So AFI reader hotrod77 found something interesting. In the Myspace blog of comics artist Matthew Clark (who has had runs on several major comics), there are artist turnarounds of DC characters, which–according to Clark–were done at the behest of DC Licensing. (more…)
Gentleman Ghost by Poe Ghostal
Poe’s note: I find those little energy sparks that came with Superman Blue/Red have an infinite number of uses…
Will update if/when any new Q&As show up.
1.) Kevin asks: The 2008 DCUC Wal-Mart wave had no variants. Will there be any variants in this year’s Wal-Mart wave?
No, the Wal-Mart Wave will not have variants.
2.) Frogster asks: Given the popularity of MOTUC, is there any chance of a promotion for the fans (preferably available on Mattycollector.com, not just at conventions) such as posters or mini-comics?
This is something we are looking into and will have more to announce at SDCC.
3.) Reverend Ender asks: Will DCUC see any new Male body types, or will the same standard “thick” and “slender” types (Superman and Nightwing) continue to dominate the line?
Yes, we are working on a few other standard “buck” bodies for the DCUC males, such as a super skinny body and others.
4.) How will DCUC Green Arrow’s bow & arrows work on the production figure? Will one arrow be attached to the bow, and can the arrow be knocked? Will there be separate arrows?
For safety reasons one arrow will be permanently attached to the bow (like with Artemis) with other arrows included as well. This was a legal requirement, not an artistic choice
5.) When DCUC figures are packaged with their weapons in their hands, it often causes the figure’s grip to be too loose, so the figure to be unable to hold the weapon securely once out of the package. Could Mattel please look into this issue?
Yes, this is something we are looking into.
Artemis reviews the Diamond Select Toys Star Trek Deep Space Nine Dr. Julian Bashir figure. Excerpt: “The face is where it falls apart …”
Dave Van Domelen reviews the Hasbro Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe class Bumblebee and Soundwave figures. Excerpt: “(Re: Soundwave) … for the most part this is a toy you leave in robot mode.” (See also.)
Dave Van Domelen reviews the Hasbro Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Fast Action Battlers Devastation Blast Long Haul figure. Excerpt: “A brutish mold for a brutish Decepticon …” (more…)
Here are some high-res photos of the blue variant DCUC Wildcat from Wave 9. Oh, and a pic of the DCIH Anti-Monitor’s packaging. (The pics are big, so you may want to right-click and save them.)
Love that third pic–looks like he’s doing “Smoke on the Water” on air guitar.
Jeff Parker reviews the Hot Toys Predator Major Alan “Dutch” Schaeffer and Private Billy Sole 1/6-scale figures. Excerpt: “Well, once again we are in the territory of Dallas and Kane’ where one actor/agent/lawyer has given permission to use his likeness and the other hasn’t …”
Newton Gimmick reviews the Playmates TMNT Mini-Mutants Exoskeleton Shredder figure. Excerpt: “… while it’s obviously inspired by Exo-Squad it has tons of little traits that definitely make it TMNT.”
Dave Van Domelen reviews the Hasbro Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Scout class Rollbar, Dead End, Knock Out, Dirt Boss, Depthcharge and Ransack figures. Excerpt: “… it seems like they used a much more brittle plastic in most of these than the designs would have worked best with.” (See also: 1, 2, 3, 4.) (more…)
I got on board Grant Morrison’s run on Batman just a month or two before the “Batman R.I.P.” storyline began. I was so fascinated (and sometimes frustrated) with what I read that I went back and bought every issue he’d written since #655.
After a brief interval taken up by the bombastic and exceedingly anticlimactic “Battle for the Cowl,” Morrison is back to writing the Caped Crusader. But this time, it’s Dick Grayson as the Dark Knight, and Morrison’s own controversial creation, Damian Wayne–the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul–as Robin.
I’ll admit I’m one of those people who think you really can’t replace Bruce Wayne. That particular superhero/secret identity dyad is too iconic, like Clark Kent and Superman. At one time, fans might have pointed to Wally West’s Flash or Kyle Rayner’s Green Lantern as evidence that this “legacy” idea can work, but–aside from the fact that Barry Allen and Hal Jordan are back anyway–both of those heroes had their own predecessors in the Golden Age. Unlike them, Bruce Wayne has been Batman since before the very first Flash or Green Lantern appeared in comics. The time to replace Batman was the early Silver Age, before the 1960s TV show cemented Batman and stately Wayne Manor as American cultural icons.
What’s more, it’s largely Morrison’s own fault it’s hard to accept anyone else as Batman now. It was Morrison who created the “Bat-god” in the pages of JLA, and this characterization was carried into the Justice League Unlimited cartoon. As Morrison has suggested in interviews, “Batman R.I.P.” was essentially a mediation on that idea.
The upshot of all this is: enjoy the ride while it lasts, because chances are Bruce will be back in the cowl within a year or two. With that in mind, Batman and Robin is shaping up to be a fun–and profoundly weird–ride. (more…)
ToyFare‘s Justin Aclin just announced, via his Twitter account, that next week’s issue will feature the first exclusive photos of the DC Universe Classics Question!
As you may recall, the Question was the winner of a fan voting contest in ToyFare last year. Oh, and be sure to follow Justin on Twitter!
