REVIEW: DC Direct First Appearances: Wave 4

DC Direct's latestt wave of First Appearances series marks the action figure debut of some old friends in new outfits and, in some cases, new people taking on the mantles of classic heroes.

The series, released in recent weeks to comic and specialty shops, includes the Blue Beetle, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, The Atom and Warlord.

All but Warlord are decked out in the duds they now sport in the DC Universe after the "Infinite Crisis" storyline, and feature modern, updated looks for some characters (Manhunter, I'm talkin' about you) who have needed a makeover for years. Think of it as "Extreme Makeover" for the spandex and capes crowd.

Packaging: The figures come in the "First Appearances" series' trademark window boxes, with simple old-school DC style (lots of stars and red, white and blue) befitting the classic characters that usually make up the line. The boxes display the figures well if you want to keep them safe, and aren't damaged if you're an opener. The plastic trays just slide in.

Each figure has a gold base with the "First Appearances" logo and the character's name and the comic where they (or their new look) debuted. The bases are in bubbles you'll have to cut off the back of the inner card, though, so keep that in mind.

Martian Manhunter: Ah, J'onn J'onzz. How to put this... Your old outfit stunk like a sulfurous Martian geyser, with its blue Speedo trunks, big-cuffed boots and red suspenders. Yeesh. For one of the most powerful heroes and a founder of the Justice League, it was a look unbefitting of the alien powerhouse. But now? What can I say -- you finally look like the badass you are.

What's nice is how DC kept the same basic colors of blue and red, but added a black body-suit that made J'onn into the unknowable, alienated mystery man he's always been inside. The red "X," the high armored collar and use of black make for a truly menacing and militaristic presence. He looks like a fascist marching band member from Oz, but on him, it works.

A fine paint job shows off the small details, with a few spots of bleed-over on the thin red piping and in the trim along the edges of the cape.

The head sculpt, which reflects Manhunter's recent shape-shifting facelift, is the only place you'll see his green Martian skin. Gone is the heavy-browed dome, and in its place is a pointed head like an aerodynamic cyclist's helmet. He's also got a wrinkled "Skrull"-like chin (kids, ask your Marvel-reading friends if ya' don't get it) and pointy ears. The sculpt has nice details, the from facial characteristics to the uniform piping.

Manhunter features no accessories, aside from his base. Articulation is limited, but enough. Most of the time, Manhunter stands around looking intimidating. J'onn has ball-jointed shoulders and head, standard elbow, thigh and knee joints and swivels at the calf. The rubber cape barely hinders movement at the neck and shoulders, allowing for good posability.

Blue Beetle: Before, the Beetle was genius scientist/crimefighter Ted Kord, who wore a traditional hero's uniform with a blue-on-lighter blue beetle motif and big yellow goggles. After the DC Universe's shakeups, the guy in the Beetle outfit — now a mystical insectoid armor — is Texas teen Jaime Reyes. Kord's outfit didn't really need a makeover. It was one of the more unique costumes in the DCU. But, since Kord died and his mystical scarab sought out another user, I guess it was time for a change.

The sculpt shows off the new Beetle's otherworldly, biomechanical look, now more armor than costume. It still has the Beetle's insignia on the chest, which some have pointed out takes the shape of the mysterious numbers "52," so important to the DC Universe these days.

Replacing the goggles are eerie yellow eyes, achieved here with the use of a translucent plastic. A nice touch.

The coloring is simple, basically metallic blue on matte black, with silver highlights here and there. The paint application is tidy, hardly a surprise with only two colors. Blue Beetle is overall kind of dull because of this, but the armor's lines and angles and sharp scarab leg details create an interesting silhouette. The sculpt captures the new Beetle's skinny, adolescent physique. He's more of an agile Spider-Man type, rather than a brawny adventurer.

Articulation is generous for a DC Direct figure, with ball jointed shoulders and head, swivels at the wrists and biceps and standard elbow, knee and thigh joints. Why all the arm articulation, you ask? That's what makes our buggy blue friend stand out — accessories.

Beetle comes with a removable scarab backpack and two interlocking wing/shield things that his armor can generate. The shield pieces' "teeth" lock together snugly to form one big piece, or split into wing-like pieces that attach to his forearms. The backpack has six articulated legs and two movable pincers, and the legs are what grip the figure's torso and hold it on. The scarab doesn't attach too tightly, as the legs can't maintain a tight grip.

The figure is a lot of fun, and its design might interest fans of Japanese robots and anime, even if they're not DC fans.

Aquaman: The new Aquaman is a bit of a mystery, even to himself. This younger version of Arthur Curry has been hanging out at the bottom of the sea with an tentacle-headed, Lovecraftian mage that, apparently, was the original Aquaman.

The new "Sword of Atlantis" Aquaman keeps the orange-and-green motif of his predecessor, but his costume is now more akin to armor, with design elements that hint at Michael Turner's "Fathom" comics -- iridescent fish-scale plates and gauntlets with intricate, shell-like details. Trading the green tights and scaly orange shirt for this more organic armor/Atlantean knight costume makes this guy more than just the "Fish Whisperer" or the Superfriends' lamest member.

The sculpt is full of small details like fabric wrinkles, overlapping scales, the shark-like fins on the legs, small shells and Atlantean jewels. He's really interesting to look at.

Compared to the costume, the paint on the figure's face seems a little flat and lifeless, a look that isn't helped by Aquaman's jet-black eyes.

The accessories — a sword and scabbard -- are also nicely sculpted and intricately detailed, reflecting the look of sea shells and marine life. The scabbard has a soft belt that can go around Aquaman's waist.

Articulation is also a high point, with ball-jointed head and shoulders, swivel wrists, standard elbows, knees and thighs and bendable ankles. Shoulders are limited somewhat by the hard plastic shoulder armor. With sword in hand, Aquaman can achieve some dynamic poses.

Overall, its an ocean of improvement that elevates this under-appreciated character to a more mythic persona.

The Atom: You know, at 6 inches tall, The Atom could be considered a 1:1 scale figure. Ryan Choi replaces the missing-in-action Ray Palmer in this latest version of the size-changing Atom's costume, which features the classic red-and-blue colors, but with a more complex design. The triangular shape that runs from the legs up to the chest evoke the letter "A," for example.

The Atom has one of the cleanest paint jobs of the line, with zero bleed from the reds into the blue. There are some gold highlights in the belt and insignia on the back. It's a very simple, clean figure. Other than the color, not much visual interest.

The Atom comes with no accessories, which is a shame. A smaller scale Atom would have been an appropriate pack-in, given that he seems to spend most of his time in teensy mode. Hey -- maybe DC Direct did include a sub-atomic scale Atom figure. I just can't see it. (You're welcome, marketing department.)

Articulation is very basic, only a ball-jointed head and shoulders, standard elbows, knees and thighs. It's a nice figure — no noticeable flaws, unless you count lack of joints — but maybe not nice enough to recommend unless you're a diehard Atom fan or DC Direct completist.

Overall Impression :Highly recommended for DC Direct collectors, for the great sculpts of fresh new faces. I left the Warlord figure out of this review because he isn't sculpted in a new costume. It's a stunningly good sculpt of the classic warrior from Skartaris, with loads of accessories, and I highly recommend it for DC fans and even "sword-and-sorcery"-type collectors. Fans can read a previous review on Warlord HERE.

Solid articulation and a decent amount of articulation are good selling points for this line. So, dress up your collection with these guys, toss out your freaky suspenders-wearin' Manhunter and bring your DC Universe shelf into the modern age!

CLICK HERE for even more images of this assortment.

Review and Images by Brian Funk