So what do think, true believers? Last year's Subscription Drive felt like a 'last-gasp' to me, and I'm not seeing a ton of excitement for the 2014 Sub...is it dead?

Too early to tell. Mattel is foolish to assume many will sign up before we know of any single figure in the sub. I think most people are just waiting for SDCC next week to find out more info before deciding.

As much as I'd like it to continue, I'd rather find these figures readily available at retail. I think I'm out for 2014.

I am probably in since it's not like I can get figure like these anywhere else, especially at retail.
In order for more people to bite, we're going to need some heavy hitters (granted, we're talking B and C-listers at this point). I think these would help a lot:

Sub exclusive CnC Doomsday
Ras a Ghul
Mera
Vixen
Classic Tim Drake Robin
Cassie Wonder Girl
Classic Kyle GL
Hooked Aquaman
More villains
More team completion (add Aqualad and classic Speedy on the small bucks or the teen buck)

But fandom is so fragmented now I don't know if it would be enough.

I don't think it has any chance.

We will get TG giving us a Sally Struthers speech about how only we can say the poor DC universe.The deadline will come and go and be at 75%.Then at the last minute we get two more weeks and Poof we make it.We are told we get a must requested figure only for it to me the lamest version of that figure.Like Water Hand Aquaman.

Hey! I liked water hand Aquaman!

Can we stop predicting doom all the time? Let's just wait & see what happens at SDCC. Then we'll have a better picture.

Maybe it's time people should "vote with their wallets" so Mattel will really know what is "fan demanded". You know, stuff like knowing what they are going to be selling be for anybody pays for it or actually getting collector grade figures for the collector grade prices Mattel is charging. I know I don't really have a dog in this fight, but I really don't want to sift through all the campaign to save DCIE junk to find real news this year.

I've seen people compare this to a magazine subscription, but I just don't agree. The whole "you don't know what you're getting" really isn't applicable.


I get ESPN and SI (both I got for like 9 bucks for the year). I know there will be times that I like one issue over another, and I'll find something I dislike and like in both the same issues. But the fact is, I don't think I've ever received an issue of either where I didn't find something a bit worthwhile.

To me, a sub like this isn't even remotely the same. I realize that we'll get introduced to some figures, but I have been completely unimpressed with about 75% of the sub line so far, and I subscribed the first year. I haven't purchased one figure from this year's sub (I did like a few, but not enough to plop down 22 by the time shipping was included) and don't anticipate it going forward.

But in a figure, it's typically a situation where you like it or you don't. It's hard to find something partly enjoyable about a figure, enough to justify the cost.

As I said last year, I hope the sub survives simply for those who want it. I don't want to wish doom and gloom on it because I realize so many people like it. And I hope we get some big reveals at SDCC that spark my interest in picking it up again. But the responses we seem to get from TG and everyone else at Mattel is that it won't survive, and I'm certainly not going to let them guilt me into paying for something that seems to be half assed at this point.

Do I think it will survive?

Nope.

Should it survive?

Absolutely. We've come so far, gotten all the heavy hitters out of the way, and we're at a point where we're just filling in the universe.

I'm cool either way, though.

For the past two years, I have purchased two subscriptions. I keep one figure and sell the other on eBay to help defray the tax and shipping costs. But some of the figures just don't sell (Starman, anyone?), and they are taking up valuable space in my tiny apartment.

So, I'm thinking of cutting back to one subscription this year. It will mean the cost will shoot up to about $30 a figure, but it's better than having the doubles clog my closet shelves.

I have looked at figures on ebay, and it doesn't seem like much effort to buy any of them at the cost from matty...so I'm not sure how you'd break even if you did sell all your stuff.

Have any been that hot? I picked up a Red Hood figure from a china ebay seller for 9.99 with free shipping and the figure is great. I realize some what him box, but I couldn't see there being a breaking even point even. Not unless 2 or 3 of them went for way more.

People seem to forget that it's a collector line, not a mass-market retail line. Hence you'll either collect the figures because you love DC or not get anything at all. 1 or 2 dud figures out of 12 isn't bad. And these "duds," while not necessarily fan-demanded characters are still new and unique DC Universe characters. That said, while I would love for it to continue, I do think it's on its last legs as there are too many whiners out there.

Agreed.

I'm not one of those people that is willing to buy three and four subs just to support the line (seriously - where are those people's priorities?) and force the sub through another year. I'd love to keep getting even a dozen figures a year in that style for years to come, but not at that expense.

If it happens, awesome. If it doesn't, life goes on, and I'm not about to flip out on Mattel for "bailing" on the line like I'm sure most people on the Matty forums will.