Did you think you were going to wait an eternity for our DC Top Ten poll results? Then you’d better have another think! Get your cheers, boos, gasps, and groans ready because we’re doing this.
From the outset, I thought this might be an interesting poll. Our last DC poll has seen 4 of its top 10 (and 7 of the top 20) either produced or announced in the little over a year since we conducted it. So the combination of newly available votes and possibly a new perspective from collectors resulting from the new retail executions ought to have shaken things up a great deal, right? Well, let’s find out. Ladies (maybe?) and Gentlemen, here are your winners.
10. HEAT WAVE 24 votes
Flash’s Rogues Gallery always appears to be a popular group on the discussion boards, but this is the first time one of them has cracked our top ten. In fact, this may be the biggest jump ever recorded in Fwoosh poll history; Mick was at a distant #60 in our last go around. It may be also worth mentioning that no other Rogue placed even close. Mattel gave us Mirror Master in the first year of the Infinite Earths subscription, so here’s hoping they give us another Rogue in 2013. And if they’re smart, it’ll be Heat Wave.
9. RAG DOLL 25 votes
Rag Doll slipped a bit in votes this year, but still landed solidly in the top ten. Gail Simone’s Suicide Squad remains popular well after the advent of the New 52, and Mr. Merkel here is the next member that collectors would like to add to the team. His teammate Scandal Savage slipped out of the top ten but still held onto a spot in the top 20. As much as I would like to see this character become part of the line, I have some reservations. Simply putting him on the “thin” buck (used for Saint Walker, among others) isn’t going to cut it, at least not for me. Rag Doll really requires articulation and tooling not yet seen in Mattel’s DC Universe line, and I’m not they’d feel he is a character with high enough profile to warrant the extra design and production costs. We may have a very long wait for completing the Secret Six.
8. MON-EL 25 votes
Superboy’s super brother from another mother (or not) makes a Daxam-sized leap from nowhere into a tie for 8th place. While the Legion of Superheroes have a long-standing and devoted following, I don’t recall any of them ever cracking the top ten. I imagine that’s partly because there are so many of them that they pull votes from each other, and also that a lot of voters may feel like it’s tilting at windmills even to try and pull for a “complete” Legion team. Well, things have changed. Mattel’s 12 pack from last year made some great headway, both inspiring desire for even more Legionnaires among collectors, and also taking a chunk of them out of voting consideration. Certainly, Legion fans still voted for a scattered, diverse group but they managed to rally around Mon-El and launch him into the top ten. Mon-El: The Legionnaire we can all agree on. Take note Mattel — the LoSH is far from complete! Of note: Dawnstar has consistently been the highest registering Legion character since we’ve been running these polls. This is the first time she was beat out by one of her teammates.
7. THE VENTRILOQUIST 27 votes
Hey now — here’s a surprise! Sure, the Ventriloquist is a Batman villain, which gives him automatic cachet among fans, but I never would have guessed he’d land in our top ten. I don’t think this character has ever broken double-digits in votes in any of our previous polls. I guess with Huntress, Poison Ivy, and Black Mask appearing in the line, the Bat-fans have made their way down to the Ventriloquist. But I’m still surprised he beat out the likes of the Mad Hatter, Catwoman (Balent), and first-appearance Tim Drake. Remarkable. Somebody go recount the votes from Gotham’s 6th precinct; that place has more dead voters than living ones.
6. LIBERTY BELLE 32 votes
Liberty Belle seems to have shored up her place in our group. Though she received slightly fewer votes this time, it was still enough for her to climb from 8th place to 6th. Demand for this key JSA member is not going to end any time soon. Belle seems like a perfect candidate for the CIE subscription: a fan demanded team builder requiring very little new tooling. I might remind you all that there has only been one female character announced so far for the 2013 subscription (Huntress). I give Liberty Belle even odds at being revealed during this year’s Toy Fair. (Here’s hoping anyway)
4. FIRE & ICE 34 votes each
Look at that — a tie! Who’d a thunk it? Amazingly, not every person that voted for Fire also voted for Ice and vice versa (that always bewilders me), and yet they still ended up with the same number of votes. It’s a sign — you can’t have one without the other. Come on Mattel — the vast majority of your collector base are children of the ’80s. They want to complete the Giffen League, and we’re oh-so-close! Just don’t make them Collect & Connect-sized. Thanks.
3. DOOMSDAY 42 votes
Boom. Everybody wants Doomsday. In previous polls, he’s been relegated to the “oversized” category. But even folding all the categories together, as we did this time, he has more than enough support to put him right near the top. Yes, there is already a Doomsday from the DC Super Heroes line. Nobody counts that one anymore. Look at the picture above. He needs to be that big. He killed Superman.
2. RA’S AL GHUL 43 votes
No surprise that the Batman character most notably absent from this line should appear near the top of our polling. A potential Ra’s al Ghul figure presents an interesting question: Which line is he best suited for? He would surely be a hit as part of the subscription. But couldn’t he also appear at mass retail in the Batman Unlimited line? After all, the Dark Knight movie line included a Liam Neeson version of Ra’s. Only Mattel knows where they would decide to slate him, but one thing is for sure — he ought to be getting serious consideration.
1. GRANNY GOODNESS 44 votes
Nobody beats Granny. Nobody. Well, ok — Ra’s and Doomsday came pretty close. And yet, not even the most popular remaining characters from the stables of both Batman and Superman can touch this brutal, zaftig, geriatric matron. Please Mattel, we beg you. Find some love for Granny in your hearts. We know, we know, “the tooling costs, the tooling costs.” But you’ve gotten creative on this front before, whether it be as recently as Lead or as far back as the Parademon variants. Find a way. Charge us a premium. Just give us our Granny.
I think this top ten is a solid group, if something of a mixed bag. I was interested to see if there would be a theme. You know, Batman family characters dominating or a lot of ’90s era influence, or something like that, but this list has as much variation in tastes as Mattel’s subscription line has had. We’ve got Granny retaining her title, and important Batman and Superman villains showing well. But we’ve also got the first Flash Rogue and Legionnaire to make the list. It’s a healthy mix between male and female characters and somewhat weighted with villains. I think if there’s one thing that ties these choices together, it’s that each of these characters spans many eras, and their designs haven’t changed much over the years. That should be good news for Mattel, since the diversity fits with their “something for everyone” approach to populating the subscription, and the iconic designs can satisfy fans of both the older stories and the more modern ones.
And, in case you’re interested, here follows the rest of the results:
23 Zauriel
22 Dawnstar
22 Shining Knight
21 Aztek
21 Scandal Savage
20 Aqualad
20 Chronos
20 Talia al Ghul
19 Batwoman [Kate Kane]
19 Prometheus
19 Vandal Savage
18 Aquaman [Hook-hand]
18 Green Lantern [Kyle Rayner]
18 Miss Martian
18 Phantom Girl
16 Vixen
15 Catwoman
15 Dr. Light [Arthur Light]
15 Shadow Lass
15 Trickster
15 Vigilante
14 Jonny Thunder w/Thunderbolt
14 Mera
14 Ocean Master
13 General Zod
13 Joker [New 52]
13 King Shark
13 Robin [Damian Wayne]
12 Felix Faust
12 Geo-Force
12 Hourman [Rick Tyler]
12 Nightwing [NTT]
12 Phantom Lady
12 Red Hood [Jason Todd]
12 Superboy [Connor Kent]
12 Wonder Girl [Cassie Sandsmark]
12 Zatanna [Perez]
11 Commissioner Gordon
11 Speedy [Roy Harper]
11 The Ray [Ray Terrill]
11 Weather Wizard
10 Hush
10 KGBeast
10 Mad Hatter
10 Oracle
10 Wonder Woman
9 Changeling
9 Clock King
9 Doctor Mid-Nite [Pieter Cross]
9 Element Lad
9 Grifter
9 Mr.Terrific [Terry Sloane]
9 Sgt. Rock
8 Alfred Pennyworth
8 Calendar Man
8 Dr. Polaris
8 Green Arrow [Connor Hawke]
8 Katana
8 Mr. Mxyzpltk
8 The Shade
8 Warlord
7 Atomic Skull
7 Black Lightning [Classic]
7 Dream Girl
7 Flamebird
7 Human Bomb
7 Indigo-1
7 Jade
7 Lashina
7 Psycho-Pirate
7 Robin [Earth-2]
6 Ambush Bug
6 Arisia
6 Batman [Dick Grayson]
6 Bizarro
6 Black Orchid
6 Chief
6 Composite Superman
6 Count Vertigo
6 Dr. Will Magnus
6 Hitman
6 Ravager [Rose Wilson]
6 Sand
6 Starfire
6 Supergirl
5 Cyborg [New 52]
5 Dove [Don Hall]
5 Emerald Empress
5 Halo
5 Hugo Strange
5 Huntress
5 Impulse
5 Kid Flash
5 Killer Croc
5 Killer Frost
5 Knockout
5 Lobo
5 Manhunter [Paul Kirk]
5 Mento
5 Ragman
5 Superman
4 Black Spider
4 Bleez
4 Cheshire
4 Dr. Destiny
4 Firefly
4 Jeannette
4 Lady Blackhawk
4 Lex Luthor
4 Maxima
4 Metallo
4 Parallax [Hal Jordon]
4 Professor Pyg
4 Queen of Fables
4 Salaak
4 Spoiler
4 Static Shock
4 Sun Boy
4 Terra
4 Unknown Soldier
3 Adam Strange [Classic]
3 Amanda Waller
3 Bat-Woman [Kathy Kane]
3 Big Bear
3 Black Condor
3 Blue Beetle [Dan Garret]
3 Brainiac
3 Captain Boomerang [classic]
3 Crazy Quilt
3 Dr. Hurt
3 Enchantress
3 Ferro Lad
3 Green Arrow [GA/SA]
3 Icon
3 Jimmy Olsen
3 Johnny Quick
3 Lady Shiva
3 Mad Harriet
3 Martian Manhunter [New 52]
3 Nemesis
3 Nightmaster
3 Pantha
3 Princess Projectra
3 Robin [FA Tim Drake]
3 Robotman [All Star Squadron]
3 Roulette
3 Shrinking Violet
3 Soranik Natu
3 Star-Spangled Kid
3 Stompa
3 Superboy-Prime [Sinestro Corps]
3 The Persuader
3 The Ray [Golden Age]
3 Thunderbolt
3 Ultra the Multi-Alien
3 White Martian
3 Wotan
2 Ace
2 Amazing Man
2 Amethyst
2 Apollo
2 Batgirl [Stephanie Brown]
2 Black Alice
2 Blockbuster
2 Bouncing Boy
2 Brother Warth
2 Captain Comet
2 Circe
2 Conduit
2 Damage
2 Dogwelder
2 Dr. Alchemy
2 Duo Damsel
2 Firehawk
2 Frankenstein
2 Fury
2 Guy Gardner [Yellow Ring]
2 Hourman [Matthew Tyler]
2 Jakeem Thunder w/Thunderbolt
2 Jericho
2 King
2 Lightning Lass
2 Livewire
2 Lois Lane
2 Looker
2 Manhunter [Mark Shaw]
2 Midnighter
2 Mr. Freeze
2 Phantasm
2 Pied Piper
2 Ray
2 Red Hood [Joker]
2 Red Star
2 Robin [Stephanie Brown]
2 Rocket Red
2 Sensor Girl
2 Silent Knight
2 Simon Baz
2 Speedy [Mia Dearden]
2 The Question [Renee Montoya]
2 The Key
2 The Spirit
2 Voodoo
2 Wizard
Abigail Arcane
Airwave
Amazon
Angel O’Day
Angle Man
Anton Arcane [new 52]
Arrowette
Arsenal
Atom [Sword of the Atom]
August General-in-Iron
Baby Wildebeest
Batman [Zebra Batman]
Batzarro
Bedovian
Black Adam [New 52]
Black Canary [JLI costume]
Black Condor [Ryan Kendell]
Black Racer
Blackfire
Blackhawk
Blight
Bloodwynd
Bulleteer
Bumblebee
Captain Carrot
Captain Thunder
Catspaw
Chaselon
ClayFace [Golden Age]
Colonel Computron
Condor
Congorilla
Cyclone
Daemonite
Dark Flash
Death [Neil Gaiman]
Deathblow
Demon [New 52]
Detective Bullock
Double Down
Dr. Fate [Inza Cramer]
Dr. Phosphorous
Dr. Strange
Dream
Earthworm
Engineer
Extant
Fastbak Fisherman
Gang Buster
Ganthet
Ganthet [Blue Lantern]
Giant Turtle Boy
Gilotina
Giovanni Zatara
Golden Glider
Guillotina
Hardware
Harlequin [Molly Mayne Scott]
Harvey Bullock
Hawkgirl [Golden Age]
Hawkgirl [Kendra]
I…Vampire Andrew Bennet [classic]
Ibis the Invincible
Infectious Lass
Infinity Man
Inque
Invisible Kid
Jack
Jack Hawksmoor
Johnny Sorrow
Jokester w/ Harley [Anti-Matter Earth]
Jor El [Silver Age]
Kalibak [Super Powers Version]
Kanjar Ro
Kara El [Silver Age]
Karb Brak
Kid Devil [Modern]
Kid Eternity
Kid Flash [Bart Allen]
Lori Lemaris
Lucifier [Neil Gaiman]
Lyssa Drak
Major Disaster
Manchester Black
Manhunter [Kate Spencer]
Mano
Mark Moonrider
Max Mercury
Maxwell Lord
Monarch
Mordru
Mr. Atom
Mr. Bones
Mr. Majestic
Mr. Tawky Tawny
Multiplex
Munk
Nightshade [Purple/Black Suicide Squad]
Nocturna
Ollie Queen [Dark Knight Returns]
OMAC [modern]
Owlman [classic]
Parademon [Secret Six]
Peacemaker
Penguin [Arkham City]
Poison Ivy [classic]
Polka Dot Man
Printers Devil
Psimon
Quakemaster
Queen
Queen Hyppolita
Rainbow Raider
Red Bee [Jenna Raleigh]
Red Lantern Bleez
Red robin [new 52]
Red Tornado [Ma Hunkel]
Richard Dragon
Rick Flagg
Ridge
Rima
Sam Simeon
Sandman [Neil Gaiman]
Sasha Bordeaux
Sayd [Blue Lantern]
Scalphunter
Scarecrow [New 52]
Secret
Shade the Changing Man [Ditko]
Shado
Shadow Thief
Shaggy Man (General Eiling)
Shazam [New 52]
Silver Banshee
Silver Swan
Six Pack
Space Ghost
Squire
Starling
Stripesy
Superdoom
Supergirl [New 52]
Tally Man [90’s]
Talon [New 52]
Tasmanian Devil
Tempest
Ten
Tharok
The Collector of Worlds
The Question [Renee Montoya]
The Top
The Wrath
Trickster [Axel Walker]
Triplicate Girl
Tula
Uncle Marvel
Vertigo
Viking Prince
Waverider
Wild Dog
Wildcat [Tom Bronson]
Wildebeest
Wizard [Golden Age]
XS
Zatara
Zealot
Zilius Zox