They’re Here! (Kind of)
Okay, they’re not actually here, but they’re just around the corner. Captain Collector at Action Figure Times got his hands on a “sample case” of DCUC Wave 2 and has posted pics and reviews on his site. The anticipation is palpable at this point. I really hope these things start showing up really soon! Check out AFT for plenty of pics of Firestorm, Superman, Harley Quinn, Black Manta, Aquaman and Grodd. (Harley is perfect, BTW!)
Tags: dcuc, dcuc wave 2
HOLLY MOTHER OF GOD!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SO i’m confused…why does HE get a SAMPLE case? What makes him so special??? ha ha ha J/k
Thanks Admin!!
Hrm. I guess that was a nice little love letter to the line, but I’m actually less enthusiastic about DCUC Wave 2 than I was before. Not interested in Superman Red or Blue, and Aquaman and Black Manta kinda pale to some of the DCD releases (in BM’s case, the Justice version trumps due to the removable helmet, and at least the SuperFriends version is super ‘toon accurate). And whereas I had no interest in getting the whole line just for Grodd, the non-removable helmet and apparent lack of useful torso/leg articulation knocks him down a bunch of notches. Given that — if I were going to spend $50 just for Grodd (which I’m totally not; Grodd Kong is fine with me
) I’d eBay the DCD Flash Rogues Gallery version.
Harley does look great, but without a superarticulated Joker to go with her I’m less interested. An interchangeable head without the mask would increase her appeal significantly, but apparently she’s lacking in that department. Honestly, IMHO, the standout here looks like Firestorm.
Despite the relative lack of articulation, I think the DCD figs are winning with me as far as these characters go. Heck, seeing as how I still haven’t found an Orion (or Red Tornado, for that matter) with decent paint from the first wave, I’ll probably end up giving his spot to the New Gods Orion come April.
I looked over the pics and man now I really have to have Harley.
I was wondering if I could pose Harley having both hands holding the mallet and man, it does look a lot better.
Firestorm and Aquaman were a no brainer for me…nice paint apps on the scales of Aquman’s shirt
Gorilla Grodd…DANG IT…instead of selling it on ebay (since I bought a few cases)…I MAY actually want to keep it! I really like how it came out!
damn and Black Manta came out better than I thought it would be….geez….didn’t expect that one!
Electric Supes are cool but I’m not a fan of that phase in his storyline.
CP80 - I guess Captain Collector “knows” people. Believe me, I was asking myself that same question this morning. “What does SuperArticulated Guy have to do get a little love from Mattel?!”
Wes - I understand your preference for the DCD incarnations of these characters over the DCUC ones. I think that’s why DCD isn’t considering this a “competing line’. DCD’s niche has always been comic-accurate, or artist-specific figures. DCUC tries to grab a more “overall impression” of the character, along with the 4H’s own artistic take on things. And, for a lot of us, it’s all about the articulation. I couldn’t care less if Black Manta’s helmet comes off so long as he can crouch and leap and stab aquaman with his spear!
Hm, good point — I certainly consider DCD and DCUC to be competing lines, but I find that frustrating because I don’t want them to be in competition for my dollar. I mean, I really, really would like to prefer the superarticulated versions, but the bad paint applications (at least with the first wave) and some of the lacking features of the second wave really bother me… to say nothing of my intense hatred of the BAF concept.
And I find it really weird that I’m preferring DCD’s versions in part because of accessories, since DCD is totally not known for that. It’s not even like it would’ve been particularly difficult for them to give Harley a second head or Manta a removable helmet. Mattel could even have had the 4H sculpt some pigtails onto Teela’s head… or reused Clamp Champ’s head wholesale. They can do that, right?
I don’t understand the whole thing about the alternate heads. Very few figures come with different heads so I don’t see why it would be considered a standard accesory. Harley comes with a gun and a mallett plus the Grodd piece. Ever since Hasbro has done the Marvel line, most figs have just been the figure and the BAF piece, and for the same price. I definatly wouldn’t consider the DCUC figs accesory lite.
While I own a few DCD figs myself, I got them because they were based on some of my favorite artists designs. The problem with them however is their price and the fact that they never seem to be in the same scale. I love the DCUC figs because they share the same “look” as well as scale which makes them perfect for group display.
Having said all that I’d love to see a flash with clip on attachments for the back of his arms and legs that would give the “blur” effect as if he was running. I’m also holding out for hand clip ons for Hal and Sinestro to emulate their power rings and I’m also looking for a modern Batman and Superman.
FRYMAN you SAID IT!!!!!!!!
“Having said all that I’d love to see a flash with clip on attachments for the back of his arms and legs that would give the “blur” effect as if he was running. I’m also holding out for hand clip ons for Hal and Sinestro to emulate their power rings”
Dude….the blur effect would be cool….not only that but it could be like a “base” for the figure. Sort of like Metamorpho’s pile of ….uh…chocolate leg piece. : )
Admin…yep…good to have those connections. So if he has this “sample case”…I really wonder when CSC is going to get their cases.
For the Robin figure….you were right about Harley so I’m thinking you may be right about Robin…guess I’ll have to see the final product.
In general, for DC Direct….I used to be more for the Statue look…yes one of those guys. I think I only bought 5 or 6 toybiz Marvel Legends because they couldn’t combine articulation and making the figure look solid.
What I like about DCDU from Mattel is they found that balance. A solid, well articulated figure. Not overly articulated and not immovable. That balance makes for a flowing natural looking figure with a comic book feel.
I think the ONLY ONLY ONLY thing missing really are figure bases. It’s good to have something to keep them standing on your shelf y’know.
If the BAF part keeps them from doing that…they should make a bunch of bases that can be used and switched around for the figures. Like a rooftop base u can use for the batman, robin or nightwing figures or a base of rubble and destroyed robotic parts for Green Latern, Flash or Green Lantern.
all this discussion warms my heart. And look, I’ve given myself a real name - apart from the standard, non-descript “admin” i’d been using. hurray!
the old argument against swappable heads/hands was that they posed a choking hazard and were a no-no for a mass-market line directed at kids. but, this line isn’t really focused at kids. Mattel has been pretty clear about it having the adult collector in mind. Besides, what’s so different about a kid choking on a little plastic head as opposed to a little plastic gun or hammer? plus, Mattel is doing swappable hands on Cyborg, so that blows that excuse out of the water. I suspect it’s more of a cost thing. If they’re going to sculpt a whole new head, they just go ahead and plug it onto a slightly differently painted body and release it separately. That’s what we call “variants”! Eh. Hasbro is trying out swappable heads/hands in their new Marvel Legends two-packs. If that proves successful for them, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some “deluxe” DCU figs showing up at some point in the future that might well sport these kinds of accessories.
As for display bases, that’s not something we’ll ever get so long as they’re doing the BAF. But, what’s interesting about the DCUC line is that it’s not called a “build a figure”, it’s called “collect and connect”. I suspect that renaming was deliberate, and not just to differentiate the line from Marvel Legends. Who’s to say the C&C has to be a figure? I could well imagine a C&C batcave display, or a Fortress of Solitude diorama. Or even a section of the Hall of Justice. I’d be down with any of those.
That Collect and Connect idea for a batcave or Hall of Justice would be cool!….although they would be pretty small….I’d collect those though.
I’m enjoying the discussion too! Good to talk to fellow collectors of the line!
I’m ok with having no bases but I’m really hoping we get stuff like Metamorpho’s mud leg piece/stand. Like I said, that “blur” idea was cool and for Green Lantern the sky’s the limit on connecting pieces on that guy.
SuperArticulated Guy…did AFT say he got a “sample” case…..I didn’t read that anywhere. Just curious if he got that case from an online retailer.
Thanks!
Yeah, the AFT guy says, “here are some pics from the sample case I received” in the post he made at thefwoosh:
http://thefwoosh.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1153704#1153704
Also, if you guys aren’t members of TheFwoosh, you should really consider joining up. It’s (in my opinion) the best toy forum around. It’s my source for about 90% of my toy info!
Hmmmmm I’ll take your word for it, but I’m lazy to join up at Fwoosh.
In fact, I probably wouldn’t even be making comments here if you didn’t have this really simple “just type your comment” section.
Haha — welcome, SuperArticulated Guy! I think I prefer the actual name, but I’m all about three-letter simplicity.
fryman86: I’m not as concerned with the lack of an alternate head for Harley — though it would be nice, since she appears often enough without her mask (she’s not even wearing the harlequin costume at all in her most recent appearances) — but the lack of a removable helmet for Black Manta does bother me. After all, one of the character’s most memorable (and laughable) moments involved him removing the helmet and revealing himself to be Black Manta! And since I collect action figures in part for use in toy comics, imagine how much mileage I could get out of mocking that scene.
Also, regarding the price of DCD figures — since I tend to get them on clearance and sales at Suncoast/FYE or online retailers, I’ve never paid more than $7.50 for one and got that First Appearances Martian Manhunter for under $4… so as far as I’m concerned they’re cheaper than the DCUC figs. (Granted, I will probably pay full price for the New Gods Darkseid since I’ll want him right away, but he will be an exception. I brake for Darkseid.)
So given that DCUC demands more money for figures that have thus far proven more difficult to find and have inferior paint jobs — and come with BAF pieces that are all but useless to me — I find myself growing more and more disappointed with the line. I didn’t even start seeing them in stores until about two weeks ago, and then the paint on the few figures remaining was so terrible that I couldn’t bring myself to buy them (no doubt the only reason they remained was because the collectors shunned them). Seriously, I have yet to see an Orion without big black scrapes on his helmet or unsightly blue splotches on his limbs or a Red Tornado with paint that doesn’t look like someone applied it with a slingshot (albeit with some decent masking to keep the gloppy and broken lines straight). Even if I were inclined to pay the scalpers’ fees and order them online, I’m very hesitant to do so given that I could end up paying more money for a paint job that’s just as bad (or worse). With DCD figs, I’m relatively confident that what I’m getting won’t be awful. And even if it were — which it hasn’t been yet — it wouldn’t be quite so bad given that I’m only paying an average of $6 per fig.
I very much prefer the idea of interlocking bases or displays to the stupid BAF pieces — at least then you get a neat display piece that doesn’t look too bad in a solo capacity. Heck, I’d rather they went back to the old idea of including relevant comic issues. In either case, I wouldn’t be left cursing the world for saddling me with useless crap like a single bendy Brood leg and denying me the opportunity to buy Grodd on his own. Ugh.
What about if the bases were sold seperately….hmmmmm….i wonder if Mattel would consider that.
I understand the issue with the paint. I think i’ve looked over OVER 20 cases and Red Tornado always has splotches. I found ONE that had NO splotches….MAYBE that’s the VARIANT!!!! lol Course his colar still has a few splotches but his yellow lines are clean.
I think the paint area is fair…needs improvement but it’s a lot better than Hasbro.
As for DC Direct, personally, I’ve always thought they’re paint style was TOO clean. Also, the added articulation of Mattel somehow adds a feel and look of more detail…not really realistic detail but more comic book detail.
Whether DC Direct Fan or Mattel Fan, I have to say that what Mattel is doing is a lot better than any articulated line out there. It’s funny how a whole bunch of Marvel Legends are gathering dust…I have no idea why they’re even being produced. I think Hasbro specializes in cartoony, “cute” figures like their superhero squad. They should cut their losses and just work on that line since they really are horrible making Marvel Legends.
On a Final note, I think Cyborg should come with a SHINY SILVER version. That would be cool!
Maybe I’m just a lucky guy, but I bought Orion at Toys R Us (The only one left) and then found the rest at Target a few days later. All of the mine have excellent paint jobs. I keep hearing over and over about the problems with Red Tornado’s paint and I guess I just don’t understand because I really like the paint on mine. My Orion looks fine as well and the paint job on Etrigan is simply amazing. Like I said, maybe I just got really lucky.
Wes:
I see what your saying. If your getting the DCD figures discounted then that’s cool, but that still leaves the problem of sizing. I just recently got the Justice Box Set with Superman, Batman, Hal Jordan, and Wonder Woman since my local comic book shop was having a midnight sale. While I love the figures because they capture Alex Ross’ art, the sizing is just wrong. Maybe it’s because Superman’s blue is darker than Batman’s grey, but Batman looks much bigger than Superman. Not only that but he is clearly taller than Superman, not counting his ears. DCD figures seem to use the same scale for the entire line that they are producing. Example, all of the Justice Figures are relativly the same size, whether we are talking about Lex Luthor (who should be average height for a man), or Solomon Grundy. That just doesn’t look good when you have limited space and need to display your figures in large groups like Marvel on one shelf and DC on another shelf. That also makes it hard on the eyes when the figures are noticebly based on different artwork.
I love how the 4H have managed to come up with a definate comic book style that accuratly represents the characters look but at the same time the whole line has it’s own unique design. It’s like the 4H have been hired to illustrate a handbook on the DC Universe and they are bringing their own style to the characters.
Oh, and one thing I forgot. I love how the CAC pieces allow us to have much larger figures, in order to keep the scale intact. As long as they continue to make good choices about who is in the series, and who the CAC figure is, I won’t mind buying the whole set.
For instance:
Series 1: I don’t really like the Classic looking Batman, but I looked at paying 10 bucks for him like paying 10 for Metamorpho.
Series 2: Not crazy over the Electric Superman, but 10 for him is worthy to have Grodd.
Series 3: I could go without Deathstroke, but I MUST HAVE SOLOMON GRUNDY!
Series 4: Wonder Woman and Cyborg are both definatly a go!
So unless say 2 or 3 out of the 5 are not really interesting to me, or the CAC figure doesn’t interest me, I’ll get the whole set.
Hey Fryman….
” It’s like the 4H have been hired to illustrate a handbook on the DC Universe and they are bringing their own style to the characters.”
…my thoughts exactly!
And I agree about DC Directs size issue. When I used to collect and display the Ross Justice figures….Batman seemed a lot bigger than Superman….plus he didn’t stand up well.
Anyway….SUPER ARTICULATED GUY…..call up Mattel for some cases!
YOu know…I really am pissed off…what the heck is this????????……\
http://www.dcuc.info/features/dcuc-wave-2-found-at-retail/
I mean seriously….what is the use ordering from online retailers if targets get them first???????
The only reason i ordered from an online retailer is because I WANT them EARLIER!!!
GEEEZ….
I really don’t know what the POINT is ordering from online retailers now… sheesh…
yeah, they were found at retail on the west coast over the weekend. ordering online is a crapshoot for some, but for me it’s really the only choice. i only have two targets in my area and neither of them ever stock new toys. even if i have to wait a couple more weeks for CSC or ETC to get their cases, i’ll still have them sooner than if i wait until May or June for Target to actually stock something!
Do you guys know if you can cancel preorders without a restocking fee in case I find them at Target?
Superarticulated Guy…that sucks. I see what you’re saying. If you don’t have many targets…what can ya do?
Fryman…that depends on where you bought your cases. You should contact your online retailer to find out.
Also, calculate whether the cancelation fee and money spent on gas to go to targets is better than spending cash on shipping charges.
That’s what I would do.
Okay here’s my comments on the figures (anyone feel free to comment)…
1) I think Aquaman’s gold trimmed shirt collar should have matched his belt…actually vice versa…meaning..I think his Belt should’ve been gold.
2) Some ppl said that they didn’t like Rhonnie Firestorm’s gloves because it’s from the Jason version…I agree.
3) Harley Quinn is a bit too blue on the face.
4) Did you guys see Black Manta’s Helmet tube on one of the pics….it looked like it broke off…it was sticking out. Hope that piece doesn’t have Quality Control issues.
later guys!
Check this ebay auction out…
http://cgi.ebay.com/Aquaman-Classics-DC-Universe-Wave-2_W0QQitemZ140214727193QQihZ004QQcategoryZ348QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
It says… “king of atlantis” ….but it’s the aquaman variant. What’s up with that? I thought the classic version was supposed to come out first.
Man, mattel distribution is the worst as Hasbro is with their lack of paint.