It’s hard to give random figures a chance these days. Theres’s so much money involved that snap judgments from comic-con pictures or pre-order images have become the norm.
When the Red Hood figure debuted – I want to say it was at last year’s NYCC, I didn’t really care. I kinda hate Jason Todd. When I was reading comics as a little kid, I didn’t even know that some of the stories featured Jason & not Dick. When I found out they killed Robin, I was relieved to know it was Jason & not Dick (even though as I’ve gotten older, I can’t stand when they kill off legacy characters…).
I did think it was cool when Clayface posed as him in 2003’s Hush, but I’d be hard-pressed to tell you anything that has been done cool with the character since. His time as Red Hood never really caught my interest. I didn’t like what Winick did with him and I honestly didn’t particularly care for Morrison’s odd take on the character in Batman, Incorporated.
So, to recap. I don’t like Jason Todd. I don’t like that he’s not dead. I don’t care that he was the Red Hood. I didn’t like his portrayal in the handful of Morrison issues where he appeared in this costume.
But I love this figure. Mostly.
I’m usually a huge Grant Morrison fan. Every once in awhile, he does get a little too ‘out there’ for me, but I love reading his stuff when he’s on top of his game. His JLA run is still my favorite. All-Star Superman is spectacular. I happily followed along his epic run on Batman for years. Earth 2. DC 1 Million. Aztek. Animal Man. Doom Patrol. We3. SeaGuy. I could go on and on. Anyway, while I applaud Morrison’s writing one thing that he excels at is getting teamed with great artists who do great work for him, particularly when costume designs are needed.
And, sadly, almost no one on the design team at Mattel or in charge of approvals at DC seemingly feels like I do. The Morrison era is largely ignored when it comes to the toy line. I’ll admit – I’d go crazy if we could get any Ultra-Marines or the Hyperclan, but I know those are too out there. But I’m dying to get Zauriel or Aztek in the line. Or Prometheus. Frankenstein. Bulleteer. The Android Hourman. The new Knight & Squire. Dick Grayson Batman. And we got close with a Damian Wayne, but he’s been put in retail limbo.
Now, admittedly, Red Hood here hasn’t been on my short list, but now that he’s here I’d say he qualifies. His design just has a great toyetic, pop culture feel. He looks great on my shelf. He’s fun to pose and play with. I would’ve never thought – I didn’t think – that until I got him in hand. Continue to Page 2…
When I first opened it, my comment was, “Wow, this is a pretty great figure of a design no one wanted.”
That’s pretty much it in a nutshell!
Hey, I wanted it!
But then, I also want Ventriloquist, Tempest, Zsasz, E2 Superman, and n52 Martian Manhunter, so I’m kind of an odd duck like that.
I hadn’t seen enough pictures of this guy beforehand to know that his “bullet hood” isn’t removable. Major fail there as well. He looks more like Lipstick Dude or Hot Dog Man with that thing sticking out of his neck.
no, HDM wears a white shirt with black pants and bow tie. Lemonade Boy, otoh, gets to wear what he wants, usually.
(he’s a local “personality” and street vendor.)
My dreams are shattered with the news of Damien Wayne being put in Limbo. I’ve been “meh” about Mattel DC figures since my sub got destroyed last year. I got the NEw 52 Wonder Woman and do like her, but the rest of the figures I’m just….meh about. I wanted Larfleeze – No biceps. :/ And I really don’t feel like spending after market prices for these figures anymore. STAR WARS BLACK SERIES 4EVER! lol! 🙂
I didn’t know there was a Damian figure to cancel, so I’m pretty indifferent on the news.
Actually, that’s not true. I hate Damian. He was a crappy character who ruined the chances of any good writer creating a true follow up to “Son of the Demon,” so any bad news related to him is good news in my book.
TT.
Other than his very first arc, Damian was awesome. The Dick Grayson Batman & Damian Robin stories were some of my favorite Batman stories in over a decade.
I positively hated Damian until Batgirl (third series) #17.
Suddenly he had …something new. Promise?
Then the nu52 happened, and every redeeming quality got flushed and he started over as a dangerously homicidal brat that I despised yet again.
I was getting there, too, DC! I was!
Sigh. Please bring me my Zauriel and my Aztek figures and remind me how much I loved reading JLA comics…
There is no room for an actual head in that test-tube-thing he’s wearing.
And now I have a 1980s big-hair band tune running through my head:
o/` Yeah-eah! Yeah-eah! DUDE looks like a lip-stick! o/`
I think there is room, if his head is a leeetle bit small… 🙂
OK, I’m not a graphic designer or anything, but really, shouldn’t that ‘hood’ be a bit wider and shorter? Or is that a stylistic attempt to make him NOT be the cherry Slurpee version of Mr. Freeze?
And I can hear ‘Miller Batman’ taunting… “Lipstick Man, Lipstick Man, does whatever a lipstick can…POW!”
It’s always drawn narrow in the comics, so it’s just accurate really. But I don’t think it’s that narrow.
The diameter of the dome might be enough for the width of his head, but back-to-front, no way. Ain’t no room for ‘is cranium and/or ‘is face.
Maybe that explains why he’s so ugly and/or grumpy. His face is always smooshed into a dome top it doesn’t really fit into. At least, for the 3 issues he wore this and not his recognizable costume(s).
Admit I read the story and it was good but the costume still bugs me. I dunno why but always found the look corny. I know the bucket and tux look that the Joker had before becoming the Joker was basic as anything but it worked. I also blame Batman: Brave and the Bold with the earth 3 ep for more liking of the look. That trigger finger hand is nice though. Lame mattel couldn’t do a right hand this way.
Stinks about Damian I was looking forward to that fig.
I’m really annoyed about Damian, yeah.
I think we’ll see these pieces added to a Tuxedo Joker sooner or later…
It’s supposed to be corny. That’s the point. In his own mind, Jason’s become the new Superman. He’s ushering in this new era of superheroes, heroes who are willing to just kill their enemies rather than pointlessly sending them to prison, and so he’s wearing a very old school superhero costume.
And yeah, I expect we’ll be seeing classic red hood customs soon enough. The head practically asks for it.
that right hand thing is just a killer man, it’s hard for me to take mattel seriously when this is the kind of decision they make. and yeah, a swappable head seems kind of like par for the course in just about any other toyline, even motuc. i do like the color scheme on this version of the “hood though… that may be a part of the allure.
i also completely agree on the morrison characters needing to be better repped, but again, if mattel had their finger on anyone’s pulse at this point, that right hand would have a trigger finger. that said, you’re the guy that made battle armor faker happen… i trust in your powers of persuasion to get zauriel made.
I wouldn’t mind seeing a Zauriel figure, either, but they’ve just re-introduced him in nu52, in even goofier armor. I never liked his previous armor (which we saw in Total Justice/JLA line), preferring the FA “toga” look for him. I think I’ll stick with my still unfinished custom. (recently boxed for storage. ugh.)
I liked his armor well enough, but his original look was the best. I’ll take a figure of either though.
I think I used up all my capital on Battle Armor Faker.
I’m also the only person that treats him like a jewel among my collection…
No you ain’t. Not with the amount I had to spend to get ‘im.
this is an even more random character than Kamandi, who is still taking up space in several WMs in the StL area. THIS is why they won’t invest in stocking any more DCU figures! Y’all can call him “Lipstick Man” but you know we’re privately calling him something else.
I ran across nuDarkseid and nuAquaman at Rolla this weekend and…great that Mattel has a new “bruiser” buck, but both were *easy* passes for me.
one thing I have missed the last few months is the Ask Matty round-ups. Kastor never posts them on FB, and AFi only if Dan’l remembers. I don’t think anyone else ever does a round-up like you do? or at least, none of the “main” sites.
I’m calling him Red Hood.
Yeah… they Ask Mattys. News, in general, need to come back to IAT. I need 36 hours in a day…
I was still holding out hope as I pulled it out of the tray that helmet had a head under it as some sort of last minute surprise but overall it is still a pretty decent figure. I dont know if ANYONE is really a Jason Todd fan (people even voted to kill him fer cryin out loud.) But the figure looks good, he’ll fit in nicely with the other Bat figures.
When was the last time a Mattel figure had a good surprise?
Hmmm… GA Hawkman’s two heads? That came in at almost the last minute if I remember. Other than that, Robotman’s skullcap?
Robotman’s scalp, probably! GA Hawkman was sculpted and ready to go for umpteen years (since the cancelled 2pk).
I would say the Negative Man “skull-face” was the last GOOD surprise.
you know, that’s the ONLY version of him I’ve seen!
the full bandaged head is a myth to me. kinda like single-carded Hawkgirl.
Yeah, if I had to have a Jason Todd figure, I would have gone with the “Hush” version, myself. But this Morrison-version? I have to admit, it’s grown on me. It’s a cool costume, and I kind of like the red guns, even though they’re kind of cheesy looking. I do wish there was some head-swivel, though (kidding). Seriously, they should have made the helmet removable with a snap-on Jason head. And the lack of a trigger-finger right hand is just beyond stupid at this point. Matty still doesn’t have a “karate chop” hand either, right? Terrible. But all-in-all, this was a fun figure for me.
100% agree with you on needing Aztek, Knight and Squire, and Bulleteer (why didn’t he call her Bullette?). But I’ll never understand the appeal of Zauriel. That guy was worthless.
Good stuff, Noisy!
The red guns help. And a removable helmet would be cool – but would folks recognize the red-haired Jason underneath?
Zauriel rocked. Paradise lost. Fighting Asmodel with Martian Manhunter in Heaven. Preventing the leaders of the world from deploying their weapons and destroying the Earth when Mageddon arrived. He was always a bit player and never the star, but he did cool stuff. Some of his best appearances were ones where he provided counsel to other characters like Hawkgirl or Spectre.
Man… I gotta go get out all my Zauriel books again!
“There’s always room in the Justice League for, well…a big guy with wings like you.”
Alright, looks like I’ll have to bust those issues out and re-read them. Maybe I was just disappointed at the time that Zauriel was in the League and not the actual Hawkman.
And now that you brought him up, Asmodel would make a great over-sized figure.
Of the Morrison characters, though, Aztek has to be #1 on the Want List.
Damian’s in limbo?? You never want to start the week being “Matty’d” and yet here I am
Yeah, I just found out over the weekend. None to pleased.
I actually was considering picking him up at SDCC if I found a decent bargain on him but the trigger hand thing is a giant killer and it definitely doesn’t help that it doesn’t look like a face could fit inside that hood.
Man…SDCC Matty panel is gonna be REAL interesting this year.
It’ll be BYORVTT – Bring Your Own Rotten Vegetables To Throw. };D
I’m not really looking forward to the Matty panels this year. I’m kinda just tired thinking about it. Maybe they’ll rouse me to wow me.
The really sad thing is, they could have made the current Red Hood look from 90%cycled parts as well! When I read Morrison take on Red Hood in Batman Inc., I didnt mind it that much. I’ve always kinda taken most of Morrisons work as non cannon and non continuity, so I dont really mind this incarnation of Red Hood….IN THE COMICS! NOT in action figure form.
Matty’s complete lack of consumer knowlege pisses me off the most. They continue to have NO CLUE as to what their consumers want!! To me this Red Hood figure is the equivalent of us asking Matty for a Chris Reeve Superman figure….and Matty gives us a George Reeves Superman figure!!
We all as a fanbase should just start emailing Matty with figure possibilities using all recycled parts. That actually sounds like a fun game to start. How many DC figures can you come up with that could be made with almost all reused parts?
yep, the more common Jacket look could have been made with either Mr Terrific or Jack Knight molds.
and I would make a better parallel to them making a TV Superboy with John Haymes Newton (26 eps) over Gerard Christopher (74 eps). or worse: Super-PUP!
but NO! Matty insists this version was “demanded by DC”, despite being a one-off, four issue arc appearance. (aka sucking up to Grant as well as Geoff!)
The “demanded by DC” thing does actually happen. Mattel submits the name to DC for approval and DC approves it with whatever stipulation for the look or design.
It’s not always the one Mattel wants, but you’ve already gone to the trouble of getting the approval and it’s not worth starting over. I’ve been told before that the folks of Mattel have specifically avoided certain characters because they know DC would want a different version for the line than Mattel was asking for.
Actually, I could see this being the other way around… DC stating that Mattel had to do a version of Jason Todd (who, despite what Noisy might think, IS a popular character among comic fans), and Mattel trying find a way to make it work with the line.
I mean, we could spend all day picking out existing pieces that could have made an awesome “Under the Red Hood” Jason, but it just wouldn’t look right standing next to Wave 10’s Super Powers-esque Joker. This is a Red Hood that fits the “Classics” mantra of the original line, despite only having being created in the last decade.
Oh, I know he’s popular. Give someone enough a sand to drink… 😉
Anything could’ve been the case really. There is no “classics” mantra though. It’s just a buzz word that evokes Marvel Legends. Anything goes mostly, except no New52 in the sub.
Except there kind of was… yes, I agree that the actual Classics line was rather all-inclusive, but if you actually look at the line as a whole, it’s very much a love letter to the Super Powers line. If Mattel had a choice between doing a Modern Jim Lee Joker and a classic 70s Joker, they went with the 70s Joker. Even after the line died, they found a way to include SP Penguin in the new line despite it having no place there.
That’s not to say that they didn’t embrace the modern stuff too, but I feel like most of those choices were mandated by DC more than any real desire to do action figures.
Honestly, I’m not usually one of those people who embraces that sort
GDI, ignore that last line. I was gonna go into a whole diatribe about my opinions on classic vs modern figures in the line, but this isn’t really the place for it and I meant to delete it out of my post.
see, the whole “recreating the Super Powers” angle throws me off as to what gets “mandated by DC”. Is he really going to claim that he managed to work in characters like Golden Pharaoh without someone at DC going “Who’s that? what about Random Character X, instead? they’re getting a push in Book Y later this year.”
There’s fan service, then there’s recreating a 30 year old line because some lucky geek wound up working for a toy company and wanted to recreate his (spoiled?) childhood. Half the SP characters were a given, at any rate, in a DC toy line, but a few fun nods like the two Mantis and Steppenwolf variants is stretching it. (even if I did have the SP version of Mantis myself and no clue who the green Banshee+Black Bolt rip-off was supposed to be years later in the comics!) Honestly, even giving the classic Robin two head variants was pushing it, imho. why not just package both heads together, like GA Hawkman? (says the guy who tried to campaign for a modern Donna Troy variant to WG like DCD did!)
The Super Powers figures are some of the best things about the DC line if you ask me. I still would kill to get a shot at an SP Kalibak.
Anyway, one or two outliers doesn’t change things in regards to DC mandates. They mess with the line, and they’ve gotten worse about it in recent years.
See, If you’d come to me when I originally started collecting the line and asked me whether I wanted Super Powers-esque figures, I’d have laughed in your face. I grew up with the 90s animated series, so I have no nostalgia for the adam west show, and the only super powers figure I have ever owned was a beat up green lantern I bought at a garage sale as a kid. I prefer Batman with the non-signal logo, Tim Drake is my Robin, Riddler wears a suit, and Joker kills people.
That said, I hbought Orange/Purple Two Face because I came into the line late and it was cheaper to get the five pack than to buy the DCSH version. I bought the SP style Joker because there isn’t a modern one in the line. Spandex Riddler because I needed the CnC piece for Bane.
Over time though, the bright colors and snazzy sculpts won me over. When it came time to pick out a Robin, I went for Dick Grayson (though admittedly I customized a TAS style version of the character). When I moved into my apartment, I replaced DCSH Scarecrow with SC Scarecrow (I LOVE that yellow on him for some reason), and I happily picked up the Blue Penguin this last year.
Yeah, I still love the modern stuff too, but I can get those looks from other lines. And, unlike Noisy, I’m just as happy to get the N52 figures as well: I’ve actually replaced most of my JLA shelf with the new figures (I swear to God though, I’m gonna hurt someone if we have to wait 10+ waves for a MM again.) But my DCUC Batman rogues are 90% Classic looks, and I’m just as happy to get a version of Jason that fits alongside them.
The problem with deciding what the customers want is that none of us agree. I came around to like this figure because of the aesthetics of the costume – had it been any other version of Red Hood, I’d be annoyed that I had to buy it. I desparately want Zauriel, but how few of us are there for him? I absolutely love the Super Powers additions to the lines, but I’ve seen plenty of vitriol over their inclusion as well.
I tend to not get too worked up because it’s just not that easy to respond to us.
Great idea on a recycled-parts character list. That would be fun.
me! me! me! He’s my favourite… Ok, I need to stop replying to your posts now…
Campaign for FA Zauriel! Who else was pushing for a Killer Moth besides Scott Rogers?
I don’t know how friendly the Scotts are, then or now, but I know a group of us were happy for him that HIS favorite character got one of the “wild card” slots.
I still want an official Will Payton Starman (Thom’s body?, new head and deco), Ambush Bug, Dmitri Pushkin/Rocket Red Brigade armor, Hippolyta as WW, Ray I and II (re: Ted/Jack Knight), Daily Planet and Gotham City “civilian” 5pks, Geo-Force, and probably a dozen others that very few still remember or even want!
Indeed, the toughest thing is to nail down a character that would be appealing to a broad audience. I feel that is when the line started to decline. We’re at the bottom of the barrel. The broader audience characters are either already produced….OR just too expensive to make and its not gunna happen. We’re past the easy picks like Super Powers, Superfriends, classic JLA and so forth. Now we’re getting into Granny Goodness and Zauriel. For every 10 people that want Zauriel, theres 5 people that dont know who he is and want Hitman. For every 10 people that want Granny Goodness, there’s 8 people that want a Will Payton Starman. For every 100 people that want a complete All-Star Squadron…there’s 60 people that want The Outsiders. When you get down to that nitty gritty area….its tough to select any character with mass appeal.
I for one am happy with the Justice Society offerings and just as happy with the New Gods roster. If i never saw a new member of either…I’d be happy. I’m desperate to see more members of The Outsiders and Suicide Squad. I’d love to see a crab mask GL, hook handed Aquaman and a Zauriel
I agree with the gist of what you’re saying as far as not being able to please everyone. But I think we’re well past the point of worrying what the broader audience wants. At this point, if you want diverse DC action figures, you bought a sub. And if you signed up for the sub, you really don’t care how bottom of the barrel the character is, you just want a DC character shipped to your house every month, regardless of who or what it is because you pretty much like them all. This is for hardcore DC collector’s at this point, not “moms and kids”. I mean, I hate Zauriel, but I’ll take it if it means I get a Major Victory, Halo, or Geo-Force (right there with ya on the Outsiders love).
And are we really at the “bottom of the barrel” already? Matty could still make every character they made for the JLU line. There are some heavy hitters in there (The Key, Dr. Polaris, Blockbuster, Aztek, Atomic Skull, etc.). Granted, not household names, but they’re big to us, and they did appear on TV a few times on various shows, so they’re not total unknowns.
for FA Crabmask Kyle, we’ve already got the head in Green AND Blue!
We could probably borrow the Red Lantern boots, so we’d really just need new molds for the gauntlets (forearms/hands).
and yeah, put me down for more classic JSA, All-Star Squadron, and Young All-Stars, too! I wouldn’t say no to Katana and Halo, but we’d be in a similar position with Red Hood, here: WHICH COSTUME?? Katana’s have gotten progressively worse, imo. Many people thought she was a new character in recent years, even before nu52.
also, isn’t VIXEN the last figure we have yet to see from the card art a year or two back? How long will it take to get Mari?? She got a big push on JLU, which led to her appearing in McDuffie’s JLA. I’m not even sure what she’s up to in nu52?
Paul Kirk Manhunter, please. With Weapons.
And some clones for him to fight.
Give Noisy his Mike Grell Warlord on a He-Man buck. And a ‘normal’ one for me.
These things will never happen but I still dream. 🙂
I’d say it’s more akin to us asking for Chris Reeve and getting Superman in Kryptonian underwear that he only wore in one issue during an alternate universe dream sequence.
The trigger finger they used is actually not new but a reuse from vigilante. Not sure if that makes it better or worse. I certainly would have passed on this figure if not in the sub but I don’t hate it.
Good catch!! I’m getting old.
All the more reason to just mold a matching right hand…
See… I loved this figure. I mean really, I love the “Under the Red Hood” costume and all, but if I was gonna make a version of Jason Todd to go alongside my Super Powers-esque Penguin or my Orange/Purple Two Face, this would be the costume I made too.
Honestly, I’m with you. This is the best Red Hood costume if I had to pick one.
Yeah, this falls in the same category as Imperiex for me. The 4H makes you wants a character no one wanted just by doing a great job on it.
(I had no interest in ANY version of Red Hood, so this one was as good as any from a design standpoint.)
As for the right trigger hand, it bugged me too– so I took my Exacto-knife and did a careful slice between the index and middle finger. Stick the now-loose index finger into the trigger guard, and he’s good to go!
That’s a good call on the customization… I need to do that!
Thanks, Rod!
And, yes, those 4H… they’re trying to get me to buy some New52 figures too, but I just won’t do it!
The trigger mod works perfectly.
As far as Red Hoods go, in the immortal words of Fredo Corleone, “It ain’t how I wanted it!”
Under the Red Hood version for me all the way. I liked him in that costume in the book and I absolutely loved the animated movie. One of my favorite adaptations.
Like you Noisy, I’m not looking forward to any of the Mattel panels this year.
I’m always hopeful Mattel will blow my mind, but the expectations this year are at an all-time low.
OK, stupid question of the day.
Just how is that hood/dome/lipstick thing attached? Is it glued to the cape? Is it jammed on the usual neck peg?
It’s just a head like any other head and attached to the peg.
It’s attached to a neck peg. It has some up and down range(more then some normal heads), and the whole thing can be twisted around.
I kept my fingers crossed that Matty would switch it up, and pull this for the Biker-esque costume, up until i opened the Mailer. I dont hate the figure, Its defintely a keeper, But i still maintain that the other costume wouldve been a better choice.
Damians been Cut? There goes my year, he was the one i was looking foward to the most.
Glad to see someone else is interested in Frankenstein as well, Starting to think hes too obscure to be demanded.
The left hand with the trigger finger is from Vigilante.
Ha! Great captions as usual!
I’m probably preaching to the choir when I say I wish it had been the Red Hood from the made-for-DVD movie.
But, Matty has a fetish for the uncool version of characters.
I didn’t read many of the replies, but am I the only one who was actually hoping for a this guy’s head slapped on a Joker body with a purple cape? That was my first exposure to Red Hood way back in the day, and that’s what I wanted. It is a cool figure. But I would have rather had the Joker version.
That was kind of a lot of peoples’ point: of the three versions of Red Hood, people want either the Jason Todd ‘Under the Red Hood’ look or the tuxedo. No one really asked for this costume.
That said, I got mine today and he’s a good figure. Personally, I took a scalpel to his right hand so he can hold both guns. 20 seconds work, but something I shouldn’t have needed to do.
Take care,
Jo
Touche. Outstanding arguments. Keep up the good spirit.