SUPERMANIA had reserved this post for the reveal of the long-awaited custom Hot Toys Superman figure featuring movie-accurate modifications. Alas, due to experimentation, time-wasters and inevitable delays the project is further delayed but will continue until the desired result is achieved (as first conceived here).
In the meantime, we celebrate the enduring legacy of the MMS152 with these amazing shots captured by figure photographer extraordinaire Ronnie Del Puerto (view his photostream here). Besides the dramatic shots highlighting the best aspects of the figure, Ronnie blurs fiction and reality in considerable style with the somewhat controversial portrait (second pic) of Reeve’s Superman apprehending Saddam Hussein and Bin Laden.
While reminiscent of the final scenes of Superman: The Movie where Superman drops Lex and Otis into the Prison grounds, this portrait may be done just for fun but does seem to hearken back to the days where the Superman character was used in comic books to motivate troops by taking on real-world oppressive regimes. If nothing else, it serves as a contemporary reminder of what is meant by ‘Truth, Justice and the American way’…
From the Sideshow Collectibles.com website;
“The Man of Steel explodes into action like never before, with the Christopher Reeve as Superman Premium Format™ Figure.
Having just celebrated his 75th anniversary last year, the all-American icon endures through the decades like, well, a Man of Steel. Superman’s famous red cape soars on, even while aspects and attributes of the world’s first comic book superhero change as a reflection of the times and culture…”
Unveiled for pre-order on this splendidly presented page, the highly anticipated reveal of this latest PF is not quite the embodiment of SUPERMANIA’s worst fears realised but still does little to advance them beyond the initial thoughts as offered here.
Besides the hideous wooden plinth to force the height of the piece over two feet the addition of the out-of-scale Green Crystal (as an exclusive) elicits yet more bafflement but little incentive. There are positives – the costume (less skinny belt and padless cape) is fabulously realised but the irony of such time and effort being spent on this and having the best view from behind is not lost here.
Even this excellent article documenting the talented Matthew Black’s artistic process and obsession with the Reeve lifecast can’t detract from how much better the Hot Toys figure manages to appear sat on his own desk. Sadly, the gaunt, unbalanced portrait simply fails to capture Reeve and the pose is every bit as out of character.
With less ambition and more faith in simplicity and the source material this may well have been the definitive licensed Reeve as Superman statue. To expand, a base comprising of a top-tier corner from a New York apartment terrace, a headsculpt by Trevor Grove resplendent with warm expression, a revised costume with correct details and a pose, well, see any publicity photo from ’78 and take your pick. Whichever way you slice it, the fusion of iconic vintage with 21st century aesthetic in this instance fails to soar…
Fleetingly teased during their Into The Halls Of Justice promo as far back as Jan 2012, Sideshow Collectibles have finally affirmed their commitment to the classic Superman movies by revealing their prototype PF (Premium Format) figure.
As the initial pics (taken from the latest Production Peek) above show, the figure is at prototype stage (featuring fabric costume and Christopher Reeve likeness) but awaiting a finished base (full reveal expected soon).
Typically, when it comes to translations of the original Caped Wonder to 3D, fan opinion is immediately polarised. Though highly anticipated (especially its official debut in ¼ scale!) it seems the initial excitement has been dampened by concerns regarding the statue’s unnatural pose. Further issues with the (otherwise admirable) likeness such as an overly tall forehead and odd drooping brows one would hope could be easily rectified before production, but this is by no means guaranteed.
Longtime followers of SUPERMANIA may know this a road well-travelled when it comes to campaigning for the best Reeve Superman figure possible for your hard-earned cash. Though most are failed endeavours (see: Hot Toys costume) occasionally the passion (or vitriol) of fans reaches the companies concerned in time to make vital adjustments (see: Hot Toys sculpt) initiated here purely for the benefit of collectors rather than any declaration of superiority.
That said, what is becoming inexplicably more apparent with each subsequent release of new Reeve Superman merchandise is an abandonment/ignorance of the source material. One could happily tap-dance on the entire shipment of Superman Cinemaquette’s for starting the godawful trend of sculpting figures in mid-descent. Indeed, this ridiculous emulation of ‘Riverdance’ with requisite flounce is made all the worse by the fact it was NEVER seen on screen and in all likelihood would not appear as such if it did.
So it is with considerable resignation that, bestowed with a character who strikes an iconic pose in most every scene he appears we have been gifted with yet another contorted non-canon interpretation. This is made all the more frustrating by the fact this disproportionate body is adorned by far and away the most lovingly-tailored (and screen-accurate, short of the belt being a ¼ too narrow) costume seen on a Superman Movie figure to date. Complete with a base (again, given a multitude of screen environments to choose from) apparently modelled after the bursting Hoover Dam?!? – and you are left with a puzzling concoction.
With Sideshow’s rich history of producing outstanding PF’s you could be forgiven for expecting the creative team to understand the impact of letting a character ‘speak’ for itself in an elegant, relaxed pose vs. overworked. One glance at the masterpiece that is their ‘Raiders’ Indiana Jones PF affirms this. If this prototype is indeed intended as the final version I fear a great opportunity to repeat that success and produce the definitive Superman statue will be lost. We shall see..!
Longtime followers of SUPERMANIA may recall that in the wake of the Hot Toys figure (MMS 152) release, among the inevitable customs that followed one in particular by Duabelas Custom Works was standout.
Following a fine example neatly set by SuperFan Michael Stribling last year, Duabelas has struck again, creating an entirely new sculpt of an instantly recognisable 1/6 Reeve Clark Kent that would be a perfect opponent for the recently released Toyfair Exclusive Superman III figure (MMS 207) .
Though the glasses may not be 100% screen accurate, the wry smile is rendered perfectly and evokes the tongue-in-cheek characterisation remembered so fondly.
Interested parties should check out this thread on the Sideshow Freaks forum…
What better way to commemorate the ninth year of Christopher Reeve’s passing (Oct.10th) than a long-awaited new action figure announcement from Mattel?
Currently shown as prototypes at this years New York Comic-Con and available next year as part of their DC Comics Multiverse line, the 4″ articulated figures of Reeve’s Superman and Terrence Stamp’s General Zod form part of an expansive line based on classic superhero movies including Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns.
While any news regarding fresh merchandise based on the classic movie era is welcome here at SUPERMANIA, the impact of this particular surprise is lessened by the curious choice of scale and typically untidy prototypes (best of the bunch clearly DeVito’s Penguin) where simple but important details (like Superman’s chest shield) compromise the whole piece by looking like stuck-on confectionery. While the sculpts are admirable (especially for the size) in light of Mattel’s punchy, fun and not cancelled after all Batman ’66 line this already seems like a wasted opportunity to capitalise on the infinitely more popular 6″ scale…
(Pics above taken at NYCC by Toyark.com – full gallery (including the Superman live-action Costume lineup) here.
