Continuing with the Mattel DC Superheroes and DC Universe Classics theme, today we'll check out the action figure of who is arguably the #1 villain in the DC comic book world, Lex Luthor. (Fans of The Joker may argue that.)
This action figure was originally released in Series 4 of the DC Superheroes toy line back in 2006. Obviously this is Lex Luthor in his battle suit and it borrows heavily from the Mr. Freeze toy that Mattel has re-released a few times. The legs and biceps are virtually the same parts as Freeze. The gloves appear to be a similar mold but have a slightly different design.
Beyond that, there are some new parts to give it its own individuality. The head sculpt is spot on Lex Luthor with an arrogant smirk on his face. His green armor piece around his shoulders is bulky and has some matching detail similar to the detail around the legs and arms. The skirt around his waist is made of a softer plastic and has its own unique design. Finally his belt is very well detailed as well.
Lex's paint job is really good. His face is free of smudges and the eye, eyebrows are painted on perfectly. The spot with the most imperfections is probably around the skirt which as a few purple paint spots over the lines, but its very, very minor.
Luthor comes with slick looking ray gun and a piece of kryptonite to keep Superman off his back. The kryptonite can either fit in Lex's hands or in the slot at the top of the gun. Like the figure itself, the gun has a cool design with a fair amount of detail. Lex also comes with a Supergirl reprint comic book. Series 4 of the DCSH toy line was the last to include comic book reprints.
Lex's articulation is really good but unfortunately some joints have limited movement due to the toy's design. Lex has joints in his neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, forearms, a swivel upper abdominal, waist, thighs, knees, calves and ankles. Since the shoulder piece is so big and bulky, it obstructs the shoulder joints from their full potential movement so the arms cannot be raised straight about his head. Also, the skirt around Lex's waist is tightly wrapped around the hips and this completely reduces his hip movement in all directions. This probably could have been avoided if new parts were made for the hips and the skirt was included in the part instead of being a separate piece.
Overall, this is a great looking figure of Lex Luthor but some may be ticked about the limitations in the hips and shoulder joints caused by the design. My opinion is that he fits in great regardless with Superman and the other figures from Mattel's DC Superheroes and DC Universe Classics toy line. I like having a Lex Luthor that is capable of battling it out with Supes. I do however would not mind seeing Mattel produce a new Luthor action figure with completely new parts and without the battle suit down the road. Such a high profile character deserves it.
Sculpt/Design - 7, Paint - 9, Accessories - 7, Articulation - 9, Fun - 8
Lex Luthor Overall Score 8/10
This is a discontinued toy but still can be found online. eBay is your best bet to find a deal. Prices really vary from $12-$45 plus shipping. To find Mattel's DC Superheroes Lex Luthor on eBay, click here.
Be sure to check back for more action figure reviews on Mattel's DC Superheroes and DC Universe Classics. If you're looking for info on a specific figure, look at the blog archive list or the Labels list on the right hand side of your screen.
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