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Review Detail
(Updated: June 04, 2014)
Overall rating
7.6
Level of Detail
7.5
Articulation
8.0
Head Sculpt
8.0
Likeness
8.0
Poseability
7.5
Quality
8.0
Rarity
6.5
Desireability
7.5
The Martian Manhunter action figure was first released by Hasbro in 1999 as part of their DC Super-Heroes line of figures. The Martian Manhunter was a natural choice for Hasbro while they were expanding the DC Super-Heroes line of action figures since the Justice League cartoon was having great success at the time and really helped the characters popularity. However, a lot of fans probably would have wanted to see a Flash action figure or perhaps Wonder Woman (not likely since Hasbro hadn't released any female figures and it would have required an entirely new body).
Even a John Stewart Green Lantern would have been a great choice over the Martian Manhunter since he was the cartoon's regular GL. But it seemed like Hasbro was going after more longstanding characters with this line.
As with other action figures in this series, Hasbro did a spectacular job with the head sculpt of J'onn J'onzz -- very strong, very heroic, and an excellent likeness of the charcter we know from the Justice League comic books.
The Martian Manhunter is one of those characters who is a bit of an odd choice when creating action figures with fabric or removable outfits. Why? Because the Martian Manhunter simply doesn't have much of an outfit to speak of.
Being mostly nude with a cape and pair of shorts doesn't give you a lot to work with regards to costume design.
Many times Mego chose to use flesh-colored fabric for large bare areas of their figures. Mattel followed suit when they created their 2010 Martian Manhunter figure for their Retro-Action DC Super Heroes line. It worked better for Mattel than it had for Mego since fabrics were much more sophisticated in the 30 years or so that had passed since Mego's line.
Hasbro's J'onn J'onzz was released in the period between the two aforementioned figures and they opted to have most of the Martian Manhunter bare. That seems to make sense since the character is actually supposed to be exposed.
The problem is that fully articulated action figures have a lot of joints and unnatural seams that human bodies just don't have (or at least that aren't visible). When fabric wraps the body as a uniform, it covers these seams and sits on the figure very naturally giving it a more human look.
So even though Hasbro's nicely articulated Martian Manhunter body looks anatomically correct, it loses a little something when you see all of the joints and seams. This is the sort of look you expect more of an all plastic Marvel Legends sort of figure and not a 9" Mego-type with removable outfit.
Perhaps to keep costs down, Hasbro chose to sculpt the Martian Manhunter's boots out of the figure's legs instead of making them removable like you would expect of a Mego sort of figure. Removable boots would really have helped out here especially with a figure that has so little outfit to speak of.
On the flip side, a boot always inhibits the range of motion in the feet when posing the figure. Sans boots, the figure is articulated very nicely at the ankle.
J'onn's belt and harness are made from smooth, thick rubber which was a really good choice. Any other material like vinyl or fabric would have been too flimsy and given the figure a much cheaper look. However, a little texture on the rubber would have gone a long way to enhance the overall look of the Martian Manhunter action figure especially to differentiate the similar smooth finish of the torso.
J'onn's trunks are nice and simple enough but the edges fall into the ball joints of the thighs. Again, a green bodysuit would really have enhanced the overall look.
Oddly enough, one of the best pieces of this action figure's costume is the very simple yet perfectly designed cape. Using one large piece of blue fabric that reaches down to the ground, the whole beauty of the cape is in the way it's stitched at the neckline to the collar.
The collar is appropriately wide and tall extending up and around the figures head. The extra wide base of the cape is then pinned in two spots creating some really nice folds in the cape. Across the front and neck, the cape is clipped with a rubber sort of braid. The whole cape easily slips over the figures head.
Even a John Stewart Green Lantern would have been a great choice over the Martian Manhunter since he was the cartoon's regular GL. But it seemed like Hasbro was going after more longstanding characters with this line.
As with other action figures in this series, Hasbro did a spectacular job with the head sculpt of J'onn J'onzz -- very strong, very heroic, and an excellent likeness of the charcter we know from the Justice League comic books.
The Martian Manhunter is one of those characters who is a bit of an odd choice when creating action figures with fabric or removable outfits. Why? Because the Martian Manhunter simply doesn't have much of an outfit to speak of.
Being mostly nude with a cape and pair of shorts doesn't give you a lot to work with regards to costume design.
Many times Mego chose to use flesh-colored fabric for large bare areas of their figures. Mattel followed suit when they created their 2010 Martian Manhunter figure for their Retro-Action DC Super Heroes line. It worked better for Mattel than it had for Mego since fabrics were much more sophisticated in the 30 years or so that had passed since Mego's line.
Hasbro's J'onn J'onzz was released in the period between the two aforementioned figures and they opted to have most of the Martian Manhunter bare. That seems to make sense since the character is actually supposed to be exposed.
The problem is that fully articulated action figures have a lot of joints and unnatural seams that human bodies just don't have (or at least that aren't visible). When fabric wraps the body as a uniform, it covers these seams and sits on the figure very naturally giving it a more human look.
So even though Hasbro's nicely articulated Martian Manhunter body looks anatomically correct, it loses a little something when you see all of the joints and seams. This is the sort of look you expect more of an all plastic Marvel Legends sort of figure and not a 9" Mego-type with removable outfit.
Perhaps to keep costs down, Hasbro chose to sculpt the Martian Manhunter's boots out of the figure's legs instead of making them removable like you would expect of a Mego sort of figure. Removable boots would really have helped out here especially with a figure that has so little outfit to speak of.
On the flip side, a boot always inhibits the range of motion in the feet when posing the figure. Sans boots, the figure is articulated very nicely at the ankle.
J'onn's belt and harness are made from smooth, thick rubber which was a really good choice. Any other material like vinyl or fabric would have been too flimsy and given the figure a much cheaper look. However, a little texture on the rubber would have gone a long way to enhance the overall look of the Martian Manhunter action figure especially to differentiate the similar smooth finish of the torso.
J'onn's trunks are nice and simple enough but the edges fall into the ball joints of the thighs. Again, a green bodysuit would really have enhanced the overall look.
Oddly enough, one of the best pieces of this action figure's costume is the very simple yet perfectly designed cape. Using one large piece of blue fabric that reaches down to the ground, the whole beauty of the cape is in the way it's stitched at the neckline to the collar.
The collar is appropriately wide and tall extending up and around the figures head. The extra wide base of the cape is then pinned in two spots creating some really nice folds in the cape. Across the front and neck, the cape is clipped with a rubber sort of braid. The whole cape easily slips over the figures head.
Review
Own:
Yes
Purchase Type:
Mint/New In Package
Purchase Price:
$10
Purchase Date:
March 13, 1999
AF
