What a great time to be a collector! Todd Mcfarlane getting the rights to produce DC Action Figures is starting to look like a big win for Todd and Toy collectors alike. So far, McFarlane Toys has been coming up with must have figures that so far have been selling like hot cakes to toy collectors. Sadly though, I’m not among the multitudes to fall in line and grab the figures as soon as I can. The eternal problem of toy collectors has come to haunt me, SPACE/STORAGE CONSTRAINTS that is. So far I only nabbed the Action Comics 1000 Superman figure because obviously I’m a Superman (but still contemplating on the Infected Superman however). Being an old time collector, I have filled my Display Cabinet with multitudes of DC Direct and Mattel DC Universe Classics Figures in a way that I could probably say my DC Comics Action Figure world building is close to complete as possible. It would have been nice to join in on the fun with McFarlane, but I’ll have to sell the old figures just to give them space. Which, I wouldn’t want to do since I really love the old classics that I have. And Even if McFarlane Toys is leaps and bounds the better figure aesthetically and articulation wise. Now lets go to my thoughts about McFarlane’s DC Multiverse.
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| DC Direct Thomas Wayne Batman v.s. McFarlane Toys Thomas Wayne Batman |
McFarlane Toys Has GREATLY improved their articulation!
McFarlane Toys used to be the forefront in the action figure aesthetic department when they launched their Spawn Action Figure Mini-Statue. Yes you heard that right. It’s an Action Figure and a Statue. Action Figure because it features minimal action that usually is limited to swivel neck, arms, and hips. And Statue because those figures featured Ultra detailed sculpture work that looks so good on the aesthetic. McFarlane was able to make his Spawn Figures Pop out because being an artist himself, I guess he’d want to see a near accurate 3D Renditions of his art. You can also check out his other works on the Horror and Fantasy Genre and the NBA Figures which looks so good to be considered as cheaper mini statue alternatives to the more expensive cold casted statues. But while he pioneered the look of modern action figures, he however fell short on the articulation level. Toybiz, Hasbro, and Mattel took the inspiration from McFarlane’s action figure aesthetics and ran away in the articulation department via their top selling toy lines Marvel Legends and DC Universe Classics. Even DC Comics had joined in on the fun by topping McFarlane with their own DC Direct toy lines that I always like to consider as articulated statues. It wasn’t until McFarlane grabbed the license to produce Fortnite Action Figures when he was able to debut his ultra articulated action figures. This was the key for him to acquire the license to produce DC Comics Acton Figures in the 6-7 inch scale.
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| Bat Family with their updated articulations by McFarlane Toys |
McFarlane just killed two well loved and long running toy lines.
Yes you heard it right. With McFarlane winning the DC Comics Action Figure license, this effectively ended Mattel’s license and their long running DC Universe Classics (and their other iterations of the same concept in 6 inch form) action figure collection. Not only Mattel, but DC Direct (or the renamed DC Collectibles) also suffered the same fate. Initially, the co-existence of Mattel and DC Direct were seamless since Mattel catered more on the mass market retail while DC Direct focused on the adult collector market and specialty shops. However, the game changing arrival of McFarlane turned things around because not only is McFarlane accessing the mass market, their groundbreaking action figures also trumps that of DC Direct to the point that DC Direct has just now opted to focus on their statue lines. McFarlane Toys’ products looks so good to the point that I guess DC Direct decided to just let McFarlane serve the mass market and the adult collector market and save them the headache of having to compete with McFarlane. Who right now looks so superior in the Action Figure category, that even I could probably say that they have beaten Hasbro’s Marvel Legends already as the hottest action figure in the market today! But that statement doesn’t come without a headache.
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| McFarlane Toys Action Comics 1000 Superman Scale Comparison with various DC Direct Superman |
Scale problems initially haunted McFarlane Toys
Action Figure collectors had basically accepted the 6 inch scale as the default scale for comic book related action figures because Hasbro’s Marvel Legends had always been set as the gold standard for Comic Book related Action Figures. This is the reason why Mattel’s DC Universe Classics for the longest time rivaled that of Hasbro’s Marvel Legends toy line. But the lack of innovation and improvements on the action figure design and articulation seemed to put Mattel out of the competition. McFarlane is supposed to step in and fill that void for the DC Comics action figures but their 7 inch scale initially turned a lot of collectors off. Since most action figure collectors were accustomed to the 6 inch scale, and their display cabinets have featured this scale. Not many wanted to dive in and support McFarlane due to this issue but when the products started hitting the shelves, collectors were blown away by the figures to the point that they no longer let the 7 inch scale bother them. Especially when action figures such as The Devastator (a Superman/Doomsday hybrid) started to come out, most action figure collectors have come to accept that the McFarlane Action Figures can co-exist with their older 6 inch action figures after all. And if they can’t, they might as well build a new universe! Which bring us to my next observation…
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| Dark Nights: Metal Evil Batmen |
McFarlane Toys is focused more on releasing action figures based on the current DC Universe storylines.
This strategy I believe is the perfect counterattack to the possibility of old collectors staying away from this line. By focusing on releasing never before seen action figures like the Evil Batmen from the DC Dark Nights: Metal comic books, McFarlane Toys in effect has used their decades long strength in coming out with ultra detailed action figures like the various weird and grotesque SPAWN characters to rope in collectors who might be too scale NAZIs to even consider purchasing McFarlane Toys. And the character designs from storylines such as Dark Nights: Metal, Batman: The Last Knight on Earth, and Dark Nights: Death Metal is a match made in heaven with McFarlane Toys capable hands. These truly unique renditions of DC Comics’ well loved characters will stand nicely on an old collector's shelves as they are action figures born out of DC’s Multiverse. And there is no scale issues that could stop collectors from acquiring these nice additions to their action figure collections. And if you can’t hang with the new ones, how about the old ones?
McFarlane Toys is also updating the old well loved classics.
While DC Direct has basically covered the old storylines such as Superman: Red Son, this does not stop McFarlane Toys from updating and releasing their own action figure rendition of this well loved classic. Much has been said about old collectors keeping a close watch of their old collections, but upon seeing new renditions done by McFarlane Toys, there is a part of me that just want to say “oh to hell with it!” McFarlane Toys can certainly want to make you think about disposing your old collections in favor of the new ones. And I think it is quite clever because now I can just easily sell my old DC Direct action figures in exchange for McFarlane’s updated release. After all, DC Direct action figures falls on the same scale as McFarlane Toys. And the articulation is leaps and bounds more superior compared to whatever DC Direct has come out with, not to mention the headache of DC Direct less durable joints. Oh the eternal plight of DC Direct Collectors!
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| Dark Nights: Death Metal Batman |
I think the expansive line of what Mattel did with DC Universe Classics will be hard to top. And that’s one thing that keeps me to want to continue to hold on to my old collections while McFarlane Toys is still expanding its own action figure universe. But like all things, change and evolution is inevitable. And if only I have an extra display space, joining in on the fun with these McFarlane Toys is definitely a must. I really find the new collectors who are just coming in on the hobby to be lucky that McFarlane Toys has nabbed the DC Comics license. At the very least, it affords them a fresh start and not hunt down those old Mattel DCUCs that would probably cost a fortune now since the line is dead. Mattel’s DCUC has worn off its welcome. A fresh change was needed. McFarlane Toys is what DC Comics action figure collectors needs now. I could still remember the old days of excitement when I used to hunt down those Mattel and DC Direct action figures and I could only imagine the feeling that the new collectors are having now. Enjoy your McFarlane Toys fellas, I might just cherry pick on them.... unless I buy a bigger house lol!
