DC Action League: Deadman and Martian Manhunter

Christmas, as we all knows, brings toys, especially when one is lucky enough to be married to a woman who appreciates the geekier pursuits of life.

Lindsay had her work cut out for her this year: after buying this pack for me, she had to prevent me from jumping the gun and ordering it as soon as I realized it was available online. Somehow she managed to do so without tipping her hand, and I was surprised on Christmas morning.

The Action League line is one I'm extremely excited about these days. Now that I've more or less got every DC character I care about in the 6 inch scale, I want a set of 2-inch, stylized figures. At the very least, I'd like a full set of the original Justice League, and this puts me within striking distance of that goal (I'm just missing an Aquaman, and there are, at the very least, Brave and the Bold versions available).

This is a set I've been interested in for some time. While this Deadman is cool, it's of course Martian Manhunter I wanted, so I'm thrilled he's the standout. I love the eyes, cape, and expression: actually, there's nothing on Martian Manhunter I don't like, save the articulation (both are limited to just the standard waist, shoulder, and neck cuts). Deadman's not quite as close to perfect, but he's still extremely cool. The plastic is just the slightest bit translucent, hinting at his spectral nature (despite the fact this version's technically alive again, but who cares). My one quibble is with his feet, which are connected in an odd-looking manner.

But overall the sculpting is well executed, as is the paint. This is a great set: Mattel's really getting good at this scale.

The back answers a question which had been baffling me for a while: namely, why these two are paired. This is intended as a tie-in with the Brightest Day story line, which followed both these characters (along with several others) following their resurrections at the conclusion of Blackest Night. It all seems fairly trivial now that the universe has been partially rebooted, but fortunately the character designs are generic enough to fit in with just about any era.

This is a gift, so I'm not entirely sure what my wife paid. I have seen these online recently for as little as $8, though, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding them at that price. Seeing as they're going for more than $10 in Toys R Us stores here in NYC, that doesn't seem as unreasonable as it once did.