Tuesday, March 12, 2013

New And New-Old Hawkman Toys

I have been trying to go through my ridiculous backlog of toys and get them opened up and displayed lately.  I am still catching up (a new GI Joe movie will always get me backed up with new purchases), but I have managed to bust out two new Hawkman toys, one actually new and one only new-to-me.  So here's some quick thoughts.

The New: DC Comics Unlimited "Savage" Hawkman.  This large figure is in the style of the DCUC Hawkman in terms of sculpt and articulation. Otherwise, it is all Philip Tan's design from the New 52 launch, right down to the weapons.  It's a well proportion and detailed figure, with nicely buff arms, a typically barrel chest, and impressive wings.  The wings use the same sort of hinge piece as the DCUC figure, which makes sense, but is still ugly.  Still, how often are you going to look at him from behind?  He retains a grimace, which fits for the Tan depiction of the character as well.  The axe weapon is a nice change of pace from the maces which Hawkman is normally given.  The shield/claws piece satisfies the shield requirement nicely.  Overall, I really like him, but beware that the cost of these 6" figures has gone up to almost $18 to as much as Twenty-Five Dollars  in some places, so caveat emptor.  I thought he was worth it but your mileage may vary.

The New-To-Me: Mattel Total Justice Hawkman.  My friend Frank has a strange sort of love the Total Justice line, and in a way I do as well.  As a y'ung'un I only had the Flash, who was very prone to falling over, but in general I think the line did alright considering the gimmick and the era in which they were produced.  Hawkman has the benefit of what Transformers fans call "third leg mode," and-- get your mind out of the gutter.  His wings are mostly static but the right wing tip is close enough to the ground that it can act as a tripod for the figure, helping him stand sturdily.  The details which are there are pretty nice -- I like the long hair sticking out from below the helmet, for instance.  The armor pieces are a waste of time, as usual, but the figure itself is a nice enough rendition of Katar Hol, and I can easily see a kid playing with him along with the other members of the Justice League.

(Considering their cost, don't think I haven't thought about getting my boys a set of Total Justice Justice League toys to play with.)

The final verdict is that I still love Hawkman toys.  Two excellent additions for my Hawkman shelf and a nice whetting of my appetite for the two big 2-packs I still have sitting unopened -- the DCUC Hawkgirl vs Gentleman Ghost set, and the DC Direct Hawkman and Hawkgirl set.  So we'll save those for another time.

5 comments:

Mr P said...

I bought that Total Justice Hawkman as a toy for my little brother way back when. I think I played with it more than he did. :P

Luke said...

Just admit it Mr P, you bought it for yourself and only said it was for your brother. I won't judge you! ;)

Honestly, for a kids toy, they are not bad at all. Good size, sturdy, decent likeness. I can see a kid having adventures with a few Total Justice toys easy!

Count Drunkula said...

I have both of the DC Universe Classics Hawkman figures: the version from Wave 6, and the Golden Age version with changeable head from Wave 19. I prefer the more modern Wave 6 version's head design. He's one of my favorite DCUC figures, and I have quite a few.

Luke said...

I never saw the Golden Age one, unfortunately, but I remain a big fan of the Modern style DCUC one. I love the orange coloring on the helmet (reminds me of the Super Powers toy), and the wings are really nice on that one as well.

Once I get all of my Hawkman and Hawkgirl toys opened, I'll have to take a picture of their shelf for the blog!

Mr P said...

I didn't take the toy with me when I left home. :P

I did take the Super Powers Hawkman, though. That's still my favorite Hawkman action figure. Although, he now lives in my kids' toy box.