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.

Justice League Batmobile

Justice League Batmobile

Mattel -DC Multiverse

Well, I can throw my Batman V Superman Batmobile in the trash... because Mattel treated us to a more in-scale, more detailed Justice League Batmobile!  It may be a bare-bones version of the $250 RC version out now, but it retains all the style at a fraction of the cost.  Worth the $60?  Hell, being able to fit 6 and 7-inch scale figures in the cockpit with minimal swearing is value enough.

It's got an opening cockpit with some detail around the side consoles, the steering wheel and seat are appropriately Batman-like, and there's enough legroom for Mattel or slightly larger DC collectibles figures.  After opening it up, I grabbed 3 Batmen to do a fitting:  Superfriends Batman, Rebirth Batman, and Arkham Origins Batman.

 

Superfiends Batman is the smallest of the 3 and he has a cloth cape.  Like most vehicles in this scale, it's the capes that make or break them.  As with the Flying Fox, Superfiends Batman may be the go-to figure if you want room to spare. 

Rebirth Batman is a bit wider than SF Batman and he has a plastic cape.  Luckily, the cape is very flexible and flows straight down in the back.  The only difficult thing about it is the sides of the cape flare out, so to get him to fit in the car, you have to wrap it around his feet and hope it doesn't come undone as you slide him inside.  If done right, Batman is ready to roll.

 

The final Batman is the largest of the three.  Arkham Origins is closer to the 7-inch scale and is quite beefy in his armor.  In getting this car, I had the highest hopes that this one would fit.  He is one of my favorite Batman figures and I feel fits the aesthetic of this Batmobile best...as I frequently refer to this car as the "Arkham Light."  His cape is very flexible as well and flows straight down.   You've got to make sure it doesn't bunch up in the back as you put him it.  It also takes a bit of work to get his arms/shoulders in.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  Popping the cape off this figure before putting him in the vehicle is easy enough, but I wish I didn't have to.  Not very Batman-like.  Oh well, I can live with it.  The other alternative is experimenting with giving him a custom cloth cape.  Maybe later.

 

Anyway, let's talk the other features besides actually being able to carry a figure.  It sports the new canon where the passenger side should be.  It can be rotated and moved up and down.  It has two hood machine guns and the missile launching hood ornament from BVS.  They all rotate and can be removed easily.  I know what you're thinking..."Batman doesn't kill."  Well, I guess Parademon life is not on the same level as human life, so blast away?

Aside from ammunition, the car has flip-up metal plates on the grill.  The wheels roll and the front two can pivot together for turns. The detailing is nice with some scoring/silver paint here and there.  It's definitely a more true shade of gray, whereas the BVS model had a bit of gunmetal bronze to it. 

 

I am happy with this upgrade, though my Batcave is getting a bit crowded these days.  Can Batman have too many wonderful toys?  Nah!  Especially with the true Arkham Knight and 1989 Batmobiles needed in this scale.

Superfriends Batman

Superfriends Batman

DC Multiverse - Mattel

Wal-Mart Exclusive

Na na na na na na na na - BATMAN!  Mattel has been getting away with using the same Batman buck for almost a decade, but who cares?!  It screams "classic" to me, like it leapt right from the pages drawn by Neal Adams or Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez!  Only Marvel Legends articulation whiners have a problem with this.  The articulation is fine and generally makes for more solid, realistic character translations.


This repaint has a darker "Superfriends" blue than earlier representations.  Other than that, he is pretty much the same.  He comes with a Batarang and Batgrapnel (repacked accessories) and a Superfriends stand and backdrop.








Oh, and how could I forget a key difference...the removable cape!  Just like the old Kenner Superpowers figures!  The "C" clip around the neck might look a little bulky, but oh the nostalgia!








Aside from that, what really sold me on the figure is that the cloth cape will allow him to fit in a number of the Batmobiles I own better than his plastic-caped counterparts.

"I'll get drive-thru."

This figure is a Wal-Mart exclusive and can be picked up for $16-20 depending on location.  Again, to some, this figure might be dated in more ways than one.  But they're stupid and wrong...he's awesome.

Batman...forever!