I understand that a lot of Mattel's figures—DC and otherwise—have been 7" scale. Still, going that route here feels like a gut punch to long-time DCUC fans.
It's possible that I'm unable to separate my own feelings here. I'm only interested in Mattel's new line to supplement (or replace, if they're good enough) my MAFEX DC collection. If these are 7", they'll get as much of my business as McFarlane. (Next to none.)
I was very much looking forward to a 6" Two-Face, Absolute Wonder Woman, Brainiac, etc. If they're going 1/10 scale, godspeed.
Someone please show me a 7 inch Mattel Multiverse figure that is not a build a figure.
At least we won't have chase figures anymore. Not knowing which figure you'll get until it arrives in the mail.
I absolutely pity you DC collectors over this and dread the day it infects any line I collect.It wasn't as often as people make it out to be. Perhaps if you only ordered from Amazon, but ordering from places like BBTS, EE, Best Buy, etc. I never once got a figure I wasn't expecting to get. You just never saw anyone making posts about getting the figure they ordered, so the "I got a platinum I didn't want" posts stuck out.
I'd say a third to half of the figures I ordered were the wrong one unless specified in the eBay mark up option.
@sdcomics you always got my favorite posts to read on these forums, good stuff man! You're 43 years older than I am, and that makes the style of your insight more interesting to read. Especially when compared to what I'm used to.
In my opinion, the issue here isn't specifically just scale for DC-- it's that for over 20 years, DC's primary competitor has had a (mostly) successful action figure line which built up a huge brand name and consistent following, even when its had some really strong down periods. We've never had a DC line to match that. Not in quality, engineering, roster, scale, anything.
DCUC has an amazing roster, but when compared to even the Marvel Legends figures of the time, the Marvel Legends are just way more fun in hand. Both DC Multiverse lines are riddled with awful figures, awful roster selection, and really bad mold reuses. Not to say Legends hasn't had some low points in the same manners, but in 2012 we got Buckycap from Marvel Legends, while we were lucky if we got even just an ankle tilt that just slightly wiggles from Mattel DC.
I'm game for some texture in the basic sculpts, but I'd keep it simple. For spandex suits, I really like occasional folds and seams in the costume. Maybe some overlays and sculpted bits when applicable to the costume. Just depends on the character. I'd sculpt in logos for characters like Batman and Superman as well as seams/folds, and super texturous designs like Ragman or whatever would get unique molds. But extreme uses of textures on suits just doesn't look good, if you give a figure the correct plastic/paint finishes (and maybe a wash if you're feeling spicy), it'll do way more for the figure while being on-model. I'd make an exception to this general rule for giant characters though, size makes it easier to have texture be subtle.
Modern Harley and Poison ivy were a very strange 6 inch scale and stand head and shoulders over other figures. To name but 2. This was a point of debate at the time. Maybe just Mattel’s mistake and not intended but def. Not 6 inch.I had those last few DC Multiverse Waves. They were 6 inch along with the rest of Mattels DC Line.
@bananaman Yeah, those last couple of waves of Mattel DC Universe figures were not in scale with DCUC. DC Multiverse Cassie Wonder Girl towered of over DCUC Donna Wonder Girl and Wonder Woman. I haven’t checked in awhile, but I also remember Vixen, the Ray, and Jessica Cruz being out of scale. The only one I remember being IN scale was Spoiler.
They may not have been 7”, but they weren’t 6” either. More like 6.5”…which is probably where ML is these days.
I think 7” scale lends itself much better to McFarlane’s style with all of the sculpted textures and details. I’m not sure the 7” scale would lend itself to a simpler line.
Since I don't have any of my DCUC collection anymore I am looking forward to see what Mattel does. I would have preferred the license stayed with McFarlane as I really think they were hitting their stride and character selection was getting much, much better. I doubt Mattel will top my two McFarlane DC favorite figures-Knightfall Batman and Silver Age Joker. They are exceptional and look great together. I have loved the wired capes we have been getting and the price points. I could see Mattel's DC basic line being $30 and having less in package than McFarlane's Collector Editions, mainly due to the timing of the tariffs going into effect. I expect all action figure lines to hit the $30 price point now unfortunately. Time will tell.
It would be nice, however unlikely, to see the 2 companies work in tandem. Todd is obviously an old-school guy- he says so often, so seeing him get to continue the 66/Superfriends line would be really nice. I doubt there'd really be that much competition between an all-encompassing true DC line and a retro 66/Superfriends line. There's still a bunch of characters I'd love in both the 66 and Superfriends line, so letting Todd continue to focus on areas that Mattel may not be as interested in, like big monsters or the more angsty Metal-esque designs (just as an example- Mattel may want to tackle those too).
I know I've mentioned it before, but I do wonder if those little gray area stipulations are applicable here. Star Wars, for instance- Hasbro has the lisence for 6" and 3.75" and can only make those. Because those are taken by Hasbro, other companies have to make different scales- Funko can do the Pop figures, but I've heard they have to be bobbleheads because another company has the license to make the same scale, just without the bobblehead. And it's why some of the cheaper figures you see at Five Below or whatever are 5", and so on. If they are somehow the same scale, they have to be vastly different- stylized, etc. Who knows if it's the same for other properties as well, but it's a safe bet- these studios want to cover as much of the market as they can and not compete with themselves. If the above rumors are true about Mattel's new offerings being 7", then maybe Todd could exploit that loophole and keep releasing the retro figures, since they're 6 inch (or smaller for the Super Powers line).
Since I don't have any of my DCUC collection anymore I am looking forward to see what Mattel does. I would have preferred the license stayed with McFarlane as I really think they were hitting their stride and character selection was getting much, much better. I doubt Mattel will top my two McFarlane DC favorite figures-Knightfall Batman and Silver Age Joker. They are exceptional and look great together. I have loved the wired capes we have been getting and the price points. I could see Mattel's DC basic line being $30 and having less in package than McFarlane's Collector Editions, mainly due to the timing of the tariffs going into effect. I expect all action figure lines to hit the $30 price point now unfortunately. Time will tell.
The president and of The Toy Association said increases of 15% to 20% are expected on "games, dolls, cars and other toys" by the the end of summer.
While I'd prefer the Mattel DC stuff to be 1/12 scale, it's not totally a dealbreaker for me if they are 1/10. Of course, that is dependent on the sculpt/paint apps and character selection. The idea of Mattel going 1/10 on these does give me pause about selling off my McFarlane figures, as they could be supplemental to the new line. Maybe it's for the best if Mattel decides to meet in the middle and make this a 1/11 scale line. Just kidding...put those tomatoes away.
Since I don't have any of my DCUC collection anymore I am looking forward to see what Mattel does. I would have preferred the license stayed with McFarlane as I really think they were hitting their stride and character selection was getting much, much better. I doubt Mattel will top my two McFarlane DC favorite figures-Knightfall Batman and Silver Age Joker. They are exceptional and look great together. I have loved the wired capes we have been getting and the price points. I could see Mattel's DC basic line being $30 and having less in package than McFarlane's Collector Editions, mainly due to the timing of the tariffs going into effect. I expect all action figure lines to hit the $30 price point now unfortunately. Time will tell.
The president and of The Toy Association said increases of 15% to 20% are expected on "games, dolls, cars and other toys" by the the end of summer.
All for no reason whatsoever. Sick!
If Mattel's new DC line is 1/10 I will not be an all in buyer. In fact, I will probably buy exactly the same ratio of those as I have McFarlane figures over the last 5 years - which is only those that can reasonably fit in my swords and sorcery display of 1/10 stuff. My super hero stuff is all 1/12 and that's how it's going to stay. I really, really hope Mattel thinks better of this. They have a year to sort it out, so hopefully they can start collecting meaningful feedback now that can help them fine tune this choice.
And SD thanks for the rundown on the rise and fall of DCUC... I was in the room for that announcement of the end of the line with Wave 20.
The Geoff Johns pandering was partly a Neitlich call as I remember. Scott was the brand manager for DCUC back then and wanted so badly to be more. He sucked up to Geoff Johns so hard he let Johns design a figure for MOTU Classics - Sir Laser Lot (sigh) - and then shoe horned him into Preternia continuity. The sucking up to Johns is part of the reason they fell all over themselves to make so much Green Lantern movie product... they went all out to support that movie - vast swaths of figures in multiple scales as well as hijacking waves of DCUC and getting exclusive sets at TRU, etc.
The swerve to on-line only blind faith subscription sucked - but at least it got me Jay Garrick, Uncle Sam, Metron, Starman, Mirror Master, Elasti Girl, Platinum, Lead, Huntress, Ras al Ghul, Fire and Ice. And I got a freaking Legion of Super Heroes 10 pack, so that rules (wherefore art thou Dawnstar...) It would have been better to continue to get those characters in waves with a CnC and have things continue on but it was better than not getting them.
Yep. That would put prices at $28-30 a figure.Since I don't have any of my DCUC collection anymore I am looking forward to see what Mattel does. I would have preferred the license stayed with McFarlane as I really think they were hitting their stride and character selection was getting much, much better. I doubt Mattel will top my two McFarlane DC favorite figures-Knightfall Batman and Silver Age Joker. They are exceptional and look great together. I have loved the wired capes we have been getting and the price points. I could see Mattel's DC basic line being $30 and having less in package than McFarlane's Collector Editions, mainly due to the timing of the tariffs going into effect. I expect all action figure lines to hit the $30 price point now unfortunately. Time will tell.
The president and of The Toy Association said increases of 15% to 20% are expected on "games, dolls, cars and other toys" by the the end of summer.
I'm probably one of the only people that uses 6 inch ML figures to fill out my 7 inch MS lineup (Walmart Thing with my FF display, and ML3 Toybiz Wolverine with the X-men figures).
I collect both scales. Why are so many people just dead set on one over the other?
I'll probably be collecting Beast Kingdom's upcoming DC figures. I couldn't care less if they fit in with other stuff- they'll be their own line. I don't mix Mafex or Mezco with ML, or Figuarts with Star Wars Black Series. I even have a Threezero on my desk- apart from my old GI Joe Hall of Fame figures on top of a bookshelf behind me, I don't have any other 1/6 scale figures. He's got the Mezco Turtles on their stands surrounding him.
If Mattel can actually make some quality products I'll get on board, but I'm not just going to get their stuff for the sake of it. I do think its unlikely we'll get artist specific figures, as even ML rarely if ever does that (the last one I can think of was the ML Hulk based on Ed McGuiness' art, but if any of the Secret Wars figures are supposed to be artist specific that's passed me by- even the 'Maximum' Spidey seems like an approximation of Campbell/McFarlane art styles).
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