LEGION TOYS: Colossal Boy (DC Direct 2004)

Okay, so now we're back to covering Legionaires that we've already covered. The DC Direct action figure has the Silver Age Jim Mooney designed costume for Gim Allon a.k.a. Colossal Boy. Like Mordru this is another figure you can have lots of "scale-fun" with, so come on in and check it out!
 

Sculpt:
While most DC Universe Classics are around 6.5 inches and fit within the 1/12 collector scale, typically adult-sized DC Direct (and now DC Collectibles figures) fall into more of a 7 inch scale. Having said that, Colossal Boy is more of a teenage-sized figure and comes in exactly at 6 inches. Although the Mattel practice of buck re-use doesn't always come into play in these lines, you can see that Colossal Boy shares some parts with the DC Direct Timber Wolf. The tubing at the shoulders, along with the chest and legs appear to be shared. Unlike the DC Direct Timber Wolf, Colossal Boy has an original sculpted collar, belt with yellow orbs, and is the only figure in the entire line to have sculpted gloves (while the other gloved figures are only painted on). The face is fine, albeit a tad generic. However, I will praise the smile on Colossal Boy as being one of the better executed attempts at the toothy smile. It has a nice balance and doesn't look too exaggerated. If Invisible Kid's serious face or this Colossal Boy's smile were on Mon-El, it would be a better figure for it.

Articulation:
DC Direct figures are better known for their sculpts then articulation. There are 11-points of articulation that I count on Colossal Boy. The head is on a swivel joint and can move 360 degrees. (However, if you do turn it the full 360 degrees, the glued on collar piece will become loose) It cannot tilt, nor move up or down. Arms can only rotate at the shoulder, up or down, in a circular fashion in 360 degrees.  Arms cannot move out to the sides, but there is a 90 degree elbow cut, so the arm can go from being straight to a 90 degree angle. The closed fist and open palm can also rotate in a in 360 degree circular fashion. There is a "T-Crotch" which allows for only forward movement of the legs at a  90 degree angle. If needed, Colossal Boy could be seated. Finally the knees also articulate from straight to a 90 degree angle.

Paint:
The paint job is fairly nice and consistent. The flat greens, flat canary or lemon yellows, and glossy reds are well done and without bleed. Like the DC Direct Invisible Kid, there is a timid paint application between the boot cuts and pant legs, but that is definitely preferred to a sloppy application of the paint. Also at the boot cuts are two thin black lines that represent the cuffs, which are not sculpted, but work out fine. The black belt and yellow buckles had the potential to easily go wrong, but they didn't and are neatly painted. The yellow and black detailing on the tubing on the shoulders is also neatly executed. The boots having red gloss just like the gloves is appreciated and the yellow stars on the gloves must be a really nice tampo of a star. The flesh tones are great and the brown of the hair and eyebrows is well done.

Overall:
This is a fun figure and I enjoyed setting him up with my Ultraman Tamashii Building Effect pieces. Heroclix or Nano Metals figures may also work well with Colossal Boy, just as they seem to with Mordru. I think my personal preference is the costume chosen in the Matty Collector set, but the classic Silver Age costume is nicely represented in this line. One thing I've yet to mention is that balancing the figures with these bucks can be somewhat of a challenge. Often times, in order to retain their balance you end up having to put them in awkward hunched over poses that look unnatural or like they just threw out their back or something. I did my best to do some dynamic shots, but unlike DC Universe Classics or Marvel Legends, you'll be hard pressed to get those kind of poses or shots with this line without resorting to some additional photo trickery.