LEGION TOYS: Star Boy (DC Direct 2003)

Alone...
He wants to be alone so he can process this
To a point of understandingness
Starboy! That’s who he is that’s not who he ain’t
Starboy! He knows it now and now it's the truth...
The Captain of Outer Space that is his brother, Uh-huh!
The Captain of Outer Space he knows it’s true, Uh-huh!
Alone...
He wants to be Alone... 

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, Star 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 Star Boy shares some parts with the DC Direct Ultra Boy and Ferro Lad. Like those figures Star Boy has a pair of closed fists. Also, he borrows that same rubbery cape from the DC Direct Mon-El action figure as well to complete his Silver Age costume. The head sculpt is an original piece, and while his sort of flat top haircut is represented well enough, we're back to the awkward smile where you're not sure if he's genuinely happy or just gnashing his teeth for the paparazzi. Star Boy also has a girdle around his waste, made of the same rubbery material as his cape.

Articulation:
DC Direct figures are better known for their sculpts then articulation. There are 11-points of articulation that I count on Star Boy. The head is on a swivel joint and can move 360 degrees. 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. The cape can get in the way, but is malleable enough to still move the arms past any cape impediment. 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 fists 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 not for the rubbery cape, Star Boy could be seated. Finally the knees also articulate from straight to a 90 degree angle.

 

Paint:
I think because of the "recessive" yellow and white paint coming into contact with the purples and blacks, this figure is one of the more poorly painted in the line. The tampo for the star emblem is clean enough, but the purple underneath dulls the yellow. Meanwhile, the yellows on the gloves, buttons on the cape, boots and girdle are all more rich and glossy. The dark purples and blacks are fine, but they sometimes bleed onto the white of the cape and seep out of the yellow on the boots. The flesh tones are fine and so are the eyes. The brown on the hair is also acceptable, although the eyebrows are a little too light for my taste. From far away, the paint job is not obscenely bad, but upon close inspection the flaws are evident. Though your mileage may vary depending on the QA batch of product you may have received.

Overall:
Hey, what can I say? I dig the Matty version of Star Boy with the star-field way better. It's an okay figure, but might have been better received if he had a Dream Girl to go along with him. The DC Direct Star Boy is a bit sloppy and somewhat inconsistent. Also, I guess I'm not especially fond of this version of his costume.