Once in awhile, a line comes out that knocks your panties off. The new DC Universe line from Mattel is just such a line. I've only found three of the five figures so far - Batman, Penguin and Etrigan - but I couldn't wait to review them. I'm sure I'll find the other two soon (Red Tornado and Orion) so that I can finish the BAF, but until then, enjoy checking out these three! You can find all the reviews at the usual:

http://www.mwctoys.com

Have a great weekend!

Michael
MWC

Hey! A package variant! Your Batman is called "Classic Detective," while others have found "Crime Stopper" Batman. The figures are the same, though.

Odd.

Hmmm - weird. Is his face paint different? Doesn't look like it to me.

I don't see any differences in the figures. The blue seems darker on yours, but I think that's the lighting.

Maybe it's just a night version?

What's with the Element man though? Mattel has used Metamorpho before with JLU...

So is the packaging difference the variant that was mentioned before?

I just realized why they went with that weirdly colored Penguin.



VC9k

Nope. Somewhere they specifically mentioned it was NOT a Bat variant...unless of course my memory is failing me, which is entirely possible.

bossywog, after reading the review, i NEED these figures. anyone got spares? especially of bats?

on another note, what about red, orion, and 'morpho (dont you just love my nicknames?)?

I could not agree more Michael.


Here's my quick review, posted again as it might have gotten lost in the other DCUC thread:

Damn.

I have to eat crow, a whole lotta crow.

I was about as skeptical of Mattel in general and DCUC specifically as humanly possible, but my set just arrived today and WOW.

These might be the best superhero figures ever. EVER.

They're much improved over the DCSH, in terms of quality of paint ops, stability of joints, plastic feel. Everything. My past DCSH figures had loose ankles and hips, sloppy paint, inconsistent joints (some loose, some fused). Not a single problem in the set.

Paint ops are subtle with great light oversprays. There's a nice matte finish to a lot of the figures. The accessories are great, especially the clip ons like Red Tornado and Metamoprho's hands.

Speaking of Metamorpho I think he's the best build a figure I've gotten, probably ever. He's got beautiful paint, nice and matte, the sculpting is gorgeous, and the clip on limb extensions are fun and functional.

There's literally only a few minor flaws in the whole set:

Orion: He's the most problematic of the one's I got. He was pretty badly warped out of the package, both his legs were bent and knee and ankles and splayed out to the sides. Also one heel is all scraped and chewed up as if the harness was put on while paint was wet. His helmet horns were also badly warped.

But heatgun fixed all the warpage, and honestly it's probably due to the complexity of packaging him posed in the bubble w/ Harness on.

The only other minor flaw was the paint from the hand attachement left red paint rubs on Red Tornado's hand. Again, looks like it was packed before the paint was dry.

Still, pretty minor issues for a mass market toyline.


All in all these are great great figures. Even the Penguin, who I totally don't care for as a character is executed soooo well.

DCD needs to be on notice: As long as Mattel doesn't fumble the marketing and these figures can make it to retail consistently w/ this sort of quality, I'm going to buy few if any DCD anymore. This is what I want, good but not excessive articulation, classic looks, consistent style and scale across the line. With DCD embracing artist and storyline specific figures and being completely unable to maintain any sort of consistency of scale, I find more and more I am buying DCD figures because they're the only toy versions of certain characters. No more. Not if this line survives.

At first I was wondering why the first 3 waves of DCUC have so many characters DCD already made. Now I know. If wave 1 is any indication, the DCUC versions will completely and utterly blow away everything DCD has done.

Mattel has a winner here, moreso than any line they've had in recent memory. (I liked MOTU 2002 and JL/JLU, but DCUC blows both lines away.)

SpyMagician

Another company has the trademark on the name for toys, I'm guessing it slipped past the legal people at Mattel on the JLU stuff...



vader posted that he's been told that the variant is a slight paint change on a face and it's not Batman. Some speculation that a color change for Metamorpho's head might be the change has been thrown around... I'm guessing different color eyes on someone, myself... Maybe a green-eyed variant on RT?...

KRaZeE, Jim, thanks for the clarification on the wave one mystery variant. Metamorpho's head color change sounds probable. At least it's not something I'll feel compelled to pick up, like the Firestrom variant in wave 2 (seperate characters and all that).

Great review, Michael. Fantastic pics.

Man I can't wait to find these figures! Great work, Mattel (and 4H of course).

Jeff

can someone post the upc so i can check my tru