I’m introducing a new mini-feature on the site today, just to prove that sometimes I’m just too damn lazy to do a full-on review of some things. It’s called “Two-Minute Reviews”, and in these reviews I’ll take an encapsulated look at various action figures. The first Two-Minute Review will be six figures from Mattel’s Superman/Batman: Public Enemies 6″ line.

Batman
I’ll start off by saying that every male figure (except Brimstone, of course) uses the exact same base body. The figure has 23 points of articulation and uses a slightly different tooling than other Batmans, primarily just the new belt and closed hands. His head is sculpted with a more “cartoonish” style fit to match the style of the S/B:PE animated movie. Watch out for sloppy paint jobs with this figure. I found many with black marks in multiple places.

 

Batman (Variant)
This figure is identical to the standard figure but with a blue paint scheme rather than the black.

 

Black Lightning
Black Lightning is probably the strongest figure in the line. It has the standard 23 points of articulation and is done with a different outfit than the elusive Wave 5 Black Lightning. Of all the figures in this series, he probably ties with Silver Banshee as the one that fits best with the DC Classics line, as he’s not done in as much of a “cartoon” look. I have found very few issues with the paint, save for some rough cut lines around the edges of the white gloves.

 

Icicle
Issued as part of the first wave, Icicle is one to pay close attention to if you’re picky about paint. I have seen many issues on the nose, “collar” and arms, often related to the translucent plastic used to create the “icy” look of the character. This is another one that has more of a cartoon look and has some display compatibility issues with the DC Classics.

 

Major Force
Major Force could have been the best figure in the line, but his appearance is debatably the most cartoonish of the bunch, at least when you take Superman and Batman out of the picture. It’s a shame, because it’s not likely we’ll see another Major Force in the Classics line. While there’s little paint to be concerned about, the little that is there is done in good order. Good cut line from red to orange and the eyes are well-detailed.

 

Silver Banshee
As I mentioned before, Banshee and Black Lightning are the two that fit best with the other Classics figures. She has the standard female Classics body, which unfortunately brings with it flimsy limbs and the occasional issue standing up. The two that I’ve had have had horrible cases of rubberlimbing and loose joints, so expect to have to use the included figure stand to keep her on her feet. Banshee is another one to keep a close eye on if you’re picky about paint – I’ve seen many with random black marks and sloppy face paint.

 

Superman
Yer standard Superman figure, but this time with the cartoon appearance. I’ve seen him called “Supertan” due to his bronze skin color – not an invalid moniker at all, I’m afraid.

 

Superman (Variant)
This variant of Superman was issued for wave two and is identical to the standard figure aside from a new paint scheme. It’s done up in a metallic blue and red rather than the flat blue and red used for the first figure. As with any metallic paint application, you’re going to find blemishes to be somewhat common, so buyer beware.

 

Brimstone (Collect & Connect)
The Collect & Connect figure from the Public Enemies wave, Brimstone stands roughly 9″ tall. His arms are cast in a somewhat translucent plastic but you can only get the effect if viewed in the correct light. He has the same body as the wave 11 C&C, Kilowog, with the exception of the neck area and of course the head. The head is not articulated but does feature some quality paint work – mine only has some run-over with the black running into the yellow. The cut lines on the black outfit are nicely done with minimal slop.