Raving Toy Maniac

The first 3 guys just landed in the mail...Superwoman, Power Ring (clever name!) and Ultraman. The rest will arrive next week. I've been unpacking them and the room is fragrant with that volatile plastic goodness that cannot be good for me to enjoy inhaling so much...

I disdained "silly" DC comics in the '60s. It was Kirby or nothing for me. (I was in grade school, but I was VERY mature for my age.)

...and yet...

I did have a guilty DC pleasure or two...or three...or...well...I did, from time to time, accidentally...read Doom Patrol, Legion of Super Heroes, Justice Society, and even the Justice League, even though they may have been the cheesiest of them all! And who could POSSIBLY battle the almighty JLA but...wait for it...an almost identical, reverse, evil, JLA!

Yeah, I thought the Crime Syndicate was cool. Never knew what Power Ring's emblem was supposed to represent? Maybe this is revealed in the comic title these new figures come from?

I have some previous DC Direct versions, and the DCUC Crime Syndicate box set version (a very nice set, IMO), so I preordered all but "Deathstorm" of this "New 52" Crime Syndicate line. I'm ambivalent at best about new 52, and got this set because the characters still have familiar costumes.

First, these are NOT scaled as per most DCUCs, and are much larger than the box set versions. This new Ultraman comes in at 6.75".

But given their ~$20ea price point, I'm impressed. Excellent articulation...truly outstanding! Detailed sculpts that work WELL with the joints. No floppy joints here! Splendid paint ops & use of gloss & matte finishes, especially on Superwoman. (Small "packed when wet" mark on Power Ring's back, but keen pearly white gloves & boots!) Hefty figures that hold poses & stand well unassisted...which is a good thing, since they don't come with display stands at all. (And frankly, when I can avoid doing so, I avoid using stands, but if I must, I avoid using the stands that came with figures, as I find most unappealing at best. I have a sack full of the ugly things.)

Power Ring's "lantern" is crazy looking (I have not read the comic and have NO idea where they're going with this!). I wish PR had a construct or two. He does have a hole on the bottom of one foot if you'd like to supply a display stand of your own.

Superwoman stands well enough in her high heels...but no way to accommodate a display stand. She is NOT your typical, skinny DCUC female sculpt. This is how Wonder woman should be proportioned.

Ultraman is a different sculpt from PR...not just a different head...believe it or not! UM looks fantastic. He has a hole in the sole of a foot for a stand, but none should be needed. Not sure why his cape is sorta ratty...maybe I'll have to read this title after all...?

At any rate, I hope these examples represent the evolution of the DCUC. I hope the new 52 goes away though, as I have zero interest in $upporting this marketing ploy.