DC Universe Classics – Wave 8

It’s been a long wait for DC Universe Classics 8 for me. A lot of folks have been picking up DCUC on Amazon, since they started carrying the line again, and it seems like they had product in hand first this go-around. My pre-order with another online retailer finally came through, and it was worth the wait.

First, some carded pics. Standard stuff here, although I noticed that some figures had some extras on their trays. Commander Steel had stars, and Vigilante had targeting scopes. Honestly, I rip these open pretty fast, so I’ve never noticed that on other trays before.

Commander Steel

Although the cardback indicates that this is the World War II Commander Steel, the costume is close enough for me to think of it as Citizen Steel from the current Justice Society of America comic. It’s a solid figure, and the metallic finish helps with the Citizen Steel association.

Dr. Fate

Although there’s also a modern variant featuring some gold parts (but inexplicably, some yellow parts remain), I opted just to get the classic Dr. Fate here. For me, it’s a pretty close representation of how Fate looked in Cosmic Odyssey. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a big fan of Cosmic Odyssey, so that’s why the standard figure will suffice for me. The cardback plays it safe, by not attributing a name to Fate. A smart move, since Fate is one of DC’s legacy characters with a history that’s even more confusing than Hawkman’s. The Horsemen have done a nice job with Fate, and the power sigil accessory is a nice touch – it snaps onto Fate’s fingers pretty easily and looks great.

Mr. Terrific

Terrific may be my favorite figure in the wave. He comes with four T-Spheres that attach via clear plastic to the standard slot in the figure’s back. They are removable, but that results in a gap in Terrific’s name on the back of his jacket. Speaking of the jacket, it’s well done, with plastic that’s not too rigid – there’s no restriction of motion as a result.

Vigilante

I don’t know much about this character, other than that if you were hoping for the cowboy version that was featured on Justice League Unlimited, then any opinion you might have on DC comics and figures is null and void – at least according to the cream of the crop of the classic comic elitists. (I was hoping for the cowboy version too, because that would be one step closer to getting a Jonah Hex figure in DCUC.) I would have said that his description was reminiscent of the Punisher, if that wouldn’t immediately single me out as a Marvel Zombie. Regardless, the big draw here for me is the heap of weapons he comes with. I’ll have to look again but I think he has the same rifle as Deathstroke did oh so long ago.

Parademons

How cool is this? Mattel decided to give us two versions of the Parademon. The red one is based on the Super Powers version from so long ago, and green is a more modern representation. Normally variants are more simple – a couple of alternate parts here and there, like with Dr. Fate, but if these figures share any parts other than the handgun accessory, I couldn’t tell. With what might be two additional toolings, Mattel did cut one corner, by giving both of the Parademons swivel cuts at the neck, instead of the standard DCUC ball-jointed neck. This can make for some odd-looking poses when facing the side. I’d army build the green one if I could.

Gentleman Ghost

The materializing / dematerializing effect they rendered on Gentleman Ghost is pretty cool. And while that and the absence of a head make for an interesting figure, I was a little less happy with it than I expected while waiting for the figure to arrive. His gun-toting hand doesn’t tote too well, and the he’s difficult to keep standing, from the weight of his cloak. Of course, all is forgiven, since Gentleman Ghost comes with the mini-Atom that I will inevitably lose because he’s so tiny.

Hawkgirl

She’s pretty good, but I was still a little let down. It’s great that she comes with three weapons – a spear, a mace, and asword – but also unfortunate because only one of hands can hold them. The wing hinge on her back blocks some ab crunch movement, so don’t expect to be able to put Hawkgirl in a provocative arched back flying pose. And her hair blocks side to side movement of her head, but you can force it if you want. The only problem with that is because her hair is long in all the right places, you can only pose her head in 90 degree increments. There’s no up and down movement at all.

Mattel – when are you going to start making flight stands for DCUC?

Giganta

Seeing as how this is the connect and collect figure for this wave, I should really have more pictures. I’ll have to add some more soon. Giganta is really nicely done, snaps together easily, and the plastic skirt is really flexible, allowing more leg movement than you might expect. The paint apps on her face are great – looks about as close to the painted prototype as any mass market toy can get.

In summary, this is a pretty solid wave of DCUC from Mattel – most figures were really good and the nitpicks were minor. But honestly, I’m really looking forward to Wave 9.