{"id":22388,"date":"2013-01-18T09:00:55","date_gmt":"2013-01-18T15:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=22388"},"modified":"2013-01-28T19:19:40","modified_gmt":"2013-01-29T01:19:40","slug":"vault-review-dc-classics-john-constantine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=22388","title":{"rendered":"Vault Review: DC Classics
John Constantine"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>In our never ending quest to get caught up on toy reviews, I\u2019ll be taking a look at a figure that originally came out way back in November.\u00a0 Like Swamp Thing, Constantine is a character that I was really looking forward to.\u00a0 Unfortunately he didn\u2019t live up to my expectations.<\/p>\n

John Constantine is one of those characters that I love, even though I\u2019ve only read a few issues of his Hellblazer series.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t into comic books until 1997, and it took me a while to expand my reading horizons from Morrison\u2019s JLA to the Vertigo line.\u00a0 Most of my exposure to Constantine came from his appearances in fringes of the DC Universe.\u00a0 Old issues of Swamp Thing, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Zatanna one-shots, and Sandman, and the Books of Magic are how I came to know and love the character.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Being a person who also loves buying toys, I didn\u2019t even think twice about ordering Constantine\u2019s first figure from DC Direct way back in 2000.\u00a0 The line was still fairly new back then, and they were still trying to figure out just what adult collectors wanted out of their figures.\u00a0 That figure had issues with articulation, an odd face sculpt, and couldn\u2019t even stand up because his feet are a bit crooked.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This is one of the main reasons I was really looking forward to a DC Classics incarnation.\u00a0 But my first DC Classics Constantine disappointment came before he was even announced.\u00a0 My plan was to always have John hanging out on the shelf with his buddy Swamp Thing.\u00a0 Yes, I know.\u00a0 Swamp Thing can technically change his size, but most of the time the character is portrayed as only being a bit larger than the average human.\u00a0 Putting him on the shelf with John just looks wrong, so the big guy is usually forced to hang with the Collect & Connects.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Fortunately John\u2019s scale isn\u2019t an issue.\u00a0 He\u2019s got the standard suit buck body with the rubbery trench coat piece.\u00a0 We\u2019ve already seen this with figures like Question and Joker, so you know mostly what to expect.\u00a0 He does have a couple new pieces though.\u00a0 His chest is a new wrinkled shirt.\u00a0 His tie is new also and is sculpted to hang loose with a windblown look.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

John\u2019s most obvious new piece is his head.\u00a0 I have really mixed feelings about this piece.\u00a0 In my mind John Constantine has always looked like Sting (or maybe Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer).\u00a0 Although this figure\u2019s head sculpt is still recognizable as Constantine, I don\u2019t think it captures the characters essence and personality.\u00a0 I do like that they added the scar though.\u00a0 It definitely gives him a bit more character.\u00a0 Continue to page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

My last big complaint about this figure is his hands.\u00a0 Like Uncle Sam, John suffers from the oversized gripping hero hands.\u00a0 It makes the figure look weirdly out of proportion, and I feel the need to put him into poses that minimize their appearance.\u00a0 I understand that this line has a limited budget, but I don\u2019t really see why Mattel couldn\u2019t use the Clark Kent\/Two-Face hands.\u00a0 They\u2019re in scale with the figure, not gloved, and the right one\u2019s index finger sticks out a bit as if he were holding a cigarette.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

John\u2019s paint job is pretty basic.\u00a0 Almost all of his clothing is molded in the needed color, but there are some definite airbrushed shadows on his coat and shirt.\u00a0 His pants have also been given an extremely light dry brushing to look a bit worn.\u00a0 Aside from his head, his shoes probably have the most extensive apps.\u00a0 They\u2019ve been painted glossy and given a dry brush to look like scuff marks and dirt.\u00a0 Definitely a nice touch.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Constantine\u2019s articulation is pretty standard.\u00a0 His head is on a ball joint, but he can\u2019t really look up that well.\u00a0 His arms and hips are swivel hinges.\u00a0 His chest, elbows, knees and ankles are hinges.\u00a0 His biceps, wrists, waist, and thighs are all swivels.\u00a0 His coat is a very flexible plastic and doesn\u2019t really hinder his movement.<\/p>\n

Constantine doesn\u2019t come with any accessories.\u00a0 I understand the need to not promote smoking with toys, so I\u2019m ok with it.<\/p>\n

Although I\u2019ve been complaining a bit in this review, I don\u2019t actually hate this figure.\u00a0 His articulation is light years ahead of the DC Direct figure.\u00a0 He\u2019s also a bit taller and fits in much better on the shelf.\u00a0 I do think the choice of hands is entirely wrong.\u00a0 I\u2019m also not a big fan of the head sculpt, but that\u2019s more personal preference.\u00a0 If you\u2019re a fan of the character, I definitely recommend picking him up.\u00a0 There aren\u2019t a lot of opportunities to pick up a chain smoking magician that looks like your average bloke on the street.<\/p>\n

-Vault<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In our never ending quest to get caught up on toy reviews, I\u2019ll be taking a look at a figure that originally came out way back in November.\u00a0 Like Swamp Thing, Constantine is a character that I was really looking forward to.\u00a0 Unfortunately he didn\u2019t live up to my expectations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22389,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[6,1401,34,10],"tags":[1166,2557,21,1826,20,1825],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/jconTN.jpg?fit=50%2C50","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pObc6-5P6","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":20017,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=20017","url_meta":{"origin":22388,"position":0},"title":"Ask Mattel August 1st & Link Round-Up *Updated*","date":"August 2, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Ask Matty - August 1st Edition DCClassics.Com Asks: Were all Club Infinite Earths accessories shown at SDCC? For example, will Saint Walker include a Blue Lantern or will Constantine really ship with no accesssories? Yes and yes. MOTUClassics.Com Asks: In the online pics Castle Grayskullman featured rocky shoulders, but the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ask Matty"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18224,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=18224","url_meta":{"origin":22388,"position":1},"title":"Ask Mattel April 16th + Link Roundup","date":"April 16, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Ask Matty - April 2nd Edition DCClassics.Com Asks: What more can you reveal about DC figures for 2012 considering the recent changes and cancellations? Note: This question was asked before 'Matty Justice League' gave us the skinny. We almost didn't post this question as a result, but the answer is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ask Matty"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21298,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=21298","url_meta":{"origin":22388,"position":2},"title":"DC Classics.Com: Club Infinite Earths Black Mask Review","date":"October 3, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"DC Comics has got a slew of characters that wear boring ol\u2019 suits. Mattel has a figure subscription specifically targeted at collectors. When Mattel announced Club Infinite Earths, I was excited at the prospect of getting some boring ol\u2019 suit figures. Black Mask wasn\u2019t on the top of my list\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DCClassics.Com"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18945,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=18945","url_meta":{"origin":22388,"position":3},"title":"Ask Mattel June 1st Link Roundup (Updated)","date":"June 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Ask Matty - June 1st Edition DCClassics.Com Asks: The DC Death Staction is listed at 8\" - does that include the base or is that the specific height of the figure? The base makes her even taller. It adds about 2 inches. DCClassics.Com Asks: Will the Club Infinite Earths Platinum\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ask Matty"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21080,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=21080","url_meta":{"origin":22388,"position":4},"title":"Vault Review: Club Infinite Earths Mirror Master","date":"September 26, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"With DCUC currently MIA and DC Direct focusing on video games and all things Nu, the Club Infinite Earths subscription has been my only link to the comics and characters I love.\u00a0 And now with Rocket Red out of the way, it\u2019s pure character gold for the rest of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DCClassics.Com"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/mima7.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":21555,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=21555","url_meta":{"origin":22388,"position":5},"title":"DC Classics.Com: Club Infinite Earths Poison Ivy Review","date":"October 22, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Classics got its erstwhile start as a Batman line nine years ago. Six years ago, a Batman theme held down every other wave of DCSH. And DC Classics (2008-2011) certainly never strayed too far from Batman & his rogues. With all that Bat-history, it\u2019s inconceivable that we\u2019re just now getting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DCClassics.Com"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22388"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22388"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22483,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22388\/revisions\/22483"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}