The competition for collectors has ramped back up between DC Collectibles and Mattel. For the past couple of years, one degree of competition had been eased up, with Mattel abandoning 6-inch scale by sunsetting DC Universe Classics. But with Mattel’s move back to 6-inch, more overlap will occur. We’ll keep that in mind as we go through the DC Collectibles offerings from SDCC.
Mattel is putting 4-inch scaled DC figures on hiatus in 2016, and 6-inch scale is back in. And I’m wondering if there was some press release I missed, or if this change just happened and they didn’t really announce it. (Mattel has got the traditional Mattypalooza panel, but no DC panel at SDCC this year.) Both scenarios are possible – I am not actively seeking news. But if I tell myself there’s no way I would have missed a change this dramatic (as far as drama goes in toys), then it stands to reason that Mattel doesn’t want to acknowledge any questionable decisions they’ve made handling their DC license in recent years.
You could even say that they’re still putting some distance between what they’re doing now and what they did so well under the DC Universe Classics brand. For one, even though the Four Horsemen are back on DC, it’s not the same one to one relationship; Mattel is utilizing other design shops. If I had to guess, from the look of it, it’s Gentle Giant expanding beyond their work on WWE.
Second, they’re sticking with the DC Comics Multiverse brand name. And third, the line is rooted in modern, not classic character looks.
Hasbro held a brand preview event this morning before Con opened, and the Marvel team used the opportunity to unveil a new wave of Marvel Legends featuring Absorbing Man as the Build-a-Figure. The Spider-Man themed wave will include Speed Demon, an updated Ben Reilly Spider-Man, Morbius, the new Beetle, Jack O’Lantern, Venom, and Spider-Gwen.
If you follow our Instagram account, we posted pics from our cameras from the event. Hasbro also put the new reveals in their booth on the Con floor. We took a bunch of higher resolution pics in both locations with our regular cameras, and we’ve combined them here.
Continue reading “SDCC 2015: Hasbro Unveils Marvel Legends Absorbing Man Wave”
Mezco was actually my first stop during Preview Night (if you don’t count the stop on the way at Mondo, to sneak a quick look at the 1/6 scale Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). I wanted to get there to get my hands on the one of the 150 One:12 Collective Batman / Mutant Leader 2-packs that was on sale for the day. I was lucky and got a set (haven’t had the chance to open it yet), and asked if they had any more figures coming in the line. I was told to look around the corner.
Continue reading “SDCC 2015: Mezco One:12 Collective – Awesome Figures, Could Use Some Focus”
On Preview Night, Mattel left no questions as to what was coming for the rest of the year with Masters of the Universe Classics. They filled in all the blanks through December. But despite them saying that 2015 was the end of an era for Four Horsemen MOTUC, it seems like all marketing communications from the Mattycollector team is that they’ll continue making toys next year. The question is, what?
As I noted my approach to the Convention Center on my Instagram feed, I was asked to seek out Mattel and find the Thundercats / Four Horsemen figures everyone’s been talking about. While there’s a pretty active rumor about that, there was no evidence of it in the Mattel booth. Of course, they’d save that up for their Mattypalooza panel on Friday. By then, we’ll know what is coming from Matty in 2016.
Continue reading “SDCC 2015: Mattel Masters of the Universe Classics – Preview Night”