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Figure Review: Clark-To-Superman, Superman Returns |
FlaBat
Posts: 1526
Location: Miami
Joined: 24.06.05
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| Posted on 30-04-2006 22:53 |
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Clark-To-Superman
Superman Returns, Mattel, Asst: J7302, # J2086. 2006
June 30th Superman Returns will be at the Box Office. The figures hit Wal-Mart first a few weeks ago. The figures are lackluster at best. Unlike Batman, Superman only comes in the blue and red, no variants here. While we all like to bash the variants, they do provide some variety. The figures are divided in to three categories, Strength, Power and Flight. Clark-To-Superman is labeled as Flight.
As the name implies this figure changes from Superman into his alter ego, Clark Kent. It comes with a cloth shirt/vest with tie and pair of pants with an elastic waistband. Also there is a plastic Clark Kent hairpiece with his glasses molded to it and shoes to cover the boots.
SPECS:
The figure stands 5 3/8 inches tall and has 13 points of articulation (head, neck, shoulders, elbows, waist, hips, and knees) and cloth cape. It comes with two cloth pieces of clothing, hairpiece/glasses and shoes to transform into Clark Kent.
PROS:
The figure has ball-jointed shoulders that are articulated better than most other figures and head has an excellent ball-joint too. The sculpting is good, enough muscles without looking too freaky. The sculpt looks to be movie accurate right down to the mesh detail of the suit, but to me it just does not look like Superman for some reason.
CONS:
Note to Mattel: If you release a figure that has to have cloth clothes put on it, make sure it has ankle articulation. It maybe just my figure, but I found it a bit bowlegged and tricky to make stand correctly. Non-removable cape.
OVERALL:
While it?s not a bad figure it does have some drawbacks. Many older Batman figures had removable cloth capes. This figure has the cape tucked into the neck and when you put Clark?s suit on you have to fold and stuff the cape into his pants, making for one baggy butt Clark Kent. I may get a second one and cut the cape off so I can display him as Clark Kent. Also ankle articulation would have made it much easier to put on the Clark Kent pants. While a collector may only do this once or twice, a kid will do it many times, or until they lose the pants at least.
Most of the Superman Returns figures look to be the same figure. However, some have ball joint shoulders while others have cut shoulders. This figure does not have any tabs or bellows or any thing added to the figure for an action feature, which makes it very nice and clean. It fits nicely in scale with Batman Begins and The Batman figures while Justice League / Unlimited figures are going to be much smaller.
If you?re only going to get one Superman Returns figure, this is a good one to have.
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RE: Figure Review: Clark-To-Superman, Superman Returns |
Caleson
Posts: 1631
Location: Rockville, IA
Joined: 24.06.05
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| Posted on 01-05-2006 00:20 |
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Boy, that looks pretty bad with the cloth clothing. I appreciate Mattel's trying something new, but that just doesn't work. The whole thing is so baggy and hard to look at. And a painted-on tie?
The body sculpt does look a little strange. I think it's in his overly tall shoulders, and the arms remind me of Masters of the Universe. As a whole, the sculpt reminds me of figures that were produced in the '80s and early '90s for some reason. I'm not liking it so much.
I was told today that this line has just arrived at my Target. I'll have to get in there and snatch up a basic Superman. I was planning on getting this fella as soon as I heard about him, but I'm having some doubts now. Thanks for the review.
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RE: Figure Review: Clark-To-Superman, Superman Returns |
Chris
Posts: 2999
Location: Richmond, Indiana
Joined: 22.06.05
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| Posted on 01-05-2006 06:40 |
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Nice review Flabat! I think you hit the nail on the head. I got my son this, the figure needs something.. different. I almost didn't get it.. felt it was to much like a Ken doll..LOL.
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RE: Figure Review: Clark-To-Superman, Superman Returns |
Darknight
Posts: 1010
Location: NW Arkansas
Joined: 26.06.05
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| Posted on 01-05-2006 09:54 |
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I ended up buying three "different" figures from this line. Different in quotes since they are really the same, just different forearm sculpts. I did some part switching on this one and another to have one with hands made into fists. It looks pretty good as just a standard Superman. Then just because I had the leftover figure, I cut the cape off to make the clothes fit better. It really doesn't improve the Clark Kent figure that much. It is almost like they should have made the figure a Clark with snap on Superman stuff like they typically do with Batman instead. This is more a Superman to Clark where we have been getting Bruce to Batman.
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RE: Figure Review: Clark-To-Superman, Superman Returns |
Caleson
Posts: 1631
Location: Rockville, IA
Joined: 24.06.05
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| Posted on 01-05-2006 16:26 |
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beyond wrote:
I got my son this, the figure needs something.. different.
More like it has too much. Clark Kent looks awful. I understand that "quick change" figures always need compromise in one of the identities, but this is just terrible. The Clark Kent is a baggy, cluttered mess, and even the Superman body sculpt is pretty bad compared to Batman Begins. Honestly, I think the problems with the sculpt are pretty obvious. And the likeness would be pretty good if not for those annoyingly puffy cheeks.
I'm not surprised that Superman's cape isn't removable. It's similar to Quick Change Superman from Hasbro's Superman: The Animated Series (a great figure by the way). He had the "turtle head" feature, and you had to stuff his cape in his attachable backpack. Very convenient actually and one of my favorite figures of the line; I just didn't like wrinkling his cape. Of course the pant leg pieces made him a "frontal only" figure, but I still prefer that over this Clark-to-Superman mess.
Edited by Caleson on 01-05-2006 16:28 |
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RE: Figure Review: Clark-To-Superman, Superman Returns |
FlaBat
Posts: 1526
Location: Miami
Joined: 24.06.05
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| Posted on 01-05-2006 20:23 |
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I think the reason it looks off is because?
1). It looks more like Josh Hartnett than Brandon Routh
2). The ?S? on the chest is too small
3). The cape needs to tuck into the front of shoulders to drape nicer
4). The Blue is OK, but the Red is too dark.
I got Wall Busting Superman too and he?s worse. Cut shoulders and a spring-loaded waist that snaps back to normal. The rest of the line does not look any better and the one where he?s blowing down the cardboard cutout figure is just plain stupid.
I would not be surprised to see a Collector Edition at SDCC this year. Anybody else think so?
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RE: Figure Review: Clark-To-Superman, Superman Returns |
CatGirl
Posts: 0
Joined: 10.04.06
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| Posted on 16-05-2006 16:14 |
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Nice review FlaBat, as usual. The Clark To Superman figure at this time seems to be the only Superman Returns figure of Supes himself that I may consider getting. However, I want to see if Mattel has any plans on doing another version of it(Similiar to how Batman Begins had 2 versions of Ninja Bruce, with the 1st call Ninja Bruce To Batman, and the 2nd call Duel Blade Bruce To Batman), because I believe at either the NY Toy Fair 2006 or NY Comic Con 2006 at another website, they showed a picture of another version of Clark To Superman, this time with Clark having different clothing(Couldn't make out the details because it was in the background, but it was black. Here's hoping we see a full business suit like for Clark, including a coat). If there is a 2nd version of Clark To Superman, then here's to hoping they do some improvements with it, including abit more articulation(Like ankle), and having the cape being removable.
However, I am still not sure if I want to get a Superman figure from this line, mainly because of a small quibble I have with the suit, and that is the shade of red used is too dark(Due to the design of the movie). If it was bright red, then I know for sure I would pick it up, but with the shade too dark red, I don't know if I should just either wait until DC Superheroes makes a Clark To Superman figure, or wait until the sequal to Superman Returns(Assuming it does that good).
Anyways FlaBat, I was wondering, have you tried Clark's business suit on your Ninja Bruce as of yet? Since we didn't get a business suit Bruce on Batman Begins, I was wondering how Clark's suit would look like on a Ninja Bruce figure(If you can get it on of course). |
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RE: Figure Review: Clark-To-Superman, Superman Returns |
brucexbatman
Posts: 188
Location: The Batcave, Gotham City
Joined: 24.02.06
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| Posted on 15-06-2006 11:09 |
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I hate all the figures from Superman Returns! They all look like barbie dolls with the cloth clothing......
(Well its definetely better than this)
Batman: Year Two |
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RE: Figure Review: Clark-To-Superman, Superman Returns |
FlaBat
Posts: 1526
Location: Miami
Joined: 24.06.05
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| Posted on 15-06-2006 22:28 |
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A_Spidey_Fan wrote:
Anyways FlaBat, I was wondering, have you tried Clark's business suit on your Ninja Bruce as of yet? Since we didn't get a business suit Bruce on Batman Begins, I was wondering how Clark's suit would look like on a Ninja Bruce figure(If you can get it on of course).
No, I did not put the clothes on Ninja Bruce figure. I did put on the Clark hair with glasses and it fit OK. I think the clothes would too.
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RE: Figure Review: Clark-To-Superman, Superman Returns |
batboy99
Posts: 1550
Location: Toronto,Ontario Canada
Joined: 20.10.05
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| Posted on 26-06-2006 08:43 |
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the only thing i hate about that figure is that when you roll up the cape to put the clothing on,he looks like hunch back
Batman YTB is the best site on the net!
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| Author |
RE: Figure Review: Clark-To-Superman, Superman Returns |
FlaBat
Posts: 1526
Location: Miami
Joined: 24.06.05
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| Posted on 26-06-2006 22:30 |
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batboy99 wrote:
the only thing i hate about that figure is that when you roll up the cape to put the clothing on,he looks like hunch back
Which is why I bought a second one to be Clark and pulled the cape off. Makes it look better.
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RE: Figure Review: Clark-To-Superman, Superman Returns |
Darknight
Posts: 1010
Location: NW Arkansas
Joined: 26.06.05
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| Posted on 27-06-2006 08:43 |
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Did you pull the cape off or cut it shorter? I couldn't see an obvious way to pull it off so I cut is shorter. Now, I can pose him with the shirt pulled open and the red from the cape is shown a little, but it doesn't make the figure look poofy.
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| Author |
RE: Figure Review: Clark-To-Superman, Superman Returns |
FlaBat
Posts: 1526
Location: Miami
Joined: 24.06.05
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| Posted on 27-06-2006 22:19 |
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Darknight wrote:
Did you pull the cape off or cut it shorter? I couldn't see an obvious way to pull it off so I cut is shorter.
I just pulled on the cape until it came out. It loops around the neck and was easy to take off.
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