DC Universe Classics Starman

Jack Knight was the star of a Starman series which wrapped up about ten years ago. The son of the original Starman, Jack was something of a reluctant hero, which is why he skipped the super-suit and opted to fight crime in jeans and a T-shirt.

The series is well regarded, and rightly so: I read about half, and really liked it. One of these days, I need to track down the rest.

Mattel released Jack a few waves back, and I've been biding my time, waiting for a deal. Technically, he's a variant - his father, the original Starman, is also available. But wave 15 of DCUC hasn't exactly been flying off the shelves (other than Raven, who I got last year), so I figured I wouldn't have to drop twenty bucks on Jack. Turns out I was right: Toys R Us has all their DCUC figures on sale, and I picked this up for $12.50 (according to rumor, even this is a markup - supposedly, they're $10 out there in the city of Not-New York).

In terms of appearance, the figure is good, but has issues. The head sculpt could be a lot stronger and really needs better paint, but the symbol on the back of his coat is awesome. Articulation is the normal DCUC, with the exception of an abs hinge, which is lost beneath his shirt.

Jack's main accessory is his Cosmic Staff, which lets him control gravity. It was pretty much required, and is nicely done. He also comes with one of Validus's legs, if you're interested in completing the figure. Finally, you get a button. I've never been a huge fan of this promotion, though: I'd rather have gotten another accessory.

As for Validus, I'm only missing the arms now. I'll probably complete the figure some day, though I'm reluctant to drop $12.50 or even $10 on Jemm or OMAC. But given how obscure those two are and how many seem to be warming the pegs at Toys R Us, I'm betting I can get an even better deal if I'm patient.