DC Toy Thread

More promo images for DC Core- Wave 2 single figures and ANOTHER 3 pack. I’m still leaning on the 3 packs being some sort of retailer exclusive(s).
Wave 2 Core is Batman (black suit), Superman, Green Lantern (John Stewart), and Jokerized Batman, continuing the trend of wave 1’s Joker in including alternate faces for the rest of the wave being “Jokerized”. I will say I like the JokerBat’s weapon sprue, and I can’t wait to get it in another color.
This 3 pack is Man-Bat vs Nightwing (red) and another Hush-flavored Batman. Seems the only difference between this pack’s Batman and the Bane set is some of the color tone (Bane set might be glossy/metallic, but hard to tell from renders). I like this version a bit better, but that Man-Bat..oof. Of all the stuff I’ve seen from Mattel’s DC Core, that Man-Bat might be the worse thing I’ve seen.



Edit:
Taking a closer look at the 3 pack, I think it’s actually a 12” figure item. Both Batman and Robin lack articulation points at the elbows and knees present on Core assortment. They’re missing the same joints as other 12” figures shown, basically. Likely a Target exclusive given Target’s preference for that scale/style of figures in the past.

Steevy Maximus said:

More promo images for DC Core- Wave 2 single figures and ANOTHER 3 pack. I’m still leaning on the 3 packs being some sort of retailer exclusive(s).
Wave 2 Core is Batman (black suit), Superman, Green Lantern (John Stewart), and Jokerized Batman, continuing the trend of wave 1’s Joker in including alternate faces for the rest of the wave being “Jokerized”. I will say I like the JokerBat’s weapon sprue, and I can’t wait to get it in another color.
This 3 pack is Man-Bat vs Nightwing (red) and another Hush-flavored Batman. Seems the only difference between this pack’s Batman and the Bane set is some of the color tone (Bane set might be glossy/metallic, but hard to tell from renders). I like this version a bit better, but that Man-Bat..oof. Of all the stuff I’ve seen from Mattel’s DC Core, that Man-Bat might be the worse thing I’ve seen.

Mattel DC Core 6.5 Wave 2 Figures

Shown below are official images for the upcoming second wave of DC Core 6.5 figures from Mattel due out in late summer. Shown are figures of John Stewart Gre

toynewsi.com

Edit:
Taking a closer look at the 3 pack, I think it’s actually a 12” figure item. Both Batman and Robin lack articulation points at the elbows and knees present on Core assortment. They’re missing the same joints as other 12” figures shown, basically. Likely a Target exclusive given Target’s preference for that scale/style of figures in the past.

Click to expand...

Some of the design choices are interesting. Batman leans heavily on his Rebirth design, which is what DC tends to use as their "evergreen" Batman design these days, and it's what SpinMaster was (seemingly) kept to.

Only Superman is very much not his Rebirth design. That's a classic Supes outta the gate.

Which is a bummer because... well... it would have been nice if Batman was similarly styled.

Oh well.

LordGigaIce said:

Some of the design choices are interesting. Batman leans heavily on his Rebirth design, which is what DC tends to use as their "evergreen" Batman design these days, and it's what SpinMaster was (seemingly) kept to.

Only Superman is very much not his Rebirth design. That's a classic Supes outta the gate.

Which is a bummer because... well... it would have been nice if Batman was similarly styled.

Oh well.

Click to expand...

I’m not sure to read too much into it. I mean, I’m sure that big blockbuster film from last year featuring a very classical Superman look probably helped…but we are also getting a Nu52 Superman as a deluxe figure as well. Even with Batman, while Rebirth is well established as the “evergreen” style, we’ve already got several variants on deck, from the black to the very HUSH inspired take appearing in the multipack. I think ALL the figures will be “blended styles” for a good while. I mean, I’ve not been quiet on my dissatisfaction with the Rebirth chest sigil, especially with the packaging art showing the classic oval.

TNI shared a video from Championship Collectibles, detailing an unboxing of the initial wave’s Batman, Joker, and Batmobile

Again, like the MOTU Core line, I’m REALLY impressed with the sculpt and detail work. The accessory work is also a high point. I like how Mattel is making some serious “kid moves” with the open peg hold on the back and corresponding cut in the cape. I ESPECIALLY like how Mattel subtlety worked in peg ports on the back of the utility belt on Batman, allowing him to actually carry gear on him. Notable is that both wave 1 and 2 Batman figures also come with a “armory stand” that stores gear, that also connect. So, buy enough Batman (or similar well equipped figures, I’m sure the armory stand will come with other figures), you could create a feasible “armory wall”.
Not a fan of the thigh cut, on principle. At 4”, they become a cumbersome articulation point, but at 6”? Then you are more distinctly seeing disruption to the sculpt for something that could have been integrated into the knee joint (as seen on the MOTU core figures).

Nice design accommodation on Joker as well, with the Jokerized faces being simple clip ons, rather than complete heads. Batmobile looks nice as well. It’s just a nice, simple, Batmobile with some extra features. It’s not trying to be 3 vehicles, it doesn’t have a bunch of massive gimmicks messing with the design flow (my big complaint with the Crusader Batmobile Spin Master did). All the parts generally work together, and the launcher can even become a jet pack. It’s just a really nice package.

The first wave of Entertainment Earth’s exclusive run of Super Powers toys from McFarlane are going up on Tuesday. This wave is seemingly designed for the 90s Superman fans, featuring Cyborg Superman, Eradicator, Supergirl, and Hal Jordan (grey temples). Adding a little variety, they are joined by Powergirl and Robin (Earth-2)

Steevy Maximus said:

The first wave of Entertainment Earth’s exclusive run of Super Powers toys from McFarlane are going up on Tuesday. This wave is seemingly designed for the 90s Superman fans, featuring Cyborg Superman, Eradicator, Supergirl, and Hal Jordan (grey temples). Adding a little variety, they are joined by Powergirl and Robin (Earth-2)

McFarlane Toys x Entertainment Earth DC Super Powers Wave 1 Revealed - Pre-Order Coming May 26th

Super Powers RETURNS with pre-orders for the first wave launching this TUESDAY, MAY 26th at 12pm ET exclusively at our sponsor Entertainment Earth.Features SI

toynewsi.com

Click to expand...

Also seems like it may be trying to cash in on the Supergirl movie hype.

The McFarlane Super Powers stuff has been great. I don't even have any nostalgia for the old Kenner line, it was before my time.
But they're so well done you kinda can't help but love them.

Steevy Maximus said:

I’m not sure to read too much into it. I mean, I’m sure that big blockbuster film from last year featuring a very classical Superman look probably helped…but we are also getting a Nu52 Superman as a deluxe figure as well. Even with Batman, while Rebirth is well established as the “evergreen” style, we’ve already got several variants on deck, from the black to the very HUSH inspired take appearing in the multipack. I think ALL the figures will be “blended styles” for a good while. I mean, I’ve not been quiet on my dissatisfaction with the Rebirth chest sigil, especially with the packaging art showing the classic oval.

Click to expand...

If I had to guess, the blended Evergreen stuff will remain in the kids centric line while the collector stuff next year gets more comic/movie/show specific designs.

McFarlane was good about getting into the off the wall variations that likely wouldn't ever figures otherwise like Endless Winter, Last Knight on Earth, etc... and I don't see Mattel doing that sort of thing.

But I can see Mattel leaning into "Hush Batman" and "90s mullet Superman" once they get to the collector stuff.

The downside is that Todd's been working on this stuff since 2020 and he's gotten most of the obvious figures out of the way. He's really been hitting some cool deep cuts down the stretch with his DC contract, and it will be a bit of a bummer that Mattel will go back to "here's the Flash and Green Lantern" from go.

It's unavoidable but like... I won't be holding my breath for a Mattel Ragman or Jonah Hex anytime soon.

The extent of nostalgia I have for Super Powers comes from the fact that Kenner maintained the general scale/style when they started doing the Batman lines in the 90s.

My comment to the Core stuff was more along the line of “within the confines of their sculpt, I don’t view many variations off the table”. Mattel could do a mullet Superman, but it isn’t a drastic change to the overall look of the figure and isn’t a tremendous tooling investment (relative to how many times they might be able to use it). Now, will they be exact reproductions of the original design/artwork? No, we already see the Batman figures all use the same style of utility belt when the different sources didn’t (Notably, HUSH Batman sports a pouch belt design rather than the classic capsule look being used here). But that’s where the collector line would come in. For us cheap bastards, this Bane 3 pack is perfectly serviceable representation of modern Nightwing, modern/HUSH Batman, and classic Bane design. And won’t cost as much as the collector versions will.

I think the collector line is going to be highly dependent on if Mattel can justify it with character selection and the quality of the product. Good thing for them, thus far, is that the Absolute imprint seems to be doing well, and that has MANY Classic characters to pull from. I know they could launch with a nice, deluxe, Absolute Batman and it would probably sell out on its own. While McFarlane has hit a lot of low hanging fruit…from their wrestling product, Mattel could win out on accessories and figure quality.


Also, I saw a Facebook post saying that DC Core Wave 1 is cropping up stateside, and someone found them at a Target…except Target wouldn’t sell them before May 31. Leading credence to your (LG’s) postulation on the license agreement. Might also be why some Walmart’s haven’t put out stuff since May 31 is launch day for new Spider-Man stuff as well. Instead of rolling modular changes, Walmart might just be like “let’s wait until after Memorial Day, sell some of this junk, and then roll out a new set for all the new toys“.
Besides Mattel’s initial DC offerings, there’s also Spider-Man Brand New Day, Masters of the Universe, Mininions and Monsters, and Toy Story 5 merch that many Walmarts are not carrying at the moment.

Steevy Maximus said:

The extent of nostalgia I have for Super Powers comes from the fact that Kenner maintained the general scale/style when they started doing the Batman lines in the 90s.

Click to expand...

I remember taking something back that broke that I got for Christmas or a birthday present or something, I don't remember the circumstances. I just remember the pickings being slim, and I decided on Super Powers Batman, since it looked like he was the same size as my GI Joes.

He was not the same size as my GI Joes.

In Demand Toys has posted package shots for 2 of the new battlepacks that were leaked several days ago: Batman and Hal Jordan vs Mr Freeze and the Killer Croc vs Batman sets. In addition to some sharp looking packaging, the biggest revelation on the Mr Freeze set is that the figures sport reactive plastic/paint and will change color with ambient temperature, a novel play feature the likes of which we rarely see anymore on these legacy brand products. And like with most of this line, REALLY well accessorized across the board. Can’t wait to see more of the Clayface pack, and his “evergreen” Rebirth Batman (He’s black and grey and he’s got a new belt!).

Steevy Maximus said:

In Demand Toys has posted package shots for 2 of the new battlepacks that were leaked several days ago: Batman and Hal Jordan vs Mr Freeze and the Killer Croc vs Batman sets. In addition to some sharp looking packaging, the biggest revelation on the Mr Freeze set is that the figures sport reactive plastic/paint and will change color with ambient temperature, a novel play feature the likes of which we rarely see anymore on these legacy brand products. And like with most of this line, REALLY well accessorized across the board. Can’t wait to see more of the Clayface pack, and his “evergreen” Rebirth Batman (He’s black and grey and he’s got a new belt!).

Package Images: Mattel DC Core 6-inch Batman vs Killer Croc 2-Pack and Batman, Green Lantern vs Mr. Freeze 3-Pack

Shown below via InDemandToys are some packaged looks at the new DC Core 6-inch Batman vs Killer Croc 2-Pack and Batman, Green Lantern vs Mr. Freeze 3-Pack fro

toynewsi.com

Click to expand...

I do find it funny that Hal is only available with a Batman vs Mr. Freeze pack.

BATMAN MOVES MERCH isn't just a McFarlane thing

LordGigaIce said:

Click to expand...

"I fight crime, for the good citizens of Gotham!"

"And I offer them these little candies with a hot cinnamon kick to them!"

"We are not the same."

LBD "Nytetrayn" said:

"I fight crime, for the good citizens of Gotham!"

"And I offer them these little candies with a hot cinnamon kick to them!"

"We are not the same."

Click to expand...

FU-SION!

So I picked up wave one of Mattel's new DC kids line...

Overall thoughts is that they're on par with Hasbro's ActionVerse stuff they've been doing with Star Wars and Marvel. Those are $10 a pop, these Mattel DC figures are $13 a pop, but the Mattel stuff scales to six inches while Hasbro's is four, so it evens out in the end.

Articulation is good for a kids line, but not where collector lines are. So no ankle joints, torso articulation is limited to a waist swivel, and elbows are single jointed. Again, perfectly fine with a kids line. But I've been seeing people talking about putting these with their Marvel Legends... and while they will scale with those nicely, they are not at ML's level in terms of articulation. We have to wait for 2027 to see what Mattel has cooked up for that.

Like Hasbro's ActionVese stuff, these come with weapons sprees. Unlike Hasbro's ActionVerse stuff, however, not everyone gets racks. Of this four figure first wave, only Batman and Robin have weapons racks. So Joker and Flash's weapons, once free, don't have anywhere to go. Batman and Robin also have weapons storage on their belts, which Joker and Flash also lack.

QC is mostly solid. Paint is simple but crisp, though it's sloppy in a few places. Joints are all solid, but the knees are a bit gummy, which is odd, seeing as they're pinless. Joker needed a figure stand to stand while holding his missile launcher. Still, all in all, the QC is reliable.

The "gimmick" of wave one is that Joker comes with Jokerized heads for Batman, Robin, and Flash. Well... they're not "heads" so much as they are half a face shell that slides over the main head of the respective figure. It's still neat though.











Mattel's new Batman with their Batman S3 mould from years ago...

LordGigaIce said:

Click to expand...

"HEY! WHO TURNED OUT THE LIGHTS?! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! I AM THE NIGHT!!!"

I remain completely enamored with the decision to add storage pegs to the back of the Caped Crusader figures. It’s such a simple addition that, legitimately, elevates the product.

I would also argue that, despite the extra $3, I think Mattel did an overall better job. I still got my nitpicks, but for $13 (and apt to drop this holiday season), the cleanliness of the sculpts, the perfunctory range of articulation, the well integrated accessories…I legit find it hard to find much reason to fuss about the collector segment.

Steevy Maximus said:

I remain completely enamored with the decision to add storage pegs to the back of the Caped Crusader figures. It’s such a simple addition that, legitimately, elevates the product.

I would also argue that, despite the extra $3, I think Mattel did an overall better job. I still got my nitpicks, but for $13 (and apt to drop this holiday season), the cleanliness of the sculpts, the perfunctory range of articulation, the well integrated accessories…I legit find it hard to find much reason to fuss about the collector segment.

Click to expand...

The biggest issues I have with them are...

Not everyone gets a weapons rack. While it makes sense for only Batman and Robin to have weapons storage on their belts, I see no reason why Joker and Flash couldn't come with racks as well. All four come with weapons sprees, so Joker and Flash's weapons are just sort of loose once you free them.

Gummy joints. All of their knees are varying degrees of gumminess. Which is impressive(?) as they're pinless. It's not so bad to render the figures unusable, but it is worth mentioning. Joker has it the worst, and I needed a figure stand to keep him upright when I gave him his missile launcher. Again, not the end of the world, but worth mentioning.

Some spotty QC. My Flash has some paint slop on his belt, and my Robin has some dried glue globs on his cape. Relatively minor, but again, if we're being thorough...

Steevy Maximus said:

I legit find it hard to find much reason to fuss about the collector segment.

Click to expand...

Eh, it's worth keeping in mind. The biggest knock on McFarlane's DC stuff was that it was seven inch scale as opposed to six, which made mixing with Marvel Legends difficult.

I'm pretty sure Mattel's collector stuff in 2027 will be six inch scale, but for now we have their kids stuff which is also six inch scale. I've seen a lot of chatter in the DC collector space about how people are excited to get ahold of the DC kids stuff because they'll scale with ML, the first DC figures to do that since 2019.

But the issue is that Marvel Legends is a collector oriented line with articulation to match. These scale with ML pretty well, but you will notice drawbacks in articulation when you start messing with them side by side.

It doesn't bother me any, I think Mattel's worked in a great amount of articulation for a kid's line that goes for under $15 a pop. There's a lot of value here...

... but you and I both know you will have some fanboys whinging about a lack of ab crunch or single jointed elbows.

So it's worthwhile to be thorough and go "these were never meant to have a full range of articulation" and manage expectations.

My expectations were surpassed, however. Mattel's last run with DC was pretty bad and put me off of DC collecting just due to how bad it was.
Clearly, however, they've managed to grow as a company. This kids line is a blast, and a great value.

If this is how good the kids stuff is, well... I'm very excited to see what they do going forward.

LordGigaIce said:

The biggest issues I have with them are...

Not everyone gets a weapons rack. While it makes sense for only Batman and Robin to have weapons storage on their belts, I see no reason why Joker and Flash couldn't come with racks as well. All four come with weapons sprees, so Joker and Flash's weapons are just sort of loose once you free them.

Gummy joints. All of their knees are varying degrees of gumminess. Which is impressive(?) as they're pinless. It's not so bad to render the figures unusable, but it is worth mentioning. Joker has it the worst, and I needed a figure stand to keep him upright when I gave him his missile launcher. Again, not the end of the world, but worth mentioning.

Some spotty QC. My Flash has some paint slop on his belt, and my Robin has some dried glue globs on his cape. Relatively minor, but again, if we're being thorough...


Eh, it's worth keeping in mind. The biggest knock on McFarlane's DC stuff was that it was seven inch scale as opposed to six, which made mixing with Marvel Legends difficult.

I'm pretty sure Mattel's collector stuff in 2027 will be six inch scale, but for now we have their kids stuff which is also six inch scale. I've seen a lot of chatter in the DC collector space about how people are excited to get ahold of the DC kids stuff because they'll scale with ML, the first DC figures to do that since 2019.

But the issue is that Marvel Legends is a collector oriented line with articulation to match. These scale with ML pretty well, but you will notice drawbacks in articulation when you start messing with them side by side.

It doesn't bother me any, I think Mattel's worked in a great amount of articulation for a kid's line that goes for under $15 a pop. There's a lot of value here...

... but you and I both know you will have some fanboys whinging about a lack of ab crunch or single jointed elbows.

So it's worthwhile to be thorough and go "these were never meant to have a full range of articulation" and manage expectations.

My expectations were surpassed, however. Mattel's last run with DC was pretty bad and put me off of DC collecting just due to how bad it was.
Clearly, however, they've managed to grow as a company. This kids line is a blast, and a great value.

If this is how good the kids stuff is, well... I'm very excited to see what they do going forward.

Click to expand...

I wonder if the reason Batman and Robin get the weapon racks is because they have so many extras? With many of the other figures, most of the figures can handle a majority of the accessories “on person”. Could also be that Mattel expects the Bat-family to sell more and included the racks with them to ensure kids got them. Or maybe just a “cost spread” deal since Joker got that projectile launcher while Flash gets hardly anything?

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, but…
Hasbro’s Kid Centric offerings the past 5-7 years? It’s been pretty crap. Lackluster character selections, inconsistent scales and styles, and just…mediocre…product across the board. I mean, hell, you could distill the “major” characters of TF One down to just SIX CHARACTERS…and Hasbro STILL didn’t make Prime Changer versions of Elita One or Megatron. They only made ONE sub-Deluxe toy of Mirage in Rise of the Beasts…despite him being in the film MORE than Bumblebee! And Marvel and Star Wars have arguably been even worse (enjoy your FOUR ActionVerse figures for Spider-Man: BND. Just don’t expect Tarantula, The Hand, Tombstone or Boomerang to get figures).
It’s like Hasbro forgot how, or refuses to make, just solid toys for all ages. If it isn’t MTG or collector grade figures? You aren’t going to get a solid experience.

I don’t know what happened 7 years ago, but Mattel got some great people making solid TOYS for ALL AGES again. Between the REALLY strong MOTU Core segment and the DC Core segment? I think Mattel is hitting out of the park for traditional low cost/high value action figures.


That big ramble over…some details for those looking for the newly launched DC line from Mattel:
From Entertainment Earth, the line is OFFICIALLY called “DC Premiere”, though Target (and likely other retailers) systems still refer to them as “DC Core”. Wave 1 is officially out, with all retailers starting to sell wave 1 basic, wave 1 deluxe/feature, the Batarang roleplay, 12” Wave 1, Robin with Cycle, and Batmobile. Wave 2 basic and the 12” 3 pack is due in September-ish, while EE has the Batman vs Clayface battle pack slated for November.
Be aware that the retail cases are heavily skewed towards the “heavy hitters”. But at least Mattel has improved distribution so it should be easier to get anything online you might miss.

I’m a bit surprised to see the deluxe figures be so pricey at $25…but they DO offer more features than the MOTU feature figures. I’m surprised the 12” figure 3 pack is open order, I would have SWORN it would have ended up a retailer exclusive. I’m still hoping the Bane 3 pack is easily available. The Clayface set looks pretty solid. You lose out on accessories relative to the upcoming Killer Croc set…but Clayface is nice and BIG. Kind of similar to the feature figures, where Batman trades accessories for size.