Super heroes have been a mainstay of comic books very nearly 100 years, in one form or another. Some of the classics, such as Superman and Batman, go all the way back to the 1930's.

But there are so many popular characters, from Spiderman to Batgirl, from the X-Men to Lobo. Every comic book fan has his or her all time favorite.

Of course, models of super heroes have been around since the 1960's and still flourish today. No matter how old you are as an adult, super kits are everywhere.

They're dynamic and action oriented. With poses that reflect their personalities. They're colorful, to match the the high colors in the comics that burst out from the book's pages.

Plastic kits are the major force in model building and collecting, but you can find just as many in resin and vinyl kits. Your typical super hero model builder is usually familiar with all the mediums, and doesn't have any problems assembling a model from any certain material.

But it's not the model building per se' that makes them stand out. It's the amazing paint jobs they receive. Every fold of fabric, every steely eye, every punch about to be thrown is brought to life with pallets of colors you never knew could look so good. There are some real masters at painting figures. You can't help admire them and want to build the model kit yourself.

Moebius models has began producing kits at a quick rate, recently following previous successful kits with their classic 1966 Batman line. The Batman, Adam West, and the Catwoman, Julie Newmar are out now. (I hope someone also does a resin replacement head to convert the model to make Eartha Kitt, that would be awesome!). The Boy Wonder Robin, the Riddler, and The Penguin, are scheduled to be next (and soon).

Moebius did well before with their Marvel Comics Ironman models. I think they made about 3 different ones. They also did the War Machine and the ever popular sexy Black Widow. Of course, they offered other Marvel kits such as Spiderman, and even the Green Goblin. Two great comic book characters that make great model kits.

Round2 has issued several as well, from Superman to Wolverine. Comic book models continue to thrive! Now Dragon Models has done very well with their Marvel Avengers series (Ironman, Hulk, Nick Fury, Thor) and let's hope they keep producing them.

There are some resin and vinyl kits too, many of them from companies no longer in business. But they're still popular and sought out by super hero model builders. Screamin', Horizon, Biliken. Just to name a few. Well known names for classic figure hero model kits.

So whomever is your favorite, it might be time to build a super hero model. They're colorful and fun, and would be great in your collection.