The voting has ended, the results are in, and we have a new DCUC Top Ten on Fwoosh. So let’s talk about what we have gotten, what we have to look forward to, and what some possibilities are in the DCU.
We have just finished another round of voting for the DCU Classics line. Thanks to our great Fwoosh staff the results were compiled quickly so that we have something to talk about going into the summer convention season. Looking at the top ten results this round I think what we all want is what Mattel is planning to give to us: a well rounded DCU.
Green Arrow, Black Canary, Martin Manhunter, and Flash are figures that I know without a doubt will be part of waves in both 2009 and 2010. I think as more top tens are done by Fwoosh we will see less of those major players and more of the secondary characters in the DCU taking the top spots. The rest of the top ten, while fan favorites, are not as widely known by the public and will be sprinkled through out the line. I think that Blue Beetle and Booster Gold are figures meant to be part of a 2 pack, while Black Adam would also fare well in a 2 pack with another member of the Marvel family.
The line so far:
Mattel is doing the smart thing by spacing out these figures over various waves to give this line a long life. Compared to Marvel Legends, this line is just starting out. While Marvel led off with big names like Captain America, Ironman, and Hulk; they followed up with a Fantastic Four leaving out two major members of the Fantastic Four. In the first 2 waves we have gotten members of the JLA (Aquaman, Red Tornado, Firestorm, Orion, red- blue Superman), the Outsiders (Batman, Metamorpho), the world of DC Magic (Demon), Batman’s rogues ( Penguin, Harley Quinn), and the Legion of Doom (Grodd, Black Manta). DC has the advantage of having seen what Marvel has done and trying to give the fans what they want, without starting off so strong that they have to rely on secondary characters early in the line.
Mattel’s plans:
I think most of us are gun shy at wanting figures or praising a line only in its infancy. We have seen lines in the past that show promise but never truly deliver consistently. The original Batman line that gave us the zip line Batman and original Joker is an example of a line that should have continued strong but never took off. However, that line proved that Mattel was committed to keep the DCU going. They were able to re-launch the line and, even with all the repaints, kept putting time and money into the property to get to this point with the DCUC. They were even committed to keeping on the Four Horsemen to make sure the style of the line remained the same.
After listening to the DCUC panel at NYCC I really think Mattel gets it: both how to market this line as well as what the fans want. Getting Lobo for SDCC and Giganta in the JLU line as both 4 inch and 12 figures is exactly what the fans want. They know Azrael and Batgirl were hard to find, so they are giving us Toys R Us 2 packs, as well as the unmasked Orion we were all asking about when DCUC wave 1 was first shown. While I don’t like to compare some lines, I like to look at the JLU as a line that has shown Mattel’s commitment to giving the fans what they want. I think with some time the DCUC line will surpass the JLU in both character selection and quality. While many of us have complained in the past about store exclusives, I think using that option will get us more and more figures and only strengthen the line as a whole. The Infinite Heroes line also proves the fact that DC is willing to give us a huge selection of obscure characters over the next few years.
Predictions:
So what good are these top ten lists on a non-corporate site? I think these will be looked at by Mattel, and they will influence what figures will be made and even sometimes what period the costumes come from. I know that they have most of 2009 done with some room to play, but they will have to see what characters have grown in popularity and which figures fans may be happy with already. The fact that so many second-tier characters are in the top ten only goes to show that Mattel is doing something right. I think by the time that the next top ten is ready to go, the main 7 will be in the line and more and more B and C list characters will be in the top ten, which is really good for us die hard fans.
Bottom line? I think this is the line which will be the standard for 6 inch figure for some time to come, and will even replace Super Powers and be the benchmark which DC figures will be measured for years to come. Just look Super Powers line: 3 waves in 3 years, and in June of year one of DCU we are about to see the release of third and fourth waves.
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