Toy Review - SUPERMAN (McFarlane Toys Collector Edition 25)

SUPERMAN
Series - Detective Comics Multiverse
Sub-line - McFarlane Collector Edition
New/remould/redeco - New
Approximate Retail Prize - varies from retailers; I paid $70 from Collectors Edge in Melbourne
Approximate Size - 19.3cm
Allegiance - Justice League
Alt-mode - N/A
Main Features/Gimmicks - interchangeable hands and head, articulated cloth cape
Main Colours - blue and red with yellow accents
Main accessories - x10 hands, x2 heads, flight stand, collector card

PICS

In box
https://i.ibb.co/MDgX0vtT/001.jpg

Arms akimbo
https://i.ibb.co/S7mJspKj/002.jpg

Standing with closed fists (left) and open hands (right)
https://i.ibb.co/84PKTJKs/003.jpg

Pointing right index finger. That wrist gap was my bad; I hadn't attached the hand all the way in. Keep on twisting the hand into place until you hear/feel it click into place.
https://i.ibb.co/mCVKBLnj/004.jpg

Hovering and take off.
https://i.ibb.co/7tMY9zLn/005.jpg

Flying with flat open hands.
https://i.ibb.co/jZ4c9vzb/006.jpg

The head doesn't pivot up any farther than this, probably because increasing its upward articulation range would require changing the sculpt of the back of the head. So it's a forgivable shortcoming.
https://i.ibb.co/rKYtDn4K/007.jpg

Landing. (inspired by Superman's landing on Lex Luthor's island in Australian-made Superman Returns)
https://i.ibb.co/SDrQvL3H/008.jpg

Holding the green crystal (left). Sitting stoicly (right).
https://i.ibb.co/0V6CK0ZL/009.jpg

Running faster than a locomotive.
https://i.ibb.co/Q3YQ2F4N/010.jpg

This is meant to be Superman stopping a train (I don't have a 1:10 scale toy/model train :p)
https://i.ibb.co/7dVZNp9b/011.jpg

Hovering with Corrupted Superman head (left). Holding a space rocket (right, inspired by the scene from Dawn of Justice).
https://i.ibb.co/1YNH9JH3/012.jpg

Throwing a punch.
https://i.ibb.co/DPqPqB0t/013.jpg

Bends Blu-Tack^steel with his bare hands (Corrupted Superman head).
https://i.ibb.co/yF6rTdyf/014.jpg

Holding a kick; no support assistance was used here, the toy is solely balanced on the standing foot.
https://i.ibb.co/ycByW84v/015.jpg

• At 19.3cm, this toy is a 1:10 scale model of Christopher Reeve (who was 193cm).

• 22 points of articulation allow for an impressive range of poses.

• The elbows and knees are double jointed. I saw one video reviewer criticising this as bending them in sharply will expose some gaps... but what else would you expect? The only way around this is to either only give single swivel joints (lessening poseability), or give him a cloth costume like the old Mego doll. Although...

• The undies are rubbery, allowing it to be maleable like cloth while retaining sculpted form.

• The spare head represents Corrupted Superman from Superman III, although it looks on on the regular Superman body with the brightly coloured costume, instead of the darker costume that Corrupted Superman wore

• The cloth cape has wires inside the side edges, allowing for poseability

• Some of the hands represent key moments from the Dick Donner movies, including holding the green control crystal, as well as the left hand in a held out when Lex Luthor approaches Superman with the Kryptonite chain necklace

• The flight stand uses an articulated claw to grip the figure instead a peg like Transformers flight stands. The downside is that you can obviously see the arms of the claw (although they are clear), but the upside is that the claws aren't prone to warping or snapping off like a TF flight stand (I've had that happen to me). Unfortunately, the arm and base of the flight stand are somewhat flimsy and may buckle or even fall over when supporting the toy in some more dynamic poses (depending on the weight distribution of the pose).

OVERALL: As someone who rarely collects non-TF toys, I'm not in a position to say how good this toy is compared to any other recent super-hero(ine) action figures. I did see and even collected some McFarlane Toys in the Nineties and Noughties; and back then McFarlane Toys were well known for Todd McFarlane's gorgeous sculpting but bugger-all play value (they were pretty much just statues). I had a housemate in the 00s who collected McFarlane Toys, and yeah... they were all bricks. I will admit that there is a 20+ year gap in my exposure/knowledge of McFarlane Toys, but it is good to see that this toy combines the beautiful sculpting that McFarlane is famous for, but with a broad range of poseability.

As someone who's not even a DC figure collector, I'm really happy with this toy. :) This feels like the "Masterpiece" to my old childhood Mego and Super Powers Collection Superman toys (moreso the latter). :D