McFarlane DC Multiverse

At this point in the game, I’d rather see Todd knock out some characters that need to be made. Or at the very minimum, some characters that have never been made in 7”scale. Redundancy isn’t doing us any favors right now.

But I love Todd’s take on the Flash. I’ve got all three new Flashes sitting on the table in front of me. 40’s Jay, 60’s Barry, and 90’s Wally are all awesome.

But the real surprise to me is PP Hal Jordan. I really like the head sculpt. Probably my favorite GLC member so far. And that’s a jump because the GLC usually isn’t top of my list.
 
DC MULTIVERSE
- Black Condor (Ryan Kendall) *
- Gangbuster
- Vigilante (Greg Saunders)
- Aztek *
- Bronze Tiger *
- Eclipso
- OMAC
- Saturn Girl
- Bloodwynd *
- Miss Martian
- Brainiac
- Black Mask
- Beast Boy
- Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders)
- Green Lantern Kilowog

I mean... if all those lists are real this could be the year I buy my most McFarlane figures ever... Above are the ones I will at least consider picking up. - those with an asterisk are guaranteed buys. The rest will depend on look and execution, but still thats a lot for me.
 
I haven't yet either and expected to yesterday. I could be completely offbase, but it was kind of my expectation that they were going to have fewer entries due to the expense of the package of 5 figures. I think that it's going to be pretty close to $200 shipped. However the fact that it's taking longer to process and send notifications has me questioning that.
FYI only that I did receive my confirmation of "winning" the EQL today. All 5 Platinum figures for $174.95 + $14.00 shipping for a total of $188.95.

I'm always all in on the McFarlane figures that have never been made before by any of DCD/DCC, Mattel or McF before like Black Condor, Gangbuster, Greg Saunders Vigilante, Aztec, Bloodwynd, Miss Martian, etc.... I buy A LOT more than that but those are the absolute no-brainer purchases for me personally. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of McF, I buy more than I don't. I tend to pass on the movie figures (except unique characters like Lucius Fox, Max Schreck and the Superman movie robot) and never ending versions of Bruce Wayne Batman and Clark Kent Superman.... but I buy/own at least one version of every distinct character that McF makes in the line.
 
Nothing much on the McFarlane Toys TV show today other than Sports figures.

They did mention that they were going to do an episode a month this year and that there was “big news” coming up after Toy Fair. Toy Fair is Feb 14th-17th.

If it’s such big news, why not announce during Toy Fair? Whatever.
 
They did mention that they were going to do an episode a month this year and that there was “big news” coming up after Toy Fair. Toy Fair is Feb 14th-17th.
Hopefully for them they can land a license that keeps them relevant. They were completely off my radar for years until they got the DC license. Right now I'm expecting that to become the case again after 2026.

I'll likely continue to buy whatever Mortal Kombat Klassics they put out that aren't just repaints of characters that they've already done, but I can't imagine much else they could do that would interest me. I'm not really into anything else that they're doing now. For the MK stuff, they haven't announced anything in what seems like a long time so I can't help but wonder if it wasn't received well. I could see him trying to make movie figures from this summer's movie.

I'm a huge Marvel guy but the only "posed figures" that I've bought by them were ones that I found at Target for 70% off. A Spider-Man that retailed for $29.99 that was marked down to $8.99 and a Rocket Raccoon that retailed for $59.99 that was marked down to $17.99. Otherwise I won't touch it. They're not worth even those reduced prices that I paid and I almost certainly wouldn't buy any again. One of my local comic book stores is trying to sell used ones that people bought and have already traded in. LOL! I also bought the set of their Jumanji Movie Maniacs when they had the set for 90% off and they sadly weren't worth the total of $10 that I paid for the four of them. Just so cheaply made and awful.

My totally speculative guess is their announcement is likely figures for the next Dune movie that comes out toward the end of the year. Trailers are probably going to hit for that this spring/summer so they can probably start showing stuff when that happens... kind of like Mattel is doing now with the He-Man stuff. I bought some of their prior Dune figures when they hit deep discounts but certainly nothing that I was crazy about.

Playmates recently announced that they're not going to be doing TMNT stuff anymore, but Todd is already doing TMNT stuff (like everybody else). I think there are some anime properties that are supposed be having live action movies/shows coming soon. I could see him jumping on something like that. He obviously isn't doing One Piece or KPop: Demon Hunters, though.
 
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My hope is that the “big news” is a DC carve out for 7” scale. Emphasis on hoping, not expecting.

Todd needs a broad based comic license. My opinion anyway. There are a couple of licenses that would play to his strengths. Hellboy (universe) is the first. Judge Dredd is another. Perhaps even an all in 2000 AD line. The second would be a little tougher as it’s not an American publisher.

The obvious one is Image itself. Starting with the Image founders series having already been announced. Sounds like we’re getting Geiger figures next year. Can the other Ghost Machine characters be far behind? I’d punch a nun for Astro City figures. Even after 30 years.

However the most meat on the bone is going to come from the nominal “Image Universe”. Consisting of Spawn, Extreme, Shadowline, Top Cow, Savage Dragon, and Skybound. Other IPs play into this too like the Maxx, Noble Causes, and a few more. Obviously this isn’t tight continuity like Marvel or DC, just a loose framework where these characters can interact. My fantasy line would be for someone to take up the mantle of Legendary Comic Book Heroes. Smothered in the crib in 2008.

TMNT is the obvious. Todd will go after the master license. However it holds no personal significance to me. But I do hope he gets it. He deserves to be in the game.
 
TMNT is the obvious. Todd will go after the master license. However it holds no personal significance to me. But I do hope he gets it. He deserves to be in the game.
I think he's better off going after smaller niche stuff like Walking Dead, Sports, various other comic stuff, setting his sights on Manga/Anime properties. I think him casting a wider net is better than focussing primarily on one bread and butter IP like Playmates did with TMNT, especially since it can be ripped away from you. I think he'll be fine, he's already in Marvel's pocket with his PVC statues, and I dunno how well the ToddzModz cutie figurines do, but he seems pretty adaptable.

Honestly I'm somewhat looking forward to being done with collecting DC figures once McFarlane sunsets. I'm not a huge DC guy and his designs just being "cool" in many cases has gotten me to buy a lot of figures I otherwise wouldn't have. Originally I started on just Batman figures, now I probably have well over 70+ McFarlane DC Multiverse figures, with some other Spawn / Mortal Kombat stuff.

I'll look at Mattel's stuff, but if they don't have anything on offer that I like I'm fine with just cutting out a massive amount of expenditure on collecting and directing it toward something else.
 
However the most meat on the bone is going to come from the nominal “Image Universe”. Consisting of Spawn, Extreme, Shadowline, Top Cow, Savage Dragon, and Skybound. Other IPs play into this too like the Maxx, Noble Causes, and a few more. Obviously this isn’t tight continuity like Marvel or DC, just a loose framework where these characters can interact. My fantasy line would be for someone to take up the mantle of Legendary Comic Book Heroes. Smothered in the crib in 2008.

TMNT is the obvious. Todd will go after the master license. However it holds no personal significance to me. But I do hope he gets it. He deserves to be in the game.
I'd love good Image figures, but not at the $60 Elite price point that is being pitched in that Founders line right now, and of course few of those characters hold the broad appeal of DC/Marvel. He's obviously found that even Spawn figures don't sell well or he'd be doing more of them. Plus Jada recently got the license for Invincible, which of course is a key Image property.

Shocker Toys did Indie Spotlight for a wave or two after Toy Biz / Marvel Toys' Legendary Comic Book Heroes came to an abrupt end. Both companies found that it wasn't really a profitable venture for them. Both never got past a second wave despite announcing more. See my previous comment about broad appeal. I bought every figure made by both of those lines and still have them, but there just wasn't enough interest.

Is there a master license for TMNT? NECA puts out a ton of product. Super7 has put out a significant amount of product. Loyal Subjects has put out a decent amount of product in recent years. Todd has started doing some. Obviously Playmates put out product for years and years and years. This seems like one of those properties where anything goes. Todd can probably go as wild as he wants on the 5" stuff that he's already started doing - but I think that's the same scale that Loyal Subjects does too? I don't know, that's all Wild, Wild West kind of stuff. I think it would also be difficult to usurp NECA at the larger scale as they seem to have a pretty loyal following.
 
I'd love good Image figures, but not at the $60 Elite price point that is being pitched in that Founders line right now, and of course few of those characters hold the broad appeal of DC/Marvel. He's obviously found that even Spawn figures don't sell well or he'd be doing more of them. Plus Jada recently got the license for Invincible, which of course is a key Image property.

Shocker Toys did Indie Spotlight for a wave or two after Toy Biz / Marvel Toys' Legendary Comic Book Heroes came to an abrupt end. Both companies found that it wasn't really a profitable venture for them. Both never got past a second wave despite announcing more. See my previous comment about broad appeal. I bought every figure made by both of those lines and still have them, but there just wasn't enough interest.

Is there a master license for TMNT? NECA puts out a ton of product. Super7 has put out a significant amount of product. Loyal Subjects has put out a decent amount of product in recent years. Todd has started doing some. Obviously Playmates put out product for years and years and years. This seems like one of those properties where anything goes. Todd can probably go as wild as he wants on the 5" stuff that he's already started doing - but I think that's the same scale that Loyal Subjects does too? I don't know, that's all Wild, Wild West kind of stuff. I think it would also be difficult to usurp NECA at the larger scale as they seem to have a pretty loyal following.
I’m not paying $60.00 per for Image Founders either. Unless they’re astounding. Spawn wasn’t astounding. I will grab Spartan for the DCU connection.

I’m hoping Jada does 6” scale leaving 7” scale for Todd. Maybe.

Shocker was an idiot. I distinctly remember his bullshit cutting a wide swath through the internet back in the day. And I always thought LCBH was cancelled because Marvel Toys was shutting down. Same reason they let the Marvel Legends license go to Hasbro. Pitt is probably the greatest BaF of all time. Minus Fin Fang Foom.

As to the TMNT license, I was just referring to what Playmates is relinquishing. Beyond that, I’ve no idea how it works with multiple vendors.
 
I have three Todd Marvel "figs" - the first Spider-Man, Beast and Magneto. Magneto works well looming in the background or on a top shelf, Beast is really just because Hasbro refuses to make that character available at retail and Spider-Man was curiosity that can't be returned. I also have the Karen Gillan Jumanji statue and it really is... not great. Bad likeness, but I always think I can use the body for someone.

This board got me to pick up a figure I had no interest in - Authority Superman. I really like this look and his face is painted really well. May return it after the dopamine wears off, but this is a nice fig. And then there's poor, re-used Ice...
 
I’m hoping Jada does 6” scale leaving 7” scale for Todd. Maybe.
I'm not certain because I don't believe that it's been stated, but I think that Jada is picking up where Diamond left off on the Invincible line, which is why they're starting with Season 3 figures for the show. I bought all of the Diamond Invincible figures, so maybe it's just hope from my end as much as anything else. Jada is so slow on releases that it may be quite some time yet before we know for sure.

From memory only, I think that LCBH was because that was the only thing they had once Hasbro got the Marvel Legends license. They started LCBH after that. It was their attempt to stay afloat. They released 2 waves at mass retail that went to deep clearance even though it included the heaviest hitters they could get rights to, and they had announced a third wave that looked pretty good but never got released.

Not terribly long after, Shocker made a run with the rights he could get and made it just about as far.

I'd love to see someone have a truly successful affordable Indy comic figure run, but it seems like it's places like Loose Collector at $100 price points or imitations like a lot of what Big Bad Workshop or Boss Fight Studios (EPIC Hacks) are doing. Anything is possible, I guess. The Boss Fight Popeye line isn't bad at all and reasonably affordable.
 
Jada definitely has the license for the show like Diamond did, but I don't know that they are limited to Seasons. I'm glad thy kind of fit in with the ones I already have.
 
Ya know, I didn’t realize that all the Invincible Diamond figures were show based. Ditto on the Jada figures. But weren’t the Diamond figures 7”? I thought Jada figures were supposed to be 6”.

Seems that would leave the Invincible comic figures in an open lane. All inclusive of the various Skybound titles that touch on Invincible comic. Several dozen, or more, characters ripe for someone to make. I think I might be down for that.
 
I didn't buy the Diamond figures because I thought they weren't great. So I'm hoping Jada will eventually swing back to those characters in their line.

And AK its crazy the knots you will twist yourself in to keep getting McFarlane figures. McFarlane got a bite at the Invincible apple before and his figures were junk, so I doubt he's getting back into it... but maybe Kirkman has a soft spot for Todd.
 
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