I’m now cherrypicking DCUC, sticking mostly with Batman-related characters. Between his nominal status as a Bat-villain and his badass outfit, Deadshot was the only figure I planned to get from Wave 9.
Of course, what were the chances I’d ever see one at retail, especially here in Boston? It usually takes months before a wave shows up here–if at all–so imagine my surprise when I came across both Deadshot and Guardian at my local Toys ‘R Us. For some reason they’re the only two I’ve seen so far (at a couple different TRUs). It’s already quite evident Guardian will be a pegwarmer of Cyborg-like magnitude.
To escape the memories of a family altercation that left his father paralyzed and his brother dead, Floyd Lawton moved to Gotham City where he began his career as a criminal. In the process he trained himself to become a highly skilled marksman and adopted the name Deadshot. During one of his many stays in prison, Lawton was offered amnesty for past offenses if he would accept a potentially fatal mission on behalf of the U.S. government as a member of the Suicide Squad. Since then, Lawton has worked both on his own as a criminal, and occasionally as a member of the Squad.
Packaging: Nothing’s changed about the packaging since the first few waves. Big blister, card on the back with pizza-style views of the other characters and the BAF in the middle, along with a brief bio.
Design & Sculpt: While Deadshot has taken to wearing looser clothing in some issues recently, he still pulls out the spandex on occasion, and his outfit hasn’t changed much since Lawton switched to it in Detective Comics #474, “The Deadshot Ricochet.”
The new tooling includes the head, torso, gauntlets, belt, calves and feet. I’m not so sure about the biceps–they resemble Deathstroke‘s, as does the torso, but it lacks the chainmail texture.
The head looks great; once again the Four Horsemen have made it look like a person wearing a mask, rather than a faceless person. The details on the wrist-mounted guns go right down to the holes on the barrel shrouds.
Plastic & Paint: Mattel is improving in this department. Deadshot has relatively complex paint applications for a DCUC figure, and they all come out looking sharp. The red on his eyepiece and on the laser sights of the wrist-guns don’t have any slop, and even the black “target” bits on the eyepiece are clean.
However, the black lines on the wrist and lower torso, which I think are supposed to represent segmenting in the armor, are a little weak. There’s also some black dry brushing on the gauntlet guns that not only looks more like crayon scratches, but I can’t really figure out why they even tried it. I suppose it’s supposed to represent natural wear on the metal, but as it is the figure might have looked better without it.
The yellow plastic used for the wrists and feet also suffers from the translucent effect often seen when parts are molded in those colors, and they make Deadshot look too toy-ish.
Articulation: Deadshot has the standard DCUC articulation: a ball jointed head, ball-and-hinge joints at the shoulders, H-hinges at the hips, standard hinges at the elbows, knees, torso, and ankles, and swivels at the biceps, wrists, waist, and lower thighs.
Accessories: None, aside from Chemo’s arm. To be fair, since he carries his guns on his wrists, I’m not sure what accessories would have made sense. And Chemo appears to be a fairly large BAF, so the arm counts at least a half-more than usual in the accessories department.
Quality Control: My figure suffers from some warping on the lower legs that gives him a rather wide stance. It works for the character, though, so it doesn’t bother me much. Aside from that, no issues.
Overall: With his significant amount of new tooling, Deadshot represents a better value than many DCUC figures these days. While the yellow-molded parts make him look a bit too much like a toy, the coolness of the head sculpt and wrist-mounted weapons help make up for it.
So, is he worth the $12 I paid for him? Yes. Would he be worth $15 if he’d come out a few months from now, after the price hike? Barely. But a figure with less new tooling, like Wildcat, definitely wouldn’t be.
[raven 3.5]
Mario
@Andrew: … I have, sadly, been very neglectful of my movie watching habits for quite some time now… I did see Inglourious Basterds & District 9 though, & that definitely infused some fervor back in my system.
Andrew
@Mario:
. . . then you need to watch more movies, because it isn't condescending at all.
Doc Schrute
Thanks for the info Poe, I will have to track down one of those Batman figures and try the acetone trick because that looks awesome!
Mario
Man, I can't get enough of your site, Poe. Good job!
Mario
@Andrew: Whatever the meaning behind it, I must say it sounds a tad condescending… but it is 3:38 AM EST & I am a tad tipsy.
Andrew
@Mario:
*starts a slow clap*
Mario
@Poe: Well, if I encounter another one, I will make it my mission to send one your way. You cannot have some DCUC figs on your shelves without having that Green Arrow.
The Flash III
I ordered the whole wave online and I actually like the Guardian figure. The shield has actual straps on the inside, though it is a little thin and translucent.
Are most of the Cyborgs of the "sonic arm" variety? I've seen a ton here–they were a KB exclusive and since they went bankrupt, I think other stores bought them cheap.
I don't give a crap about how much retooling and reusing they do on figures as long as they look good. Deadshot has a good amount of retooling and looks good and Black Adam has just a new head and looks good, so who cares? I'm just glad the figures (especially the Killer Moths, Guardians, and Foragers!) are being made because I never thought I'd get a chance to have them on my shelf without making them myself.
@Poe–I hope you're right about Mattel's devious double-switch pricing!
Poe
@Doc Schrute: Nope–just a DCUC1 Batman with the black on his mask taken off with some acetone.
Doc Schrute
Hi Poe, that Batman you have standing next to Deadshot in that last pic is perfect…is that a custom?
Poe
@Mario: If I ever see a Green Arrow in person, I might pick him up.
@Reverend Ender:
Really? How many people here live in New England?
Monty Python
Of course, I have not seen any Series 9 figures. I just now found a few series 8 guys.
dayraven
@Reverend Ender: tell me about it… gears of war ROCKS, i like the SF stuff a lot (though i wish we were getting the NEW characters before the stalwarts) and their other figs are a tad hit and miss, but most hit VERY hard… anyone else get that ryu hayabusa? he is perfect! the TMNT stuff? PERFECT!
dayraven
sorry about that huge post guys… i didn't realize that would end up being so lengthy when i started it.
poe's right, gouging is not the right term, but they are over charging. and i have bowed out of DCUC for that. i totally get and agree w/ the idea that we vote w/ our dollar. the only mattel line i'm still on for is motuc and that ONLY because since making the transition to adult collector, these are the EXACT line i have wanted out of the only nostalgia property i care about. (he says until thundercats classics debuts!) if they EVER turn a corner on motuc, i'm out there too.
but i've turned my back on hasbro too. the crap they're releasing under the ML brand has been totally unappealing to me, and i WON'T do marvel universe, 1/18th is not my scale.
really looking forward to the jakks UFC line coming up @ the end of this month… at a 10 dollar price point and deluxe articulation in a 7 inch scale, how can i not be?
Reverend Ender
Poe is right, and I wish I could quit these figs, but I can't.
@Dayraven, you are also right about better figures being available for less money, and this is something that is a constant source of frustration for me. I actually buy quite a few NECA figures, no necessarily because I am attached to the source material, but because they are such great looking toys. I cannot figure out why Mattel cannot make toys of this quality, regardless of the price point.
And Poe, I think I bought that Guardian, and damn you for taking Deadshot! These f-ing things are SO hard to find.
Mario
@Poe: Did you "fix" that Batman yourself? I'm weary/scared of trying it myself, but it sure looks good.
& again, are you REALLY going to pass on Green Arrow?
Mario
Great points all around, for sure. Wish it could have been around a table with a couple of beers, but alas…
Ultimately, though ( even if I did stray a bit ), my feeling towards this is as simple as Poe put it. You don't like what's going on with it, don't buy it. You'll be much happier for it.
Poe
I think under capitalism proper, it's not entirely fare to blame Mattel if they're setting a price that the market is bearing (so far). I think some responsibility rests with collectors who will pay these prices (God forbid we ever take any of the blame, right?). If more and more collectors–like me–bail on DCUC, Mattel will either have to find a way to lower the cost of the figures (perhaps by switching to two-packs, thus saving on packaging and so forth, which is the route Hasbro is going with Marvel Legends) or cancel the line. However, if they are indeed charging higher-than-average MSRPs for these figures, then they should be able to lower the price without sacrificing any quality. (And if that is what's going on, a rise to $15 followed shortly by an "OK, we found a way to save some costs!" lowering back to $12, would be a rather clever, if evil, way of doing that.)
Finally, I want to say I think it's a bit silly to toss around the term "price gouging." Price gouging is when there's a shortage of food or other necessities and you're charged an exorbitant amount for them. Action figures are luxury items–you don't need an action figure to survive, or to do anything other than amuse yourself or a child (and there are lots of cheaper ways to do that).
Anyway, the take-away for everyone here is: if you think Mattel is overcharging you for DCUC or MOTUC or whatever, don't buy the figures. Buying them and then complaining isn't a message Mattel is going to listen to, because they already have your money at that point.
shadeslord
Wow Dayraven, you said a mouthful! I have to agree though that the fact that they're raising prices right now is ridiculous. Especially as the quality continues to deteriorate. While the early waves suffered from sticking joints or misplaced parts, the new waves' joints are so lose the figures can't stand. I won't buy them for my kids anymore. I've bought over a thousand Star Wars figures and have never had one come out of the package with a stuck joint or lose joint or mismatched parts. Of the 60 or so DCUC I've bought I've had twelve that were mismatched or broken straight out of the package!
dayraven
@Mario:
i certainly can't speak for anyone else, but i certainly can speak for my buying habits, and the products my kids and i buy. DCU aren't worth their price tag. simply put, the figures are not durable, not from a "play" standpoint, the paints are delicate, the articulation goes soft VERY easily, the molded plastics fade very quickly. that is currently a 12 dollar toy. and the figure selection is great for adult collectors, but crap for kids. my kids don't know forager, and god willing, they never will.
for the same 12 dollars, i can get a jakks pacific deluxe aggression wrestler. or for 10, i can get the simpler ruthless aggression designs. now for my kids, they know these characters. they can't name everybody, but everyone they can name has a figure available, all the time, every time they have money, there's a toy they can buy. the toys are INVINCIBLE. trust me, they met the tub, they've met mud, dirt, sand, and sky, and keep coming back for more. my youngest got his favorite rey mysterio run over by our SUV… it was fine. try that w/ deadshot. the paints endure a ton of play, the molded plastics don't fade easily or turn brittle. and EVERY one of them comes w/ an accessory. something the kids can play w/, a chair, a breakway table, a ring bell, a sledgehammer, something. they often come w/ apparel, elbow and knee pads, ring skirts, jackets, hats, robes, that kind of stuff… if a DCU fig had a knee brace, would that be a separate removable piece, or would that be painted on? and the removable pieces, also not brittle, not fragile. you have to WORK to tear apart an elbow pad. that is a toy that earns it's price tag everytime out of the gate. i never have a doubt w/ a WWE figure.
the NECA gears of war figures… those are 13 bucks at retail, more than DCU now, but less than they soon will be. they don't part re-use to the extent of the DCU line, and the production run is way smaller, but they manage to keep fresh product on my TRU pegs (FAR better than DCU's distribution) so when i have money or my kids do, we can get a toy. they are VERY sturdy, resistant to in-package limb warpage. they handle play as tough as you'd like to dish out. they have VERY cool looking accessories, at least one w/ each figure. the accessories aren't as durable as the figs, but they do take a beating. the paint aps are incredible, the detailed sculpts are AWESOME, and the character selection regularly gives me the "big" characters of the franchise. and NECA customer service, at least for me, has always been top notch. should i have an issue, i've always been able to get a fix, and usually at the right price too.
these are just SOME of the current toy lines giving me a much better bang for my buck… trust me, i could keep going.
the industry as a whole is experiencing a price flux out of line w/ the item they're selling, and we as the consumers have to start making better choices, but i can promise you, there are companies and lines trying MUCH harder than mattel to earn their price tag. DCU is over priced, MOTUC is over priced, movie masters and ghost busters are over-priced… so are marvel universe, gi joe, and even marvel legends, to a lesser degree. but legends are still clocking at 10 bucks a piece, and while that's high, the figs are sturdy… they just look crappy.
i think we as collector's easily forget that we buy toys, and issues like warped limbs, availability and breakability are rightfully more important than perfect paint and obscure characters. i don't have an issue at all w/ a line getting deep where it makes sense, but DCU only just now has a superman and batman back in rotation after how long, but we're getting mantis and vigilante before martian manhunter? who's been in justice league or on teen titans or on BatB, THOSE characters kids know, those characters kids will ID by sight and want. and so long as DCU makes it into walmarts (i'll believe it when i see it) and into TRU (w/ regularity) they are making a kid's line, not an adult collector line. my kids have one superman and w/ less play than rey mysterio or the undertaker get, he's almost unrecognizable. he's floppy as all hell, more than half his paint is missing, and he's lost his cape. that is not to me a figure worth his price tag.
and as valo pointed out, there's no outside pressure to raise the price of these figs… there are bigger figs, or better plastics, just as cheap or only vaguely more, and the price of oil has stabilized and steel has stabilized. these aren't any more expensive to manufacture NOW than they were when the line was still DCSH. ESPECIALLY when mattel is reporting to the financial sector that while they're sales are down, they're profits are up. THEY'RE GOUGING US, it's as simple as that.