The Toys of the Dark Knight Rises: Mattel: Movie Masters: Batman Review

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Aug 012012
 
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Our look at the tie-in toys for The Dark Knight Rises concludes with a look at the best line Mattel has to offer: the Adult Collector line known as Movie Masters. There are six figures in the line, the reviews start with the hero of the piece, the Dark Knight himself, Batman.

FIGURES AND MORE ACTION FIGURE REVIEW

Special Feature: The Toys of the Dark Knight Rises

 

 

 

Figure:                                            Batman

Company:                                      Mattel

Line:                                                 The Dark Knight Rises Movie Masters

UPC:                                                   746775072650

 

Ok boys and girls, here we go. It’s time for the main event. First introduced in the Dark Knight line 4 years ago, Movie Masters is Mattel’s Adult Collectors line. The figures are 6 inches tall. They are sculpted by the Four Horsemen for ultimate accuracy and detail to their movie counterparts. The Dark Knight was the perfect property to debut these new figures, as two of the standout pieces are the Joker and Two-Face figures. The Joker’s facial sculpt recreation of Heath Ledger is eerie and serves as a lasting memorial to the actor whose portrayal of the Joker is held in as high regard as that of Mark Hamill. The Two-Face figure features an incredible sculpt of the complicated and intricate makeup effect used to portray the devastation wrought on one half of Harvey Dent’s face. Mattel has again provided up with a series of Movie Masters figures to tie into this film. There are six Movie Masters in the line, and this time around, Mattel is introducing a “Connect-and-Collect” feature, with one piece of the item coming with each figure. The end result is one of the coolest add-on accessories in the history of not just Batman figures, but action figure lines in general. But, I’m not going to tell you what it is until later. So, the first figure in the line, which will come as no surprise, is Batman. So, the question, we need to answer is “Is It Worth It?” Let’s find out. Here’s our review

Look: What a difference from the basic figure. The intricate sculpting of Batman’s costume makes it possible to see every armor plate and gap and ridge in the armor. The bodysuit underneath has sculpted texture. Batman’s main costume is painted in matte black and grey, with a glossy paint applied to the gauntlets and boots. The utility belt is painted gold, with silver accents and the pouches, latches in the back and communicator on the side are all molded pieces. The bottom half of the face is sculpted in a nonplussed expression and they eyes have painted pupils, with sculpted ridges showing where the eyeholes are. The cape is…vinyl. This is probably the only disappointing thing. The Basic line capes were all cloth, WHY IS THIS ONE VINYL?!!! It is fairly flexible and lifts up so you can see that the back of Batman’s costume is just as good as the front. Everything is molded and painted accurately, including the back of the utility belt. It’s an amazing testament to how good movie figures can be. In fact, I thought it was really awesome when I first saw it….FOUR YEARS AGO! That’s right, kids, this figure is a re-release of the Dark Knight suit figure from teh Dark Knight line 4 years ago. Is it still a great figure? Of course. But, if you collected the previous line, your probably have 2 or three of these already.

Articulation: Oh boy, is this figure EVER articulated. Get ready to follow along. The figure has a ball-jointed head, ball-jointed shoulders, cut biceps, pin joint elbows, cut wrists, waist swivel, “ab crunch” joint, ball-jointed hips, cut lower legs, pin joint knees and pin joint ankles. That is an extraordinary list for a 6 inch figure.

Accessories: Each figure in the Movie Masters collection comes with a “Collect-and-Connect” piece. When assembled, these pieces for a larger extra object that reltes to the line. I am pleased to announce that for the Dark Knight Rises Movie Masters line, that object is the BatSignal. In light of this, a special section called Building the Batsignal will be added to each Movie Master review. Batman comes with part 1, the base of the signal itself.  To say I am really excited about building this thing would be a MASSIVE understatement. The picture on the back of the package makes it look amazing.

BUILDING THE BATSIGNAL: Early days, but here is the first piece, which comes with Batman. It is the square base of the actual signal light itself.

 

 

IS IT WORTH IT?: It depends. If you don’t own the figure yet, absolutely. This is one of the best Batman figures I have ever seen in a movie line. If you want the Batsignal, you have to buy it. But, shame on Mattel for recycling a 4 year-old figure that is a required purchase to complete the Batsignal. It’s not a bad figure, it’s just unfortunate that most people probably already own it and will have to buy it again.

FINAL SCORE: 3 out of 5

 

 

 


The Toys of the Dark Knight Rises: Mattel: The Bat

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Jul 282012
 
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Our look at the Mattel Basic line concludes with the final vehicle in the line, The Bat. The newest vehicle in the Dark Knight’s arsenal, The Bat is part helicopter, part jet, a unique flying vehicle that again comes from Wayne Enterprises’ Applied Sciences division.  The toy is the largest vehicle in the Dark Knight Rises basic line. Here’s my review.

FIGURES AND MORE ACTION FIGURE REVIEW

Special Feature: The Toys of the Dark Knight Rises

 

 

 

Figure:                                          The Bat

Comapny:                                    Mattel

Line:                                               The Dark Knight Rises (Basic)

UPC:                                                746775113377

 

Up last in the basic line from Mattel is the biggest and baddest of the Batman vehicles, the aerial wonder known only as the Bat. Making it’s debut in the Dark Knight Rises, the Bat is the final piece of Batman’s arsenal, an aerial vehicle armed to the teeth and capable of spectacular aerial acrobatics. The Dark Knight Rises showcases the Bat in several huge set pieces and I, for one, could not wait to get my hands on the toy version. But, my personal feelings aside, the question I’m here to answer is : is it worth it? Let’s find out

Look: Visually, the Bat fits in perfectly with the rest of Batman’s arsenal. It features the same matte black primary color scheme which we have come to associate with the Nolan Batman vehicles. The plastic is full of intricately carved details There are two propeller blade on the underside of the vehicle that spin, There is dark “glass” canopy at the front of the vehicle that is hinged and opens like a clamshell. The cockpit hold 1 3.75 inch figure, which like the Batmobile is an inaccuracy, as the vehicle in the film holds 2. Realizing the bulk and unusual shape of the vehicle, and harkening back to the Toy Biz Batwing toy format he original 1989 Batman movie, Mattel has molded a handle on top of the vehicle. It works very well, and does not spoil the look of the vehicle at all. There are two “arms” on the front of the vehicle which end in what appear to be fans. To add play features to the vehicle, Mattel has added missile launcher functionality to the arms, with firing buttons located on top of each arm. In addition, when you press the left fire button, you will activate a sound feature. The missile launch works very well, and the missiles fly fairly far. But, the best feature is yet to come. Above the cockpit is a flip up hatch. Included with the vehicle is a 3.75 inch “Glider” Batman figure, made out of foam. Place the Glider Batman into this hatch, pull the lever on the bottom of the vehicle, and close the hatch. To fire, push the button located at the front of the handle down, This springs the hatch open and launches the Glider Batman figure. He flies an impressive distance. The cockpit will fit most 3.75 inch figures.

Articulation: N/A

Accessories: The Bat comes fully assembled out of the package. It’s only accessories are the Glider Batman figure and the two missile that fit in front. The Glider Batman figure is fairly sturdy for a foam figure and the launching mechanism works very well. Likewise, the missile launching feature works very well. The missiles only fit in the slots one way, so it is impossible to incorrectly load them.

IS IT WORTH IT?: The answer is an emphatic yes! The dichotomy of the basic line is staggering to me. The figures are so bad and the vehicles are so good. If they had taken as much care and put as much effort into the quality of the figures as they did the vehicles, they would have a much more balanced line.  As it is, buy only the figures you absolutely need, but buy every vehicle, including this one. Starting at $29.99, this is the most expensive of the vehicles, but it one of the coolest looking toys Mattel has ever made, and it has one of the best action features I have seen.

FINAL SCORE: 4 out of 5

That does it for our look at the basic segment of the Dark Knight Rises line from Mattel. Next up, the other segment of Mattel’s Dark Knight Rises line, Movie Masters.

Send me feedback about this review at robh@figuresandmore.com

This is Rob Hull for Figures and More

 

The Toys of the Dark Knight Rises: Mattel: Attack Armor Bat-Pod

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Jul 272012
 
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Our look at the vehicle segment of Mattel’s basic Dark Knight Rises line continues with a look at Batman’s two-wheeled ride: the Bat-Pod. There are two versions of the Bat-Pod. The basic version features a non-removable Batman figure, which I consider to be an absolutely useless idea, so I have opted instead to dip ever so briefly into the “QuickTek” segment of the line. QuickTek is the “deluxe” segment of the line, which features armor pieces that attach to the figures and vehicles with the “Quicktek” logo on the packaging. To be honest, I have no use for any of the Quick Tek figures, as I feel the armors they have come up with are silly and unnecessary, but I decided to press my luck with the “Attack Armor Bat-Pod.” Here’s my review.

FIGURES AND MORE ACTION FIGURE REVIEW

Special Feature: The Toys of the Dark Knight Rises

 

 

 

Figure:                                                  Attack Armor Bat-Pod

Company:                                            Mattel

Line:                                                      The Dark Knight Rises (Basic)

UPC:                                                       746775072933

 

Next up in the vehicle segment is Batman’s two wheeled ride, the Bat-Pod. Making it’s debut in the second of Christopher Nolan’s films, the Dark Knight, the Bat-Pod was born from the ruins of the Batmobile, which was catastrophically injured in the film by a rocket fired by the Joker. In order to protect Batman’s identity, the Batmobile self destructs, but not before initiating the eject mode, turning the cockpit and front wheels into the Bat-Pod. The extremely speedy cycle-like vehicle has become a huge hit with the fan community, and it makes it’s return in the Dark Knight Rises. Mattel has done toy versions of the Bat-Pod before. The basic one is part of the Batmobile toy from the basic line, and it actually fits inside the Batmobile and launches from inside it. Mattel also did a magnificent Target exclusive Movie Masters Scale Bat-Pod, which is still being sought to this day by collectors on Ebay. Has Mattel managed to keep the quality streak going? And, most importantly, Is It Worth It? Let’s find out.

Look: The Bat-Pod is very faithful to the look of the vehicle in the movie, with large spinning tires. It is molded primarily in black plastic, with grey engine cover, side arm shields and front guns. There is also a small gold plate in front of the rear wheel. It is a simple vehicle by nature, but this is a very nice, well executed version of the vehicle and stands very well on it’s own.In case you’re wondering, all of the 3.75 inch figures work on the vehicle, inculding Caped Crusader Batman and Catwoman. The handgrips and shields are made of a “bendy” plastic that makes it very easy to get the figure’s hands around them. I am really impressed with this feature of the vehicle.

Articulation: N/A

Accessories: The vehicle comes with two accessories. The first is the QuickTek armore. It comes in two pieces. There are three spring loaded armor “shields”, which are molded as one jointed piece. They are molded in the same matte black color and gold accents that are the hallmarks of the Batman vehicles. There are three hinges, two on the side and one at the top, which operate when a button on the top which is adorned with a bat symbol is pressed. When activated, the two side pieces swing forward and the top snaps over, creating a sort of “cocoon” that covers the rider. The second piece of the armor is a large missile launcher, which snaps into the top piece of the armor. It is molded in silver plastic and the missile it fires is a reddish-orange. The whole apparatus connects to the back of the Bat-Pod just below the rider, via a single tab-slot connection. It fits very securely, but is not difficult to get off. The bottom line is that the armor is cool, but not neccessary to use the toy. But, I don’t hate it as much as I thought I would. I cannot say the same about the other accessory. This vehicle does not come with a non-removable Batman figure, but it might as well have. What it does come with is one of the WORST pack-in figures I have EVER seen with a vehicle. The Batman figure that comes with the vehicle is a little shorter, probably 3.5 inches instead pf 3.75 inches, a vinyl instead of cloth cape and NO ARTICULATION, not even in the legs. To say this figure is awful is a massive understatement. It is also the only figure I have seen to date that has NO PUPILS in the eyes. You are much better off using Caped Crusader Batman, Catwoman, or just about any other basic figure instead of this one. Seriously, it’s that bad.

IS IT WORTH IT?: The good news is that the disappointing pack in figure is not enough to spoil this vehicle. This is a great representation of this vehicle. The QuickTek component for this vehicle is not as bad as I thought, and it is painted to fit in perfectly. The Batman and Catwoman figures fit very well on the figures and look great. At $24.99, this is a great way to pick up this vehicle due to it’s versatility. If you want the Bat-Pod, this is the way to go.

FINAL SCORE: 4 out of 5


This product is available at most stores now.

That’s all for now. Up next, the newest vehicle: The Bat

Send me feedback on my reviews at robh@figuresandmore.com

This has been Rob Hull for Figures and More


The Toys of the Dark Knight Rises: Mattel: Walmart Exclusive Batmobile with Batman

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Jul 262012
 
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Next on our tour of the Mattel Dark Knight Rises toy line is the vehicle segment. I am not going to deal with the vehicles that have non-removable figures. In stead, I will focus on the three main Dark Knight line vehicles, The Batmobile (Tumbler), The Batpod, and the new vehicle introduced in the Dark Knight Rises, The Bat. First up, the Batmobile.

FIGURES AND MORE FIGURE REVIEW

Special Feature: The Toys of the Dark Knight Rises

 

 

Figure:                                          Batmobile with Batman (WalMart Exclusive)

Line:                                               Dark Knight Rises (Basic)

Company:                                      Mattel

UPC:                                                 746775073084

 

 

There have been three major vehicles introduced at part of Batman’s arsenal in the Dark Knight trilogy. Each of them has been reproduced by Mattel as part of the “Basic” Dark Knight Rises line. In this review, we will be looking at the first vehicle introduced, the current incarnation of the Batmobile, the mighty Tumbler. Though the Batmobile version of the Tumbler does not appear in The Dark Knight Rises, other Tumblers do. Plus, it just wouldn’t be a Batman line without a Batmobile. But, IS IT WORTH IT? Let’s find out.

Look: The Tumbler is roughly 8 inches long and painted in matte black with gold accent pieces, just like the real thing. The windows are made of dark plastic and are not see through. There are also white painted-on headlights. The flaps at the back are made of a flexible plastic and they do bend and flex a little. The wheels turn and they are properly situated and proportioned. The cockpit is accessed via a hatch at the top of the vehicle. There is an indent for a finger at the top of the vehicle which enables easy opening of the hatch. Inside the cockpit is a “bendy plastic” steering wheel and two levers, one on each side of the seat. The cockpit only holds one figure, which is not film accurate, as the actual Tumbler in the movie holds 2. But, that is the only real drawback. This is a solid recreation of the Tumbler.

Articulation: N/A

Accessories: This vehicle comes with a basic scale 3.75″ Caped Crusader Batman figure. This is the best of the basic scale Batman figures. He fits securely in the cockpit and can hold on to either the steering wheel, though it is not easy to make him do so, or the levers on the side, which is significantly easier. This is a great extra and a great way to get this Batman figure.

IS IT WORTH IT?: It’s the Batmobile! Do I really need to answer this question? Of Course it’s worth it. This pack is priced incredibly well, at just over $20 and it is the only way to get the Batmobile. Head to your local Walmart or walmart.com and pick one up.

FINAL SCORE: 4 out of 5

That does it for now, Next up, the Batpod. Thanks for reading,

You can leave me feedback at robh@figuresandmore.com

This has been Rob Hull, for Figures and More.


 

 

 

The Toys of The Dark Knight Rises: Mattel: 3.75 inch Target Exclusive Battle for Gotham City Box Set

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Jul 252012
 
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Ok, it’s time for the main event. The time has come for us to pass judgment on the Dark Knight Rises tie-in product from the Master Toy Licensor: Mattel. The main Dark Knight Rises Toy line is broken into two separate segments: the Basic line and the Movie Masters line. The Basic line is aimed at children. It is a 3.75 inch scale line that features limited articulation and simplistic sculpts. This line also features scaled vehicles for added play opportunities. This segment is also home to the major action feature component. which is known as QuickTek. This feature involves “snap-on” armor for certain figures and vehicles. Personally, I can’t stand this feature, as the armors and associated figures are in in horrendous colors and themes. I had to acquire one QuickTek product, the Batpod, for reasons I will go into in a future review. In any case, I am not all that thrilled with the 3.75″ line to begin with, but if you have to get them, this set is a good way to do so, and it comes with a few benefits. So, is it worth it? Let’s find out

FIGURES AND MORE ACTION FIGURE REVIEW

Special Feature: The Toys of the Dark Knight Rises

Figure: Battle for Gotham City 5 pack (Target Exclusive)

Line: The Dark Knight Rises (Basic)

UPC: 746775160319

 

 

As the master toy licensee for DC, Mattel, of course, takes the lead on The dark Knight Rises. Mattel has developed a two-pronged line for the film. There is a “basic” line in 3.75″ scale, featuring several different versions of Batman and Bane. This line is also home to the “deluxe” versions of the basic figures, which feature the “QuickTek” Armor action feature. I personally dislike the Quicktek feature and can completely do without it. The second part of the line, I am pleased to announce, is the return of the extremely popular “Movie Masters” segment from “the Dark Knight” line. These are 6 inch figures with authentic movie-accurate sculpts of major characters. The figures have increased articulation. In addition, the figures have a “Collect-and-Connect” feature. There are six figures in the line. each comes with a piece of the Collect-and-Connect item, which is the Batsignal. When fully assembled, the Batsignal will light up and project on the wall. More on that line later. Of course, as will all major movie lines, there are exclusive items for specific retailers. So, I’ve managed to pick up this five pack from Target, which gives me all the basic figures I will need in one place, with an interesting little extra bonus. The five figures in the pack are: Bane, Caped Crusader Batman, Bruce Wayne, Stealth Vision Batman and Catwoman. But, even with the bonus, is it worth it? let’s go figure-by-figure to find out.

Bane: Here is the villain of the piece, the man who plans to take out Batman and rule Gotham. While Bane may be physically imposing, his basic figure is, well, not. For starters, Bane has no elbow joints, this is not, in itself, remarkable, as none of the figures actually have elbow joints. But, for some reason, Bane doesn’t have KNEE JOINTS EITHER! This is, in my mind, inexcusable. This is the main villain, why doesn’t he have knees? He is articulated at the neck, shoulders and hips. Also, the mask is very simplistically molded, and it ends up looking like two sets of jaws. Also, there was a paint application error on mine, and one of the mask tubes was not painted. This made Bane look like he has a chipped tooth. Also, on the back of the figure, there is no sign or indication of the scar that is one of the defining features of the Bane character. The omission of this scar is a massive mistake on the design team’s part. Let’s hope this is not a sign of things to come.

Caped Crusader Batman: This is the best of the “basic” Batman figures. It is just plain, movie accurate black suit Batman, with no outrageous color variants or outlandish armors or accessories. There is a surprising amount of detail on the costume, with the mold including the “texture” of the underlying bodysuit. He has articulation at the neck, shoulders, hips and KNEES! He also has a cloth cape, which makes a huge difference. He comes with a ridiculous double bladed handheld weapon, which look out of scale with the size of the figure. Unlike Bane, the paint job on this figure, is fantastic. The eyes and face are very well sculpted and painted cleanly. The suit is very well sculpted, with shoulder pads as separate pieces. Also, the Batsuit has been molded completely, front and back, even though the cape covers the entire back. This is, in my opinion, the best figure in the pack.

Bruce Wayne: In terms of looks, this figure is fine. It is a re-do of the Bruce Wayne figure from the Batman Begins line, minus the Batman armor.  The face is well sculpted for a 3.75 inch figure. However, the biggest problem I have with this figure is that, IT DOES NOT STAND UP! You are required to bend the back in an extremely unnatural way to get it to stand. This is because his left leg is slightly higher than the right one. I am so disappointed in that sculpting error. Moving on.

Stealth Vision Batman: I have no use for this figure whatsoever. It is one of those obnoxious variants. The suit is grey, there is no cape, the mask is full face, the bat symbol in the middle is blue, so are the arm guards. He comes with two hand-held claw weapons, and is articulated at the neck, shoulders and knees. I really cannot express enough how much I dislike this figure. This figure really speaks to what is wrong with the basic line as a whole.

Catwoman: This is the exclusive part of this pack. The only way to get a Catwoman figure in the basic scale is to buy this pack. I wish I could tell you the figure was better. But, unfortunately it seems like giving the villains the short end of the stick was the aim with this pack. Catwoman, like Bane, has NO KNEE JOINTS! I cannot believe I just typed that. Also, her goggles are PAINTED ON! THEY DO NOT COME OFF! She is articulated at the neck, shoulders and hips. Her costume is well done, though her hells are not painted to resemble stilettos. Her hair is well done, shaped to allow it to fit over her shoulders. Also, mine had an extra piece of plastic on the bottom of the head, making it look like she had an unfortunate tumor. This is so disappointing.

IS IT WORTH IT?: If you have to get the 3.75″ figures, this is a good way to pick up most of the ones you’d be looking for, and the only way to get Catwoman. However, outside of the Caped Crusader Batman figure, most of the figures are disappointments. The only upside to this pack is that there is a Movie Cash code on the package which will get you $12 off a ticket to the Dark Knight Rises. Does that make up for the shortcomings of the set? Only you can decide. The set costs $21.99 and you get $12.00 of ti back in Movie Cash. Which means, in the end, you pay $9.99 for 5 figures, which is a bit of a bargain. But, it is only a bargain if you use the Movie Cash. Otherwise, I can only recommend this pack is you want Catwoman.

FINAL SCORE: 3 out of 5



For more information on this product, visit Target

For more information on the movie, visit www.thedarkknightrises.com

Leave me feedback at robh@figuresandmore.com

Toy Fair 2010: Mattel

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Mar 082010
 

FIGURES AND MORE EXCLUSIVE!!

TOY FAIR 2010: MATTEL

Last year at this time, Mattel’s briefing was a bit low key. They had made the huge announcement of the acquisition of the WWE Action figure license, but they were tight lipped about their plans. All that has changed however. The first series of WWE figures were released on January 1st  and have done extremely well. Also this year, Mattel picked up the master toy license for the incredible 3-d film Avatar. This year at Toy Fair, Mattel came to play. They are quickly becoming one of my favorite toy companies. Here’s what they have in store.

WWE: Mattel’s newest license is already proving one of their most profitable, selling out in numerous stores repeatedly. Series 1 of the Basic, Elite and 2 pack segments of the line have already been on shelves for a month and have posted strong sales. Series two of the Basic 2packs and Elite segments of the line have hit stores, with the Basic series 2 due shortly. However, Mattel is already gearing up for the next few waves. The first Pay Per View wave, called WrestleMania Heritage was released last month. The second Pay Per View wave, based on Survivor Series, will be released in April, and consists of John Cena, The Miz, Rey Mysterio, John Morrison, Kofi Kingston and The Undertaker. Following that will be Basic Series 3, which will consist of: The Great Khali (an absolutely HUGE figure), Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Shelton Benjamin, The Undertaker and Mickie James (the 2nd Diva figure made by Mattel).

Mattel is also continuing their line of WWE Basic 2-packs. Series 3 consists of: Big Show & Edge, Cryme Tyme and Evan Bourne & Rey Mysterio.

Mattel is also continuing my favorite segment of the new WWE line: the Elite Collection. Series 3 is on the way. It consists of: Cody Rhodes, The Miz, Santino Marella, John Cena, Christian and Shawn Michaels. As with the other series, each figure will come with entrance attire and accessories. The Christian and Shawn Michaels figures are really well done pieces which will definitely find their way into my collection.

Also shown at Toy Fair was a new theme ring. The Money in the Bank ring will feature a retractable Titantron and a briefcase on a winch.

The biggest question when Mattel first publicly showed their WWE line was “will you be doing a Classic Superstars line?” This year at Toy Fair, Mattel finally answered that question and pulled the wraps off their WWE Legends. The figures will be Elite style, with over 20 points of articulation and authentic entrance gear and accessories. The packaging will feature illustrations and graphics reminiscent of the original 80′s LJN WWE packaging. Series 1, which will release before Fall 2010, will include: Road Warriors Hawk and Animal (black shoulder pads), Dusty Rhodes (polka dot outfit), Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, The Iron Sheik and Sergeant Slaughter (80′s look, with hat and whistle). Mattel also gave us a “sneak peak” at Series 2, which will include: “Cowboy” Bob Orton, Terry Funk, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka and “Ravishing” Rick Rude. There is also one “Mystery” Superstar that has yet to be revealed who will round out the assortment. In addition, Series two of the Entrance Greats segment will be a Legends assortment, consisting of:  “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. DiBiase will come with a removable tuxedo and the “Million Dollar Belt” and Piper will come with a removable t-shirt and kilt and bagpipes.

Avatar: Mattel’s line based on the highest grossing film of all time will continue, with more characters and Navi races released. I don’t have any specifics, however I will say that Mattel had a jaw dropping diorama on display. Here are some pictures.

Masters of the Universe Classics: The most popular item on Mattel’s collector website, MattyCollector.com, the re-releases of classic He-Man and the Masters of the Universe line will continue with new releases throughout the year. In addition to the figures, there will weapons packs available. Figures set for release include: Keldor, Moss Man, Evil-Lyn, the larger-scale figure Titus and She-Ra. Also due this year is a crossover series scheduled for Toys ‘R’ Us stores: DC Universe vs. Masters of the Universe Classics. The first two packs will be: He-Man vs. Superman and Skeletor vs. Lex Luthor.


DC Universe: One of Mattel’s oldest and best-selling series, the momentum of DC Universe Classics seems to be unstoppable. Mattel is making a habit of giving fans characters they never thought they’d see, and this year is no exception. This year will see a slew of new releases in both the Infinite Heroes and DC Universe lines. Some of the characters you will see this year include: Superboy (as he appears in Reign of the Supermen), Guy Gardiner, The Original Hourman, Zatanna, the Ultra-Humanite and Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth. There will also be some new 2-packs, including Batman and Robin and Supergirl and Lex Luthor. In addition, the “Infinite Heroes” line will pay tribute to the 75th Anniversary of DC Comics. Special packaging will celebrate “75 years of super power.” These figures will come with special commemorative buttons.

The Justice League line will continue at Target. New characters this year include Firestorm, Plastic Man and Lobo.

Mattel’s revisits the classic “MEGO” line with a line called Retro-Action DC Super Heroes. Like the classic MEGO figures, they have cloth bodies and plastic heads.

Finally from the land of DC, Mattel has produced a “MattyCollector” exclusive 12 inch figure of Terrance Stamp as General Zod from Superman II. The likeness is incredible. And, it comes with amazing accessories and packaging, including a reproduction of The Daily Planet newspaper.

Ghostbusters: Finally from Mattel, their “MattyCollector” exclusive line of figures based on the cult favorite film continues with new versionf and characters in a variety of different scales. Characters available this year include Ray (in Lab coat) and one of the most anticipated figures announced so far: Walter Peck (with Ghostbusters Containment Unit). Each figure will come with accessories and a ghost.

For more information on these products, visit www.mattel.com or www.mattycollector.com.

That does it for Mattel. Toy Fair Coverage continues with DC Direct.


Mattel WWE Special Feature: Elite Collection Series One Review

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Feb 172010
 

Mattel’s WWE line has finally hit retail, and it’s time to answer the question on everyone’s mind: are the figures any good? Has Mattel successfully taken up the mantle from Jakks and added to the proud legacy of WWE figures? It is finally time to find out. This time, we review the first series of Elite figures. Continue reading »

Mattel WWE Special Feature: Basic Two Packs Series 1 Review

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Feb 052010
 

Mattel’s WWE line has finally hit retail, and it’s time to answer the question on everyone’s mind: are the figures any good? Has Mattel successfully taken up the mantle from Jakks and added to the proud legacy of WWE figures? It is finally time to find out. This time, we review the first series of two packs Continue reading »

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