giggles and a bunch of profit.  And then what would we do with the Superman and Batman?  Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh...

Overall: 9.3/10 - It's funny how the figures I tend to like are repaints/redecos from the old DC Super Heroes line.  Like Man-Bat.  Or Black 'S' Superman.  Or Mega Bat-Pouch Batman.  But I guess it speaks volumes for the quality product that Mattel has put out for this line.  Sure, we all have ur problems with the ball-swivel-only necks or the 'same-body-over-and-over' argument.  But if 5 years down the road we look back and don't think, "Man they don't make figures like that Guardian anymore," then we'll know for sure that what we've got in DCUC is truly plastic gold. Yeah, who needs that metal stuff anyway.