This post can be filed under the heading, “Guilty Pleasure”.
Funko Pop figures have been insanely popular for a number of years now and until recently I haven’t dipped my toe into that pool. I don’t hate them but I do view them as the crack cocaine of collectible figures. Someone took articulated action figures and cooked them down to a simpler, almost purer form. They are cheap, easily accessible and addictive. If you want to see a critical look at this phenomenon that nails the downside to Pop figures check out this video over at Retroblasting on YouTube.
(In all honesty you should be checking out Retroblasting in general. Michael and Melinda put out entertaining and informative videos and they are well worth your time and attention. Consider them Friends of the Fortress, for whatever that’s worth.)
Anyway, a few months back I started seeing some of the Superman related Pops at Books A Million and the two comic shops in the area and I started getting that feeling…that old familiar feeling…that something rank was about to be collected. Well, not rank per se, but something that I didn’t need at all but would look awesome on my book cases in front of my Superman related trades. I started buying the aforementioned Superman Pops and have amassed a small collection. I have some Batman ones as well but between my own desire to not start buying more stuff that is just going to sit there and the fact that my wife actually asked me not to go whole hog on these (something she rarely does) I have stuck to the Superman Pops that haven’t been retired yet because screw paying that much for the Man of Steel one.
One of them came in the mail the other day.
My first reaction when I took this Pop out of the Amazon box it came in was, “Damn, Superman…you really need to cut down on the performance enhancers.” Between the expression on his face and the build of the body this Superman looks like he has a serious case of ‘roid rage. Other than that it’s a cute figure. I appreciate the lines on his face that are presumably there to indicate he’s older or to somehow mimic Frank Miller’s artwork. The costume and the cape look great and I like that he’s rocking the spit curl.
Now if he would only leave the steroids out of his workout routine. That isn’t going to end well.
I acquired the Hot Topic Clark Kent figure earlier last year, because it was just too awesome not to get.