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I finally started a review blog for the figures I get. My premiere post is the whole Wave 17 for DC Universe Classics.

These are Atom, Flash, Scarecrow, Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, Hal Jordan (White Lantern), and Anti-Monitor. Here's a slightly truncated review of the wave.

Blue Lantern Flash

This figure is a repaint of the older Flash figure, in blue and black colors. It uses the standard DCUC buck body with the addition of sculpted boots and power ring, which is pretty well done for how small it is. The paint apps are also pretty good and clean. There are a few scrapes here and there, but very little smudges or bleeds. However, where the two pieces of his ab-crunch meet, the blue in his costume fades into the black and while the lower piece is birght blue and it just kinda looks odd. This Flash is a very slick looking figure, and even better if you've got a Green Lantern collection going. Otherwise, if a Blue Lantern Flash looks good to you, go for it. This is a very good figure.

Wonder Woman

This figure uses the newer female mold. The main difference is the lack of ab-crunch joint and instead we have an oddly cut torso that rarely moves more than a few degrees without being forced. For some reason I've never cared for the female articulation as much as the male buck, even though they are nearly the same. But the sculpt makes up for it. She has a unique chest sculpt, along with new shiny bracers on each arm. Again, a good sculpted ring (which is more than DC Direct figures can claim most of the time), and the head sculpt is very nice. The paint on this one is good also, but the gold apps on any part besides the mask seem a little off. Despite the praise to the sculpt, this isn't one of my favorite figures in the wave. It's not outright bad, I just have a very "meh" attitude towards it.

Indigo Atom

Atom uses a heavily modified buck, with added sculpted clothes like his boots, sash/belt, and collar/vest/thingie. Really, the whole costume is pretty amazingly done. the Four Horsemen pulled out a lot of stops for this one (not as much as they would for their Exclusive line, of course). The hair is even fantastic. This outfit doesn't hinder his movement, which is awesome. The paint and detailing is just superb. Almost no bleeding or smudges on mine. But his staff is just solid molded plastic, obviously. But it looks like it was just cut from the mold because you can see strained white nub marks around the head of the staff. Besides the rough-cut staff, he's a pretty great figure that is pretty much a must buy from this wave.

Orange Lex Luthor

Lex uses a mold reserved for characters with power suits of some variety, such as a previous power suit Luthor, and the old Mister Freeze from the DC Superheroes line. The chest piece is a different design, however, and if you look very closely, he still has a sculpted ring. However, nearly the whole figure is molded in orange translucent plastic. This kind of plasic is notoriously more brittle than solid plastic. The power suit mold uses roughly the same articulation as the male buck, but the torso sits on a ball joint above the abs. My Lex happens to have a very loose one, so he wobbles around a lot. Also, for some reason, his right arm has no swivel joint. It's just not there. I would pass on this figure, sadly. If you feel like risking the joints with that clear plastic, go for it, just break him in gently.

Sinestro Corps Scarecrow

Scarecrow uses a thinner mold of the male body. He uses lankier legs and arms that haven't been used too often. He has open-sculpted hands as sinister claws that can still, a little awkwardly, hold his yellow lantern. Both his legs and arms use double joints that definetly work, but at least his knees were very stiff and rarely need to be moved to that degree. Like Atom, Scarecrow's sculpt is top-notch. Especially his mask/hat and noose that runs down his neck and is sculpted perfectly over his Sinestro Corps emblem. He is a good figure that, with a better though-out and painted jacket, could have been perfect. One of my favorites though, for sure.

White Lantern Hal Jordan

Hal is the most basic figure of the wave, using the whole of the standard buck to full effect. The only new sculpt is his head, with clenched teeth and determination. He sports a sculpted ring on one hand and a useless open hand (Hal is the only figure without a lantern, unless you count Atom). The face is well done, and the teeth are very nicely detailed. But where this figure really shines is the paint job. The figure is molded in a dull off-white and painted silver with black highlights. In person this is a really awesome paint job and the sliver looks great. I really like this figure. I just play with him the most because of his simplicity.

Anti-Monitor

He is able to be posed in some basic poses, but his size, and the heft of his torso, require attention to balance most of the time. The sculpt, though, is really good. The segmentation on his body and his armor are just well done. His chest piece is soft rubber plastic so you can lift it over his torso in order to attatch his head. His loincloth is also soft, but even if it wasn't it wouldn't be much of a hinderance. But if there's one big complaint I have, it's his height. The Anti-Monitor, destroyer of universes, should at least be a little taller than Stel or Arkillo, some rather large Corps members. Still a pretty cool figure and display piece.

They are for the most part very cool figures on par with what DCUC has done. If you like the characters, or the fact that they may be the only DCUC figures in their parts of the emotional spectrum (except the Sinestro Corps), take your pick. Atom, Scarecrow, and Hal are my personal picks, but they all work well together.

I hope you check out the full review (more pictures too) and enjoy future posts which I'll link here.

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