It’s easy to remember the high points of your favorite action figure line. After all, they stand out for a reason — they surpassed expectation and continue to impress even after their novelty has worn off. When it comes to these high points, there’s a lot of agreement between collectors. But in our zeal to rate and collate, we sometimes miss the bigger picture. Something doesn’t have to be the best to still be damn good. Here are ten DC Universe Classics figures that may not be on your favorites list, but definitely deserve another look.
10. Artemis
If you liked classic comic books characters, then the ’90s was just about the worst time to be alive. It seemed that every week some long-standing character was being shuffled off to the sidelines to make room for a new “grim ‘n gritty” incarnation. Take Artemis here. This short-tempered, overly violent replacement for Diana stuck around just long enough to fulfill a prophecy of Wonder Woman dying, but Mattel made her a variant figure anyway. With her cocky head sculpt, Sandals of Hermes, and bow and arrows, Artie here may actually be a better figure than the tired-eyed Diana. Score one for the ’90s.
9. Captain Boomerang
There was a lot of griping when this figure was first released because it wasn’t the “classic” Boomerang. Everyone seemed to hate the new character and his modern look, but in all that negativity something was missed: Boomerang is actually a pretty cool figure. Sure, the double-jointed knees make him too tall and the idea of yet another pop culture character sporting a wool hat is enough to lock myself in the storm cellar, but in-hand Boomerang proves to be quite a catch — so to speak.
8. Etrigan
While few would argue that Demon is an amazing figure, people also seems to forget about him when talking about DCUC. Is it the fact he arrived so early in the line, or was produced on a one-use body? Whatever the reason, Etrigan remains a stunner. While a shelf full of New Gods makes a terrific Kirby homage, this single figure packs just as much raw power in 1/10th the space. For added fun, bust out your rhyming dictionary and have him drop cryptic couplets on your other collectibles before incinerating them in a blaze of hellfire and brimstone.
7. Commander Steel
I was never really a JSA guy. I tried to get into the title, but it never clicked with me. That said, it was always great to see the team appear outside of their own book. The blend of classic and legacy characters gave them a visual appeal and excitement that few super-teams had. I don’t know much about Commander Steel, but I was immediately hooked by his flamboyantly patriotic costume and head-fin. I’m a sucker for head-fins. The fact that Mattel went with a nice metallic paint for the figure to replicate his steely nature makes him one of the most eye-catching of their DCUC offerings.
6. Power Girl
Booyakasha! Power Girl was a figure we were all pretty happy to get once. The problem was, PG was released twice in a very short span of time — initially in series ten, then shortly after that in DC All-Stars, leading to this busty B-lister peg-warming for years. The figure took on a bit of a negative reputation as a result, but that’s undeserved. Power Girl is a solid offering, with some nice character-specific tooling and a playful, almost snarky expression. Yeah, her face is up there.
5. Green Arrow
This more modern incarnation of Ollie came to collectors in the line’s waning days, but just because he was late to the party doesn’t mean he still doesn’t have a lot to offer. The hood has become synonymous with the character thanks to the Arrow TV show, allowing this figure to stand nicely alongside more contemporary representations of DC properties. If Green Arrow was going to team up with your Arkham Knight Batman, he’d do it in this outfit, not an Errol Flynn hat and tights.
4. Steppenwolf (Kirby version)
While many fans opted for the Super Powers-styled version of Steppenwolf for their shelves, I went with the Kirby classic. Unlike earlier figures like Etrigan and Orion, the face sculpt here is pure Kirby. Makes me wish all of the Fourth World characters had been sculpted that way, but that’s another article. Okay, yes, the ‘Wolf is yet another green-and-yellow guy, but I’m willing to be chromatically consistent if it means getting such a note-perfect representation of the character.
3. Rex Mason, the Element Man aka Metamorpho
Rex Mason, the Element Man, was the first Collect and Connect figure in the DC Universe Classics line. Due to Rex’s average size, there was an immediate perception that the concept was an inferior knockoff of Marvel Legends Build-a-Figure, which tended be be much larger. No one seemed to care that Rex came with three additional accessories to simulate his elemental powers, making him a much better toy than something that’s just big for big’s sake. A choice addition to any DCUC display.
2. Bronze Tiger
At a glance there’s not a lot to this figure: a standard DCUC “skinny” body and a few accessories. But for me, just the fact that there is a Bronze Tiger action figure is something to be appreciated. He’s one of the deadliest martial artists in the DC Universe, capable of giving Batman a run for his money, yet the character rarely enjoys the spotlight. To have him standing alongside Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and Ra’s al Ghul just pleases the comics fan in me, and his swappable tiger mask is grrreat!
1. Lord Naga – Kobra
I’ll be honest with you: I have no idea who this guy is. I mean, I could pick him out of a police lineup if I had to, but I’m not familiar with his story. Then again, his name and outfit pretty much tell me everything I need to know — snakey cult leader, boom! We’re off to the races. A truly impressive sculpt, sharp paintwork and a spiffy accessory make Kobra the coolest villain I’ve never heard of.
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