Review: DC Direct: Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan
As a comic, Watchmen remains one of the best works in the medium. The experience is a lot to take in, especially the first time. In my personal opinion, there's no comic more deserving of the term "literary classic." Of course, that's something of a double-edged sword: classic works of literature aren't always the most fun to read. That's not to say it's not enjoyable, just that it's a very dense work.
In short, it's about as far as you can get from escapism. The irony is that the movie was a full one-eighty. Rather than give us a nuanced and subtle work of depth, the filmmakers made a loud, operatic adventure/drama. It's not all that surprising a lot of fans were horrified. I can sympathize, but my reaction was a bit different. I walked out of the theater happy. I knew what I'd seen wasn't Watchmen, but whatever it was, in my opinion, was a lot of fun.
At any rate, DC Direct put together some nice figures that I wasn't willing to pay retail price for. But the months have since drifted by, and the prices have dropped. I've seen several of the minor characters going for reasonable prices, but not the ones I wanted. Then, during the week right before Christmas, I came across Dr. Manhattan clearanced on Amazon.
Seeing as he was a great stand in for the movie as a whole, as well as a faithful interpretation of his comic appearance (with a few minor alterations, perhaps), I decided to order him.
In short, it's about as far as you can get from escapism. The irony is that the movie was a full one-eighty. Rather than give us a nuanced and subtle work of depth, the filmmakers made a loud, operatic adventure/drama. It's not all that surprising a lot of fans were horrified. I can sympathize, but my reaction was a bit different. I walked out of the theater happy. I knew what I'd seen wasn't Watchmen, but whatever it was, in my opinion, was a lot of fun.
At any rate, DC Direct put together some nice figures that I wasn't willing to pay retail price for. But the months have since drifted by, and the prices have dropped. I've seen several of the minor characters going for reasonable prices, but not the ones I wanted. Then, during the week right before Christmas, I came across Dr. Manhattan clearanced on Amazon.
Seeing as he was a great stand in for the movie as a whole, as well as a faithful interpretation of his comic appearance (with a few minor alterations, perhaps), I decided to order him.
Appearance and Construction: 9/10
As is, this is a great looking figure, but it wouldn't have taken much to push him over the top. Ultimately, Dr. Manhattan is a simple paint wash from getting a perfect 10.
As far as I'm concerned, the sculpt is perfect or, at the very least, perfect enough. The head sculpt retains the actor's features, and the character's pose is great.
The paint in and around his eyes does the trick, and his symbol is also clear. A simple paint wash over the body to detail the musculature is all he needed.
Of course, there's plenty of room for discussion on whether DC Direct should have produced him without his "uniform," since he hardly ever wears it in the movie, but it would be kind of silly to make an issue of that.
As far as I'm concerned, the sculpt is perfect or, at the very least, perfect enough. The head sculpt retains the actor's features, and the character's pose is great.
The paint in and around his eyes does the trick, and his symbol is also clear. A simple paint wash over the body to detail the musculature is all he needed.
Of course, there's plenty of room for discussion on whether DC Direct should have produced him without his "uniform," since he hardly ever wears it in the movie, but it would be kind of silly to make an issue of that.
Packaging and Extras: +3
The box may already be recycled, but the faith it instills in my heart that this figure won't fall apart lives on.
I like that "Who Watches the Watchmen" is written behind Dr. Manhattan in the packaging, and the back looks all right. I also like the brick motif on the front. But that's enough time wasted on the box.
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Where does figure end and accessory begin? Such questions have troubled toy reviewers since the beginning of time. Or at least the beginning of internet toy reviews, which was probably some time in the late 90's.
Dr. Manhattan is actually one and a half figures: he comes with a spare set of legs. The second set is designed to show him hovering. As such, they attach to a clear plastic "wind" piece, that plugs into the base. I thought about discussing this in the 'appearance' section, but decided it was unnecessary: both sets of legs are sculpted nicely. If anything, I prefer the alternate hovering legs, but it's close. |
The plastic piece is also nice. Actually, it can support the legs and figure without the base. So, really, that base wasn't strictly essential. It's just another bonus they've tacked on.
I actually like the base itself quite a lot. It's designed to look like metal scaffolding. Someone thought it would be a good idea to have it raised, and I agree. I like giving bases with some character of their own. Oh, and you also get removable pegs for the base and a clip to connect it to other bases, but that's not all that surprising.
I'm giving him three bonus points for all this. I've seen alternate heads and hands before, but a spare pair of legs is really incredible. Add a bonus point for making the base nicer than I'd expect to two for the legs, and you've got some great extras here.
I actually like the base itself quite a lot. It's designed to look like metal scaffolding. Someone thought it would be a good idea to have it raised, and I agree. I like giving bases with some character of their own. Oh, and you also get removable pegs for the base and a clip to connect it to other bases, but that's not all that surprising.
I'm giving him three bonus points for all this. I've seen alternate heads and hands before, but a spare pair of legs is really incredible. Add a bonus point for making the base nicer than I'd expect to two for the legs, and you've got some great extras here.
Play and Display: +1
I've reviewed a lot of DC Direct figures here, and I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've been able to justify a bonus point in this category. Sadly, it's not for articulation.
Dr. Manhattan comes with the basics: ball jointed head and shoulders, V-cut hips, and pin jointed elbows and knees. Of course that's the normal legs. Swap them out for the hovering pair and you lose the hips and the knees.
But that's why I'm handing him the bonus. The alternate legs more or less turn him into a statue, but that's an astonishing option on its own. Swap them out for the other legs, and you've got an action figure again. Either way, he's got excellent balance. The base also opens up some options for posing, in case you want him with one leg stepping forward or something.
The tragedy here is that this could easily have been a plus two. All I needed were cut joints on the wrists or biceps. Oh well: he's still hit a new high for the company.
Dr. Manhattan comes with the basics: ball jointed head and shoulders, V-cut hips, and pin jointed elbows and knees. Of course that's the normal legs. Swap them out for the hovering pair and you lose the hips and the knees.
But that's why I'm handing him the bonus. The alternate legs more or less turn him into a statue, but that's an astonishing option on its own. Swap them out for the other legs, and you've got an action figure again. Either way, he's got excellent balance. The base also opens up some options for posing, in case you want him with one leg stepping forward or something.
The tragedy here is that this could easily have been a plus two. All I needed were cut joints on the wrists or biceps. Oh well: he's still hit a new high for the company.
Price Tag and Final Analysis: 10++
No, that's not a typo: that's what happens when a toy's just a little too impressive for a 10+. This isn't my favorite 6 or 7 inch toy I've reviewed: honestly, it's not even close. But objectively I think it's the most impressive.
I'm kind of amazed that DC Direct packaged an extra set of legs, and I love the appearance of Dr. Manhattan hovering over his base. Sure, I'm irked they didn't add a touch of paint to bring out the detail, and they still need to work on their articulation. But, ultimately, isn't articulation just a means to an end: a way of allowing figures to appear in multiple poses? The alternate legs do that in a way that's kind of incredible, and they retain the sculpt.
What's he worth? Well, he started around sixteen to eighteen bucks, and went for twenty in a lot of comic shops. He's worth that, by the way. Honestly, I think he's worth twenty-five, easy. But he wasn't worth that to me. I love the comic and I really enjoyed the movie, but money was scarce last spring, so I passed him up at the time.
I never thought I'd get him for $5.99 on Amazon. Live and learn, I suppose.
I'm kind of amazed that DC Direct packaged an extra set of legs, and I love the appearance of Dr. Manhattan hovering over his base. Sure, I'm irked they didn't add a touch of paint to bring out the detail, and they still need to work on their articulation. But, ultimately, isn't articulation just a means to an end: a way of allowing figures to appear in multiple poses? The alternate legs do that in a way that's kind of incredible, and they retain the sculpt.
What's he worth? Well, he started around sixteen to eighteen bucks, and went for twenty in a lot of comic shops. He's worth that, by the way. Honestly, I think he's worth twenty-five, easy. But he wasn't worth that to me. I love the comic and I really enjoyed the movie, but money was scarce last spring, so I passed him up at the time.
I never thought I'd get him for $5.99 on Amazon. Live and learn, I suppose.
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