DC Universe Classics - Dr. Fate

Next up for review is DC Universe Classics wave 8's Dr. Fate. He comes in a classic and modern variant. This review will be on the modern version.

Below you'll see the packaging. Nothing new here.

As far as the sculpt goes the torso legs and arms are made up of basically standard parts. The cuffs around the cloves are a little different. The head is obviously a new sculpt but there is really not much too it. Just a big tin can over his head. No details to speak of. His right hand is also sculpted a little differently than most DCUC figures. It is an open hand which i don't think I've seen on any other figure yet.

Dr. Fate's cape is also a little differently molded the some of the other DCUC characters with capes. Its actually a bit smaller and lighter and does not weigh him back that much.

Dr. Fate standard up fairly well next to the other DCUC action figures. Basically the same height, approximately 6 and a quarter inches tall.

The paint job on Dr. Fate is simple but clean. There are no really difficult areas to get messed up. Its either blue or yellow.

Dr. Fate comes with of course the collect and connect piece of Giganta (right arm) plus a Ankh-shaped electric bolt which plugs right into the open right hand.

Dr. Fate's articulation is also very standard compared to other DCUC action figures. Joints include the neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, wrists, abdominal, waist, hips, thighs, knees and ankles. When i took Dr. Fate out of his packaging, all joints were working properly and none were too stiff or too loose.

Overall, I really don't have any complaints about this action figure. Its a good likeness of its comic book counterpart so what more can you ask for. Paint job is clean, joints work well and you get a little accessory included.

Sculpt - 8, Paint -9, Accessories - 6, Articulation - 9, Fun - 8

Mattel's DC Universe Classics Dr. Fate is available for purchase on eBay, click here. There are many different options, just pay attention to shipping charges.

Dr Fate is also available for purchase on Amazon.com, click here.

Thanks for checking out Action Toy Review which is the #1 spot for DC Universe Classics news, info, previews and reviews. Be sure to check out the any previous reviews by scrolling through the blog history menu on the left hand column and be sure to participate in the different ATR polls also located in the left hand column.

DC Universe Classics - Superman vs Brainiac: Clash in the Cosmos

Some of the 2-Packs Mattel released recently either have not really appealed to me or include figures which I already have (example: Clayface) but the Clash in the Cosmos 2 pack featuring an early version of Brainiac caught my attention right away. So I bought it and will give my impressions:

Packaging for the 2 packs have similar graphics, colors as you would see on the average DCUC action figure package, just slightly bigger. On the back you do have a little blurp about each character's origin which is always a cool feature. First, we'll take a look at Brainiac.

This figure is the main reason why i bought this particular 2 pack. When i was a kid, i really enjoyed the Challenge of the Superfriends tv program and this version of Brainiac a similar likeness to the TV counterpart. Lets take a closer look at the sculpt and design of this action figure:

Brainiac's torso, arms and legs are basically standard parts used in multiple DCUC action figures. The head is an original sculpt of course and the addition of the shirt collar gives the Brainiac sculpt a bit of individuality.

As I've said before, re-using similar body parts is not a big deal as long as the paint job works. More on that later. Below is a closer look at Brainiac's head.

Brainiac's face looks great and includes some awesome detail. The collar, you'll notice is not perfect on both sides, one side is up more than the other.

Brainiac's paint job is good in the sense that there is no slop or colors crossing over lines but if you look closely at his pink shirt, the color on the arms is more of a purple compared to the color on his torso. Not the greatest job at matching colors up here.

Just to compare DCUC's Brainiac to some previous versions of the character. On the left you will see a DC Direct version of Brainiac as well as on the right, the DC Superheroes version. The good thing about the Brainiac character is that there have been so many versions of him over the years so there are multiple possibilities of action figure versions of him. As far as Articulation goes, this new version of Brainiac is very standard compared to the rest of the DCUC toyline. All the right joints in all the right places and all joints out of the package were not too loose.

Clash in the Cosmos Brainiac comes with a ray gun but the crappy thing is, this gun is a re-use part itself. Mattel had previously used this weapon with their DC Superheroes Battlesuit Lex Luthor a few years back before the DCUC toy line began. Its a cool looking gun and has a slot on the back for a piece of Kryptonite which also came with Lex Luthor, however, it is not included in the Brainiac/Superman 2 pack.

Overall, I like this version of Brainiac. The head sculpt is very good but the paint job loses points due to the different shades of pink on his shirt and that, for me, was a bit of a let down.

Sculpt/Design - 8.5, Paint - 6, Articulation - 9, Accessories - 7, Fun - 8.5

Brainiac fits in nicely with the rest of my Legion of Doom collection. Still missing Giganta, Cheetah and Toyman.

So now we move on to Superman. Now, I did not care too much about getting this Superman figure for one MAIN reason. This Superman has heat vision eyes which means his eyes are pure red.

The rest of the sculpt is total classic superman from head to toe. Why would anyone want Superman with red eyes...no idea.

Taking a look at the sculpt itself, the face looks great (except for the eyes). I believe this is the same head sculpt used for Eradicator from wave 5 just without the glasses. (I havent confirmed this yet).

The body and cape are the same as the DCUC Mullet head Superman from wave 6. So basically, this figure is a complete re-use of parts.

If you can get over the red eyes, it is actually a very good version of Superman. HOWEVER, if you can't get over the red eyes, look into getting the Superman from the DC Universe Classics Gotham City 5 pack. It is the exact same version as the Clash in the Cosmos Superman except he has normal eyes.

Some different versions of Superman brought to us by Mattel recently. In the back you see Blue and Red Superman from DCUC wave 2. On the left is a Superman figure from Mattel's previous toy line DC Superheroes. And on the right, is the Superman variant action figure from DCUC wave 6 with Superman in his Recovery Suit and has him supporting a very unpopular mullet head.

The paint job on this figure is great. No mistakes, smudges, slop or anything. Colors are match the classic version of this character. Nothing to complain about really.

Articulation is just as you would expect from the DC Universe Classics toy line. Joints include the neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, wrists, abdominal, waist, hips, thighs, knees and ankles. All joints moved very well out of the box. One small issue is that the cape weighs Superman backwards a little bit. No accessories were included with this Superman action figure.

Sculpt/Design - 8.5, Paint - 9.5, Accessoreis - 0, Articulation - 9, Fun - 8

So who's gonna want this version of Superman? Well, Superman junkies of course. It is a very very good version of Supes, its just the red eyes take away from him if you're looking for that one classic version of him. No question that it is a good set to get but the main figure for me in this set was Brainiac. I think if you're looking for the BEST Superman figure on the Market, then take a look at the Gotham City 5 pack Supes (which i have already previewed and will be reviewing shortly)

Actual Heat Vision - Not included.

If you're looking to purchase this DC Universe Classics 2 pack, then eBay is the place to get it. Even if you're only looking for the Brainiac figure you may be able to find someone selling him on its own.

To find Mattel's DC Universe Classics - Clash of the Cosmos 2 pack on eBay, click here

Another review down. I'll be getting back into the DCUC wave 8 reviews next so be sure to check back with Action Toy Review for all the latest DC Universe Classics news, reviews, info and previews.

DC Universe Classics - Vigilante

I am starting to fall way behind on my DC Universe Classics reviews. This is partially due to the fact that it is hard as hell for me to find these figures. I'm also finding that the prices seem to be going up these days on eBay. Especially for the more popular characters. With Wave 9 and 10 starting to make an appearance in stores and online, I figure, its time to finally get started on my Wave 8 reviews so here we go. This review will be on Vigilante:

For starters, the packaging has not changed at all over 8 waves. Same style graphics etc. Its been two years now since this toy line began so, it has that been there, done that feeling. Personally, it doesn't matter to me, I do not keep my toys in their packaging.

Vigilante is one of those figures that pretty much consists of the standard DC Universe Classics body parts. The head sculpt is of course, original and does justice to the comic book character.

Similar to Captain Cold from DCUC wave 7, Vigilante supports a belt with a gun holster on his left side. The rest of the body, you've pretty much seen before on other figures with some minor differences which is not a bad thing IF the paint job is done right.

The paint job is nothing fancy but it works. Vigilante is mostly black with white and blue areas. The paint is clean and does not really run across any of the lines. There is not much to complain about really. His red visor is transparent but I cannot make out any eyes inside them.

If you've been collecting these DCUC action figures, then you'll know that Mattel has been generous with the articulation and because Vigilante's body is basically made up of standard parts, his articulation is not different then the vast majority of the previous DCUC figures. All joints moved fairly well and were not too loose at all.

One of the things that really makes me like this action figure is the cool accessories that come along with it. Vigilante is armed to the tooth with an revolver which can be placed in his hand or his side holster, an automatic pistol and an automatic rifle which also has a strap and can be worn around his shoulders, on his back. All accessories fit fairly well in his hands.

Vigilante has a lot of guns but i think Deathstroke from DCUC wave 3 out arms him. One more note, Vigilante also comes with, of course, a connect and collect piece which is the left leg of Giganta.

Despite Vigilante's standard looking sculpt, I really took a liking to this action figure. Probably because I like the colors of his uniform and he comes with a sh*tload of guns. The extra accessories really increases the fun factor in my opinion and even though he is probably not an A list character, this action figure is still worth the purchase.

Sculpt - 7, Paint - 9, Articulation - 9, Accessories - 9, Fun - 8.5

Vigilante should not be too hard to find. If you read my blog regularly then you'll know that I like to use eBay to purchase these action figures, simply because Mattel does not distribute these toys in my area for some unknown reason. But there are deals on eBay so its not all that bad.

To find Mattel's DC Universe Classics Vigilante on eBay, click here

Amazon.com also has a decent selection of DCUC toys, click here.

Expect to see many more DCUC reviews in the coming weeks as I try to catch up. There are still wave 8 and 9 figures i do not have yet, plus there are 2 packs, the gotham 5 pack and I'm starting to see a few Wave 10 figures appear here and there on eBay. The question is, how easy will it be for me to get my hands on them all and will my pocket book be able to hand it?? So be sure to make your way back to Action Toy Review for more info, news, previews and reviews on Mattel's DC Universe Classics action figures.

DC Universe Classics - Wave 12 PREVIEW

First, I'd like to point your attention to some new additions to the blog. I've decided to add some interaction and have added a few polls, videos and slideshows to the sidebar on the left side of the screen. Feel free to scroll through and participate.

Now, not to long ago, Mattel released information regarding the line up for DC Universe Classics wave 12 set. Well, now there are photo's have been released and Action Toy Review is ready to give you a preview. If you're looking to pre-order this set which is due to release sometime in early 2010 (around March), check out the "Entertainment Earth" link on the top left corner. Now on to the preview:



In no particular order we will go ladies first and start with Mary Batson. A variant with a white costume is also said to be part of the set:

Next we have Spectre. There will be a variant of this action figure but no photos are available yet.

The next figure is Metal Man. He will have removable hands similar to Cyborg in wave 4.

The next figure is Copperhead.

Then we have Eclipso:

Next is Dr Mid-Nite:

And finally we have Desaad who i believe will also have a variant, however no photo is available at this time (correction: no variant of Desaad in this wave)

Last but not least the "Collect and Connect" action figure for wave 12 will be a new and improved and bigger version of Darkseid. (Back in 2006 there were 2 versions of Darkseid released in the DC Superheroes toy line by Mattel)

So there you have it. A quick and dirty preview of the DCUC wave 12 which probably wont be out until March 2010. As mentioned, you can Pre-Order your set now at EntertainmentEarth.com. Just click on the link on the very top left of the page. I've also added a poll on the left side bar menu. Tell Action Toy Review what you think of this latest DCUC set of action figures.

If you're looking to purchase DC Universe Classics action figures, i suggest eBay, click here.

I've also compiled some Amazon.com links to their best deals - click here

Thanks for checking out Action Toy Review featuring Mattel's DC Universe Classics Action Figures. Be sure to check back for more news, previews, information and action figure reviews soon.