Released December 12, 2007, this was the second line of figures designed by Darwyn Cooke, based on his acclaimed mini-series.
J'onn J'onzz, Batman, Doctor Fate and the Flash joined series 1's Wonder Woman, Superman, Blackhawk, Green Lantern and Green Arrow.
It was a weird character selection both rounds, since the Clark and Diana were on the periphery of the main story, Ollie barely appeared, and I don't remember Fate at all.
The characters who stuck with me as the book's stars were the civilian versions of the Silver Age greats, as well as Max Faraday, the Losers, the Challengers of the Unknown... basically the guys who kept us safe in between super-heroic ages.
Shouldn't we have gotten a Hal Jordan, or a couple of very different John Jones/J'onn J'onzz figures?
At least this worked as a back door '50s line that looked the part, even if Manhunter's eyebrows are out of control.
I wasn't 100% behind this figure at first, but once I had a loose copy lying around, his sunny disposition became a joy to see.
Also, the figure is surprisingly articulated. The head and shoulders can pivot broadly on a ball joint. The Alien Atlas can bend at the elbows, hips and knees, plus rotate at the calves. His soft cape is flexible enough not to restrict movement, but solid enough to maintain nicely sculpted detail.
The New Frontier figures came with a fantastic period-styled base. It's a metallic aqua color in the shape of a painter's pallet. At the center is a translucent cover with lettering made to resemble an old style DC Bullet, which casts shadows into a hollow gray portion beneath. There are two indentations for the clear plastic pegs used to stand a figure. The base stands about an inch tall, allowing for a deep ridge leading to a second, smaller pallet.
Each figure features multiple points of articulation and a base. The original retail price was between $14.95-$19.95, but you can easily find the Martian Manhunter ones for under ten dollars.
Nice action figure. I do agree that the eyebrows are a bit out of control.
ReplyDeleteI just ordered the JLA comics 228 229 and 230 they are the ones when Earth is at war with Mars. I bought it because I was on here looking at the rogues gallery and saw the Marshall and thought he looked cool. Can anyone tell me if this little 3 part was good or not? Thanks
ReplyDelete"War of the Worlds 1984" was alright. The art is erratic, and it's very Bronze Age, but I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI'll accept the thick eyebrows as artistic license, since I don't think the sunny, cheerful look would work as well without them.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even know about the cute little base. I have this figure but he's still in his box. The eybrows don't bother me as much as the squinting, but I really appreciate that he's smiling. I have a poster of one of the covers from the DC:New Frontier trade hanging on my wall and everyone is smiling. It's just so delightful.
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