DC Toy Thread

[LordGigaIce]

Hasbro’s Kid Centric offerings the past 5-7 years? It’s been pretty crap.

Up until recently. And that's why I'm not as forgiving with Flash and Joker not having weapons racks.
In terms of bang for your buck, these are about on par with Hasbro's ActionVerse stuff. And ActionVerse feels like Hasbro FINALLY cracking the kids centric code. That stuff feels solid, has the basic articulation and paint necessities down, and everyone comes with a weapons rack and a load out of character specific weapons.

You're right, Hasbro's been bad at this until recently. Back when SpinMaster had the DC kids licence, they were dunking on Hasbro. They were spitting out four inch figures with pretty good paint, articulation, and weapons load outs for $8 while Hasbro's four inch equivalents had half the articulation, less paint, and less weaponry for $10.

But with Hasbro's recent ActionVerse stuff and this new Mattel DC line? It seems like they're pretty close. In terms of size and articulation Mattel has the edge, but it's much closer, and the one thing Hasbro has is everyone gets a weapons layout and rack.

If Hasbro, who can be notoriously stingy with budgets can manage that, Mattel surely can.

To be clear, I think this Mattel line is a home run. They've clearly taken things back to basics since they last had the DC licence and figured things out. These are a great value, and a hell of a lot of fun. But like... come on. Give Flash and Joker weapons racks. It would add to the play value. I'd sacrifice the Jokerized heads if that's what it took.

Re: Collectors- I’ve been HIGHLY amused at how EVERY SINGLE toy website covering this line has felt compelled to endlessly repeat “This is the kids line. Collector stuff coming next year!”

I think the big reason I’m enamored is that…let’s be honest here. I’m not saying this as a “collector” or anything. Most of you have read enough of my ramblings to know where I lean with toys...

Well I'm gonna defend collectors here.

These new Mattel figures scale great with Marvel Legends. And I'll even say they feel as solid as Marvel Legends.
Where they're not quite the same is accessory load out and articulation.

Marvel Legends, like a lot of collector oriented lines, focus on alternate heads (usually a masked and unmasked option) and hands with non-gimmicked accessories. With the full range of articulation.

I'm sure Mattel's collector line will feature that stuff come 2027, and frankly? If the quality from the kids line tracks to it? It's exciting to think of what they may have in store.
Regardless though? This line doesn't have that stuff. Articulation is good... for a kids line. Not so much for a collector line. Accessories are fun! For a kids line, but collectors may feel like they're not getting much (the handgun I gave Joker is actually from a McFarlane Joker, I don't really do much with his spring loaded missile launcher).

None of these shortcomings bother me because I know they're not shortcomings. This is a kids line, was always meant to be a kids line, and it succeeds wildly at that.

Still, it is worth hammering home, especially with so many people who will eagerly see how these compare to Marvel Legends, or even McFarlane figures these will share shelf space with for six months. It's worth pointing out that these aren't really 1:1 comparisons.

And that's fine. I notice pendulum swings.
Back in 2012 or thereabouts toy companies began to segregate their lines into "Collector" and "Kids" lines. Obviously collectors gravitated towards collector-oriented lines, and maybe scoffed at kids lines.
But then the pendulum in the collector oriented community swung back, and it became intellectually fashionable to "champion" kids brands because "they're fun," "these are supposed to be toys," and so on and so on.

Frankly? I don't really see the point in any of that. It's your money, buy and enjoy what you want. There's nothing wrong with enjoying the level of detail, articulation, accessory load outs, and lack of obtrusive gimmicks collector lines tend to feature. And there's nothing wrong with enjoying a fun kids line being fun. These are not a binary, they aren't sides in a debate.

But DC figures are in a real transition period where those lines are a bit blurred due to licensing and manufacturer overlap, and it's worth keeping everyone aware of what's what so there's no marketplace confusion.

This Mattel kids line is fantastic for what it is, and it would suck if it got a negative reputation if the collector marketplace wrote it off as not being Marvel Legends, when it was never intended to be.

 

[LordGigaIce]

So I picked up Batwoman and Spoiler from the old 2019 Mattel DC Multiverse line, as they were also six inch. And they compliment the new Mattel DC six inch line rather well.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

"I am the Dark Knight!"

"Oh, come off it, Bruce, you're the brightest-colored one here! Even Robin is wearing darker colors than you!"

 

[LordGigaIce]

 

[LordGigaIce]

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

"Great... this reminds me of that bad dream I had back in the late '80s, only I'm not wearing purple this time..."

 

[lastmaximal]

I think I got that Spoiler. Never could find that Batwoman, and I think I let the Batman Reborn Dickbats pass me by a couple of times. But those were the years I was kind of just adding to the Mattel stuff by rote. I've since gotten caught in a bind for space and clearing out, and it did hurt to sell the big batch of them for what I feel was a less-than-fair price, but I admit to not really missing them.

The old DCUC stuff just hasn't aged well, and Hasbro's ML stuff has absolutely lapped that and then some in the decades since.

(All I want from Hasbro is more 4 inch scale, but that ship has very likely sailed and ActionVerse is just not for me, not that there's much of a selection there either anyway. I've had to make do with whatever ZD Toys decides to do, and their stuff is closer to actual 3.75" than the over 4 inch stuff the scale creep led to with Marvel Universe. It's just a different era.)

McFarlane DC, well, I've spoken about that before. Never really got into it, but I am oddly proud of how much they committed to populating their cast. It truly feels Unlimited, and I wish I could have gotten into it. I'm content to enjoy these great pictures.

Mattel has had a good couple of years in general. Their mainstream retail MOTU Renaissance makes me wish I was more of a MOTU guy, because like 6in GI Joe collectors, that fandom is eating good right now, and I'm so happy for them. SUCH a far cry from just a decade ago.

And this kid-focused DC line is a very good offering. Not as much futzing about with a new scale, a good amount of articulation and detailing, and a pretty sophisticated look rather than just chunky and cartoony (the sculpts for Robin and Joker really show that off). The more the character selection shapes up the more interesting it gets, and the evergreen-ing of the looks is probably what works for that type of audience who would be happy with A Batman, not necessarily this or that Batman. They even work fairly seamlessly with the older Mattel stuff (the, uh, newer older stuff) as seen in those shots. I just wish the Batman had had a slightly longer torso to accommodate the belt; the chonk of the belt ends up covering up some abs and some trunk area, which makes it look even more oversized. But kid me would've LOVED the fabric cape and the weapon storage, those are simple but great touches.

I can see what Steevy means about being careful to head off the rage engagement merchants. I've had the same thoughts myself, and seen the discourse that tends to happen when the "it's not FOR you, man" isn't foregrounded, and even when it is. I don't think it's most people, but it's enough, and that's getting stoked all the time by people who can profit from churning it up and stirring the pot. I think the pendulum swing LGI noted is very real, but I also kind of attribute part of that to just the generation progressing. My brother and some of the people we know are my only real anecdotal points, but we've ridden through the 2000s and the pining for collector focus, to the 2010s and the stronger collector focus and delineation LGI mentioned, to both pockets of people getting utterly insufferable about being catered to and pockets of other people sort of outgrowing that need to feel catered to (in boh cases since they WERE and are) and embracing the goofier, cornier aspect of things again.

It is a pendulum, or in waves, maybe as a generation that kind of populates the discourse ages out of certain ways of thinking and into certain other ones. I've seen shifts in the understanding and embracing of Batman 66 and the Schumacher sequels, the eschewing of grimdark, the increasing openness to living and letting live with a toyline that's meant for an age bracket and tastes that aren't one's own (although some still need to get used to how that doesn't mean it's beneath one). Distance can help with perspective, and maybe that broadening is also part of the dynamic that led to that openness being considered "intellectually fashionable" (no one wakes up one morning and decides "we'll say this is cool now").

But even given that, we're in an era when hot, inflammatory takes and poking people makes money, so they're gonna poke, and people will either find validation in someone with a platform echoing their gut feel, or parrot regardless. I mostly just stay away from it. Differing tastes is one thing, but when it's reductiveness with an updated lexicon ("noun+slop" now)... it's not the sort of conversation I have the energy for anymore.

In any event, I'm content to just also look upon this kids line from afar. Glad it's there and shaping up to be pretty cool. Cautiously optimistic about the collector line, too. But at this point in my collecting (and after having had that mini purge) I need to ask whether I'm up for building a 6" DC collection again at all, and how to define that this time if I am.

 

[LordGigaIce]

@lastmaximal excellent writeup

The old DCUC stuff just hasn't aged well, and Hasbro's ML stuff has absolutely lapped that and then some in the decades since.

I'm thinking back to around 2012-2015 or so. Because looking back... the ML of that era were janky as hell. They hadn't fully figured out ball joints, were still figuring out if double jointed elbows on female moulds were possible, had like one standard male head and one standard female head they just rotated different hair off and on from, and were strangely resistant from moving on from the old ToyBiz hip balls.

And yet... as someone who wanted to build a decently sized Marvel vs DC six inch display at the time... even those Marvel Legends figures that have aged poorly trounced their mass market DC equivalents in DCUC and the early Mattel DC Multiverse stuff, which was just DCUC in new "premium collector" packaging.

I've said it a few times before in this thread, but Mattel's previous run at DC stuff killed my love for DC collecting. And as someone who loved Batman as a kid... that took some doing.

Mattel DC Multiverse finally seemed to start figuring it out in 2019 or so, and that's the version of the line I grabbed Batwoman and Spoiler from. But by then Mattel as a company was in deep trouble, and they lost the licence to McFarlane for six years.

McFarlane DC, well, I've spoken about that before. Never really got into it, but I am oddly proud of how much they committed to populating their cast. It truly feels Unlimited, and I wish I could have gotten into it. I'm content to enjoy these great pictures.

People bemoan Todd for focusing on Batman and Joker, not giving other characters enough of a chance, and not representing women enough in his line but... looking at Mattel's first two waves of their new kids line?

Four Batman variants in the first two waves, two Robins short packed John Stewart, and Hal Jordan only being available in a Batman vs Mr. Freeze pack. Oh, and Jokerized figure heads and no women. It's like Todd never left!

I jest, but I think it shines a light on what I've been saying for years now- that problems people blame on Todd weren't McFarlane specific issues, he's just a singular person people could direct fan outrage at.
Fact is Kenner spammed Batman, Hasbro spammed Batman, Mattel spammed Batman, SpinMaster spammed Batman, McFarlane spammed Batman, and Mattel will spam Batman again (and is in the process of doing so).

And women? It seems like the industry is just now starting to get over the aversion to girl figures in traditional boy lines... and I'm just saying anyone who thought Mattel would right that wrong from Todd wasn't paying attention to their own output.

All of this is to say that I think the criticisms laid at Todd's feet were all a bit unfair, because while he did over-do Batman and the Joker, and while he did take a while to doing the DC ladies, in the end his line committed itself to deep DC cuts even DC Direct never dared to make. I have both the McFarlane Ragman and the Platinum variation, and combined they're the only two Ragman releases ever. EVER.

Sgt Rock, Jonah Hex, Blackhawk, WWII Steve Trevor, Detective Chimp, Nightmaster, Deadman, Black Condor, the Quality Comics guys, the Fawcett Comics guys, Charlton Comics guys, the JSA lineup... hell, Todd gave us Geo Force and Bloodwynd. Bloodwynd! Not to mention the alternate takes on the heavy hitters. Last Knight on Earth, Endless Winter, Dark Knight's Death Metal. Golden Age variants, Silver Age variants. Kingdom Come. I could go on. Sure, I'm bummed Todd will likely never do a Kamandi or Katana or Stargirl... but I can't really complain about what he has done.

And that's my big hesitation with Mattel taking over the collector line in 2027. They're starting from zero. I have no idea how long it'll take them to get to where McFarlane is now, regularly dipping into the deep cuts.

Mattel has had a good couple of years in general. Their mainstream retail MOTU Renaissance makes me wish I was more of a MOTU guy, because like 6in GI Joe collectors, that fandom is eating good right now, and I'm so happy for them. SUCH a far cry from just a decade ago.

What's mitigating that hesitation, however, is exactly this. Mattel may have bottomed out when they lost DC in 2020, but they've taken the time since to improve their game. MotU, WWE, and Jurassic Park have been great areas to improve their game, and improve they have.

I'm still not sure what to expect from their collector's line, but the kid's line has started really strong, so it gives me hope they'll kill it and make the idea of starting from zero appealing with worthwhile offerings.

And this kid-focused DC line is a very good offering. Not as much futzing about with a new scale, a good amount of articulation and detailing, and a pretty sophisticated look rather than just chunky and cartoony (the sculpts for Robin and Joker really show that off). The more the character selection shapes up the more interesting it gets, and the evergreen-ing of the looks is probably what works for that type of audience who would be happy with A Batman, not necessarily this or that Batman. They even work fairly seamlessly with the older Mattel stuff (the, uh, newer older stuff) as seen in those shots. I just wish the Batman had had a slightly longer torso to accommodate the belt; the chonk of the belt ends up covering up some abs and some trunk area, which makes it look even more oversized. But kid me would've LOVED the fabric cape and the weapon storage, those are simple but great touches.

I think ActionVerse is the first step Hasbro's taken in a long while to put out a quality kid's product. Their Epic Heroes line that was meant to compete with SpinMaster's DC stuff in general price range and scale often featured less paint, worse articulation, and less accessories than what SpinMaster DC offered. ActionVerse is a notable step up in terms of articulation, paint, and accessory count/play value.

How unfortunate then, that they've been leapfrogged almost immediately by Mattel's DC kids line (which has like three different "official" names at this point so I'll just call it the Mattel DC kids line).

Because while these figures are clearly a bit less than what you get from a Marvel Legends figure in terms of paint and articulation, they're not that much less. And yet, for under $15, you get something that's pretty damn good and loaded with accessories. Mattel showing that a fantastic product and decent value is still possible for the sub-$20 price point (hell, sub $15) needs to made into a bigger deal because hopefully it holds Hasbro's feet to the fire.

continued in part 2...

 

[LordGigaIce]

and now part 2...

I think the pendulum swing LGI noted is very real, but I also kind of attribute part of that to just the generation progressing. My brother and some of the people we know are my only real anecdotal points, but we've ridden through the 2000s and the pining for collector focus, to the 2010s and the stronger collector focus and delineation LGI mentioned, to both pockets of people getting utterly insufferable about being catered to and pockets of other people sort of outgrowing that need to feel catered to (in boh cases since they WERE and are) and embracing the goofier, cornier aspect of things again.

I can attest to that. Back in my early 20s I ate IDW's Transformers stuff up.
POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES! The Decepticons as a parallel to the Soviet revolution! Megatron echoing Lenin and Stalin and serving as a complex reminder of how revolution can lead to dictatorship! Late teen/early 20s LGI who was a history undergrad student lapped that stuff up.

And now? I think it's all a bit pretentious, isn't it? You talk to me about Transformers today and I think the greatest issue/episode/anything Transformers related is Triple Takeover. I'm serious. It's ridiculous and corny and fun and I love it.

I actually had this conversation with a friend the other day, about how we both kind of hate Boom! Studios' MMPR comics because they try to take it deadly serious with a layer of grimdark. And no, MMPR is an inherently goofy show. It's less fun if you remove that stuff.

(all that said dark and gritty nu-Battlestar Galactica is perfect and I still love it and will not be elaborating at this time thakyouverymuch)

So I certainly get the appeal of taking a break from the collector lines to enjoy something like RiD '15 or Cyberworld or Cyberverse or ActionVerse or whatever we're calling this new DC kids line. They're fun. They're corny. And this DC kids line from Mattel is really good for the price...

... but I gotta be real with you. I was looking over wave two and what I wanted and I was, for a hot minute, planning on getting all of wave two and that Batman/Mr. Freeze/Hal Jordan three pack to get both John and Hal Green Lanterns.

And I stopped myself. And asked a question.
"Do I want to collect this line in its totality?"

It's really good and surpassed my expectations but... it's still a kids line. It's still lacking a bit compared to collector oriented lines, in areas I kinda want to see Mattel crack. I'd like a full modern range of articulation. Wired cloth capes like McFarlane's been doing for years would be great. And I'm pretty confident Mattel WILL do this stuff... in their collector line in 2027.

Either that line will be scaling with McFarlane's 7 inch stuff or it'll be 6 inch (it's hard to tell because Mattel's being cagey and their new DC stuff is helmed by their WWE team, who dabble in both 6 and 7 inch scales).

If Mattel's collector stuff is 7 inch and scales with McFarlane it'll be a surgical approach to what I think Mattel does better when it comes to replacements and filling holes Todd never got to.

If Mattel's collector stuff is 6 inch and scales with their new kids stuff and Marvel Legends, then I'm going to probably start budgeting to replace the McFarlane collection (RIP, press X to pay respects).

Either way... do I want to also collect a kids centric line that offers a great value, but still comes up short on the bells and whistles that have become standard in collector lines? My wallet would appreciate it, but is it what I'd really like as someone who collects this stuff?

No. It's not. While I've gone on a journey appreciating the more cornier and goofy elements to the stuff I'm a nerd for (I've recently explored Batman: Brave and the Bold and it's a lot of fun)... I haven't really made that leap to poo-pooing collector stuff. Like... I have some Cyberworld figures. They're fun... but I'm not swearing off Generations for it.

So that's where I'm at. I can't help but notice patterns and it can be a wrought time discussing things. No one who's genuinely into kids lines and the fun they entail wants to be told it's part of a trend, because they tend to internalize that as a bad thing, when it's really not.

Still, I'll probably pick up the new Superman in wave two of this DC kids line and then hit the breaks on things until we see what Mattel has in store for the collector's line. No shade on what Mattel's been doing with the kids line, I've sung its praises plenty... but yeah. I'm still in it for the higher end stuff, even if my wallet wishes I wasn't.

But even given that, we're in an era when hot, inflammatory takes and poking people makes money, so they're gonna poke, and people will either find validation in someone with a platform echoing their gut feel, or parrot regardless. I mostly just stay away from it. Differing tastes is one thing, but when it's reductiveness with an updated lexicon ("noun+slop" now)... it's not the sort of conversation I have the energy for anymore.

Well the "noun+slop" discourse, which like you I find so tiring, is just the latest version of what I like least in the nerdsphere.

I've talked about it before, but nerd culture lost the ability to be content with "in my opinion" or "we'll agree to disagree" fifteen or so years ago.

Everyone tries to rationalize their opinions as not just their earnest opinion, but as some sort of objective "truth." Calling whatever you don't like as "thing+slop" is just an easy rage and click baity way to advertise that.

"I like this, in my opinion it's pretty neat" leaves open the possibility that someone else's contrary opinion is just as valid, so now we need hyperbole and mental gymnastics and sometimes genuine conspiracy theories to prove that our subjective opinions are objectively correct, so we can feel smug and self satisfied about holding them.
It's permeated every fandom, every level of discussion, and it's exhausting.
I caught myself falling into that trap and these days I try to pull out of it. This whole post has me saying I prefer more high end collector stuff... but I'm keenly aware it's my preference and nothing more than that.
Maybe I don't always succeed in recognizing this in myself but I am trying.

But this place is rather good at having a (mostly) level headed group of people. It's definitely calmer in here than elsewhere.

 

[lastmaximal]

People bemoan Todd for focusing on Batman and Joker, not giving other characters enough of a chance, and not representing women enough in his line but... looking at Mattel's first two waves of their new kids line?

Four Batman variants in the first two waves, two Robins short packed John Stewart, and Hal Jordan only being available in a Batman vs Mr. Freeze pack. Oh, and Jokerized figure heads and no women. It's like Todd never left!

To be fair, Todd DID focus on Batman overwhelmingly in the early going. And the more I look it up, the more that's never seemed to really go away. We've gotten Ragman and Gangbuster and Shining Knight and Ambush Bug and Frankenstein and Godspeed and Jack Knight and Justice League Freakin Task Force, but in 2026 soooo much of the slate is still Batman.

I agree with you that Todd had every reason to, and it's just the nature of the character's role in the overall franchise. Plus iirc this was coming off of a popular run that was built on versions of Batman and people did want to see toys of those. Batman SELLS, and he's a natural for being either a tentpole or a crutch depending on how one wants to view the rest of the line. (And I'm not even REALLY complaining; even if I did collect this line and so my wallet would be right in the line of fire? I love Batman and the whole Bat-Fam.)

(I also have to wonder how much of Mattel's assortment choices for this new kids' line IS following on from what's been shown to sell in previous years, taking what Todd did that worked. But that's not a counterargument; they've always relied on Batman themselves.)

But I think a big part of the sourness on that came from it being a first impression. The persistence of the view may be due to (aside from the fact that there's STILL a lot of Batman) it being repeated by people who got turned off and checked out before the line hit its stride, only having and sharing this vibe. It was promising, and usually is: the usual "fresh start" expectations of a new toyline/license holder -- especially since Todd's brand is (rightly or wrongly) built partly on "he won't just do what the corpos do" (perhaps including structuring the line around Batman and/or Superman). And with this being a new scale, the quality and level of detail on Todd's stuff was enough of a draw for people to start over, and enough that they were likely excited to build that world all over again -- only this world was, for a while, going to just be Gotham.

Even Mattel went from a DCSH line that was mostly Batman/Superman to DCUC, which opened with ONE Batman in the first wave, and an interesting crowd around him (Penguin, Etrigan, Orion, Red Tornado, build-a-Metamorpho). The Superman/Batman wells would keep being tapped for that line, but for its many faults that line was fairly consistent about balancing that with variety. The expectation at the time might have been that the McFarlane line could, and so would, go even further.

Which IT DID! But a fair bit later. The first couple of years or so were dominated by versions of a handful of characters, and for a while it was Batmen and Characters From This Movie Or Show. (I have actually been very impressed by how consistent the line was at just absorbing and integrating movie, show, and game tie-ins. If that were my line, I'd be in bliss.)

It's just one of those things that isn't and shouldn't be a dealbreaker, but is too clear and present to not say out loud? It's not so much "the line sucks because there's too much Batman", but it seems fair to say "'too much' is debatable, and I GET IT, but brother, that is a LOT of Batman."

Even given all that, all I want before it wraps is nevertheless one more Batman...

 

[lastmaximal]

and now part 2...

I can attest to that. Back in my early 20s I ate IDW's Transformers stuff up.
POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES! The Decepticons as a parallel to the Soviet revolution! Megatron echoing Lenin and Stalin and serving as a complex reminder of how revolution can lead to dictatorship! Late teen/early 20s LGI who was a history undergrad student lapped that stuff up.

And now? I think it's all a bit pretentious, isn't it? You talk to me about Transformers today and I think the greatest issue/episode/anything Transformers related is Triple Takeover. I'm serious. It's ridiculous and corny and fun and I love it.

I actually had this conversation with a friend the other day, about how we both kind of hate Boom! Studios' MMPR comics because they try to take it deadly serious with a layer of grimdark. And no, MMPR is an inherently goofy show. It's less fun if you remove that stuff.

Ehh, I enjoy both. I love being able to pick both kinds of things up now with little time in between and enjoy each. Of course I can see others kind of drifting away from it, which is fine too.

It's what I meant about generational shifting; it's not so much that we outgrow the enjoyment of the serious, ambitious, even political grounding of this stuff -- what I think we outgrow is the aversion to the light and corny. And eventually we emerge as people who see it doesn't have to be mutually exclusive, or that to enjoy the latter the former has to show much seams and wear and tear. I have enough rose-tinted glasses (except, uh, sincere) for all of it. As long as the former isn't particularly or unnecessarily hostile to the latter for tHe eDgINesS of it all.

I've tried getting into Boom MMPR (very slowly), and it's very early days so I might not have hit anything too egregious yet. But it makes sense to pursue that notion of serious character study with inner conflict and whatnot, just as it did when the fanfics I read back in the day did the same thing. It's a niche the show left unfilled (by its nature) that was and is fun to fill. And these comics have done that in a manner that (so far, in my limited reading) I find still in keeping with the tone, even while playing with some darker elements (which I believe got popular enough that maybe that taking over was what created this impression/reputation).

... but I gotta be real with you. I was looking over wave two and what I wanted and I was, for a hot minute, planning on getting all of wave two and that Batman/Mr. Freeze/Hal Jordan three pack to get both John and Hal Green Lanterns.

And I stopped myself. And asked a question.
"Do I want to collect this line in its totality?"

It's really good and surpassed my expectations but... it's still a kids line. It's still lacking a bit compared to collector oriented lines, in areas I kinda want to see Mattel crack. I'd like a full modern range of articulation. Wired cloth capes like McFarlane's been doing for years would be great. And I'm pretty confident Mattel WILL do this stuff... in their collector line in 2027.

Either that line will be scaling with McFarlane's 7 inch stuff or it'll be 6 inch (it's hard to tell because Mattel's being cagey and their new DC stuff is helmed by their WWE team, who dabble in both 6 and 7 inch scales).

Nah, I think that's totally fair and a mature perspective. It's no failing of the Mattel DC kids line for you to be self-aware enough that [1] what you're actually looking for is the Mattel DC collectors' line and [2] the current line is just scratching that itch temporarily and (again, thanks to that self-awareness) ultimately not completely successfully. Doesn't say anything bad about the Mattel DC kids line, just that you know it's not what you're ACTUALLY after right now. And that's a kind of handle on one's nature and tendencies I wish I had when I was a young warthog.

I will say I want it back at 6 inch scale. That more than anything is what has kept me away from McFarlane's otherwise right-up-my-alley stuff. The stuff I would want -- the live-action movie Batmen, the Knightfall/Knightquest and KnightsEnd Azbats -- tends to look incredible, and honestly would be simpler and cheaper to complete than existing 6"-ish alternatives. I have the MAFEX versions of just TDK Batman and Knightfall Azbats and they look great, but I've never opened the former because I'm also afraid of breaking it as it's from when MAFEX has a rep for fragility. But for some reason the 1:10 of it is just at that tipping point that makes it visually read like a 12" figure in terms of how cumbersome it might be to play with and display, and nothing else is in that scale on my shelves so it's no go. This, despite my also dabbling in Mattel's WWE stuff. (For a time I thought it was the similarly-huge box that created that impression, but I've seen some loose displays and these still "feel" unwieldy.) It's purely a me problem.

Then again those KnightsEnd ones don't look THAT much bigge- NOOOO

If Mattel goes in that direction, it'll save me a lot of money. (Then again, I'm not committed to collecting it again at all right now, so I might save myself money).

Well the "noun+slop" discourse, which like you I find so tiring, is just the latest version of what I like least in the nerdsphere.

I've talked about it before, but nerd culture lost the ability to be content with "in my opinion" or "we'll agree to disagree" fifteen or so years ago.

Everyone tries to rationalize their opinions as not just their earnest opinion, but as some sort of objective "truth." Calling whatever you don't like as "thing+slop" is just an easy rage and click baity way to advertise that.

"I like this, in my opinion it's pretty neat" leaves open the possibility that someone else's contrary opinion is just as valid, so now we need hyperbole and mental gymnastics and sometimes genuine conspiracy theories to prove that our subjective opinions are objectively correct, so we can feel smug and self satisfied about holding them.
It's permeated every fandom, every level of discussion, and it's exhausting.
I caught myself falling into that trap and these days I try to pull out of it. This whole post has me saying I prefer more high end collector stuff... but I'm keenly aware it's my preference and nothing more than that.
Maybe I don't always succeed in recognizing this in myself but I am trying.

But this place is rather good at having a (mostly) level headed group of people. It's definitely calmer in here than elsewhere.

"I'll agree to disagree" and "I like/don't like this (without speaking about whether or not you should either)" are among my favorite things I've been normalizing in my own contributions to fan discourse, along with "it's not for me". It's just... so liberating to not frame it as a debate or as having to defend it. Once in a while my distaste or disinterest for something will be intense enough that it colors my discourse and overrides these more measured, more fair statements, but I'm just too old to (want to) allocate much energy to discussions in that way.

It's also why I've largely stayed away from any discussion venues other than this one, especially in the last ten years, and have such a (fairly or unfairly) blinkered and bleak view on fandom in general. There's often just no real conversation to be had in so many circles available to me. Too often discourse is flattened and the worst is amplified, and social media engagement crap has just kept that going. Too often it's "they're overcharging for this" or "they're gouging us" instead of "this is more than I want to spend on it", and too often it's "this is a bad movie/show/toy" (with reasons purely being personal taste) instead of "I didn't like it/it's not meant for me". Take the former ones and replace them with memes that dumb down the message even more, and sprinkle in "slop" stated as fact, as well as the maddening abuse of the word "objectively" (which is next on the kill list after we rendered "literally" meaningless), and there's just nothing in that environment that would ever interest me.

I was part of a group of local fans who got kicked out of a group some guy happened to be running first in the early 2000s because we kept correcting him and opposing his weird takes, and even the new fan group that bunch founded (which has grown and thrived since entirely to their credit and work) is just not one I felt comfortable participating in. When the message board shut down I didn't seek out where they landed until years after that when I needed to sell something, and that's still almost 90% of why I'm on that Facebook group (the other 10% is buying things). Some of it's the above, and some of it's just cultural crap like "Earthspark is woke" or (only) sexualizing female characters or "wife bad, won't let me buy toys" or the punchline being porn. Or, more recently, indiscriminate sharing of AI-generated stuff, whether it's "wouldn't it be cool if they made this" or an unfunny "joke" that should never have had the hurdle of "I don't know how to draw this " removed, or some AI-written article from CBR or ScreenRant that gets all the details wrong.

This board is such a gift in that regard.

On that note, sorry to derail things, back to Batman.