I used to be a huge action figure collector.  I think at one point I had close to 400 Star Wars action figures and vehicles, tons of Marvel Legends, DC Universe Classics, Star Trek, McFarlane sports figures, you name it.  I still love looking at them from time to time, but realistically speaking they are just a hobby that takes up way too much space and money.  Comics and graphic novel collections are far more economical when it comes to space and money, and far more rewarding as you can read books again and again.  I finally sold most of my stuff before my wedding day and used it to pay for my wife’s wedding and engagement rings, so it went to a good cause!

All that being said, once in a while an action figure will pop up on one of my news feeds and make it reallllllly tempting to get back into it.  Case in point, during the early months of the pandemic, Mezco toys announced a new set of Superman figures in their Five Points line that was directly inspired by the Fleischer short “The Mechanical Monsters,” which happens to be my favorite episode of that whole series.  Although the toys took nearly two years to finally be released, I just couldn’t resist and ordered myself a set.  Boy, am I glad I did.

The set comes with four action figures- Superman, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and a titular monster- as well as a phone booth, diorama backdrop and plenty of accessories.  The figures have limited articulation (hence the name “Five Points”), but are sturdily built and look unbelievably authentic to the cartoon.  The robot is particularly fun to set up, as he can come with flying mode accessories or stationary mode accessories, and both look really cool.  That, along with his huge size compared to the other 3 3/4 figures make him a fantastic bad guy for Superman to tussle with.  Each of the three human figures comes with a stand, so you never have to worry about them falling over, and the diorama can be unfolded to either be the outside of the jewelry exhibit the robots rob at the beginning of the short, or the scientist’s lair they were created in.

I’m not a little kid anymore, so it would be foolish for me to say what kids would think of this set of toys… but the correct answer is they, or any adult Superman collector should be absolutely enamored with it.  They are accurate to something which is revered among fans but has shockingly little memorabilia to show for it, and are super playable at the same time!  The phone booth that Clark can step into actually revolves to reveal Superman on the other side, which is a particularly fun piece, and you can practically hear Bud Collyer’s famous “looks like a job” line when you’re doing it!

I can’t tell you what a thrill it is to feel like you have a piece of this great cartoon, one of the greatest Superman adaptations of all time (maybe second only to the Donner film, for my money), in your hand.  I should also point out that the set was designed by the great Des Taylor, who has a beautiful classic comics style to his art and should be hired by DC yesterday (see the preview video for these toys from his Youtube channel above).  Mezco Toyz is still selling this set on their site, brand new for $90 plus shipping, which is easily worth it.  You can also find them on eBay for less than that as well, if you feel like hunting one down.  The prices for these have yet to inflate, but if Mezco stops making them, you can bet they will.  If you’re into Superman toys at all, I think you would do well to pick this one up!  Come to think of it, I should really do a retrospective on the Fleischer cartoons at some point for this site…

Capeage Meter: 10 out of 10

While we’re at it, just for good measure, I’ll put a link to the 1941 (public domain) cartoon below.  Check both out when you get the chance!