DC Comics

Toy collectors are very aware that Mattel’s DC license is probably one of the best things that has happened to toys in years. They’re solid, accurate, and well-articulated.

Sure, they complain vociferously about how hard some of these toys are to find, but that takes nothing away from the excellent quality that Mattel has presented to a generation or two of disillusioned collecting geeks. I usually just avoid the more difficult and disappointing aspects of hunting through my local stores by ordering sets of figures online, but to each their own. I recommend Alter Ego Comics and Corner Store Comics.

I’m always happy to see a set of figures power through twelve waves – especially with the rising costs of plastic and an economy hesitant to spend money on luxury items. Many excellent figure lines have folded in recent years for these reasons, so when we can last long enough to get weird figures like Copperhead and the Metal Men, I can’t help but be excited that my little part of the economy is holding up.

After one hundred or so figures, Mattel continues to listen to the adult collectors and delivers a perfect mix of obscure and popular characters alike – even if this particular set leans more towards the ‘who the heck is that?’ end of the scale. If you collect all seven figures, you can assemble an eighth figure for free. There are also two variants to collect, which is standard for each mass retail set. Every fifth set or so has been a ‘retailer exclusive’, which means that you’ll have to leave the house and drag your feet through the dregs of either Wal-Mart or Target to find the newest figures – or wait for inflated prices on eBay. If you saw my local Wal-Mart, you’d wait for eBay too. I don’t think they’ve named all of the disorders that you see crawling through there.

I’ve written about aspects of these before, but I return today to relay a complete surprise that arrived with these figures in the mail : each figure includes a pin. As a pin collector (with an unconscious focus on DC Comics), this fulfills more than one collection at once – and it’s neat.

See if you recognize any of these DC Universe characters :

- Eclipso (1963). In true Mattel style, we’re given Eclipso’s most classic look – not any of the updated, renovated costumes or characters that he became. This is classic Eclipso.

- The Spectre (1940). Also a classic version of the character, who is one of the ultimate powers in the DC Universe. This figure comes in a common white version, as well as a less common glow-in-the-dark version to reflect his spectral powers. I really love glowing toys. The previous set included a rare glowing Deadman which I hunted down.

- Copperhead (1968). I admit it – I had no idea who this was. Not to be confused with the similarly attired Kobra. There were a lot of snake-themed bad guys.

- Dr. Mid-Nite (1941). Possibly one of the more well-known within this group, as he’s a long-running member of the Justice Society (which is where a bunch of Golden Age comic characters continue to fight crime). Plus, he comes with his owl – Hooty. He was not known for his creativity.

- Desaad (1971). I’m a fan of Desaad just because I love anything that Jack Kirby created – most of which involved huge eyebrows, cumbersome robo-hats or monsters strapped to Aztec-lookin’ machines – though I do question the mid-coitus look on Desaad’s face here.

- Mary Batson (1942) – or as you may know her, Mary Marvel. Because of the possible confusion between the DC Marvel family and the various Marvel Comics characters that have the ‘Marvel’ name, all branding of the Marvel family requires use of their real names, or ‘Shazam!’ Mary comes in two equally common forms – the original red costume, and the later white costume. There was a black costume even later on, but let’s not talk about that one. She matches the already released Shazam! figure.

- Iron (1962). This is probably the figure that I’m most excited about, as it marks the start of the Metal Men, a group of heroic robot-creatures based on the elements. I’m a sucker for teams, and with four more main members inevitably on the way, I’m looking forward to them all. He also includes die-cast parts, which is just fancy.

- Darkseid (1971). All seven figures come together to for a colossal Darkseid figure, complete with scary death-glove. As Desaad is his lackey, they go together perfectly. Also a Jack Kirby creation. While there was a Darkseid figure in Mattel’s early DC Superheroes line, this one is larger and more complex than the original.

So, that’s DC Universe Classics 12 – a weird selection of characters, but one that hardcore collectors and comic fans are sure to be pleased with. Until next time, check out everything that Mattel has released under this banner!

I have affinities for more comic book characters than I can comfortably count in public, but I’ve come to accept this part of myself as a necessary bridge to total geekdom that I can’t seem to burn. I can cite examples of why The Thing is an amazing character, or why MODOK is one of the best creations of fictional evil that’s ever been realized, but something always brings me back to the work of Arnold Drake.

As far as I’m concerned, Drake was one of the most innovative and surreal comic authors of the Silver Age, right up there with Jack Kirby. Apart from being the creator of The Doom Patrol, Drake is also responsible for the Guardians of the Galaxy, and my favorite ghost hero, Deadman.

Deadman is a tragic hero whose powers were born of a circus murder and a made-up Hindu goddess, which is a combination of circumstances that only the Silver Age could conjure unflinchingly. As a ghost, Boston Brand (aka Deadman) can possess most living beings for a brief period of time, as well as do the things typical of a ghostly being. While these powers might seem fairly limiting, it’s always the most interesting heroes who are limited in their abilities. It’s this very reason that a fair portion of comic book readers (and authors) find Superman to be a little boring.

Of course, if there’s an action figure of a given hero I dig, I’ll collect it. To date, there have been figural representations created of Deadman, with a seventh due out in the summer. Maybe it’s the huge collar, and maybe it’s the combination of reds and whites, and maybe it’s just because I’m into dead things – but Deadman is one hero that I always collect.

The first action figure of Deadman was produced by DC Direct in the late 2001, under the ‘Other Worlds’ mini-series which also included The Demon Etrigan and The Spectre. While the figure originally retailed for around $20, the cost of earlier DC Direct figures like this one has dropped significantly due to the event of superior figures being produced by Mattel.

The second figure of Deadman was also produced by DC Direct for their ‘Kingdom Come’ line in 2004, though this one was a non-traditional interpretation of Alex Ross’ artwork of Deadman, resulting in an amazingly executed figure of a skeleton wrapped in a torn Deadman outfit. While it’s not the most ‘true’ representation of Deadman, it’s one of my favorite action figures of all time. With an articulated jaw and joints that allow one to pose the skeletal hero in both serious and humorous stances, I keep it on display almost all of the time.

Three more years passed before 2007’s Deadman Minimate figure came out, again from DC Direct. While only about 2 inches tall, it’s still undeniably a Deadman figure, and came packaged with The Spectre – another character who is known for traversing the planes between the living and the dead.

In 2009, Mattel released a Deadman figure into a Target-exclusive six pack called ‘Legends of the League’, adding one more figure to the Justice League Unlimited line, which is now well over 100 different DC Comics characters in a perfectly matched aesthetic.

Late 2009 and early 2010 also brought us another Deadman figure by Mattel, this time in the DC Universe Classics line, wave eleven. This is the most accurate, classic and well-articulated figure of the bunch by far, and comes in two variants. There’s the traditional figure, and a rarer variation which actually has glow-in-the-dark skin and translucent extremities to emphasize the character’s spiritual powers – which is, once again, awesome.

Finally, the summer of 2010 will present another figure by DC Direct of Deadman – this time in ‘Black Lantern’ attire, within the ‘Blackest Night’ series of figures. Again, he won’t be in his traditional red costume, but at least we’ll be getting a figure of a skeleton-headed guy – which is an automatic win. I’ve never met a Deadman I didn’t like.

Aside from the occasional, scratchy spider ring that a guy might wear around Halloween every year, we have a tendency to, well, NOT collect toy rings. At no point in my development was I compelled to collect little 25-cent gold rings with plastic jewels glued to them. I’m a little surprised myself – I’ve collected just about everything.

DC Comics, however, is trying very hard to change this. Men wearing rings has always been something of a staple in DC Comics – The Flash kept his costume miraculously stored in his ring, Lex Luthor has been known to surprise Superman with a ring that secretly housed Kryptonite, and of course, we have Green Lantern, whose sole power is the fact that he can channel the energy of his ring into constructs based on his willpower.

If Green Lantern wants to create a giant dinosaur to chomp his robot enemies to death, all he needs to do is think really hard about it, and a glowing, translucent green dinosaur appears. It’s been this way since 1940, with Green Lantern wearing a green ring. Really, the ability to just make things with your mind would be enough to get any guy to wear a huge, gaudy green ring, but the original Green Lantern totally rocked poofy purple pants also.

Then, the Yellow Lanterns came along. Well, Sinestro came back from from Qward after being banished for being a jerk and stripped of his Green Lantern powers. When he returned, was wearing a Yellow Ring. It wasn’t until 2006 that more wielders of Yellow Rings, The Sinestro Corps, appeared, whose rings are powered by generating fear. And then things got crazy.

The Red Lanterns appeared, fueled by rage. The Blue Lanterns appeared, fueled by hope. The Black Lanterns appeared, powered by death – and the same occurred with every color of the visible and ‘emotional’ spectrum. It’s comics, and this means that we get a Zombie Batman action figure, so I’m not complaining. What this also all means is that DC Comics is not producing one, but THREE different formats to collect all eight rings in.

Right now, a set of eight plastic rings is available to represent all of these Lanterns, which were packaged with comic books released between September and November that related to the ‘Blackest Night‘ storyline. A full set, with comics, will run about $25, and they’re fairly nice for rubber rings. They’re quite large, but wearable, and inexpensive. I’ve already taken a few stupid Facebook photos wearing them. Who needs girlfriends? I have Power Rings.

DC Direct also just released the JLA Trophy Room Green Lantern Rings Replica set, which again features all metal-plated eight rings set in a round, illuminated base with a removable glass dome. It’s made very clear that these high-end prop replicas are not meant to be worn as costume pieces, but for $250, who isn’t going to try? This item is also out right now.

Finally, DC Direct just announced a set of eight wearable Blackest Night Power Ring Spectrum Set made of PVC. These will be adjustable, come in a fancy display box, and best of all, they’ll light up when you put them on. While not officially available until July of 2010, the price tag of $60 is pretty convincing.

There have been a few official, wearable metal prop replica Lantern rings that have come out in the past, which were packaged with mini-busts. There have also been GL rings packed in with action figures, and even a Flash ring with a spring-loaded cap. It’s hard to resist the lure of the plastic, toy ring.

I guess I’ll never come to terms with great TV shows ending prematurely. With the huge influence that the DC Animated Universe had on everything that came after it, it’s a little tragic that Warner Bros. doesn’t do more with it. Sure, we get plenty of unrelated DC Comics animated movies, but they have nothing to do with the power and empathy that the original animated series generated. You can’t form a meaningful, lasting relationship in 75 minutes, but you can certainly have some fun. I’m a guy who’s looking to settle down.

Superman : The Complete Animated Series is a lasting relationship. While the original Batman Animated Series was the pioneer, Superman came along as an equally powerful flip side to Gotham’s dark, noir scenery. Metropolis rarely saw the night, while Gotham was all shadows, all of the time. This atmospheric divide was reflected perfectly in Superman’s ‘boy scout’ attitude and Tim Daly’s masterful voice acting.

Granted, it was never quite as easy to sympathize with a guy who was borderline immortal, but Superman’s epic, surreal enemies are where the stories really took off. With this as an easy entry point, Superman’s overwhelmingly good nature becomes endearing – especially when it cracks. And there’s no doubt that Superman had some of the most lighthearted, entertaining episodes of anything DC has ever produced, including the almost-all-powerful, chaotic Mr. Mxyzptlk (voiced by Gilbert Gottfried), the hilariously Silver Age Bizarro, the ultra-violent Lobo (voiced by Brad Garrett, and a character so violent in his comics that Mattel won’t even make an animated figure of him), and even the crazy old Granny Goodness (voiced by Ed Asner). It could be a wacky free-for-all, and it definitely bears signs of being a product of Warner Brothers, but it’s subtle, and really quite great.

Of course, the events of this series relate to what eventually culminates in the opus that is Justice League Unlimited. If you already own the three Superman boxed sets that were released previously, you have almost everything that’s contained here. Every commentary and bonus feature is preserved, along with a completely new 7th disc that contains a 17-minute documentary about Jack Kirby and the role of Darkseid in Superman’s mythos. It’s a little weird that a whole extra DVD would be dedicated to one small featurette, but there it is. PS : trailers for other DVDs that you want to sell can never, ever be considered ‘extras’, people.

Also reproduced here is the fact that half of the discs are double-sided DVDs – just like the original sets. Handle with care, as these are known to become damaged much more easily than a traditional DVD would, and some DVD players simply aren’t quite as gentle with the topside of a DVD as they could be. Batman got a huge boxed set with lots of extras, and Justice League got a tin. Superman seems to get the least fanfare of these three, being packaged in a plastic case with a slipcover. Of course, from a purely aesthetic sense, this would be nice to see in a fancy tin that can be shelved alongside the finer things, but it’s still great to have it all in one place. It’s not a complaint, because this packaging certainly wouldn’t prevent a purchase, but I’m a sucker for consistency and completing sets of things.

It’s been years of intermittent collecting, but the whole DC Animated Universe is finally all in one place on my shelf, and it’s hot stuff. The whole set can be purchased for under $40, if you shop around. There are episodes that I never realized I missed the first time around, so encountering these after so long, with my newly acquired geekery, is like sitting in front of the TV on Saturday morning all over again. Which is really utopia, right?

There’s really no better way to describe the Plastic Man cartoon from 1979 than to give a brief plot synopsis of one particularly memorable scene` :

Plastic Man and his two completely hapless, powerless sidekicks are launched out of torpedo tubes into the undersea depths by a hyperintelligent pirate scallop who calls himself ‘The Clam’ (because scallops were more fun to draw, I guess), and are immediately caught by a giant squid. Because Plastic Man had just been sprayed by a plastic hardening spray, he is powerless – though all three characters can talk freely underwater and seem to be in no danger of drowning. Suddenly, the blonde girl remembers that she has a bottle of hot sauce in her shoe, which she extends Inspector Gadget-style to Plastic Man, who then drinks it with a straw (still underwater). This somehow negates the effects of the hardening spray completely and they are all rescued.

When you get this wacky, you’re not even talking about charming Silver Age weirdness anymore. You’re talking about writers who threw darts at index cards and grocery fliers and just wrote what stuck. Hanna Barbera is guilty of producing some exceptionally schizophrenic cartoons during their lifetime, but this is probably the most egregious I’ve ever witnessed – and I recall watching this at 6 AM when I was 5 years old and a very early riser.

To the best of my knowledge, Plastic Man’s criminal history or source of his powers isn’t explored, nor is his connection to the rest to the DC Comics universe. Instead, he’s saddled with a girl named Penny who is constantly fawning over him (who he later has a baby with), and a Hawaiian guy named Hula-Hula who can’t make a single statement without throwing the word ‘pineapple’ into it at random. Honestly, it’s borderline racist, but the whole cartoon is an amazing surrealist package of what-the-hell.

The villains are hilariously bizarre, even though they’re rarely funny themselves. Disco Mummy, Half-Ape (who is half man, half ape split perfectly down the middle), and a gang of tiny gangsters are just a few of the insane bad guys that Plastic Man battles against, and which would be perfect fodder for a modern revisitation of the series.

But wait : they produced a pilot for just such a thing in 2006. It’s completely ‘Freakazoid’ meets ‘Ren and Stimpy’, and just the kind of kinetic action that Plastic Man needs. It’s included here, but it’s obvious why it fell flat, despite the even more obvious potential for being something greater. Note that the bonus features are on discs one and two, and not all on disc four as the DVD notes describe.

It’s absolutely a nice set, but calling it ‘complete’ is a misnomer, as there are plenty of later episodes with the Plastic Man family that are left out. If you know your late-70s Hanna Barbera cartoons, you know what to expect – gaping plot holes, fuzzy animation, and general nonsense. And that’s probably exactly why you like them to begin with. The set can be purchased for around $30.