Blue Lantern Hal Jordan Uni-Formz Colorway

The Blot doesn’t know what the deal is, but for the second time DC Direct has changed the variant colorways of its upcoming Green Lantern Uni-Formz vinyl figures. It’s almost like DC Direct doesn’t know how to handle good old Hal Jordan! The three original Green Lantern Uni-Formz colorways were supposed to be Modern, Metallic and Power Glow, but in April DC Direct to merge the Modern and Metallic colorways and add a Classic colorway, which features Jordan up in his Silver Age tank-top uniform. Now comes the news that DC Direct has decided to scrap the cool all green Power Glow figure for a Blackest Night tie-in: Blue Lantern Hal Jordan (see below).


Now don’t get me wrong, I think the idea of tying in this Green Lantern release to Blackest Night, the crossover of the year, is a stroke of genius and will hopefully bring more interest in to DCD’s Uni-Formz platform. But I’m just sad to see the Power Glow construct colorway go. Besides, if you’re going to make a Blue Lantern Hal Jordan figure, don’t you also have to release versions featuring Jordan as a member of the other emotional spectrum corps?

Also, I haven’t seen the final product yet but as you may have noticed in the picture above, it looks like Blue Lantern Hal Jordan has a green power ring. Here’s hoping they’ve corrected that little detail before shipping out these awesome looking Blackest Night tie-in figures.

These limited-edition vinyl Uni-Formz Green Lantern vinyl figures each feature 12 points of articulation, stand approximately 8" tall and are packaged in a deluxe 4-color window box.

The Flash Uni-Formz Vinyl Figures

The Flash is the fourth character to join DC Direct’s line of stylized limited edition Uni-Formz vinyl figures based on the popular super heroes of the DC Comics Universe. The Blot is really glad to see DC Direct is continuing its Uni-Formz designer toy line, because in these economic times you just never know if a relatively expensive new toy line will get canceled.


The Flash Uni-Formz three figure set features the classic version of The Flash, dressed in his traditional red uniform, the villain Zoom, dressed in his traditional yellow uniform, and death personified, the Black Flash. I know DC Direct is saying this is the “classic version” of The Flash dressed in his “traditional red uniform,” but does anyone else get the feeling that this Flash’s costume is the Wally West version and not the Barry Allen version? Wally is the one with the white eyes and metallic red costume, while Barry’s costume always showed his eyes and had a more traditional red coloring. Plus Barry’s boots had the wings on them, while Wally’s did not.


I know it’s nitpicking, but I’m surprised they didn’t just make a Barry Allen colorway and a Wally West colorway, similar to their release of two different colorways of Batman’s traditional costume. Considering the The Flash Uni-Formz only has three colorways, never in a million years would I have expected one to be the Black Flash. Especially when you consider there have been multiple variations of the Scarlet Speedseter’s costume over the years and a Kid Flash colorway would have been incredibly easy to make. With that being said, I think the Black Flash figure looks very cool, and I love the detailing on the figure’s head!


In keeping with the tradition of designer toys, certain figures will be more rare than others. In this particular instance, The Flash variants (Zoom and Black Flash) will be produced in far lower quantities than the standard Flash figure. The limited-edition Flash Uni-Formz vinyl figures feature 12 points of articulation, stands approximately 8 inches tall, are packaged in a deluxe 4-color window box and will retail for around $60 each. The Flash Uni-Formz figures will go on sale May 26, 2010.

UPDATE: New Green Lantern Uni-Formz Colorway

Yesterday DC Direct released the official solicitations for the upcoming Green Lantern Uni-Formz vinyl figure. You may remember that The Blot was initially concerned that the Modern and Guardian Green Lantern colorways looked almost identical. Thankfully someone at DC realized this too and has changed the colorways from Modern, Guardian and Power Glow to Modern, Classic and Power Glow.


The Modern version is dressed in the uniform Green Lantern is currently sporting for the upcoming "Blackest Night" story arc, which features a metallic-like hue. The Classic version features Hal Jordan dressed in his Silver Age tank-top uniform, while the Power Glow version gives GL a translucent green look from his power ring’s solid light energy.


Like with the two previous Uni-Formz releases, the Classic and Power Glow colorways will be produced in far lower quantities than the Modern Green Lanter Uni-Formz vinyl figure colorway. Now that the Green Lantern vinyl figures have been officially solicited, The Blot can’t wait to find out which DC Comics super-hero or villain is the next to be give the designer vinyl treatment.


These limited-edition vinyl Uni-Formz Green Lantern vinyl figures, which go on sale December 16, 2009, each feature 12 points of articulation, stand approximately 8" tall and are packaged in a deluxe 4-color window box.

Green Lantern Uni-Formz Vinyl Figures

Last weekend at Toy Fair 2009, DC Direct unveiled the third figure in their fledgling limited edition Uni-Formz designer toy line. As previously announced, they have chosen the next Uni-Formz release to be the DC Comics super-hero Green Lantern. Like the Batman and Superman Uni-Formz vinyl figures, Green Lantern will be released with three different colorways: Modern, Power Glow and Guardian.


While I think Hal Jordan looks great in Uni-Formz’ urban inspired chunky vinyl form, I question why they chose to release two colorways, Modern and Guardian, that look almost identical. To be honest I can barely tell them apart, with the only difference between the two figures being one Green Lantern's costume is more of a metallic green. Jordan has been patrolling Sector 2814 as Earth’s Green Lantern since the 1950’s, with all that history you'd think there would be a better third colorway option than Guardian.


The coolest of the three colorways has to be Power Glow Green Lantern, which depicts Hal Jordan encapsulated by his Green Lantern Power Ring. If I hadn’t already decided that I wanted to collect each figure’s classic look I might have changed my mind and picked this figure instead.


The limited edition Green Lantern Uni-Formz vinyl figures feature 12 points of articulation, stand approximately 8 inches tall, are packaged in a deluxe 4-color window box and will retail for around $60 each. The Green Lantern Uni-Formz figures are scheduled for release sometime during December of 2009.

Thanks to Toy News International and Action-Figure.com for the photos above!

Superman Uni-Formz Vinyl Figures

The Blot had been waiting for DC Direct to announce the second DC Comics character to join their new line of limited edition Uni-Formz vinyl action figures for a while now, and to no one’s surprise it was unveiled to be the Man of Steel himself, Superman! The common figure in this second Uni-Formz three figure set is the Classic Superman vinyl figure, while it’s rarer variant colorways are the villainous Cyborg Superman and the Kryptonian Life-Suit Superman.


I am more than a little disappointed in the Kryptonian Life-Suite Superman colorway because it is so unoriginal. I am not sure when it happened, but ever since Superman returned to life in his Kryptonian Life-Suite it has been considered a “second costume” for any Superman action figures released. It must sell really well because they keep using it over and over, and I hate it! The Cyborg Superman makes sense because it fits with the previously released Armored Batman, but isn’t Cyborg Superman really more of a Green Lantern villain at this point than a Superman Villain? I would have preferred a Bizarro Superman variant figure or a Red Sun Superman colorway to either of these two figures being produced.


The limited-edition Superman Uni-Formz vinyl figures feature 12 points of articulation, stands approximately 8 inches tall, are packaged in a deluxe 4-color window box and will retail for around $60 each. The Superman Uni-Formz figures will go on sale in early September, 2009.

Batman Uni-Formz Limited Edition Vinyl Figures

The Blot is so excited to have finally found out more information on this new line of designer vinyl figures from DC Comics and DC Direct. Ever since DC showed off their newest creation at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, The Blot has been searching the web for more info on the figure’s release. Well, this week DC Direct announced that the Batman Uni-Formz figure is the first in a new line of stylized vinyl figures inspired by the red-hot designer toy phenomenon.


It sounds like DC has decided to stick with the traditional designer toy model by making these Uni-Formz figures limited edition with rare, hard to find colorways. The Uni-Formz platform was created by toy designer Monster 5 and really do look awesome. The Batman figure comes in three styles: the “modern” Batman in his black costume, a variant version in the “classic” blue and grey costume, and an ultra-stylized variant “armored” version. Both the classic and armored Batman colorways will be produced in far lower quantities than the modern Batman figure. While no run size is listed, DC Direct has promised not to reproduce any of their Uni-Formz figures after production.

In the world of comics most fans lean either towards DC or Marvel and I’ve always preferred DC Comics, so I’m glad to see DC finally make a jump into the designer toy market. Here’s just hoping this line is more successful than Upper Deck’s Marvel Comics Subcasts figures which were released last year and have already been discontinued. One positive note on the line’s longevity is that other figures, such as a Superman and Green Lantern figure, are already in the works. I just hope the line proves popular enough to garner figures of some of DC’s second tier super heroes.

The limited-edition Batman Uni-Formz vinyl figures feature 12 points of articulation, stands approximately 8 inches tall, are packaged in a deluxe 4-color window box and will retail for around $60 each. The only disappointing note about these figures is that they won’t be available for purchase until June 3, 2009!