Mattel DC Figures

I totally get the fear of breaking a new figure but man I find myself yelling at the reviewers who say the new figures have no waist articulation. If it doesn't move with the tiniest attempt they move on and say "no waist or torso articulation". Even Dan Who? Reviews did it. Lol. Twist harder! Lol.
Dan Who barely even remembers to take a picture of the BACK OF THE NEW RELEASE figure but shows 10 comparison shots. I only look at the photos MarvelousNews shows and this habit drives me nuts.
 
JOKER HAS WAIST ARTICULATION.

JOKER HAS ANKLE ARTICULATION.

Maybe not *the* most ambitious 6inch articulation scheme of all time. But it’s “full articulation” on par with and from my perspective MUCH better than any Marvel Legends “suit” body.

I’m shocked.

Joker is PHENOMENAL.

Anyway, just opened him. On to the others.

Edit: oh they ALL have waist twists, Batman and Robin have boot cuts that twist. No below the knee articulation for Flash, though.

Damn. These are WONDERFUL.
 
I think I'll recount that whole sad episode during the Countdown to SDCC. That'll start around the end of June on the Marvel board.

Hopefully, we won't see history repeat itself.
Ugh. I still remember. Bad day. Fifteen years this summer that DCUC got the plug pulled on it. Same SDCC that showed that amazing Thor exclusive in the hammer shaped package that heralded the return of the revamped Marvel Legends in 2012. Like Mattel was avoiding a confrontation or something.

I know there were lots of circumstances involved. Some we know, some we may never know. Regardless, it sucked. Can you even imagine where we would be if DCUC had been an ongoing thing for the last fifteen years?
 
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I found and opened up Batman and Flash. They feel like a kid's line in hand? I don't know if that's the type of plastic or lack of excessive articulation. A kid could get away with some rugged play. I hadn't notice everyone has a hole in their back for accessories, including a corresponding hole for Batman's cape, which makes sense for a kid line. If there are figures I can only get this way I don't really display backs so I guess that's okay. I'm a little surprised they went with thigh swivels, but glad they did. I think the more or less solid colors give it that kid feel too, but the amount of detailing on the boots and Batman's whole body feel more collector. They're the uncanny valley of action figures. Something feels just a little unsettled.
 
Stopped at Target today and picked up Flash and Joker (the only ones left). I have to say, they’re really nice figures. Fun “keep on the desk to fiddle around with” toys. I honestly think I’ll be picking these up. I like them.
 
X-Men ‘97 is what I’m talking about along with some of the Gamerverse stuff. That Gamerverse Captain America is about perfect. Venom is good too but seems a shade too light.

Rivals seems a little different. Punisher is very exaggerated. Spider-Man from the two-pack looks perfectly fine.

I meant more so how it applies to DC. What animation and game properties do they have that can really fit in with the comic style akin to Gamerverse and the X-Men '97 stuff? DCAU and The Batman are too stylized, and Arkham and Injustice almost entirely unique sculpts with funky proportions and high levels of detail. Task Force again? DC just doesn't have anything that's both beloved and close enough to comic stylization to get away with it like Marvel does.


I will say that while I don't particularly care about Absolute Batman, the runaway success of it all but guarantees we'll be getting large characters as deluxe releases instead of BAFs, which I am grateful for

Has modern Mattel even done any BAFs outside of announcers, managers, and that one for Turtles of Grayskull? If we can steer clear and stick to deluxes and multipacks for the multipacks, I'm fucking ecstatic.
 
JOKER HAS ANKLE ARTICULATION.

Maybe not *the* most ambitious 6inch articulation scheme of all time. But it’s “full articulation” on par with and from my perspective MUCH better than any Marvel Legends “suit” body.

Is it just a straight peg into the leg? 🤔 If so, I have ideas.
 
If you aren't already aware, Steve Ozer and Kyle Wlodyga (formerly of Super 7) from Mattel were on Gotham City Tonight a couple of months back. They were showing off the kids line, but that is actually a different team and these are guys are working on the collector's line. They didn't say a single thing about the collector's line (nothing until 1/1/27, according to them), but at least they are willing to be public facing. And you've got collectors working on the line who don't exhibit the narcissistic tendencies of Nite-Lik, so that is a positive sign.


EDIT: Bill Beneke is still at Mattel as well, looks like he worked on the kids line. Steve posted on Instagram a few days ago.

This was a fine video and seems the Kids line and the upcoming Collector line is in good hands. If you haven't seen this yet, would recommend. It also confirms what I mentioned in a previous post that whoever is in charge of this line has to collect action figures. Steve who also manages WWE products as you most probably know didn't come off as having any animosity toward Hasbro or McFarlane but more of admiration. He even mentioned he collects both McFarlane's DC line and Hasbro Marvel Legends. Hasbro's team I have never heard them mention anything of the sort in video interviews. I am probably wrong but I try to catch all their interviews I see on YouTube. Anyways, with the teams on both these lines I feel good things are coming from Mattel for DC comic characters.
 
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