I know, the wait is killing you. Where is DCUC 14!?! I think that is probably the most asked question on the intertubes right now. However, from the rumblings and hints dropped by reliable folks, it looks like, hopefully, the series will be dropping by the end of the month. I am taking the arrival of the final three figures to the Fwoosh offices (we don’t really have offices) is also indicative of this because ain’t nobody should be without this series! In the mean time, here are some pictures for you look at, I am not sure if it is going to make the wait better or worse, but being that this is the interweb, I am going with the latter.
We gave you a look at Kamandi, Obsidian, Alan Scott and Gold forever ago, but now we can finally add Hourman, Tyr, Zatanna and subsequently, Ultra-Humanite to our galleries. So we get another JSA-er, JLA-er and Super Powers/LoSH figure, plus the aforementioned white monkeyman. Coupled with the earlier four, that makes for a pretty damned diverse wave. If you can’t find something you like here, I am not sure what to tell you.
Of this group, I have to say that I like Hourman the best. I am a serious fan of the Rex and Rick incarnations of the title so I have half of what I need to feel complete for Hourmen. I can’t help but wonder that, if this had not been a Wal-Mart wave, we would have gotten sonny-boy Rick as the variant. That would be wild speculation on my part, BUT the bio on the card back does have two debut issues listed, the latter being Rick’s. Yeah, that one hurts a little bit. I can only hope that he is sculpted and will be joining pops in the line soon, and that he will bring his lovely bride, Liberty Belle with him.
I think this figure hits all of the right notes for Rex, with one detail left for interpretation. I have always been a fan of his stripes and I am glad they got the one on the back of the cape right. His boots are also very eye-catching and he has his requisite hourglass hanging from his neck.
Now, the previous detail that I spoke of is the hotly-debated black detailing on the front of his cowl. Is it actually black or is it a consistently-portrayed shadow? Either way, the Classic Detective Batman figure all the way back in series one faced the same question, but they went the opposite direction on this one. The good part about this way is that it is easier to paint the black on than remove it from the yellow. I am not quite sure which way I would have preferred, but I look forward to customs to have some comparison.
Next we have Tyr, and never has an in-canon character enjoyed so much toy love based on a previous toy line than Tyr. Did you get all that? Yes, he has been around since the early ’70s as a thorn in the side of the Legion, but he has never had a huge presence in the DCU proper. Mattel’s undying dedication to recreate the entire Super Powers roster blasts him on to the scene and your toy shelf once again. We are now just a Samurai short of that goal (once Grayson Robin hits in series 16) and methinks we won’t be waiting long.
Far be it from me to complain about a figure with a gun-arm and bulldog mustache, Tyr also acts as half of a duo of figures (along with the series 15 OMAC) that we get in consecutive series that have mohawks. If you can find wrong in that, I can find wrong in the inner-workings of your synapses. He is faithfully rendered to his comic and previous toy appearances and the gun-arm has tons of detail and a surprising amount of articulation to it. His overall color scheme also offers a lot pop amongst the rest of the figures on your shelf and I really like the vermilion, yellow and black combination.
Now, I know that Tyr and Validus from series 15 are kind of left with their hands in their pockets at this point, but they will soon be dreadfully out-numbered by Legionnaires when that massive 12 pack hits this coming spring. I know that getting Tyr as a stand-alone figure is very exciting to simply due to that pack, and I am not even the biggest LoSH fan out there.
For the last of the standard figures we get the Mistress of Magic and JLA-stalwart herself, Zatanna. I think that, up to this point, she has been the most talked about figure of the wave. And why not? I am sure she will prove to be the most popular as far as character is concerned and am certainly glad to finally have her on my shelf, I have always had a soft spot for Zee. Leggy magic lady in fishnets might have something to do with that.
Speaking fishnets, the talk will certainly continue about Zatanna’s long after she is released. Basically, he legs and fishnets are identical to Black Canary’s save for the heels and bare legs. She does not have the standard DCUC hip articulation and the fishnets are real and sewn up the back. If you are cool with Canary’s, you will be fine here, if not, there is nothing really new for you. I can excuse the loss of movement more on Zee here rather than Dinah, she doesn’t do a whole lot of karate-kickin’.
Even if you take issue with that, the rest of the figure is very nice, and I am big fan of the face sculpt, it just seems like Zatanna to me. I would have even been okay with a smile on her too. Her top hat does stay on her head and it has a little lip on it to tuck under the front of her hair, I prefer mine slightly askew. Oh, and she does come with her magic wand which makes a great scene in the package as there are little rabbits impressed inside the clear figure tray. So, even though it might not be the right costume (though it is MUCH better) Zee and J’onn puts us just a Ralph Dibny (and Phantom Stranger and Snapper Carr depending on your preference) away from a complete Satellite JLA team. Yeah, I am pretty excited.
Finally, Mattel ushers in yet another super monkey into their toy lines – the Ultra-Humanite. I know several boardies have acquired him through the ebay route already, but he is my personal new favorite DC monkey figure. The Four Horsemen captured his look perfectly and I am especially fond of his evil sneer. His armor is also quite cool and the spikes really stand out, just don’t throw him at anyone.
He really wins in the articulation category though. Frankly, he blows Grodd out of the water. Now, this is helped along by the fact that he is wearing some manner of clothing (Grodd has no shame) so the sculpt is not broken up by the joints. His legs move great and he sports ball-jointed hips. Even if, somehow, you would skip this entire series, Humanite is certainly a must. He is a VERY nice Collect and Connect and he has fought just about everybody in the DCU so he has a lot of functionality for the display. Plus, there is that whole big-brained super monkey thing.
So, here is the rest of the gang. Like I know, the wait has been difficult (ridiculously agonizing for some) but the wait will be worth it. In terms of Wal-Mart exclusive release today (November 5th) marks the exact one year anniversary since the first Fwoosher acquired series 10. I know that probably does not make up for the wait, but we certainly in the sweet spot, so hold on just a little longer – these guys will be here soon!
*Thanks again to Toy Guru, Fangirl 2.0, Rhobyn and the rest of the Mattel crew for making this session possible! More DC and Ghostbusters coming up soon.
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