Alright, Teela fans, it looks like we’ll be waiting another day or so for a Masters of the Universe Classics Teela review – but VeeBee at the Fwoosh has put up a first look at the upcoming DC Universe Classics Justice in the Jungle 2-pack, with Animal Man and B’wana Beast. Throughout the Mattel product lines, I think there’s been a reduction in paint apps, but that’s certainly not the case here. B’wana Beast has got some of the richest paint apps to date, and his skintones are so warm that you almost don’t notice his lack of nipples.
Justice in the Jungle is currently scheduled to go on sale on December 15th on Mattycollector.com – although I think there’s a chance it may slip into the new year since the Color of Fear 2-pack was pushed back a month from October to November.
DC Universe Classics Animal Man and B’wana Beast
Animal Man – closeup
B’wana Beast – closeup
Blue Beetle, Animal Man, B’wana Beast, and Aquaman
The figures themselves work really well and I want to highlight that Buddy uses the smaller, slimmer male buck while B’wana Beast uses the larger body shared with guys like Captain Atom. People have said that Mattel should have used the Hawkman body for B’wana Beast (you, know because of the nipples?) but it would have been a trade off as I think that body is too big for B’wana. Paint is a real strong point for this set as well, Animal Man’s eyes are perfectly painted under his goggles and B’wana Beast has very nice airbrushing that accents his muscle tone and very clean lines in the stripes of his loincloth and in the spots of his leopard print.
There is not a ton of 100% new parts on either of the figures (as they don’t really require it) but what is there is great, especially with Animal Man – his jack is new (not a Mr. Terrific reuse) and he does have one of the best head sculpts of the line so far, I really, really love it. B’wana has a great head sculpt as well and I really like how his boot cuffs are textured (much like Giganta’s costume). They could have just used Red Tornado’s boots by they opted to go the extra mile and really counts.
Mattel has posted some info on Teela to answer questions following some of the reviews of samples that went out earlier in the week. Some reviews have noted that the Staff of Ka comes horribly warped – this clarifies that the staff is intended to be curvey.
VeeBee told me that the Fwoosh will be reviewing Teela pretty soon, hopefully today.
Since a few fan sites are doing reviews of Teela, I wanted to point out a few details on this awesome fig!
First off, she goes on sale Oct 15th, only on MattyCollector.com (along with bonus figure Zodak on the same day!)
Teela comes with the following:
Zoar (original colors)
Alt head with snake armor
Staff of Ka
Sword
Shield
The staff is supposed to be curvey at the bottom. This is not warping caused by the pack out. The Horsemen sculpted the staff after the original cross sell art which had a curvey staff!
Also, a lot of fans are asking about Zoar’s armor and pertch. We do have plans for both in the future in all the necessary colors. Stay tuned!
Two updates from the Asylum. First, check out the packaged shots of the upcoming Secret Wars Minimates, which have been pushed back to the November timeframe. Then, check out the previews for October, which include high res shots of Marvel Minimates Series 33 and new Star Trek and Star Wars items.
Also, fans of digital art, check out the Art Asylum blog for a step-by-step review of how Art Asylum creates the character renderings on their Minimates packaging: Marvel Minimates Get the Full Package Treatment.
Don’t let him hear you call him the Burger King! Featuring body armor, he’s a lot more menacing than I remember him from the Filmation cartoon. I’m hoping it’s removable, so you can have him in a more classic look.
And, Randor and Keldor are half-brothers? The plot thickens!
Update: I can’t believe I didn’t post this right off the bat, but hey, with some different paint apps on that armor, you’ve got the makings of a MOTU Classics Jitsu! JITSU!!!
For those like me who have trouble discerning the little type, here’s the text from his bio:
King Randor – Heroic Ruler of Eternia
Real Name: Randor of the House of Miro
King Miro’s second born son, Randor, came of age during the Great Unrest, a time when conflict returned to Eternia following the Count Marzo Uprisings and the susequent betrayal by his half-brother Keldor. After the disappearance of his father, Randor was appointed Captain of the Guard and lead Miro’s troops in battle against Keldor’s growing rebellion. Randor eventually ended the battles by fatally wounding Keldor and locking his evil warriors behind the Mystic Wall. For this act he was appointed King by the Council of Elders. King Randor rises his staff exulting his rule over all Eternia.
As a certified Marvel nut, I thought about collecting all the Minimates that Art Asylum has made, but honestly, thirty-three waves (and still going strong) is a lot of these two-inchers to handle. So, I’m cherry-picking, and from this wave I may have to pick up the Olivier Coipel Thor and Loki. And the variant “Hound” Rachel Summers is sweet, but then I’d have to start thinking about Excalibur Minimates – oh what a slippery slope.
Marvel Minimates Series 33 Revealed!
Marvel Minimates Series 33
With Marvel Minimates Series 27 and 28 now in comic stores and new assortments arriving in Toys R Us stores nationwide, the Marvel Minimates line is picking up steam for a knock-out and record-setting 33rd series of the world’s #1 block figure!
The 33rd Series of Minimates includes new versions of your old favorites, recent additions to the Marvel Universe and essential team members from Marvel’s substantial archives! The first two-pack in this oft-requested assortment contains two of the most powerful Asgardians ever to roam Midgard in their new signature looks – Thor and the newly-voluptuous Loki. Spider-Man’s friends and foes make a cameo as well, with two all-new characters featured in the critically-acclaimed “New Ways To Die” – the anti-hero Anti-Venom and the menacing Menace. The final two-pack combines fans’ love of all-things Phoenix with their love of evil robots – more specifically Rachel Grey as Marvel Girl and the nefarious Sentinel army builder. A special chase two-pack will also be included in each assortment, – featuring the Sentinel with a slightly younger Rachel Summers in her classic Excalibur “Hound” costume!
In addition to the standard removable and interchangeable pieces, the Sentinel army builder featured in this wave will also include a special “Sentinel Army” design feature – allowing you to partially customize your own Sentinel Squad in either modern or retro styles. Look for this exciting new assortment in comic stores early next year and keep an eye out for more fantastic new exclusives as the Marvel Minimates line continues to deliver new pint-sized heroes, villains and teams like never before!
