Super-DuperToyBox: Martian Manhunter

Showing posts with label Martian Manhunter. Show all posts

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Imaginext DC Super Friends Series 1 (2024) & More!

As soon as BubbaShelby posted shots of these Imaginext Super Friends on Instagram, I had to at least snag that Martian Manhunter! And though I had sold off my collection, I compulsively scooped up what amounted to nearly the entire wave. And then I bought some other DC Imaginext...

As a Mego kid from the '70s, this color combo of Batman in his blue & gray with his chest insignia over a yellow oval with black trunks is my jam. Only the "bullet capsule" belt and blacked-out face cowl could have made it better, but he's certainly reminiscent of Bronze-Age Batman.

I found a similarly Bronze-Age Batman in a 2-pk with Riddler a couple years ago...

Oddly, this new Imaginext Batman has a black cape, made only stranger by the fact I bought my Figures Toy Co. Mego Batman an extra black cape just for something different only a month ago. The break of color between cape and cowl is too visually jarring for some, but I say why not?

I completely forgot I have a 4" Spinmaster Man-Bat, but I like this more classic brown with blue trousers and bandolier. He comes with a great katana sword accessory that could be useful to any number of other figures, too.

Bane looked a little plain to me, but the excitement ratchets up when the glow-in-the-dark feature kicks in. I guess the grapple gun is an okay accessory, again it's an accessory that can be used with other figures.

Classic Martian Manhunter is how we ended up here together, Friends- a character I took to later on more as an adult when starting this blog many years ago. J'onn J'onzz is the other alien powerhouse on par with the more popular Superman, and last of his kind from a lost world like the Man of Steel.

Classic Imaginext Martian Manhunter w/my BootLego Martian Manhunter:

Superboy Prime was an unlikeable brat and murderous psycopath in DC Infinte Crisis, but I did like his Ant-Monitor armor! I had a couple other Imaginext Superman figures I loved- I'll be on the lookout for another!

This is a more modern interpretation of Aquaman with the single shoulder pauldron, but he still hits a lot of the classic notes. I also had another Imaginext Aquaman I sold in a lot on eBay, but this is a fantastic, updated replacement!

I love the classic Ted Kord Blue Beetle, but I also love the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle in his alien tech, and have a few other figures of this character. I'm particularly fond of the Batman Brave & The Bold Jaime Reyes figures ...

Imaginext Blue Beetle w/my BootLego Blue Beetle:

After opening some Imaginext blind bags, I found a couple Imaginext Batman 2pks:

Both these figures are designed to accommodate Imaginext's more recent light-up feature trend, central to the design of their more recent figure and playset interaction. The unfortunate consequence of this is the ugly slot in the cape in back. I need one of the light-up accessories to make this work better, but I still like the black and blue Batman.

This Imaginext Batman reminded me of my XL Imaginext Bat Tech Batman:

I had the this very Scarecrow before, but w/o the translucent torso- great sculpt!

These are more modern interpretations of Batman and Huntress w/updated sculpts and paint apps- like the Batman/Scarecrow 2pk above, only one figure had an accessory, but I do like the crossbow.

Batman with Imaginext Batwing and Apokolips Armor Batman:

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More Later- Make It FUN!

Sunday, September 11, 2022

McFarlane Toys Red Robin, Jonathan Kent Superman, Classic Martian Manhunter

I had snagged the Gold Label/Classic Martian Manhunter at a local Target, picking up Red Robin and Jonathan Kent Superman later on Amazon. I am stopped in my tracks often looking at McFarlane's action figures, and some of the DC Multiverse figures are too hard to resist. I'm not invested in Red Robin, other than his fantastic outfit and team affiliation with Batman.

Below, Red Robin/Tim Drake, Robin/Damian Wayne, and Nightwing/Dick Grayson- 3 proteges of the Dsrk Knight. A Tim Drake Robin is on the way, which I will gladly buy! Though Tim Drake was rarely the Robin in Batman material I was reading, I'm a fan of the Robin character in general, and McFarlane toys has produced many variants.

For years I've had this beautiful DC Direct Red Robin boxed- he appeared to be shorter in stature, more youthful in build than the Mc Farlane version. I still have a great love for the older DC Direct figures and have held onto dozens of them.

I was unaware that young Jonathan Kent assumed the mantle of his father, but I liked this version of Superman based on it's merits as an interesting looking, colorful action figure - I kinda wish he had a cape, but do admire the design. Love the bright colors!

To date, I still don't have what might be considered a conventional Superman by McFarlane Toys, but some of the variant and "Elseworlds" versions are so cool, like the Red Son Superman and Superboy Prime figures.

As a big fan of Martian Manhunter, this classic, Gold Label version from McFarlane Toys was a must-buy for me. I was barely aware of this character as a child, but J'onn J'onzz of Mars became an intense interest when I returned to comics as an adult. Like Superman, J'onn is the last of his race, a powerful protector of the Earthlings, often reflecting the best of their humanity.

I really liked the more modern, regular release of this figure as well, which I reviewed here in April...I bought it knowing full well a more classic version would come later. My only complaint is the lack of a flight stand. Martian Manhunter is a flyer, and a powerful one. In fact, I would say we need a flight stand with a lot of other characters due to their renown acrobatics, but I digress...

Below, McFarlane Gold Label Classic Martian Manhunter with some other classic representations in my collection: DC Direct History of the DC Universe Martian Manhunter, 9" Hasbro Martian Manhunter, 13" DC Direct Deluxe Martian Manhunter, DC Direct New Frontiers Martian Manhunter, DC Direct JLA Classified Martian Mnhunter, and my Mattel DC Universe Classics Martian Manhunter...

Though I don't buy a lot of McFarlane DC Multiverse figures, I'm pleased with these figures, and have enjoyed the others I've picked up in the last couple years. I bought several more this past weekend in fact, and will post them here in future posts. While I remain a big fan of Hasbro Marvel Legends, these McFarlane figures feel like a better value at their often much lower price- I picked these up at just under twenty bucks each. Some of the more deluxe figures that have build-a-figures parts can run higher, but they are by and large cheaper than Hasbro. A testament to McFarlane is their ability to sell figures of characters a lot of the general public knows nothing of, my interest in this Jonathan Kent Superman being a prime example of that. I look forward to finding more of these.

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Thursday, April 21, 2022

McFarlane DC Multiverse Martian Manhunter

We don't get as many Martian Manhunter figures as we do other members of the Justice League, but he's been a favorite DC character of mine for some years now. Created by Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Verta in 1955, J'onn J'onnz is often compared to the other last surviving orphan of an alien race and is portrayed as equal in power to Superman.

I haven't read any of the more recent Vol. 4 of Martian Manhunter, nor the Rebirth material, but I do like this look- the portrait is very cartoony, much like what little of the art I've seen. The color palette is darker, but the collared chest harness and oversized cape clasps are familiar elements. A mature update to the New 52 look, with a nice swoosh to the cape and leathery texture to the black outfit. What we wanted with this figure was a flight stand and an alternate alien portrait, but I do like him quite a bit.