Was anyone else surprised by how quickly NYCC has become toy relevant? In years past, there might’ve been some toy news revealed at NYCC, but with Hasbro making a bigger commitment with NYCC-specific exclusives and Mattel trotting out a few reveals, last weekend ended up much more exciting than I’d expected.
I was a bit too busy this weekend between work and visiting family, so I couldn’t do full Armchair Coverage for NYCC. For tonight, I’m just going to focus on the reveals that had me updating our checklists like mad (and maybe a few other cool things). Since I’m still playing catch up to the mad weekend that was NYCC, I encourage my faithful readers to please share any links of news or pics that I might have missed and you think the rest of would be interested in. I’m always on the lookout for some new sites to draw Armchair Coverage from…
DC Classics: Mattel got in on the reveals early by simply leaving their DC Classics Reveals in the case for Preview Night folks to find. I was pleasantly surprised by the reveals, because I didn’t think we’d see too much. The reveals were repaint heavy, but I’m okay with it seeing as half of them are for new TRU 2pks. I’m not too enthused with Hal #8 (Sinestro Corps Hal Jordan), but he’s at least paired with a Blue Lantern Kyle Rayner. I’m as tired of GL figs as the next guy, but I’ll take Kyle figures anytime. The other two-pack featured a Red Azbats and Battle Damaged Batman. Batman’s damage will be entirely done through paint, so that sucks, but Azbats does look good in red. One plus side to SP Collectors is that we’re finally getting a blue/grey Bats without the black on his cowl and a headswap should be able to make an SP Batman.
For Batman Legacy, Mattel debuted a very nice Silver Age Catwoman and an okay First Appearance Batman. I’m still not too hot on this subline, but the Catwoman is definitely cool enough to buy. Also revealed was a Super Powers Penguin with a new head sculpt and SP deco. He apparently doesn’t have a spot on the schedule yet, but I’d imagine he’d end up Batman Legacy.
Finally, Mattel trotted out a Larfleeze as a tease for the rebranded line. I’m not a big fan of the head sculpt, but I have to say it’s well done. The inconsistent depiction in the comics unnecessarily complicates the 4H’s job, but I think they did a great job on the head. My only hesitance with liking it is that I wish there was more of his personality showing through. He looks scary here and he’s not really scary anymore.
Pics of DC Classics were just about everywhere, but I’ll point to some great close-ups at Toy Ark (DCUC, Batman Legacy) as well as a really cool video walkthrough of the Mattel booth at Parry Game Preserve. The video doesn’t have the clearest images, but it gives you a great “being there” feel and let’s you see how the displays were set up (which is something us folks at home tend to miss out on). And no pics yet, but I have created the 2012 Page for DCClassics.Com.
MOTU Classics: MOTU Classics got two reveals for the weekend which is rather crazy considering that PowerCon just wrapped up a bit ago. The reveals were on the two ends of the spectrum. The June Club Eternia figure is revealed to be the ultra-cool Horde Prime while the second quarterly figure is a rather ho-hum Snake Man-At-Arms. It’s not Snake MAA’s fault – he does have an awesome new snake head, but unfortunately that’s about all he has new. Mattel did try and spice up with a Serpent’s Ring prop/accessory and a cool MO2K deco, but I find myself wishing they did a little more. Update: According to attendees of the MOTUC panel, there is more work to be done on MAA and he may indeed get spruced up. Music to my ears! Thanks to IAT reader Clay for the tip! Most of what I’ve thought up is tooling intensive, but I’d like for him to at least come with his regular noggin’ so we can make a MO2K Duncan out of him. On the other hand, Horde Prime was pretty damn awesome. He features a lot of part reuse (turns out he was the sub exclusive that Shadow Weaver bumped), but he’s got some new accessories and armor that make him a more unique figure. He’ll also have two heads, one from the UK mini-comic and another unrevealed head. From the little window in his armor, we can make out that it’s Hordak-esque (which would make sense given the Horde logo), but if we want to know more we’ll prolly be waiting until June (unless we want to pry the information out of Poe Ghostal).
For pics of the June pair, I suggest TNI. They have pics from the panel, the booth, and a third gallery for Horde Prime’s alternate UK head. For some cool pics of prior reveals check out 16Bit.com.
The pics and info for these two figures has been added to the MOTUClassics.com Upcoming Releases page.
Marvel: With Hasbro making a much bigger commitment to the show than Mattel (and hey, it is on Hasbro’s home coast after all) it seemed like there was an avalanche of Marvel Universe news! First up was the MU line’s very own NYCC Exclusive Compound Hulk (check out this gallery of the fig at ToyArk) as well as another upcoming exclusive, (via Unmasked Doctor Doom (via ToyArk). Doom will be this year’s Digital Subscription Exclusive (which is great because Vault doesn’t do digital, but must have that Doom…).
Hasbro revealed so much Marvel stuff that I had a hard time keeping track of it all. Avengers movie figures in 6″ and 4″. Marvel Universe figures that are driving me insane as I would rather collect 6″, but the characters/figures look too good to pass up. Marvel Legends figures that are some of the longest, most requested characters out there. I need a second job. Off the top of my head I’m most excited for Nova, Hercules, Jubilee, Professor X, the Bearded Thor, Thor Frog (!) in the 4″ format. For the upcoming Marvel Legends Madame Hydra looks great, the Wrecking Crew (I just got those in 4″… arrgh!), US Agent (!!!!), Future Foundation Spidey… I think that’s it… The Avengers movie stuff looked great as well (great 6″ Loki), but I’m not sure how much movie product I’m down for. Like the DC stuff, pics are all over, but I’d say check out Marvelous News for the panel pics & tons of booth pics.
A 2012 Page has been added to our Marvel Universe Checklist, but it’s just the names and wave breakdowns so far. I’ll have some pics and cardback formatting added soon.
Okay, time for some non-checklist coolness:
- This sweet prototype of a “Glyos” Wolf Warrior (via 16Bit.Com) made through a collaboration between two friends of IAT, Matt Doughty of Onell Design & the ostensible named GodBeast.
- I haven’t had time to look at any Transformers reveals, but Mose has me covered on the IAT forums with great links to TF Prime Coverage. Thanks, Mose!
- A quick video walkthrough of the DC Direct offerings (via ActionFigureInsider).
- Paul Nomad’s (of the IdleHands Blog) Flickr Account. There are enough pics here to keep you from doing any real work today, tomorrow, and probably well into Wednesday.
It’s a shame there wasn’t much DCUC news – I thought we’d been told we’d hear about what was happening next year as opposed to just seeing one figure.
I mean, hey, I like Larfleeze and the 2-packs, but what sort of sale structure are we looking at? I have to buy online as Mattel still won’t acknowledge that the UK exists, so a wave structure works best for me in terms of postage, but if we’re not locked into a CnC then there’s less of an incentive to buy those marginal interest figures.
And for me, marginal interest is Batman/Superman characters.
I think my wife will be pleased.
Jo
I wasn’t expecting that much out of Mattel for NYCC. They were a late addition to even go (NYCC wasn’t even planned as part of the their “Fan Appreciation Tour”) and DCUC20 is coming out in early 2012, so I figure we won’t hear much about the new line until Toy Fair.
We’re definitely not locked into a C&C on the rebranded line. DC got what they wanted with this character shift and Mattel took the opportunity to drop the C&C and the “D” listers from the lineup.
At retail, I’d expect the waves to still come out normally, just without the C&C to bind them together. The downside is that it sounds like figs like Gotham by Gaslight Batman just got a lot more likely than Elongated Man.
I’m so sick of more Lanterns. I wish they’d give anyone else a spotlight. I still don’t have “normal” Kyle Rayner either since the GLC wave 1 never appeared in a store near me and Bigbad never got more in after their initial shipment (I’ve had that set on preorder since February and it is pretty clear at this point they won’t be getting more in!).
I was expecting more reveals for the rebranded DCUC and since we didn’t get much it makes me wonder how far we’ll go into 2012 until we start getting new figures. Seems like it could be quite the gap after DCUC wave 20.
Marvel Legends is neat, but I think Hasbro is in a sort of damned-if-you-do damned-if-you-don’t predicament with it. It is great to see all these characters, but there is probably a big percentage of collectors who, because of age or other circumstances, did not jump on the old Marvel Legends line and now probably aren’t that enthused with these character choices. On the other hand you have collectors who do have all the old Legends figures and who would bitterly complain if the restarted line featured characters they already had.
see, i look at it a tad differently (even though i’m one of the legends guys who has a huge catalog already). the marvel landscape has changed. the big name guys and gals that were the staples of the old legends line has changed appearances or identities, and i don’t how much more mileage can be had on nostalgia fumes. i think they’re learning from the DCU scenario and realizing that they can’t cater to the fogies too much or they create a dinosaur line.
i also think vintage or classic designs of the staple characters are easy ways to refresh the line here and there… like, they’ve already got two caps on tap, current era steve, and bucky cap… they encourage the secondary market by not making steve in his vintage gear, especially when there’s a movie line, but IF fan demand is high enough for a re-release later on, it’s an easy fix.
getting to new characters, guys like klaw and USAgent who’ve been in demand for the better part of a decade is just damned good business. the wrecking crew is pretty much like printing money at this point. that’s smart. if the line starts to wilt again, which given the lineup we’ve seen thusfar i don’t anticipate any time soon, they can stage “vintage” or “classic” versions of logan, steve, bruce, pete, whomever and just re-release the existing version of those legends in new packaging. preserves the old figs collectibility while allowing for a very cheap out to meet what demand there may be.
if they hit legends too hard w/ hulk, cap, wolvie, iron man and spidey, nobody’s going to buy, because then “they’re jut not trying and i already have those figs.”
and really, who aren’t they hitting? in the first two waves, there’s two caps and two spideys in current outfits. daken isn’t quite the commercial powerhouse his pop is, but the design will likely satisfy casual fans/moms who don’t know the difference. tony is still getting movie merch, as are cap, loki, nick, and thor, so they’re covered… the only marvel heavy hitter left out of the current crop of showings is the hulk, and w/ the movie in the works, i expect he’ll restake his claim at any time now.
I only have a couple old Marvel Legends (a couple Thors, Loki, Mystique, Bishop, Punisher) and if I were to “start” collecting now I just don’t feel like this is going to be the place to do it since they have to balance what came before. When push comes to shove too I just can’t see them getting to a number of characters again. With 6-7 figures in a wave I just don’t see the relaunched Legends lasting long enough to give me a good coverage of the Marvel U.
I would have collected Marvel Universe, but I don’t care for that scale for my comic figures at all.
who don’t you see them getting to that’s pricey on the secondary market now? a lot of those legends figs only go for a modest mark-up… like still less than you pay for a DCU at retail.
On DCUC, the first part of the DCUC gap is now unless Wave 20 ships early. DCUC19 started showing up in Targets in late Sept, early Oct and we won’t see Wave 20 at retail until the very end of the year or early next year. The rebranded line is supposed to kick off in Q2 of 2012, so Toy Fair should be the place for the news.
One thing that impressed me about Hasbro/Marvel is that they’re swiping Mattel’s All-Star format and releasing new Thors, Iron Men, & Caps without the BAF pieces right alongside the characters the old ML collectors need. I think it will be a good strategy.
FYI, the link to nomad’s flickr acct loops back to this page.
i must say, i was happier at the NYCC reveals than i was SDCC, and mostly because of hasbro. thanks guys, i needed that!! i still have my reservations as to the “running change” for the wrecking crew, but i’ll make a go of it one way or another. i suspect this is going to be one of those times when it pays to have net friends.
and come on… i don’t even collect MU and they got me excited. i’m jealous of the line-up, legends is lagging behind in character diversity here! that’s not right!
Thanks for the heads up on the link!
The running changes for MU have been hit & miss. They mostly seem easy to find, but I think each of us has “one we never saw”. For me, it’s classic Havok. I’m hoping they’ll populate the different character running changes a little more highly.
Running changes are always recipe for disaster when you just can’t find something in your area.
Now, MU Jubilee looks awesome… but I NEED Jubilee, 5 1/2″ (Jim Lee era costume) make it so Hasbro… Is that 90s Jean for ML?
Yes! They’re kicking the ball right at our head! I was content to simply build my Lee X-Men in 4″ (I long ago gave up and sold my 6″ WIP set) and the new line mocks me for my decision.
Didn’t TG confirm that Snake MAA is definitely getting a ‘regular’ head (Whether this means the original figure head or a new MO2K/ helmetless/ ponytailed/ the-one-everyone-wants-coz-it-would-be-cool head remains to be seen) and possibly more accessories?
Still, I missed out on the original MAA so for incredibly selfish reasons I’m quite happy with the reveal!
That would be great if true. I was too busy for proper Armchair Coverage this week and may have missed it. Do you have a link or know the site you read it on? Thanks!
Am I enough of a source for ya? 😉
First-hand info as I was at the con – the head for the Snake MAA was just completed and slapped on an original MAA. They aren’t sure what else will make this figure different yet – but that will happen when we are getting reveals from multiple shows in such quick succession.
Thank you for the shout-out again, Noisy!
I find that Larfleeze’s maw is too short. Most comic artists drew him with a longer maw. Not too long, but longer than the figure’s. The DC Direct Larfleeze’s head looks much better. I’m curious to know what comic art was used as reference for mattel’s version of Larfleeze’s head.
Also I noticed that you didn’t comment on Atrocitus. What are your thoughts on him?
I have to say, the Marvel Legends and Universe figures are looking good. I’m curious about the price point for the Legends.
I’d guess the price point will be $15-$20. They know what Mattel is charging and they know they can do the same.
I loved Prime Horde!!! I want this figure!!! One of the best of the Motuc in my opinion!!!
I am very excited by the New ML stuff coming out. A nice mix of new and old with some nice running changes that hopefully will not be hard to find. I am wondering if the ML Blade head will go on that Punisher body as a running change or will be a brad new sculpt. The inclusion of Fantomex makes me think we will see most of the x-force team in some way down the line. I was happy with the New MU stuff, but the problem I have is that the paint jobs of the final piece are always hit or miss when I see them in stores. I have passed on many figures like Gladiator based on paint job alone and never by MU sight unseen for that reason. I have paints so i suppose I could fix them, but I should not have too. DC was a bit underwheming, but it was nice to Larfleeze but they did not say much about the retail offerings and the new look of the retail line. I look forward to seeing what additions they are making of MOTU MAA cause he is a snoozer as it is right now. Prime Horde look fantastic!
Horde Prime looks nifty in general, but I was hoping for a giant-sized cyborg bastich with two heads. (After all, I remember that for his birthday one year, Grizzlor got him two bow ties for both of his heads.) But seriously, and old guy with deely-boppers on his hood? You can guess which head I’ll be displaying him with — the one that looks a bit like the background behind the smoke in the She-Ra cartoons whenever his massive steel hand made an appearance.
As for the Snake Man-At-Arms going with the Serpent Ring: called it! (Although admittedly, I was also hedging with a Snake Teela prediction.) He’s pretty darn cool with his angry reptile head, and I’ll be very glad to add him to my collection, but I’m still hankering for a Two-Bad, Spikor, Extendar, or Ram-Man.
DC:
the GL set is nice, but annoying. I already popped a Hal head onto a SC Bats body, just needed to repaint the mask and decide if I wanted to repaint the neck or not. I also bought an extra GLC w1 Kyle for $30+ to repaint into his Blue version. oh well, with my luck, I’ll never see them and can finish them off instead of find a new custom.
That Larfleeze looks like he’s about to sneeze more than anything else. WAY too short, even with the various depictions of his schnozz. Johns kept calling him “Gonzo” but that joke(?) never took off, either. I’m surprised they didn’t have more 2012 DCU represented if they’re relaunching it in a few months?
SA Catwoman could be redecoed with a new head for LOIS, couldn’t she? Or I just realized: is that the Raven body?
With the FOUR! hour sellout of the LoSH set, I would hope they have some more planned ASAP, and throw them in either the sub or “reboot” line. Mon-El, Dawny and a few other might sell at retail, and definitely in the sub. (dare we hope for a LOS*V* box set?? We’ve already got Validus!)
And are Arkham Harley and Robin DCD or Mattel? I was wanting to get her, but since I ordered a few DCD like ‘Red’ Guy too late, I may not get them, now? (or not? store owner had them crossed out on print-out of email, and we couldn’t figure out if that meant they were already sold out or what? I got H&D and Jade, tho.)
MU:
Okay, are Puck and Jubilee going to be ML scale? I would think Puck is, but I scored X-23 last week (for Power Pack customs) and I have second guessing the MU Jubes fitting in with ML?
ML line-up looks awesome! Glad to see my campaigning for some classic characters is paying off with Stryfe and Moonstar! (now for Mimic, Blink, TJ, more NM/X-Force 1, New Warriors, etc) and we’re finally getting 90s JEAN! YES!
I think I only saw a concept drawing for Angel, so not entirely sure which version we’re getting, but guessing new X-Force? The Fantomex deco hints at this, as I think he was just plain white before (koffStormShadowkoff).
the “neon” green/black Spidey is the original with the FF Spidey as the variant, I heard? I guess we’ll get Miles pretty soon, as well? or a new MIGGY/2099!
And still no luck up here with the 6″ Thor/Cap figures. :/
another WM.com search turns up nothing, but they do have a Cap/Thor dvd 2pk next week!