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 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.

DC Universe Classics - Two-Face (Gotham City 5 Pack)

Today's review will be the final action figure from the Wal-Mart Exclusive Gotham City 5 pack which was released a couple months back.  Two-Face.

Now this of course, is a repainted figure of the previously released Two-Face from Mattel's DC Superheroes toy line which was released back in the fall of 2007. 

There is one small difference between the two sculps.  The sculpt of Two-Face's left hand (the scared one) is different.

The face sculpt itself is exactly the same.  Obvously the paint job is much different.  The original DCSH Two-Face looks to be painted with a was to bring out the details of the scars but the GC5 Two-Face's skin is just painted in one shade of green.  A tad dissapointing.  Even the hair was not painted as nicely. 

Here is a close up of the hands sculpt below.  DCSH Two-Face has a deformed sculpted hand with scarring and the Gotham City 5 Two-Face just has a standard sculpted hand, most likely a re-used part with no scarring at all.

Ive touched on the paint job a bit but overall Two-Face has got a clean paint job, it just lacks detail compared to the DCSH Two-Face.  The face looks good but some shading and a dark wash would have really brought out the detail in the face more. 

Here is a side by side comparison of the two action figures.  Two-Face's articulation is of course the same as the DCSH version.  He generally has all the usual joints as an other DCUC action figures with the exception of an abdominal joint. 

As for accessories, Gotham City Two-Face does not come with anything at all, compared to DCSH Two-Face who came with a pretty cool Tommy Gun.  One major disappointment with the Gotham City 5 pack is that only one of the 5 figures comes with an accessory (Catwoman)

Overall Gotham City Two-Face is a good action figure but compared to Mattel's DC Superheroes Two-Face, it falls a bit short.  No accessories and an inferior paint job compared to the original sculpt places Gotham City Two-Face in 2nd place between the two figures.  If you only get one of the two, i would definitely suggest the original

Sculpt/Design - 7, Paint - 7, Articulation - 8, Accessories - 0, Fun -7

Both Two-Face action figures can be found on eBay.  GC Two-Face can usually be found sold loose or in the 5 pack on eBay.  DCSH Two-Face may be a bit harder to find since that action figure is two years old now. 

To find Mattel's DC Superheroes or DC Universe Two-Face action figures on eBay, click here

To find Mattel's DC Universe Classics Gotham City 5 pack on eBay, click here.

DCUC - Series 1 (Penguin & Red Tornado)

Welcome to ACTION TOY REVIEW

Today's Review - DC Universe Classics - Series 1 (Penguin & Red Tornado)

Okay, so I'm going backwards now. I have reviewed Mattel's DC Universe Classics - Series 2 and Series 3 but not 1. Well, the reason is, I don't have the complete set of Series 1 at this point. Since Series 4 is coming very soon, i figured i might as well at least start a review on series 1 before 4 comes in.

DC Universe Classics - Series 1 is a combination of 5 action figures. The Penguin, Red Tornado, The Demon Etrigan, Orion and Batman in his classic detective outfit. Since I'm a Batman fan, The Penguin was tops on my list. I have a couple Batman's from the previous DC Superheroes toy line so, the new "Classic" version was not a priority. Neither were the other 3 figures so, I've decided to just wait out this set and maybe pick the rest up if i can find a good deal. These figures are not that hard to find compared to Series 2 and 3.

Of course, the five figures come with a "Collect & Connect" piece and if you get all 5 figures, you can create The Element Man, aka Rex Mason, aka Metamorpho.

Oswald Cobblepot or The Penguin, is the shortest figure from this set measuring approximately 5.75 inches to the tip of his hat. DC Database lists Penguin as 5 foot, 2 inches so this figure seems to be in proper scale compared to the others.

Penguin's face is the highlight of this figure. Everything from his long pointy nose to his gummy frown makes him look like the classic Batman foe. It is a very good sculpt. The body is short and stubby. His vest is sculpted so it looks like it's too tight for his bulging belly. To top it off, he's got a classic penguin jacket with coat tales, top hat and pin-striped purple pants. It looks like Mattel has used all new parts to put this figure together too which is always a bonus.

The paint job is also top notch on this figure. I'm finding it very hard to find anything wrong with it. He has no runs or slop anywhere. The face is cleanly painted around the eyes, eyebrows and mouth.

Penguin comes with, what else, an umbrella. But not just an ordinary one. This umbrella has a cool machine gun attachment which clips on to the base. Unfortunately, the accessory only fits loosely into Penguin's right hand. It does not fit into his left hand, however, you can have him hold it with both. The machine gun attachment is also kind of loose and flops around depending on how he's holding it. That being said, its still compliments the figure nicely. Apparently, Mattel was suppose to originally include a robot penguin with this figure but I guess that idea was scrapped, probably to save $$.

This figure has a decent amount of joints, but not as many as some of the other figures. Starting from the top, you have a ball joint neck and shoulders. Then joints at the biceps, elbows and wrists. A swivel waist, then joints at the hips, knees and ankles. The hip joints are not like the other DCUC figures. His legs can only swing forward and backwards, not out to the sides. There are also no joints at the abdominal or thighs which is not a big deal. For this character, the articulation points Mattel has given us is plenty. All joints were nice and tight out of the box.

Overall, this figure is a must have for Batman fans to fill out your rogue gallery. For a set of figures that I was not excited about, this one was certainly a pleasant surprise.

Sculpt/Design - 9, Paint - 10, Accessories - 7.5, Articulation - 7, Fun - 8

Penguin Overall Score - 8.5

Red Tornado stands at just under 6.5 inches to the tip of his head. The top of his cape puts him closer to 6.75 inches. DC Database lists him as being 6 foot 1 inch so he is basically to scale compared to the other figures. His body is a little bulkier than Green Lantern from series 3. His cape is quite heavy and can sometimes weigh him backwards if not posed correctly. The costume is painted on with the exception of his gloves, cape and cuffs on his boots.

The paint job is a little disappointing. The worst part being the red wash that was used over the yellow painted areas. Its just so inconsistent and in some areas, there is just too much red where it should be yellow. Specifically the arrow on top of his head and the stripe down his abdominal. This really shouldn't have been a difficult figure to paint. The face is all one color with neon yellow eyes.

The accessory that comes with Red Tornado is a snap on..wirlwind/tornado...thingy..... Its a transparent orange and made of a somewhat hard plastic. It only fits on his right hand but it goes on tightly and won't fall off.

The articulation on this figure is pretty standard for this toy series so there is not disappointment in this area. Neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, forearms, wrists, abdominal, waist, hips, thighs, knees and ankles. The abdominal and neck joints are a little obstructed by the cape. All joints were nice and tight out of the box.

Overall, I wasn't expecting much from this figure so I'm not totally disappointed. As mentioned, the worst part is the sloppy paint job. Other than that, it's not a bad figure and fits in nicely with the other Justice League members.

Sculpt/Design - 8, Paint - 5, Accessories - 6, Articulation - 9.5, Fun - 7

Red Tornado Overall Score - 7.5

DC Universe Classic - Series 1 action figures are still quite easy to find online. eBay is always the easiest place to find older figures. Click the following to find:

The Penguin on eBay

Red Tornado on eBay

Or you can check out my "Action Toy Review Recommends" page on Amazon

Continuing my backwards trend, my next post will probably be a review of one or more of the figures from the now discontinued DC Super Heroes toy line.

DCUC series 4 should arrive within the next 2-3 weeks so keep checking back for that review as well.

Thanks for reading my ACTION TOY REVIEW blog. Be sure to check back for more reviews on a variety of action figures including those from Mattel's DC Universe Classics and DC Superheroes toy lines.