The dust hasn’t yet settled, but the great beast that is 6-inch DC Universe has started to turn cold. It won’t be long before the rattle clears its throat, and it begins to return to the void from whence it came. The vultures are already here, and you might make the case that I’m one of them, picking at what’s left, and telling you “Toldya so!”
Nah, I’m not that kinda bird. I shed no tears for DCUC, since I left it behind (or, more accurately, it told me to f*** off) before the last subscription started. But I don’t dance on its grave either. It benefits me not one damn bit to have even less of a chance to get things I’m interested in. And its loss is a blow to a community that I am a part of, and that’s something that takes precedence over reveling in DCUC/DCIE’s demise.
Since we’re talking nature here, it doesn’t hurt to take the analogy just one more over — this is always the nature of things. And just as sure as one thing passes, another will rise to take its place. In this case, it really is just a question of what and when than if…
DC, and its iconic pantheon of characters, will undoubtedly return to the collectors’ market in some fashion, sooner or later. DC Collectibles is absolutely alive and well, and while not a major retail presence, they will only grow in scope and sales from here, as long as they play their cards right. But I think even with that, the vacuum left in DCUC’s wake is too big for just DCC. Like anytime a big predator bites the dust, I think there will likely be lots of smaller ones that fill the void.
I think most of us can probably list off what it won’t be this time around. I’m afraid the days of Silver- and Bronze-Age characters and costumes are largely behind us. We won’t see the expanded ranks of a team like the Doom Patrol or the Metal Men again for the foreseeable future. And I honestly don’t think we’ll see Mattel back, leaner and meaner, like we did with Hasbro and Marvel Legends — short lived as it was. No, I suspect Mattel is as sick of us as we are of them at this point, and they’ll take the remaining time they have with the license to clients of less discriminating taste. And to further that end, I’m sorry to say I don’t think we’ll see whatever this product ends up being on Walmart’s shelves next time around. With a few notable exceptions (Star Wars and movie figures come to mind), I think the days of collector toys at retail may be at their twilight.
So what kind of thing do I think we’ll see picking up the slack for DC collector figures? Well, I think we’ve started to see it already:
I think the biggest player in the next “wave” of DC figures will be the imports. Medicom has started in earnest on the Batman movie-verse with their Nolan Batman and Catwoman, and Play Arts Kai has already expanded into a JLA-esque line from their Batman figures, albeit in their very wonky 8- to 9-inch scales (and styles). Figuarts is planning on doing Injustice figures in their 6-inch line as well, and the roster on that game seems like it gets better every month.
There is a definite catch to this, though. For one thing, unless it’s in a movie or a video game, it’s very unlikely we’ll find it in an import figure. Even if something like “Hush” makes the jump, since Medicom has already done some in 12-inch, that’s more likely the exception than rule. Character selection almost makes that first part feel warm and fuzzy, though. The fact that getting a figure of someone like Zatanna would only be possible because she DID make it into Injustice doesn’t instill me with much confidence. In this arena, anything beyond, hell, even up to the Big 7 is going to be a rare blessing.
Outside of multimedia interpretations, I’m also afraid the only other versions of characters we’re likely to see for a while are going to be, you guessed it, the New 52. At this point, I have no idea if the relaunch is even selling comics anymore, but DC has anchored to the sonovabitch, and they are dead set on weathering the rest of the decade hitched to it. Still, if someone out there was doing New 52 figures that looked like the Play Imaginative Super Alloy figures in 6-inch, I wouldn’t be writing an article; I’d be doing reviews. No, I don’t care for the redesigns, but hot damn those look like great toys.
In fact, if I could offer a “what I wish would happen” to this discussion, it would be for something a lot like that — 6-inch scale, super-articulated DC premium figures loaded with accessories. As a premium-type line, I wouldn’t be looking for, nor would I be expecting lots of characters or variations, so maybe “iconic” looks? I think the DC Universe was looking pretty true to their roots with decent updates pre-52, or maybe just say screw it and go with the JLU style-guide costumes. And lastly, as long as I can properly fill out at least one team — JLA — I’d be willing to call it good. Doesn’t mean I don’t want Robins, Nightwings, Metamorphos, Black Lightnings, even Detective Chimps. I just know that time has largely passed.
But you want to know what hasn’t passed? My love of DC characters, and my desire to see some really good figures of them. Who knows? maybe I’ll get that damn double-jointed what-his-face this time around….
Superpowers of observation!
#1 Marvel Legends is evolving, changing and for the better. Subjectively I won’t get into semantics and sophistry of how the line is “ending” when it isn’t.
“Change is a constant and a rose by any other name” is still the same Marvelous toys in different packaging.
The fanatic fanboy plastic panic LMAO is exactly what I gleaned this was before finding out the facts apparent after SDCC 13′.
–Remember everybody freaking out after Disney’s acquisition of Marvel?–
This is no different.
Speaking of COMIC-CON, in case nobody has noticed it, the whole comicbook industry has gone “Hollywood”. Did no one expect this aspect to influence all forms of this media and entertainment type?
The proverbial glass is more than half FULL, it’s OVERflowing! I remember when the average Joe didn’t have any idea who Tony Stark was. But Now?!
Hasbro would be foolish to not employ the popularity gained from MARVEL cinema to market their product.
Movie MARVEL Legends has a sound logic. I asked a Kmart associate about Legends and Mu I was looking for over a year ago and the reply was,”We only stock/buy the movie toys..”
I haven’t been to Kmart since. Seems I’ll be returning to the “K” in 2014.
This re-branding is nothing like the Nu52 campaign. While not perfect, Hasbro has learned from the mistakes and made adjustments in going forward.
The IM3legends Ironmonger was the COMIC version!
Wolverine Legends is Comics based…
Spiderman2Legends is yielding the long fan demanded Blackcat!
Captain America 2Legends ; comic A.I.M.soldiers,comic Baron Zemo,comic Red Skull!
🙂
#2 Dcd/Dcc isn’t consistent by artist interpretation of their figures. I agree and yet Im tolerable of this, to a certain point.
#3 DCUC will return,it is inevitable, in some other form or name, in some as yet unknown way. Just like the source material (Comics) the toys are cyclic.
The characters are immortal archetypes, to be changed, transformed again and again. It goes around and around and back again.
Their geared-tech’d up Hal figure looks amazing. I don’t collect the big scale, but he’s tempting. I’ll custom a DCUC one but would probably buy 6 inch from them. Still hoping DCUC comes back.
As a side note, Play Imaginative is making Super Alloy Iron Man figures in the 6-inch scale, and they’re selling em for around 100 dollars each. I just hope that their DC license somehow makes the jump, because I’m going to be all over those things.
I’m more than ready to jump onto the DCC boat myself. I’ve always used DCC heads on Mattel bodies for my displays, and I’ve been waiting for the longest time for DCC to step up their articulation game.
Then I saw the Greg Capullo – version Batman that’s coming out next year, and I freaked out. I think they’ve finally gotten the articulation working this time.
Take a look at the articulation on the DCC Injustice figures, for example. Sure, they’re way too small and kind of doofy looking, but MAN can those things pose.
I got the Arkham super-articulated Batman, and I was more annoyed by the elbows than anything else. The hips were a bit problematic, articulation-wise, but if you’re willing to pop the legs off and start drilling grooves into the top of the socket to let the legs move out more, it really works.
1. Why do people delude themselves into believing Hasbro is the saving grace for comic based action figures. They have done wonders with ML but at the same time have had their share of blunders and failures, heck ML is ending…AGAIN!!, how is that nirvana???
2. DCC is not a viable option for me and a lot of others. Some people want a consistant look for their figures. Also DCC have unspoken quality issues. They are not the saving grace either.
3. DCUC/IE needs about a year off, then they need a mighty return. The problem with the line is that DC Comics caused major problems for which figures could be produced, they were always pushing the New 52 and saying which classic characters could be used and which ones could not. Also Mattel just seemed very lazy this past year with DCIE, they were more vested into MOTUC and supporting that line while neglecting DC because previously the DC sub sold faster than MOTUC. 63% means that they lost 37% to higher prices and lack of real support from both Mattel and DC. They could easily turn this around, I think the overwhelming void is clear that fans miss and want this line, their is no substitute other than a revamp.
Yes Hasby,I know. The dream came about from the real nightmare that the only thing the marvel/DC/Hasbro/mattel groups seem to have in common is blatant disregard for obvious fan demands. Enchantress, Granny Goodness,
Alpha Flight, Doom Patrol and so on.
However, I remain optimistic about Amora the Enchantress. Hasbro did make her @ 4inch scale! Fingers crossed 🙂
Ahem~ Again; Will DCD aka Collectibles make MISS MARTIAN or “B”-”D”~list characters like her? Or will they produce the classic/ standard golden age, silver and bronze age looks? THAT was the strength of DCUC. Occasionally, I cherry picked DcDirect to fill holes in my DC roster, heck I started out with them and didn’t care about lack of articulation. However, even though they make exclusive one-of-a-kind figures like blacklantern wonderwoman, Natasha Irons, Isis, Manhunter, Blackhawk, Harbinger, the Monitor, GeoForce… very rarely do the figures match in scale and artist interpretation. Not to mention they’re story arc specific and dcd cuts most series short only to regurgitate ANOTHER iteration of the Big 3 DCtrinity!
BlackesNight and Justice to my delight were the longest lines they’ve produced and still dcd left out Giganta, Atom, Metallo, and Riddler! Key characters! That Alex Ross line was awesome! Penultimate Justice League figures! The Ultimate JLA dcd figures are the Ed McGuiness style figures. Done and DONE.
That’s a nice dream, G.L.Ric.
Unfortunately, they’ve yet to even acknowledge fan demand for a 6 inch Enchantress figure. =/
Imagine. Just imagine DC in the hands of Hasbro. Action figure heaven. Utter and complete comic book character companies in a symphony of Nirvana! … …Just a dream I had.
I am sadden by DCUC demise. I was looking forward to the DCIC figures next year. There are still plenty of characters I wanted to see such as Red Hood and Superboy. I heard that Mattel were releasing a new 6 inch line but it’s gonna suck. Now I don’t know rather to refine my collection or hang on to every figure I got.
I was going to say something to the effect Ditko so perfectly expressed! The new DCC stuff looks great, has awesome articulation, although i’m not100% sold on the hip articulation as it looks like the super articulated arkham bats, whose hip articulation notoriously sucks, not that the t hips of the dcuc are the best hip articulation either, but DCC’s stuff has come forward leaps and bounds articulation wise while still keeping the sculpt and paints quality on the higher end of the scale.
Nice article!
I think we might not need to look any further than DCC after seeing their Ultraman and co. That level of articulation on their sculpts with their paint is special. I’d like classic figures, but DCC will have decent breadth especially compared to the imports. Still hoping DCUC puts some nice sets for the fans online though.
As much as I love DCUC figures I feel better that I don’t have to buy toys from a company I utterly despise. In fact, once I have Brain and Mallah in my hands I’ll never buy another Mattel item again.