Why oh why oh WHY did I mention the idea of Batman figures in a subscription? Mattel announced another figure for the Infinite Earths subscription:
Hey DC Universe fans, you asked for it, you got it! Here is the reveal of another 6″ character in the DC Universe Club Infinite Earths subscription program…Poison Ivy!
What’s more, they’ve made it clear we will not see these characters as figures (or at least, not next year):
To clarify the DC Universe Club Infinite Earths subscription, If the sub does not move forward, the figures announced will not be a part of the 2012 retail line. The only way we will create these DC Universe figures in 2012 is through the subscription program. To get Starman, Atrocitus, Flash 1, and Poison Ivy, sign up for the sub.
I had to think it over. The sub is more tempting now, but I was mildly surprised to find I still didn’t want to sign up–not for Poison Ivy alone. (Probably the only single figure who could get me to sign up for an entire sub is Red Robin.)
If I could be certain just one more major Bat-character was to be included in Club Infinite Earths–a new Scarecrow with the Sinestro Corps head, Red Robin, Oracle, Mad Hatter, a new modern Mr. Freeze, a proper Tim Drake Robin–I would sign up.
I wish Mattel would just release the list of planned figures for the entire 2012 CIE subscription. Even more than MOTUC, DCUC fans prefer to cherry-pick characters, and unlike MOTUC, they won’t have the option of ordering the figures off the website if they don’t get a subscription. It’s a hard sell, and I understand why people aren’t signing up.
As much as I want a DCUC Poison Ivy, I still need to know more before I’ll buy a subscription.
On a related note: I’m surprised the CIE sub is (evidently) doing so poorly. Either the production numbers have to be significantly higher than MOTUC (possibly to cover the overhead–licensing costs and so forth), or DCUC isn’t nearly as popular as I thought it was. Perhaps all the distribution issues, QC woes, and rising prices really did drive away a large number of fans.
And given how many DCUC collectors seem to be Marvel Legends fans who were looking for a fix when that line dwindled, I imagine the return of ML next year isn’t helping any.
The Flash III
As much as I am begging for and praying the sub goes through, Mattel's handling of it has been a comedy of errors. When they announced it at SDCC, they didn't make the fact that it had to get a certain level of support clear and many of the facts surrounding it and the "rebranding" are still murky at best. Add that in to the short sign up period that coincides with a time (post-con) where a lot of people have spent a lot of money on toys; a thermometer that is tiny, unreadable, and a static image; and a lack of press releases except via Facebook (which is the people who already know about it), and it seems destined to fail. Like Mattel wanted it to fail but wanted to be able to say later that they tried to save DCUC. Ah well, I still have hope despite the F-U thermometer next to Matty's smug face.
The Flash III
I understand what you're saying. You're a long-time Poester and I enjoy reading your posts. However, having seen and messed with the Toy Biz Marvel Legends, they don't do anything for me–maybe it's just the media behind it. I've always been a DC guy. I don't mind that the figures have a lot of reuse of parts–it seems like the head sculpts are good enough to set each figure apart.
Nicholai
I don't understand the idea that DCU isn't our (DC fans) Marvel Legends. Similar sculpting, more waves, more characters, and same scale. People look back on Marvel Legends with completely rose colored glasses at this point. That line had just as many problems and duds as so many others. DCUC has had more problems but it has produced more materials.
I don't think that DCUC isn't popular, but I do think that the number of subs needed is substantially higher than MOTUC and that a huge number of people who bought some or even most of DCUC at retail around the country are not the type necessarily who follow toy sites and blogs. This idea comes up elsewhere. As surprising as it is to comic book fans the majority of people still don't follow the news religiously on sites like Newsarama or CBR. What Mattel should have done is announced this DCUC sub earlier and got the word out on different sites touting the limited run and the niche characters and previous unmade characters. Sites like IGN, Newsarama, Comicbookresources, and more would have put this out in front of the audience that needed to see it.
Eric
Rose colored glasses? They cost $8, came with gigantic BAFs, and almost every figure had amazing new sculpts. They were pretty much a love letter to Marvel collectors.
In fact, they were so damn awesome I’m kind of shocked they were able to do it.
Griffin
The BAF size is certainly a plus. That 10 inch anti-monitor is a shame. But they had their failures too. That Scarlet Witch was a disaster. Ultron didn't look right. They made us buy two goddamn AOA wolverines to build Giant-Man, in addition to the million Wolverine and Iron Man variations they made. And thats just Toy Biz. Don't get me started on Hasbo's "attempts" at Banshee and Emma Frost. Meanwhile I have a Batman Legacy Catman with sculpted stubble. There isn't an ML figure that looks as good as my DCUC Aqauman. Both lines were amazing but with flaws, so lets not miss the forest for the trees.
Eric
Sculpted stubble with the same reused body that’s been reused on pretty much every single male figure they’ve made. For $16. Am I supposed to be impressed by that?
Marvel Legends had it’s downsides, and I admit I bitched about things constantly while it was running, but the complaints seem less urgent in retrospect. Pretty much all of my complaints included your complaints, along with the articulation hindering action features on the Spider-man figures.
As for the Aquaman comment I respectfully disagree. He’s a good figure, but ML still had Green Goblin, Astonishing Wolverine, Beta Ray Bill, Luke Cage, etc.
A.J.
"I’m surprised the CIE sub is (evidently) doing so poorly"
I'm not. It's a horrible deal compared to what we were getting before, and Mattel has totally botched the promotion of it.
What a lot of people need to realize is that there are very few DCUC completists; most of the people who like the line will only get the select few they want (myself included–I have around 20-30 DCUC figures, but I sure as hell don't want or need most of the rest). Given the choice of shelling out increased prices for less figures than are typically released in a year in four or five waves without knowing most of what you'd be getting and dumping the line altogether, I can't fault those who choose the latter.
PrfktTear
I'm thinking they may be holding off on how well the subs are really doing in attempt to get more people to join last minute in fear of the line not doing well enough to go through… just a conspiracy theory though.
Jonathan Granat
Do preorders for each figure, make only that amount and all will be fine. Then if the preorder-meter doesnt go high enough, it's simply because that character is unwanted, not the whole line.
Also, I'm sure many collectors are like me and are always cherry-picking from many lines, so to go all-in on a sub that will most likely have a few figures I don't want is simply illogical and not in my budget.
Kid Nicky
Where the hell are her toes?!
Newton Gimmick
She's wearing shoes, man.
RageTreb
If I had the money I might sign up, but Club Eternia is taking a lot of my funds. The way I see it DCUC ends at wave 20. Anything more than that will just be a happy surprise. The silver lining with any toy line dying is that it gives collectors a set goal for what to collect. So I look forward to that.
PrfktTear
So true… sometimes its nice to have a finishing point, a light at the end of the tunnel so to speak.
zach
If this doesn't happen, we'll see 'em in 2013.
dayraven
treats the property better, the way it deserves.
dayraven
the thing i find funny in the whole mess (in a schadenfreude kind of way) is that mattel brought this mess on themselves. firstly, they pick the least competent web host on the internet to run their new webstore… they get nothing but complaints on the company for the first 2 years of using them to do business, so what's the next logical choice? move all your boys division properties (which at this point should openly renamed the men's devision and we should be talked to like and by adults) to said web store. BRILLIANT! and then they act all surprised that we don't want to mass lemming our way to their website and their got awful toys. (cuz let's get real, in their overall place in the market, mattel is the anti-macfarlane, driving the industry as a whole backwards to the pre-legends era of TB… and really, even that's not fair, the TB marvel line in the early 90's actually had LESS parts re-use and more unique and detailed sculpts than DCUC. they took one of the finest toy making houses on the planet right now and reduced them to human xerox machines… that's one hell of a business model, isn't it?
that said, i do want to be clear, i don't hate or dislike DCU fans… i understand you guys treating this line like the best show going, because up till now, it has been. i feel bad that the best line you've been offered so far is DCU. you guys deserve your "marvel legends" and brothers, DCU ain't it. i hope the next house that gets your beloved DC (cuz w/ the sub not flying, and the fleeting nature of sweeping reboots like crises or this new relaunch, i suspect that warner brothers may be looking for a new partner before too long.)
Bill Murphy
I still have my sub, and I am still hoping it takes off. I have loved DCUC since its inception and I will continue to support it.
dean
Matty,
Throw in Gleek, you smarmy b@$t@rd; and I might buy a sub.
Seriously, I started cherry picking after thr TRU 2-packs and the SDCC Gleek debacle, because I realized Matty and TG especially did not view me as a “true fan” whose money they needed.
Mattel, I like the 4H’s figures very much, but I can’t stomach dealing with a company that does business the way you do and really believes I love being “talked at” by a fiber glass headed, creepy looking bastich of a mascot.
Muck Fattel and their subs! š
And it sucks that I feel that way because I really do love DCUC and the 4H, but like the battered spouse; I’m outta there.
Matty
You’ll be back, You never had it so good!
dean
LOL! That is hilarious.
Bring me roses and a Gleek and tell me you'll never abuse me again. I'll be back cause I know ya loves me.
On a serious note…I would have loved a Jay Garrick Flash ('course I'd love a Gleek too. No, I'll never let that go) š
The Flash III
I have to disagree that announcing the whole line would cause more signups (assuming they've even determined the whole lineup). All that would do is give people a tally to decide on. What's the magic number 6? 7? 10? There would be so many people outraged that "X" isn't on the list or screaming that "Y" is not fan-demanded that they'd just use that excuse, rather than not knowing, to sign up. Mystery has some advantages. Anyway, I hope people who love the line sign up, and I think most already have.
A.J.
Hell, if I knew what the full lineup would be and if 2/3 of the figures appealed to me, I'd be down for signing up.