Yeah, I could have easily written this article about countless figures in my collection: MOTUC Mer-Man, The NECA TMNT Donatello, Muumuu Homer, Muppets Rowlf, the Bandai D-Arts Mega Man, and the ML MODOK are just a few of the amazing pieces of plastic that take up an entire room (and beyond) in my house. However, when it comes to really being thankful and to how much getting a figure meant to me, there was no contest: I had to go with the DC Universe Classics Blue Beetle. An off-kilter C-List character is tough to have as a favorite when you’re talking about action figures because Batman fans will get fat on plastic, but Ted Kord admirers have to savor every release. So when you get your favorite character in a pretty much perfect action figure, well, I would say thankful is the correct word.
The Blue Beetle has been my favorite comic book character since, well, pretty much since I started reading comics. Now, I discovered the Thing (my favorite Marvel character) and the Fantastic Four first, but the Justice League International was my first League, and the Blue Beetle became my favorite character right from the get-go, and the rest is pretty much history. Sure, there have been a few Blue Beetle figures along the way (I have them all, I am pretty sure), and I have some fantastic customs, but there is just something about the DCUC figure that makes me so happy, and the journey to get him recalls some of my fondest Fwoosh memories.
To say I campaigned for the figure is an understatement. I told anyone who would listen why he was integral to the DCUC line and I am positive the Four Horsemen and Toy Guru both dreaded to see me coming at various conventions because I they knew the sermon they were about to receive. But it all worked out better than I could have expected in the end, and the Horsemen nailed everything that I love about the design of the character, from the complimenting blues, to the clear yellow goggles and the left-handed draw strobe gun holster. When you take all of that and combine it with tons of articulation and a well-contructed frame, it is like “win” showed up at my door and decided to stay for good.
Yeah, the DCUC line is unceremoniously winding down, but when you take in the breadth of the entire collection, it is a beast. So, in a way, the sum is arguably greater than the parts. However, if I had to give up all but one of those figures, even in a cast of greats, it would not even be a discussion; I would choose the Blue Beetle 100 percent of the time. As a DC fan and a Ted Kord fan, that figure allowed me to tick off the biggest want of my life in perfect fashion, and that is why I am thankful for the DC Universe Classics Blue Beetle.