DC Icons has taken a major backseat to all the hype and excitement for Batman v Superman product from Mezco, Mattel, Hot Toys, and even DC Collectibles itself. Clearly the end-all, be-all for DC fans is the clash of its biggest titans. It’s hard not to get swept up in the fervor considering there’s pretty much something for every collector on that front.
But for DC Icons fans, news and any information on the fledgling line has been far and few between. Two waves have already hit comic book stores with the third on the way this month. Beyond wave 4 we didn’t know what was on the horizon for the line or if DC Collectibles had already lost interest.
Thankfully that’s not the case. As part of their exclusive roll-outs in the pre-Toy Fair hype, DC Collectibles revealed presumably the next couple of waves, including some positive signs exploring more deluxe packs, accessories, and the first gigantic-size figure, even if it wasn’t necessarily the one many fans were anticipating.
“Forever Evil” Remains King
While the first two waves struck a good balance between classic, old school designs, and the busier New 52 designs, the upcoming waves went heavy on New 52. Clearly, the DC Icons team is a fan of the “Forever Evil” storyline as, once again, we get another character from that story arc in Cyborg.
That’s probably a smart choice as Cyborg’s new outfit that he gained during that event is one of the rare sensible upgrades from the classic attire. I always wondered if he got cold in the winter in his initial costume. I am a bit surprised there weren’t any more Crime Syndicate member reveals if for nothing else than to further sell collectors on the need to buy Atomica. The Crime Syndicate remains one of DC’s easier teams to complete and they seem like ideal choices for the line considering we’ve already gotten so many characters from it, by far the most of any other point in DC history.
Girls Run the World
Another New 52 design I was happy to see was the Wonder Woman by Jason Fabok look. It’s a stronger, gladiator visual and makes sense for the character and definitely beats the other potential New 52 choices for Wonder Woman.
I’m less era specific with Batgirl, so the selection of her New 52 look isn’t as disappointing as it might be for other folks. I do appreciate that Batgirl’s costume choice continues to make for a very colorful display and one not nearly so dominated with blues, blacks, or reds.
Grail is an interesting choice. I’m not sure if she’s the kind of character that would convince folks on the fence to grab the super deluxe Darkseid figure.
While those reveals were great, I’m a little surprised DCC didn’t take advantage of the buzz around Supergirl to release one at this point. Catwoman’s still not getting called up is also curious, especially since she’s one of the characters DCC can double dip and crank out several versions in her numerous attires.
Deluxe is the Only Way to Pay to Play
While Green Lantern and Static were the only reveals initially, the second half of 2016 will see more deluxe offerings from Cyborg, Batgirl, to Darkseid.
In Cyborg’s case, the power generator is one of those neat ideas but not worth paying an extra $10 or $15 to have included. Batgirl’s cycle is a better deal, but I wonder if the SRP of $60 won’t turn off some potential customers. Darkseid’s $100 price tag seems to be a bit much for a character design most fans don’t particularly love. The supersize treatment seems like an ideal format to get someone like the Anti-Monitor (Crisis version) to lure folks who’ve been hesitant to get into the line.
The Best Way to Accessorize
DC suggested accessory packs might be a way to get items cut from the regular figures. While alternate heads weren’t included in the early releases, there’s a lot of potential here. Bat-Mite, Ch’P, and the Starro heads might be the obvious draws, but Justice League trophy case displays of Dr. Fate and Jay Garrick Flash helmets and add-ons for Batman, Flash, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Green Arrow, and Green Lantern make these far more useful than the typical repainted accessories.
Green Lantern really makes out like a bandit with accessories that are much more like what I was expecting to see in his deluxe figure. This is a definite make-good to enhance your Green Lantern display.
Sure, they’re the same price as a regular figure, but it’s still cheaper than buying a Mr. Mxyzptlk from Matty.com.
You Can’t Improve Upon Perfection
Throwing a significant bone to classic collectors was the reveal of Deathstroke the Terminator. This inclusion was significant as it indicates that the DC Icons teams knows there’s no need to reinvent the wheel with costume selections. Superman, Flash, and now Deathstroke all are featured in their far superior classic attires.
For the most part, the selection team hasn’t gone with a terrible New 52 design if the classic outfit is better. Hopefully that will remain the case when Deadshot’s name comes up.