DC Justice Society of America Hawkgirl

DC Justice Society of America Hawkgirl

Presenting Hawkgirl from the DC Direct Justice Society of America toyline.

To the uninitiated, this is Shiera Sanders Hall occupying the body of Kendra Saunders - a distant relation of hers who committed suicide and whose body was taken over by Shiera Sanders' soul. We're a bit more fuzzy with the history of the Justice Society especially since DC keeps killing them or relegating them to be so unimportant they were all once exiled into "Limbo" where they would fight for an eternity to keep Ragnarok from Earth.

Anyway, in essence this is still the Golden Age Hawkgirl - the one who has lived several lifetimes as she keeps getting reincarnated with her partner Carter Hall (In the comic books, their reincarnations have nothing to do with Vandal Savage).

Batman Arkham Knight Action Figure

Batman Arkham Knight Action Figure

Presenting the Arkham Knight from the highly successful Batman video game of the same name.

In a nutshell, this is Jason Todd, the second Robin (The one we all voted to kill... well we did anyway, sorry about that) that the Joker allegedly killed.

For those unfamiliar with the video-game, Jason Todd replaces Dick Grayson as Robin and is seemingly killed by the Joker. Unbeknownst to Batman, the greatest Detective on Earth, Jason is still alive and has been kidnapped by the Joker.

The Joker tortures and mentally breaks Jason Todd in an abandoned wing of Arkham Assylum FOR A YEAR. You know how heroes always cling to hope and say "The Batman will come for me"? Well the Joker makes Jason cast away all hope by showing him pictures of the Batman with the new Robin (Tim Drake).

Broken, the Joker brands Jason with a "J" on his forehead and says that Jason is now his sidekick. Jason almost gives in and is about to reveal Batman's true identity when the Joker decides to shoot him in the head (Personally, we believe that he was bored and it wouldn't be any fun for the Joker if he knew the Batman's true identity).

But Jason lives! (Just had to say it). And filed with anger, the Arkham Knight is born.

Batman Arkham Knight Catwoman

Presenting Catwoman from the DC Direct Batman Arkham Knight Series 2 toyline.

So. The fastest selling video-game for 2015. I find this a bit surprising considering the admitted glitches for PC users (Boo!). But maybe we're just not that into the game anymore because Batman Origins made us feel isolated, a bit paranoid, and filled with the need to hear necks crack (Seriously, there is no way that Batman is not killing the people he's fighting in the Arkham Series. It's either that or he's leaving them permanently paralyzed from the neck down.)

But we do love the story-telling and how the game was able to slowly integrate the other members of the Bat Family into it's roster of playable characters. We certainly had fun as Nightwing (Not so much as Robin), and we wished we could follow Catwoman around longer.

MORE AFTER THE JUMP

Batman Hush Huntress Action Figure

Presenting the Huntress action figure from DC Directs' Batman Hush Toyline.

We weren't actually planning to shoot the Huntress but our trusty six year old Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 is finally croaking - feels like losing an old friend (One that we kept dropping) - and we needed to test out our options. So these were taken using the 16MP camera of our Samsung Note 4.

Not bad! What do you guys think?

To the uninitiated, this is Helena Rosa Bertinelli, child of a mafia boss. She was a victim of mob related rape at a young age which forced her into a recluse state until she witnessed anther mob related crime - the attempted murder of her entire family. Her bodyguard then trains this shrinking violet into becoming an enforcer out to end all mob activity: the Huntress.

DC Elseworld's Finest Supergirl

Presenting Supergirl from the DC Elseworld's Finest one-shot.

To the uninitiated, Supergirl is Kara Zor-El. This is of course an alternate universe separate from the main-stream DC universe (Elseworld, duh) where she is the last survivor not of Krypton, but of the destroyed Argo City. Sent to Earth.

In this reality, Kryptonians were actually aware of Earth's heroes and Supergirl grew up dreaming of joining their ranks. It is not disclosed what destroyed Krypton and, later, Argo City, but she is sent to Earth as a teenager and is welcomed into the ranks of the Justice Society of America and rises to become it's greatest and most popular hero just like her mainstream counterpart.

In this Elseworld however, Batman doesn't exist. Instead Barbara Gordon defends Gotham as Batgirl and has successfully seceded Gotham City from the rest of the United States to the point that no-metahuman can enter Gotham, where they are banned, without suffering dire consequences. Even the mighty Justice Society of America led by Wonder Woman cannot enter Gotham unless it's under Batgirl's terms.

Justice League of America Batman

Presenting the DC Justice League of America Batman. This is the Pre-52 Batman as conceptualized by Brad Meltzer as he appeared prior to his "death" during the last Final Crisis (Flaspoint does not count as a crisis). Ironically, this particular incarnation of the Justice League of America (AKA Justice League of America Volume 2 ) was formed a year after the DC Infinite Crisis.

Justice League of America Volume 2 kicked off with the DC trinity (Superman, Wonderman and Batman) selecting a new team of heroes - including deciding whether or not they themselves should be on it, and the final roster consisted of the Trinity, Hal Jordan, Black Canary, Red Arrow, Black Lightning, and because they showed up when the team was being formed, Vixen and the Red Tornado.

The team disbanded following the Final Crisis and they were replaced by a next-gen heroes that included Batman (Grayson), Donna Troy, Mol-El, The Atom, Green Arrow, Cyborg, Doctor Light, Starfigre, Congorilla, the Guardian - and later Jade and Jessie Quick.

Unfortunately I would not say that this is my favorite Batman. I'll discus why later. My actual favorite is  the Batman from Hush.

Green Lantern Arisia - Blackest Night Series 3

Presenting Green Lantern Arisia from wave 3 of the Blackest Night Action figure series. As I thought about what to upload into the Dungeon this sleepy early morning, I realized that it's St. Patrick's day on the other side of the world. Hence giving the majority of the readers of this blog something Green.... well mostly Orange... and hot... seemed the appropriate thing to do.



So here she is! Arisia Rrab, the golden-skinned teenager who was one of the original members of Earth's Green Lantern Corp who subconsciously commanded her ring to age her because the love of her life Hal Jordan would not give her the time of day (Because statutory rape is statutory rape in any part of the galaxy). This infatuation  - or a teen fetish in her DC creators: Mike W. Barr (Reverse Barr and it's her surname), Len Wein & Joe Staton - probably explains her desire to go around with almost as little clothing as a Star Sapphire.


It worked though and Hal Jordan and the buxom force-blossomed woman with the mind of a 13 year-old became a couple (In the recent words of Prince Namor and Hope of the X-Men "Ick, Ick, Ick!" I suppose movies like Lolita and Sabrina were in fashion at the time.). Eventually they would break it off and maintain a strained friendship till her death at the hands of Major Force.

But no one stays dead forever and Arisia would rise again as apparently her body had just send her into a form of healing stasis.  Arisia would eventually re-establish her position as a member of the Green Lantern Corp - still dressed as she is but with a more mature, womanly, disposition and is actually assigned to baby-sit Sodam Yat, the next host of Ion, the embodiment of the Green Lantern Corp who seemingly perishes saving his home planet of Daxam.

Till the events of Brightest Day - as predicted in a dream by Arisia.

Star Sapphire: Green Lantern Series 3

Presenting Carol Ferris as Star Sapphire from the Green Lantern Series 3 collection. She's obviously very gracious in sharing her assets with the rest of the world, but I have to say that I'm disappointed with this figure because she actually wears less in the comic books so I don't understand why DC Direct decided to keep her so modest.

What is it with DC and their heroines having to constantly expose their cleavage? None of the current X-Men or Avengers are as "Exposed" as Star Sapphire or Wonder Woman or Power Girl.

I'm not complaining by the way.

This particular incarnation of Carol Ferris as the Star Sapphire is from the Green Lantern Series 3 collection, hence and it is not to be confused with the sterner looking, just as well dressed, more purple than pink, slightly translucent and star speckled version of Carol Ferris as the Star Sapphire - which also came with more billowy hair - that came out with the Green lantern Blackest Night Series.

It also means that this particular Star Sapphire did not come with a lantern OR - get this - a ring. If you want a Carol Ferris as the Star Sapphire that has a Power Ring, a Star Sapphire base and a Violet Lantern, get the Blackest Night Series version - though this particular variant is prettier and more feminine.

DC Direct Infinite Crisis Power Girl

Presenting Power Girl from the DC Direct Infinite Crisis toy series. Before I started the review, I was wondering if it would actually be possible to go through it without discussing her two most powerful assets. And quite frankly it's just not possible.

They're huge! They're simply huge! The Black Canary has called them a "National Treasure!" They're two ginormous fun bags that are impossible to miss and HARD to miss because of that BIG hole in the front of her uniform that's there because - in her words - "I couldn’t think of anything. I thought eventually, I’d figure it out. And close the hole. But I haven’t"

Power Girl is also quoted as saying that the hole in her uniform "shows what I am: female, healthy. If men want to degrade themselves by staring, that's their problem, I'm not going to apologize for it."

Seriously!!!???? How can men NOT stare! Take this sculpt for example. No matter how you light it, or how you look at it. The subject of this sculpt is that big hole in her uniform and the two bazookas inside. It's a wonder that one or the other doesn't pop out while she's in combat. How could they not? Maybe the pipping running up the front two sides are indicative of a support system.

Speaking of mushmellons: Did you know that there's actually a website that lists 262 slang terms for U-boats? 

Green Lantern Stel and Green Lantern Arkkis Chummuck

Presenting Green Lantern Stel and Green Lantern Arkkis Chummuck from the DC Direct Green Lantern Series 4 and the latest additions to my Green Lantern Collection.

I'm not quite sure why DC Direct decided to do these two particular characters especially in light of the fact that there are far more popular characters that they could have tapped. At best these two are minor secondary characers and Arkkis Chummuck is dead having last been seen in the Darkest Night Series, and while Lantern Stel has become the new Green Lantern Drill Sergeant, he's by no means as popular as Lantern Kilowog.

But the two do have a "motiff" in common. Lantern Arkkis Chummuck is, in every sense of the word, literally an Emerald Knight while Lantern Stel is a walking tin-suit. And both have died - although Lantern Stel made it back alive (pun intended)

DC Direct Brightest Day: Jade

Presenting Jade from DC Direct's Brightest Day series 3 AKA Jennifer-Lynn "Jennie" Hayden. To the uninitiated, Jade is the daughter of Allan Scott AKA the Golden Age Green Lantern and  Rose Canton - a woman whose split persona is the villain named Thorn - ex-Golden Age Flash villain (Yeah he likes bad girls). Jade's twin is the slightly insane Todd Rice, also known as Obsidian whose Shadow based powers are in contrast to Jade's light-based powers.

Ironically, both Jade and Obsidian gained awareness of their power while escaping from molestation while they were in their foster homes - their mom's Thorn persona had resurfaced and she stole them away from home but fearing that she could end up harming them, surrendered them to foster care.

Jade manifested the ability to create green light constructs akin to the power of her father and the members of the Green Lantern Corp - but not requiring her a ring to focus the energy or the need to recharge. We should note that the source of her power - as with that of her father's - is the Starheart (Which is magic based versus the Green Lantern Corp's science based rings).

Jade would go on to become the Earth's first female member of the Green Lantern Corp and was eventually killed in space during the events of DC's Infinite Crisis.

Toy News: DC Direct this Christmas Green Lantern Series 5 and Starcraft

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas thanks to our friends at DC Direct.  They've just announced two must watch action figure series that collectors just cannot miss and are slated for release this December 2011 - not 2012, so we still all have one full year to enjoy them before the end of the world. 

First up is the 5th installment in the Green Lantern Action figure series which will include, among others Lantern Guy Gardner, Lantern Kyle Rayner's current squeeze Lantern Soranik Natu - doctor and successor of Sinestro in the Green Lantern Corp; Lantern Stel - the robotic current Drill Sergeant of the Green Lantern Corp having replaced Lantern Kilowog; and at least two more figures including the big blue Elephant looking incarnation of a Hindu god Blue Lantern Brother Warth and a yet to be disclosed figure of Sinestro - which they are still keeping under wraps. Personally I believe that it will probably be an incarnation of Sinestro as he was as a Green Lantern.