Super-Articulate: Catching Up on DC Multiverse
Let me set the parameters on this one right away. This isn’t an exhaustive look. It’s more of a highlight reel of the past few assortments of DC Multiverse figures. I’ll be checking back in with DC Mutliverse a few times throughout the year; unfortunately, as the DC master license leaves Mattel, the line is on a ticking clock. On the upside, I think that the character selection and sculpts have steadily improved over time; the downside, again, is that Mattel will stop making DC figures after a couple of years filled with some exciting choices.
Presently, a new assortment is making its way to stores; it’s a four-figure wave featuring Batman Beyond, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner (in his classic outfit), Kingdom Come Superman, Kid Flash (DC Rebirth), and a Lobo Collect & Connect figure. We don’t have any of those to show yet; as for myself, I only plan on getting the Kid Flash, as I have representations of the other characters that I’m pleased with. And that brings up a salient point. Be a completest if you want, but you’ll be a happier collector if you simply buy what you dig.
So, with our column today, I’m going to go back to a pair of figures from 2017, and several more from throughout 2018. First up is Batwing, which featured in the Batman Exo-Suit/Rookie Wave from Summer of that year. I chose to go all the way back to Batwing because he’s an interesting figure and it’s running fairly inexpensively on eBay. If I’m not interested in a C&C figure for a particular wave, then I’m totally comfortable picking up loose figures online for less rather than paying full price with pieces I don’t want.
At any rate, Batwing is a decent, not spectacular, figure. I’m really glad he was made, particularly because of the key role he plays in the excellent Detective Comics run in Rebirth. I do wish there had been a swappable head for him because I’m certain that not a lot of people outside of the direct readership realize that he’s a member of an underrepresented community. I do like the wing assembly; despite the weight of the thing, the figure is still able to stand, which is a huge plus. Not great, but certainly good.
Wonder Girl from late 2017, however, is excellent. Great sculpt, solid presentation of a character that many have loved since Young Justice, then Teen Titans, then Young Justice on TV. The only bummer was that if you wanted the rest of the Doctor Psycho C&C figure, you had to get a DKIII Wonder Woman. I didn’t care for the story, the design, or the figure, so I passed. But, as for Wonder Girl herself, very well-done. I really like the way that the lasso hangs on the figure, and there’s some fine detail in the hair. She’s looks great next to the Superboy on the shelf.
Batwoman and Green Lantern Jessica Cruz came from the spring/summer 2018 Clayface C&C series, and that’s a great set overall. With that one, DCM went all in on Rebirth. I vastly prefer those to the TV and film figures; in fact, I think that the overabundance of TV, Justice League film, and Dark Knight Returns figures really hurt the line. Some of those figures continue to hang in stores. While the face on Jessica Cruz isn’t the greatest, I’m simply delighted the figure exists at all. I took a picture of the back to show that the costume detail continued on both sides, which is great. The power battery is well-done, the power effects are okay, and it’s generally an agreeable figure. Batwoman is the superior of the two; the extra head is great, but the mask is particularly well-sculpted. It’s kind of shock to consider how few Kate Kane figures there have actually been between DC Direct/Collectibles and Mattel, so we should be glad that we got this one.
The final two I’m looking at come from the DC Rebirth Lex Luthor C&C wave, and those are The Ray and Spoiler, which started dropping in November. This is a generally solid wave, and a strong reminder that DCM was doing their best when they were doing Rebirth. Their plan through 2019 really shows that they were determined to present a strong assemblage of characters from Detective, Justice League, Justice League of America, and the Titans titles, and they were doing pretty damn good job of it. Again, a shame this license is leaving now.
The utter lack of a mass market Spoiler until now has been confounding, but I’m glad she’s here. I’m a little bummed we didn’t get the original look first, but for God’s sake, at least it’s Stephanie! This is a rock-solid figure. Well-designed, well-sculpted, and with nice hood and hair elements, I’m sure it made a lot of fans happy. I wish that she had a little more articulation, but it’s a damn fine addition to Bat-or-teen-hero shelf.
I’ve been a fan of The Ray for years, and I’m glad he’s gotten more a spotlight with the CW Seed animation, the Crisis on Earth-X CW appearance, and his prominent role in Justice League of America. This is a GREAT figure, hands-down. Speaking of hands, it comes with two extras and a “smiley” head; I prefer the serious in this case. But this just another solid, well-sculpted, well-painted figure. I know he’s a little hard to find, but I grabbed one on eBay for less than store price, so I felt pretty good about that. As a matter of act, all of these figures are fairly findable on eBay for decent prices, outside of Jessica Cruz; that one takes more work, but it can still be found in the 20s, despite the fact that some people are pricing Buy It Nows in the $60 range.
At this point, I plan to get Vixen and Rebirth Kid Flash, which are still in release, Katana at year’s end, and several entries in the Killer Croc C&C wave, notably Red Hood and Alfred. Have you been enjoying DC Multiverse? Will you be sad to see it go? What do you want to see before the end of 2019? Thanks for reading, and comment away.
The Ray is my new favorite superhero. Writer Steve Orlando and artist Stephen Byrne craft together a sad, yet eventually heartwarming origin story of a young man, who has to stay away from light, or he will die in Justice League of America: The Ray. His mom won’t even let him have candles on his birthday cake, and he spends most of his days watching old movies and reading superhero comics passed down by his late father, who had the same ability as him. Ray Terrill grows up as the urban legend “Midnight Boy”, and when he sneaks out one night to finally see the outside world, it isn’t very kind to him. Orlando and Byrne use Ray’s inability to go outside or be around people as a superpowered metaphor for growing up queer in a non-urban area where it’s difficult to find people like you.
The Sons of Liberty antagonists that Ray faces and protects Caden from are pretty one-dimensional, but serve a great purpose as the first obstacle in his superhero career. They represent hate and discrimination and just caring about yourself instead of helping out or empathizing with those around you. Ray is the exact opposite of this as he only actively uses his powers to protect his old friend, who uses his political office to give him an endorsement and also a touch of swag as he changes his look to The Ray costume. He also starts going to movies with cute boys instead of just by himself in his invisible form and lives confidently in all areas of his life.