Odds ‘n Ends > Black Friday news, New DC Unlimited, Toy Feeder, Rom

November 21, 2012 | Poe

–I’m going to stop posting these as lists, because I want a little more room to work, add some images and whatnot.

–Mattel will be having another of their Black Friday sales. This one actually begins today at 12pm ET and will continue for six days, ending next Tuesday at noon ET. There will be savings of up to 30% off and Monday apparently will have flash sales and “special pricing.”

–Speaking of Mattycollector, BigBadToyStore has a “warehouse find” of some Mattycollector items, including the Wonder Twins and the Adam Strange/Starfire 2-pack. It’s unclear to me whether this was a warehouse find by BBTS or Mattel, but given the fact it’s a pre-order, I would assume Mattel. Not sure why they’re not just selling them at the Black Friday sale. Weird. There’s also an Infinite Heroes 4-pack if you’ve grown tired of throwing cash into open flames and want some variety in how you waste it. (more…)

Happy Great Unrest Weapons Pak Day!

October 15, 2012 | Poe

Link to the all-in-one order page

For the first time since the Wind Raider, I think, I’m actually going to be attempting to order something off Mattycollector. I’ve been remiss about posting these “Happy…” Mattycollector posts since the subscription became standard and there have been few things people actually had to order, but the Great Unrest pack is probably going to be popular enough to merit it.

Here’s a review of the Weapons Pak at Fwoosh.

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Doc Thomas Reviews > Starman (DC Signature Collection, Mattel)

August 21, 2012 | Doc Thomas

This Starman is based on the Kingdom Come version of the character.

I’ve always been a Marvel man. Sure, I’ve been a fan of the Batman since Miller’s seminal graphic novel, and I’m apparently one of the only sane people who loves Superman Returns, but I was always much more fond of the Marvel universe than the DC. This can be in part attributed to Bryan Singer’s excellent X-Men films raising the bar for comic book movies back before the 90’s ended, and then in part due to the phenomenal Marvel Legends action figures that redefined the way we collect today. But that line ended, and although Hasbro took the baton from ToyBiz it hasn’t quite been the same.

When Mattel decided to apply DC characters to that same formula the result was a great series of toys, but one that was incredibly hard to collect in Australia; while Marvel Legends were plentiful in Oz across their early run, the DC Universe Classics were barely available, if at all. Fortunately friend Poe was able to help me acquire basically the entire series, and since then I’ve been reading a lot of the great DC arcs, currently knee-deep in Blackest Night. I’m a convert; for all their mistakes and baffling choices, especially with the sad reboot last year, I’d argue DC can rise to the occasion with stories just as strong as Marvel’s.

I jumped at the chance to subscribe to Club Infinite Earths, to continue collecting characters from the DC universe, and I feel like I’ve been rewarded for it: the DC Signature Collection has offered both entirely new, and fan requested, characters, like John Constantine and Saint Walker, as well as excellent new versions of figures that have previously seen toys, like Atrocitus. Metron was an excellent incentive to subscribe – as was previously reviewed on here, he’s an excellent toy and a great centrepiece for your New Gods display. I’m happy to continue subscribing; even though I’ve fallen off the MOTUC wagon courtesy of the $75+ Fearsome Foe Whatsits, CIE’s figures are all interesting to me, even characters I’ve previously never stumbled across like Starman. (more…)

Guest Review > Metron (DC Universe Signature Collection, Mattel)

July 6, 2012 | John Harmon

Metron is one of Jack Kirby’s creations, first appearing in the New Gods comic book series. He’s from the same world (the Fourth World, to be exact) as characters like Darkseid, Orion, and Lightray. He’s meant to be a neutral cosmic observer, but he has been known to choose sides (not always Good), especially if something threatened the entire universe. He’s also the man who invented the “Boom Tube” technology which allows the people of New Genesis and Apokolips to travel great distances across the universe, and he holds the key to Darkseid’s Anti-Life Equation. Basically, Metron is not one to be trifled with. (more…)

DC Universe Tragic, Ctd

April 11, 2012 | Poe

This was posted last night on Mattel’s Facebook page:

You may have heard that the time is nearing for the end of the Young Justice toy line. While we’re as bummed as you are, we want to be sure you know this doesn’t in any way mean the end of DC toys from Mattel. In fact, it’s quite the opposite!

Next month kicks off not one, but two new lines: our DC Universe Club Infinite Earths subscription service dedicated to true collector characters you won’t find at retail. The first shipment goes out in May and features an all-new 6″ Golden Age The Flash figure. If you missed out on this awesome subscription, a limited quantity will also be available at MattyCollector.com on May 15th at 9am PT. Then, in late May, head to your local retailer and you’ll find The Dark Knight Rises, a kid-targeted Batmanâ„¢ line. And for 2013, we’re planning an innovative collector-aimed line coming to retail stores.

Keep your eye on this spot and we’ll have more details as they’re available. Our partnership with DC is stronger than ever and we couldn’t be more excited for all the amazing new collector and kid toys to come!

Here are my two cents on this announcement:

1¢: “[…] we want to be sure you know this doesn’t in any way mean the end of DC toys from Mattel” is not the same as saying “We will be making more 6″ action figures in the DC Universe Classics style” (and “an innovative collector-aimed line” could be anything).

1¢: I have significant doubts there will be a 2013 edition of Club Infinite Earths, given how we barely got a 2012 one.

I realize this post is coming off negative, but I want to balance the corporate spin with a dose of realism.

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Toy Aisle Trolls > The Shave and the Trolled

February 23, 2011 | Poe

Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items. If you find a ruined package, a stolen figure, a swapped-out figure, or any other such acts, take a photo (cell phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry) and email them to poe AT poeghostal.com.

Poester MB must live in a troll-heavy area, because he drops not one, but two douchetrocities on us:

Writes MB:

Found both of these at the same Wal-Mart in Greenville, SC. The only Kyle that I have seen and the plastic was cut with a box cutter in the shape of the sword. What makes it even better was that they also took the box cutter as the package for that was on the shelf on the other side of the aisle. I’m sure that the Brave and Bold one just had Superman pulled out of the hole at the top, which is exactly what I thought I would see when I first saw this set.

At least the Kyle remains intact in its package–even the BAF part is there. I’m wondering if this wasn’t just a case of a careless employee slashing the package as he opened the case of figures. I missed the fact they stole his sword. Terrible.  And odd. He really wanted just the sword that bad? AND he stole the box cutter he used to do it? Wow. I assume this guy will be be moving up from torturing pets and stealing toys to the FBI’s Most Wanted in a few years.

There’s no excuse for stealing the Superman figure–much less from a toy set aimed at five-year-olds. Unless said excuse is “I’m a total douchebag”–which doesn’t excuse the theft, but at least would be honest.

Guest Review > The Question (DC Universe Classics, Mattel)

February 26, 2010 | PrfktTear

Sometime between when Wave 8 and 9 of DCUC never really showed up on shelves in my area, and Wave 10 scarcely made its presence known before leaving a sea of Powergirls warming pegs like Cyborgs and Captain Colds before her, I decided that I would be cherry picking DCUC from thereon in, sticking with mostly Batman-related characters and whatever happened to strike my fancy. With the first few previews of Wave 11, one of the characters I knew I must have was The Question. Still sifting through piles of the aforementioned Cyborgs, Captain Colds, and other relics from Wave 7, I jumped on the chance to pick up The Question when I ran into him at a local comic shop. (more…)

The Annual Interview with the Four Horsemen

December 2, 2009 | Poe

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In what has happily become an annual tradition here at PGPoA, the Four Horsemen graciously agreed to answer a few of my questions about DC Universe Classics, Masters of the Universe Classics and their own FANtastic Exclusive figures. Read on to get the latest from Santa’s not-so-little helpers, Chris Dahlberg, Eric Treadaway, Jim Preziosi, and H. Eric “Cornboy” Mayse. (more…)