Could tomorrow's Matty sale see another DC Sell-out?

After the raging success of the DC Universe Legion of Superheroes 12-Pack at last month's Mattycollector sale, do you think that the Justice League Unlimited 7 Pack, on sale tomorrow, will follow suit?

JLU items on Mattycollector haven't been quick sellers, as evidenced by the fact that remainders of most of the Matty-exclusive product are also on sale tomorrow at heavy discounts. The 7-Pack, however, contains the final characters required to complete the JLU show-specific set, including long-demanded releases like Gypsy, Doctor Mid-nite and Johnny Thunder with his Thunderbolt. 

Could the size and exclusivity of this set, its necessity to JLU completists and the momentum created by the surprise success of the Legion set combine to create a DC-related sell-out two months in a row?

Your opinions can be posted in the comments section here for a chance to win the AFB Comment of the Month Contest for November!

AFB Asks Matty for August 15 2011!

AFB is very excited to have joined Mattel’s “Ask Matty” program. We now have our first set of answers! These questions cover DCUC, JLU, WWE, Voltron and some Digital River issues. Read on and enjoy!
____________________________________________________________________________

Q:    As the single figures from the Club Infinite Earths subscription won't include a Connect and Collect piece, will there be scope to include an increased range of accessories in order to justify the cost of the individual toys?


A: When a figure calls for it, accessories will be added. One of the reasons for the higher cost of figures online is due to the much lower production run. But it is still our best way of getting more obscure collector friendly figures out to hard core fans!


Q: Some international Mattycollector shoppers have been disappointed by the use of the new padded mailer bags for shipping MOTUC toys. These bags don't hold up to international shipping and items have arrived dented and creased. Is there any plan to review the use of the padded mailer bags?


A: This was a test run and we actually stopped using these bags due to customer disinterest.
 

Q: The new Club Lion subscription is exciting, but $15 for the 3 3/4" pilot figures seems a bit steep. What's the rationale behind this pricing?


A: Low production runs result in higher prices. When we do a small production run (matching the subscription number plus a small extra amount for day of sales) we are charged a high premium by our vendor. This cost is then passed along to the customer. Most items offered on Mattycollector.com are well below Mattel’s company min order quota (MOQ) which is why they cost more to produce and therefore more to buy. But it is still the best option for getting collector requested figure to market.  


Q: The JLU 7 pack that was announced in SDCC looks awesome, yet, we were told that this seven pack will complete all members of the Justice League. Johnny Thunder, Thunderbolt and Dr. Mid-Nite are all great figures, but these characters are more related to the JSA than the JLA. Figures like Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) and Guy Gardner were not shown Since these two core characters were missing and we were promised a complete Justice League by the end of the line, are we going to ever be able to finish the JLA members (and more specifically JLI)?


A: The JLU pack is intended to finish off the “in show” members of the JLU, not the comic book version of the teams. (and it does just that!)


Q: WWE - Are there plans to release accessories, like a steel cage, for the Elite Scale Ring as a Matty Collector exclusive?  I'm sure there are enough owners of the ESR to justify a small production run.  And yes, the people who constantly ask for stuff like this know we'd be paying a premium for it.


A: This is indeed something we are always looking into but nothing to announce quite yet. We know there is a lot of fan demand!


Discuss these answers here at the AFB Forum!


You can also add questions for future “Ask Matty” round here.


Enjoy, and of course you can comment on this post to enter the August AFB Comment of the Month Contest!


Until next time!

A JLU find in Oz!

This probably doesn't seem like a big deal to AFB readers Stateside, but actually being able to find and buy action figures at retail has become such a novelty here I had to post about it. After a tip-off from AFB Forum member NiteOwl, I made a detour from my normal Sunday shopping to check out my local Kmart, which is in a mall I've been avoiding as it's a construction nightmare at the moment. It's also been so long since my once common toy-run through all the possible shops netted anything, I've really fallen out of the habit.

Happily, my trip was not in vain - just as NiteOwl had found in his local Kmart, mine had the latest (or one of the latest) wave of Justice League Unlimited singles: OMAC, Ultraman and a show-accurate Red Tornado, which I bought, and Captain Atom and Red / Blue Superman, which I left on the pegs for another happy hunter.

JLU is a line I have tried to quit at least half a dozen times, primarily because of the lack of a local release here for some time. Things like the Mattycollector exclusive packs and characters like General Eiling and Amanda Waller have kept me hooked, however, and I'm looking forward to the Mattycollector JLU Parademons coming up shortly, so I was keen to have new characters to line (for me) OMAC and Ultraman, and a Red Tornado that looks more like the unique look he has on the show. Plus, I really can't underplay the chance to actually buy a toy a retail as a factor in deciding to buy!

There's nothing groundbreaking about any of these figures - the standard JLU buck is used in all three, but OMAC has some extra sculpting for his fin-head, and he also has an arm attachment that connects to his left arm in much the same way the the Metal Men extension pieces snap on in DCUC, although not quite as snug. Ultraman has a disc-y sort of belt sculpted on, and similar discs on his forearms, which are a bit lost as they're placed at the back. Ultraman also comes with the standard strong-person bent piece of steel, which he can't possibly grasp, so that's a bit of a fail. Paint is great on all three, but I was glad a had a choice for Red Tornado as the one I got was the only one that didn't have a paint blip on his chest emblem.

Taking these out of the package, I was reminded of the other reason I've been tempted to quit this line, and the reason I don't currently have JLU on display: these little guys are such a bugger to stand up! The Mattel JLU bases are also way too big to display a wide number of them. That's not news though, and I guess most collectors have found their ways around it by this point!

Again, not necessarily post-worthy on their own, but these make news for me simply because they actually hit the shelves here - so here's hoping it's the start of a trend!

You can discuss this at the AFB Forum and comment on this post to enter the October AFB Comment of the Month Contest - with an extra prize for an AFB Facebook fan this month!

Until next time!

SDCC Shakedown - the Top 10 things that will take my money in the year to come, Part 1

Now that the euphoria of this year's San Diego Comic Con is fading, and the hunt for those elusive exclusives has most likely concluded, either through expensive success or a painful admission of defeat, I thought I'd take a look back at my personal highlights from the products shown, and those that are most likely to end up in my collection (and on my credit card statement). Most of the reference pics for these are taken straight from Michael Crawford's great coverage of the event, so all credit where credit is due - it's guys like MWC that allow the rest of us to live vicariously through their SDCC experiences, and I for one am extremely grateful!

Now to the stuff that grabbed my attention:

Sideshow’s She-Hulk Premium Format Figure:

I’m already locked in to the MS Marvel Premium Format Figure, which is going to be my gift to myself for an upcoming significant birthday (one of those that end in an “0”). I was thinking that Ms Marvel was going to be a bit lonesome, and when I heard that Sideshow was producing the ever’ lovin’ She-Hulk in this line, I thought she’d make the perfect companion. I have to say I am a tad put off by the purple pants, but I am really in love with the headsculpt of this piece. I passed on Sideshow’s Adam Hughes She-Hulk Comiquette because I didn’t like the bimbo-esque portrayal of the lovely Jen Walters, and this is just the antidote – a beautiful, strong and elegant version that is going to look great on my shelves.

Justice League Unlimited

Mattel’s JLU line is the toy line I just can’t quit. Frustrated with the lack of distribution here in Australia and starved for shelf space, I packed up my JLU collection awhile ago and decided not to add more figures to it, but then Mattel made Amanda Waller, General Eiling, Captain Boomerang and a few other much-wanted firsts, which roped me back in. At this SDCC, amongst some gems like Angle Man and Killer Frost, we also saw Kalibak and Parademons. Parademons!! Sigh! The JLU may not be making its way back into my display just yet (them little buggers are hard to keep standin’ up!), but somehow I’m still going to be spending money on them in the year to come!

Masters of the Universe Classics (Club Eternia 2011 Subscription)

There’s definitely split opinions out in MOTUC fandom land about the revised Club Eternia “All In” Subscription for 2011. It happens to suit me, because I really can’t do the middle of the night get-ups here in Oz to get all of the extras, which are some of the best parts of the line, but I hear the detractors who are put off by not being able to opt out of some of the bigger expenses, and not knowing everything that's going to be included. I liked the look of the characters shown at SDCC, but would have been happier if one of the big “wants” for the line had been revealed, but I still think that there’s enough steam in the MOTUC and PoP lines to make 2011 a stellar year.

DC Direct’s Brightest Day Figures

Turn the clock back a few years, and pretty much all I bought action figure-wise was made by DC Direct. Now, I’m looking forward to exactly two upcoming 6” figures – Mera and Deadman from Brightest Day. After DCD doing a very DCD-type thing by announcing Red Lantern Mera before a regular version, I was pretty stoked to see this one announced and to see her looking fabulous. For sure, I want Mattel to hurry up with their version and make it a classic one, but this is a beauty. Deadman wasn’t a huge drawcard for me to start with, as I’m satisfied with the perhaps slightly too skinny DCUC version, but when I saw that he comes with an unmasked head with a mask prop – sold! Now I just can’t wait for Brightest Day Wave 3, with Hawk, Dove, Capt Boomerang I and.. oh wait, this is DC Direct. I shan’t get my hopes up.

Hot Toys War Machine

I’ve resisted the lure of Hot Toys for a very long time. Those prices don’t translate very nicely into AUD, and that’s not even counting international shipping. Recently, however, a friend offered me a great deal on a Hot Toys Iron Man Mark IV, and I just know he’s going to get lonely, so it’s a good thing HT is making War Machine as well. Once he arrives, of course, I’m totally quitting the Hot Toys thing. I mean, unless Black Widow ends up needing a home….

Okay, that’s the first half of the Top Ten – I need a breather before I put the rest together – and so will my wallet!

You can comment on this post to enter the August AFB Comment of the Month Contest, and don’t forget that there’s still a chance to win the SDCC Orko or Plastic Man toys in our current Contest!

Until next time!

JLU Legion – 3/4 Worth the Wait

The old saying of the watched pot never boils is most certainly the case in terms of my JLU Legion of Superheroes figures. My previous orders from mattycollector.com have all arrived in a flash, so it’s only natural that one of my most anticipated purchases in a long time got on the slooow boat.

Being the Legion fan-atic that I am, I did something I haven’t done in a long time, which is buy two of these to keep one in the box. I also wanted to support the line as it’s been made clear that this first set needs to sell well if we want to see any more Legionnaires in the JLU.

These figures are, as the header reads,  3/4 worth the long wait. In a nutshell, the guys are fantastic and Saturn Girl is a little bit craptastic. More on her later.

I’ve read a bit of negative comment about a “less interesting” character like Brainiac 5 being included in the line, but he did have the main Legion role in the “Far From Home” episode, and he is captured perfectly here in the way he appeared in that episode. It’s just a shame that the teeny tiny JLU Supergirl doesn’t really go with him scale wise.

The three Legion founders are obvious choices for the rest of the wave, and Lightning Lad and Cosmic Boy are both extremely well done. Whether or not JLU figures will stand on their own is always a precarious  proposition, but these two gents are firmly planted and easily balanced. Brainy does have a slight tilt to him. Must be all those extra brains, or it could be the frequently experienced JLU bendy-leg syndrome. Paint applications on all three gents are perfect.

JLU females are always a gamble, and Saturn Girl hasn’t fared well I’m a-feared. For starters, the one I unpacked has a black mark on the back of her head from the packaging, and then she has a face that looks like something heavy fell on it, but that’s not packaging, that’s design or manufacturing. I’m not a fan of the female JLU splayed-leg base that can’t stand up on its own, but at least Mattel wised up and provides a base with them now. Still, Imra is sadly the dud of the wave.

Still, it’s exciting to hold any piece of the Legion world in plastic, and I really do hope these sell well enough to see some more Legionnaires somewhere down the line – they are still available at mattycollector.com so you could help out the cause by buying your set today!

You can see more pictures at Facebook, discuss this at the AFB Forum, and don’t forget you can also enter the June AFB Comment of the Month Contest  by commenting on this post!

Until next time!

JLU Legion – Order Early and Order Often!

The first JLU Legion figures are now available for order at mattycollector.com – Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy and Brainiac 5. I am definitely looking forward to having these little Legionnaires on my JLU shelf!

Mattel has made it clear that if we want to see any more Legion JLU figures, this set has to sell well – so do this Legion fan a favor and order a set (or three……).

Please?

 

Wonder Twins Powers Activate!

The announcement that Mattel would be making Wonder Twins Zan, Jayna and Gleek in the DCUC line was met with a mixture of joy and derision in the online collecting world. Superfriends fans were delighted, those that wanted DCUC to be comic characters only were not so happy. Superfriends was ultimately responsible for my love of comics, so while I won’t go so far as to say I was in the joy group, I’m definitely happy.

Mattel’s made it official today with the unveiling of their SDCC Exclusives, which include the Wonder Twins as the DCUC exclusive. It’s a great set, which also includes a pail of water with Zan’s face in it and Jayna in the form of an eagle, plus Gleek.

Go to Matty’s Facebook Photo Albums to see the rest, which include a JLU Green Lantern 3-pack including a civilian  Hal Jordan, Infinite Heroes Anti-Monitor and a MOTUC He-Ro!

Great news about the exclusives is that they are going to be available online after SDCC, except for Gleek. If you want the purple monkey, you have to get him in the SDCC pack, as the Wonder Twins set on mattycollector.com will be primate-less. I’m actually happier for buy a set without him, but if this fills you with a sense of outrage, just search “Gleek”at your favourite engine to find hysterical fanboys shrieking about this everywhere.

“Form of, a big baby!”

Can’t wait for my Zan and Jayna!

You can discuss this at the AFB Forum!

What’s happening for you in the 3 3/4”(ish) World?

After having been firmly in the 6” and 1:6 Scale World for years apart from a bit of JLU dabbling, I now find I am collecting a bunch of tiny critters: JLU – Batman: The Brave & The Bold and Marvel Universe, with a bit of dabbling in DC Infinite Heroes.

I’m awaiting a few figures from the Wolverine 3 3/4” line (the comic accurate figures only) an d really looking forward to Series 3 (not one but two Ms Marvels!), and thought this was a good subject for the latest AFB Poll – which 3 3/4”  (or thereabouts) lines are you collecting ?

Click over to the right to have your say!

Gotham Criminals Invade AFB!

AFB loves Mattycollector.com! If only procuring other exclusive type toys was as easy as these (don’t mention Wal-Mart around us foreigners, we get all twitchy and stuff).

My Justice League Unlimited Gotham Criminals 4-pack arrived today, and while I am well pleased by the ease of the transaction and happy to add these characters to the JLU collection, there are some improvements I would have like to have seen with a couple of the figures.

Scarecrow is the pick of the bunch. Interesting new design elements, groovy cane, very funky face. Only complaint here is that his face is turned downwards so it’s hard to get a good look at him. Still, he’s an excellent figure.

Harley is a character I’ve never really seen the point of, but this is an effective addition to this line. She’s also one of the first female JLU figures apart from the originals that I’ve been able to get to stand on its own, which is a feat in itself.

Bane is a great addition to the line, but it’s a great shame that he didn’t get a bigger body sculpt. Having him standing at the same height as Clock King does not work. Even something like the Darkseid body would have worked in a pinch to give this character the gravitas he deserved.

It’s great to see a Clock King figure in any line, and a shame that he’s the stinker of the bunch. His little pinhead stuck inside that giant collar is not a good look. If I had customising skills I’d be giving him either a bigger noggin or a skinnier body for sure.

Still, this was a good first run for the JLU web exclusives, and I’m hopeful for more, especially for an extension of the Legion line within JLU!

More pics at Facebook and you can discuss it at the AFB Forum

DCUC News from AFI

In the absence of their Facebook page, Mattel has given AFI their latest info on DCUC Wave 9 and upcoming Mattycollector.com news.

As well as updated (and looking better than ever) pics of Black Adam, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Wildcat and the two Mantis figures, we get a few bits of  news and views:

Firstly, the Guardian in the wave will be what they’re calling the “vintage Guardian” and not the modern age Guardian shown at NYCC and Toyfair due to not having the tooling to do both. This looks to be a Silver Age Guardian that would look a lot more authentic if he at least had a gold helmet. I’m not super vigilant on the gold / yellow thing, but this is a place where using gold as the artist intended would really help.

Secondly, there will be a “second Wildcat variant” but what it will be is not confirmed. I’d say those of us hoping for a black Wildcat with untaped hands are in for a disappointment, since that’s not variant enough. Options then are a blue Wildcat with untaped hands (ack), a Yolanda Montez Wildcat or a Tommy / JSA / Wildcub Wildcat. Out of all of those I’d be keenest for a Yolanda, so we’ll probably get Tommy.

Finally, Chemo is indeed translucent-y which will make many of people happy. For me, not as happy as if we wasn’t Modern Age, but hey. It’s Chemo. He’s still pretty cool.

The Mattycollector.com info relates to Faker being on sale on 16 March, the Alexander Luthor / Ultraman 2-pack going on sale on 15 April and the Legion / JLU 4-pack going on sale on sale on May 15th. Mattel has said that production of any future Legion JLU figures depends on how these sell, so buy up big!

Thanks to Mattel and Actionfigureinsider for the news and pics!

Who should be next in JLU? Have your say!

The AFB Forums have really taken off! We hope you'll come in and have a look AND a say!

In "The Pegs", which is our board about collecting life, we're running a poll to come up with lists of the heroes and villains who appeared in Justice League Unlimited but haven't had a figure yet that we'd most like to see. Global Moderator Kimmel Prime has done an exhaustive list of every character that's appeared in the show but not in plastic (there's more than you'd think!), and all you need to vote on which ones you think should be next in this amazing line of toys.

The poll is here - come in and have your say!

NYCC Day One Wrap-Up

There a number of sites doing comprehensive coverage of the New York Comic-Con, so as usual I’ll just worry about looking at what interests me.

Day One saw mostly existing stuff on display with the bigger announcements to come later. Mattel’s Ghostbusters line was there for the viewing, and fans of that property are going to be well pleased – the 12” figures are beautifully detailed. It made me wonder if Mattel will ever look at 12” DC Universe figures – if this is an indication, they would be well done.

In my area of interest, the most exciting reveal on Day 1 was the DC Direct Women of the DC Universe Mera Mini-Bust. This is the first time DCD has done a Mera item, and she looks excellent. I’ve actually started collecting some of these mini-busts (haven’t got around to blogging them yet) and while some in the line go too for into cheesecake for me to enjoy, the Mera mini-bust looks more realistic and right on the money. Alongside her, it looks like Aquaman and Green Arrow are both getting mini-busts in the DCD Heroes of the DC Universe line, and they both look amazing. Many thanks to Action Figure Insider for the look.

Still on DC Direct, we got a look at the History of the DCU line, and the figures look very promising. In particular, the Batman looks like he might just be “the” Batman we’ve been waiting for all these years. A site I’d never visited before, Cool Toy Review, had this excellent shot of a figure I will look forward to with great anticipation. It’s exciting to see DCD experimenting with a bit more articulation. Here’s hoping this line becomes a comprehensive representation of the DCU.

On the Marvel side, we got a huge preview of the upcoming Hasbro Marvel Universe 3 3/4” scale figures, which reinforced my view that these are going to blow Infinite Heroes out of the water. Well, Mattel is certainly killing the 6” retail line for superheroes with DCUC, so perhaps it’s okay if Marvel heroes are reigning in this smaller world. Here’s hoping these land in Oz – a good chance since there is a lot of Hasbro product here at retail. If so, this may become the scale in which I collect the Marvel Universe. Time will tell!

The raspberry award goes to the news that the Justice League Unlimited Amanda Waller figure will be a Target Exclusive. We have Target here, but they don’t carry this line so it’s eBay for us. I understand retailer exclusives are a necessary evil in today’s market, but gosh they make it hard for the overseas collector.

That’s my take on Day 1 – definitely looking forward to some reveals tomorrow!

AFB’s 2008 Round-Up

The year is coming to an end, and that calls for a round-up of the best and the rest in the superhero action figure world for 2008. I’m sticking to the figures that have been featured in the pages of AFB this year, so you may not agree with my takes in all of these categories, but hey – it’s my blog! Let’s get started:

Custom of the Year: Choosing between my customs is like having a favourite child, but the one that I acquired this year that my collection absolutely couldn’t live without would have to be the MA JSA Liberty Belle done by the  amazing Lars. My custom MA JSA is well on the way, and Liberty Belle is the gem of the roster and one of the absolute gems of my whole collection. Best custom I featured that I don’t own (unfortunately) would have to be the custom MA Bulleteer from the Doosh Custom Con. Love it and want it.

Best 6” Scale Figure: Mattel DC Universe Classics Aquaman (Series 2) The flesh tone is a bit off, but this is by far and away the best ever plastic representation of the King of the Seas, and one of the strongest efforts in the DCUC line to date. Great to see Aquaman getting such respect in plastic – now if only the same could be said about the comics! Runners Up: DC Direct New Teen Titans Jericho, Mattel DC Universe Classics Wonder Woman, Marvel Legends Ronin (great figure of a not that great character), DC Direct Justice Captain Cold. Also am a big fan of the Marvel Legends Union Jack that I picked up this year but who never made it up onto the site.

Best 6” Wave: Mattel DC Universe Classics Series 2: A diverse line-up, solid sculpts, good QC and a kick-ass Collect & Connect figure, DCUC Wave 2 had it all, even if some of the variants didn’t come until the end of the year. This wave is where DCUC really began to show what it was capable of. Only a blue-faced, slightly wonky Harley Quinn kept it from absolute perfection. Gorilla Grodd, Superman Red & Blue and an amazing Aquaman more than made up for it. Runners Up:  DC Direct New Gods Series 1: In all their Kirby goodness, who could go past Orion, Mr Miracle, Darkseid and Lightray for the one of most enjoyable 6” wave of the year? DST Battlestar Galactica Series 2 gave us Starbuck, Kat, Helo and an amazing Cylon for some great, non-superhero fun. Mattel DC Universe Classics Series 3 could have taken the prize if not for scale issues: a less tall than intended Sinestro and a worryingly small Robin, but this was still an excellent set of figures.

Best 1:6 Scale Figure: Sticking with what I’ve collected, I’m going to have to give this to the recent DC Direct 1:6 Scale Black Canary, a favourite character and by far the best female in the DCD 1:6 Scale line. The extra screamy head was a huge bonus. If the headsculpts just looked a bit more like Dinah and bit less like Michelle Pfieffer, it would have been near perfect (still would have had those pesky thigh cuts though). Naturally, the clear overall winners are the amazing 1:6 scale figures that Hot Toys is putting out at the moment, like the Batman range and their Iron Man. Oh to have the funds. Runner Up: DC Direct 1:6 Scale Joker.

Best Roster Completion: DC Direct New Teen Titans Series 2: We love having complete teams on our shelves, and few sights could be sweeter than seeing the Wolfman / Perez New Teen Titans all together in one place. The addition of Robin, Terra and Jericho made that possible, and DCD has to get some thanks for that. Not only were these much wanted characters almost perfectly sculpted, they were also in scale with the original NTT series from DCD’s much smaller years. A job well done.

    Announcement of the Year: Mattel DC Universe Classics Series 8: Any questions that I had about just how far the DCUC line could go were answered when Series 8 was announced. Gentleman Ghost? Adrian Chase Vigilante? The sky is no doubt the limit here. Now it’s going to take a Legionnaire or ten to make me totally happy of course, but the announcement of Series 8 actually made me believe that just might happen. Runner up: the Mattel Justice League Unlimited Legends of League 6-packs announcement: Vibe, Steel, Crimson Fox and B’wana Beast?? Hello!!

Line of the Year: DC Universe Classics. Like I said earlier, the sky really does appear to be the limit with this line. Distribution and a few pesky QC issues aside, this line carries the hopes and dreams of a great many DCU fanboys and girls on its plastic little shoulders.

Company of the Year: Mattel. DCUC, JLU, Infinite Heroes, Brave & the Bold. Mattel has taken the DC license and given us DC fans more loving than we could ask for, with some honey thrown in for Masters of the Universe collectors as well. The level of fan interaction and the launch of mattycollector.com all just add to justification, if any more was needed. Long may these halcyon days last!

An epic post for what really has been an epic year. Thanks for sharing it with me, and I look forward to bringing you more fun in 2009!

Amanda Waller for JLU!

Got to the Mattycollector.com website for a new JLU tidbit: Amanda Waller will debut in the line in 2009!

Is this line ever going to stop??  I hope not!!

I’m all for a version of Waller in the 6” (well, 4 1/2” for her) line, maybe as a web exclusive: no Suicide Squad display will ever be complete without her.

Many thanks to Mattel for the late Christmas present!!

JLU Geeky Goodness

Oh mommy.

Where, oh where do I go to make sure I get my Vibe and Steel figures, in fact maybe more than one of each? And where is my Gypsy Mattel?

Great to see Mattel giving some plastic love to the Detroit League, and very impressed to see B'wana Beast and Crimson Fox make it to 3D as well.

Check out the article at AFI for all the details.

Giganta's not such a big deal.....

I am very lucky in that despite living in Oz I have a friend from one of my message board haunts who for the past few SDCCs has taken my wishlist of exclusives and helped me out with the ones I've wanted. When putting my list together and counting the pennies (welll 5 cent pieces, that's the smallest coinage we have here...) I decided against getting the Mattel Giganta exclusive because my interest in sticking with the JLU line was waning. Once I saw the amazing JLU reveals at SDCC however, I regretted that call as it was clear there was alot of life in the line yet!

My problem seemed solved when Mattycollector.com came online, and it seemed like a good way of trying out the new store as well so I decided to give it a go. I didn't have any problem with my order, and the international shipping was extremely reasonable - thank you Mattel!!

For those still waiting for their Mattel purchase or those wondering, I've included a pic of the packaging Giganta came in just so you have an idea of the quality. I thought this was well shipped, fresh new box with plastic air cushions and a wrap around the item giving a fair bit of protection. It all seemed fairly crush-resistant, so the packaging gets the thumbs-up from me.

As for the contents, if someone hadn't pointed out to me after a previous post that Giganta wasn't a 10" figure, I would have gotten a shock at her size. I guess I had just assumed that the large Giganta would be a 10" figure in line with the 10" JLU line, even though her actual height has probably been mentioned in lots of places. I was a bit disappointed to hear this, but on seeing the actual height of the figure, it makes sense - the 10" line is its own line and would have been TOO big to put against the smaller figures as a giant character.

I'm keeping this in the box at the moment as I don't have JLU display space until my new display units come online (read: I can afford them, but Mrs AFB has said the house has to get painted first) later this year or early next. The display box is good looking and has been designed so that you can slip the figures out of the bottom to inspect them and then put it back together for display.

As I'm keeping this all together at the moment I can't comment on articulation etc but it all looks to be standard JLU. .Her head does have a basic turn despite the length of her hair. I can't say the JLU version of the character is my favourite - I don't get how she stays all nicely made up when turns giant, but it is a passable version of the cartoon character. My two main criticisms would be that in the larger version, her head seems a bit too big for her body, hardly the scary baddy type, and I would have preferred the figure to have a "meaner" look on her face - she looks too nice!

Overall, my first online purchase from Mattel gets a big thumbs-up - even if the first product didn't turn out to be as big as I thought it was!

Giganta is stomping her way to Oz

AFB is on the road for work at the moment and Internet access has been limited, so I have been jumping for a chance to get onto the Mattycollector.com website once it was "live" and have a look at how it was functioning and see what their international shipping was like.

I'd read in a few places of people having trouble with the site and not being able to pay, etc., so my expectations were low. I must have come in after the rush, however, as I was able to negotiate through it without any problem.

I had organised with a mate to pick up the exclusives I was interested in, but after the strong showing Mattel made for the JLU line at SDCC (and considering that the dismal showing DCD made means there's nothing to look forward to on that end, but that's another story.......) I decided to look at the Giganta exclusive, and was pleased to find it in stock and also find that the international shipping to Australia was extremely reasonable! This really made my day as it means that I'm not going to have to fork out eBay scalper shipping prices to get the exclusives coming up - especially the yummy Adam Strange - Starfire 2-pack I'm hanging out for! (Although I'd be keen to see Mattel fix Starfire's uni-boob before she's released....)

Obviously the proof is in the pudding, so I'll update you when Giganta actually arrives down under, but all signs are very positive. Thanks Mattel!!