2011
03.01

ASFlyer1 

The Mini Flyers are Art Asylum/Playalong’s way of getting more DC Minimates into the market without making larger sets. The Mini Flyers feature one Minimate and one small flying craft. The piece count is low, with only 42 pieces in this set, but really the emphasis is on the Minimates with these small sets. This set features an “alternate” Superman, in his Justice Lords costume.

Packaging

SupermanBox 

The packaging is a very small semi-window box, it’s a lot smaller than the basic sets in waves 1 and 2. The Justice League Unlimited logo appears at the top left. The packaging is done in the normal C3 style, but interestingly, perhaps to highlight the Minimate more, they have added the Minimate head graphic style from the Marvel Minimates sets to the side of the box. I always liked this on the Marvel packaging, and likewise really like the use of it here. To the right, you can see the Minimate very clearly in the window portion of the box.

SupermanBoxSide

The C3 pieces are all bagged up in the main part of the box, and the Minimate is packaged in a tray on the right hand side. There is one twist-tie holding the figure in.

SupermanBoxBack

The back of the box shows the cross-sell of the other new C3 sets, and a “technical specification” type drawing to show off the set itself.


 

The Figure

Alternate Superman

ASuperman1    

Here we have another figure from the criminally underused Justice League Unlimited license. However, it’s another Superman, before we even get to finish the core of the Justice League. A shame. Billed as Alternate Superman on the box, this is a version of Superman from another dimension when the world’s mightiest heroes had a harsher approach to combatting the villain element. In that dimension, the Justice League were known by the far loftier title of the Justice Lords.

ASuperman2

The nice thing about this figure is that it doesn’t reuse anything from the original Superman figure from the Throne Room C3 set. The hairpiece is new, incorporating the now-common peg to help attach it to the head block better. Superman also has a slightly less goofy expression than the first one.

ASuperman3

The costume is stark, but well implemented. Mainly black, with the white bands applied in a clean and tidy paint job. The cape piece is different stylisically, having a full mantle rather than Superman’s usual half-mantle (Can you tell I just did my cape mission on City of Heroes?). The “S” logo is created in the negative space of the white front of the cape, using red which adds a welcome splash of colour to this very monochromatic figure. The cape itself I believe is a unique piece not seen elsewhere, and flows very nicely around Superman. It can also detach so that Sperman can get in his vehicle.

ASuperman5

Alternate Superman comes with no accessories, but when did Superman really need any? Plus the vehicle is his, so it’s not too bad.

ASuperman4

Overall, this is an interesting conceptual Minimate, and despite Playalong’s haste to get another variant character into the line, it works well in Minimate form.

MMC Score – 7 out of 10

 


 

The Construction Set

Mini Flyer

ASFlyer2     

So here we have a flying vehicle for Superman, a being who can fly so fast he can turn back time itself. Ohhhhkay. Still, you can’t quibble too much when the set is as nicely designed and implemented as this. It’s in the shape of Superman’s classic diamond logo, and manages to look sleek, dangerous, and, best of all, plausible, like it’s a real vehicle.

ASFlyer6ASFlyer3

The set is coloured to complement the Justice Lords Superman, so it’s mainly white, with black and red and some very dark purple. It all meshes well together and doesn’t look too garish. Twin “S” symbols adorn the wings, a nice visual touch.

ASFlyer5

AAt this price level and block count, there are no real gimmicks to the mini flyer apart from the fact that the canopy opens, revealing a small but well-formed cockpit area with all the necessary control guages and joysticks.

ASFlyer4

Overall, this is a nice, if not earth-shattering set. The concept and execution are beyond reproach, but there’s a nagging feeling I can’t dispell that this really should have been one of the other main Justice Leaguers. Who wouldn’t have wanted Wonder Woman in a set like this?

 ASFlyer7

MMC Score – 7 out of 10

 

Review and pictures by Danny Mills

[starratingmulti id=”1″]

[starratingmulti id=”2″]