DC Direct lives on: FLASHPOINT figures teased

When DC's last round of solicitations didn't include any action figures, many of us were wondering what the future held for DC Direct. This speculation was added to by news that Georg Brewer appears to no longer be at the helm of the company - based on reports of changes to his Linkedin profile.

Concerns about DCD's impending end seem to have been allayed by the release of a preview of a series of figures based on DC's upcoming FLASHPOINT event at the DC Blog. Since this isn't a common method of premiering new DC Direct products, one could certainly be forgiven for thinking this is a response to internet speculation of DCD's future. No word of who's in charge, but it seems that there is a plan for more DC Direct products in the "new" DC. While not everything the company puts out is to my liking, this is still good news in my view.

As for the FLASHPOINT figures themselves, whatever you might think of these particular toys (I for one am certainly hoping for Aquaman should a second wave happen), I think we have to give DCD full marks for great improvements in having merchandise related to a specific event coming in a timely manner in relation to the event itself. This is a darn sight better than the 52 wave of figures that were quite good in themselves but came out well after the event. DCD has done a brilliant job of capitalising on BLACKEST NIGHT, but even its BRIGHTEST DAY lines are coming out after the steam behind the event has weakened. The timing for these toys seems perfect.

All up - this is good news in my book. The more DC based toys and statues, the better as far as I'm concerned. I'd just like to find out who's running the shop now so that we can have a word about scale. And ankle articulation. And...

Have an opinion? Is the news that DC Direct seems to be alive and kicking good or bad? Comment here and enter the February AFB Comment Contest!

Until next time!

Heroes of the DCU Busts - Back in a Flash!

Somehow I missed that with Green Arrow, we said goodbye to Carlos Pacheo's run as designer of the Heroes of the DC Universe Mini-Bust series from DC Direct. Perhaps, like most of Pacheo's characters, I had my eyes closed.

Anyhoo, it's Gary Frank's turn, and first up is the Scarlet Speedster himself, The Flash.

Frank has a very distinctive artistic style, and the truth of his sketch is captured very well in the sculpt overall, although the jaw is more square in the final product than the angular version in Frank's design. The other question I have is whether or not the arms are actually a bit long, as the left elbow seems exaggerated, but it's hard to tell without being able to extend it.

Paintwork is rock solid, and the base here is dynamic, fun and make sense, and all this makes Flash a great addition to the line. This has been a fun series to collect - I've made a budgetary decision to collect the Heroes only at this stage and not the Villains counterpart line. What I'm really waiting for, though, is for this line to start delving beyond the A-List and deliver a few of the lesser known or oddball choices that we've seen in the Women's Mini-Bust line. Time will tell if this line lives that long.

You can see more pics at Facebook, discuss this at the AFB Forum, and comment on this post to enter the AFB February Comment of the Month Contest.

Until next time!

Enter the Mini-Statues: DC Direct Shrinks Flash vs. Gorilla Grodd

In a new trend that is sure to be kind to wallets and shelf space, DC Direct is revisiting some of it’s popular statues and reproducing them as Mini-Statues. First up is Flash Vs. Gorilla Grodd, which I picked up a couple of weeks ago.

“Mini” really means mini with this piece. This is 1:2 Scale to the original which was 12” in height. Check out the Facebook photo album for a scale comparison – Flash and Grodd in total come up to about the same height as a DCUC 6” figure. While the size is much smaller, there doesn’t seem to be any skimping on detail – photos of the original and the mini side by side are hard to tell apart.

Flash and Grodd come packaged separately and Flash inserts into Grodd via steel pegs in his feet. Unlike most statues assembled by this method, this one felt the tiniest bit wobbly when I picked it up to display it. It’s not in danger of falling out in any way but it’s definitely less firmly stuck than others I’ve had.

This is a Michael Turner-inspired sculpt, and if you didn’t like Turner’s unique take on anatomy you won’t like this. The waist is impossibly thin, the arms a tad too long and the hands a bit too big. I was never a great fan of the late Turner’s art, but Flash is one character he drew I never minded so much (and the only IDENTITY CRISIS figure I could tolerate), so I can look past this here. The paint apps are very solid, and the pose is quite dynamic front on, although I’d have to say Flash’s stance doesn’t hold up well from all angles. Best of all, it joins my collection without taking up half a shelf.

I’m all for the idea of these Mini-Statues as less expensive way of picking up some of the larger statues I’ve missed along the way. The upcoming Alex Ross Superman and Batman mini-statues will be welcome additions to my shelf, but I’d really love to see them reproduce some more two-character statues such as Green Lantern Vs. Sinestro whose initial release prices were just too cost-prohibitive. I also wonder if the mini-statue idea is something Bowen or Sideshow would consider to make their products more accessible.

You can see more pics at Facebook, discuss this at the AFB Forum, and comment on this post to enter the January AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

It was an Impulse buy….

eBay is rightfully called “ePay” at times, because there’s always someone out there ready to gouge collectors, and when you realllly want something, it can require an iron will to resist.

The flipside of the system is that you occasionally find some bargain gems. I only came to be doing an eBay search for the DCD Impulse Statue because someone at the AFB Forums was asking about the Young Justice Statues. I thought I knew everything DCD had ever done, but this set must have been before my time. I wasn’t wild about the Robin and Superboy statues that bookend the Young Justice set, but the Impulse statue is a standout that really captures the character and something that I knew I wanted for my collection.

Therefore, it was happiness to find an auction for said statue that had a low starting bid and never got off the ground. I snagged this puppy for an unspeakably low sum – even when the shipping to Oz was factored in.

I received this a couple of days ago and I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. This statue IS Bart Allen – it captures all of his cheeky charm through a great headsculpt and pose. It’s a very dynamic piece, with Bart skidding in and a dust cloud forming. The only shame here is that his goggles have fogged over a bit with age, clouding a full view of his eyes. Certainly doesn’t take too much away from a great statue, which I will proudly display in the Flash section of the AFB Museum.

So, for all that that eBay took from me in my green, early years of collecting, it’s nice to strike a blow back by getting such an amazing piece for such a steal! Score one for the little guy!

You can see more pics at Facebook, join in the Young Justice Statue discussion thread at the AFB Forum, and comment on this post to enter the October AFB Comment of the Month Contest.

Until next time!

The Golden Age Comes to DCD’s 13” Line

I’ve had a bit of a break from the DC Direct 13” line – between characters that haven’t caught my imagination, the increase in the cost and the delays that have been plaguing so much of DCD’s product these days – so I was very much looking forward to the arrival of the Golden Age Flash figure. I’m happy to report it’s very much worth the wait.

The presentation of the packaging of these figures is usually a bit bland for my tastes, and this is no different. I’d like to see a juxtaposition of photos of the actual figure with pictures from the comics to create a more dynamic look as opposed to photos of the figure only, which is what we have here. It’s a bit of a yawn, however I do like the display window and the fact that the packaging allows you to open and inspect the figure and repackage if desired.

Turning to the figure, kudos to MA-centric DCD for presenting Jay Garrick in his prime. The headsculpt is excellent, as is his removable helmet. The helmet fits nicely with the aid of what seems to be a magnet. One of the best headsculpts in this line.

Jay’s outfit is excellent – not sure what it is about this particular design, but the dreaded bicep and thigh cuts are not as obvious on this figure as they have been on many of the past efforts in this line. Whether this is by chance or design, it’s a very good thing. His belt is not attached to the outfit – I didn’t realise it was out of whack until it was too late to retake the photos – oops!

All I can say is that I am very hopeful that Jay Garrick won’t be alone as a GA character in DCD’s 13” line for long! In his SDCC Interview with AFI. Georg Brewer foreshadowed and Alan Scott figure, which would be very welcome – along with Wildcat, Dr Fate and any other Golden Age JSAers! Bring them on!

You can see more pics at Facebook, discuss this at the AFB Forum, and comment on this post to enter the October AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

A Thong By Any Other Name........

Remembering, of course, that here in Aussieland a thong is something you put on your foot....

I am such an Aquaman tragic that people frequently buy me weird Aquaman things. A couple of weeks ago I got am email from one of the amazing ladies that run my LCS advising me that Target had DC thongs (translating to "flip-flops" for our American fans and "jandals" for our South African brethren) and that I should get my Aquaman-loving bootang down there.

Resisting the urge to race down there straight from work that day and try on Superhero footwear in my daily workwear of suit and tie, I instead took the whole fam in casual gear on the weekend and we had a grand time trying on Batman, Joker, Robin, Superman, Flash and Aquaman thongs. My girls were most put out that Wonder Woman and Batgirl were not represented!

In the end I went for my main Fish Dude because, well, he's my main Fish Dude, and then Flasher because his thongs were the next coolest.

So whatever you call your open-toed casual footwear, you should be jealous of mine, because they're the coolest!