Alex Ross Justice Figures
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We All Deserve Justice

Alex Ross Justice from DC Direct is undoubtedly one of the strongest toy lines this year and in retrospect it may be considered one of—if not the greatest comic book toy line to ever hit toy shelves. This line is a must have for those who grew up with DC Comics Superheroes from Toy Biz (anyone remember the Lex Luthor figure with Power Punch?) and with DC action figures before then, because Ross is a fan of the nostalgic himself as he paints his characters in their 1970s-80s versions. There’s no hooked hand Aquaman here.  His toy line is reshaping action figures with incredible sculpting, a simplistic look and not to mention it’s based on his own artwork. Throughout the year, retailers consistently had this line as one of their hottest sellers and for years to come collectors will only put out more cash to own the entire series. The days of flimsy, inaccurate comic book toys are long gone, as DC Direct and Alex Ross are giving us all Justice.

Alex Ross

Perhaps the main reason why any comic book nerd would take a look at these figures is because of Alex Ross. His name is plastered all over the packaging, so it can’t be missed, even if you tried. DC Direct has used this formula before. They dedicate an entire series completely on the artwork from an existing comic book series. The formula of comic-to-toys however has not always been a homerun hit with fans. The Dark Knight Returns figures were based on Frank Millers artwork (a comic that was more panned than praised), fell flat and ran for one wave. The Batman Knightfall series reminded us how terrible things looked in the 90s, bringing up the question of why did anyone think that yellow and baby blue looked good on Nightwing. Even the Kingdom Come series, where the source material came from Ross and his artwork was short lived, and it truly was never given a fair shot to expand. This formula has however proven to be a success. The Batman: Hush series, which was based on Jim Lee’s art, was very successful and provided fans with great quality figures that sell well today on the secondary market. The same can be said for Elseworlds and for the First Appearances toy lines as both are going strong with future series already planned. The Justice line however is providing fans with something different. It is giving collectors an entire universe of characters with the line already producing 20 figures and there’s room for more.

Comic book

For most comic-to-toys series, the toy line is released only after the success of the comic series, but that’s not the case for Justice. The toy line and the comic are running simultaneously and it’s proving to be a success. With series five scheduled for a February release, the line can eventually expand and feature every single character that appeared in the comic, even after the series is long gone. Although the comic series follows the adventures of the Justice League, it can easily bring up any character in the DC universe—whether they’re in (or against) the League. Plastic Man, Black Manta, Cheetah, Parasite and others have appeared in the comic and in the toy line. These few are not the mainstays that we are use to seeing in the pages of DC, but they’re still popular with fans proving that any character can appear in the book and still have a shot in making it in the toy line.

Sculpting

Alex Ross paints in an ultra realistic style and to capture that look is nothing short of amazing. That’s where Tim Bruckner and Karen Palinko come in. The two master sculptors are the unsung heroes in this line as they provide fans with incredible detail of heroes and villains of the DC universe. Nothing has been missed. From the wrinkles on Batman’s cowl and gloves, to Hawkman’s incredible mask, down to Superman’s shiny red boots, the line is painstakingly accurate with detail. Ross has been known to use members of his family as prototypes to draw the characters in his comic books, so if you know him try to persuade him to paint you into his next comic draw. Who knows you might end up an action figure!

Simplicity

Every figure in Hasbro’s Marvel Legends line has over 20 points of articulation, which equals dramatic and dynamic poses. Most of the figures in the Justice series barely cross ten points in articulation. There is nothing fancy in the posing features of the figures. It’s meant to look regal, iconic and for most, to show off their big chest. The simplicity is done to showcase the realistic look of each character and for nostalgic reasons. Take a look at your old action figures, if didn’t burn them or break them and notice how simple their style and look are. The Justice figures are very similar, but only better in every way.