It just seems difficult for me to get excited about this last handful of DC figures. Well, I shouldn’t say that “difficult”. I am excited about Doomsday. I’m even excited about the overpriced Super Powers repaints figures coming out later this year. And I was excited about Ice too*, but, like Aquaman, once she arrived the happiness of getting them gave way to melancholy. It’s fun to get a new one, but there’s countdown to how many are left at the same time. There are technically ten to go, but Ice is from a more exclusive club: she’s one of the only two new characters added to the line in its final year.
* – I’m not excited about Superboy – that head sculpt looks terrible so far. And I’m not sure how I feel about Damian – he’ll be nice to have, but no Dick Grayson Batman? No Professor Pyg? No Knight or Squire? It just feels like we’re opening one last can of worms on the way out.
Ice is from an era in comics that the Classics line largely ignored: the 90s. She’s technically an 80s character (& like Fire has an 80s costume I like better), but she came to the peak of her popularity in the 90s and this is her 90s costume. She originally got her start with the Global Guardians*, but later joined the Justice League during the great Giffen/DeMatteis run.
* – Technically, it was a different character that in was the Guardians. Ice was originally called Icemaiden and supposed to be the character from the Global Guardians when she appeared in JLI, but due to some origin confusion, a second, different Icemaiden was created when she appeared in JLI. The first blue-skinned Icemaiden just disappeared after that, not returning until much later, after Ice died (replacing Ice in a similar way to how she was replaced). She appeared sporadically after that and survived being killed by James Robinson trying to show how badass his villains are only to have her skin ripped off by Scott Beatty.**
** – This review is written mostly in italics at this point.
Fire & Ice are basically a good representation of how deep Mattel got with the line. They’re not overly popular characters, but are important to a large subgroup of DC fans thanks to the popularity of that aforementioned Giffen/DeMatteis run and spurred on by being in the JLA when Doomsday first appeared and basically destroyed the team on the way to killing Superman. (That spike in popularity sadly didn’t translate to Bloodwynd & Maxima and help get them figures; I would’ve loved to have seen those!)
As for the figure itself, I’m fairly satisfied wit it overall. That’s largely thanks to Mattel giving Ice a healthy dose of new pieces. The new upper torso captures her odd tank top costume well and the boots are appropriately furry for good measure. The new arms look a little more beefed up than earlier ladies from the DC Classics line, but I do think they still came out a tad short (or the legs are too long, not sure). The proportions just seem a little off, but that’s kinda par for the course for the DC ladies at this point. I’m not even sure if we ever got distinct bucks separating the adults from the teenage girl characters.
All that is topped off with a debatable head sculpt. I think it’s a good sculpt. I like the depth to the face and think it’s better than previous sculpts, but something isn’t right. It could be the thicker paint or the thick, unhighlighted hair? I’m just not sure. I do like the hair piece, but could be a little finer around the face, that might help. I’m still not one to complain about flash lines on figures, but the one in the hair is pretty noticeable and will bother some folks. Her expression is one of bemusement I think. I find that kinda funny. Continue to Page 2…
The head sculpts on both figures leave a lot to be desired. We’re talking about Adam Hughes’ designs as interpreted by the Four Horsemen. Something was clearly lost in translation.
I’m glad that we got to complete the set but would recommend them only to absolute JLI or and Fire & Ice diehards.
The women in the line always seemed to take it on the chin.
Overall, she looks good to me, aside from the (literal?) moptop and that torso paint alignment.
The box art even shows a better hairdo than this figure gets.
as the line closes, it’s hard to be happy about everything, but this was a last gasp at completing the JLI era and those tweaks side, she’s a good figure to do it and a sight better than the poofy shouldered DCD version. http://www.oafe.net/artemis/art/dcdjli1ice1.jpg
Most of us could double a Max Lord with a MM Harvey Dent or other suit figure our choice of heads to complete the team. (and hunt down the LPS Oberon that came with the DCD Miracle/Barda 2pk! L-Ron is SOL, tho. LOL)
that said I still prefer the “Ice Princess” outfit that was a darker blue bodysuit with a fur cape that she wore at the time of her “death”.
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k214/sallyp617/jla418.jpg
(altho I did pick up an extra Black Cat….)
I always liked their GG costumes better than the JLI. They both went through a lot of changes.
The headsculpt looks alright. Not great, but alright. I’m glad they at least went with consistency and gave her and Bea costumes from the same period, rather than, say, do a Global Guardians version of one and a JLI version of the other (this has been a thing in DCUC in the past).
And yeah, it’s really melancholy knowing this line is over, isn’t it? 🙁 And now MOTUC is ending as well… Mattel really isn’t staying in the game.
Great review as always.
Alright is a good word. And they do match which is one jacket short of being great!
And thanks!
Maybe better names for these two figures would be Tepid and Luke-warm. Or maybe just Luke and Warm. I don’t know. It’s too early in the a.m. and these are the jokes, kids. 🙂
lol You’re trying, I’ll give you that!
As a fan of Ice love the box art so thats a plus though the sad is still there on the line ending and fact whats at retail now just stinks to me. In all she looks good but do notice those goofs. Too me she looks chubby cheeked a bit. I don’t recall that look in any book that had her in it. Even when fighting Doomsday during that tale. Will I buy, Yes, wanna do the JLI team (Guy,Ted Kord, Booster, J’nn, Fire and Ice, BC, and have to hunt a DC Direct Red)
Yeah sad to hear this but think heard that MOTUCs will continue just end of the green brick. Atleast what Scott said.
The box art was really nice. I think it ended up making a bad contrast for the figure.
Did DCD ever make a proper Rocket Red? I don’t think we ever got the boxy one from anybody?
No, I don’t believe they did.
And are you saying the 12 foot tall guy wearing armor that appeared in, like, three comics is not a “proper” Rocket Red figure?
Yes. Yes, I am.
After we get Damian, I’m going to run a good/bad retrospective. He’ll be mentioned… lol
After seeing what some people have done with swapping out the Matty Ice head with the New 52 Wonder Woman head… wow! was this a bad head sculpt. But it does work with the equally bad Fire head sculpt.
http://www.dctoyrevolution.org/dc-universe-classics-and-assorted-6-scale-from-mattel/aquaman-ice-superboy-damian-and-cs-doomsday-t202-70.html
TRDouble! Hey!
That is gorgeous custom at that link. Wow!
I loved the joke pick about joke picks!!!!
I was hoping someone would say something! lol
At retail, Fire and Ice would have been definite gets, despite the iffy quality of the head sculpts. As premium online exclusives? Not so much. The only DCIE figure I’ve gone actually purchased was Huntress, and that’s more out of my love for the character than anything. And I still think there’s a decent face somewhere under all those globs of paint on her.
They’re not really premium though. They’re just low run. lol Mattel tries to play that game and I can see the point of throwing it right back at them though.