Mattel DC Figures

[secondwhiteline]

So just to confirm the Mera stuff, I found this blog post commenting on a ToyGuru post from the old Matty Collector Facebook page. This looks to be what he said verbatim, although I can't find the original FB post.

And to answer the inevitable question, we did look into Red Lantern Mera. The only way to do her right is with a 100% tool and for that cost we can do 4 other figures. So while she did not make the cut this time around, we do know fans want complete sets and we are committed to one day getting her out there!

Oh, looks like Fwoosh actually discussed it too, available here. You know, while the site is still up. I can't find anything about what the original lineup was supposed to be, but if she was scrapped for tooling concerns, it seems probable that the figures we got were the earliest practical plan for the wave. That's how Neitlich is making it sound, anyway. If what he's saying is accurate, identifying her as a 100% new tool probably would've happened not long after the name came up, I would think. (Unless they had a period where they were considering painted-on scales, but that seems unlikely.)

 

[Atomic Knight]

OG Starfire, Claw, Stalker Space Ranger, Dolphin, Beowulf, Warlord, Kamandi, OMAC, Hercules Unbound, Captain Comet, Phantom Stranger, Tommy Tomorrow (heh), Freedom Fighters, Arak, Arion, Richard Dragon, and I could go on.

 

[Niko (protozoalord)]

I'm kinda content in that case. While I want her, if her only figure was the modern basic and scaly bodysuit, I just would not want to display it alongside a line where every single figure otherwise is 60s-80s. Need the white collar halter top and seaweed pattern for her! If the pattern isn't sculpted (and I'd love if it was, but it's not necessary), that would be just a new chest and feet.

 

[secondwhiteline]

I'm pretty much always on the side of doing texture where an outfit suggests a texture. DCUC bucks were already way too featureless for me; one of the great things about something like that Wave 1 Etrigan was that it had all the skin striations sculpted into his legs.

I guess one of the funny things is that they ended up making that fully-sculpted scaly green bodysuit Mera, just the movie version. It always feels like a lot of stuff Neitlich claimed couldn't be done was somehow done by Mattel DC Multiverse.

 

[scottg10]

I never saw the shipping box picture either. I do remember talk about a GA Hawkgirl and apparently there were pictures. But I never saw those either. Supposed to have been in a 2-pack with GA Hawkman. Which did come out in wave 19.

I don't remember if their were pictures, but this one was an actual offering by Mattel that didn't make it. I was really hoping for this pack, and eventually ended up with a custom GA Hawkgirl instead.

New DCUC 2-packs listed on BBTS - Updated!

Four new DCUC 2-packs are up for order on BigBadToysStore.com DC Universe Classics Two-Packs - Batman Vs. Clayface DC Universe Classics Two-Packs - Superman Vs. Classic Brainiac DC Universe Classics Two-Packs - Lex Luthor Vs. Supergirl DC Universe Classics Two-Packs - Golden Age Hawkman & Golden

www.actionfigureinsider.com

 

[Niko (protozoalord)]

If I'm to guess, there may be exceptions for unique molds for main characters from movies. But Neitlich is also a lying idiot.

I will always prefer textured bodies for the most part, but in the case of classic Mera (and Aquaman, for that matter) there's a sort of subtlety to the texture that I'd want just to preserve the silhouette. Most Aquaman figures go too hardcore and just look a bit nasty. Or they go too tiny with the scales and it just feels a bit busy. My favorite sculpt for him is probably ArtFX Superpowers.

In the case of classic Mera, I could see it as an inset texture pattern with a shiny finish and maybe wash working, but if they go even slightly too extreme, her silhouette would just look terrible. I'd be content with just paint if that's the route they went, her costume always felt like a fabric with a printed pattern anyways.

 

[Xavion2025]

• The Actual Figure: While Mattel never released a Red Lantern Mera, DC Direct (now DC Collectibles) did release a popular, highly detailed 7-inch Red Lantern Mera figure in 2011 as part of their Blackest Night Series 7 line.
  YouTube +4

That DC Direct Mera is absolutely gorgeous. (They released both the Red Lantern and standard versions of her). I still have her. If only she had more than a few points of articulation.

I would love to see these obscure characters you folks are throwing out there, but I expect this line to play it fairly safe.

While it’s only natural to compare the DC license to the WWE license, I think Marvel is more comparable to WWE and DC is more comparable to AEW…except DC didn’t fumble Superman (Cody Rhodes) and Batman (CM Punk) over to Marvel.

 

[Atomic Knight]

I would love to see these obscure characters you folks are throwing out there, but I expect this line to play it fairly safe.

I imagine that you’re right, at least in the short term. I very much hope you’re wrong in the long term. I say this because the only reason why Mattel should have taken the license back in the first place is to create a line that will parallel Marvel Legends. Long term anyway. Mattel should be looking at this like they’ll never lose the DC license again. I’m not saying they have to map out 20 years worth of waves before the first one comes out, but there should be a long term strategy. Adjusted for market changes of course. Otherwise they should’ve let Spin Masters and McFarlane carry on.

Truth is, an outlier doesn’t even need to be a big deal. Captain Atom would suffice to me. If Todd has accomplished one thing is that he’s shown the viability of the C list (and below) characters. They aren’t the peg warmers everyone thought they’d be. Current low Buy it Now price for a Platinum Geo Force on eBay is $49.00. Regular Geo Force is $60.00. Anecdotal I know. Lots of moving parts. But this isn’t occurring in a vacuum. Mattel has to know this.

 

[Spongyblue]

If those mofo's don't give me a commemorative Jake Kirby with drawing desk, Darkseid coffee mug and a mini copy of "Jake Kirby's 2001 adaptation", I swear.

 

[Reno]

I imagine that you’re right, at least in the short term. I very much hope you’re wrong in the long term. I say this because the only reason why Mattel should have taken the license back in the first place is to create a line that will parallel Marvel Legends. Long term anyway.

I'll just tell you as someone who is a Marvel Legends collector above all else (and has been since Day 1) that my biggest gripe is the relatively low volume of never before made characters that they put out. Now in fairness they still do a fair amount, probably along the lines of between 30-50 per year even. There are better years and worse years. Some people would say that is enough that no one should ever complain. As a percentage of figures they put out though, it's still quite small. However there are still so many key characters that have never been made. There are still more Spider-Man, Wolverine, Cap and Iron Man (etc) updates, re-issues and alternative costumes. Of course that is what it takes to run a successful line over a long period of time. I'd be so much happier though if they could just commit to doing at least one never before done character in each full wave they put out. With tens of thousands of characters in the universe, they'd never run out of options. This is obviously true for DC as well. The difference with Mattel/DC is that they're basically starting over and every first figure of a character is the first time they've done it since getting the license back... so they can probably justify waiting longer to hit more obscure stuff.

 

[Atomic Knight]

I'll just tell you as someone who is a Marvel Legends collector above all else (and has been since Day 1) that my biggest gripe is the relatively low volume of never before made characters that they put out. Now in fairness they still do a fair amount, probably along the lines of between 30-50 per year even. There are better years and worse years. Some people would say that is enough that no one should ever complain. As a percentage of figures they put out though, it's still quite small. However there are still so many key characters that have never been made. There are still more Spider-Man, Wolverine, Cap and Iron Man (etc) updates, re-issues and alternative costumes. Of course that is what it takes to run a successful line over a long period of time. I'd be so much happier though if they could just commit to doing at least one never before done character in each full wave they put out. With tens of thousands of characters in the universe, they'd never run out of options. This is obviously true for DC as well. The difference with Mattel/DC is that they're basically starting over and every first figure of a character is the first time they've done it since getting the license back... so they can probably justify waiting longer to hit more obscure stuff.

I get that. MLs has a 25 year head start. And yeah, I get that market conditions have changed, but in 2008 when DCUC wave 1 hit, Orion, Demon, and Metamorpho all came in that wave along with Red Tornado. I’m not asking for that. But an outlier in the first couple of waves is nearly essential to me. Could be Jesse Quick, could be Captain Atom, could be Superman from Gotham by Gaslight. But a show of good faith early on is very much needed.

 

[PantherCult]

I get that. MLs has a 25 year head start. And yeah, I get that market conditions have changed, but in 2008 when DCUC wave 1 hit, Orion, Demon, and Metamorpho all came in that wave along with Red Tornado. I’m not asking for that. But an outlier in the first couple of waves is nearly essential to me. Could be Jesse Quick, could be Captain Atom, could be Superman from Gotham by Gaslight. But a show of good faith early on is very much needed.

Here's the thing though... DCUC wave 1 came out immediately on the heels of Mattel's DC Super Heroes line having already released a half dozen Batman and Superman figures and their main villains.

People who wanted Bats and Supes could still go buy compatible figures from Mattel at the store to accompany the C listers in Classics.

At this stage Mattel is starting over from scratch so I expect it to be a little more A-list heavy at the beginning than Classics was.

 

[Ultra Seven]

Forget Superman, Batman & Wonder Woman. Mattel needs to make figures that haven't been made before.

The original New Guardians from Millennium, the original Outsiders from First Issue Special, the Green Team, the Wanders, the Heroes of Lallor, the Heroes of Angor, the Masters of Disaster, the Sea Devils, Cave Carson & his Crew, the Time Masters and the rest of the Forgotten Heroes and Forgotten Villains.

Some vehicles like the Haunted Tank, Space Cabbie and his Cab, Cave Carson's Mighty Mole, a Time Bubble.

Playsets like the Tower of Fate, Dinosaur Island, Skataris, the Flash Museum, the Arrow Cave.

This unironically is exactly the kind of crap I'd buy at any price. Forgotten Heroes (Dolphin, particularly) are my top want for a DC line, besides a proper Silver or Bronze Age Supergirl.

 

[TheSameIdiot]

I'll just tell you as someone who is a Marvel Legends collector above all else (and has been since Day 1) that my biggest gripe is the relatively low volume of never before made characters that they put out. Now in fairness they still do a fair amount, probably along the lines of between 30-50 per year even. There are better years and worse years.

That's between 1/5 and 1/3 of Hasbro's output.

Some people would say that is enough that no one should ever complain.

That'd be me. You aren't getting whoever Jesse Quick is without five Joker variants. A line of Jesse Quicks cannot sustain itself, as evidenced by all toy history.

 

[secondwhiteline]

Yeah, 30-50 new characters a year that deep into a toyline sounds amazing. We're at the point where the biggest consensus choices for female characters that ML needs to make are at the Diamondback level, you know? That they're even still finding 30-50 new characters a year that are saleable is incredible.