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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Some Sistas Got Problems, Some Don’t…

barda6Mattel’s DC Universe Classics is the most exciting thing to happen to DC toy fans since….well, I’d almost be prepared to say Super Powers. It has the potential to become THE iconic DC action figure line simply because of the depth of character selection, delivered in one consistent feel and style.

Due to this potential, it’s fair enough that we want the line to be the best it can be. Mattel certainly appears to be making the effort to be listening, which is very encouraging.

With that in mind, Mattel, I want to talk to you about your women folk for a moment:

Picture 001Some of your female figures are simply amazing. The Wave 4 Wonder Woman is certainly the best female 6” figure from lines aimed at the retail market I’ve ever seen, and quite possibly the best Wonder Woman 6” figure around. From the looks of the NYCC photos, the upcoming Black Canary looks like it could easily  fall in the same category. (By the way, thanks for the blue stockings on Dinah – you’ve made a lot of collectors happy with that one).

You need to consider how your packaging impacts on your figures. I was really excited to receive my  mattycollector.com exclusive Adam Strange & Starfire 2-pack, but disappointed to find that due to the way Starfire was posed in the box, her right leg is so bent out of shape that she can’t stand up on her own. We understand that the quality of plastic that has to be used to make this price point has its limitations – please don’t make this issue worse by creating problems in the figures through awkward packaging. (By the way – Kory wasn’t as bad as I was expecting due to the negative press, but the chest straps on her outfit needed to be sculpted on, not just painted. Plus – bendy legs: no.)

DSC05541You need a larger female body type to effectively recreate the DCU. Big Barda being shorter than Mister Miracle is not on, guys. It’s not just about height, it’s build as well. We accept that with the cost limitations of a line of this scale for this market that there are going to basic body types throughout the line, but a significant character like Barda should be given more respect. Is Grace Choi going to be the same height as Thunder? What’s worse about this figure missing the mark is that there’s a shrimpy variant alot of us have already pre-ordered, so we’re getting stuck with two not-so-Big Bardas. This one was worth a new cut, guys. It’s a real shame too, because otherwise it’s a beautiful figure. (Thanks to AFTimes for the pic).

Like I said, this line could be THE line. We want it to be. And that’s why we’re going to keep telling you like it is. Thanks for listening.

1 comment:

J.Ho said...

great blog, i stumbled upon it while looking to see if anyone had reviewed my current favorite action figure (DCD new gods big barda).

you're dead on about DCUC's diminuitive big barda figure--but just for the sake of comparison, i'd love to see you post some side-by-side shots of the DCUC and DCD versions of barda and miracle.

keep up the great work on the blog!

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