Wow! Sure seems like Mattel was trying their best to make it a DCUC Christmas this year! By the beginning of December DCUC 10 was out in force at Wal-Marts all over the USA, DCUC 11 was en route to or even partially in stock with many comic stores and online dealers and on December 15th the new MattyCollector.com exclusive DCUC Justice In The Jungle 2 Pack went up for sale. If you haven’t heard, the current scuttlebutt from Mattel is that this will be the last 2 Pack Exclusive offered on MattyCollector. Hopefully Mattel will come up with a new format for offering exclusive DCUC figures or at least some of the older, hard to find ones.
My sets (I ordered 2) arrived in the usual way, encased in the plain white box with DC Universe logo emblazoned on the top. Couldn’t expect Mattel to change up on that since this is the last 2 Pack set they’re doing. Unfortunately both Animal Man figures suffered some warping on their left ankles due to the action pose in the packaging. Are the figures still warm and rubbery when they’re packaged? Other than that there are no problems with joints (broke, stuck or loose) or mismatched parts.
B’wana Beast
As goofy as B’wana Beast is, the Four Horsemen have turned him into a cool action figure. B’wana Beast reuses the newer big buck that Mattel introduced with Black Adam and Wildcat in DCUC 9. Both that I got are well made with good joints and sturdy plastic. The plastic of his loincloth is pretty stiff but it doesn’t impede his hip articulation much. The paint apps are super sharp. The leopard (?) print on B’wana Beast’s mask, trunks and boot cuffs all pop. The lines on his boots and loincloth are tight. His flesh tone is a very natural looking tan.
The only room for improvement I can find is the choice of fists used. It would’ve been a nice touch if Mattel had used the hands from Hawkman or Captain Marvel instead of the generic fists that have cloth wrinkles. I also know Ron is perturbed by the lack of nipples. Real nit picky stuff that isn’t of deal-killer importance.
So Mattel and the Four Horsemen have done it to me again! I was unimpressed with this figure when I saw the original promo pics from Mattel and I had him pegged only as good fodder for a custom Conan, Tarzan or other shirtless savage. But now that I have him in hand, I find that B’wana Beast is actually a fun, great looking figure and will be awarded a spot on my ever expanding DCUC shelf.
Animal Man
Animal Man has been one many fans have been asking for since the start of the line and the Four Horseman did not disappoint. They worked their magic and have perfectly rendered another eclectic DC character in plastic.
Animal Man uses the slimmer build buck that has been used on Black Manta, Nightwing, Green Lantern and Flash to name a few. Like Beast, Buddy’s joints, plastic and overall construction are top notch. His leather jacket looks amazing. No paint slop from the zipper or buttons at all. I’m glad that the effort was made to sculpt the jacket accurately rather than take the cost effective route and reuse the jacket from Mr. Terrific. The painted details of the costume are also nice and sharp. His goggles look like a tricky bit of work that could suffer from fogging but both of mine are clear. Another nice touch is the face sculpt. Rather than give him the standard slightly grim look most DCUC faces have, the Horsemen gave him some personality and carved an amused expression onto Animal Man’s mug.
I’m pleasantly surprised withthis set and would definitely recommend it to the DCUC fan that is on the fence about ordering it. The Justice In The Jungle 2 Pack is still available at MattyCollector.com so get ’em while you still can!
Cool! Mine should be arriving some time this week. 🙂