The results are in, and Absolute Justice, The CW’s two-hour Smallville event introducing the Justice Society, is considered a ratings winner for the netlet. Considering that The CW sent Smallville to the Friday night graveyard, this show simply refuses to die. Chances are, Clark and company are gonna make it a full decade on the air and come back for a tenth season.

And while Smallville is the Energizer bunny of superhero shows, one thing it’s always been lacking is the amount of swag associated with the franchise. Even the DVD box sets are pretty spare when it comes to commentaries and special features. Especially when compared to the plethora of bells and whistles that typically come with genre TV series DVDs. That said, the show has spawned to series of action figure lines by DC Direct. The first (Clark, Lex and Lana) came out when the show debuted, and unfortunately, the quality of the figures reflected the lack of sophistication in action figure sculpting and articulation that plagued DCD toys of the early-Aughts. Several years later, a second series featuring the members of the Smallville-verse’s nascent Justice League was released. This set featured much better likenesses and greater articulation. But to be completely honest, other than Clark and Ollie, the other junior-Leaguers’ costume aesthetics are less than stellar.

Anyway, in the years since that series was released, Smallville has seriously embraced its comic book-y side. In addition to the live action debuts of future JLAers Zatanna and Black Canary, we’ve seen Braniac, Bizzaro, Metallo, the Legion, Zod and even a young Jor-El show up in Kansas’ leafy little hamlet. But no single episode has been riper for plastic immortality than the Absolute Justice mini-movie.

So here’s what I think should make up Smallville’s third series of action figures. Are you listening DC Direct?

Clark Kent/The Blur
Considering Clark’s the main character, it only makes sense that each series of figures should include one of the main guy. Since Series Two gave us his iconic red and blue jacket/jeans combo, it only makes sense that the “Absolute Justice” line would feature Clark in his Season 9, Matrix-y “Blur” getup. Not only is he (finally) rocking the family crest on his chest, the black trench coated Clark would just make a nice variation on the previous Tom Welling action figures we’ve seen from DCD. While we’re at it, give him a swappable head with “heat vision eyes” and you’ve got an awesome proto-Superman figure for my toy shelf! And hopefully, in the near future, we’ll get the opportunity to see an action figure of Welling in the red and blue tights. Until then, you can always swap out the head from the Smallville Series Two one and plunk it down on the body of the Alex Ross Superman figure from DC Direct.

Carter Hall/Hawkman
The most hyped up character in Absolute Justice has got to be the live action debut of Hawkman. Sure, a lot of people laughed at the sneak peeks of Michael Shanks in Thanagarian disguise–and some of flying F/X was pretty suspect, but c’mon, Hawkman’s an innately goofy looking character, especially when translated to live action. Still, what we got on screen was pretty cool and effective. And what might not work on your HDTV can be pretty badass on your toyshelf. Besides, Hawkman has been one of my fave DCU toys since the Super Powers fig with the flapping wings! For the Smallville edition, I’d like flapping wings, a removable helmet and of course his trusty mace!

Kent Nelson/Dr. Fate
Arguably, the coolest character in “Absolute Justice” was Dr. Fate. In all my years as a fan of the DCU and Smallville, never did I think I’d see Dr. Fate translated so brilliantly to the big screen. (Hey, even though it was a TV movie on a little-watched network is irrelevant. I challenge any big budget studio to come as correct as the SV folks did in bringing Kent Nelson to life!) While Brent Stait maybe a little vertically challenged as Fate (and I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Most dudes look puny when sharing a two-shot with the 6’4″ Welling), his depiction was spot on. Nelson’s transformation into Fate was easily one of the most goosebump-inducing moments in the show’s nine-season history. For his action figure, I’d like to see Fate come with a removable helmet of Nabu, a bowling ball bag (for Nelson to carry the helmet in), and to take a page out of the Mattel DCUC Fate figure, a snap-on ankh-shaped energy blast.

J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter
Longtime Smallville viewers have been waiting with bated breath for the reveal of John Jones’ Martian form ever since Phil Morris made his first appearance as the Martian Manhunter in the sixth season episode “Labyrinth.” Well, we finally got our wish, if only for a brief second when Fate sent J’onn through a portal to regain his Martian abilities. To commemorate such a momentous occasion, our “Absolute Justice” Manhunter fig should come with a swappable head: one which depicts J’onn in his human, Jackie Chiles-like visage, and one in all its salsa verde splendor! I’d also like to see him packing heat with the double glocks that fit neatly into his criss-crossed gun holster.

So those are the four figures that I think must be included in an “Absolute Justice” line of figures. Of course, it’d be great to see action figures based on Smallville‘s live action interpretations of Stargirl, the Golden Age Sandman, the Star Spangled Kid, and Amanda Waller (I can do without an Icicle, Jr. fig, thank you very much). Buy, hey, that’s what Wave Four is for, right?

So what are ya waiting for, DC Direct! Hop to it!

Keith is the Editor-at-Large of the groundbreaking graphic novel anthology SECRET IDENTITIES and Outreach Director for SIUniverse Media. Visit the official Secret Identities blog to keep up with Keith and the rest of the SI team

While you wait with feverish anticipation for the PCS Xmas Wishlist, check out my latest Pop on Pop column over at Forces of Geek — a gift guide for parents looking to keep their kids on the righteous path to geekiness.

Kotobukiya is currently offering both existing and brand new members of their Koto Club a special unlimited coupon for 20% off all items over $39.99! From now until December 31, 2009, Koto Club members can use the coupon code “KOTOHTC2009″ as many times as they see fit! To help you take advantage of this awesome deal, I’ve gone through Koto’s online store and picked out some of their hottest figures for you!

Sideshow has released this teaser video for their hot X-23 vs Lady Deathstrike Polystone Diorama. Talk about hot girl-on-girl action!

Sideshow has released a video preview for its latest Marvel universe Premium Format Figure, Wolverine. We’ve got the teaser vid, plus plenty of pics. Estimated shipping date: Q2 2010.

Sideshow Collectibles has posted their online 2009 Holiday Gift Guide, featuring a nice selection of their statues, PVC figures and comiquettes. Only one problem — they were ALL DUDES! But never fear, I, Norimaro, the James Bond of comic book and videogame gals, am here to rectify this tragedy! I’ve gone through Sideshow’s site and collected their hottest babes (sure it’s hard work, but someone’s got to do it) into one master list for you: Norimaro’s ULTIMATE SIDESHOW HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE! “Ultimate”, as in the opposite of a sausage party — that is, ladies only!

When Jon recently asked me to join the PCS team, he said I could blog about anything I wanted. Because of my affiliation with Secret Identities, I figured I could talk about where Asian Americans and pop culture intersect. And while I love comics, movies and TV as much as the next pop culture junkie, I have to admit that collecting action figures is my biggest weak spot. So I figured I’d pop my PCS cherry with a piece that I actually pitched to ToyFare a couple years back: the best Asian American action figures on the market!

Granted, this isn’t the most original idea. In fact, the inspiration came from an old website (I mean, it’s so old, it’s still hosted on geocities!) by a guy named Paul Chen who chronicled the web’s best Asian action figures. Unfortunately, homeboy’s site hasn’t been updated in a decade, and action figures have gotten way better (and more Asian American, natch!) in the years since.

So rather than just listing each and every action figure of an Asian character that’s sitting at your local Toys ‘R’ Us, I gave myself some criteria. First off, either the character or the actor portraying that character immortalized in plastic has to be Asian American. That means Ken Watanabe as Asian R’as Al Ghul from Hasbro’s Batman Begins or McFarlane Toys’ Yao Ming don’t count. Sorry guys.

The other criteria I look for in an action figure are sculpting, likeness accuracy, and points of articulation.

So without further ado, let’s start with #5, which is actually a tie!

#5. Sulu from Diamond Select Toys/Sulu from Playmates

How could we talk about Asian American action figures without talking about the granddaddy of Asian American sci-fi: Mr. Sulu? There have been several Sulu action figures from various companies over the years, but for the sake of this blog post, I’ll stick with this 6-inch fig from DST’s Star Trek Classics line. When it comes to Trek action figures, I think Diamond and Art Asylum are unrivaled. I love the scale and detail in all their figures, and the sculpt on this Sulu in his classic uni is the spitting image of George Takei!

Back in the late ’80s/early ’90s, my brother and I used to collect the 4-inch Next Generation figures from Playmates. The detail and articulation on those toys weren’t the greatest (which is likely the case for most toys of that period), but there is definitely a sense of nostalgia that kicks in when thinking back to those figures. So I was (sort of) excited to learn Playmates was returning to the world of Star Trek to do figs for the reboot that came out last May. And to be honest, these weren’t the greatest toys. The 3 3/4-inchers left a lot to be desired and the detail on the 6-inch scale was not as impressive as their DST analogs. Still, we were treated to our very first John Cho action figure. Now, if only they’d make action figures for the rest of the Better Luck Tomorrow crew and my collection will be complete!

#4. Athena and Boomer 2-Pack from Diamond Select Toys

Wow, another DST figure? Trust me, this has nothing to do with the fact that I used to work at Diamond! Anyway, I’m putting Boomer and Athena here even though I don’t watch Battlestar Galactica. What’s that? How can I make that claim and still be allowed on a site like PopCultureShock without having my geek credit card cut up into a million pieces? And where do I get off recommending an action figure of a character from a show I don’t even watch? Good questions, all. First off, I’ve always meant to watch BSG, but just never got around to it. So it isn’t like I’ve purposefully shied away from it like I did with, say, everything in the Whedonverse (blasphemy!) As for the second question: my justification for putting this Grace Park 2-pack on my list is, well, because it’s a Grace Park action figure. Duh! Plus, there are two of them.

#3. Data from Mezco Toys/Short Round from Hasbro

That’s right. Number 3 on my list is Jonathan Ke Quan, baby! Now, while it could be argued that his two most iconic portrayals–Short Round from Temple of Doom and Data from Goonies –are essentially Long Duk Dong for the tweens of the ’80s generation, I have to disagree. First off, Data was the man in The Goonies. And secondly, Short Round is the heart and soul of Temple and is the best sidekick Indy’s ever had. That’s right, Shia! I said it.

Anyway, even though Quan hasn’t worked in several years, the last couple have been good for him, at least from an action figure point of view. First off, Mezco released a series of Goonies figures and didn’t skimp on the accessories! I mean, he comes with the Pinchers of Peril for chrissakes! As for Short Round, I’ve been wanting 3 3/4 scale Indy figures since I was a little kid (hell, I actually remember Kenner’s short-lived Raiders figures) for no other reason than to have Indy and Han Solo standing next to each other on my desk. So, when they expanded the line that came out in ’08 to include Short Round, I was so there. But, what was even cooler was the Short Round Mighty Mugg that was exclusive to Entertainment Earth. Seriously. How dope is this?

#2. Tunnel Rat (1987) from Hasbro

I think it’s safe to say G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero was the be-all-end-all action figure/comic/cartoon franchise of my childhood. I mean, I loved He-Man and the Super Powers and the Real Ghostbusters and Thundercats… Okay, I loved every toyline in the ’80s, but there was something special about Joe vs. Cobra (so the fact that I’ve gotten to know and hang out with Larry Hama in the last few years is, like, mind-blowing). I knew that a Joe had to figure on this list somehow. I could have gone with easy ones like Storm Shadow or Quick Kick. And I was this close to putting Snake Eyes here. But in the end, I had to go with Chinese-Trinidadian Tunnel Rat. And not the “Resolute” one that came out this year. I’m talking old school. The one with the “Win a Fridge Action Figure” sticker on the card! Not only was Tunnel Rat’s likeness based on Hama himself (though the bio on the filecard, like most of the one’s in the collection, was based on a friend of Larry’s), but the dude’s got the coolest specialty: explosives! Not the resident martial artist or ninja. Nicky Lee was the dude who blew sh*t up! And you don’t get more Asian American than that.

#1. Bruce Lee series from Enterbay

Tops on the list have to go to the coolest sixth-scale action figures I’ve ever seen. And ironically, my favorite Asian American action figure is one I don’t (and will probably never) own: Enterbay’s Bruce Lee series of figures. Unless, you had $200-$300 you wanted to give me, that is. Still, I’ve seen these bad boys up close and personal, and they are worth every dollar that I don’t have to spare.

Enterbay has done several Bruce Lee figures now. There are two from Enter the Dragon, one from Game of Death, one from Way of the Dragon, and a Kato from Green Hornet. But my personal favorite is the one modeled on Bruce as Chen Zhen from Fist of Fury.

Not only are these the best, most intricate sixth-scale bodies, like most 12-inch figures, each one comes with a plethora of accessories and outfits. To wit, the FoF Bruce comes with two different head sculpts and three(!) different hair sculpts (seriously), two different tailored, cloth outfits, five sets of hands, a pair of nunchucks, a premium wooden diorama, and the infamous “Sick Man of Asia” wooden sign that Bruce so famously cracks in two!

And the best part? Enterbay’s exclusive 360 Eyeball system, which allows you to pose his eyes! I know I’m a sucker for articulation, but that’s just crazy!

Keith is the Editor-at-Large of the groundbreaking graphic novel anthology SECRET IDENTITIES and Outreach Director for SIUniverse Media. Visit the official Secret Identities blog to keep up with Keith and the rest of the SI team

Kotobukiya is offering both existing and brand new members of their Koto Club a special $20 off coupon to go towards the purchase of one of two new, rockin’ Fine Art Statues: Villain Series Venom or Avengers Reborn Thor. If you’re a member, or are thinking about joining up, use the following code for your discount: KOTO10302009. This offer is good until November 12th.

Sideshow Collectibles’ latest bust is such a beautiful piece of work, I’m going to make an exception and not cheapen it with make any juvenile “Legendary Scale Bust” innuendo! Bendis isn’t the only fanboy who had a secret crush on Spider-Woman and this piece captures why.

From time to time, we’ll be showcasing some of the more kick ass collectibles in the world of comic and toy culture. If you’re already into the collectible scene, you’ve probably already heard of Jin Saotome’s custom-crafted figures, but recently a batch of new online custom craftsmen have made toy shopping online a buyer’s paradise. Most notable among them is Lone Wolf Arts.