DC Superheroes - Joker

Welcome to my action figure review blog - Action Toy Review.

While I wait for the next wave (series 4) to arrive from the DC Universe Classics toy line by Mattel, I'll be reviewing some previously released figures from Mattel's DC Superheroes line and even some DC Direct Figures.

Today's review is Mattel's DC Superheroes - The Joker

This action figure was released as part as the last wave of the DCSH toy line (series 8) which was released in Q3 2007. The other figures in this wave included Catwoman, Clayface, Bruce Wayne, Nightwing and a black & grey variant of Batman. Catwoman & Clayface were the only two original sculpts. The others are re-paints or variants of previously released figures.

This version of The Joker is a repaint of the previously released Quickfire Joker action figure (above) that was released back in 2006 before the DCSH toy line began. The sculpt is exactly the same. Joker stands at exactly 6 inches tall which makes him a bit shorter and off scale compared to the Batman action figures in the DCSH series. The DC database lists joker as standing 6'5" tall and Batman at only 6'2". One thing to note is that Joker's stance has him, sort of, leaning on his right leg, with his left leg out to the side. Maybe if the figure had a better stance he would appear to be a little taller. His left leg is actually (purposely) a quarter of an inch longer than the right. The Jokers face is the best part of the sculpt. It has a lot of great detail and really shows off his grin. The rest of the figure is really nicely detailed.

I am sort of torn about the paint job on this figure. It is very well done however, I'm not to thrilled about the color choices. Particularly with the orange pants instead of purple as Quickfire Joker had.

The rest of the outfit is not bad. The purple jacket, pink shirt and green vest look fine. Other than a little bit of running around the tie, the paint job is pretty good. My other issue is the blue wash on the face. As with the Harley Quinn figure from DCUC series 2, I'm not a big fan of this choice of wash color on a white face. I wonder if a shade of gray would have been a better choice. The wash actually does show the detail in his face better. Quickfire Joker did not have a wash on the face at all. Other than that, the face is nicely painted. There are no runs at all. The eyes, eyebrows, mouth and teeth are all super clean. The hair is classic Joker green (matches his vest) with a black wash.

Besides the paint job, the other thing different about this figure is the accessories Mattel has given us. Joker comes with a giant green hammer which has a jester symbol on it. Also he comes with a huge laughing gas gun, which is attached to a back pack that consists of 4 gas tanks. The back pack is removable from Joker's back but is permanently attached to the gun. The third accessory is a gas mask which fits over Joker's face very securely. It is fairly well detailed for a small part right down to the little grills over the mouth portion. All accessories fit nicely into Joker's hands, however, the gun is very heavy for his bony arms.

The big weak spot for this figure is his articulation. Joker's head can only move left to right. He has ball joint shoulders and twist joints in the wrists. Nothing in the elbows or biceps. He has a waist joint and knee joints. The hip joints are not your standard DCSH hip joints. They are very old school and only allow for his legs to be swung forwards and backwards. Also, there are no ankle or thigh joints.

Overall, this wasn't my favorite figure by any means. I'm not a fan of the sculpt or the paint colors or lack of articulation, but the paint is generally well done and Joker does look very good in the limited amount of posing positions you can give him. Plus the amount of accessories Mattel gives us is generous. This Joker also looks very good when paired up with Harley Quinn from DCUC series 2. it is still a good figure for display. For those of you out there that like to customize action figures, I would suggest painting the orange pants or getting a Quickfire Joker and replace it's head with this Jokers head as it is better painted. For me, i hope that they come out with a new and improved Joker in the DC Universe Classics toy line in the near future. Hey, they already gave us a new Batman, Robin & Nightwing, why not a new Joker? But at this point, nothing has been announced.

Sculpt/Design - 6, Paint - 7.5, Accessories - 10, Articulation - 3.5, Fun - 6.5
Overall Score - 6.5/10

If you're new to collecting these DC Super Heroes action figure toy line, then eBay is your friend. This line is discontinued and Mattel is already up to Wave 4 of their new DC Universe classics series. There are reasonable deals to be found on eBay but watch out for shipping costs. Sometimes buying multiple figures from one seller can save on shipping and bring the overall cost of your collection down.

If you're interested in buying this figure your best bet is once again eBay. This figure is rare and people who have it, know it. So you're looking at least $20-$25 for it. There are very few online retailers that have it and those who do, are asking for much more. If you wanna save a few bucks, Quickfire Joker is cheaper and easier to find. The main issue i have with QF Joker is the paint job, specifically the face. Its not painted as nicely as this figure but the color choices are better. Its really a double edged sword. You can also find Quick Fire Joker in a two figure value pack with a "Battle Armor" Batman for $20 (plus shipping of course).

To find DC Superheroes (series 8) Joker on eBay, click here

To find Quick Fire Joker on eBay, click here

You can also try Amazon to find deals on these figures. Just check out my Action Toy Review Recommends page which will link you to all the DCSH & DCUC figures available on Amazon.

Good Luck. Thanks for reading Action Toy Review. Be sure to check back for more reviews.

Singapore Grand Prix 2008

ToyVoyager Dio was at the inaugural Formula One Night Race held in downtown Singapore.

Olympics 2008

From Blog

Booze and Lazy Fox watching a basketball match during the Olympics

A little late in updating this blog.. but the stuffed toys have been very inspired by the Beijing Olympics 2008, particularly in bizarre sports such as the equestrian and the modern pentathlon. They were eager to hone their riding skills to compete in the local equestrian competitions.

From Blog

DC Superheroes - Batman (Black & Grey Variant)

Welcome to ACTION TOY REVIEW

Today's Review is DC Superheroes - Batman (Black & Grey Variant)

This Batman figure was released in the 8th and final series of Mattel's DC Superheroes toy line. This action figure was and still is very hard to find. It was poorly distributed and a lot of people could not get their hands on it at the time of release in the 4th Quarter of 2007. At this point, the toy is dicontinued and it can only be purchased from a few various online retailers and on eBay. You're probably looking at spending upwards of 25-50 dollars for it.

The sculpt itself is not an original. It is almost exactly the same as the Batman figure released in the DC Superheroes Series 3 set which, up to this point, was probably the best Batman figure in the 6 inch height range. (The figure stands just under 6.5 inches by the way). The only difference (other than the paint job) is his utility belt which is has been improved. The buckle is slightly different and the pockets on the belt have been slimmed down allowing for better movement in the hip joints. Everything else you loved about the DCSH series 3 Batman is still the same.

The paint job is great. There are no runs or splotches anywhere. The cape and cowel are painted in a very deep, kind of glossy midnight black. The gray on the rest of his costume is much lighter than Series 3 Bats and i think goes very well with the dark black. The pockets on the belt are nicely shaded. You really can't ask for too much more with the paint job.

The figure's articulation is also the same as Series 3 Batman. Ball joint neck and shoulders, biceps, elbows, forearms, abdominal, waist, hips, thighs, knees and ankles.

Bats comes with 3 different batarangs. The problem is (much like the series 3 version) is that they don't fit very well in his hands. Batman's left fist has a tiny slit in where the batarangs are suppose to be able to slide in however the slit is not deep enough to securely hold them.

Overall this is my favorite Batman action figure. The colors match up better than the previous blue & dark gray version and the belt has been slimmed and improved. Don't get me wrong, the series 3 Batman is still great, it just needed a bit of updating and that's what Mattel did with this version. The only unchanged issue is that Batman still cannot hold his batarangs very well.

As you can see in the pictures, this figure also fits in very with the more recent DC Universe Classics figures if you like to display them together.

If you're looking to purchase this figure, eBay will be your best bet. Most online retailers that actually have this figure in stock are asking $50.00 for it. eBay will be almost half that. To find this figure on eBay click here. Good luck.

Sculpt - 9, Paint - 9.5, Articulation - 9, Accessories -7, Fun - 9.5,
Overall Score 9/10

Thanks for checking out Action Toy Review. Be sure to come back for more action figure reviews on your favorite DC Universe Classics, DC Superheroes and other action figures.

Day 70: Smurf

The Smurfs (Les Schtroumpfs) are a fictional group of small sky blue creatures who live in Smurf Village somewhere in the woods. The Belgian cartoonist Peyo introduced Smurfs to the world in a series of comic strips, making their first appearance in the Belgian comics magazine Le Journal de Spirou on October 23, 1958. The English-speaking world perhaps knows them best through the popular 1980s animated television series from Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Smurfs.

Download the PDF here.

Day 69: Popeye the Sailor

Popeye the Sailor is a fictional hero famous for appearing in comic strips and animated films as well as numerous TV shows. He was created by Elzie Crisler Segar, and first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929.

Although Segar's Thimble Theatre strip, first published on December 19, 1919, was in its tenth year when Popeye made his debut, the sailor quickly became the main focus of the strip and Thimble Theatre became one of King Features' most popular strips during the 1930s.

In 1933, Max and Dave Fleischer's Fleischer Studios adapted the Thimble Theatre characters into a series of Popeye the Sailor theatrical cartoon shorts for Paramount Pictures.

Download the PDF here.

DCUC - Series 1 (Penguin & Red Tornado)

Welcome to ACTION TOY REVIEW

Today's Review - DC Universe Classics - Series 1 (Penguin & Red Tornado)

Okay, so I'm going backwards now. I have reviewed Mattel's DC Universe Classics - Series 2 and Series 3 but not 1. Well, the reason is, I don't have the complete set of Series 1 at this point. Since Series 4 is coming very soon, i figured i might as well at least start a review on series 1 before 4 comes in.

DC Universe Classics - Series 1 is a combination of 5 action figures. The Penguin, Red Tornado, The Demon Etrigan, Orion and Batman in his classic detective outfit. Since I'm a Batman fan, The Penguin was tops on my list. I have a couple Batman's from the previous DC Superheroes toy line so, the new "Classic" version was not a priority. Neither were the other 3 figures so, I've decided to just wait out this set and maybe pick the rest up if i can find a good deal. These figures are not that hard to find compared to Series 2 and 3.

Of course, the five figures come with a "Collect & Connect" piece and if you get all 5 figures, you can create The Element Man, aka Rex Mason, aka Metamorpho.

Oswald Cobblepot or The Penguin, is the shortest figure from this set measuring approximately 5.75 inches to the tip of his hat. DC Database lists Penguin as 5 foot, 2 inches so this figure seems to be in proper scale compared to the others.

Penguin's face is the highlight of this figure. Everything from his long pointy nose to his gummy frown makes him look like the classic Batman foe. It is a very good sculpt. The body is short and stubby. His vest is sculpted so it looks like it's too tight for his bulging belly. To top it off, he's got a classic penguin jacket with coat tales, top hat and pin-striped purple pants. It looks like Mattel has used all new parts to put this figure together too which is always a bonus.

The paint job is also top notch on this figure. I'm finding it very hard to find anything wrong with it. He has no runs or slop anywhere. The face is cleanly painted around the eyes, eyebrows and mouth.

Penguin comes with, what else, an umbrella. But not just an ordinary one. This umbrella has a cool machine gun attachment which clips on to the base. Unfortunately, the accessory only fits loosely into Penguin's right hand. It does not fit into his left hand, however, you can have him hold it with both. The machine gun attachment is also kind of loose and flops around depending on how he's holding it. That being said, its still compliments the figure nicely. Apparently, Mattel was suppose to originally include a robot penguin with this figure but I guess that idea was scrapped, probably to save $$.

This figure has a decent amount of joints, but not as many as some of the other figures. Starting from the top, you have a ball joint neck and shoulders. Then joints at the biceps, elbows and wrists. A swivel waist, then joints at the hips, knees and ankles. The hip joints are not like the other DCUC figures. His legs can only swing forward and backwards, not out to the sides. There are also no joints at the abdominal or thighs which is not a big deal. For this character, the articulation points Mattel has given us is plenty. All joints were nice and tight out of the box.

Overall, this figure is a must have for Batman fans to fill out your rogue gallery. For a set of figures that I was not excited about, this one was certainly a pleasant surprise.

Sculpt/Design - 9, Paint - 10, Accessories - 7.5, Articulation - 7, Fun - 8

Penguin Overall Score - 8.5

Red Tornado stands at just under 6.5 inches to the tip of his head. The top of his cape puts him closer to 6.75 inches. DC Database lists him as being 6 foot 1 inch so he is basically to scale compared to the other figures. His body is a little bulkier than Green Lantern from series 3. His cape is quite heavy and can sometimes weigh him backwards if not posed correctly. The costume is painted on with the exception of his gloves, cape and cuffs on his boots.

The paint job is a little disappointing. The worst part being the red wash that was used over the yellow painted areas. Its just so inconsistent and in some areas, there is just too much red where it should be yellow. Specifically the arrow on top of his head and the stripe down his abdominal. This really shouldn't have been a difficult figure to paint. The face is all one color with neon yellow eyes.

The accessory that comes with Red Tornado is a snap on..wirlwind/tornado...thingy..... Its a transparent orange and made of a somewhat hard plastic. It only fits on his right hand but it goes on tightly and won't fall off.

The articulation on this figure is pretty standard for this toy series so there is not disappointment in this area. Neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, forearms, wrists, abdominal, waist, hips, thighs, knees and ankles. The abdominal and neck joints are a little obstructed by the cape. All joints were nice and tight out of the box.

Overall, I wasn't expecting much from this figure so I'm not totally disappointed. As mentioned, the worst part is the sloppy paint job. Other than that, it's not a bad figure and fits in nicely with the other Justice League members.

Sculpt/Design - 8, Paint - 5, Accessories - 6, Articulation - 9.5, Fun - 7

Red Tornado Overall Score - 7.5

DC Universe Classic - Series 1 action figures are still quite easy to find online. eBay is always the easiest place to find older figures. Click the following to find:

The Penguin on eBay

Red Tornado on eBay

Or you can check out my "Action Toy Review Recommends" page on Amazon

Continuing my backwards trend, my next post will probably be a review of one or more of the figures from the now discontinued DC Super Heroes toy line.

DCUC series 4 should arrive within the next 2-3 weeks so keep checking back for that review as well.

Thanks for reading my ACTION TOY REVIEW blog. Be sure to check back for more reviews on a variety of action figures including those from Mattel's DC Universe Classics and DC Superheroes toy lines.