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I don't hate Batman v. Superman. We may make a lot of fun of it (though not as much fun as we make of Suicide Squad having as much Oscar clout as Leaving Las Vegas), but the movie does a lot right. That said, it definitely does Lex Luthor wrong.
Real name: Alexander Luthor Jr.
Base of Operations: Lexcorp
Evil founder and controller of Lexcorp and creator of the world's first neural network based operating system.
What? Granted, I haven't watched the movie since it was in theaters (and that's probably the last time I'll make that mistake for a DC movie), but did we know that was how he made his money? And also, doesn't the movie specifically say his dad founded the company? Not that it really matters: making Lex a "junior" was about the only thing the movie did right, because it opens the door to some slim hope that future films may introduce the real Lex. This one was just the worst. Like, ever. Superfriends Lex Luthor was better than BvS'. Lois and Clark Lex Luthor was better than BvS'. The Super Dictionary's Lex Luthor was better than BvS', and all that guy did was steal 40 cakes! [That's terrible --ed.]
There was a Lex in the BvS line, but it was the dorky, twitchy, hairy
version (and was also pretty much impossible to find, since it was part of the second wave). It didn't even come with a Jolly Rancher or a jar of human urine! I ask you, what kind of children's toy would pass up the opportunity to include a jar of drinkable human urine? Anyway, this is the preferable bald version of Lex, though the likeness is really only so-so. You can recognize Zombieland's Columbus in the toy, but it's not very sharp.
This Lex is wearing his orange prison jumpsuit,
which is something we've seen as a toy before, but not in this style. The mold is mostly new - like so many other figures, he uses the Mattel DC "suit" legs. At least they didn't try to get away with simply painting the usual shirt orange, right? There are a few simple wrinkles, sculpted seams on the neck and sleeves, and a pocket on his breast. The shoes are slip-ons, because you don't get shoelaces in prison.
Speaking of prison, did you know Lex ended up in Belle Reve, home of Task Force X? That's what the logo on his back tells us! The prisoner number on his chest is 16-TK-421 (a Star Wars reference), and yet the guard refers to him as "prisoner A-C-23-19-40" (Action Comics #23, in 1940, was Lex's first appearance). That's some sloppy continuity. Unless someone has a better explanation for why those would be different?
Lex's articulation is exactly what you'd expect: balljointed head, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel biceps, hinged elbows, swivel wrists (with one hand splayed and one in the least-natural gripping pose ever - what are those about?), hinged torso, swivel waist, H-hips, swivel thighs, hinged knees, and hinged ankles. It's not much, but it suits Lex better than it does more active characters. His only accessory is one he's wearing in the packaging: his prison shackles, linking his wrists, ankles and waist. The chain plugs unobtrusively into two holes in his back, making it easy to get on or off, but you won't be able to share it with anyone else.
He does come with a piece of the Doomsday
Build-A-Figure. No, not the mildly interesting movie version, the silly New 52 version. Lex gets the chest, which is big enough that looks to use almost as much plastic as the main figure.
Batman v. Superman's Lex Luthor was so crappy, he wasn't even the best Lex Luthor in his own movie; Affleck's Bruce Wayne was a better Lex Luthor than Lex Luthor was! That "we have to take it as an absolute certainty" speech? Put those words in Luthor's mouth and you've nailed the character. But instead, we get Mark Zuckerberg playing Max Landis (or is that the other way around?). Prison Lex is better than Jolly Rancher Lex, but he's still not a great representation of the character.
-- 04/05/17
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