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The Hot Toys 12 inch figure based on the 1978 Warner Brothers Superman film is the most realistic likeness of actor Christopher Reeve ever created in three dimensions.

When I first saw this figure I could not believe the detail, especially in the face. Since there is not much else to paint on the figure I guess Hot Toys figured they would pull out all their top guns in creating an uncanny likeness to most everyone’s favorite Superman actor.

The package as a whole has been done in a manner as to make it the centerpiece of any Superman or toy enthusiasts collection. This is one collectible where you will want to display the box along with the figure. The box itself is in the shape of the Superman logo and even looks good displayed by itself.

As I said earlier the sculpt is impeccable. If you didn’t know any better you might think that some of the photos in this article were actually of Christopher Reeve himself. No other sculpted product that has come before has ever risen to the quality of this figure. In 2011 a DC Direct bust was released that also had Christopher’s likeness and it pales in comparison to this Hot Toys product. Everything from the details of his hair including the signature curl, to his eyes are right on. Speaking of his eyes, check out the detail in the photo above. They even included his lower eyelashes, painting each individual one. The skin tone is also amazingly realistic.

One great thing from a toy manufacturers point of view would have to be Superman’s costume (also produced with the utmost of quality). Because it is long sleeved and covers his entire body there are no gaps to show unruly joints, adding to the realistic look. But in the end this is still an action figure and an important aspect of action figures is pose-ability.  With more than 30 points of articulation and a great body sculpt you can also pose this figure in many different manners and it will look great. Not that I would expect any parent to just go out and buy this toy for their six year old to play with. After all the MSRP on this item is $209.99, not exactly the the type of action figure where you wouldn’t mind if junior buried it in the sandbox or lopped of his arms and legs. Speaking of extremities, Superman does come with 3 pairs of hands. I would have replaced the fists with the flattened outstretched hands for the flying pose, but I did find it difficult to remove the fists that were already on there so instead of having to apologize for breaking the owner’s toy I decided to leave them as is.

Another nice feature of this item are the stands. There are two of them and one is more of a diorama type stand that allows the figure to be put into a levitated pose, simulating either taking off or landing, and includes crystals as if from the Fortress of Solitude. The one problem with this stand though is that the crystals fall out easily and are not seated well in the slots. The other stand is a more standard black oval printed with “Superman The Move” in white on top.

Gotta Have It Rating
Overall I would rate this item on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest score) as follows:
Sculpt— 10
Pose-ability— 10
Paint— 10 (there’s not much but what’s there is great!)
Costume— 10
Accessories— 7
Packaging— 10

Lee Parmerter
lee@comicattack.net