Whew! I know we have been running at full speed this weekend to bring you Looks at all of the Mattel stuff that will be offered at SDCC later this week, but we aren’t done yet. Our final SDCC preview is a nice segue into the rest of the First Looks we have upcoming as it features the three latest DC vs MOTU two-packs – one of which will be available first at SDCC! Yep, we have a ton of pictures of Battle Armor Faker vs Bizarro, Zodac vs Green Lantern and She-Ra vs Supergirl inside so come and check them out!
Battle Armor Faker vs Bizarro
When it was announced that Battle Armor Faker vs Bizarro would be a Toys R Us SDCC and website shared exclusive, I was really surprised. So far, all of the sets had been paint deco changes or slight retooling, but Faker is a completely new version/concept of a highly demanded variant. THIS is a really, really cool idea for a two-pack! Battle Armor He-Man and Skeletor are two of my favorite figures in the MOTUC line so far, so adding Faker to the mix is a really great call. The great part is that I also get a Bizarro in a more classic deco complete with the “Bizarro #1” necklace, so I have a new default Bizarro.
Faker’s armor is a color swap from Battle Armor Skeletor. I was not expecting (for some reason) that it would be orange in color, but it works well and I like the black accents as well. He comes with the three standard battle armor plates to illustrate the various stages of damage: clean, one strike and two strikes. I prefer the plates with no damage on He-Man and Skeletor for display, but with Faker I like the two swipes the best. I just seems to fit the best for the character. He also comes with an orange version of the Sword of Power which is fine, but I likes my Battle Armor figures with an axe so I will be displaying mine with the convenient orange axe from the Weapons Pak. Past the armor, Faker is the same figure as the standard version, complete with chest electronics control pad tampo print.
Bizarro is exactly the same figure as we got a couple of times back in the [now] olden days of the DC Superheroes line (the precursor to DCUC). As far as I can tell the only thing that has changed is that he is in a more classics color scheme than the previous two versions, complete with yellow eyes and black fingernails. I am glad to get this version of him as he is my new default Bizarro; I always take a nice improvement over a previous incarnation of any figure.
Zodac vs Green Lantern
Of all six figures featured in these three packs, I think Zodak is my favorite. Even thought I am a very “classic head” this is my favorite version of Zodac so far. I really prefer the booted feet and gloves for the standard version of the Z-Man, I am sure it is my FilMation background that does that because, before I saw him on the cartoon, I did not really know what to make of Zodac in the vintage toy line. Was he a good guy? Was he a bad guy? Well, I got some direction in the cartoon, even though they essentially made him Metron complete with chair. But hey, that is not such a bad thing.
The great part about this figure is that now that I have him and I can make him my default classic Zodac, I can also display the original version of the character right along side him. See, I want more Cosmic Enforcers and my theory for this Zodac is that he is the classic neutral version, we have Zodak that is more good-leaning and now I can use the original Zodac to make him a bit more evil-leaning like in some of the older media. See? It makes sense, yeah? Balance in the universe! Maybe I will give the pointy-toed version or this one a new spelling for his name to help differentiate them. Zodack for the booted version, having the “c” and “k” combines good and evil for balance. Hmm… that sounds about right. Better than making the pointy-toe “Zodaq”.
Zodack (as I am now referring to him) comes with the DC space cop, Hal Jordan. This figure is a straight up rerelease of the TRU GL with the metallic paint deco from last year. That itself was just a repaint of the original Hal so I am sure by now you know what you are getting. He comes with the John Steward machine gun construct that we have gotten a couple of times now.
She-Ra vs Supergirl
In a nutshell, this pack is a straight up re-release of both of the figures. I mean that in an overall figure and material sense. When it was shown back at Toy Fair 2011 this set was met with the least amount of fanfare due to nothing being new (She-Ra does have the correct colors silver Sword of Protection, so that is something) but I was holding out hope that there might be some paint improvements or softer materials in the She-Ra figure. However, it was not to be, I don’t think – the dress is certainly not any softer and the paint applications on the face don’t seem any different but the plastic might have a *little* less sheen than before. If it does it is VERY minute and doing a side by side comparison, the camera doesn’t even pick it up. It is still a good She-Ra figure so if you have not snagged her yet, this might be the time to do so.
She-Ra comes with the Linda Danvers version of Supergirl who, like Bizarro, is carried over from the DCSH line. I don’t think there is anything at all different about this figure but since it came out so long ago, new collectors now have a chance to grab her if she was missed. Oh, and it is interesting to note that the bio for Supergirl that was is is for the Kara version of SG, NOT the Linda version.
Each pack comes with a poster/back drop for the figures that you can use for display. It looks like it was done by the same artist as the second series.
Overall, I think that Zodack is my favorite individual figure but the Faker vs Bizarro set is the strongest overall pack. I was recently announced that Toys R Us will not be getting any other sets after these three so consider this to be the swan song for the Versus packs. I am very glad we did get some of the figures, especially the MOTU characters. I absolutely LOVE the blue Mer-Man, Zodack and Skeletor and He-Man, Stratos and Faker all make for great variations in their own right. I am sad about losing some of the viable possibilities for the line in a red Beastman, Blue Hordak and green Trap Jaw, but Mattel will probably find a way to get those versions out eventually. Like I said, grab the Faker/Bizarro set at SDCC in the Entertainment Earth booth or online at the Toys R Us website. The other two sets should be out sometime in the later summer.
*Thanks for sticking with us this weekend, but don’t leave now – we still have several First Looks coming before and after SDCC. Thanks again to Mattel for providing these First Look samples.
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