Mattel DC Figures

[Atomic Knight]

It’s just business, the nature of capitalism. I can’t change the outcome. I’m not ready to quit. I’ve been buying a few Marvel Legends lately with a somewhat Zen approach. Mattel has shown me enough to do the same with them. At least for a bit. Seems as though Todd isn’t entirely finished with 7” scale comic figures either. I’ll be open to seeing what he’s got going forward.

 

[secondwhiteline]

Shockingly good specs at that price point. I'm sure heavy reuse will help maintain that quality level but for me the biggest question is how deep in the roster they can get for a kid-focused line. Although these seem fun enough where I'll probably impulse buy the occasional A-lister with cool accessories.

 

[scottg10]

Some of us remember the last time he did this, when McFarlane first took over. Ah, the cycles of life on a toy message board...

Credit where credit is due, this go around has been less….chaotic than 2019 cycle. It shows that some level of maturity has taken place.

And never feel bad about admitting when you are wrong. This world would be a much better place if people didn’t let pride get in the way of the truth. I’m wrong a lot, most people are… it’s part of being human.

 

[RicksNerdLife]

I feel like I'm missing something, but hey...good on growth.

 

[Atomic Knight]

To me, it seems like someone at Mattel decided to put together an actual plan instead of just throwing money at it this time around.

The rumored figure for the DC master license that Mattel paid in 2003 to get the rights was $200 million dollars. I don’t know if that’s true or not. Seems like it’s on the high side. But Mattel was determined to make that money back as quickly as possible. Cutting corners, reuse, minimal marketing, and a plethora of other issues plagued the line aided and abetted by DC Comics management. Add in Toy Guru and a multi million dollar bonus for an underperforming CEO and the recipe for disaster was right there the entire time.

Hopefully the adults are in charge now. I’m counting on it in fact.

 

[Spongyblue]

I do like the look of these, I kinda want to see the collector line first before I throw down. Like if wave 1 of the collector series has a Robin in a similar style ( I think this is the retro active Dick Grayson post green briefs Pre-Nightwing look), than I might go collector, but if not I might bite.

 

[SDcomics]

Atomic. It seems like we’ve all watched you go through the 12 stages of grief here on these boards regarding this subject. I commend your openness.

I have also been reading all those posts and there's no way that was only 12 stages.

Some of us remember the last time he did this, when McFarlane first took over. Ah, the cycles of life on a toy message board...

@Atomic Knight, aka Gardner Grayle, is my amigo. He and I go back a long, long way. All the way back to when DC Direct had a message board on AOL, and all the other communities that sprang up to talk about DC action figures over the years. I like and admire the guy because he loves and respects the history of DC Comics as much as I do. Yes, even the Golden Age and the Justice Society. That's special to me.

Marvel fans (And yes I am one) are lucky. We have a definitive Marvel toy line: Marvel Legends. DC fans have had to suffer, mostly because of the mismanagement of Warner Brothers Consumer Products. I can't really say that DC fans have a line that they can point to and say "this is it. This is the preeminent DC Comics action figure line."

Maybe someday. Maybe. No one can say for sure what the future holds.

Hang in there, Gard. I'm with ya, buddy.

 

[Hbhf]

That Tim Drake Robin looks pretty good. I’ll probably buy that.

I think that’s actually Dick Grayson’s updated design from modern flashback stuff like the recent World’s Finest books. It’s got the solid yellow cape and green boots instead of Tim’s black cape and boots.

Curious no in box images of Green Lantern yet.

 

[Niko (protozoalord)]

It is half and half the Dan Mora Dick Grayson, and Tim Drake. To me, most of it reads as Tim from the late 90s and early 2000s, when all the youth comics tried to skew towards a vaguely anime inspired stylization. Which is the entire reason I'm getting the figure, that is MY Tim.

 

[Atomic Knight]

@Atomic Knight, aka Gardner Grayle, is my amigo. He and I go back a long, long way. All the way back to when DC Direct had a message board on AOL, and all the other communities that sprang up to talk about DC action figures over the years. I like and admire the guy because he loves and respects the history of DC Comics as much as I do. Yes, even the Golden Age and the Justice Society. That's special to me.

Marvel fans (And yes I am one) are lucky. We have a definitive Marvel toy line: Marvel Legends. DC fans have had to suffer, mostly because of the mismanagement of Warner Brothers Consumer Products. I can't really say that DC fans have a line that they can point to and say "this is it. This is the preeminent DC Comics action figure line."

Maybe someday. Maybe. No one can say for sure what the future holds.

Hang in there, Gard. I'm with ya, buddy.

As usual, thanks for the kind words sir.

And yeah, all I’ve ever really wanted was a “DC Legends” line. Changing vendors every few years and the gatekeepers in the Consumer Products Division have prevented that from happening for going on three decades. It’s frustrating and certainly given me trust issues. And I’ve expressed that frustration on message boards.

But I’m older now and over it. I have very few responsibilities and obligations anymore and try to live as close to a stress free life as is possible in modern society. I’m going with the flow and hoping for the best with Mattel to be able to roughly parallel Marvel Legends and Hasbro. And even though I don’t think I have 20 more years of collecting left in me, my hope is for younger collectors and people who haven’t even started yet.

Mattel can pull this off. Question is will they?