Mattel at the 2012 Toy Fair - Batman Legacy, Movie Masters, DC Club Infinite Earths, DC Universe All-Stars

NYC this past weekend was the 2012 Toy Fair and Mattel did not disappoint DC fans.  Even though the DC Universe Classics toy line is ending, Mattel was showing off some upcoming new and previously announced Movie Masters, DC Universe Club Infinite Earth and DC Universe All-Stars action figures.  Lets cut to the chase and take a look and some of the shows highlights.

As far as the Batman Legacy toy line goes, Mattel showed off its Movie Masters action figures for the upcoming "Dark Knight Rises" film.  Above, you see the Tom Hardy version of Bane.  A hell of a lot different that the DC Universe Classics Bane.  It will be interesting to see how the character is portrayed in the movie as we all know, Christopher Nolan is trying to take a realistic approach with these movies.  

And of course, we have Batman from the Dark Knight Rises.  Very cool looking.  I'm wondering what the differences between The Dark Knight Batman action figure and this version will be.  I'm not sure how much the Bat suit has been updated for this movie. 

And the final Movie Masters action figure is of course, Catwoman.  Pretty cool looking action figures and I'm sure the Movie Masters collectors will be happy.  There will be 3 more Movie Masters from the Dark Knight rises each of the six figures will also include a piece of a collect and connect "Bat Signal".  Stay tuned for announcements on the remaining 3 action figures.  

Also coming in 2012 will be two new action figures of both Batman and Catwoman from the Arkham City video game.

Previously announced at the 2011 New York Comic Con, were two new DC Universe "Two Packs" which i believe are Toys R Us exclusives.  Mattel had the Boxed packs on display.  The first is the "Knightfall" two pack which includes a "Battle Damaged" Batman supporting an all blue cowl and a damaged bat symbol as well as a re-paint of the DC Universe Classics Wave 16's Azrael action figure.

The second two pack has been named "War of the Green Lanterns" and features a Sinestro Corps Hal Jordan and a Blue Lantern Kyle Rayner.  Kyle looks to be a complete repaint of the previously released DC Universe Classics Green Lantern Wave 1 Kyle Rayner.  I'm pretty sure the Hal Jordan is a complete repaint of one of the DCUC wave 17 Hals as well. 


Next up, we have some news regarding the DC Universe Infinite Earths Club as well as a few new figures on display.  We've see some of the figures that we can expect to see in the coming months but we also have release dates.

Jay Garrick (The Flash) above in the new packaging, will all be available for purchase on April 16th at the Matty Collector website. 

Metron will also be available on April 16th but only to those who has subscribed to the DC Universe Club Infinite Earths.  If you haven't subscribed, you're out of luck and be prepared to pay an arm and a leg for him on eBay. 

 

The previously announced Red Lantern Atrocitus will be available for sale on May 15th and then Starman (above) will be available for sale on June 15th

Up until the Toy Fair show, we had not yet seen a picture of the new Mirror Master action figure. (See above).  He will be available for sale on July 16th, 2012

Also previously announced but not yet seen is the new Poison Ivy action figure.  Unfortunately Mattel has not given us a release date for this.  She looks good and even though i hate the female sculpts because they are too thin, she is a must have in my opinion.

A new surprise was the addition of Black Mask to the group.  Batman fans will be really happy with this announcement.  Unfortunately, we have no idea when we'll be able to get our hands on it.  No release date announced yet. 

Metal Men fans will be happy with the addition of Platinum and Tin.  Personally, I will pass on these but a lot of DC Universe Classics fans have been asking for the completion of the Metal Men team so here are a couple more to cross off the list.  Again, no release date has been given for these figures yet.  

The final new DC Universe Club Infinite Earth action figure is Red Rocket.  Again, no release date announced yet.


And finally, for you retail fans, Mattel had their DC Universe All-Stars figures on display.  All already previously announced, these are the wave 2 figures:

Supergirl

The Flash (new 52 version)

and Superman (new 52 version)

The 4th and probably most anticipated DC Universe All-Stars wave 2 figure, Red Robin, was not on display.  

So there you have it.  All though the DC Universe Classics toy line has come to an end, fans can still enjoy a nice selection of action figures over the 2012 calendar year.   

Thanks for checking out Action Toy Review.  Be sure to check back for more info, news, previews and reviews on Mattel's DC Universe Classics, DC Universe All-Stars, DC Universe Club Infinite Earth and Batman Legacy action figures. 

Batman Legacy - Catman

Time to finish up my review of Mattel's Batman Legacy Wave 2 set.  If you missed them, I've already reviewed Golden Aged Batman and Batgirl.  Click on the links to see those reviews.  This review will be on the third and final action figure of the set, Catman.

The first thing you'll notice is Catman essentially looks similar to Batman.  Mattel is basically using the same body sculpt for this action figure as it has used for all the DC Universe Classics and Batman Legacy versions of Batman.  Clearly the detail is different but basically, he the same size as Bats. 

The differences are the Catman is supporting a longer cape, the belt is more of a leathery look and the cowel is slightly different that Batman.

Close up, you can see Catman's eyes under his cowl, unlike any Batman action figure which all hide Batman's eyes (painted white).  Catman's head sculpt is good.  Cleanly painted blue eyes and we're seeing more DC action figures supporting a some stubble on the face (Captain Boomerang for example).  It looks good.  Catman's paint job is really good as well.

As far as accessories go, Catman is the only action figure in the Batman Legacy Wave 2 set that comes with something other than an action figure stand.  As seen below, Catman comes with to hand held claws.  I'm actually not sure if I've placed them correctly in his hands but they are pretty cool and fit well in his hands. 

There is nothing new here with articulation.  If you have any of the DCUC Batman figures, Catman has the exact same articulation.  Mattel has not changed anything here or added either of the new elbow or knee joints.

Overall, Catman is cool, and he is a good addition for you Secret Six fans out there (including Bane from Wave 16 and Deadshot from Wave 9).  Although Catman is clearly not one of the main Batman characters, it is nice to get someone new instead of seeing another Joker or Riddler.  I'm still waiting for a Ra's Al Ghul, a new sculpt Scarecrow and many more Batman Baddies from the Rogue Gallery.  Mattel, are you listening??
Anyway, go out and buy this bad boy.  Collectors won't be disappointed.  

 If you can't find these Batman Legacy action figures in at your local toy stores, then eBay is your best option.  with Wave 3 coming out very soon, you can expect to find some decent deals on these wave 2 action figures. 

To find Mattel's Batman Legacy action figures on eBay, click here.

To find Mattel's DC Universe Classics Bane on eBay, click here.

To find Mattel's DC Universe Classics Deadshot on eBay, click here.

Thanks for coming back and checking out this review. Be sure to check back with Action Toy Review for more DC Universe Classics, DC Universe All-Stars and Batman Legacy action figure news, previews, info and reviews.

DC Universe Classics - Captain Boomerang

Flash villains have gotten very little love from Mattel in regards to the DC Universe Classics action figures (and maybe with good reason). We have only seen a handful of Flash related characters up until wave 18, specifically Gorilla Grodd in Wave 2 and Captain Cold in Wave 7.  Now that DCUC wave 18 is out, lets take a closer look at Captain Boomerang. 

 Pretty cool sculpt.  Right off the bat you're gonna notice that Captain Boomerang has the newer elbow and knee joints giving him more flexibility.  More on that later.  The sculpt of the character is pretty cool.  The jacket is a separate piece but does not come off as the boomerangs across his chest keep the jacket on

 Captain Boomerang's scarf is sculpted so that it looks like its slightly blowing in a breeze.  The body frame size used is the slightly skinnier body parts similar to Thaal Sinestro, Creeper and Deadman but the detail work in the actual sculpt is definitely all unique. 

The DC Universe Classics head sculpts are 99% of the time, amazing and Capt. Boomerang is no different.  Pretty sweet sculpt right down to the stubble on his face and detail work in his toque. 

Captain Boomerang's paint job is not too shabby.  No really issue except for some paint missing from the inside of his left hand which I didn't even notice until i sat down to type out this review. 

  
 Mainly due to the newer knee joints, Captain Boomerang has a slight height advantage over the DCUC action figures that do not have these new knee joints.  Above, I've compared Captain Boomerang to Flash.  

  As far as accessories are concerned, besides the Collect and Connect head and waist pieces of Apache Chief that comes with Captain Boomerang, the only other thing you get is one, plain ol' Boomerang with no special detail what-so-ever and fits rather loosely in either of his two hands.  Not only that, the boomerang is made of a very limp rubber and bends too easily.  Boooooo!!!

  Captain Boomerang's strong point is definitely articulation.  As mentioned, he has the newer elbow and knee joints which add a little bit extra movement.  All other joints are pretty standard.  Neck, biceps, wrists, abdominal, hips, thighs and ankles.  All joints were in great working order and too loose or tight. 

 Overall, if you're a Flash fan, then guess what?..... You're gonna want Captain Boomerang.  It is really a great looking action figure despite another fail by Mattel in the accessories department.  Seeing as he is only the 3rd Flash villain to be released at this point, you're gonna wanna snatch this bad boy up.  Luckily for Flash fans, DCUC wave 20 will also include another Flash villain, Reverse Flash, coming in 2012.

Sculpt - 9.5

Paint - 9

Accessories - 1

Articulation - 9.5

Fun - 8

 

For those of you having trouble finding these DC Universe Classics action figures at your local toy store (like me), eBay is a very good source for finding these collector items.  Check out the links below:

To find the following DC Universe Classics action figures on eBay, click on the appropriate link:

To find Captain Boomerang and other DCUC Wave 18 action figures on eBay:

Captain Boomerang

Black Vulcan

Bronze Tiger

El Dorado

Samurai

Toyman

Apache Chief

To find other DC Universe Classics action figures on eBay - click here

Thanks for checking out Action Toy Review.  Check back later for more info, news, previews and reviews on Mattel's DC Universe Classics and the upcoming DC Universe All-Stars action figure line ups.

DC Universe Classics - Scarecrow (Sinestro Corps)

DC Universe Classics Wave 17, aka the Rainbow Lantern wave was certainly not my favorite set.  I like Green Lantern and I also enjoyed The Blackest Night comic series but I wasn't a big fan of Mattel devoting an entire set of action figures to what was really, a second string set of characters from TBN story.  Like really, how long did we see Scarecrow as a member of the Sinestro Corps?  Well, apparently long enough to get his own action figure.  We did get a Scarecrow action figure from Mattel about 4 years ago in the DC Super Heroes toy series.  I'm sure Batman fans would agree, we need an upgraded version.  Since it appears we will not be getting a new regular Scarecrow action figure in the near future from Mattel (fingers cross for something in the Batman Legacy series), I decided to bite the bullet and pick a Sinestro Corps Scarecrow.  Lets take a closer look.:

Out of all the DCUC Wave 17 action figures, Scarecrow is the only character that has not had a previous action figure released in the other DC Universe Classics toy line.  So even though he is a Lantern action figure, I still wanted to have him. 

This is a completely new sculpt in comparison to the DC Super Heroes Scarecrow (left) from head to toe. Sinestro Corps Scarecrow has thicker body parts and is less lanky than the DCSH version. 

Wave 17 SC Scarecrow looks exactly like the Blackest Night version of the Scarecrow so fans of the comic series will love this action figure, but the best part, by far, is the head sculpt on this action figure.  One of the best head sculpts I've seen in a while. 

Close up, you can see the great detail work on Scarecrow's head.  His yellow eyes are very cleanly painted and are very creepy looking.  His mouth is also highly detailed and well painted.  The hat has an old beat up look which is great too.  My one minor complaint is the rope around his neck could've been painted a different color than his mask, but oh well.  A great job overall.  Paint job is also great.  There was plenty of room for error and slop here, especially in the face but Mattel has put out a good job on this one. 

Scarecrow also shines in the Articulation Department.  All the usual DCUC joints are included and since Scarecrow's jacket is opened, his abdominal joint is not restricted, unlike what we've seen on some other jacket supporting DCUC action figures.  Scarecrow also supports the newer double elbow and knee joints for extra flexibility.  I find the newer knee joints add a little bit of height to these action figures, so compared to the characters from the older waves, Scarecrow is just a tad bit taller. 

The only accessory that comes with Sinestro Corps Scarecrow is the standard issue Yellow Lantern and of course the CNC piece of Anti Monitor. 

So, my ranting about the rainbow lanterns aside, this Sinestor Corps Scarecrow action figure was a good purchase.  Like I said, the head sculpt a is pretty amazing piece of work and I would love to see it re-released on a regular Scarecrow action figure somewhere down the road, perhaps in the Batman Legacy toy series.  (fingers crossed)

Sculpt/Design - 9, Paint - 9, Articulation - 9.5, Accessories - 5, Fun - 7

Best place to buy your very own DC Universe Classics action figures: eBay. 

To find DC Universe Classics - Sinestro Corps Scarecrow on eBay - click here

To find the DC Super Heroes Scarecrow on ebay (good luck) - click here

Other DCUC Wave 17 "rainbow lantern" action figures on eBay:

Wonder Woman

Hal Jordan (White Lantern)

Hal Jordan (Black Lantern)

Flash

Atom

Lex Luthor

To find other DC Universe Classics action figures on eBay, click here

Thanks for checking out Action Toy Review.  Be sure to check back for more news, info, previews and reviews on your favorite DC Universe Classics action figures. 

DC Universe Classics & Batman Legacy - New York Comic Con 2011

 This past weekend was the 2011 New York Comic Con and Mattel revealed some cool new additions to their DC Universe Classics and Batman Legacy toy lines.  There is so much to go over so lets take a look at some of the new action figures we can look forward to seeing in 2012

 

Starting off with the Batman Legacy toy line, Mattel is releasing a "First Appearance Batman" action figure (above).  If you're not familiar with this look, google some images of some of the first Batman comic books.  

 

Catwoman seems to getting more press these days, with her appearance in the The Dark Knight rises movie coming next year, as well as Batman Year One and her role in the new Arkham City video Game.  Now Mattel will also be releasing a Silver/Bronze Age Catwoman action figure too.  More on Catwoman in a bit.  

  

 Mattel's next Arkham City Two-Pack from the Batman Legacy edition and based on the Batman: Arkham City Video Game, will be the combo of Robin (Tim Drake) and Joker.  We already new about these action figures from the SDCC but not that they were going to be sold together as a two pack.

 Could this combo (above) be the next two pack?  Possibly.  We have seen prototypes of Harley Quinn but not Nightwing until now.  Since it appears that these Arkham City action figures are being sold as two-packs, my money is on this group being the next edition. 

 You can probably also count on this duo (above) to be sold as a two pack.  Catwoman and a blue version of Batman, similar to the Batman action figure from the two pack with Arkham City Two-Face. 

Now, I'm not sure if the above Super Powers version of  The Penguin is going to be part of the Batman Legacy toy line or the DC Universe Classics toy line, but really, does it matter?  We know it will be released at retail but not part of a specific wave.  I'm really curious to see what Mattel will be doing with the DCUC stuff at the retail level.  Apparently just popular characters, but will they still be released as waves and no CNC figures (a la DC Superheroes toy line back in 2007-08)

Penguin's head sculpt is brand new and looks a little cartoony.  The rest of the body and his umbrella are exactly the same sculpt as the original DCUC Penguin in Wave 1 .  Okay, that's it for Batman Legacy, on to the DC Universe Classics

 Back at the 2011 SDCC, the final full wave 20 of the DC Universe Classics toy line was announced however, we did not get a look at White Lantern Flash or the size corrected Sinestro Corps Sinestro.  At NYCC 2011, as you can see, the entire set was on display.  Sinestro appears to have been given the same body size as the many Hal Jordan action figures we've seen released in this toy line. 

White Lantern Flash has been given similar attachments that we saw back in DCUC Wave 2 on the red and blue Superman variants.  

 New Toys R Us Two Packs were also announced but they are also just repaints of previous figures.  We have a Blue Lantern Kyle Rainer & Sinestro Corps Hal Jordan Two-pack.  I'm not 100% sure but i believe the Hal Jordan head is from one of the Wave 17 Hal Jordan's (White Lantern i believe). 

The second Two-Pack is a Battle Damaged Batman and Azrael two pack.  Again, these appear to just be repaints.  The symbol on Batman's chest is ripped and his head is pure blue.  Other than that, this is similar to the original Wave 1 Batman and the many repaints after that.  Azrael is a repaint of Wave 16 Azrael.  The blue on the original figure has been replaced with red.   

 A lot of Rainbow Lantern action figures coming out here and there, makes you wonder if the rumors of another Rainbow Lantern wave was true at one point.  Mattel will be releasing this Orange Lantern Larfleeze action figure at retail apparently but on an individual basis.  He will not be part of any set....?

He's got a very cool head sculpt.  Love the horns coming out of the side of his head and the teeth look amazing!!

 On display again were the Matty Collector DCUC Infinite Earth Club action figures, Starman, Jay Garrick and Atrocitus.  No other Infinite Earth Club action figures were present or announced so members will have to hold their breath a little longer for more news.  

 The winning action figure and the first large size action figure to be released in the Infinite Earth Club of the Matty collector poll is Metron and he was on display at the 2011 NYCC along with the Mobius Chair.  Metron apparently will stand 12 inches tall. 

 A close up of the Mobius chair above and a close up of Metron below. 

Finally, you can't go to Comic Con without there being an exclusive action figure.  This year is a scary version of the Joker from Arkham City.  It is different from the Arkham City two pack Joker

  That is one messed up head sculpt!  I've actually seen a few of these on eBay already.  There's only 4000

of these Joker action figures out there so if you want to get your hands on one, click here immediately!

Unfortunately, there was no sign of any Mattel version of the "New 52" Justice League or any other rebooted characters, so i guess we'll have to wait and see if Mattel does anything in the future

Thats it for this post.  Be sure to check back with Action Toy Review for all your DC Universe action figure news info and reviews.  Also be sure to help keeps Action Toy Review alive by visiting our sponsors.  Thanks Mates.  Until the next post.