Thursday, February 2, 2023

Action Figure Review: John Constantine from DC Page Punchers by McFarlane Toys/ DC Direct

 


   McFarlane Toys' DC Multiverseline made my Top Ten Toylines of 2022 list that I published yesterday, so I wanted to show off another figure from the line since I didn't review many of them last year. Well, a figure from a companion line, I guess. This figure of John Constantine is from DC Page Punchers and it's released by McFarlane Toys and DC Direct. McFarlane has been releasing and managing DC Direct product over the past year or two and while these 7 inch Page Punchers are built and feel just like DC Multiverse figures, they have different branding. It's been a long time since we heard the DC Direct name, hasn't it? For years they were using DC Collectibles. Just a note: There is also a Page Punchers line of 3 inch figures with comic book reprints. These 7 inch figures come in sets of four with a new comic for the full series. I certainly haven't read everything ever released with Constantine or under the Hellblazer title, but I do really like the character and love the Justice League Dark concept. Let's take a look at this new figure of street mage John Constantine after the break...




The Facts:

Height: 7 1/4ths inches

Articulation: Hinged toes, double swivel hinged ankles, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, swivel/hinge hips, balljointed waist, balljointed mid torso, swivel wings, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/ hinge wrists, and a barbell jointed head..
 
Accessories: Magic spell hand, standard right hand, book, full sized comic book, collector card, and display stand.
 
Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars

Year of Release: 2022





The Positives:


* While he's worn other things from time to time, John Constantine has had a pretty consistent outfit over the years and McFarlane has captured it quite well here. Short cut trenchcoat? Check. White dress shirt? Check. Loose fitting black tie? Check. Yup, this is Constantine alright. There's a lot of nice sculpting here, particularly on the various folds and wrinkles of John's shabby outfit. The necktie is a really nicely done piece and I'm loving how the end of the belt is just kind of hanging down. Constantine's must have been up to a little action, too, as the knee of his left trouser leg is ripped up a bit. 







* This is a really excellent portrait of John Constantine. I just love the expression on his face, as if he's about to crack a wry or rude remark, or perhaps he's slightly amused by something strange that's going on. His hair looks fantastic with lots of detail and a nice wash to show off the texture and his eyes look very conniving, like he's clearly up to something. He's also sporting some modest five o'clock shadow which seems fitting for the character. 





* Here' a look at the back of Constantine's jacket. It's not removable but it is a separate piece. There's some nice work on the folds and creases of the jacket and on the belt and cuffs. 


* The articulation is pretty standard for this line, which means its quite good. These are really sturdy figures with a nice range of motion and some really good hip and neck joints. It's pretty amazing to me that McFarlane Toys and DC Direct are putting out figures this durable and well articulated. Constantine isn't much of an action pose kind of guy but he loos great hanging out and looking surly. 



* Constantine comes with an extra right hand which features a magical spell effect of some sort, perhaps a defensive shield of sorts, and it looks great. It's molded in a translucent plastic (you can see the alternate hand behind, with fingers splayed open) and has an excellent paintjob to really add some detail to the effect. 


* Constantine also comes with some sort of arcane spell book. He holds it really well in his left hand (it's designed for that), so he looks like he's actually holding the book properly. There's no visible writing but you can see the binding and some sort of occult symbol on the front.



* I love that McFarlane Toys includes a display stand with each of their releases these days. It's just a simple disc stand with the DC logo on it but it works well and keeps the figure standing upright in most poses.




* Each of McFarlane's DC Multiverse releases also includes a collectible card. Usually they have a picture of the figure or an art image of the character on the front but the 7 inch Page Punchers figures just have an image of the included comic cover. The best thing is that there's a bio on the back. Not just a bio on the package; an actual bio you can keep. That's just really cool as it's not something we see too often these days. 




* While the 3 inch Page Punchers line comes with a reprint of a previously released DC comic book, the 7 inch Page Punchers actually have a new comic book. And not just a minicomic, either. A full sized Black Adam comic book that features all of the figures from this series. It's a really neat inclusion and definitely makes for a fun inclusion. Comic packs used to be such a big deal 15 to 20 years ago and I love that McFarlane is bringing them back. 








   While he's not all over the place, there have been a few John Constantine figures over the years from DC Direct, DC Collectibles, Mattel, and Mezco. This one is pretty nice, reasonably priced, very well articulated, and has a fantastic head sculpt and a cool spell effect hand. I really like how he turned out. Besides Batman allies and villains I'm really in building up the Justice League Dark crew, so Constantine is a must. He's a Great and a 1/2 figure who's well equipped to handle any supernatural beings with evil intent who find their way to your toy shelf. 




   I own a couple of the previous John Constantine figures (the Mattel DC Signature series and the DC Collectibles New 52/ Justice League Dark versions) but this is the first one I've reviewed on the site.  














2 comments:

  1. I know nothing about this character, but this figure looks amazing.

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    Replies
    1. He did turn out quite well. He's been part of the mainstream DC books since the New 52 in 2011 and has had a consistent book published since 1988, so he's definitely a well established character.

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