Review > DCUC vs. MOTUC 2-packs (Superman vs. He-Man, Lex Luthor vs. Skeletor)

April 19, 2010 | Poe

The following review was previously posted on OAFE.net.

One of the biggest toy-related surprises of the new year was the announcement of Mattel’s DC vs. Masters of the Universe 2-packs, sold not through Mattycollector.com but exclusively through Toys R Us stores.  The first pack, Superman vs. He-Man, recreates their famous first meeting in DC Comics Presents #47 and includes a full-sized copy of that comic. The second pack features Skeletor and a reissue of the DC Super Heroes Lex Luthor in his iconic purple-and-green armor, and includes a copy of the second Supes/He-Man meeting, which was a one-shot included in a few different DC comics in 1982 as a preview of DC’s 3-issue MOTU miniseries (one of my personal favorite depictions of the MOTU universe).

Luthor doesn’t appear in either comic (both of which are drawn by legendary Superman artist Curt Swan), but it was a shrewd move to include the DCSH Luthor, who’s still scarce enough that the set will entice both DCUC and MOTUC fans.

To make the pack attractive to fans who already own He-Man and Skeletor from Mattycollector–and also to ensure the versions of He-Man and Skeletor sold on Mattycollector retain their value–both figures are repaints, and He-Man even has a slight sculptural difference.

The Superman and Lex Luthor figures are nearly identical to their previous releases, so I refer you to their respective reviews: Superman, Lex Luthor. The only major difference I’ve noted (aside from Luthor’s lack of a pistol and extra Kryptonite pieces) is that Superman’s hair has more blue in it than usual, presumably to reflect the more “comic book” style of the sets. (more…)

MOTUC Weapons Pack can be ordered on Matty (updated–orders cancelled)

April 16, 2010 | Poe

In what is no doubt a malfunction and will result in a lot of cancelled orders, as of 4:57pm on 4/16 you can order the Weapons Pack off Mattycollector: Link

Laugh or cry? The choice is yours.

Update (5:35pm): And now the party’s over–the set is back to “Coming Soon.” Will Mattel/Digital River honor the orders that made it through, or will they cancel orders made a mere three days before the actual sale date? Place your bets.

Update (5:47pm): Yep, orders cancelled. I won’t complain even though I got an order in, because it really wasn’t fair. What does bother me is Mattel will no doubt continue to stick with this incompetent vendor and its amateurish website. (See, this is why I don’t get review samples, folks.)

Ask Mattel > Answers for Mid-April

April 15, 2010 | Poe

We’re back with another round of answers for Ask Mattel. (I didn’t solicit new questions for the May 1 round because I had five questions I wanted to ask myself this time.)

Let’s get to it.

1.) Fengschwing asks: Should DCUC Wave 5 prove popular and sell out, will Mattel consider releasing it yet again, as they do with popular MOTUC products? (more…)

Mattel explains the bios

April 5, 2010 | Poe

Mattel’s Scott Neitlich (ToyGuru) posted a pretty interesting explanation for how the bios work on Masters of the Universe Classics. I know not everyone is big on the bios, but I’m enjoying the ongoing story that’s being pieced together. (Text after the jump.) (more…)

Ask Mattel > Official April 1 Answers

April 2, 2010 | Poe

Fear not, folks–Matty didn’t let you down. Here are the real answers to the April 1 Q&A.

1.) The Flash III asks: This is from a Matty Q&A from June 2009: When asked, “which figure or figures were you most surprised you were actually able to get made?” you answered, “Gentleman Ghost really came out well beyond expectations. We have another obscure figure in Wave 13 next year that is just amazing. One hint: there will be a skull involved.” I’m looking at wave 13 and the only skull-related figure is the Negative Man variant. Is this the figure you were referring to or was that one pushed back?

Yes, it was Negative Man we were referring to.

2.) dayraven asks: We’ve been told “vehicles” are off the table for now in MOTUC. What distinguishes a “beast” from a “vehicle”? Would Stridor be considered a beast or a vehicle? What about Battle Bones? What is the criteria that makes a toy one and not the other? (more…)

And now, the second SDCC Exclusive: Fearless Photog(!)

April 1, 2010 | Poe

OK, now that Mattel’s real April Fool’s joke is out of the way, we can get to the good stuff–the actual SDCC exclusive announcement, direct from their Facebook page. It seems all those supposed leaks about Orko or an “official” reveal on Attack of the Show next week was just smoke and mirrors for the real event on April 1–same as last year. I guess these “fake April Fool’s joke” reveals are a Matty tradition now…

Hey toy fans,

To answer your questions–

1: Yes, this is our other SDCC MOTUC figure. It is not an April Fool’s joke.

2: Yes, just like last year, all of the action figure exclusives will be sold online after the show on Mattycollector.com.

3: Fearless Photog, like the other exclusives will be available online after the show. Also, his package will be the same as a standard MOTUC figure, no electronics, so he can ship worldwide.

Okay, I think that covers all the main points. Obviously we are very excited for this year’s show. It looks to be our biggest presence ever with tons of surprises in store. We’ll have more updates as we get closer to the show.

See you all in San Diego. I’ll be there to meet and greet in person!

Matty

Ask Mattel Answers > Early April Edition

April 1, 2010 | Poe

The latest round of Ask Mattel answers are in–and before you ask, yes, these are the real answers direct from Mattel. I’m just the messenger, folks.

1.) The Flash III asks: This is from a Matty Q&A from June 2009: When asked, “which figure or figures were you most surprised you were actually able to get made?” you answered, “Gentleman Ghost really came out well beyond expectations. We have another obscure figure in Wave 13 next year that is just amazing. One hint: there will be a skull involved.”

I’m looking at wave 13 and the only skull-related figure is the Negative Man variant. Is this the figure you were referring to or was that one pushed back? (more…)

Poe’s Point > Club Eternia & Bonus Figures

March 29, 2010 | Poe

Scott Metzger, one of my favorite He-Fans, posted this fair question over on the Mattycollector forums:

Okay, the uncertainty with Keldor’s release brought up a question that I thought had been answered:

If a regular monthly figure misses it’s release date, one of the bonus figures is supposed to be plugged in for that slot on Matty. But we have been told numerous times, especially when the issue came up as the 2010 subscriptions were being hawked, that such a substituted figure would not be part of the subscription.

So, if Keldor had to take the place of, say, the September figure, there would have been no subscription figure for that month, if I’m interpreting the above right?

Here’s TG’s reply (text after the jump). (more…)