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MICROMAN 2006 MICRO-ACTION

Micro Action Series is essentially a licensed character using Microman Full Action Body format with no real tie to regular Microman line. (Unlike Kiguru and Material Force series which are somewhat part of the main line). Micro Action series have been very popular with action-figures collectors who otherwise do not collect Microman series. The characters for Action Series have been very diverse from Devilman to Superman Returns and with nice good mix of live-action, comic and anime characters. In 2006, Takara start several new sub-series for Micro Action line for the Votoms licensed, including DMZ (stands for Dual Model Zwie, Dual Model was the original Takara Votoms action-figures line) series and MAP (Micro Action Plus), a play-set series.

SUPERMAN SERIES

Ever since the release of the excellent Batman figure for Micro Action line back in 2004, fans have been looking forward for more DC comic characters to appear as Microman figure. In 2006, with the release of the new Superman movie, Takara produce four figures for Micro Action line from Superman series including movie version, comic version, Supergirl and Takara own Cyborg Superman.

MICROMAN MUSCLE BODY

For Superman Comic version, Takara introduces yet another new body type to the Microman series. The new type is dubbed "Microman Muscle Body". The new body is much larger and taller than all the other Microman bodies.  The body construction curiously is a mixture between the old body style (Full Action Body) with that of the recent new Smart Body type. The neck part is on separate pivoting piece and the feet uses the same joint design and peg insert system as the Smart Body but the rest of the body used the old body design. The strangest part about the figure is the used of the old "cuff" style hands for the body. I was thinking that Takara had finally abandoned the cuff design, but curiously it was introduce back into this Muscle Body. There are 5 extra hands set to interchange with the closed-fists that pack with the figure. The extra hands in reality offer only three new poses; grip hands,  trigger hands and open hands. The 2 extra hands are different articulation of the grip and trigger hands (one up and down motion, while the other is side to side).

SUPERMAN COMIC

Microman Superman Comic with the new Muscle Body is a very nice representation of the comic book version. The new Muscle Body is very nice replacement for the "Massive Body" with the new "muscle" legs and larger arms and torso to represent a really large body (like comic book Superman). There are however several glaring problems with this figure that prevent it from being great figure. First is the strange use of dark blue / light blue highlight paint job on the body which are also done very sloppily and really detract from the figure. Second is the head and neck part, the sculpt is passable as Superman but the strange grin just make the head a it goofy looking and the head is slightly too small for the large neck. Third is not the problem with this particular figure but with the "Muscle Body" used of the old cuff hand design. The cuffs hand design was in part homage to the old Microman (Original 1970's series) however the cuff just did not work too well as the hands tended to slip off easily and the cuffs section have to be painted to match the body in some case (such as this Superman figure) and that really detracted from the figure. I am not sure why the Muscle Body reverse back to the cuff style, it could be that the figure was design during the transition from the old body type and the new one. I think Takara would be better off if they would just molded new forearm section of they want "cuff" look for the figure and should just use the "plug" style hands for all the figures as they are superior both in look and functionality than the "cuff" version.