When it comes to my passion for action figure collecting, you’d think Mezco’s One:12 Collective line would be a no-branier. It takes the intricate detail and soft goods stitching found on 12-inch Hot Toys figures and shrinks them down to my preferred scale, without losing any of the craftsmanship. But by and large, I missed the One:12 boat, focusing more on Marvel Legends, Star Wars Black Series, and the occasional S.H. Figuarts figure. And while I pre-ordered both Batman and Superman from, well, Batman v Superman, I never took them out of their (admittedly gorgeous) packaging. Well, Mezco’s just-released Superman from the 1978 film has changed all that.

Since I (stupidly) missed out on the chance to preorder Mezco’s take on the Michael Keaton Batman, I couldn’t throw away my shot to get a hold of their take on the other cinematic superhero that informed my childhood. Knowing that it came with a light-up Fortress of Solitude console base didn’t hurt either. Upon receipt, I was surprised to learn that Mezco toys come in popcorn tins now.

Being this is the first One:12 figure I’ve ever removed from its packaging, I have to say I was blown away by how amazing this figure is. Transparently, one of the reasons I never messed with the BvS figures that are sitting unopened on my shelf is that I didn’t really care for the proportions. Getting soft good outfits to look good on a scaled down figure is difficult, and I didn’t think the cloth outfits on little plastic Affleck and Cavill authentically represented their onscreen counterparts. The Christopher Reeve figure, on the other hand, is just right.

Perhaps it’s because they used a smaller buck, or maybe the technology in 1:12 textiles has ramped up in the last five years, but the outfit and proportions are worlds apart from my last encounter with Mezco. It also doesn’t hurt that Reeve wore a cloth based costume in the films, which more easily lends to the translation, as opposed to Cavill’s more sophisticated bodysuit material that looked off in toy-form.

If I had one gripe, it’d be the fact that the cape bunches around the neckline, which is due to the posing wires inside, and makes the suit sit awkwardly across the figure’s collarbone area. Even though, the wires do allow for some dynamic mid-flight poses so I can excuse the wonky neckline. Additionally, the figure comes with two alternate headsculpts for a total of three portraits to choose from. The likeness to Reeve is spot on, though the smiling head doesn’t quite capture the actor’s natural charm.

Stacked up against previous plastic incarnations, I’d say Mezco’s leaps both NECA’s and Mattel’s in a single bound.

All that said, the key selling point for me was the included light-up base. I’m a sucker for dioramas so having a replica of Kal-El’s Fortress console was an easy buy. What I didn’t expect was how fun it was going to be. Aside from the detailed sculpt, the base has more than a simple on-off switch. Included are three Kryptonian crystals that can be inserted into a slot in the center. When you do, the base lights up!

I seriously haven’t had this much fun with a figure in a long time. While I can’t say I’m fully converted to the One:12 line, I will say that it’s a definite bright spot on the shelf. Literally.

While this particular Superman is currently sold out at all retailers, you can find a bunch of Mezco’s other figures at Entertainment Earth by going to this affiliate link.