{"id":23003,"date":"2013-03-21T22:59:59","date_gmt":"2013-03-22T03:59:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=23003"},"modified":"2013-09-20T16:08:26","modified_gmt":"2013-09-20T21:08:26","slug":"dcclassics-com-club-infinite-earths-phantom-stranger-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=23003","title":{"rendered":"DCClassics.Com Club IE
Phantom Stranger Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>I haven\u2019t had time to gather up the review links of late (man, that\u2019s gonna be one massive list\u2026), but how about we toss a brief review into the Friday mix to make up for it? Today, I\u2019ve got a quick look at Mattel\u2019s version of Phantom Stranger, the February Club Infinite Earths figure. <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve mentioned it a million times I know, but some of the earliest things I remember reading as a kid were 70s JLA reprints. They\u2019re still some of my favorite stories to this day and, as such, Phantom Stranger is pretty important character to me even if he\u2019s not terribly well-known. <\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

The original (dare I say \u201creal\u201d), pre-nU52 version of the Phantom Stranger is a great example of things DC had to let go to reformat their universe. Stranger originally appeared in the 1950s as a horror character, either disproving or combating supernatural threats. In the 70s & 80s, he was pulled from those origins into the mainstream of the DCU where he\u2019d assist the Justice League or foster along a sequence of events in the large crossovers. And while he would play his part, who he was was always in question. Readers only knew that he was cursed to wander the Earth in penance of something. DC traded on his unknown origins, even publishing an issue of Secret Origins that featured four different possible origins for the Stranger. His mysteriousness, his lack of origin was what made the character interesting. <\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

Sadly, all that was washed away by DC. One of the first things they set out to do in the new universe was given the Stranger an origin (he\u2019s Judas Iscariot \u2013 hey, I didn\u2019t say it was original) and more or less torpedo what made him cool or unique. I\u2019ll be honest, I haven\u2019t read the new solo title, but the changes made to the Stranger represent what I don\u2019t much like about the relaunch. I\u2019m just not interested in the new version, his definitive origin, and the need to replace his medallion with a necklace made from the thirty pieces of silver. Nuance has been replaced with \u201ckewl!\u201d. <\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

But, hey none of that really applies to this figure right? This is the classic Phantom Stranger that I know and love. And I should be happy to finally have him in the line\u2026 but, much like the new 52 Stranger, he just doesn\u2019t quite scratch the itch I need him to. <\/p>\n

The figure is what any longtime DCUC collector would\u2019ve come to expect. It\u2019s the same suited body we\u2019ve seen a couple times with a handful of new pieces to get the details right. In that regard, Mattel didn\u2019t skimp here. We\u2019ve got the new turtle neck upper torso, new hands, the cape, and the head. Also included is the medallion as a removable piece and all the chains are real metal. On paper, this figure looks like it should be awesome. Continue to Page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But in person, there\u2019s just something off. I can\u2019t quite put my finger on it. I can nitpick some things \u2013 I\u2019m tired of the mystical characters getting these outstretched hands. It\u2019s starting to feel like an automatic thing with no thought put into it \u2013 mystic character? Let\u2019s get the outstretched hands ready! Maybe it\u2019s just getting him so close to Dr. Manhattan, but I\u2019d like to see something different here. For sure, the right hand should be outstretched, that\u2019s a classic Stranger pose. But the other hand could\u2019ve given us something different. How about a hand that could hold his raised medallion? Or, heck, even a fist would probably make me happier here. Normally, I\u2019d chalk this up to part reuse, but the hands are new, so it\u2019s not that simple.<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

The head is good overall. I actually compliment the use of the heavy shading to capture his trademark look. Normally, I say that shadow effects should be avoided. It\u2019s best to just let regular lighting do the work, but the darker paint around the eyes works with the shadow to highlight the effect. Yes, it looks hilarious from the wrong angle, like something blew up in his face (there\u2019s a pic I missed\u2026), but I\u2019m almost always looking down at my figures and it looks great unless you flip the figure over. <\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

One area where I\u2019m not too thrilled with the figure is the articulation. The suit body has always been a little awkward with the range of some of the joints, like the elbows, being more limited than it is on the standard bucks. Stranger also has no up or down movement in the neck which really hurts his ability to look in the direction those open hands are pointing. <\/p>\n

I feel a little guilty complaining about the restricted articulation though because I’ve considered the DCD version a fantastic figure all these years and it moves even less. I don’t need two Phantom Strangers on my shelves, but having to choose between a Bruckner sculpt and a 4H sculpt is like picking a favorite child! Looking at them side-by-side, I’m not sure which one has the edge anymore. DCUC vs DCD is an annoying choice, but I should be happy to have two figs of my favorite character when so many of my favorites don’t even have one…<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

Overall, I think this figure makes me feel like a bitter old fan. The parts of the figure are proficient in what they\u2019re trying to do, but the sum of it just seems to fall short of its goal. There are some great things to like \u2013 the removable necklace, the shadow effect, and that the figure got all the new pieces it needed, but I just find myself wanting more from the figure. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

More DC Universe Classics Reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For all our DC reviews, check out our
\n DC Universe Classics Collector’s Guide<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

I haven\u2019t had time to gather up the review links of late (man, that\u2019s gonna be one massive list\u2026), but how about we toss a brief review into the Friday mix to make up for it? Today, I\u2019ve got a quick look at Mattel\u2019s version of Phantom Stranger, the February Club Infinite Earths figure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"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":[6,34,10],"tags":[1166,665,21,164,20,1886,1546],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pObc6-5Z1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":23329,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=23329","url_meta":{"origin":23003,"position":0},"title":"Mattel Announces SDCC Exclusive For DCUC\/CIE & No One Cares","date":"May 2, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Mattel announced their DCUC\/CIE exclusive for SDCC this year and... I honestly think I liked last year\u2019s nothing better. I try not go negative here at IAT, but this one just bugs me. I almost don't want to post it. It\u2019s got dumb Mattel, Geoff Johns, new 52, and bad\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DCClassics.Com"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23065,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=23065","url_meta":{"origin":23003,"position":1},"title":"Top Reviews for Feb & March Review Indexes Updated!","date":"March 31, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019ve been on one crazy train since Valentine\u2019s Day and I forgot to post that the Review Indexes for both IAT & Battlegrip.com were updated for February. Oops! Well, they\u2019ve now been updated for March and we can take a quick look at the Top 10 reviews from the last\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20141,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=20141","url_meta":{"origin":23003,"position":2},"title":"MOTU\/DC Figs Guaranteed til Dec2013, Let’s Get Back to Nitpicking!","date":"August 8, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cAre you even listening?\u201d \u201cCan you put the phone down?\u201d I think I might have annoyed everyone I talked to yesterday. I had a full plate, but my iPhone was pretty much glued to my hand as I checked for updates and then reactions to the update on the Mattycollector\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ask Matty"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18945,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=18945","url_meta":{"origin":23003,"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":21298,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=21298","url_meta":{"origin":23003,"position":4},"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":24962,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=24962","url_meta":{"origin":23003,"position":5},"title":"DCClassics.Com Club Infinite Earths Fire Review","date":"September 19, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"","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\/23003"}],"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\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23003"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23003\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24984,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23003\/revisions\/24984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}