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 - Batgirl

It will be interesting to see where Mattel takes this Batman Legacy toy line, and how long it will last.  So far, we haven't seen to many new characters like so many people have been hoping for.  Wave 2 has been out for a while and wave 3 will be released shortly, so I figured its probably a good time to start finishing up my Batman Legacy wave 2 action figure reviews.  So today's review will be on Batgirl.

I mentioned before that I'm not a big fan of the female body sculpts.  For you new collectors out there, know they very skinny compared to the male characters.  With the exception of  Wonder Woman, Big Barda and Hawkgirl from the DC Universe Classics toy line which are all very good action figures and a bigger body type.  These smaller female characters though have very skinny arms and legs, so sometimes, they are packaged so tightly that it abnormally bends plastic and warps their arms and/or legs.  Other female characters of similar build to this Batgirl action figure are Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Cheetah, Donna Troy and Star Sapphire. 

So my main problem with this Batgirl is, due to the packaging, she comes out of the box with her right leg abnormally warped as you can see below in the picture on your left.  The legs and arms are so thin that plastic bends so easily.

As you probably know, we've seen this Batgirl action figure before.  It was originally released as a two pack with Batman in the DC Superheroes toy line back in 2007 or 2008 and then re-released again in another two pack with Azrael.  This Batman Legacy version is just a repaint. 

Here are look at Batgirl from all angles.  You can see the warped right leg above.  Other than my issues with the body size, it really is a good looking action figure. The hair is sculpted really well but it does restrict the head movement so you cannot get full use of the neck joint.  Other than that, the articulation on this action figure is what you would expect.  All the usual joints are here including the hip joints which Mattel has occasionally exclude from certain female action figures (Black Canary and Zatanna for example)

I definitely like the paint colors better on this version, than the previously released Batgirl action figure. For the most part the paint job on this action figure was fairly clean except for a small area around her nose where the black paint has smudged over the line a little. 

The original Batgirl action figures in both the DC Superheroes toy line and the DC Universe Classics toy line both included a small batarang for Batgirl which fit into the small slot molded in her fist.  This time around in the Batman Legacy version, you do not get any weapons of the sort.  The only things included with this action figure are a mini-poster and the action figure stand seen in the picture below.

Well, Batman fans will be happy with this action figure.  Hopefully not to many of you will have the same problem I did with the warped leg because that is mainly the only flaw here.  A Batman collection isn't complete without a proper Batgirl action figure. 

To buy Batman Legacy action figures on eBay, click here

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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 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 - DC Universe All-Stars

 Mattel has given us a bit of news and some pictures regarding the new "DC Universe All-Stars" retail toy line that will be replacing the retail DC Universe Classics toy line in 2012.  You can expect to see them in stores and on eBay next year.

First, we have the Larfleeze action figure which was actually already shown off at the 2011 New York Comic Con.  Be sure to click on the link if you missed my NYCC report.

The next action figure appears to be a re-release from the DC Universe Classics Wave 4 set, Batman Beyond.  I'm a little puzzled as to why Mattel is putting this one back on the shelves.  Could this have not be released in the Batman Legacy toy series instead? 

Looks like we're getting a new Plastic Man figure at the retail level, specifically, Plastic Man from the Flashpoint comic series. Previously, Plastic man was released only as a San Diego Comic Con exclusive action figure that came with a whole bunch of attachments (see picture below), similar to the DCUC wave 1 Collect and Connect figure, Rex Mason but with even more stuff! 

At this point, all i can see is that we're getting a regular Plastic Man with, so far, no indication of attachments.  Flashpoint Plastic Man looks a little less cartoony but the SDCC Plastic Man action figure appears to be  better value.  Check him out on eBay by clicking here

Finally, we a new Superboy action figure complete with a new sculpt and all.  Previously in the DCUC wave 13 set, Mattel released a Superboy but this new one is specifically modeled after Superboy Prime in his Anti Monitor armor.

Overall, I think Plastic Man needs to have attachments and Superboy Prime and Larfleeze look like cool additions but these characters aren't really what I would expect to see in the very first "DC Universe All-Stars" toy line.   Are they really "All-Stars"....?  I'm most disappointed that Mattel is already re-issuing action figures from the DC Universe Classics toy line.  I fully expected it to happen at some point, but not right off the bat.  Was Batman Beyond really that big back when DCUC wave 4 came out?  I don't know.  It is a cool action figure and for those of you that don't have it, should grab one but I would have liked something new.  You can probably still grab a Batman Beyond action figure on eBay for a very reasonable cost right now instead of waiting for Mattel to re-release it in 2012.  

Hopefully Mattel isn't saving all the good action figures for the Infinite Earth Club.  I decided to not join after sitting on the fence for the longest time.  I wasn't too crazy about committing to paying for action figures of an unknown line up.  We'll see.  Hopefully more news will come out of Mattel soon on which other DC characters we can expect to see released in 2012.  

What do you think of the new DC Universe All-Stars?  Feel free to comment below. 

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.