Well, I can tell you right now that the reason DC Universe Classics was canceled at retail was because Warner Brothers Consumer Products pulled the plug. It wasn't sales. The line was selling well enough in stores that Wal-Mart was still asking for it's own exclusive waves. No, regardless of how well it was selling, DC Comics had just launched their bright, shiny new 52 and they wanted the merchandise to reflect that. No more classic anything. I know, I know. It sounds totally asinine and stupid but that's what WBCP was known for. I heard enough about them in my toy reporting days to know they were horrible to deal with. I felt sorry for any toy company that had the DC license.
I heard all that directly from Mattel. This was back when I was going to SDCC with a press pass. Before the show started I had gotten permission with Mattel's publicity department to interview the DCUC team at the Mattel booth. That's when they told me everything. That was supposed to stay off the record but since none of those people are around anymore screw the record.
I knew the online thing was never going to work. I'm astonished that it lasted for two years. Commit to a years worth of figures before you even know what they are? No thanks. I'm the biggest DC mark I know and even I wasn't going to do that. No way.
And so that was that. Normally it's greed and stupidity that ends a good action figure line but this time it was just stupidity.