Review: Action League Sportsmaster Vs. Green Arrow
A while back, I picked an Action League Batman figure at a comic store. Batman ran me five bucks, and, at the time, I was having a heck of a time finding these for anything less. I was willing to drop that kind of money on a Batman, but I wasn't about to spend as much for his friends.
Well, times change, toys get distributed to massive retail outlets, and, as a result, prices drop. All of that is a convoluted way of saying I stopped by Target recently and found the two packs at a more reasonable price.
The figures I'm looking at are Green Arrow, one of DC's second (okay, third) tier heroes and Sportsmaster (I lose track of the tier he's in). Green Arrow is one of those characters comic book readers are always surprised to discover that no one else has ever heard of him. In the DCU, he's an established, important character. Outside of that, he's Robin Hood with zany arrows.
Sportsmaster, on the other hand... uh... he showed up in the alternate universe episode in the first season of Justice League and he's been on Batman: Brave and the Bold. Other than that, you'll need to Google him: I really have no clue.
That's the bizarre aspect about these toys: by tying them to Batman: Brave and the Bold, Mattel is limiting their pool of characters to some fairly obscure ones. Personally, I'd like to see Mattel use this style on other characters: Superman, Wonder Woman, and some other A-listers. But that'll probably have to wait.
I should also add that this combination of characters is a little odd. The pack alludes to the episode of Brave and the Bold where Sportsmaster attacked a bowling alley. He was defeated by Batman and Blue Beetle, not Green Arrow.
Well, times change, toys get distributed to massive retail outlets, and, as a result, prices drop. All of that is a convoluted way of saying I stopped by Target recently and found the two packs at a more reasonable price.
The figures I'm looking at are Green Arrow, one of DC's second (okay, third) tier heroes and Sportsmaster (I lose track of the tier he's in). Green Arrow is one of those characters comic book readers are always surprised to discover that no one else has ever heard of him. In the DCU, he's an established, important character. Outside of that, he's Robin Hood with zany arrows.
Sportsmaster, on the other hand... uh... he showed up in the alternate universe episode in the first season of Justice League and he's been on Batman: Brave and the Bold. Other than that, you'll need to Google him: I really have no clue.
That's the bizarre aspect about these toys: by tying them to Batman: Brave and the Bold, Mattel is limiting their pool of characters to some fairly obscure ones. Personally, I'd like to see Mattel use this style on other characters: Superman, Wonder Woman, and some other A-listers. But that'll probably have to wait.
I should also add that this combination of characters is a little odd. The pack alludes to the episode of Brave and the Bold where Sportsmaster attacked a bowling alley. He was defeated by Batman and Blue Beetle, not Green Arrow.
Appearance and Construction: 6/10
Green Arrow: 8/10 Sportsmaster: 5/10
If you've been reading the site for a while, you know I don't generally list separate scores at the top. This isn't a policy shift: it's an exception. I'm willing to drag Green Arrow's score through the mud, but I want to make sure it's clear that one half of this pack is dragging the other half down.
Lets start with Arrow. By far the better of the two figures, this makes good use of the style these are created in. I don't like him quite as much as Batman, but he's certainly close.
The high points are really the lines and design. The sharp angles compliment the figure well here, giving him an almost modern-art sensibility. The hat and mask, in particular, look very cool. I also like the pose, despite the fact it's a tad nonsensical. In most poses, it either looks like he's reaching for an arrow or drawing back the string: neither of which technically works with the position of the right hand. But that's okay, because this is a work of surrealism.
The 'G' on his belt is clean, and the sash holding the quiver on is likewise effective. The boxing glove arrow is great. I do wish the arrows in the quiver had been detailed a bit more, but that's ultimately a minor complaint. I'm also of two minds about his chin: from certain angles, it winds up looking like a frown. This occurs because his small grin is on the side of his face. It's actually a neat effect from some perspectives.
Lets start with Arrow. By far the better of the two figures, this makes good use of the style these are created in. I don't like him quite as much as Batman, but he's certainly close.
The high points are really the lines and design. The sharp angles compliment the figure well here, giving him an almost modern-art sensibility. The hat and mask, in particular, look very cool. I also like the pose, despite the fact it's a tad nonsensical. In most poses, it either looks like he's reaching for an arrow or drawing back the string: neither of which technically works with the position of the right hand. But that's okay, because this is a work of surrealism.
The 'G' on his belt is clean, and the sash holding the quiver on is likewise effective. The boxing glove arrow is great. I do wish the arrows in the quiver had been detailed a bit more, but that's ultimately a minor complaint. I'm also of two minds about his chin: from certain angles, it winds up looking like a frown. This occurs because his small grin is on the side of his face. It's actually a neat effect from some perspectives.
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The other complaint is a repeat from my review of Batman: he's got the same molding issue on his shoulder that plagued the Dark Knight. No surprise, really, since most of him is a variation on the same body. If I were scoring Arrow on his own, I'd hand him an eight. It's not as enthusiastic an eight as the one I gave Bats, but it's an eight nonetheless. The tragedy of Sportsmaster is that he's not all together bad. In fact, from the neck down, he's pretty cool. Also, his hair's fine. The problem area is really just his face. Is that really sufficient to drag his score, along with the score for the set, down several points? |
Unfortunately, this time it is. His face - particularly his mouth - is just that bad. Ironically, the problem is that they tried too hard. Rather than just paint something on, they've given his mouth depth, sculpting an opening and teeth. It's a great idea: too bad it didn't work.
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The end result, which I think is pretty obvious from the photos, is that the character looks like more like an infant than a supervillain. Pity. The costume is much, much cooler: I love the padding. I also like the ball, though it should probably be black if it's a bowling ball (not that it needs to be: I don't actually care whether this matches the packaging or not). The arm guard is also pretty good, and the sculpted whistle is awesome. |
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The only real problem, beside some paint issues around the mask, is that expression. It's a real shame, because it's a serious drag on an otherwise good figure.
Packaging and Extras: ----
The packaging is fine; basically comparable to what Hasbro's using for their Superhero Squad figures.
I already mentioned that the episode the background is from only works with one of the characters, but that's all right.
There aren't any accessories, not that I expected any. I would have liked it if the arrow and/or ball had been removable, but they decided against it.
There aren't any accessories, not that I expected any. I would have liked it if the arrow and/or ball had been removable, but they decided against it.
Play and Display: +1
Well, I'm pretty much out of interesting pictures with Sportsmaster, so here's a Brave and the Bold style picture with Batman.
Actually, between the two, Sportsmaster's a little more posable than Green Arrow. They both have the same number of joints: shoulders, neck, and waist, but Sportsmaster works in more poses than Arrow, who runs into some balance and logic issues. The position of Green Arrow's hands and arrows mean that the best poses are going to be drawing an imaginary arrow string or reaching for another arrow. That's not a complaint, just a fact.
The joints, despite now being standard in this scale, work well. Plus, I've got precedent to consider, so I'm handing them a bonus point.
Actually, between the two, Sportsmaster's a little more posable than Green Arrow. They both have the same number of joints: shoulders, neck, and waist, but Sportsmaster works in more poses than Arrow, who runs into some balance and logic issues. The position of Green Arrow's hands and arrows mean that the best poses are going to be drawing an imaginary arrow string or reaching for another arrow. That's not a complaint, just a fact.
The joints, despite now being standard in this scale, work well. Plus, I've got precedent to consider, so I'm handing them a bonus point.
Price Tag and Final Analysis: 7/10
Keep in mind, on his own Green Arrow would be a nine.
I bought this pack at Target for seven bucks, which was a lot cheaper than I've seen two packs going for elsewhere (Toy R Us: I'm looking at you). Between the price tag and the fact I wanted a Green Arrow, I figured I'd pick them up.
Although, lets be honest, my logic is a bit flawed. I passed up the opportunity to get Green Arrow when he was single packed for five, but I paid seven for a double pack knowing full well I'll wind up pushing Sportsmaster into the back row or just toss him into a box.
Apparently, an economic genius I'm not. For a two pack, seven dollars is sort of reasonable. Five or six would be MORE reasonable, but I've been through that before. These are comparable to Hasbro's Superhero Squad figures, and seven seems to be what they're going for, as well (actually, seven to NINE seems what those are running, but that's another story).
I bought this pack at Target for seven bucks, which was a lot cheaper than I've seen two packs going for elsewhere (Toy R Us: I'm looking at you). Between the price tag and the fact I wanted a Green Arrow, I figured I'd pick them up.
Although, lets be honest, my logic is a bit flawed. I passed up the opportunity to get Green Arrow when he was single packed for five, but I paid seven for a double pack knowing full well I'll wind up pushing Sportsmaster into the back row or just toss him into a box.
Apparently, an economic genius I'm not. For a two pack, seven dollars is sort of reasonable. Five or six would be MORE reasonable, but I've been through that before. These are comparable to Hasbro's Superhero Squad figures, and seven seems to be what they're going for, as well (actually, seven to NINE seems what those are running, but that's another story).
Don't forget to stop by my blog, The Middle Room, where you'll probably find SOMETHING of interest. No promises, though.
