BOB SHARE

Yessssss!!! Hes finally here!  The Magnificent Seven is finally complete!  Or not.  I have a Two-pack Aquaman (And Black Manta) on the way, but hes stuck somewhere in Canada...for now...

So well just use Hawkgirl as a stand-in for now!  Yeah, itll be Justice League Animated Series Mag 7 for now. :)

I chose to get the variant version of Jonn Jonzz because hes be less "standard"-hed have a pointy head, a chopper blade hand and be loads better than the human form version.

As the Rangerlord says, the classic Manhunter can be quite boring, depending on your taste.  But after having a gander at both, I realized that they were both equally ok, and that in order to have the complete Martian Manhunter, youd have to get them both.

Why?  Hes a shapeshifter, so having interchangeable parts like Plastic Man would be totally awesome.  But Ol Stretchy Tights was a Comic Con Exclusive, meaning that there is no way Manhunter could be equally awesome, yes?  Well, yes and no.  And heres why...
Like: His awesome green!  It unlike any other green thats been used in the DCUC line so far--kudos to the Rangerlord for pointing this out.  Because of his unusual glow-y yet non-toxic shade of emerald, Martian Manhunter really pops!  Whether hes taking out the moron whos fool enough to challenge him or just hangin with the rest of the Mag Seven, he just brightens up the place!

Like: His height.  Jonn stands taller than all of the others in the Mag 7, but subtly so.  Unless you have him next to them you wouldnt really be able to tell that hes slightly bigger. And thats the beauty of ol Manhunter.  The bad guys sually dont realize how much trouble theyre in until he squares up to them and draws himself to full height.  The figure is exactly the same way--unassumingly larger than usual.


Where does the extra height come from?  Mainly the longer lower legs (boots) and a little from his belt, which is a separte rubbery piece between the upper and lower torso.  Also, the upper torso seems to measure up to the Superman/Batman Public Enemies wave torsos, which many have noticed is larger than the standard DCUC large male buck.  Its just enough to make Manhunter the perfect size to scale with the rest.

Dislike: That he doesnt have an alternate hand packed with him.  Its sad because while he looks menacing taking on the bad guys, he kinda also looks like hell be the one to pick a fight at the drop of a hat while hanging with the good guy.


Like: His pointy Martian head!  Its fantastic that they did a variant with a pointed head, but I wouldve preferred a "human" head packed in as well.  after all, he is a shape-shifter, so why not go all out and give him some interchangeable parts?  Of course, Mattels answer probably would be thatit didnt cost out. Oh well, well just no have to get both versions...


Like: His classic weight-of-the-world-on-his-shoulders frown!  They did a great job capturing the trademark look of concentration as MM tries to keep out the unwanted telepathic voices in his mind, while trying to tune in to those that might need his help.

Dislike: That there are QC problems.  Mines got really tiny paint spots on his chest  But Ive also seen many with more, in package, with paint from his red harness spilled onto his chest.  Though it may not be major spillage, but minor things here and there shouldnt always be acceptable, especially with the recent increase in retail price.

Like: The full motion of his head.  All the figures in the line lost it for a bit around waves 8 to 11, but theyve seemed to have been corrected from wave 12 onwards.  God job here.

Dislike:  CnC Validus?  A cult favourite for Legion of Superheroes fans for sure, but how about something more mainstream?  At this point, I wouldnt even mind another Green Lantern related figure. (Ive been reading Blackest Night and am done with the preludes--Rage of the Red Lanterns and Agent Orange.  What can I say?  Im in a mood for heroes and villains of the colors of the emotional spectra!)

Like: The harness not just being painted on or molded directly onto his body--its a separate piece thats semi-plugged into the front of his torso (via a tiny peg in the back of the harness cross and a small deep hole in his chest) and semi-glued on.  The back of the harness beneath the cape is molded on and the separate piece then plugged in at two points near his lower back.  Its seamless and the perfect way to make him look like hes wearing it and yet kep it in place.

Also, gotta love the little cape rope-clasp that is fastened to his collar.  They dont actually keep the cape on (thats glued there) but is another separate piece thats glued on to add detail to Jonny here.

RATINGS

Aesthetics: 9.5/10 - Despite some minor QC and paint issues, Jonn is a pretty (Martian) boy in the looks department.  The green on him alone is enough to carry the figure.  But add in the eyes, the frown, and the sculpted veins on his biceps (yes, they sculpted em), and we have a winner.  Gotta love his high collar and cape as well.

Poseability: 9.5/10 - Jonn Jonzz has the standard DCUC articulation and despite his bulky appearance and hes got two extra PoAs--the boot tops!  (Really like these).  Theyre super well hidden and really help in poses, especially while trying to keep him balanced while at the same time not looking like he broke his legs. Plus points for the cape also.  I lik em caped heroes because its like they have an extra leg to stand on and balance for the more difficult poses!


Overall: 9.35/10 - Hes one of the most eagerly anticipated figures to date and he doesnt disappoint, except that maybe he shouldve had the variant head and hand packed in instead of as separate figures.  But you cant deny the awesomeness of the Oreo lovin Man from Mars becuase hes become quite iconic, especially after the JL/JLU animated series brought him even more to the fore. 

Having the action figure really makes up for not having the series anymore.  Having a figure with the perfect colors thats so well detailed really hits the spot.  That hes articulated more than usual and has extra detail in his wrinkly head skin and the veins on his arms is really the cherry on top.  And of course, he finally completes the Magnificent Seven.

Seriously, how many DCUC figure come with big swords?  None.  None, except Kyle Rayner here.  But whats truly impressive is the amount of work thats gone into making sure a top notch accessory came out right.  And I guess thats all we as fans ask for: quality.  We dont need a bunch of crude constructs packed in with figures (though that would beat no constructs at all), we just need one; one with quality and that will excite our imaginations.  And thats just what (wrong as it sounds) Kyles big sword does--Excite us!

Kyle is Figure 1 in Wave 1 of the DCUC Green Lantern Series.  I hear that the series will last all of 2 waves, but I have a feeling Mattel has more planned for our Emeral heroes and their enemies in upcoming DCUC spin-off waves. DCUC GL 1 is the first wave I pre-ordered in its entirety--I liked the characters, I liked the new articualtion, and I liked the Collect and Connect figure.  How could I pass it up?

Unfortunately, its also the first wave Im paying the new higher retail price for, having cherry picked in past waves and/or holding back till I found the figures I wanted for reasonable prices. This wave cost me S$35 (US$25) a figure, bringing the total to S$210 ($150).  But thanks to Vincent at Toyrealm, I managed to get em at S$30 (US$21.40) a piece!

So how did Kyle do as the first figure of the series? Well lets see!

Like: The great sword accessory, of course!  Just look at the detail they put on it.  Runes on the blade, hilt etchings, decorated gauntlet.  Just the right size too--huge!

Like: That hes got a different costume from the other Green Lanterns. Yet the differences are only slight--hes a shade darker green and his Green Lantern insignia is off center.  Along with a slightly more matte finish than the other GLs, the suit sets him apart from the rest of the GLs without being wildly different, and makes for less for a uniform and more of a costume.

Like: That even his Lantern insignia is different from the standard fare of green on white of most other GLs.  Its also Rayners own unique design of it, with green on black with a white border.  Hes also had a lot of costume changes and insignia changes to go along with them, but like the current costume itself, I think this Lantern badge makes him look like part of the Corp without being completely different.

Like: That what little paint he has on him is sharp, with especially crisp lines for his mask and hairline.

Like: That they used the old school sculpt for him.  I love the articulation on some of the newer figures like Black Hand and Wave 16s Robin, both of whom have double-jointed knees and elbows.  But these two do take a hit in the looks department as far as those joints go.  The double-joints just look too glaringly obvious on lighter tones like skin.  Theyd probably be more hidden on a costume that has black parts like Kyles, but Im glad that he doesnt have those joints to spoil the overall aesthetics of the figure.  In this instance, I feel he doesnt really need the articulation.  That being said, I wished theyd fix the existing PoAs so that theyd work as intended, for example, the head...

 
Dislike: That the head ball joint has gone back to not being able to look up much.  The problem crept in when Wave 8 was released and heads were reduced to swivel-only movement.  In his case Kyle can look down and around without any problem, but cant look up at all.  Its a problem because the head is an especial articulation point for characters who can fly.  Even then, not being able to look up in shock as the entire Sinetro Corps swoops down an ya is kind of a bummer.  The poor guy wouldnt even know what hit him.








RATINGS

Aesthetics: 7.5/10 - Unique uniform that will make him stand out among the Corp, but side by side with other heroes, he seems a little dull.  the standard GL uniform sticks out better among the groups outside the Corps.  But all in all, a well painted figure, a great looking sword and lantern.

Poseability: 8/10 - Hes just your regular DCUC figure with standard articulation. What makes the difference for him is the sword, and a real difference it is.

I also like that hes got nice and tight joints, especially in his legs and ankles.  Some of the figures from previous waves like The Joker I got have very weak leg and ankle joints.  If Mattel made an effort to correct this, then I say bravo.  And this certainly looks to be the case because I got the entire DCUC GL 1 wave and the joints of all the figures are consistently tight.
Fun: 8/10 - Swords are always fun.  That the sword also fits on any standard DCUC male fist is a big plus.  They couldve just made it a big-ass sword but they came up with the idea of a gauntlet to hold it securely as well--this sure adds to the fun of posing ol Kyle over here: who needs a shield when you can block with the same construct youre fighting with? ;)

Value: 8/10 - Great accessory, unique lantern, and Arkillos big ass Right Leg.  Simple additions to go along with a new head with some new tooling for the mask and hair.  Again, the focus on quality (the sword, the new lantern) to go with what already works in the standard buck ad youve got yourself a decent deal for retail price.

Overall: 7.9/10 - Sure, he may not be everybodys favourite Green Lantern of Sector 2814, but he still ranks pretty high up there in the Green lantern Corps.  Hes a must have to go along with Hall, Guy, and John.  The Four Musketeers of the Corp!

While theres not much to gush over about him except maybe his sword, theres not much they did wrong with him (the head movement) either.   If Mattel continues to produce this sort of quality as a baseline for future figures (like the Riddler), wed have a very little to complain about.  That being said, Matty, please dont let it stop you from producing winners like Black Hand and Wave 16s Robin!

Get it? Get it?

(Hit the jump if you dont! Heh. ;])

Its been too damn long since I last reviewed a Transformer.

No, it isnt because I like them any less, nor is it the because theres been too much great stuff from Marvel and DC. (There has been but thats not the reason: a toy that gets me excited will get me raring to review it no matter what.)

The real reason is that Im a real G1 fan.  Dont get me wrong, Im not staunchly "only G1 toys."  In fact, I think those toys are dated.  But I think their designs are timeless.  Clean lines, very human-like faces, yet on the whole very much robot.  And I love it when they take it back to the drawing board and give us a brand new toy with all the bells and whistle but with and update on the classic look.

Thats why I love my Henkei Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Cliff Jumper, Generations Hot Rod, etc.

And thats why I love Hot Spot.

This guy and me go a long way back.  After Optimus Prime died in the Animated Movie, Hot Spot was my new favourite.  He kinda looked like Prime, was the leader of the Protectobots, and had a posse that would have his back no matter what.  If things got rough, they could even merge and form Defensor!  Needless to say he was my favourite combiner.

So when I saw thins guy n the shelf, I didnt hesitate.  I knew he was in short supply, since I saw one of him to every three Megatron and Power Dive.  To find out they are all part of an Asian exclusive line just make me think how lucky I am to be living in this part of the world!

Like: Hot Spots blue.  I know, its probably the most annoying shade of blue a Transformer can be, but its the exact same blue the original toy was (or at least I remember it to be).  Theyve cast it just the right shade to make your eyes hurt under bright light. Lol.

Like: The little details on the sculpt--metal pipes here, pistons and complicated machinery there.  His thighs have this "robot" detail, and his forearms have the exhaust pipes from when hes in vehicle mode.  These are hidden by panels which fold down when hes in robot mode.  The tops of his feet have nicely silvered double pistons--those are my favourite detail!

Like: The tampographed details like the the "hot spots" on the side of his torso/on his doors.  Those look just like his classic toy but somehow even better here!  (Well, for one, their not stickers put tampos.  Lol.)  I like the black wind shields, which is something different from the G1 toy, which has a chest panel that hinges upward to add to his pecs.  Hot Spots black opaque glass windshield are different from his buck-mates Inferno and Grapple--clear wind shields are for the less cool Bots. ;)

Also, hes got two Autobot symbols on either side behind the fiery hot spots, the sirens up top are also very cleanly applied, as is the silver of his front grille and lights, and his aforementioned pipes above his middle wheel.

The eyes are also tampoed on a nice, dark red, like the old school toy.  The bad thing about this is that the eyes dont get the full effect of the light piping, which is there because the back of his head is translucent but cant filter the light all the way through because of the coloured eyes.



Dislike: That he cant combine with the rest of the Protectobots to form Defensor.  Worse still: they didnt/havent released the rest of the gang as re-imagined G1 toys yet. :(

Wouldnt it be awesome if Hasbro did something like this? (Drool...)

Top View

Like: That his forearm blaster is part of his transformation.  It swivels to fit nicely on the under part of his forearm and swivels again to fit perfectly as his water cannon when in fire truck mode.  Its also a very nicely detailed sculpt that does the one thing every little boy loves and fires a projectile.

Dislike: That he doesnt come with any other guns.  His classic figure come with two giant blasters, which could be also used in Gestalt mode.  Then again, the old toy also came with Defensors chest piece, hand and feet.  Its a real shame about the guns though, because hes got two gripping hands and nothing to hold in them!

Bottom View

Like: His size.  He may be a Voyager Class figure but stands taller than my Henkei Prime.  Of course, the scale of characters in the G1 cartoon wasnt always consistent, but Id like to think of my combiner leaders as being fairly large.  So slightly larger than the greatest Autobot leader is fine by me.  After all, when the Protectobots or any other Gestalts combine, they should be larger than almost everyone else!

Dislike: That Hot Spots missing his classic extendable ladder!  That thing was a huge hit with everyone I knew back in the day because it could really extend to something like double the old toys height!  And whats a fire truck without a ladder, anyways?  Lol.

Also, when combined as Defensor, the ladder hung down his back like it was the coolest (and largest) robot pony tail.  And since he was the only one who had it, Defensor was the Mack Daddy of combiners everywhere and they all gave him envious looks every where he went.

They were jealous of his strength, good looks, intelligence, and that full head of hair (that of course ended in that bitchin and yet usable pony tail.)  He could also use it to smack them in the face when in brawl between Gestalts, making him the ultimate fighter among his brethren.

Like: That the kibble that forms over his arms in robot mode can be swivelled round to the back to give his shoulders and forearms maximum movement.  I also think its looks better hanging behind his arm than at is side.

Dislike: That the back of the figure is literally missing.  From the front, he looks great.  from the side, he looks like his missing the back half of his torso.  From the back, he looks completely naked.  This is the one drawback of this sculpt that prevented me from getting Inferno and then Grapple when they were initially released.  But this is Hot Spot!  And with his release, Hasbro got me in my soft spot.

Like: That modern day Transformers toys continue to have magnificent articulation.  Gone are the days when limbs were only articulated when it served the transformation of the figure.  Now, it seems every limb has swivels and hinges all over the place, hidden so well that you actually have to play with the toy several times to discover them.  Hot Spot is no different!

Dislike: That hes missing a torso swivel.  Its tough to give robots chest pivots like in superhero/human/organic figures.  A hinge might be better but would serve no purpose, really.  But a hinge would go a long way towards helping Hot Spot out in many a pose and making him look less like he had  giant paunch (which he doesnt!  Its all mechanical muscle, I tell you.  And with space for the Matrix of Leadership.  Just in case.)  A torso hinge would make this great figure even better.

HIs cannon also has a hinge!  Doh!

RATINGS

Aesthetics: 9/10 - Beautiful!  the more I look at it, the more I smile.  I talked about liking new, updated takes on G1 figures and well, this is one of them.  Its a look that is probably better than the original and has lines that look cleaner than the G1 design too.  And of course, his head design is still kinda like Optimus Primes!  In fact, it could be that they are long lost brothers... ;P

Poseability: 8/10 - As all modern transformers toys are, Hot Spot is superbly articulated.  Also, being a Voyager Class size figure, hes got the bulk and weight to be stable in most any pose.  Add to that the many straight edges of a TFs robot form and hell balance in just about any pose you can put him in.

Hot Spots joints are also nice and tight, which is a testament to the quality control the Bro has on Transformers. The only issue I have with this sculpt is the missing torso swivel.  If he had that, wed be looking at at least a 9 in this department.

Fun: 9/10 - All about the nostalgia for me.  Optimus Prime needs his best ever Second-in-Command/successor, after all.

The fire truck mode is nice and tight and clips together very well, not to mentions rolls smoothly too.  Though I do miss the classic ladder and the twin guns he used to wield because he is smarter than any Autobot or Decepticon, this guy is still very much a joy to play with.  It would be even better if he could actually combine to form Defensor, but that might be wishing a little to much of this sculpt.  Then again, if you saw those pics in the link above, you might think weve asked too little! ;P

Value: 8/10 - At the standard retail of $54.90 a pop, hes par for the course.  But at 20% off I got him on, it put him down to $43.90.  Thats decent.  Its a steal for me though because Hot Spots not just an Asian exclusive, but a shorter packed one and not to mention, one of my favourite Autobots of all time!

He could do better in the accessories (guns) department for sure, though.

Overall: 8.8/10 - Hot Spot is heavy in the memories department for me, so there are some bonus points here. The surprising thing is that I didnt realize how different the G1 toy looked from this version.  But I welcome an update, a cleaning up, and an improvement on the design, which this definitely is--I just love the new yet classic look!

Hot Spot isnt for everyone but for those of you, like me, who love this guy, hes a must-have.  Just like those who love Grapple and/or Inferno, I wouldnt miss out on getting him while hes still available in retail.  And like those who love the latter duo, I now understand why I dont see any more of them on the shelves--you guys simply had to have them! ;)

I also might just now have to go out and buy the recently released Combaticons!  Sure, they arent in G1 style, but theyre the closest Ive seen in recent times and are all Deluxe class figures, meaning theyll form a pretty large combiner!  Its probably the first time in along time that theyve released a combiner that size--none of that movie Constructicons fiasco where only the Legends size figures combine.  Hooray to Hasbro for listening to the fans and giving us some "real-sized" combiners!  Its time now to break some new ground and give us Voyagers who can combine with Deluxes and surely itll be too much of a stretch to ask that of Hot Spot.   But one can always hope!