EDIT: Okay, we know it has been a long time, but we wanted to share a couple of new pictures with those that have seen this article before and introduce the Retrospective to those that might have missed it before.
So the Four Horsemen DC line will be sunsetting at the end of the year, and while I am still sad about that, it is good to take a moment to celebrate what we do have. It seems like it is really fashionable for some to hate on this line now that it is coming to an end, but whatever, if that is how some people want to spend their spare time on the internet, well, it is not anything new. A few weeks back, Toy Guru and the DC team at Mattel asked me if I would take a new “full line” picture like I had been doing during the retail years. I was able to put everyone from the DC Infinite series that I had at the time to take this picture, so here is the Matty Collector group, complete save from Damien Wayne Robin. 
Well, it didn’t seem right to take a full picture with just a few character missing, so I got a chance to take a new, full shot with all of the unique characters and important variants. Now, that meant that I would incorporate some of the upcoming figures in their prototype form, so it was really cool bring able to have those included. Guys like Mr. Myxy and Damien are important to the collection, I have to say that I much prefer the upcoming Super Powers Superman and Wonder Woman figures over those that have come int he past. So, here is the collection at the end of all things (at least for now). It does not include EVERY figure (I just don’t have the place to stage that) so there are some paint variants left out, but this is pretty much everything, so enjoy! 8 years of awesome, this line will certainly be missed. 
END UPDATE. Oh man. Oh man, I really did not want to do this. I mean I really, REALLY did not want to do this. Even though you know that some things are a certainty in life, it is common to not really grapple with those unwanted turns of reality until you absolutely have to. Especially when it comes to writing a eulogy, er, I mean, retrospective. Yeah, I know this is an article about a toy line so calling it a eulogy seems like implementing a little drama just for the sake of doing so, but toy line or no, it can be really difficult to say goodbye to a friend, especially when you have been through so much. I realize that we have had about six months to consider the reality of DC Universe Classics coming to a close, and in all that time I could have cobbled together a “broadcast ready” obituary written in advance like so many media outlets do for state dignitaries or frail celebrities, but I just could not bring myself to do it. I know a part of it was obvious in that I did not really want to admit that the line that I have been with since before it was actually a line was running out of time, but I think an equal share of reason goes to the fact that I just did not know how I would feel six months ago when the time had finally come. Yeah, I know, we will still be getting Mattel six inch DC action figures sculpted by the Four Horsemen through various other executions, but the grandpappy of all DC Collector lines will formally bid adieu with the release of Series 20. Putting those last few figures on the shelf ushers in a new age, but it also means we have to say farewell to the Classics. I will just put it out there that this article had the potential to be huge. I mean, not just thorough, but gratuitous. When I started thinking about the line and all of the memories that I keep, there are a lot. Most of them are good, and are about the toys themselves, but there are also the requisite struggles, online wars and love fests, politics, armchair line managing and so on. Through all that though, looking back in hindsight helps me remember that collecting action figures is my hobby and I love it very much, so despite the struggles (no line is without them), I am ultimately at peace and very satisfied with what DCUC has brought us over its four year run. Sure, I am a fan boy and I always want more and I am still a little raw that the line is ending (or perhaps transitioning) when there is still a lot of work to be done, but ultimately it fair to consider what we have rather than what we don’t. I have always been a glass half full kind of guy. Even as I write this, I feel pretty unfocused. Trying to lay out the line’s entire history, as well as my own personal memories and involvement is a large task. I know the things that stand out in my memory, but just talking to a few people about laying this all out reminds me that every collector’s experience with an action figure line is unique and instead of going grandiose and try to account for EVERYTHING, I think that ultimately I have to go smaller. I think I have always been more comfortable being anecdotal rather than a meticulous historian, so I think that just sharing some pieces here and there is more appropriate. At the very least, maybe I can touch on some things that make for important memories for me and those will spark you to recall your own personal thoughts about some of the particulars of the line. But even still, where to begin? How to organize such large breadth of reveals, convention news, collector reaction and so on can be painstaking and has the potential to get ridiculously tangential if you are not careful. So here it is, as straight forward as I can make it – I have some memories about the line overall but since the accompanying pictures are much more organized I think that just saying a couple of things about each picture will help focus the flow and hopefully make for an enjoyable read. Luckily, I have some help from my friends and much of the Fwoosh staff will also be chiming in to share some thoughts and stories about the line. So, are you ready? Here goes.
DC Universe Classics was a line that was not thrust upon the collector community “cold”. When Mattel originally secured the DC license they were restricted characters that belonged to the Superman and Batman family. Right away the leapt into the universe of the latter and since they already had the uncompromisingly talented Four Horsemen working on their Masters of the Universe offerings, the ground work for the future was already being laid with the Batman line, even if we did not realize it at the time. It is funny, thinking about the history of any line makes me think about the history of the Fwoosh itself. The site started off primarily as a place to discuss and display customs and chat about “super poseable” action figures. Well, that was well and good for Marvel fans right from the get go, but for those of us that love the DCU, the days before about 2006 were quiet times. Prodigy, DisThunder, some other fine DC stalwarts and I tried to make conversation about DC Direct offerings and what figures from the Batman line were “collector friendly”; but most of the topics were devoted to wishing for DC figures that could match the detail and articulation of our Marvel figures and how we could cobble our own together with parts from any line we could think of. And so it went for a long time. I remember the first DC wish list I put together with names that seemed so impossible at the time for Mattel to make – Green Arrow, Captain Cold, Aquaman, and of course, the Blue Beetle. For guys like that, I would still be waiting, but 2006 would start to bring some progress.
DC Superheroes
Progress came in the form of DC Superheroes. Yeah, even though that line would be limited to the Super Bats families, seeing those first figures on display at SDCC 2005 was like a dream come true. Finally, the Horsemen would be getting a chance to flex their sculpting muscles on DC characters that were aimed directly at the collector community. I think I stared at that first Superman on the Daily Planet roof top base (shame those bases never happened) for three weeks straight. It took some time to get rolling, but by early 2006 we were getting figures of DC characters with fantastic sculpts and great articulation for the first time. It is a wonder that I still have so many of them displayed in my collection and how they have held up so well. Sure, DCUC would bring even better improvement to some of them, but guys like Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, Two-Face, Clayface, Mongul, etc still stand out. Many collectors started to get excited about the possibilities and the DC forum here at the Fwoosh started to grow more and more each day. Ubiquitous comments about how Batman and Darkseid were great were constantly tempered by longing for an entire universe of possibilities. Lots of us held out hope while others remained grounded that we would have some amazing Batman and Superman characters, but nothing more since Mattel did not have the rights to hit guys even as crucial as the Flash, GL and Wonder Woman. But so it went, and we trudged on. As 2006 came to a close we were all searching for our Lex Luthors and Darkseids and Monguls, but we were already in Toy Fair mode, just hoping that there would be some news that would come along that we might get some expansion. Looking back on it now, this was the one of the toughest times I have ever had as a collector because it was right about the end of that year when I got a little tip-off. Well, not little. I had heard that the deal we had all been dreaming of was now done: Mattel had the rights to the DC Universe. I really did not know what to think at first as my mind raced for several weeks straight, but I knew that it was true given the source and I had some names to back it up. Yup, somehow, someway Orion, Metamorpho and Red Tornado would all have a hand in launching the next chapter in DC action figures. I was so giddy I could hardly contain myself. I was praying for a Toy Fair reveal, a reveal that did not happen. Sitting on that for a good seven months was torturous, but fortunately in early 2007 a shadowy picture of the outline of what appeared to be Red Tornado was given to the online community. Speculation kicked into overdrive and the DC forum had no idea what it was about to become. “I think it is Red Tornado!” “No, it can’t be! Mattel does not have the rights!” On and on it went until finally, SDCC 2007 came and it was confirmed to a tense but electrified meeting room in downtown San Diego – DC Universe Classics – with entire universe (well, almost) was going to happen and we would be getting Collect and Connect (build a figures) figures for the oversized guys. Full blown looks at Penguin, Etrigan, Classic Detective Batman and Red Tornado, Metamorpho and Orion were presented and there were many a Fwoosh crashes that July. Plus a peek at some very recognizable chests – yup, series two would feature Aquaman, Black Manta, Firestorm, Harley and Superman Blue. From there on out, it was all history. So, here is your DC Universe Classics collection, completely with supporting lines like Batman Legacy and Green Lantern Classics, with some thoughts about each of the series. Putting it all out like this still makes me gape at the sheer volume of toys that we have gotten, and I can tell you that assembling them all for a feature like this drives home just how expansive my DC collection has become.
Series 1 was supposed to hit in early 2008, but everyone knew that Mattel would try to get the figures out in time for the 2007 holiday rush. I don’t remember exactly when the first pictures were posted online, but I know that I had my set in my grubby paws on December 27th 2007. I did not even have to look that up, I noted the date at the time and I have never forgotten it. I was never a huge DC Direct collector, I just got the figures that I could not do without since the articulation was always very lacking in my opinion, so I was holding my very first ever Etrigan and Metamorpho figures, along with the best versions of the rest of them, for the first time. I was hooked before the line even hit, but now I was in it for the long haul and I made the commitment that this would be the first toy line ever that I would be a 100% completist with, and I held through. Metamorpho (or Rex Mason as they had to call him) was not the biggest character they could have chosen for their first C&C, but he is certainly impressive of sculpt and I had my Orion figure. For a long time fan of the Fourth World, that was huge.
DC Universe Classics Series 1
I remember that when series 2 was supposed to hit retail, a lot of fans were nervous about being able to find the series due to a lingering glut of series one. Now, that isn’t to say that the supply of series one didn’t eventually burn off, but series two entered the market amongst a touch angst. While I very much enjoyed series one, the second series really started to hit home on some of those big heavy-hitters that were previously off limits. Aquaman was a huge deal for me and while the chatter online would have you believe that the classic version was produced in smaller numbers than the modern, I think that he was just that much more demanded so he went fast. As it stands, he is still one of my favorite figures in the line. Firestorm had a bit a story as well, and I remember when the first Ronnie Raymond head was shown, most fans were put off my the screaming expression. Luckily the Horsemen still had time to put together a great new head in time for production and the rest was history. Series two also brought our first big C&C figure in Gorilla Grodd, complete with monkey brain, um, thingees.
DC Universe Classics Series 2
Series 3 actually came along in fairly timely fashion. Even though I was a great fan of Aquaman in series two, series three was going to bring me Hal Jordan (at last) and a pitch perfect Deathstroke. Sure, it was great to get Nightwing, Robin and Solomon Grundy, but man alive, I could not believe I was getting Slade in such quick and such perfect fashion. To this day, several years later, I still have a figure of him right at my desk; he really represents what this line is all about to me. Now, I know we are all feeling a bit a fatigue for all things Green Lantern related, and the Hal Jordan sculpt has seen near countless iterations since series three, but he was also a dream to get. Sinestro, in both his forms, brought the most discussion though and an error in production made him very, very undersized. I am not sure if anyone was satisfied with either the standard or Corps version, but Mattel promised to make it right at one point. It took some time, but it eventually paid off.
DC Universe Classics Series 3
After series three there was a bit of release lull before series four hit the market. Thankfully, we had a certain largish comic convention in southern California that would feature our first ever DCUC exclusive: Lobo. Yup, the Main Man himself had long been a hot button character. See, for the longest time, DC did not want to see Lobo in a toy line on retail shelves thanks to his less than savory attitude and history. It spanned across all of the Mattel lines, but they finally got him in plastic in the form of SDCC 2008 exclusive. The design was based off of the upcoming Despero base, so many fans found him to be a bit too tall, but Lobo being the big badass that he is, I don’t think anyone was willing to tell him to his face. Oh, DAWG included.
SDCC 2008 Lobo (and Dawg)
Like I said, series 4 was met with a bit of delay and the hubbub from comic con had started to die down before the series hit shelves. I remember when Wonder Woman was shown at NY Toy Fair earlier in the year, I was really afraid that she would not come through production just right and that it would be an absolute crime if the first lady of the DCU wasn’t just right. Fortunately, all was good in the universe. This was also the first wave where we got our first taste of multiple variants, and really, Ares was the only figure that did not feature some variation. In fact, Batman Beyond (do I dare speak the name?) and Cyborg saw variations that were featured in the now-defunct Kay Bee toy store. Captain Atom brought the first Charleton love, but some quality issues started to seep in as well, and that caused some ruckus. But nothing could have prepared us for what was coming next…
DC Universe Classics Series 4
Yup, series 5 was here, kinda. I know in the past year we have seen the Rainbow Lanterns and Superfriends, but I don’t think there has been a series since five that was hammered over and over again with fan dissatisfaction. It wasn’t due to the character selection, the Riddler, Aton, Black Lightning (modern), Eradicator, Amazo and Metallo were all solid choices, but the way there were released caused fan boy vitriol like never yet seen in this line. See, while series four had a couple of figures that were a retailer exclusive, series five was DCUC’s first foray into a full-blown retailer exclusive. Yeah… Wal-Mart gets what Wal-Mart wants, and they knew that DCUC was a bona-fide and they wanted their own exclusive piece of the pie. The problem was, they low-balled the demand of this collector line and the fans gave them the what-for for it. Indeed, this series was harder to find than Ray Palmer himself in micro form and fans from all over the world expressed their dissatisfaction. To Mattel’s credit, they heard the cries and series five was rereleased on Matty Collector some time later, but lessons were learned on all fronts, and the next time the Wal had their own series, numbers were closer to being correct with demand.
DC Universe Classics Series 5
Before the next series hit, Toys R Us had a few two-packs that were exclusive to their shelves, mostly in the form of rereleased DC Superheroes figures, but we also got a few new characters. The standout sets featured a Hal Jordan (certainly not the last time we saw him) in his original uniform and an exclusive Abin Sur. The real treat for me though was the Lightray and Orion pack. Lightray! Heck yes! I could not believe he was getting a spot in the line and he came with a new and improved Orion whose helmet was now removable. I knew I wanted (still want) as many Fourth World characters as possible in this line, and this really started getting the Kirby love percolating.
DCUC 2008 Two-Packs
Finally, series 6 closed out the first year of DCUC and after the series five madness, it was a bit of return to normalcy. I loved seeing this series come to shelves for a lot of reasons. Hawkman was probably one of the best figures released in the line so far (and much demanded), and Killer Moth (!) showed us that there was really not any character that was completely off-limits in terms of obscurity. Mr. Miracle and the one-shot Dr. Impossible were also released and I love how Scott had a little clip on the back of his belt to hold his Mother Box. Kalibak was the C&C and probably my favorite offering, but I LOVED that Shazam was making his debut. The main reason was because he was Cornboy’s (of the Four Horsemen) favorite character and he was finally getting him. I love it when I hear stories about how favorite characters were coming in the line, and I knew I would be getting my turn soon.
DC Universe Classics Series 6
In the first Fwoosh Staff thought, Ibentmyman-thing chimes in with a letter written directly to the line. We will continue the history on the next page, right after the break. Dear DCUC, It’s been a long time since that first time our eyes locked across a crowded wal-mart. We started out from two different worlds…me, a normal guy from some normal Earth in a normal universe living a normal life, you from a variety of different Earths in a vast multiverse full of spandex, super powers and aliens. Sure, when I first saw you I wasn’t immediately enthralled. I didn’t want another toyline. My hands were full trying to juggle too many other toylines, and I just didn’t think I could fit you in. Don’t get me wrong, I thought you looked fine, and you had great character, but we were in two different places. Hell, you were going by a slightly different name. But I kept thinking about you. Every time I went back to wal-mart, I walked past you. I tried not to look, but I couldn’t help myself. It was like being knee deep in some opium-induced fugue, unable to stop myself while filled with self-loathing. I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. Not another line. But then I did. It was total impulse. I told myself I’d stop at one. Just one. I had to know. And don’t think yourself innocent in all this. The way you teased me, the way you provocatively posed in those packages. No. This wasn’t just me. You’re every bit to blame. When I took you out of your package, that first one that first time, and took liberties with you…well, that was the end, wasn’t it? Yeah. That was where it all started. I should have known. I know how weak I can be. See, I’m a man that indulges his appetites. You know what they say: you only live once. Well, on my earth that’s true. On yours you die and come back and then die again only to be brought back by editorial edict and then you’re rebooted so you never died in the first place. It’s a complicated love. But it was ours. And it was like licking fire. I had tasted that sweet sweet nectar of a fully poseable DC action figure. I wanted more. And what I want, I must possess. But I had been through it before…and it never ended well. These things always end. It’s inevitable, I guess. Toylines are such fickle things; flighty, plastic, with occasional stuck crotches. Entropy would claim this one too. But I held on. I kept the embers burning while others gave up. Because none of the others had treated me like this. Nobody else did what you did. You did the freaky stuff…you know…where it counted. Oh, sure, there’s always going to be a problem that pops up here and there, a little spat, you’d be hard to find sometimes, others I’d find you but you’d have mismatched legs, but yeah, you were the one that got me a Killer Moth. You brought a little Jemm into my life. I’ve got Earth 3 Luthor because of you. Yeah…that was hot. And the Hex. Can’t forget about the Hex. I told myself it made the inevitable worth it. But now the inevitable’s arrived, sooner than I thought. I wish I could be angry. I wish I could be bitter, as bitter as you seem to want me to be, but I can’t. We had some good times, kid. We gave it a real good go. And even though we won’t be the way we were–I’ll be older and wiser, you’ll be more expensive and only come once a month—this isn’t really a goodbye. Not for good. But it feels like it. Change is a death. But I think there’s a small part of both of us that will think back on how things were with fondness. I know I will. I would hope you would too. You’ve left little pieces of yourself behind or me to remember you by. I’m going to hold on to them. I’m going to keep them stored on a shelf or in a plastic box. And I’ll pull them out occasionally, and think about our time together. So I won’t say goodbye, DCUC. I’ll just mourn the death of something good, and cling to the scraps of hope that the one that takes your place can fill that void you’ve left. Because I’ve still got needs, DCUC. And they won’t end just because you left. Warmest regards, Benty. A fan.
DC Universe Classics – The Class of 2008 (photo taken in 2008)
Well, DCUC was pretty much hitting on all cylinders heading into the second year. Since the line had sparked success at retail, Mattel started to bring other executions to the line. Matty Collector was announced the previous July and DCUC got a regular release avenue right from the get go in the form of collector two-packs. Since these would be online exclusives, the need for “mom and kid” recognition was not as important here as it was with the main line. I personally feel that the packs got progressively better as they went on, even though the execution itself was not deemed successful enough to carry over past one year. The first set included modern takes on Starfire and Adam Strange, which, due to a previous storyline was a viable pack. The reaction to the versions (and the overall reception to Starfire’s execution) was met with lukewarm response and the second pack, featuring the classic Ultraman and Alex Luthor, caused collectors to be impressed with the obscurity, but at the same time left many questioning the demand. Either way, the sets really picked up with the Color of Fear set which included Sinestro Corps members Romat-Ru and Karu-Sil, and then closed out with my personal favorite pairing of B’wana Beast and Animal Man. I adore both of those characters but they were also executed very well. I mean, how can you not love figures of Animal Man and B’wana Beast? I personally think that if the latter two sets would have been released first, the line would have carried over into another year. It would take quite a bit of time until Matty-exclusive DCUC product would return, but starting in 2012 the site will be our saving grace.
DC Universe Classics Matty Collector Two-Packs
Okay, so there are A LOT of reasons why 2009 was my favorite year overall for DCUC, but the main reason for this came in series 7 in the form of the best figure of my most favorite comic character of all time: the Blue Beetle. Yeah, selfishly speaking, he was the number one thing I needed DCUC to accomplish when the line was announced. The back half of 2007 was a stressful time for because although DCUC had been announced at Comic Con, it was also rumored that the Charleton stable (notably Blue Beetle, Captain Atom and the Question) was included in the deal. Well, fortunately that all changed in early 2008 and my waiting game began. I was thrilled that Captain Atom was being released in series four, but he still taunted me, I needed my Ted Kord figure. Well, one my best memories from the entire line came in the form of a completely innocent email sent to me just a few days before Comic Con. Toy Guru was nice enough to give The Fwoosh a sneak peek what was going to be offered for show at SDCC 2008 and it came in the form of a picture of Ted’s backside. I remember opening that email at work and shouting with joy in my office. I know, lame. But I had been waiting for this figure my entire life and he was finally coming in early 2009. Series seven was the first series of 2009, but also the first series where the release pattern moved from five figures to seven. I don’t think anyone complained about this (at least not for very long) because the community was ready for as many new figures as possible as quickly as we could get them. Ted’s hetero life-mate Booster Gold also featured in the series, along with robot companion Skeets and even a hidden Mister Mind. Barry Allen Flashed showed that Mattel was set on staggering the release of the heavy-hitters in order to help keep the line fresh and he was accompanied by the only version of Wally West we have gotten so far, Kid Flash. Oh, and just to make sure Barry didn’t get too cocky, the first Rogue was also released in form of Captain Cold. Is it awesome or weird (or both?) of me to vow to own every version of Captain Cold ever created in action figure form? I love him. The JLA and Titans were expanding but so were my beloved New Gods with Miracle wife Big Barda and the Justice Society FINALLY got kick-started with the release of the Atom Smasher Collect & Connect. This was really the first C&C where many fans started to demand an increase in stature, something that remains to this day. I still think this might be my favorite assortment of DCUC even to this day, or at the very least in the top three. There have been some standout assortments (many more than lackluster) but for my personal character selection, this one hit on so many notes. I supposed having a hard time picking a favorite assortment is a good problem to have. I will say this though, series seven was the cement that made me realize that I was probably collecting my favorite line of my adult life. Yeah, Ted Kord and Krew are pretty major.
DC Universe Classics Series 7
If Atom Smasher quietly ushered in the JSA to DCUC, series 8 opened the floodgates. Heck yes! Don’t get me wrong, I love the Justice League, but if you are talking about my favorite superhero super team, you better believe that this collector’s preferences were brought to you by the letter “S”, not the letter “L”. Doctors Fate, Mr. Terrific and, arguably, Commander Steel and Hawkgirl all took angry loner Atom Smasher and built an instant team around him. Now, I would be remiss in saying that I am both relieved that Jay Garrick is FINALLY coming onto the scene early this year and also annoyed that there are still, even to this day, some very notable JSA members still missing completely. However, I can keep what I have and what I don’t as two separate issues and I am thrilled with JSA we have been able to assemble thus far and series eight started the deluge in high fashion. Oh, did I mention that the first real DCUC army builder was also a part of this series? Yup, the Parademon saw both his classic and Super Powers forms added to the mix and I think I currently own about ten of each. Vigilante and Gentleman FREAKIN’ Ghost gave us a couple of bona-fide universe builders and Giganta was the first (and to this day the ONLY) female C&C. Now, she is still a bit of a sensitive subject as many in the online community were never able to complete her as there seemed to be a run on Gentleman Ghost figures, but she still remains one of the standouts of the line.
DC Universe Classics Series 8
In what was quickly becoming an annual tradition, summer brought a series release gap and it was fortunately filled with some other executions. The Public Enemies movie brought us a couple of series of stylized six inch figures, but I cheat the Silver Banshee, Icicle, Major Force and Brimstone into my DCUC collection, at least until we get more classic versions (if ever at this point). But DCUC proper was not taking a break and we did get a couple of two packs to tide us over. A Silver Age Brainiac accompanied a Heat-Vision Superman and the DCSH Clayface saw a rerelease with a, um, dirty? Batman. Many had hoped that the Clayface figure would feature newly articulated arms, but to no avail. I was just happy I finally had a Brainiac I could take with me to the tennis courts. I prefer him over the robot version and he was certainly benign enough to make sure that we had clean palettes for the biggest controversy in the history of the line. Yeah, San Diego was about to explode.
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
DCUC 2009 Toys R Us Two-Packs
It comes with a certain amount of irony that a (mostly) comic-based DC action figure line was almost destroyed (at least in fans’ heads) by the Wonder Twins. Well, more accurately, their pet monkey Gleek. Yeah, the first “SDCC only” feature of an exclusive nearly killed the internets when everyone found out that Gleek could not be gotten anywhere but on the floor of convention center during SDCC 2009. For what seemed like a lot of outspoken people not caring about Gleek, A LOT of people were aggravated. He sold out quickly each day during the convention and did not even make it all the way until Sunday, so he might just be the most popular figure in the entire line. I kid. Kind of. We were fortunate to be able to work with Mattel to give away a small portion of Gleeks on the site after the show, but even that seemed to cause more hate than anything. Though time has passed and healed some of the proactive wounds, the mere mention of the name Gleek can still get people hot and bothered… are you feeling that way yet? As it though, Mattel learned a bit of a lesson in exclusivity and the Wonder Twins packaging remains some of the coolest in the entire line. Was this made a bigger deal than what it actually was? It might be a good topic to revisit now that it is a slightly removed piece of history.
SDCC 2009 Wonder Twins (and Gleek)
Just before the next series of figures was released, the first DCUC five-pack (exclusive to Wal-Mart) trickled out in the summer. It was pretty heavy hitter-laden and while it was called the Gotham City five-pack, it featured its share of Metropolis residents in the first “standard” Superman for the line as well as the notable Bronze Age Lex Luthor, complete with popped collar. This remains the Lex that I display to this day as I am a fan of his mad scientist history, and this kind of lends itself to that. Also featured was a black and gray Batman with the oval logo and a purple DCSH Catwoman repaint and more classic repaint of Two-Face. While the Catwoman figure has never done anything for me, Two-Face was most certainly a warranted variant and we have actually been able to build a modern and classic Gotham rogues gallery throughout the line.
DCUC Gotham City Five-Pack
Around the end of August 2009 we were finally back to getting more regular series releases and boy was it worth the wait, series 9 was about as fanboy-melting awesome as a superhero action figure wave can get. If any overall series competes with seven in terms of my affection it is nine (and possibly twelve). I mean come on – Green Arrow was demanded from day one and he later won the Fwoosh best DCUC figure poll, something that I think we would still compete for top dog within, and he should not be without his best girl Black Canary so she was included as well (though with limited articulation). As far as superhero couples go, Dinah and Ollie are probably my favorite of all time so getting them together was a pairing second only to Beetle and Booster. The thing is, they were not even my favorite releases of the series! Wildcat! Yeah, I must have a thing for Teds in the DCU because Ted Grant is my second favorite DC character and do adore my (black costume) figure of him. He and Alan Scott and Jay Garrick are so important to the DCU and my personal display that I was thrilled to have him be the first of the other “Big Three” to be released. Oh but there was more awesomeness to be had. Yeah, Deadshot was there too – can you believe it? I still can’t and he has been drawing my eye in my display for over two years now. The Fourth World was not forgotten in this series either and I was afraid that maybe the classic Mantis would be forgotten in lieu of the Super Powers robot, but there was room for both. Guardian as a real curve ball for me personally but since it had been a long time since the release of Etrigan, it was good to get more Kirby love that was not directly associated with Apokolips or New Genesis. Did I mention Black Adam? Cornboy, I am sorry, and I love ya, but Black Adam is so much cooler than Captain Marvel and you guys gave him the scowl to prove it. Oh, and Chemo, in either is bubbly or non-bubbly state remains the most unique C&C the line has seen. Looking back at it now, right around series nine or so the line had been ramping up in terms of selection, articulation and quality and nine may have been the peak. Sure, there have been some great waves since then, but nine had just about everything going for it.
DC Universe Classics Series 9
It’s a good thing it did too, because anxiety started running high with series 10 (with surprise C&C Imperiex), our second Wal-Mart wave. At first it was pretty much full-blown panic that we would be repeating the series five debacle, but after a bit of delay, we learned that the order numbers were properly adjusted and series ten was much, much easier to find than series five. It’s a good thing too as I did not want go hunting high and low for the eternally awesome Robotman (with removable skull cap!) and my beloved Power Girl. I know that there were many that took issue with PeeGee but she still remains my overall favorite female in the line. Beastboy was included to bolster the ranks of both the Titans and the Doom Patrol, but both of those teams still stand as sorely lacking when it comes to completion. What do I have to do to get a Mento, Elasti-Girl and Chief figures? Forager continued the Fourth World trend (something I wish would have continued for the entirety of the line) and I was starting to get worried for him as it seemed as though the New Gods were sharing time with a Super Powers theme, but since he was absent from the latter, it was certainly good to get him. Getting the brown Man-Bat was more a relief than anything since he was first shown way before DCUC had even started and the black costume Batman was good for the Morrison JLA fans. Joker was really something else though, and I say that because I really do think he is one of those perfect figures in the line, at least from an aesthetic point of view. It had been a LONG time since Mattel had given us the Clown Prince of Crime and that old Batman line figure was very undersized. I realize that the new figure was a tribute to his Super Powers appearance, but he has such a classic Joker look about him Plus, he had the Laughing Fish. Seriously. That still remains as the coolest accessory in the line. Yeah, seriously. Don’t make me say it a third time.
DC Universe Classics Series 10
Series 11 snuck into 2009 just in time and looking back it you can see that it was really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the sheer volume of Green Lantern offerings we would eventually see in DCUC. However, that said, I think it is still probably the BEST single dose series of GL figures we have gotten from Mattel. Hal and Abin stood alone for a long time in the Lantern display so the fact that we got some reinforcements was welcome. I have to admit, after series seven through ten, it was going to be really hard to impress me in terms of offerings in a wave, but eleven remained very solid. Even though I am more of a Guy fan when it comes to my Lanterns, John Stewart is always welcome to my parties and though an argument can be made for his classic look, I still really love his head sculpt. Continuing the theme of “famous couples” in the line, Katma Tui accompanied John and sadly to this day, she remains the only female GL released under the DCUC banner. A new form of Cyborg Superman was appropriately released in his Sinestro Corps look and Shark was welcome surprise for another accompanying GL villain. Deadman pulled double duty (and ushered in the “skinny buck” era) and the Question ran away with the first ever fan choice poll and earned his spot in series eleven. I am sucker for Kilowog so I love that he turned out so well and so massive and even though we have gotten several Lantern figures since then, he remains my favorite DCUC GL. The best part of this series though is that, in my opinion, the best figure of the entire line was released in the form of classic Steppenwolf. Yep, from head to toe, detail, articulation and accessories, Darkseid’s uncle is the crowning achievement of the line and everything clicked perfectly. Sure, there was the impressive SP version too, but the classic look is how most of us take our Steppy and he is gorgeous. The Blue Beetle will always be my favorite figure in the line, but Steppenwolf is a very close second and by far the best overall figure. Thank High Father that we got him in the New Gods era of DCUC.
DC Universe Classics Series 11
And now we come to our second contribution from the Fwoosh staff, this time from canonball. He offers a take about the power a line like DCUC can have over you and how it impacts more than just your hobby. We will continue on to 2010 after the jump to page three. DC Universe Classics had all the ingredients for a successful action figure line: a strong stable of characters to draw from, world-class sculptors in the Four Horsemen, a major toy company producing it, and across-the-board availability in every major retailer. It also had a few defining traits that drive obsessive-compulsive collectors, such as myself, completely insane: variants, spotty distribution at times, and the dreaded store-exclusive wave. One of these exclusive waves, the first Walmart-exclusive wave to be exact, pushed my sanity to the brink, and I loved every minute of it. When wave 5 fist started to hit, the Walmarts in my area were in no apparent hurry to start stocking the line, but that didn’t stop me from making nightly treks out to all the local stores in search of it. After a few weeks and over 500 miles put on my car from JUST Walmart trips, I was getting frustrated and was looking for an alternative. As if by magic, a new web store popped up offering the wave at just a little bit over the retail cost. Desperation kicked common sense right out of bed and I, along with several other board members, fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Turns out, this web store was allegedly put together by none other than Matt Mason. And no – I never got my figures, but I did get my money back thanks to help from my local police and my credit card company. So when THAT didn’t work out, I turned to the Fwoosh community for help, and thanks to the graciousness of three different members, I was able to cobble together a set of wave 5 and build my Metallo. I don’t think I have ever worked so hard to complete a wave of figures, before or since. And I definitely haven’t had to speak with the police about my toys since then, either. Lines like DCUC can do so much to bring a community of collectors together, and that’s what I’ll miss most about it. It was a line that fostered an active community among fans all over the world and I can look at the figures on my shelf and be reminded of the relationships I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy that these figures made possible. So bon voyage, DCUC. It’ll be a while before we see the likes of you again.
DC Universe Classics: The Class of 2009 (photo taken in 2009)
Are you still with me? Good! You are a trooper. The rapid fire of wave releases continued right on into 2010, and I had the first part of series 12 on my shelf before the close of January. I that I said that I feel that 2009 was the best year overall for DCUC, but 2010 was certainly a worthy runner-up. The start and close of the year were the real strong points too (as far as overall series go) and we got the start of a great sister-line in Green Lantern Classics, but more on that in a moment. I still hold series twelve in high esteem for its great diversity. My two favorite teams/sub-groups got some great support in Dr. Mid-Nite and Spectre (with glow in the dark variant) for the JSA and Desaad and Mr. Apokolips himself, Darkseid. Now, glow in the dark figures are certainly fun, but I was really hoping that one of the variant slots in the series would have gone to a modern Dr. Mid-Nite so we could have both versions. I love me some Charles, but I am a great fan of the modern JSA as well so Pieter still stands as a void in my collection. The variant I was very glad for was the white costume edition of Mary Marvel since she is most certainly part of my JLI team display. I like my Marvels in diversified colors, so Mary goes well in the middle (or she would if Freddy was ever made) for the red, white and blue. Darkseid is still a figure I am really torn with, I think his sculpt is absolutely flawless and the fact the his Killing Glove was included makes me giddy in ways I cannot even describe, but I still think he is a bit too tall for the character. I know, I am pretty sure he has been portrayed as massive in media before, but I was hoping he would be a little closer to the DC Superheroes height. It is tinged with sadness though that Darkseid and Desaad were the last two New Gods entrants in the line, but I know I have Metron finally coming in my subscription. I have to say that the villains in the series in Copperhead and Eclipso were actually surprises for me, but I think the former has personality in his sculpt for days, so I really dig him. My standout favorite figure in the series though goes to our first EVER figure of a member of the Metal Men: Iron. Yeah, I have always been a fan of the Metal Men, but I don’t think I was prepared for just how cool they would look as Four Horsemen action figures. His coloring turned out to be just perfect and I love how he is pitted with dents and dings; plus, he has a wrecking ball and [working] wrench attachment. That is plastic joy and though he would be joined by two of his cohorts as the line progressed through the year, the fact that the Metal Men are still not complete should be one of the primary objectives of the Club IE. Make it happen, Mattel!
DC Universe Classics Series 12
Series 13 arrived in due course in the spring of 2010 after a little brouhaha about the release of some leaked photos that made their way onto several sites and forums. This happens from time to time (it would happen again later in the line) and since companies don’t look too fondly on leaked images, it can sometime be tense as it is happening. But everyone trudged on and the wave was properly debuted in due course. I have to admit that from a character selection standpoint, series thirteen was probably my least favorite of 2010. That is not to say that it wasn’t a strong wave, but I just did not have the same personal attachment to the characters as I did with the other waves. Blue Devil and Negative Man were certainly the standouts for me, the detail and overall coolness factor certainly surpassed anything I thought was possible. I love it when little “Easter Eggs” are inserted into lines and the fact that the phasing Negative Man variant had a hidden skull under his face plate was just fantastic. Connor Kent, Wonder Girl and Trigon helped to flesh out the Titans, but I have admitted in the past that the Titans are not my favorite group in the DCU, but bolstering their ranks was long overdue (even if it did include an ugly Superboy costume). It was the final three figures in the wave that caused the most conversation though, both for good and ill. See, I am a Blue Beetle fan and when I say Blue Beetle, I mean Ted Kord. I don’t often get up on my fan boy soapbox for a lot things relating to topics like this (it is futile) but I harbor a (perhaps unfair) good deal of resentment for the character of Jaime Reyes. My Beetle died so this guy could take over? Nut to that. He isn’t even handled well in the books that I have read and his personality is nowhere near as good as Ted’s character. End rant. I can recognize a good figure when I see one though and the Blue Beetle III figure is one of the best in line. He is completely unique in terms of sculpt and has a ton of detail. Plus, he has double knee and elbow joints, a first for the line at the time. I know a few people that have no interest in DCUC as a line, but they bought this figure. The last two figures were a bit more dubious in terms of their discussion. First, Cheetah was one of the variant figures and while the classic Pricilla figure came through well, the modern Barbara Minerva had to have a late-in-the-game alteration in the form of a painted on pair of pants and halter top. Now, we never got an official reason why this was done but it was speculated that retailers did not want what could be mistaken as a “naked” cheetah woman on their pegs. Overall I think the aesthetic of the figure was greatly hurt by this, but it is hard to fight Wal-Mart. The good news is that some of us were able to procure a version of the figure as it was originally intended to be released as a few got out before the production change. Finally, there was Cyclotron. Yep, a character that was invented for the Super Powers line got into the DCUC line. To say that there were strong reactions from both the proponents and opponents would be an understatement. I really do think this figure caused some burst blood vessels in the eyes and brains of some collectors. I was fairly indifferent to the release of the character, but I have to say that, in the end, he actually turned out to be a pretty nice figure.
DC Universe Classics Series 13
So, can you guess what comes next? Yep! It’s that summer lull that, by this time, was an established tradition. The next two series would come out basically right on top of each other, but it would be about five or six months before that was going to happen. In previous fashion, Mattel passed the gap time with a variety of releases, mostly retailer exclusives, that would continue on for the rest of the year. Like previous years, Wal-Mart and Toys R Us got some exclusive two packs that were a variety of new releases, rereleases and repaints. The Kryptonite Chaos (with Battle Suit Lex and Supergirl), Fates Intertwined (Hawkgirl and Gentleman Ghost) and Power Struggle (Superman and Parasite) were all straight rereleases that featured some demanded characters. Gentleman Ghost was certainly at the top of the list, but unfortunately, with him also should go Giganta and the C&C parts needed by many to complete the grande girl were not included. The Dynamic Due set had a more modern take on Batman (with a gratuitously yellow belt) and a close-but-no-cigar Tim Drake original Robin suit. I think the Undersea Assault set fared much better, especially with the Super Friends-accurate Black Manta. The paint used on this guy had a velvety texture that works great for a wetsuit feel. The final two-pack came later in the year, but it featured a very demanded figure: a Sinestro (classic) at a more accurate height! Yeah, his arms were a little short, but at least he could literally look down on Hal Jordan now (who saw ANOTHER release, this time with Super Friends-esque pupils).
2010 Wal-Mart Two-Packs
2010 Toys R Us Two-Packs
New on the scene this year was a quartet of repaints exclusive to Toys R Us that offered some heavy hitters in alternate costumes. The first to arrive was Batman (of course) with a modern color scheme, but a classic capsule utility belt. A modern/shiny Hal Jordan (there he is again!) and shiny Barry Allen came next with Nightwing in his questionably fashionable Renegade suit. I was not really expecting these four figures to be as successful as they were, but it seems that they all struck a chord with collectors. Nightwing was certainly a legitimate variant, and modern Hal had been demanded for a long time so I could see those doing well. I suppose Batman is Batman and he is going to sell, but I was still not convinced about the Flash. That is until I realized that he could be fudged to be a stand in for the MIA Wally West version of the Flash. Oh, Wally Flash is still missing by the way…
Toys R Us All-Stars
So, what is summer without the SDCC exclusive, right? Well, this time around the figure choice was a lot less controversial and it appeared that Mattel had learned their lesson about show exclusive offerings and that made Plastic Man a pretty well-regarded success. Sure, he had a suitcase form that you could only get at the show, but most fans just wanted their Plas, and he was available on Matty Collector after the show with all the bells and whistles (except for the