Getting Matteled, again.
I love toys, and I especially love toys based on superheroes. I own all the Marvel figures I could possibly want, but DC characters- not so much. I can't see paying $16 and up for DC Direct figures. I own a few of them, but they aren't exactly amazing. I like my toys to be able to pull off more than one or two poses, and I like them cheaper.
Along comes Mattel with their DC Superheroes 6" scale line. My prayers are answered in the first two series. I have the obligatory Batman and Superman, but I also have Bizarro, Supergirl, Scarcrow, and kick-ass renditions of Bane and Doomsday.
But as Mattel often does, they take a golden oppotunity and screw the pooch on it. I've never seen the two most recent series on pegs locally, and of course, the exclusives in this line are impossible to find. Target stores have exclusive two-packs- Superman/Bizarro, Superman/Clark Kent, and Batman/Batgirl. Of course, the Superman/Bizarro set led off the line, and it still sits on shelves, holding any subsequent releases in the back room, if they ever make it to the store from the DC. And, of course, this will probably be the only way to get Clark and the Barbara Gordon Batgirl, and nobody's able to buy them.
If you think it couldn't get worse, well, you don't know Mattel. The most recent series, series 4, has four Superman figures in the case. The case only holds eight figures, I might add. And three of his most popular villains have to split the rest of the case, meaning it only takes one collector to wipe them out and leave the Superman, since he likely has multiple Superman figures as it is and certianly doesn't need or want any more. Whenever you come upon this predicament, that feeling you get is called "getting Matteled". Which is akin to anal violation.
In another year, this DC Superheroes line will be another bitter memory for collectors, just like Mattel's aborted relaunch of Masters of the Universe. Here, Mattel was handed an opportunity to match the success of Marvel Legends and fucked it up in less than a year. (This line was first available after Christmas of 2005, so it's not been quite a year yet.) Way to go, guys. I don't think they have any plans for anything after series 5, and I'll be amazed if that ever makes it to US shores. Of course, it has my favorite Batman villain in it, Two-Face, so I'll likely never get my hands on that one.
Along comes Mattel with their DC Superheroes 6" scale line. My prayers are answered in the first two series. I have the obligatory Batman and Superman, but I also have Bizarro, Supergirl, Scarcrow, and kick-ass renditions of Bane and Doomsday.
But as Mattel often does, they take a golden oppotunity and screw the pooch on it. I've never seen the two most recent series on pegs locally, and of course, the exclusives in this line are impossible to find. Target stores have exclusive two-packs- Superman/Bizarro, Superman/Clark Kent, and Batman/Batgirl. Of course, the Superman/Bizarro set led off the line, and it still sits on shelves, holding any subsequent releases in the back room, if they ever make it to the store from the DC. And, of course, this will probably be the only way to get Clark and the Barbara Gordon Batgirl, and nobody's able to buy them.
If you think it couldn't get worse, well, you don't know Mattel. The most recent series, series 4, has four Superman figures in the case. The case only holds eight figures, I might add. And three of his most popular villains have to split the rest of the case, meaning it only takes one collector to wipe them out and leave the Superman, since he likely has multiple Superman figures as it is and certianly doesn't need or want any more. Whenever you come upon this predicament, that feeling you get is called "getting Matteled". Which is akin to anal violation.
In another year, this DC Superheroes line will be another bitter memory for collectors, just like Mattel's aborted relaunch of Masters of the Universe. Here, Mattel was handed an opportunity to match the success of Marvel Legends and fucked it up in less than a year. (This line was first available after Christmas of 2005, so it's not been quite a year yet.) Way to go, guys. I don't think they have any plans for anything after series 5, and I'll be amazed if that ever makes it to US shores. Of course, it has my favorite Batman villain in it, Two-Face, so I'll likely never get my hands on that one.
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