Okay, so we have brought you a string of Masters of the Universe and Ghostbusters First Looks this week and really, they all make for some pretty rad toys. I mean, we finally have our She-Ra, we get the first EVER Count Marzo figure, the four Ghostbusters are now complete (in a 1/2 slimed way) and we have old school Skeletor (before the skull). Lots to love, right? Well, I have to tell you that this final First Look has been the hardest for me to get at because I don’t really even know where to begin. The San Diego Comic Con DCUC figure (also available after the show at Matty Collector) is Plastic Man, and quite frankly, I have not gotten such a fun toy in a long, long time.
I am not going to get bogged down with too many words because you really need to SEE how cool of a figure he is but I will tell you one thing – THIS is how you do a convention figure. There is so much to this figure in terms of accessories, design, sculpt, packaging – the whole deal that if Mattel were to start doing figures of all of the DC characters like this, I would shell out $20.00 for everyone with no hesitation. If you are a DC fan, or a Plastic Man fan, or even just a fan of great toys, you will do yourself a major injustice if you don’t pick this figure up. I could literally take scores of pictures and still have trouble capturing all of the cool combinations you can assemble for Plas from all of his add-ons.
So, I am going to leave you some facts because I don’t know how else to say how much I really dig this figure. Everything works very well from an engineering standpoint (no loose joints, etc) and the only thing about the figure that is exclusive to the actual convention is the suitcase form with the chip art; they are cool in their own right but you will still have a great toy even if you don’t get the case. I know people have been commenting about the solid red stretchy arms, and yes, the hands are red. It was going to be a choice between that or having the arms be flesh tone because there is no way paint would be able to stay on this material. I don’t think they would have been able to glue two different colored pieces together either and expect them to stay holding after being stretched out. I think it was just a choice they were going to have to make and they went with red. Oh, and for all of those folks out there that are fixed on the fact that he is painted in a darker than preferred red, don’t get completely hung up on that. There are just way too many good things to like about Mr. Eel here.
Plastic Man probably has one of, if not the best, head sculpts in the entire DCUC line. His look and personality are captured PERFECTLY.
He has (appropriately) a unique basic body type that we have not seen yet in DCUC. I REALLY hope that at least some parts of his standard buck are reused accordingly on some future figures.
Plas has a button on his back that, when depressed, helps to change out his various arm attachments. The handle on the suit case functions in similar fashion.
The neck extension is posable.
The little chip art comic covers included in the suitcase make it look like Plas did a little shopping of his own at SDCC.
Not only is Plastic Man the figure, he is also the package! Try that with your precious Batman!
The Plastic Man shades for you to wear are made of a thin plastic, they are NOT paper/cardboard.
The leg spring attachment is a real, metal spring covered in plastic (me thinks this is why he cannot be shipped to Australia and New Zealand).
I want a Metahuman file with biographical details with ALL DCUC figures going forward.
His stretchy arms and paddle ball are made from a very stretchy, but durable material.
The ball attachment is removable from the paddle.
Plastic Man rules your face.
Seriously, if you are making the big trek to the Con this year, there will be a serious line at the Mattel booth and you will most likely have to wait, but it will be totally worth it. I know Mattel has been scrutinized about some past SDCC exclusives, but I really do think that this is way to handle them – by doing justice to a character that needs something extra to be fully realized. Even if you cannot make it to the Con, Eel will be available (only sans suitcase) on Matty Collector after the show. If you like toys, you will want to pick him up, I have not been able to put him down.
*Big time thanks to Toy Guru for making this review possible and kudos to the Horsemen and the design and packaging team for their great execution of Plastic Man. They tend to shine at SDCC, but Plastic Man is going to get a lot of love from the fans.
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