DC Direct Flashpoint Cyborg Review

DC Direct is know for it's ability to pump out a lot of different characters sculpted in a particular artist's style very quickly, usually right after a series has hit the newsstands. I'm not sure if this is the case since I haven't read any of the Flashpoint arc but Cyborg is looking pretty spiffy in his new duds. There's three other characters in the line, all with different looks than their classic ones. Batman, The Flash, and Wonder Woman.

Cyborg looks really, really nice. His armored body is perhaps one of the nicer sculpts I've seen with all sorts of panel detail, portholes, and overlapping plates. His facial sculpt is by far one of the better Cyborg likenesses I've seen. His arm blaster is really well done and there's a red grating inside the barrel. Some bulky shoulderpads adorn his shoulders and his oversized feet remind me of, well, Megaman. Probably why I bought a few to customize with.

Now let's address the elephant in the room. This will sound like a gripe and by all means it really is. Cyborg's articulation is virtually non-existent. His ball shoulders barely move because of the hard plastic shoulderpads. He has no waist joint. His hips are T-joints and the leg raises up maybe 30 deg. The pic left is the maximum range of movement he has. Only his head is decently articulated and it's kinda stuck hunched over.

Paint apps fare quite a bit better and are the saving grace here. As a statue he looks excellent. The silver is a deep metallic with a wash and shading blended in. The red ports are bright, the black suit parts matte, and they gave his lips and eyes a gloss that adds an extra bit of realism. If only DC Universe figures were painted like this. The only color molded in plastic is his skin tone and that's how it should be.

So what's the verdict? He's a 6" tall robot brick that looks cool. Honestly, DC Direct could make amazing figures if they just took the time to add a few more moving bits. But they still maintain they're 'collector oriented' and don't realize collectors pose their figures too. It's a real shame because this figure fits in with so many different playstyles, a half-man half-machine. Pick him up at our sponsor BBTS and customize some joints into him, make the shoulderpads move up and down. Or take him apart for customs. I of course did the latter.