McFarlane DC Multiverse Metallo + Bonus Bloodshot review

Remember how random it was when I reviewed the brown suit Wolverine from DP&W with Stan Lee despite the comic creation and comic creator having very little in common? Well, we have another review where two characters have little in common with each other once more, this time it's mostly from having figures made by McFarlane Toys. Metallo should be fairly recognizable with casuals, given he was known for being one of the most notorious villains Superman ever fought against; the version we are looking at was once known by the name of John Corben, and he was a former journalist who was secretly a murderer/thief who had an accident and was later more cybernetic in appearance and powered by Kryptonite. John Byrne redefined the character in the post-Crisis reboot by having his rivalry fueled by the belief he was an invader. The version we had was from the Superman: Secret Origins comic, which was yet another retelling of the hero's journey as the Man of Steel. Corben tried to win over the heart of Lois Lane, but she didn't return her feelings, by the way. As for Bloodshot, he comes from Valiant Comics, and was injected with nanites his bloodstream, altering his appearance while enhancing his strength, stamina, and overall combat expertise. Vin Diesel played the character (the Ray Garrison version) in a 2020 movie that was underrated as hell yet sadly flopped thanks to COVID. A sequel for the Valiant universe is planned, but until then, did you know Jason David Frank also played Bloodshot? I hope Power Rangers fans know that. Anyways, let's see how well these two unrelated characters hold up in a shared review!

Here we have Metallo in-hand, and if you recall my Lex Luthor review from way back in 2025, then you'll recognize that this is a retool of that figure, mostly in the torso and head. With how much in common some Superman villains have with each other, that seems almost fitting if it weren't for how inaccurate this turned out next to the card art. McFarlane went with the art used from Secret Origins, but that design was far simpler in surface area detailing than the Rebirth suit design, McFarlanizations or not. There should be far more green on the legs than just the knees, and he should have bright green wrist pieces instead of just leaving behind the same details on the arms. Also pretty sure the chest detail should be a compartment meant to holding the Kryptonite rather than the paint app of an atomic symbol. I can only guess that this being a Gold Label sold at Target means he would have less effort needed in the makeover department, but surely the Blue Beetle body with some retooling here and there would have worked better! As it stands, he looks so cheap and uninspired, almost like a $5 toy sold at Family Dollar but with the articulation and sculptwork of a $24 figure. At least have that red be metallic like the green, Todd; it looks even worse in the back with how nothing has been painted!

Head sculpt is the best part just from there having more effort put into it than anything else made for this figure, what with the not-Doctor Doom mask motif and the eyes as well as the mouth peeking through. If only this was on a sculpt suited for the design Metallo has in the comic. Articulation is standard for the line, but his sole accessory is a display of Kryptonite he can just barely hold because they forgot to reuse any alternate hands for a figure like this. If you're going to reuse Lex's mold then give us the fucking hands!

For a comparison, here he is with fellow mold mate and Superman villain, Lex Luthor, along with the Man of Steel in the form of the Godzilla version with the Action Comics 1000 head. At least with Lex being from the Rebirth design, the sculpted details make sense to have that modern aesthetic associated with the 2010s of DC suits and armors. There was nothing like that for Metallo in the Secret Origins comic, and combining that with barely any value for money ON A RETAIL EXCLUSIVE results in a figure you're better off passing. It was a good thing it was on clearance because I wouldn't buy it full price!

And going from DC to Valiant, we have Bloodshot. This was the only figure we got based on the movie, and judging by how poorly the movie performed thanks to the pandemic, on top of the niche nature of said movie, this was the only option we would ever get. So how does this albino comic character turn out in plastic? He's kind of okay at best. For positives, they did at least add a wash to the pants to.make it look like denim, though it looks pretty smeary and amateur. Maybe they wanted to make the pads and straps on the pants look just as realistic with a wash, but they blend in a little more than they should with these pants. Thankfully, the shirt is actually matte instead of shiny black plastic, and the white skin looks fairly naturalistic without being chalky paint that can chip off,  but I wish the arms could go down more and stay flush with his body. It's a similar problem I had with X-23 from a while back where the arms have the proper length and the proportions are fine, but leaving the arms out makes him appear bloated when he isn't. Maybe if this was a made with fewer points and was from an earlier McFarlane line, it would have been passable, but more room for improvement is clearly a priority with this figure.

Head sculpt is a passably accurate likeness to Vin Diesel, and while I appreciate the subtle blue shading around the eyes and ears, the red eyes make the face look cheaper when it honestly looks fine in this scale otherwise. Maybe if they had a bit more of a metallic or glossy paint applied, they could look better. While articulation is similar to the McFarlane DC Multiverse line, he lacks toe joints, his hip articulation has more range than the usual costumed characters, and the rotary cuffs in the shoulders could be handled better. At least the guns are able to be holstered better without said holsters being rubberized, gummy plastic.

And as far as his other weapons are concerned, he comes with a wicked dagger that almost has a Cutlass look to the handle. The submachine rifle he also uses is the best accessory he comes with, and it's a good thing this figure wasn't a victim of the WB firearm ban mandate, nor is it rubbery like some figures are stuck with for their weapons. Honestly, Bloodshot is better than Metallo, yet I find the figure still lacking in some areas. Maybe it's just the arms or articulation not being refined like on later McFarlane figures, but he poses better than Doomslayer. And at least he went for a better price and has better value for money than the Mortal Kombat line of late. Maybe get him if you love the movie, and hopefully pray a sequel is still happening. 

Final ranking: ⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Metallo)

⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Bloodshot)