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??).

DC Universe Classics - Mad Love & Mightiest Mortals PREVIEW

Not to much DC Universe Classics news these days, but something interesting has been buzzing for the last couple days.  I'm not sure that an official announcement has been made by Mattel, but there seem to be 2 new DCUC 2 packs making their way to your friendly neighbourhood department store and now there are pictures to confirm it. 

The first is a Joker and Harley Quinn pack called "Mad Love".   You will see that Joker is a re-paint from the DCUC Wave 10 series.  This time he is supporting a black and white tuxedo.  Harley Quinn looks pretty much the same as the original DCUC wave 2 release.  Lets hope this time, Mattel has not shaded her face with blue paint this time which was a HUGE complaint of mine as well as many other collectors.  It looks as though you will get all the same accessories that came with these action figures in their original release. 

Next up we have the "Mightiest Mortals" two pack which features the very VERY hard to get Black Adam from wave 9 and Captain Marval, aka Shazam from wave 6.  Both action figures appear to be basically the same as their original release.  As far as I can tell, there are no accessories included in this set.  Those who missed out on the rare Black Adam should be all over this baby. 

For those into the repaints or looking for a improved Harley Quinn, the Mad Love two pack may be right up your alley.  Those also looking to finally get a Black Adam of their very own will now have the chance. 

If you're looking for DC Universe Classics action figures, there is no better place to find them online than eBay.  You will find such a huge variety, be sure to check out eBay by clicking here

That's it for this post.  Be sure to check back with Action Toy Review for more DC Universe Classics news, info, previews and reviews. 

What do you think of these latest two packs?  Be sure to leave your comments below. 

DC Universe Classics - Series 2

Welcome to my action figure review blog - ActionToyReview.


Today's review: DC Universe Classics - Series 2 (Mattel)

This set comes with 5 action figures which are on average about 6 to 6.5 inches tall. Each figure also comes with a piece of a 6th figure and if you purchase the full set, you can put together the additional action figure. This is referred to "Build a Figure" (BAF) or as Mattel specifically refers to them as,"Collect & Connect" (CAC).

The characters from the DC Universe Classics - series 2 are Aquaman, Black Manta, Harley Quinn, Firestorm and a variation of Superman from the Superman Red/Superman Blue comic series. The CAC figure is of Gorilla Grodd.

Certain figures have more than one versions or variants. In this series, Aquaman and Firestorm can both be purchased in either a classic or modern uniform. Superman also comes in either the red & white or blue & white costume.

The first figure is Aquaman. I chose the classic variant as it was more appealing to me. This figure has a fantastic sculpt, highlighted by the great head, face and upper body. The face and hair are very well detailed. The shirt has a scaly look and feel to it.

Overall the figure is painted very nicely with no runs or smudges. Aquaman comes with the right arm piece of the "CAC" Gorilla Grodd figure and a Trident, which is also well designed and fits nicely into either or both of his hands.

The articulation is a good as it gets. Neck, shoulders, biceps elbows wrists, abdominal, waist, hips, thighs, knees and ankles. All joints out of the box were not too loose or tight.

Overall, great figure. Probably the best of the set.
Sculpt/Design- 9

Paint - 9

Accessories - 8

Articulation - 9

Fun - 9

Aquaman Overall Score - 9

Aquaman needs an enemy to fight and who better than his arch enemy Black Manta. Another great figure put out by Mattel and the Four Horsemen, however, this one is not quite as nice as Aquaman.

The body is somewhat generic, nothing but a plain black outfit. But that is what the character looks like. He has an oxygen tank on his back which is silver and purple and his helmet is a silver with a dark paint wash to give it a bit of a weathered look. The body is painted in a matte black.

In addition to the left leg of the Gorilla Grodd "CAC", B.M. also comes with a trident. Its not quite as flashy as Aquaman's, but he also comes with a ray gun of some sort. Both are silver and have a decent amount of detail, but nothing fancy.

Articulation is as good as Aquaman's, even his helmet has a decent range of motion. All joints were in good condition out of the package.

 

Sculpt/Design - 8

Paint - 8

Accessories - 9

Articulation - 9

Fun - 9

Black Manta Overall Score - 8.5

Firestorm is not one of my favorite characters, but this figure does not disappoint for those who are fans. This is the classic variant Firestorm. The head is topped with a clear yellow/orange/red transparent plastic to give the illusion of flames. The body sculpt and face are nicely done.

 

Overall, great villain character and a must have for DC toy collectors.

Firestorm comes with two attachable "molecular structures" which pop on around his wrists (nothing too exciting) plus the right leg of Gorilla Grodd.

Firestorms articulation is a good as the others. A great job by Mattel in giving us the right amount of articulation without taking away from the design of the figure.

Overall, trying not to be bias, its a good figure. There are a few minor paint issues but nothing that drastically effect my rating. He is still a fun looking toy good for play or display.

Sculpt/Design - 8

Paint - 8

Accessories - 6

Articulation - 9

Fun - 8

Firestorm Overall Score - 8

Harley Quinn is a newer member of the Batman Rogue Gallery. Originally created for the Batman: Animated Series cartoon in the 90's, she eventually got her own comic book due to her high popularity.

This figure is her classic jester outfit. The actual body design is basically the same as the Catwoman figure from the now discontinued Mattel DC Super Heroes toy line. The arms are very skinny and there is not much muscle tone in the entire body. The paint job is nice with the exception of the face. Mattel has chosen to use a blue wash over her face instead of going all white. Not sure why they've gone this route but i think it takes away from her look. The rest of the paint job was well done.

In addition to Gorilla Grodd's torso piece, Harley also comes with a giant mallet and a pop gun however, neither weapon fits very well in her small girl hands. It is very hard to get them to stay in.

One area this figure does not disappoint is her articulation as she has as many point as the others. She is probably hardest figure to pose of the set probably due to her thinner legs and clunky accessories.

Overall, Harley was a bit disappointing. It appears she is made of recycled parts which I'm not too fussy about but the blue face and the fact that she can barely hold her weapons are the main downers. That being said, she fits in nicely with the other Batman villains from Mattel's DC Super Heroes toy line as well as the Universe Classics.

Sculpt/Design - 5

Paint - 5

Accessories - 9

Articulation - 9

Fun - 6

Harley Quinn overall score - 6

Superman Blue and Superman Red were probably the figures i was least looking forward too. When i ordered my set it actually came with both the blue and red variants. The Red is still sitting in its box in my basement as I type this (edit: taken out a year later).

The figure itself is a fairly standard sculpt. A muscular superman. His body size is roughly the same size as the other figures in this set. The face very much resembles Superman Blue from the comics as expected and hair wavy standing straight up.

The paint job isn't bad. The entire uniform is painted on except for where it opens up around the head. There are some blue marks where there shouldn't be. There are basically 2 shades of blue. One shade on the uniform and hair, a lighter shade on his face.

In addition to the Grodd CAC piece, Blue Supes comes with detachable electricity bolts. 2 that pop nicely into his back and 2 that loosely fit around his forearms.

Articulation is pretty much the same as all the other male characters from this set and all joints were in fine working order when opened.

Overall, i would've preferred to see a different character but it is a decent figure. The figure matches up to the character fairly well, its just not the first Superman toy you'd go for if you a choice of just one. If you're not interested in the CAC Gorilla Grodd piece and you've already got the DC Super Heroes Superman figure, then you could probably pass on this one. Unless of course, you're a die hard Superman fan.

Sculpt/Design - 7.5

Paint - 7.5

Accessories - 5

Articulation - 9

Fun - 7

Superman Blue Overall Score - 7

Finally we come to the Collect and Connect figure, Gorilla Grodd. Grodd towers over the other figures standing at almost 8.5 inches tall. He is very well designed with plenty of detail throughout his body.

The paint job appears to be well done. Its hard to point out any blotches because of the dark grays the figure is painted in. The face and eyes are paint cleanly and the entire figure is nicely shaded and highlighted.

There are no accessories for this figure since Grodd himself is the actual accessory. His helmet is not removable.

The figure falls short on articulation, especially compared to the others from this set. He has joints in his neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows wrists, hips and ankles. Noticeably missing are abdominal, waist and knee joints. However, all joints move nicely and the figure is still fairly easy to pose.

Overall, Grodd is an added bonus to a great set and would be a good toy for either kids or for display. All we need now is a figure of The Flash to go with him, however, we'll have to wait until the 7th set DC Universe Classics set for that.

 

 Sculpt - 9

Paint - 8

Accessories - n/a

Articulation - 7

Fun - 8

Gorilla Grodd Overall Score - 8

All these figures are relatively hard to find in the stores these days however, they can be purchased at various online merchants, Amazon.com and eBay. Store prices are in the $10-$12 range but you're looking at about 12-20 bucks per figure to purchase online + shipping. The full set will run you about $70 -$80 (plus shipping) if ordering online. If you're looking for the classic variant of Aquaman, it will be hard to find and more expensive. I've seen eBay auctions as high as the $50 range for him.

That's it for Series 2. Stay tuned for my review on Series 3 which I'm planning to receive the 2nd week of September 2008. Series 3 will feature Green Lantern, Sinestro, Nightwing, Robin, Deathstroke and the CAC Solomon Grundy.

Thanks for reading my Action Toy Review Blog.

The outfit is basically yellow and red. There are a couple different shades of red, for instance, the symbol on his chest is the brightest shade of red and his knees seem to be a darker tone. Some may complain but I'm not too picky about this figure. There are some minor red paint smudges on yellow areas but nothing to cry about and is sometimes expected with these "mass market" toys.