DC Universe Classics Archives - Page 92 of 118

DC Universe Classics All-Star Batman Quick Pics

A few days ago, I was checking out an article at ItsAllTrue.net – Noisy had just found a case of Toys R Us exclusive All-Star Batmen. My inner sarcastic voice was saying, great, just what we need – yet another Batman variant based off that figure we got way back in the first wave of DC Universe Classics.

Fast forward a couple of days, and I’m in Toys R Us. I’m not even there for myself – my wife was replacing a plush toy she had given away as a gift. And I’m holding one of these new Batman figures in my hand, thinking about how cool the pin looks, and how I could replace the black and gray Batman in my Justice League of America display, because that one has the yellow oval, not this neat black bat symbol…

So yes, Mattel, you win this round. Just like you win every round.

(In case you’re wondering, that’s a custom Tim Drake Robin in the Freddie Williams style, by our own Buzzy Fret. I’m so psyched to have him in my Batman display.)

DC Universe Classics Wave 12 – The Pros and Cons

DC Universe Classics 12 - Spectre card (901x1200).jpg

And stay tuned, Buzzy Fret is going to have his review of Wave 12 right here on AFP pretty soon too. – Ron

Wha’?! Oh yeah, Wave 12!

That’s right true believers, with hardly a chance to catch our breath from Wave 11, DC Universe Classics Wave 12 has come crashing down on us like a big ole Action Figure Tsunami! And what an interesting Wave it is. This is the first DCUC Wave sporting the new 75th Anniversary packaging and Collector Pins and the last (for only a little while I hope) to have a Fourth World character in the line-up. Whatever your feelings about DCUC 12, it is packed with character(s).

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Fwoosh Staff Review – DC Universe Classics Series 12 – TheFwoosh.com

The Fwoosh staff reviews are always fun. Here’s my take on Eclipso (VeeBee kindly supplied the pics, since I was away covering Toy Fair), and be sure to check out the rest of the gang’s take on DC Universe Classics Wave 12. And stay tuned, Buzzy Fret is going to have his review of Wave 12 right here on AFP pretty soon too.

Eclipso

When Mattel first released press shots of Eclipso, I had a pretty strong reaction – I didn’t like his head sculpt. My first impressions were that his grin was just too big. Now that I have the actual figure in my hands, I’ve dialed back the dislike most of the way – it helps to see it from multiple angles, and I can buy that there’s a physical manifestation (aside from the eclipsed coloring) of the evil within him.

This is the Bruce Gordon version of Eclipso – and while DCUC has offered a pretty good mix of classic and modern renditions of characters, I think most people wanted Gordon over the modern incarnations of Alex Montez or Jean Loring. The costume is recreated faithfully, although some might prefer the coloring of his collar and leggings to match his boots, gloves, and elfin cap. I’ve seen it depicted both ways, so I guess Mattel opted for variation in the colors to make it more visually interesting.

If I could make some changes (other than the size of the grin), I’d change his hands. The black diamond in his left hand comes off a little soft, so I would have opted to make it a little bigger so that I could get some crisp facets there. I’d also like the gem to be just a little bit more translucent. And, his right hand? It needs a fist, because as Jersey Shore has taught us, nothing is quite as menacing as a fist pump.

via Fwoosh Staff Review – DC Universe Classics Series 12 | TheFwoosh.com.

DC Universe Classics Custom Freddie Williams II-Styled Robin by Buzzy Fret

Since I made a new Batman, could a new Robin be far behind?

When the DCUC Wave 3 Robin came out I was a little disappointed in it. The Mattel version has a great sculpt and good articulation but (IMO) it’s just too dang short for this version of Tim Drake. So a little over a year ago I made a custom Robin that was taller. After posting in my gallery on Fwoosh, it was snapped up by a BIG DCUC fan. Then I made 2 more for a couple people who also thought the DCUC Robin wasn’t right either. When it was all said and done, I still didn’t have a taller Robin on my shelf.

One of my earlier custom Robins made with a DCUC Sinestro body, biceps, upper legs, Robin head, forearms, lower legs, belt and cape.

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Mattel DC Universe Classics Behind the Design – Cyclotron

Here’s a great feature from the MattyCollector.com store. Bill Benecke, Mattel’s Lead Designer on the DC Universe Classics line, tells us about his hunt for the figure that inspired the upcoming Cyclotron figure.

Behind the Design

The Cyclotron Story with Designer Bill Benecke

From the moment I first laid eyes on the print ad for the Super Powers figures (in an issue of All- Star Squadron, I think), I fell completely head-over-heels in love with the line. I collected most of the first two series over the next two years, calling every toy store in a twenty mile radius on a regular basis (daily, when I was trying to find the Red Tornado, my Holy Grail, for nearly a year!), then riding my bike over if they happened to have one of the guys I was looking for. The cross-sell photos on the back of the package were a constant source of wonder for me, as they not only showed incredible figures of my favorite heroes (The Flash, Green Arrow, Aquaman), but introduced me to brand new characters (Steppenwolf, Mantis, Martian Manhunter Robot)… I was on a mission!

Eventually, though, I’d found all the characters I’d been searching for and the idea that they might actually produce MORE of these guys seemed too much to hope for. As the months drifted by, I continued to scour the toy aisles in any store I happened to be in, but I resigned myself that more Super Powers probably weren’t in the cards. At least, until I was on a car trip with my parents to Northern California, and we made a stop at a toy store along the way…

Walking down the action figure aisle, looking to see what strange and wonderful figures I might stumble across in this new and unfamiliar territory, I was floored to see a character I was COMPLETELY unfamiliar with, sitting amongst the other Super Powers: Cyclotron!

I couldn’t believe my luck! I had never heard of this guy (and would learn later that he was created for the toy line, which explained why I’d never heard of him), but his yellow and green costume, red goggles, and removable face plate got to me immediately — what a cool toy! Even better, the back of the package showed an entire new series had been produced, full of an odd mix of supporting heroes, semi-obscure villains, and original characters… wow!

I spent the rest of the trip carrying Cyclotron in my pocket, and he has remained one of my favorite figures in the line to this day (yup, alongside Red Tornado). More than any other character, Cyclotron represents the “wonder” of childhood to me — the magic of meeting a strange new hero for the first time, the excitement of exploring the DC Universe, the passion for collecting that the line created in me, and the pure joy of a really cool toy — Cyclotron sums up all of that pretty eloquently, I think. And hey, he’s got a removable face! 🙂

Bill Benecke

via MattyCollector.com Online Store.