Ninjak- that's pretty much exactly where I'm at- I posted so much on the old Marvel threads (as boywonder before the great purge), and remember seeing you post a lot there.
My ML collection dwarfs pretty much everything else. Looking back, I had as many DC figures growing up, and just as many comics. I guess the thing that swung it was that when I really starting properly collecting, it was the Claremont X-men era that was my main passion- so Marvel took centre stage and did for a long time afterwards.
Its nice to reconnect with DC, and to see figures like the Platinum Penguin which recreates a figure that I had a load of fun with as a kid. Still waiting for a Joker like in that Toybiz line, but have one of the Three Jokers figures as standin in the meantime. It would be interesting to see what would happen if McFarlane did have the license, but can guess it would be divisive (it took years before Hasbro was more generally accepted by the ML crowd, and they've won a lot of support over time, but I suspect that anyone who took over that license would have a battle to win many of those now converted fans over).
And I love McFarlane DC Multiverse figures and I’ve been on board collecting the line since day one as well. And in my opinion it’s the best DC figure line of all time. I especially love the way most of the figures have unique dedicated sculpts, and some effort is put into trying to match certain artists styles from the comics.
Now that's the enthusiasm we like to see! 👍👏
Some great rational points above. Just thought it out and I say this as someone who bought six McFarlane figures this month already, so I'm not down on his stuff!:
If simultaneously, Todd got a license for 7 inch Marvel line and someone else (Hasbro, Jada, anyone) got a license for 6 inch DC, which lines would I keep or drop? I'd stick with the 6 inch scale and box up my Todd figures. But if 6 inch Marvel went away and Todd got 7 inch Marvel, I wouldn't start new, I'd just make customs of the characters that didn't get made, maybe pick up a few figures out of curiosity. Whereas if the 7 inch line went away, I'd definitely start over with 6 inch scale DC.
Then again I feel like my entire adult collecting life DC's just not been exactly wanted - Mattel, Icons (which was close, but so brittle and so limited), Essentials (also loved, but just not the scale I wanted most) and Todd (really the best of the bunch by a country mile), nobody's really made the DC characters with the scale/articulation/character selection I want. But that's a ME problem. Todd makes beautiful figures (I legit just overpaid for the Walmart Lightning Lad last night). I just wish room existed in the licensing for another type of figure. But I imagine the strength of the license lies in exclusivity.
I did my normal weekly retail run today: Ross, 2 different Gamestops, Target, Walmart, Best Buy and 2 different comic books stores. Found Batman vs Kong for the first time at both Gamestops and Target.
Target had both Commander Steel and Parallax Sincestro for under $7 each. Still no sign of Geo-Force, Orion or Wildcat. One Gamestop had their clearance at 70% off and I got 5 figures for under $30 there. The other Gamestop had their clearance at 90% off and I picked up 4 Funko Pops there for $2.48 total (for all 4). Still no Lightning Lads at Walmart. I found a Chainsaw Man figure on clearance for $12 at Walmart and a pair of Lego sets for both 75% off (one was a Batman set and the other was Star Wars).
I've been collecting both DC and Marvel 6"-7" figures for more than 20 years. Legends has always been and will always be my primary line but if they went to another scale, I'd probably stop or only buy figures from the new company that were never done by Hasbro or Toy Biz.
Because I've bought DC from 3 different companies now my collection is all over the place and I hate the inconsistency. I started with just DC Direct. Their early figures were 7" scale and not very well articulated although they started scaling smaller and added articulation as time went on. When Mattel expanded their 6" DC SuperHeroes line (that was mostly just Batman and Superman) to DC Universe Classics I went all in and started replacing most of my DC Direct figures with those. I continued to buy some DC Direct / DC Collectibles along the way if Mattel hadn't made figures of the characters yet.
When Todd got the license for DC, I swore that I was out. But then I started finding his figures on clearance everywhere for deep, deep discounts ($5-$7 each) and I bought a few. Then I decided I would only buy figures that I didn't already have represented by Mattel or DCD/DCC. At this point I've actually got at least one version of every DC character that McFarlane has made. I even bought Batman vs Kong just today. It's a sickness and I'm not proud of myself.
I've got at least one version of every Marvel character ever made by each of Hasbro/Toy Biz (also some Marvel Select by Diamond) and at least one version of every DC character ever made by any of DCD/DCC, Mattel or McFarlane, so I've got hundreds of figures from each company at this point (I don't buy MAFEX or Mezco due to the price point). If I had to rate those 5 companies in order of how much I like what I've got from them it would go 1) Hasbro, 2) Mattel, 3) Toy Biz, 4) DC Direct / DC Collectibles and 5) McFarlane. Although I'd put Diamond behind McFarlane if I were to rate them, but I've probably only got 20-ish figures from Diamond so not as close to their work. Otherwise McFarlane in my opinion is the worst of the group and that's even knowing that a lot of the old DCD/DCC stuff is so brittle that a stiff wind can break them. It's also pretty damning for McFarlane that I believe that figures from 20 years old are better than what he's making today (although his own stuff from 20 years ago was even more horrid - see that early Spawn stuff from the late 90s). I do hope that someone else gets the DC license as soon as possible, but I don't personally consider a change to be at all likely. On the flip side I hope that Hasbro never loses or gives up the Marvel license.
With that being said, I do have a decent number of McF figures that I do truly love and am very happy to have. I just wish they were scaled a little smaller and weren't so weirdly proportioned (long legs, diapers, weird shoulder/elbow/wrist joints, oversized hands, etc). I also wish the articulation would improve. Sometimes I feel like Todd adds articulation just to say it's there, but it's often not very functional or looks weird most of the time if you try to put them in any position that's not just standing up straight and looking straight ahead. I love the DC Comics intellectual property (second only to Marvel) so I'll likely continue to buy as long as they keep getting made.
It's interesting to read everyone's perspective on things. I'm a DC fan. I have been probably because my introduction was by watching the Super Friends before I even knew what a comic book was. I read DC comics & collect DC memorabilia. I have some Marvel comic books & action figures. I read the Avengers for a few years in the 80's & liked the original X-Factor, New Warriors & West Coast Avengers. I do not collect TMNT, Star Wars, Transformer, MOTU or anything else I can't think of that is out there. I think because of the Super Friends, I prefer the team books like Justice League, Teen Titans, Outsiders, LSH, All-Star Squadron, etc. I like seeing a lot of heroes together instead of solo adventures, but I also liked the anthology titles with 5 or 6 short stories of various characters.
As a kid, I had Mego figures which were fun to play with. Some of the bodies may have held up better than the outfits. Next was Super Powers, smaller figures that looked like the comic book characters & had some function like a karate chop, punch or kick. I did not play with them much, so they are holding up well after almost 40 years. Then came DC Comics Super Heroes, Batman movie figures, BTAS figures and some Batman & Superman comic book figures. I usually got the traditional figures, not the repainted neon green, Batman, Scuba Batman, Kryptonite Superman, etc.
After the smaller figures ran their course came DC Direct. I loved these figures. They weren't retail but usually found in comic book shops. They had about the same articulation as the smaller figures but weren't exactly made to be played with, more for display. They looked like they came right out of the comic book. They had the look of certain eras but didn't look exactly like a specific artist. They were making figures of characters that hadn't been made before, like the JSA or New Teen Titans.
DC Direct continued but Mattel had the DC license as well starting with Batman, then Superman & then the DCU. I did get some Batman figures, but again not the Arctic Batman, Camo Batman or so on. I got some of the DC Super Heroes figures but I didn't get some that I already had as DC Direct figures. Then came DC Universe Classics. I would get these figures and make a separate collection from DC Direct.
I was going to stop when McFarlane got the license, but I thought I would check them out. I liked the ones that I did not have versions of. It was nice to see figures being made of current looks. Then as 2020 went on, it looked so depressing to me seeing mostly Batman & Metal figures. Mainly, since there wasn't much variety in the DC universe and everything was dark and not that colorful. Since McFarlane has had the license, I have not loved it or hated it, just dealt with it. I don't care about the articulation or the tiny imperfections that most people on here can't let go of. I'm not consumed about the wrist of a figure. I do see things on figures now, that people point out, that should & could have been done properly in the first place instead of just dialing it. I can see that the figures of the last few years are 90% or less accurate than some from the first year or two of this line.
I do cherry pick from this line as well as the off shoots like the Collector's Edition & Phygital figures. I like the DC Retro & Super Powers lines. I think I'm in the minority but I prefer character selection over the physicality of the figures. I don't care for the gimmicky figures that are done (black light, bronze, patina, frostbite) but there are probably people out there that like these things and think they are a cool niche if they only collect those type of items or certain characters. Lately, I'm happy seeing the crazy stuff I don't like, which means I'm not spending as much money.
At first it was a new line and the stores always had figures. But at some point it seemed like the stores had too many figures and were having sales to get rid of them, so it wasn't hard to find these figures on sale or clearance. Since then, now it's hard to find any figures, unless they are pre-ordered, and then making the platinum figures to force people into the stores in the hopes of finding them before the scalpers.
I can't compare McFarlane to Marvel Legends or Mattel because they are all made different. I don't want my DC collection with Marvel collection. I do have some Marvel figures as DC figures that mix well with the Mattel figures. I usually don't mix my DC figures. DC Direct, DC Collectibles, Mattel & McFarlane are all separate. I don't buy a figures until something better comes along or sell a figure if I find a better version. I have multiple Batman, Superman & other DC figures & they are in different version of the teams they are on or in their families.
My main interest is character selection. McFarlane makes it difficult to team build. I wish there was more unity with releases, like the build a figures all have a theme. It is frustrating to have a variety of Superman family characters, but from different eras. I have a slight more interest in Marvel Legends than I used to since they have been making more looks from the bronze age, but that is mostly what I am interested in. I have some select Marvel Legends figures and I have a few to mix in with my Mattel figures to pass as DC figures, like Mary Jane in a wheelchair to be Oracle.
DC Direct is still my favorite, then Mattel & finally McFarlane.
I was relieved to be able to order Orion and Wildcat from the target.com website this morning. After Geo-Force I was worried that they were starting to make these exclusives online only. It says that my local store has them in stock but I was just there yesterday and they weren't on the pegs so I just ordered for delivery rather than pickup.
Jada--Their mindset just seems to be different. To me it looks like each figure they make is made with the goal of being the BEST it can possibly be right now. "So what if we cut corners on this Wolverine/Batman? We'll do another one next time, correct the issue, and cut a different corner." Jada, it appears, is not playing this game. Yes, they'll resell you the color variants of the SF figures (which is in keeping with the actual game), but they aren't holding anything back with sculpt, with engineering, with articulation, with accessories. They appear to be doing their best with each release. I love that!
Whether it’s the Street Fighter line or Mega Man or Scooby Doo, I feel this way about nearly every figure I see from them. The Scooby Doo figures are a love letter to the series. Alternate heads for unmasked goofy villains. They are proof that you can make one version of a figure for $25 and have it properly sculpted/painted.
Also joining the chorus of those saying they wished they grabbed that DCUC Legion 12 pack. Several years ago when I got my first job out of college, I bought the set for my dad (he grew up reading Superboy and the LOSH) as a gift. Never got it for myself despite having a large chunk of DCUC and very much regret it. McFarlane already botched Lightning Lad colors and costume details so probably not going to bother with those.
Picked up Wildcat and Orion at Target yesterday. Much to my surprise, if you look at the underside of Wildcat’s toe hinge, his feet are molded in the same blue/purple as the rest of his body. They’re just painted black. That seems like an odd choice, but it works out great for me. Now if I can determine that the ankle joints are also molded in blue/purple, then it’s time to grab the acetone, and I’m really going to be loving this Wildcat when I’m done. Knowing McFarlane though, the ankle joints are probably molded in black.
Decided I want a classic 90s JLA team on my shelf again. I already had the first release Superman, Wonder Woman and decided to get the Plastic Man wave and the Aquaman that comes with him (naturally, Amazon delivered the Platinum deco I don't want). But which versions of Flash and Kyle Rayner best match this team? And seems like the Martian Manhunter version I want is expensive.
The Walmart exclusive Wally West Flash would be the correct Flash for the Morrison JLA, and that's the one I use for that team. The best Kyle Rayner would probably be the one that came in the 2-pack with Kilowog. I didn't buy the 2-pack, so I'm using the single release Kyle with the more lime green color.
Thanks Ninjak and YoJoeBro. I thought about buying the Kyle/Kilowog set when it went on a big sale last year just in case but I didn't. Wah wah.
It's no fun deciding to get into a line late and remembering holding all the figures you now need in your hands when they were on sale. Steel, Flash, Atom, MM... sigh. :/
I'm admittedly someone who is like "I just want a figures of a character I like, doesn't have to be the exact costume" type collector (I'm over in Legends with the most kitchen sink gathering of New Warriors possible) but I do wonder who wins with making the classic costumes the chase figure like with Lightning Lad, Mr. Terrific, or whatever that Hawkman chase was. Do folks order enough cases to make it financially viable, or do stores just get hosed with a lot of returns?
I just wonder which is the better business sense or creates more ill will. Hasbro notoriously releases "not the one I wanted" versions of characters first, goobers like me buy it assuming we may not get another one, and then two years later releases THE figure. Which is a different kind of annoyance.
Maybe I'm just getting old but I don't want to gamble anymore. Just take my money and send me the thing. I think that's another reason Jada has so much good will right now. Start with the classic and don't make it hard to get. (I'd love to know what their numbers are on the alternative colored SF figures - I know I've picked up most of them but I'm an easy mark and their output is so low picking up a random alternate Ryu doesn't break the bank.) Meanwhile I'm begrudgingly waiting for better versions of a half-dozen Marvel characters but also hesitant to preorder Batman and Ace and end up with a chase I don't want.
Speaking of give you my money, give me the thing, thanks for posting the Orion and Wildcat links. Two favorite characters and I didn't want to go from Target to Target to find them.
I'd get Wildcat if he were on a bulkier body like Waverider or even something with proportions like Captain Carrot.
I got Wildcat and Orion off of Target.com (as well as the Spin Master Batman Forever Batmobile). So, I was able to get Free shipping, and I had a gift card from Christmas that paid for most of it.
Happy to get all of this stuff.
I wish they always released two figures at a time - free shipping is nice. I already got shipping notification for the two Target figures I ordered this morning. Wildcat could be bulkier, but as someone who boxed as a welterweight for years, I've got a soft spot for leaner boxing builds. I'm okay with him not being built like a brick ****house.
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