If you know me well, you’d know that when it comes to comic books (and specifically DC Comics), Superman has been and always will be my favorite of all time! In the 1990’s, The Death And Return of Superman was a massive history making storyline that left an impact on all of us. It killed off a flagship character, brought him back, and introduced us to 4 new characters that so badly wanted to take Superman’s place. The Reign of the Supermen! As a toy collector, I have always dreamed of owning comic accurate and highly detailed action figures based off the ‘Reign’ storyline. Now, that day is here and I can actually own those very figures! There’s just one big problem…
They are so damn expensive!
The Mafex brand of action figures from Japanese toy company Medicom, produces some of the absolute finest in collectibles! From the online retailer Big Bad Toy Store:
From Medicom Toy, MAFEX figures bring incredible detail, premium articulation, and a wide range of accessories to your favorite heroes and villains from DC, Marvel, Star Wars and so much more!
First, just to get an idea of how accurate these figures are, here is a picture from the comic books they are based on as a reference…
Ok so let’s start with the main man himself, Superman. Killed by Doomsday, then brought back to life in a chamber in his Fortress of Solitude, he comes back without his powers but wearing the coolest fucking version of his costume… Black and Silver baby! Mafex went all out on the figure for this one, as you’ll now see:
The detail on this figure is insane! Everything from both head sculpts, the face and hair (mullet lol), and even the boots with rocket blasts are Super accurate (pun intended)! But remember how I said Mafex were expensive toys? Yeah these toys average around $100 or more each! That’s a lot of pennies to save up! But oh so worth it!
The ONLY thing that would’ve made this figure even more perfect is if they had given him his guns and ammo belts. It would have been… what did Superboy say?
Yeah… Slammin’! lol
Superman was released in March 2022, and you can see more at the official Mafex website by clicking here.
Of course during ‘The Reign of the Supermen’, there were 4 new characters introduced and Mafex has them covered as well. Let’s see some pictures of the first 2 characters, Cyborg Superman & Steel!
Again, just like black suit Superman, the details are nuts! Oh, and yes… cloth capes! Also again, expensive figures!
Cyborg Superman was released in December 2022, and you can see more at the official Mafex website by clicking here.
Steel was released in May 2023, and you can see more at the official Mafex website by clicking here.
That leaves the last 2 characters of the 4, both of which release later this year in 2024. I’m going to save my favorite for last and start with the one called Eradicator!
I really like this figure a lot! Another cloth cape, the yellow visor, and all of the correct colors for the suit! One of the biggest things I love about these Mafex figs, are not just the sculpts but also how color accurate they are. In my opinion, they look like they just flew right off the pages of the comics themselves!
Eradicator will be released in July 2024, and you can see more at the official Mafex website by clicking here.
So saving the best for last, lets talk about my favorite character of the 4 ‘Supermen’. What happens when you attempt to cook up a clone of Superman (oddly using half Superman DNA and half Lex Luthor DNA), then stop the process early halfway through? You don’t get a Superman, but instead you get a Superboy! This hands down after the black suit Superman is my next favorite figure of the bunch!
I love everything about this figure! Seriously just look at him! The articulation (same for the other figs as well), the sculpts of both heads, the glasses, the yellow S on the back of the jacket (very nice touch), and the jacket is made of an actual fabric to mimic the leather he wears in the comics! Drool… This figure is AWESOME!
Superboy will be released in December 2024, and you can see more at the official Mafex website by clicking here.
If you would like to see everything that Medicom has released under the Mafex line, you can check it out by heading to their website here.
I wouldn’t be a proper fan if I didn’t mention one character that is missing from this line, that was also a very big part of the ‘Reign’ storyline in my opinion. That of course is Supergirl.
The issue here is that while there are some nice Supergirl figs out there (the McFarlane is very nice), Mafex hasn’t made one… and NO one has made one for this version of Supergirl! This is the Matrix Supergirl who first debuted in Superman, Vol. 2 #16, then 5 issues later meets Superman for the first time in Superman, Vol. 2 #21. Her backstory is quite in depth, so I won’t go into it here, but you can check her wiki here on the DC Fandom page.
I would love a Mafex fig of Matrix Supergirl! I may settle for the McFarlane for now, as it is the closest in looks to Matrix Supergirl (the boots are completely wrong on that fig though).
One day I will have my ‘Reign’ display of figs to show off, enjoy, and admire. Did I say display? Oh yeah, that’s right… even at $100 a piece, I am opening these up when/if I get them. Seems crazy I know, but toys like these need to be loved and enjoyed outside of the box. Maybe it’s time to invest in a curio cabinet…lol
Stay awesome, stay nerdy, and always stay true to yourself! Until next time friends!
~ Malty
The Malty Gamer 