-Review and photos by Scott Rubin

DC Collectibles is always pushing the envelope when it comes to statues and action figures, and has recently debuted its new figure series called “Essentials.”  In 6.75 inch scale, the Essentials are beefed up from the previous Icons line of action figures (6 inch scale) and differ in a couple of other important ways (read on for those).  DC has also come up with an interesting way to roll out the figures, with some initial pairs of heroes and their arch-enemies so you can set up fight scenes in your collection right away.  As part of the first waves of Essentials is the Atlantean king and Justice Leaguer who’s about to get his own feature film and his undersea nemesis: Aquaman and Black Manta!  Continue reading to check out everything there is to know about these new Essentials in our in-depth review.

Following in the footsteps of other popular lines from DC Collectibles like the Designer Series action figures, Artist Alley figures, and DC Core PVC statues, the Essentials action figures come to you in sleek box packages with a sliced off front right corner.  A shared white background is contrasted with a color specific to each figure that accents the box and wraps around it; for example, Aquaman has yellow while Black Manta has black.  On the front panel you’ll find the company, line, and character names along with DC Collectibles’ catchphrase (“Direct from the Source), and the cut-off corner has gold graphics including a 20^th anniversary icon.  Of course, most of the front is dominated by the huge window so you can see the figure and its accessories inside. 

The solid side of the package has an action photo of the figure and is suitable for displaying (if you’re one of those people who leaves toys in their boxes – I am not), and the back panel has a full-scale image of the figure, a description of the DC Essentials line, and a “Collect Them All!” section showing off other figures (in this case Superman and Brainiac).  Each figure has its own number in the series, and that’s featured prominently on the front and solid side panels for collector reference.  Lastly, each character’s iconic symbol graces the top of the box!

The big question a lot of people had when DC Collectibles announced they were terminating the Core action figures and introducing the Essentials was “what’s the difference?”  Well, there are a few actually.  First up is what we noted above, Essentials are bigger at 6.75 inch scale vs. the previous 6 inch scale. And that’s pretty substantial.  Next there’s been a shift toward more articulation and away from lots of accessories (which the Core line featured).  You’ll find a lot of posing and movement options in these figures but not the array of interchangeable hands and weapons that some of the Core figures had, but don’t worry; DC Collectibles is still including iconic and crucial items with the characters who require them (and read on for examples with these two figures).

Both of these aquatic characters stand approximately 7 inches tall, their statures greater than that of normal man thanks to Atlantean heritage and battle armor for Aquaman and Black Manta respectively.  With the increase in scale these two will stand tall next to other nearly-7 inch scale figures in your collection, which is cool.  They are both modeled after relatively recent Rebirth comic book appearances, based specifically off of designs by Justice League artist Jason Fabok (Amazo Virus, Darkseid War).  And as you can see, they look really good.

Hero and villain, Aquaman and Black Manta present very different sculpts in addition to their moral rectitude.  Both are muscular in a “super” fantasy way, and Manta shows this off with a full-body skin tight black diving suit leaving little to the imagination.  Meanwhile, Aquaman wears a modern update on his classic costume with a similarly sleek bottom half, but on top he wears finely textured scale armor that looks (and feels) fantastic.  The half-Atlantean also has flared ends on his gloves, fins on the back of his calves, and a sculpted belt with his trademark symbol at the buckle, and the figure’s head sculpt is quite excellent with thick, flowing hair and a stern yet wise face with a heavy jaw, full lips, and a dimpled chin. 

Black Manta, on the other hand, adds some really cool technological details to his body suit with his single gauntlet blaster, a heavy collar with what appear to be mechanical gills, and an undersea backpack complete with weapon storage, propulsion units, and flexible cables leading to his helmet… which is an absolute work of art.  The villain’s headgear is (appropriately) massive with deeply carved and interestingly patterned lines and of course the signature gigantic “eye” lenses.

In paint jobs the two figures differ quite a bit as well, with the nearly monochrome Manta and bright and colorful Aquaman.  Black Manta’s body is almost entirely a glossy black that’s broken up only by his silver gauntlet blaster and the collar that also features some red.  His backpack is solid silver, as is the helmet with the striking exception of the blood red lenses.  The stark colors read as a character who doesn’t care about being flashy and just focuses on getting the job done. 

Aquaman, however, carries on the traditional color scheme he’s been rocking (on and off) since the 1940s with dark green from the waist down and on his gloves, golden accents at his belt and collar, and of course the bright orange armored top!  And without a helmet the Justice Leaguer gets a top-notch paint job on his head with perfectly rendered piercing blue eyes.

How about articulation on the new Essentials figures?  In a word, it’s great.  These things are jam-packed with points of articulation from their ball-jointed heads to their feet.  I count at least 23 joints including lots of ball-joints as well as double-joints at the elbows and knees.  You can see in the photos that Aquaman and Black Manta can really be put through their paces, everything from standing tall to fighting, kneeling, kicking, etc.  The only downside to so much articulation is the usual one in figures this scale; with a lot of moving around the legs can get a little wobbly and fidgety.

As I noted above, increased size/mass of figures in a bigger scale along with a hefty amount of articulation means that something is going to be lessened, and so Essentials have fewer accessories when compared to the previous, smaller scale Icons action figures.  That being said, Aquaman and Black Manta have everything they need for you to pose and display them! 

The Legion of Doom member has two wicked-looking swords plus a double curved punching knife kind of thing, all of which he can wield in his hands AND which can be mounted on his backpack.  All three slide into specially-designed slots and when sheathed make the pack look even cooler.  Meanwhile Arthur has the only weapon/accessory he ever really needs, the iconic trident.  He can hold it in a standard or reverse grip with his open left fist, while both of Manta’s hands are open for wielding his weapons.

While I will miss the Icons action figure line, I think the Essentials are going to be a very popular series with collectors thanks to their bigger and beefier size, top notch sculpts and paint, excellent articulation, and the inclusion of necessary weapons/accessories.  Aquaman and Black Manta both look great and can be posed just about any way you’d like to display them, whether individually or together.  I highly recommend these for any fans of the undersea king and/or his arch-nemesis, and they’re only going to be in higher demand with the DCEU film on the way soon.  Both Aquaman and Black Manta retail for MSRP $26 and are available now wherever you buy your DC Collectibles action figures.

Review and photos by Scott Rubin

Review samples courtesy of DC Collectibles

[See image gallery at www.figures.com]

 

---

Keep up with all the latest toy news by following Figures.com on Facebook and Twitter!

To buy action figures, take a look at Hobby Link Japan, BigBadToyStore.com, TheToySource.com, Toynk.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and EntertainmentEarth.com.