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SDCC 2014: Mattel Masters of the Universe Classics (Preview Night)

With Mattypalooza this Friday, Preview Night for Mattel’s Masters of the Universe Classics lines (Club Eternia and Club Etheria) was mostly catch-up – showing off figures in public that had already been revealed via their social media programs. For me, the highlight of this group of figures is Rio Blast – which I didn’t have as a kid, but whose kookiness mixed with badassery has won me over.

The big push from Mattel is for the Battle Ram, which sports an updated front half (to ameliorate the pain of having to buy it again) and a Man-at-Arms with Filmation-inspired head sculpt. The Battle Ram, due in October, is *not* part of the subscriptions – so it is not exactly a lock for Mattel, which will be pushing collectors’ tolerance for price creep with a $110 price tag.

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SDCC 2014: Mattel DC (Preview Night)

I know – for fans of DC Universe Classics, it’s a tough time to be following Mattel and their DC offerings this year. The 4-inch Multiverse line seems to have some legs, but it’s just not my cup of tea – I’m not averse to 4-inch lines, but between the chunky sculpts and hit-or-miss articulation, I’m not collecting.

Most of the remaining DC Universe Classic figures were shown at Preview Night, but the Damien Wayne Robin from a few Toy Fairs back was not on display. The Batman ’66 line is stalled – the only new figure was a Yvonne Craig Batgirl, but that’s in a multi-pack – I think that signals the end of the line.

Check out the showing of Mattel’s DC lines for Preview Night – the Mattel Mattypalooza panel is Friday, but I’m not holding my breath for more DC figures – at least not ones to my liking.

SDCC 2014: Mattel WWE Elite (Preview Night)

Admittedly, I have not been following Mattel’s WWE line that closely since the Legends sub-line shut down – but with the Legion of Doom in their red and black ring attire on its way, I’ll be on the hunt. They’ll be showing up as single-carded flashback figures in the next wave of Elites.

Vader, Lex Luger, and the Rock (again?) will be flashback figures rounding out the next two waves of Mattel’s WWE Elite line. But with Hulk Hogan back in the fold and supposedly scheduled to attend Mattel’s WWE panel tomorrow morning, can a Hogan figure be far behind?

SDCC 2014: Square Enix Play Arts Kai

It’s always a joy for me to visit the Square Enix booth at events like SDCC – they’ve always got a slew of their Play Arts Kai figures from their video games, DC, and movie licenses. Most of the usual suspects were there – notably, DC Variant figures continue to see heavy activity (sadly, my picture the most interesting of them, the Harley Quinn, was blurry).

Some licenses are seeing a slow-down, at least in terms of display space. I saw only one Halo figure, while Street Fighter and Rorschach from Watchmen was a no-show, despite the fact that it hasn’t hit production yet. The Square Enix rep couldn’t definitively explain Rorschach’s absence, but it may be as simple as a lack of display space. However, with no other Watchmen figures on display, I wonder if that DC sub-license has stalled.

SDCC 2014: Hasbro Star Wars Black (Preview Night)

Fans of Hasbro’s 6-inch lines may be underwhelmed by what was shown for their Star Wars Black Series 6-inchers at Preview Night. No new reveals, but I was happy to see the deluxe figures – both Jabba and the Speeder Bike look awesome – and next wave of single-packed figures on display.

Paint apps still seem to be the weak link in terms of production quality – and it stands out most on the human figures with their G.I. Joe-styled eyes, like on Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker. Darth Vader looks good, but he does seem a little bloated with the cloth apps. The standout for me is Chewbacca.

Overall, with so little on display tonight, it does hint that the retail channel is a little backed up on this line. But stay tuned – Hasbro’s Star Wars panel is on Friday, so we can hope for a few more reveals then.