Poe’s Point > 5 figures I’d like to see in DCUC–but (probably) won’t

May 1, 2008 | Poe

It’s safe to say DC Universe Classics is my favorite toy line of the moment–and for the foreseeable future. Some have hailed it as Super Powers redux, and with its excellent renditions of the SP-era Lex Luthor and Brainiac, it’s hard to argue with that logic. But DCUC is more than a nostalgia line; with Lightray, Black Lightning, and Amazo already on the way, it’s clear Mattel and the Four Horsemen are committed to a very diverse mix of characters. And with Lobo as the SDCC exclusive, it would seem the sky is the limit.

However, there are a few characters I’m pretty certain we won’t see–but I’d like to, anyway. In the list below, I run down five characters I’d like to see in DCUC and why. Before anyone gets worked up, I should clarify that I wouldn’t want to see these until after all the A-listers and most of the B-listers have been produced. They’d be best sold as exclusives, since they’ll have absolutely no household recognition and even very little fan recognition.

(Thanks to ToyOtter for the use of images from his excellent website, the Super Powers Archive. Also, most of the “Who he is” text was swiped from the characters’ Wikipedia entries.)

SAMURAI
Background: The third wave of Super Powers figures included three characters who had never appeared in a comic book. One of these was the rather unimaginatively named Samurai, though he had an edge on the other two because he’d appeared fairly frequently as a member of the Justice League in the 1970s Super Friends cartoon. I’m not sure why someone as obscure as Samurai got an action figure in Super Powers when there were plenty of existing DC characters to choose from, but I suppose his appearances on the kid-targeted Super Friends make him a decent pick for a toy line.
Who he is: Toshio Eto was a history professor. One day, Eto was struck by a beam of light sent by the New Gods of New Genesis, who were trying to create more superheroes to defend the world from Darkseid. Although Eto briefly ran wild with his new powers, the New Gods explained their intent to him and he vowed to become a superhero.
Why I’d like to see him in DCUC: Since he has never officially been introduced in the comics, Samurai is ripe for an innovative, unique Four Horsemen re-interpretation. The Horsemen went wild with their redesigns on the 2002 He-Man line, and I can only imagine what they could do with someone like Samurai, who is obscure enough to allow the Horsemen to do whatever they want with him. I can see this is as a great exclusive–something that will appeal to collectors and fans of Super Powers, but one more casual fans of the DCU can pass up.
Suggestions for a DCUC redesign: If their work on MOTU is any indication, the Horsemen like to take small, odd details on the original toy and amp them up. In the case of Samurai, I think the strangest trait is his weird sword; I can see the Horsemen developing it into a huge, sweeping serrated monstrosity. Other than that, though, there’s really not a lot to work with here.

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ZZOMBIE NOT MUNKY

April 30, 2008 | Poe

I was going to write this up as a Poe’s Point, but I realized I hadn’t really come to any sort of opinion on the issue–at least, not enough for an editorial.

Buried at the bottom of a TNI news article about Diamond Select Toys’ plans for its popular Minimates line was this bit of information:

Marvel has put a moratorium on any further Marvel Zombie merchandise of any kind. Marvel was concerned about the negative image seeing their major characters would have on the public so they pulled the plug on any further Zombie products.

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Armchair BotCon Coverage

April 29, 2008 | PrfktTear

Hi, it’s Power Pal PrfktTear here, your local Transformers guru. I’m here to give you the rundown on all the goodies announced by Hasbro at this year’s BotCon, held in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Be sure to check out the bottom of the article for the photo gallery!) (more…)

Poe’s Point > DCUC: Identity Crisis

April 24, 2008 | Poe

Batmen

American pop culture nostalgia tends to go through generational cycles. In the 1970s, everyone watched Happy Days; in the 1990s we had another Woodstock; in the early “naughts” we had That ’70s Show.

The same holds true for toys. In the 1990s, there was a resurgence of popularity for Mego and Star Wars, lines whose heyday was in the 1970s and early 1980s. Now, we’re seeing feature films of The Transformers and G.I. Joe, while lines such as Transformers Classics, 25th Anniversary G.I. Joe and the 2002 Masters of the Universe revamp show that 1980s nostalgia is big business right now. NECA’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Mattel’s latest attempt at resurrecting He-Man, Masters of the Universe Classics, are more examples of action figure lines intended to cater to collectors who were kids in the 1980s. (more…)

Odds ‘n Ends > Cruelest Month Edition

April 22, 2008 | Poe

ODD: T.S. Eliot’s famous poem The Waste Land begins with the lines, “April is the cruellest month, breeding / Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing / Memory and desire, stirring / Dull roots with spring rain.” One interpretation of this is while the cold winter keeps us numb and forgetful, the regeneration that comes with spring is painful, reminding us of happier times, now long past.

I know this is certainly true for me. Spring arrived in New England last week, and whenever I found myself walking down a sunny street, the birds chirping and the smell of fresh blossoms in the breeze, I was instantly treated to a series of nostalgic sensations ranging from my childhood to just last year. I remembered “playing guns” in the forest behind our old house on Silva Street; setting up Transformers in a living room lit by the afternoon sun; trekking with my old dog Friskie through Miles Standish State Forest. I hear the cry of a seagull and I’m stepping across the large stones of the Plymouth Jetty, listening to the water lapping at the rocks. (more…)

The Legend of Marvel Figures–Impressions from NYCC 2008

April 20, 2008 | Pete

Legend (n): 1 a: a story coming down from the past; especially : one popularly regarded as historical although not verifiable b: a body of such stories <a place in the legend of the frontier> c: a popular myth of recent origin d: a person or thing that inspires legends e: the subject of a legend <its violence was legend even in its own time — William Broyles Jr.>

With the arrival of the New York Comic Con, news about the long-questionable status of the Marvel Legends toy line has finally come to light, and Hasbro has definitively confirmed that its status is still questionable.

Wait, what? (more…)