Monday, June 11, 2012

"A look at what could have been....."

Hey people,
How was your weekend? Was it everything you'd though it be and more?

I didn't really do too much this past weekend myself. I was mostly lazy(as is usual huh Goo?)
Although I did manage to snatch up the Green Lantern Classic 3-pack(but more like 2-pack) of B'dg, Dex-Star, and Despotellis.

I admit that I mostly got these little guys because they were are on sale for $12, and the C&C Stel torso piece. So he's almost up and running, but is missing both arms, and a leg. Poor bastard!


Then friday, I broker down and bought Cheetah; again mostly for the part she had with her, namely Trigon's other leg. My K-mart had both the modern version w/black top and black pants, which does look good, but I prefer the original, so now I have one more OG member of the Legion of Doom.

I don't know why, but I have a funny feeling I might actually buy the modern one later as well. Don't ask me why, but I guess I'm just a masochist that way. Plus I saw online, how someone made a cool custom Tigra figure using the modern Cheetah base. Not bad either.
Here's the link:
http://kylerobinsoncustoms.com/toysoup/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=2079
 and here's the picture:

Speaking of, it's a shame to see the DCUC line end so prematurely. From what I've gathered from Itsalltrue.net, the line won't restart until next year. There are lots of reasons why the line was stopped for now, depending on who you ask, but it all boils down to consumer backlash over poor distribution and the last assortment of figures. Then the whole Club Infinite subscription-only  line began, and fan enthusiasm plummeted, especially after being told of the DCUC line being converted into an all-new All-Star line, and the NuDCU figures that were advertised . At least I think it is, because those figures looked craptastic. Well maybe not the Flashpoint Plastic Man, but that's just me.

It's a real shame the GLClassics and Batman:Legacy lines didn't last long either. I think I know why the GL line didn't last, and that was probably due to an over-saturation of GL figures. I know that sounds silly considering this was during last year's "Year of Green Lantern", but I think that, plus a poor economy caused this line's downfall.

Personally, I'd have loved to see two more waves. Think about it, we never did get a proper Parallax figure, and that could've easily been solved by using the GLC waves as a way of doing it. Just use the CSA's Power Ring head, and a new body, and there you go. And here's a thought; the Lantern Deputies of DCUC Wave 18 could've been  GLC Wave 3. Just think of the assortment of characters we could've seen instead.

And then there's the other villains that Mattel and Geoff Johns have seemingly forgotten. I'd fix that in these two waves, and add some other GLCorps members.


Wave 3:


1). Parallax.


2). Evil Star w/ small Starlings


3). Count Vertigo


4). GL Kyle Rayner( traditional 90's costume)


5). Arisa


6). Saint Walker


7). Indigo Lantern  Indigo-1?


 C&C: Hector Hammond

Wave 4:

1). Lord Sonar


2). Goldface


3). Major Disaster


4). Alpha Lantern, maybe Boddika?


5). Dr. Polaris


6). Red Lantern Bleez


7). Star Sapphire Fatality?


C&C: Krona or a Guardian


These are mere suggestions, but I imagine a good bit of these like the old school silver age villains such as Dr. Polaris, Major Disaster, Count Vertigo, and Lord Sonar would sell pretty well. I can only hope right?

Next up, is the Batman: Legacy line. Poor sales and poor character selection combined to doom this line to cancellation as well. If another 2 waves could have been squeezed out, we might have seen the rest of the more popular members of Batman's Rogues Gallery, and even a few heroic supporting characters as well.
I add more figures to the wave and the traditional C&C's to help boast the "gotta' have it" factor of the line. Here's how the line-up I'd make for Waves 3 and 4:

Wave 3:

1). NuDCU Batman


2). The Ventriloquist w/Scarface


3). Dr. Hugo Strange or Doctor Hurt


4). Jason Todd Robin


5). Talia Al Guhl


6). Batwoman

C&C: KGBeast


Wave 4:


1). Super Powers Penguin


2). Jason Todd Red Hood


3). SA Clayface


4). Batzarro


5). Ra's Al Guhl


6). Azrael(Michael Lane)


C&C: Killer Croc


With those out of the way, the next logical possible lines of figures, at least for me, comes down to Superman and Flash. More than the other JLA'ers(sorry Aquaman and Wonder Woman) Superman and Flash have the more recognizable cast of villains and heroes that would make up and ideal wave of figures, not to mention cover those that haven't already been made in the proper DCUC line.

Here's my suggestion for figures that would make up the two waves each of both respective franchises.

Superman: Man of Steel:

Wave 1:


1). SA Metallo w/chest piece that opens up and holds tiny piece of glowing kryptonite


2). GA/Earth-2 Superman


3). Proper Guardian or Jor-El or Red Sun Superman


4). Pre-Crisis Supergirl


5). Modern Parasite


6). Turtle Boy Jimmy Olson


C&C: Modern Brainiac

Wave 2:


1). Business Suit Lex Luthor


2). Gangbuster


3). Emperor Joker Black costume Superman 


4). Lois Lane w/Mr. Mxylpltz


5). General Zod


6). Conduit


C&C: Doomsday


Now for the Flash wave of figures I'd suggest:


Flash: The Fastest man alive:


Wave 1:


1). Wally West Flash


2). Max Mercury


3). Weather Wizard


4). GA Johnny Quick


5). The original Trickster


6). Black Flash/Death Flash


C&C: The Turtle w/ floating turtle craft


Wave 2:


1). The Top


2). Heatwave


3). Abbra Kadabra


4). Jesse Quick


5). Bart Allen Kid Flash or Impulse


6). Zoom II or SA Captain Boomerang or Captain Boomerang II(Owen Mercer)


C&C: Girder or Solovar


Finally, if it ever came to this, I'd like to see a Justice League-specific line of figures. This would complete the rest of the popular silver age villains and heroes that never made or wouldn't normally be included in future DCUC waves.

Justice League:

Wave 1:


1). Elongated Man(Red and black costume/ w purple and white costume variant)


2). Vixen


3). Felix Faust


4). Chronos


5). Prometheus


6). Vandal Savage or Ocean Master


C&C: The Shaggy Man

Wave 2:

1). The Key(SA w/ MA variant)


2). Queen Bee (MA w/SA variant)


3). Dr. Light


4). Vibe 


5). Satellite Era Zatanna


6). Proper SOTA Atom or Fire or Ice


C&C: Proper Despero or Congorilla


Whew! So that's what I'd do if I was in charge of Mattel and had a lot more money to spend as far as materials and supplies go. I know Mattel claims they only have so much money to devote towards sculpting, accessories, etc. But it would be nice to get better quality figures to reflect the rising costs. I don't blame the 4Horsemen because they have to work with what's given to them, but it would be nice to see consistent double-joints/double-knees, etc, from now on with future waves.

Here's hoping DC/Mattel gets its shit together for next year, both retail-wise and subscription-wise, or else the same problems are going to pop up again. God I hope DCUC doesn't become on-line retail only!


2 comments:

Omega Agent1 said...

Last minute revisions:

GL/wave3
C&C Parallax cricket monster

GL/wave4
3) Cold Cast
4) Ink-the Tattooed man
C&C Alpha Latern

Batman/wave3 Perfect!!!

Batman/wave4
1) the Reaper

Flash/wave2
1)Grodd
C&C Solovar

I wanted one or two more waves before the pause too man. I guess it's catch up on what we missed.

Mr. Morbid's House Of Fun said...

-Omega,
Well there kind of already is a bug monster version of Parallax that came with the 3" line of GL figures, but yeah I guess a proper one that more suits the DCUC line wouldn't be all that bad.

Cold-cast? If you're going in that direction, you might as well make a box-set of all of The Elite then.

I agree w/the C&C Alpha Lantern, but also love to see a Krona and proper DCUC-line Guardian figure as well. DC Direct made one, Idk why DCUC couldn't have either.

The Reaper, yeah you're right on that one. I though I added him, but yeah he's cool as hell looking isn't he?

DCUC Wave 2 had a C&C Grodd, so that's why I listed Solovar instead. He's a simple repaint along the same lines as Congorilla.


I also forgot to add the Pre-Crisis Starman. You know, the one that we saw on some episodes of JLU? The Red costumed one? Yeah him.

Any other suggestions?

"Closing time. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here."

Well..... I kinda always knew this day would come, and it sure has. It's been a hell of a ride, but it's time to for it end. Ti...