REVIEW: Mattel's DC Superheroes: PARASITE

The power-siphoning Parasite is one of Mattel's latest offerings from the DC Superheroes line, which has included a "Who's Who" of Superman's friends and foes this year.

Parasite is sculpted in his most recent comic book form, which also matches the purple-and-white costume featured in the Justice League Unlimited animated series.

Superman has never had the rogue's gallery of Batman or The Flash, but a good figure of a lesser-known character like Parasite makes up for quantity with quality. The hunched henchman is a grape-flavored nightmare in purple, with a fish-like mouth full of fangs and soulless yellow eyes. The sculpt makes him a menacing figure, a true accomplishment given his Easter-egg color scheme.

Most of the detail is in the face, with paint application bringing it to hideous life. The three-fingered, black-nailed hands and two-toed feet complete the mutated look. The paint is flawlessly applied, and almost too subtle to notice. There's zero bleed from the white onto the purple, and a black wash brings out the smallest details.

Parasite's a sturdy figure, best displayed with his bad posture intact. Articulation includes a swivel neck, waist, wrists and mid-thighs; ball-jointed shoulders and hips; a mid-torso joint; and standard elbows, knees and ankles.

Parasite has no accessories, but he could always absorb some extras from your other figures.

The DC Superheroes line continues to impress. If Mattel would issue more villians and allies and fewer iterations of Superman and Batman, it could rival Marvel Legends. Mattel's recent acquisition of the entire DC universe of characters means that anyone is fair game for a figure now.

Look for DC Superheroes at most major retail outlets, but expect to wade through a seemingly infinite number of Supermen on the pegs to find the better figures.

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Review and Images by Brian Funk