Trinity War: Superman, Wonder Woman & Batman 3 Pack (DC Collectibles)
In case you haven’t been reading comic books recently, back in 2011 DC made the controversial choice to scrap over 75 years of continuity and ‘reboot’ their entire universe. This retcon made major characters much younger, abandoned much-loved characters altogether and kicked off all series with a brand new first issue, which is great for a quick boost in sales but not so good for long term fans. Still, screw those old bastards, right?
Trinity War was a 2013 storyline that pitted the DC Universe’s premiere super-team The Justice League against itself, as factions formed within the team and battled over the legendary Pandora’s box. Essentially just a drawn-out slugfest that served to introduce the awesome Crime Syndicate into new 52 continuity, the series did result in some beautiful artwork courtesy of Jim Lee.
The standout figure in this set is probably Superman, with his shiny shiny costume and smug expression. He looks like a Superman for a new generation, likely to stop for a selfie before saving the world from Doomsday. New 52 Batman is dour as ever, unsurprising considering he’s been through at least three Robins in the 5 years of new continuity. From a visual standpoint his costume is adorned by the unnecessary lines that have become Jim Lee’s trademark, but at least his cape drapes on the ground behind him.
Wonder Woman isn’t a bad looking figure, but DC Collectables have made the poor choice to take away her sword, which was an appropriate accessory considering she is meant to be an Amazon warrior. Still, this is not as egregious choice as Marvel Masterworks Black Widow figure, which had both hands molded to hold pistols but no guns included in the so-called deluxe package. She’s not a Barbie, Marvel!
Avengers Collectors Series: Ultron, Hulk, The Vision (Marvel Legends)
Avengers: Age of Ultron has made almost $1.4 billion at the global box office, but most of the action figures accompanying the movie have been aimed at kids. Sure, the Titans Series were nice enough, if you didn’t mind the fact that the elbows and knees didn’t move, and their weird habit of talking to each other in the middle of the night. Or was that just in my mind?
Still, if you’re building an Avengers collection, there are a couple of nice figures in this box. Villain of the day Ultron looks great, and you can almost hear James Spader’s arrogant voice coming out of his metal mouth. Marvel’s Vision also looks good, although he’s the clear comic book version rather than the more colourful iteration seen on the big screen. Either way, he makes the Scarlet Witch figure feel slightly less lonely.
The weak link in the threesome is undoubtedly the Hulk, who is a lot smaller than he should be. Dwarfed by properly scaled Hulk figures released over recent years, this Hulk is also shorter than Thor and Black Widow. Seriously, Marvel… has there really been a massive demand for puny Hulk?
The Verdict
For those just getting started on action figure collecting, The Justice League collection includes three of the most important heroes in the DC universe. Hardcore collectors will probably already have multiple versions of the Big 3 in their possession, but the figures look so good that you’ll probably want to buy them anyway.
The Avengers collection is more of a mixed bag. Ultron looks great and is super-poseable, but is a little on the small side. Vision is a solid addition to any Avengers team, but it’s an odd choice to go for the opaque version rather than the screen/classic comic book costume. Puny Hulk looks absolutely ridiculous, and should only be used for the transition figure in ‘Hulk transforms’ sequence or as the basis for a George the Animal steel custom figure.
