Wonder Woman - Dr. Psycho wave

Wonder Woman - Dr. Psycho Wave

DC Multiverse - Mattel

So, Im waaay behind on my Mattel figures.  Now that Mattel is losing the DC license to the likes of Spin Master (WTF?!) and McFarlane (Eh, scale and fagility issues), I'm catching up on some great figures almost as if it they were "in memoriam."  Also, the "Lady Captain Marvel" movie is out now, so I wanted to remind people that the true "Wonder Woman" is one success that Marvel didn't beat DC to at the box office.  Anyway, this mini Wonder Woman wave was shipped with two long-long overdue Superfriends versions of Superman and Aquaman.  Nothing too exiting there, other than Supes finally getting a more powder-blue outfit.  I had to buy them as a set to get these, otherwise I would have passed.

I would have passed on The Dark Knight Strikes Again Wonder Woman as well, because Frank Miller is a one-trick pony and that book is trash...but I needed the Cassie Sandsmark Wonder Girl and Dr. Psycho!  Not that this WW is a bad figure or anything.  I do like that she is an imposing Amazon here, making the best of the larger Masters of the Universe female figure body.  She really does look like she's ready to kick some ass!  Maybe I can convince myself that she is another Amazonian warrior for my army building purposes.

The Cassie Wonder Girl looks to be made similar to the standard DC Universe Classics female buck, which was only terrible when figure proportions were off other places (pinheads, bigheads, small hands.)  The costume is comic accurate in sculpt and color.  The only gripe here is that her lasso is glued to her hip (like previous WW releases) and she comes with no other accessories.  Still, I am glad to have her next to the Donna Troy WG.

The hilariously small collect and connect figure for this wave is longtime WW villain, Dr. Psycho.  Good thing you only needed two figures to build him, but even that is a stretch.  Seriously?  Arms in one pack, everything else in the other?  He should have just been packed with Cassie!  From the waist down, he's one solid piece.  The arms only have articulation at the shoulder.  The head moves, but that's it.  Worth it?  Heck yeah!  You will never get another chance at this bizarre character, so take it while you have the chance!  For all of their inconsistencies, for all their ups and downs, Mattel did deliver a robust DC Universe over the last decade or so.  It's the end of an era, and I don't think I will see another like it again.

Aquaman Movie Figures

Aquaman Movie Figures

DC Multiverse - Mattel

As usual, I planned to cherry pick this line to fill in gaps for my comic accurate figures.  But the more and more I see about the Aquaman movie, the more excited I get!  So while the a more accurate Mera and a completed Trench monster figure were the main draw, I do not regret getting them all so far.  Mattel has upped their game with new articulation and body bucks. (ankle rockers!). The digital sculpts are clean and life like, and the paint and colors pop.  Wait...colors...bright colors...from a Zack Snyder byproduct?!  Have we all forgotten Man of Steel enough to give Aquaman a chance?

While all the figures look and move great, the stand out figure is Black Manta.  Such a great page to screen design.  He’s got some red hues here and there that stand out in all the darkness. The details on his pack are outstanding:  tubes here and there and water jets that can rotate.  The only thing that could be improved on him would be the inclusion of an unmasked head.

The basic figure line (less articulate, $10 base) also has some great stuff to offer.  Shark vehicles!  The great white is pretty big, can seat basic or multiverse figures, and has an action feature that actually works!  The mouth opens and the multi-jointed tail moves with the push of a button...and pretty realistically, in my opinion.  He has a hidden missile feature that is a little less believable, but should please Dr. Evil to no end.  You also get a basic Aquaman...nothing to write home about, but proved useful for an easy, and better looking hair swap on the multiverse version.

Aquaman’s mentor, Vulko is packed with the smaller Hammerhead shark.  This shark looks great, but has a puzzling lack of action feature.  His fin moves in a slot like it should have been connected to a tail action.  The tail has a spring loaded feel to it, but has to be activated manually.  Strange, but not a deal breaker.  It’s still a cool looking shark for toys to ride and fight.  The basic Vulko is good enough  that I dont need the Amazon exclusive multiverse version.  I wouldn’t have minded that more expensive version, but he didn’t come with parts for the Trench creature, so no deal.

The Trench creature sold me on the set, and he does not disappoint.  Hinged jaw!  The only downside is that, as a build a figure, it is impossible to amass an army of these guys.  Here’s hoping for a basic figure to help with that problem, like the basic Parademons.

I had to buy another basic Aquaman and basic Orm to get to the Brine King.  How could you not want a big crab monster guy?  Yes, some articulation is sacrificed for an old school, leg squeezing action feature, but at least the snapping claw is appropriate.  I only wish they had given his other, small claw and opening joint.  Pre-Ocean Master orm is at least a variant figure not currently in the multiverse line, so he gets a pass.

All in all, some great offerings for a movie that could be another turkey.  I’m still excited to see it, and will keep buying the figures to give my DC collection some Atlantean power.

Flying Fox

The Flying Fox

Mobile Command Center

Justice League Vehicle/Playset - Mattel

 

Zack Snyder's take on the DC Universe may suck, but at least Batman is scoring some new, wonderful toys out of the deal.  The Flying Fox Mobile Command Center is part vehicle, part playset and, like last year's awesome Batcave playset,  is a Wal-Mart Exclusive.  At $70, it may be a bit pricey for some, but accessories like this are few and far between for the 6-inch line... well worth it in my opinion.  It has some great play features and it's freaking huge!  The only gripes I have is that it was built for the slightly smaller Justice League basics figures, so cramming a Multiverse or DC Universe Classics figure in the cockpit is frustrating.  Also, as cool as some of the features are, I do wish it had some sort of compatibility with the Batmobile.  Trailers and other toys lead us to believe that this acts as a dropship for the Batmobile...oh well.  It's still a great addition to the Batcave arsenal!