DC Unlimited & Batman Unlimited

 

 

 

 

 

Time to take a look at some of Mattel's future releases in 2013.  In stores very soon you will be seeing Mattel's newest toy line that will feature some of DC Comics popular characters.  These collection are called "DC Unlimted"  and "Batman Unlimited".  The good part about these sets is that they will be "unlimited" in the sense that we could get some characters in their classic looks or some of the new DCNU looks aswell.  Lets take a look at the first waves:

 

 

 

 

 

 

DC Unlimited Wave 1

The first DC Unlimited wave consists of the DCNU Superman and Flash as well as a very cool looking DCNU Hawkman. The Superman and Flash are both the same figures that were suppose to be part of the  DC Universe All-Stars toy line that I think fizzled out after Mattel came up with the DC Unlimited game plan.  Superman was released in the All-Star wave but I am not sure that its continuing.  The Hawkman figure was feature at some of the comic con shows earlier this year.  I thinks its an improvement over the last Hawkman we had from the Wave 6 DC Universe Classics line. 

Batman Unlimited - Wave 1

The first Batman unlimited wave consists of the new DCNU Batman as well DCNU Batgirl and a Super Powers version of the Penguin.  Again, this Batman figure is also part of the DC Universe All Stars toy line. Comparing to the many previous DC Universe Classics Batman figures we saw over the last few years, I'm glad that Mattel has given us a new head sculpt instead of rehashing the same old pieces.  Unfortunately  Batgirl, for the most part, is a complete repaint.  The only difference being is her belt is a little sleeker.  That being said, I think this paint job is the coolest of the bunch.  Than the previous releases which you can see here.  The Penguin's body sculpt is exactly the same as the version released back in the DC Universe Classics wave 1 set back in 2008.  The head is new though.  Accessories are also the same, just painted differently.



Next up is some of the DC Unlimited and Batman Unlimited figures we'll be seeing in the near future.

Batman Unlimited - Injustice Batman

First we have a version of the Injustice Batman which will obviously be part of the Batman Unlimited line.  To be honest, I'm not very impressed with it.  I like that its a completely unique sculpt but it just doesn't work for me.

Batman Unlimited - Planet X Batman & Batmite

Another Batman Unlimted figure will be the Planet X Batman and a repainted Batmite figure.....another no buy for me.  It is a decent likeness from the comic but my bet is this will be a peg warmer. 

 

Batman Unlimited - Dark Knight Returns Batman

And the third Batman Unlimited figure will be from the VERY cool DC Comic book and recent DC animated movie Batman: Dark Knight Returns Part 1 & 2.  If you haven't see the movie (part 2 comes out in January), be sure to pick it up for Christmas. You won't be disappointed.  As far as this action figure goes.  It's a very good likeness of the older Batman in the movies.  I am happy with this action figure but I was hoping for some more villains.  Come on.  Were's Ra's, Talia, a new Scarecrow, Croc.  So many Batman characters that they can do instead....uhhhh.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Watch this movie!

DC Unlimited - Wonder Woman

So far, the only DC Unlimited wave 2 figure that has been announced is the New 52 version of Wonder Woman.  It looks to be a similar, if not the same body sculpt as the DC Universe Classics Wave 4 version with the exception of the costume design over her chest and no belt.  The head sculpt appears to be a new sculpt and she is supporting a short sword instead of the axe and shield given with the DCUC action figure.  All in all not a bad looking figure and this gives you 4 of the 7 New 52 Justice League main members leaving us to wait for Green Lantern, Aquaman and Cyborg still.  Maybe they will be announced soon. 

DC Universe All-Stars - Wave 1 changes

So it appears Mattel has decided to "Tweek" its DC Universe All-Stars line up for both wave 1 and wave 2.  This is probably a good thing.  If you recall, wave was was initially suppose to include Larfleeze, Batman Beyond (DCUC wave 4 re-release), Superboy Prime and Plastic Man.  I know, not too exciting....  Wave 2 consisted of the "New 52" JLA Superman and Flash, as well as Red Robin and a repainted Supergirl action figure.

Well, apparently there has been a change.  Although no official announcement has been made by Mattel, judging by certain online toy stores, it now appears that your DC Universe All-Stars wave 1 line up will consist of the "New 52" JLA Superman AND BATMAN as well as Red Robin and Superboy Prime. 

The addition of Batman and Superman to the Wave 1 line up is probably a good idea.  Introducing a new toy line to the general public, you might wanna start with your strong characters. 

Batman looks pretty cool.  Appears to be a new head sculpt and a raised Batman symbol on his chest. 

No word yet on what the re-vamped wave 2 set will look like.  But stay tuned. 

Also for those of you interested in Mattel's Infinite Earths Club, the following action figures will be released over the next few months:

May: Golden Age The Flash
June: Atrocitus (monthly figure) & Metron (club-exclusive)
July: Starman (monthly figure) & Rocket Red (club quarterly figure)
August: Mirror Master
September: Black Mask

One question - Where is Poison Ivy?? 

Batman Legacy - Golden Age Batman

The DC Universe Classics toy line may be coming to an end after Wave 20, however, Mattel still plans on giving us a certain level of these great action figures under different toy lines.  They will have their online Infinite Earths club, their DC Universe All-Stars retail toy line as well as their current Batman Legacy retail toy line which is up to its 2nd wave.  Today, I'm going to review one of those Wave 2 action figures - Golden Age Batman

So clearly this action figure is based on Batman's early years, Definitely pre Frank Miller stuff.  Look how happy he is!  If you're comparing Golden Age Batman to other DC Universe Classics Batman, you won't notice too many differences...well......because that's because there aren't that many.  More on that later. 

First, here's a look at the packaging.  Slightly different than the DC Universe Classics packaging.  As you can see, this Golden Age Batman does NOT include the K-mart exclusive Batmite action figure.

As you can see, other than the new head sculpt, Golden Age Batman pretty much supports the same Batman sculpt as DC Universe Classics Batman from Wave 1

 

 So whats different about this Batman besides the head sculpt?  Clearly the Bat symbol on his chest.  From there its just small differences.  (See above), the blue along the side of his underwear is something we don't see on any of the DCUC figures.  After that, the paint job on the Batman Legacy action figure is a mix of both DCUC wave 1 Batman is on the right and Gotham city 5 pack Batman on the left.  It would have been nice if Mattel would have maybe changed up the belt sculpt a little.

Below is a close up of the head sculpt.  A very classic looking Batman.  Its pretty much spot on to the Golden Age look.  Also the paint job on this action figure is fairly good.  There aren't any nasty spots or blotches to speak off. 

Unfortunately, as far as accessories go, the only things that come with this Batman action figure is a mini-poster and a golden age action figure stand, which quite frankly does not securely support the action figure in any way.  As mentioned above, if you bought the K-mart exclusive, then you would also be getting a little Batmite action figure as well.  No batarangs or grapple hooks or anything else.  Not even Bat Shark repellent!  (you tube it).  Fortunately I have enough of Mattel's Batman action figure accessories that its not a big deal to me but beginner collectors may feel a bit jipped here.

Articulation has not changed in this Batman figure compared to any of previously released Batman action figures (Wave 1, Wave 10, Gotham City.....)  You have all your standard joints which are all in fine working condition with the exception of the swivel waist joint.  it seems very tight and i can't get it to turn.  I didn't want to try too hard and break my new toy but i thought i should mention it.  I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that someone else had the same problem. 

So overall, well, if you're a Batman fan, like me, you're gonna wanna get this action figure. But if you're ho-hum getting tired of seeing Mattel give us a new Batman action figure with very little changes, this one might not be for you.  Quality wise, it ranks right up there with the DC Universe Classics action figures, the only decision is whether or not you need another Batman to add to your collection.

It will be interesting to see how much longer Mattel keeps this Batman Legacy toy line alive.  Hopefully longer than the Green Lantern experiment.  I personally would like to see it keep going and have more characters covered that the DCUC line did not get to.  Ra's Al Ghul, Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy....this list goes on.  So far, for Batman Legacy Wave 3, we know that a "First Appearance Batman" and a Golden Age Catwoman will be included along with a Batman Arkham City Harley Quinn and Nightwing action figures.  No announcement on the NYCC 2011 "Super Powers" Penguin action figure and where he fits in on all this.  I wouldn't be surprised to see him as the 3rd Wave 3 figure and the two Arkham City action figures be sold separately as a two pack but that is pure speculation on my part.   

To find Batman Legacy action figures on eBay - click here

DC Universe Animated Movies

I love the DC Animated films and am always glad when news and new trailers come out.  Their movies do such a great job for the most part and the films are quite entertaining.  At New York Comic Con 2011 DC showed off the new trailer for the upcoming animated film, Justice League Doom.  Check out the trailer at the bottom of this post.  Also just out this week, Batman: Year One, which i loved as well.  So, today I thought I'd take a break from the action figure reviews and go through some of my favorite DC animated fims in the form of a Top 10 list.  If you're a DC fan, these animated films are a must see.  Marvel may have the jump on DC when it comes to the big budget live action flicks, but DC is certainly holding its own in the animated movie department.   If you haven't seen them, go out and get yourself a copy as they are better then A LOT of the live action superhero movies that have been released in recent years.  

Now, lets go over some honorable mentions.  These films were not my favorites, however a lot of DC fans enjoyed these movies and just because they weren't my favorite, doesn't mean they should be overlooked. 

A lot of DC fans felt that Justice League - The New Frontier was a great film and would probably rank it in their Top 5.  It is based on Darwyn Cooke's 2003-2004 graphic novel "DC: The New Frontier" and features all the major Justice League characters.   

All-Star Superman was released earlier this year (2011) and is based on Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's 2005-2008 comic book "All-Star Superman".  Again, a lot of fans hold this film in high regards but I myself, was not a fan of the animation in this one. 

Superman/Shazam - Return of Black Adam is a DVD made up of a bunch of short films.  In addition to the Black Adam Story, also included are short films on Green Arrow, Jonah Hex and The Spectre.  By far, the best short film on this DVD is The Return of Black Adam.  A lot of action squeezed into a short story.  I wish they would've hammered out a full length film on this one.  Black Adam kicks some ass!  Green Arrow was probably the next best story.  Worth a watch if you can get it cheap. 

Batman Gotham Knight was basically a collection of short films, each of which each has its own style of animation. It was released as a tie into the Christopher Nolan's films supposedly taking place in between the Batman Begins and The Dark Knight films. Batman Gotham Knight features short stories that include the likes of Killer Croc, Deadshot, Scarecrow and many more Batman regulars.

Okay, on to my TOP 10 DC Animated Films:

#10.  Superman: Doomsday 

Loosely based on The Death of Superman comic book, this action packed movie did a great job of taking the concept of the popular comic series and condensing it into a 90 minute film.  It features Superman, Doomsday, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olson

#9. Green Lantern: First Flight

Its sort of a new take on the origin story of Hal Jordan becoming the Green Lantern.  Although they rush though Hal's training process (he seems to pick things up fairly quickly), this movie is filled with some pretty tight action sequences and Victor Garber voicing of Sinestro is brilliant. For those unfamiliar with the Green Lantern world, you get a good introduction to the Green Lantern Corps characters.  The movie does have its flaws but is much better than the Ryan Reynolds live action version.   

#8. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies 

First off, Tim Daley IS the voice of Superman, and without a doubt, Kevin Conroy is the best Batman voice ever!! When you get them both in the same movie, you know its gonna be good.  Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is based on the  "The World's Finest" comic series where Lex Luthor is President and puts a bounty on Superman's head.  So of course, you have a ton of villains looking to collect. Look for appearances from Captain Atom, Metallo, Black Lightning, Powergirl, Shazam, Hawkman, Gorilla Grodd, Toyman and many more in this one.   

  

 #7. Superman/Batman: Apocalypse

Based on the "The Supergirl from Krypton" story, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse again features the voices of Tim Daley and Kevin Conroy as well as the equally great Susan Eisenberg as Wonder Woman.  This movie tells the story of Supergirl and features some really brutally violent fight scenes, which of course, is a good thing.  Darkseid is your main bady this time around and Granny Goodness and Big Barda to make noticeable appearances as well. 

 #6. Justice Leauge: Crisis on Two Earths

Loosely based on JLA: Earth 2, Crisis of Two Earth tells the story of a good Lex Luthor from a parallel Earth looking to recruit the Justice League to help save his planet from the Crime Syndicate.  A very good story and animation the only real knock against this film, is no Kevin Conroy.   

#5. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

Yep, that's right, I'm including the older animated films in my list simply because they must be seen.  Batman Beyond was not my favorite TV series but this movie is definitely worth the watch.  Released in 2000, this movie features a retired Bruce Wayne at 80 years old and his Batman protegee Terry McGinnis and tells the story of the mysterious return of Batman's arch enemy, The Joker is voiced by the great Mark Hamill

#4. Batman: Mask of The Phantasm

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was released in 1993 and takes place in the Batman: The Animated Series world.  An original story about the Phantasm arriving in Gotham and killing off Gotham's crime bosses.  Batman becomes mistaken for the Phantasm and now must run from the police and apprehend the killer and clear his name. 

#3 Batman: Year One

An origin story based on Frank Miller's Year One comic book, this story looks at Bruce Wayne's transformation beginnings as Batman but even more so, tells Commissioner Gordon's start in Gotham.  Also included in the DVD is a 15 minute short flick on Catwoman.  Very Impressed with this one.

 #2. Wonder Woman

Batman does not totally dominate the Top 5.  A great origin story released in 2009, this Wonder Woman animated movie does a great job telling the story of how Diana of Themyscira becomes the greatest female superhero ever.  Amazing story, stunning animation and brilliant voice acting, this movie really fills the void DC fans are feeling from a lack of a live action Wonder Woman film.  Hey, if Marvel can pull off a live action Thor movie, I say that DC can pull of a Wonder Woman. 

 #1. Batman: Under The Red Hood

The story of Batman: Under the Red Hood is based on the comic book story "Under the Hood" where Batman and Nightwing are dealing with a new mysterious vigilante in Gotham known as the Red Hood.  This leads Batman to interactions with some of his greatest enemies, The Joker, Ra's Al Ghul and Black Mask.  Bruce Greenwood voices Batman this time around and truly does an amazing job.  If ever you need a replacement for Kevin Conroy, Bruce is the man.  Great story, violent, dark and full of emotion, Batman: Under the Red Hood will be very hard to top and is a must see animated movie for any super hero fan.

Thats it for my Top 10. Feel free to leave a comment below about which movie you liked the best or didnt like at all or check out the readers poll on the left side of your screen to vote for your favorite.   See the trailer below for a preview of the upcoming DC animated film - Justice League Doom:

DC Direct - DC New Universe (DCNU) Action Figures from the SDCC 2011

With the new DC Comics reboot of 52 different comic book series coming up in September 2011, we can't help but wonder what this means for action figure collectors.  So far, Mattel has been pretty quiet about their intentions.  They have indicated the the DC Universe Classics line will be stopped at the retail level after Wave 20 and you will need to joint their online club to get any further DCUC action figures (if enough people subscribe).  They have hinted at starting a new toy line featuring the new rebooted line up but little details have been given so i guess we'll have to wait on further news from Mattel. 




Meanwhile, DC Direct didn't waste any time as they showed up at SDCC 2011 with action figures of the revamped Justice League.  The knock, in my opinion, against DC Direct action figures, it their lack of articulation.  They are sometimes missing valuable joints in the abdominal, hips, legs and arms that give you a little more range of motion.  My other gripe is that their action figures are not always in scale with different DC Direct sets. I wish they were more in scale with Mattel's DCUC toy line as well.  But the bottom line is DC Direct does produce some really good looking action figures and they have a bigger variety of characters available so they should not be overlooked by collectors.  Lets check out the new look Justice League. 

A lot of negativity surrounding Wonder Woman's new outfit but I like it.  Gone is the short shorts and replaced by pants.  Less Gold and more silver makes her outfit look more modern in my opinion.  Thumbs up here.

 Little change with the Flash's look.  He's supporting a chin strap and the lightning bolts are going up his forearms instead of around his wrists.  I still say Thumbs up here.

I can't say I'm a fan of this version of Aquaman even though it is still fairly close to his classic look.  I'm not liking his hair or the shade of green used on his pants and boots.  He is probably my least favorite of the group.

 Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) looks pretty similar to his classic version as well.  The only visual difference i see is the detail in his shoulders.

Very little change in Batman's look as well.  Most noticeably is the lack of underpants (lol).  It actually makes his outfit look a little plain.

Superman's new look is also taking a lot of heat from fans.  Gone is the red underwear (DC doesn't like underwear anymore i suppose) and he now support a red belt instead of yellow and his collar goes right up to his neck.  Also, the design of the costume makes it look like Superman is supporting some kind of armor.  Why?...i have no idea but I actually quite like this new look. Sorry to the die hards out there.  Thumbs up for the new Superman. 

Missing from the DC Direct Justice League action figure line up was Cyborg.  He's seems to be promoted as one of the main members but a Cyborg action figure was M.I.A. at the SDCC. 

These action figure will be available later this year so be sure to keep your eye out for them.  As usual, I'm a bigger fan of eBay and make the bulk of my collection purchases from there.  There is always a deal to be found.  To see eBay's selection of DC Direct action figures, click here

Hopefully Mattel comes out with some new information surrounding their intentions with the DC New Universe reboot.  For those of you who are still big fans of the DC Universe Classics - eBay also has a very large variety of Mattel's cool toy line - click here

DC Universe Classics - Batman Legacy (SDCC 2011)

Originally the Batman Legacy toy line was announced by Mattel back in March at the 2011 Toy Fair.  It is a 'new' toy line that will celebrate the Dark Knight's rich history.  You will see a variety of different versions of Batman characters from movies, video games as well as from different eras.  These action figures will be released in the stores soon but you will actually be able to find some of them online on various websites as well as on eBay.

For the most part, SDCC 2011 did not reveal too much about the Batman Legacy toy line that we already didn't know.  So, lets take a look at what may be the more interesting figures fans will want to get their hands on.  

Above is the Batman / Two-Face two pack.  These action figures are based on the upcoming Batman: Arkham City video game, set to be released later this year.  Compared to the DC Universe Classics toy line, these action figures have a much darker and grittier look and ....i guess the best way to describe it is....they are a little more realistic than comic book looking...

Next we have images of Harley Quinn (above) and the Joker (below), also from the video game, Arkham City. I quite like this version of Harley compared to her comic book version.

For those of you interested in purchasing the Arkham City video game, if you purchase it from Toys R Us, you will also get the chance have your very own Arkham City Batman action in his 1970's outfit (below).  You will not be able to purchase this anywhere else but I'm sure people will try to sell them on eBay for twice the value. 

I'm really impressed with what i see so far with the Arkham City action figures.  HOPEFULLY, we will see more like Poison Ivy and Killer Croc! 

As mentioned, Mattel is also releasing the Movie Masters action figures, based on the Christopher Nolan films.  See my Toy Fair 2011 post for more info.   You can get a Gordon/Batman prototype (from Batman Begins) two pack or a Honor Guard Joker and Batman two-pack (from Dark Knight).  Personally, the Movie Masters are not my favorite and I will probably skip.  I might go for Gordon though if Mattel does not release a different version.

So for the remaining Batman Legacy action figures, are more to what the DC Universe Classics fans are accustom to.   First we have Golden Age Batman which is basically the same body and cape as Batman from DCUC Wave 1 with a new head sculpt.  Also the bat symbol on his chest is different as well as Batman is supporting black underwear instead of blue.  Apparently, this version will come with a "Batmite" accessory

Then we have Golden Age Joker.  Basically a mismatch of parts previously used and the head sculpt IS new compared to DCUC Wave 10 Joker.  Accessories appear to be similar however.

This is a repaint of the original Batgirl action figure from the DC Super Heroes toy line back in 2007-08.  It was re-released in a two pack with Azrael in 2008 i believe......Anyway, the only difference in the sculpt is Batgirl's belt.  In my opinion, this is definitely a chance for the better compared to the older version.

Next up is Catman.  A completely new character which we have not seen yet in the DC Universe Classics toy line.  Why Catman, i have no idea.  There are maybe 10-15 other characters from the Batman Universe I would love to see, and we get Catman....Ok, well at least its someone different.  Lets be positive.

This Mr. Freeze is a repaint of the same action figure that Mattel has re-released as a repaint probably 4 times before.  In my opinion, the best version is the 2007 NY comic con version.  I believe this new re-painted version is suppose to represent a silver age version of the character. 

And finally, we have a modern age version of Batman, which is essentially the body of the DC Super Heroes Batman from wave 8 (which is still, today, my favorite Batman action figure) and the head of the DC Universe Classics wave 15 Sinestro Corps Batman

An image has been released of the Robin actiono figure from Arkham City video game. Can't say I'm a big fan of this one.

That's covers basically the first two waves of the Batman Legacy action figures.  Since it appears that Mattel will not be releasing anymore Green Lantern waves in the near future, hopefully we'll see more waves of these Batman Legacy action figures in the near future.  And hopefully it will include some of the main characters that we've been missing in the first 20 DC Universe Classics waves thus far.  Since Batman is the backbone to the DC Universe, I think its reasonable to expect a few more waves before Mattel moves their focus on to something else (Superman perhaps??).