This past Wednesday concluded the first month of DC Comics revamp of their universe. While some concepts were pretty much left as is (Batman and Green Lantern), most were revised or restarted completely. Along with this came many costume changes.
Justice League is now the front and center comic it should have been (and used to be). This is also translating into the action figure world. The first figures relating to the new DC universe will be based upon the new Justice League comic. DC Direct revealed some of these at San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) earlier this year.
Looking across the landscape of the new DC universe, what do you hope they will make most?
Me?
1. That this JL line from DC Direct will include ALL the members. The prior lines based on the Justice League have all stopped too soon. The Alex Ross line did not include Elongated Man. The Meltzer/Benez line did not include Red Tornado. The JLI line ended without giving us a Rocket Red. This time, I want all 15 members who are on this advertisement.
2. I’m big on teams. The second line I’d like to see is one based upon the Young Justice group of books. Teen Titans plus Static and Blue Beetle. I like Red Robin’s new costume. I like Kid Flash’s new costume. I’ve always wanted a figure of Static. With the current Young Justice cartoon on, I’d like to see DC Direct create a line. based on this group.
Wave 1: Red Robin, Kid Flash, Static. Wave 2: Superboy, Wonder Girl, Blue Beetle.
What about Mattel?
3. The first place I am hoping the new costumes appear is in the Action League line. Mattel has already put characters in costumes from the events Blackest Night, Brightest Day, and Flash Point into this line. I’d like to see this trend continue by having the new designs of the DC characters created in Action League. I think it would really allow us to have a wide DC collection for a reasonable cost.
4. Mattel’s 6 inch DC line. We know that this will concentrate on the characters DC and WB want the public to know. To me that means the big names. Batman characters, Superman characters, the Justice League, Young Justice/Teen Titans.
I hope to meet with both DC Direct and Mattel (and Hasbro) when I am atNew York Comic Con (NYCC) two weeks from now. Now you now know what I am hoping for. Who do you want to see in which lines? Maybe if there is a trend, I can ask some pointed questions for the group.
I would love to see Mattel use DCnU as an avenue to relaunch the 3-3/4″ scale and do it right this time.
Or heck, I’d take DCD launching a 4″ line. They’ve talked about it before. Maybe now’s the time to do it.
You can bring that up with both companies!
DCD made a few 3.5″ figurines that were packed in with the DC direct to DVD movies. I think that they came out well, so I would rather see both DCD and Mattel give us some 3.75″ figures.
Oh and for the 6″ DCnU figures from Mattel, I’d like to see the modern JLI characters Fire, Ice, Rocket Red, and Vixen.
Other than the Trench and Mera (finally), I haven’t seen much that I’d be clamoring for. Element Woman could be interesting.
the ones from 52 i want to see made are the members of justice leque dark. the whole team madam xadue. shade the changing man if mattel has the rights to him. and enchantress also. plus that mystery woman who keeps making camoes saying the dc vertigo and wildstorm universes must be one. plus elemtent woman would love to see the four horseman lose on her.
Absolutely right Jeff! We need something comparable to the Marvel universe 3 inch line but with DC guys. PLEASE make that happen! Superman vs. Hulk, Batman vs. Captain America etc.
While I’m sure that we’re going to get the A- and B-listers in their new duds, I’m hoping that we’ll also get some of the new (or at least new to the DCU) characters into the line like the members of the Wildcats, Gen13, Milestone.
i would love to see all these but in the 4inch line and very detailed with multiple points of articulation like gijoes or marvel universe
Will probably not support any figures from DCnU — despite reading 18 to 20 of the titles (for now). I thought the DC Direct Wonder Woman with pants looked great though. Shocked that DC editorial gave in so quicly to the bikini bottom crowd.
I’d love a 6″ Ronnie & Jason two pack with an oversized Fury from Firestorm!
I wouldn’t mind a new 4 or 5 inch Super Powers line based around the DCnU. With a $6.99 to $7.99 price point per figure I would be all over it. Myself I have stopped buying the 6 inch figures which range from $14.99 to $25+ each It’s a larger cash sink than I am willing to spend at this point.
With a first wave consisting of the members of the Justice League. Then moving on to the Teen Titans for wave 2, Justice League Dark wave 3, Justice League International wave 4, Villains only wave 5, Green Lanterns (no Hal Jordan) Wave 6, Each wave would in classic Super Powers fashion have a offer for a special mail away figure attached to that specific wave.
That would be something that would get me buying again. However the articulation on the 4 inch figures would need to be seriously upgraded. The Green Lantern Movie line is the first 4 inch line I have bought in years. And I was highly disapointed in the lack of elbow, knee, wrist and ankle articulation. If Marvel’s 4 inch line can do it, and remain at roughly the same price, why is Mattel short changing it’s buyers?
DA,
Its not Marvel’s 4 inch line, its Hasbro’s 4 inch Marvel line. Which borrows its articulation from Hasbro’s GI Joe line. The Joe line has had this level of articulation for years. Mattel is still on a learning curve. DC Infinite Heroes which Mattel tried a few years ago just was not up to the level that collectors expected.
@superfriend Yeah I know, The Infinite Heroes line didn’t have the look or the articulation I was interested in. Plus the few figures from that line I did handle outside it’s packaging felt really flimsy. The plastic felt more like rubber and bent way to easily.
Mattel has always had issues with giving figures articulation. For as Iconic as He-Man and Thundercats are their original 80′s toy line was seriously limited by the lack of articulation. Hell the Panthro seemed like it was just a reused MOTU body with a new head attached.
I think it’s time they step up and catch up to Bandai and Hasbro. I’m sorry when Power Rangers has better articulation and poseability than a Batman or Robin figure I think its time to just give up and do what the other guys are doing for sake of actually satisfying customers demands.
I know the Young Justice 6 inch line has some articulation but again here they fail. The Robin figure for example, it looks seriously deformed. Look at the actual cartoon. Then look at that figure. My first reaction to seeing that was “How Long As Robin Been Juicing” His head is to small his chest and upper arms WAY to big with tapered legs that really look deformed.
The 4 inch YJ figures Look correct, and it shouldn’t be that hard to have articulated those figures with out destroying the proportions or the lines of flow of the figures.
I only collect DC Comics figures, it’s been my passion for years. 99% of my collection is DC Direct, and I’m not entirely happy with the articulation there either but it’s generally better than Mattel’s, And I can’t help but feel insulted as a collector by Mattel when I see this figures which look so nasty that I wouldn’t give them to my dog to play with.
Also, Why was the DCUC Powergirl sculpted to look like a inbred juiced up body building transvestite? That was I think the most insulting Female sculpt I have ever seen from a DC Comics licensed product.
Right now, just Frankenstein.
That’s Fronk-un-steen.
I couldn’t agree more with all of you. Mattel needs a good not decent 3.75 inch line. Collectors have been wanting this since the 4 inch super power days in the 80′s. Almost no one has an entire room to dedicate to their collection for 6 inch figures any more. The way the economy is now and the price for materials. Smaller is the way to go. Make 3-4 male molds and 2-3 female molds and crank out a few waves until money starts rolling in and then expand to vehicles or playsets if you want. Seems like a no brainer. As disappointing as the Infinte heroes line was collectors still got them because they want DC in that scale so bad for so long. Come on Mattel. STEP YOUR GAME UP!
I don’t want any of them.
I really want a good 3 3/4″ line. And I really like almost all of the new DC uniforms, so it’s hard for me to choose which ones I’d want.
I thought the articulation was weak on the Green Lantern line, but I did think that the sculpt and paint jobs were a step up from the last line Mattel offered in that scale.
And a price point better than $10 a throw would be good, too.
The pricing on the GL Movie line 4 inch figures was wonky at my local walmart. When first released they were $6 and change, then they went to $7 and change. Then 3 weeks ago they jumped the price again to $8 and change then the following week put them on clearance for $7.
I don’t know if they were just padding prices to make people who weren’t paying attention think they were getting a deal or what but It put me off buying more.
I’m still waiting on a Jason Todd Red Hood from the old DCU…so I’ll take one from the DCnU
I would love to see the WHOLE new jla roster made into figures. As well as jl dark, and jli. Teams are something I definitely wanna see more of in the action figure world of DC, not just thirty Batmans and Supes. Not really mad about too many of the new costumes, I like a lot of them, especially ww’s pants, although they are gone right? Lame. I like Huntress’ new costume too. Definite improvement. Glad the underoos are gone and I like the idea of armor like outfits, little more modern and believable. The supes dc direct figure looks great imo. Stay 6 inch! I hate the small figures for collecting, other than the action league stuff, I like those. For the 6 inch market though, dc direct only please, I would hate for the DCnU to get “Matteled”. Other figures I’d like to see, Swamp Thing, please, I’d like to get my hands on a great Swamp without spending tons of money. Maybe an Alec Holland and Swamp Thing 2pk. Red Hood would be nice to see at some point. The Firestorm 2 pack sounds like a great idea. Screw it, I say DC direct do a figure of every new character design. Cover all your titles. And please redo Damian, didn’t like the head on the batman inc one.
@DarthAndrea – I totally agree about that YJ Robin. When I finally found him at my local TRU, I was horrified looking at him, especially the 6in. The Batman in the two pack looked jacked up too. I love that cartoon, and I was not happy with the figures.
ANIMAL MAN!
I pretty much want them all. I love most of the new designs.
(all of these I’d like in 6-inch scale)
#1 – Grifter.
Now that he’s in the DCnU, let’s get a figure made pronto.
I’ll leave this one for the 4H and Mattel. They did a bang-up job on Deathstroke and a similar approach to Grifter would be really nice.
#2 – Wonder Woman w/ pants.
Is that DC Direct one still getting made? That’s a good look but I think it’s already been changed. Too bad. I still want WW w/ pants.
#3 – Swamp Thing.
Back in the DC universe again, so let’s get a nice 6-7 inch figure. Mattel dropped the ball on theirs big time, it just looks bad. So I’m gonna want DC Direct to take another crack at one. The first one they did (1998?) was pretty good but they can do better and a big bigger.
#4 – New Batman from the 4H.
Mattel has been releasing Batmans that are basically identical to the Series 1 figure about 12 times now. How about something genuinely new? Go with the double elbows and double knees, and get him a unique sculpt made just for him, or is that too much to ask from Mattel?