Rant Review: DC Multiverse Batman, Alfred, Red Robin, Red Hood, KGBeast, Katana, and Killer Croc

Early this year, it was announced that the DC license for 6-inch scale figures will be passing from Mattel, who has handled it for over a decade, to McFarlane Toys. Mattel's involvement with DC characters dates back to 2003, when they took over the Batman license from Hasbro. A few years later, their license expanded to include the Superman family of characters, and further to encompass the entire DC Universe a couple of years after that. Due to Mattel's long history with the DC characters, this wave takes on a greater significance, as it is their swan song to a line that has existed in various permutations for sixteen years. Is it a worthy finale to such a long-lived line? Read on to find out!

This final wave includes some long-requested fan-favorites, so the character selection is sure to please many collectors. Alfred is probably my favorite from the wave, and is one of the only comic-style representations of this crucial character ever made. (The only other one I recall right offhand is the figure from DC Collectible's Hush line, released more than a decade ago. For collectors who own that earlier figure, this one is a huge upgrade.)  Alfred boasts an excellent sculpt, with an expressive face that suits the character perfectly. All of the articulation works well, and some of it is better than usual, particularly the range of motion in the head. That's been an ongoing issue with Mattel's figures for many years, one that they never seemed able (or willing) to solve consistently. The paint apps are quite neat on my figure, and he is absolutely loaded with accessories. Aside from the Killer Croc BAF piece, Alfred includes a serving tray, a very cool Batman cowl, and three extra heads! One head represents Alfred's brief tenure as the villainous Outsider, one is in the likeness of Michael Gough's turn in the role as the beloved butler in the Burton/Schumacher movies, and one is Alan Napier's Alfred from the old Adam West TV series. These are an excellent inclusion, and allow collectors to display the Alfred of their choice. (It should be noted that the Outsider head does not want to pop all the way onto the figure, hence its odd appearance in the photo. Hopefully this is just a problem with my figure, and not a widespread issue.) It's a shame we had to wait so long for Mattel to release a comic-style Alfred figure, but honestly, he benefited from the wait. Let's face it, if this figure had been released during the peak years of the DCUC line, there's no way in hell he would have included so many high-quality accessories. (And he probably would have been saddled with those awful gorilla arms the suit-wearing characters were always marred with back in those days!)

KGBeast, my other favorite from the wave, is another long-awaited figure. The redesign used in the recent Rebirth All-Star Batman series is the basis for this figure, rather than the classic design, but I'm okay with that. It's not far off from the classic design, and actually improves on it in a few ways. The Beast benefits from the use of the MOTUC-compatible body, last seen on the Lobo BAF at the beginning of the year, giving him the stature he should have. (This also leads to his tendency to pop apart at the waist when being posed, as he's built from BAF parts. No need to freak out, as he snaps right back together.) The sculpt is great, with some very nice detailing on the mask, in particular. The belt is another highlight, with a nicely rendered leathery texture, and some shurikens sculpted in place. All the usual articulation is present, but the shirt overlay is quite restrictive to the abdominal hinge. The paint work is nice and clean on my figure, and he's also packing some nice accessories. Beasty has a removable projectile that stores neatly in his massive bolted-on arm cannon, two removable knives that slide easily into the sheathes on his boots, and a big-ass bayonet that fits into the aforementioned arm cannon. Frankly, it looks rather odd there, so I have him simply holding it as a sword, and it works quite well for that purpose. The KGBeast makes for an imposing presence on the toy shelf, and is a very welcome addition to the Batman rogues gallery.

Katana is another long-requested figure. She was included in the Suicide Squad line a couple of years ago, but this is the first time Mattel has produced a comic-style figure of the character. I quite like the costume design they used, but anyone who was hoping for her classic costume will be disappointed. Personally, I prefer this one. She's built on the new female body Mattel introduced last year, and has all of the benefits and drawbacks of it. It's nicely proportioned, and has a good overall look, but it's missing a couple of key points of articulation, and some of what it does have is more limited than it should be. Still, Katana is a nice figure overall, and a welcome addition to the collection. Paint is neat and clean on mine, with some particularly nice detail work on the mask. Katana comes with her sword Soultaker(which I managed to drop somewhere while moving the figures to take these photos, D'OH!), and a couple of swappable hands, one specifically sculpted to wield the sword. Katana checks a few boxes for the line, as a Batman ally, a much-requested female character, and another member of the Outsiders. (A shame that the vast majority of that team was neglected during Mattel's reign!) Personally, I would have swapped Katana out of this wave in favor of Orphan, as she is now the only member of the Rebirth Detective Comics team missing. But that's not a knock against Katana, as she is very deserving of inclusion, and I'm glad to finally have her.

Red Hood is a very nice figure overall, but he does suffer from one of those baffling Mattel decisions that marred many figures throughout their tenure. This guy has three pairs of hands, including some perfectly sculpted to hold his guns, but his guns are molded into his holsters. Really. Mattel has made figures in this line before with working holsters and/or sheathes, including in this very wave, so it's not as if they couldn't figure out how to do it. It's just another of those bizarre decisions that would pop up here and there throughout their various collector lines. It would almost be oddly reassuring to see it even in such a mostly stellar final wave, if it wasn't so damn annoying. Aside from that, Red Hood is quite good. Both head sculpts look great, and swap easily. You can also use the masked head and have him hold the helmeted head as if it's just the helmet, which is a pretty cool display option. He has quite a few newly sculpted parts, and all of them look great. Paint apps are nice and neat, and the helmet is painted in a nice glossy red that really pops. It's just a damn shame about those guns!

Red Robin is one of the standouts in this wave. Thankfully, he has no weird design decisions holding him back. This is an excellent realization in figure form of a fantastic costume design, with all the new parts he needs. As with the other figures, paint apps are very neat for a mass-produced toy. The belt could use a wash, as the plain bright yellow plastic is rather garish, even with the other bright primary colors on the figure. The blue highlights in the hair-- something I've never been a fan of in general-- are a bit heavier than they are on the others in this wave who have them. I'll definitely be painting over them at some point. Tim includes some extra hands and his signature staff, which he can hold quite well with the excellent articulation. Tim Drake is one of my favorite characters, so it's nice to see a very good figure of him in the final wave.

Dick Grayson Batman is the big loser of the bunch, and it's a damn shame, as it's a figure many of us have wanted for the past decade. He suffers from the weird proportions of the base body, the cape feels cheap and is far too narrow, and the unmasked head is rather ugly and just doesn't look like Dick Grayson. On the plus side, the color palette is dead-on, the articulation works very well and lets the figure hold some great poses that simply wouldn't be possible on most of the older male bucks, the masked head looks great and has a roguish smirk that suits him very well, and the dangling cowl accessory, for use with the unmasked head, is a very cool inclusion. (If only that unmasked head wasn't so ugly! It's not as noticeable in photos, but in person, it's very obvious.) BatDick is definitely the dud of the bunch, but I admit I'm still glad to have him. He'll just require a bit of work to fix his various issues. He's essential for posing with Damian, and is a representation of one of the handful of greatest Batman stories ever told.

And now for the BAF himself, Killer Croc! The most obvious observation is that he's HUGE. Far larger than the character is supposed to be, and far larger than any portrayal I've ever seen. (Barring stuff like that Batwoman/Wonder Woman team-up arc where he was mutated into an avatar of the mythical hydra.) The scale in this line has long been kinda all over the place, so this isn't a huge issue for me, but for some, it may well be a deal-breaker. All the parts are new, of course, and the sculpting is excellent. The pants are rather plain, but the insane detailing elsewhere makes up for that in spades. This is basically the design for the DCSH Croc figure cranked up to 11. The articulation works well overall, with a nice hinged jaw. Some POAs are limited by the sheer size of the appendages, but that is to be expected with this sort of figure. Croc can still strike many very cool poses,and so far, he hasn't been prone to falling over. He does come apart at the waist when posing sometimes, a recurring issue with some of the BAFs in this line. Thankfully, like the KGBeast, he easily snaps back together. My main criticism of this figure is the mostly flat green that makes up most of the figure. He could really have used a nice wash to bring out all the exquisite sculpted detail. I gave him one myself, and it makes a tremendous difference in how cool the figure looks. Scale issues aside, this is a fantastic BAF, and if you're on the fence about grabbing the last couple of figures from this wave to complete him, I'd say he's worth it. Collectors have been wanting a Croc BAF for many years, so he's a fitting note for the line to end on.

I'm happy to have the final wave completed, but it's a bittersweet feeling. Mattel's handling of the DC license has definitely had some serious peaks and valleys, but when it was good, it was damn good! Even with all the frustration that is inevitable with any Mattel line, they still gave us some fantastic figures, often of characters I never would have expected to be produced for a mass retail line. (Killer Moth! Vigilante! Friggin' Gentleman Ghost, for Grodd's sake!) Even DC Collectibles seems to have given up on producing figures of the less prominent characters, so it's awesome that Mattel managed to give us so many figures along those lines. Overall, this was a great wave to end on, and it's fitting that their 6" scale DC lines end where they began back in 2003, with a Batman wave. Whatever McFarlane has planned for their DC collector lines, they have a hell of an act to follow. Everyone have a fun and safe New Year's Eve, and let's all hope for a fantastic 2020!

DC Rebirth: Month One

As you're no doubt aware, DC's Rebirth initiative is currently well underway. Like apparently everyone else, I loved the DCU Rebirth special, and I've been sampling quite a few of the new series. And by "quite a few," I mean "all." I won't be doing full reviews for everything like I did with the New 52 relaunch, but I thought it would be fun to present an overview at the end of each month with a few thoughts about each issue. As always, discussion is welcome, whether here or via email or the social media of your choice. We'll be tackling them week by week, jotting down my thoughts after reading each week's issues. I want to preserve that sense of spontaneity, so you might find that these aren't quite as polished as my usual reviews. (Not that I ever obsess over that, given the casual tone I strive to maintain here, but you get what I'm saying.) So, let's be off!

June 1
Batman Rebirth: Incoming writer Tom King is handed the baton by outgoing writer Scott Snyder, while the incomparable Mikel Janin provides sumptuous visuals. While the story is rather choppy and uneven, it gives us Duke's formal induction as one of Batman's allies, along with a very interesting revamp of the Calendar Man. I enjoyed all the other Rebirth issues this week more, but this is still no slouch.

Green Arrow Rebirth: I must admit that I haven't read any of Benjamin Percy's run on the New 52 Green Arrow-- I read the Lemire/Sorrentino run, but was quickly driven away by the next couple of issues-- but I have heard some good things. I may need to track those down, if this is any indication. Percy and artist Otto Schmidt do a marvelous job of evoking the Ollie we know and love, even while reuniting him with Black Canary for the first time in far too long. This isn't just a nostalgia trip, either, as the conflict that is set up within these pages promises to be quite interesting. I've missed Green Arrow for most of the past decade-- the character's poor handling predates the New 52 by several years-- and it feels damn good to have him and Dinah back.

Green Lanterns Rebirth: Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz finally get the spotlight to themselves as they're partnered up to protect Earth. Incoming writer Sam Humphries, assisted by the sorely missed Geoff Johns, give us a nice solid issue that makes me hopeful that I'll once again have at least one Green Lantern series to look forward to again.

Superman Rebirth: Peter Tomasi & Patrick Gleason, partners on the beloved Batman and Robin, are going to do similarly great things for Superman, judging by this issue. One of the highlights is a recap of pre-New 52 Superman's epic battle with Doomsday, rendered by the always excellent Doug Mahnke. This is one of the issues that is most likely to be confusing for brand new readers, but the team does a good job of explaining what's happened without getting too bogged down in details.

June 8

Aquaman Rebirth: An excellent overview of who Aquaman is and his current status quo, this issue also clearly sets up the main conflict for future issues. Dan Abnett has been doing a great job on Aquaman these past few months, and that hasn't changed.

Action Comics #957: Dan Jurgens is riding high writing Superman once again, and he throws so much at us in this issue that it's tough to catch your breath! Luthor having the audacity to attempt to fill the deceased New 52 Superman's cape is completely in character, and given the last couple of years' developments, one can't help believing that he might actually be sincere. Zircher's art is quite nice, and the action flows well from panel to panel. This one is a winner.

The Flash: It was great to see the bombshell DCU Rebirth followed up on, of course, but it was just a damn solid comic all around. Definitely the best Flash comic I've read since before the New 52 began.

Wonder Woman Rebirth: A slower-paced, thoughtful issue that sets up what promises to be another epic Rucka run. Sharpe's art was gorgeous, and I liked how his art kicked in with the costume switch, symbolic of the transition from New 52 to Rebirth.

Detective Comics #934: I really enjoyed this issue. I'm all for a Bat family series, and Batwoman operating as Batman's partner is awesome. I've really missed Kate the last few years. When this series' premise was announced, it seemed very odd that Tim would be among the trainees, but this issue makes it clear that he is operating at Batman and Batwoman's lieutenant in helping to train Orphan, Spoiler, and Clayface. This is a great setup with so much potential!

June 15

Batman #1: A decent issue that is packed with action, but it's only a moderate improvement over the Batman Rebirth special. Finch's art is a little better than usual, but that's not really saying much. Of all the Rebirth issues thus far, this series remains the weakest. That said, I'm still enjoying it, and given Tom King's track record, I'm hopeful that it will improve. 

Green Arrow #1: Rock solid issue, picking up right where the Rebirth special left off. Percy has indicated that he's basically riffing on The Court of Owls for this story, and that becomes abundantly clear in this issue. It's also worth mentioning that the recent Black Canary series is referred to again. Many readers, myself included, would prefer that series to be swiftly forgotten, but it doesn't look like that's happening just yet. That's not a mark against this series, just something I felt was worth mentioning.

Green Lanterns #1: Pretty good issue, setting up some very interesting conflicts for the future. I've seen many readers express concern over Humphries as the writer, as he doesn't exactly have the best track record, but so far, so good. 

Superman #1: A good issue from one of my favorite creative teams, though it did seem to end far too quickly. Gleason is a criminally underrated artist, and his skill really shines in the body language he gives young Jonathan. His poses and movements look very authentic, and that's one of the toughest things for any artist to convey, particularly when it comes to children. Though it felt a bit short, this was an issue I really enjoyed, and I have high hopes for Superman with this team at the helm.

Titans Rebirth: Abnett did a very good job reviving the classic Teen Titans within the New 52 continuity with Titans Hunt, and that continues right here, as Wally returns and the team gradually regains their memories of him. As for the art, well... let's just say that I'm not a fan of Brett Booth, and leave it at that. That said, he did a great job with the design of Wally's new costume. It's also damn nice to see Dick back in his classic black and blue Nightwing costume. I actually liked the New 52 red and black version that got so much hate, but the blue just suits him better. Of all the Rebirth series, this might be the one that I'm most interested to see where it goes. 

June 22

Wonder Woman #1: I still can hardly believe Rucka is back! As writer of one of the two or three greatest Wonder woman runs I've read, I have high hopes for this series. Liam Sharpe's art is gorgeous. Not a whole lot actually happens in this issue, but it still comes off feeling momentous. I can only imagine how good it'll be once things really start rolling!

The Flash #1: Offers a pretty good overview of Barry's life and motivations for new readers, and sets up a damn good hook to hang the rest of this story arc on. The art has an appropriately kinetic quality to it that brings the story to life in just the right way. It's damn nice to have a good Flash comic to read again!

Detective Comics #935: Damn solid issue that ramps up the stakes a good bit, with some nice character development, to boot. Barrows is doing a great job with the art. This also has what is probably the best spin on the old "hi-tech training room" standby that I've seen. This is definitely the better of the two main Batman series right now.

Action Comics #958: Jurgens & Zircher deliver an all-out brawl between Superman and what appears to be the original Doomsday. The presence of post-Forever Evil heroic-ish Lex Luthor makes this much more than a standard rematch, though. This series is shaping up to be a lot of fun!

Aquaman #1: Abnett & Walker do a good job on this issue, advancing the Atlantean Embassy plot that's been running for the last few months, even as Black Manta strikes! Aside from the brief "DC You" period of this series' previous volume, Aquaman has been a very strong book for the past five years, and it seems that will continue to be the case with Abnett at the helm.

Since there are no Rebirth issues coming out today, that brings us up to date. So far, Rebirth has been an amazing success, in stark contrast to the New 52. That saw some great sales spikes for a few months, but amid all that, there were quite a few readers being alienated by the content and quality of the comics. Rebirth seems to be accomplishing its goal of luring all those people back, along with new readers, and its sales numbers are exceeding those of the New 52! Only time will tell if this success will continue in the months to come, but things look very promising. There is an overwhelmingly positive buzz around DC that I haven't experienced in quite a long time.

Rant Review: DC Universe Rebirth #1

DC Universe Rebirth has finally arrived, following months of heavy anticipation. When the New 52 relaunch kicked off in September of 2011, it was huge success, rocketing dozens of DC books to the top of the sales charts, and largely contributing to a surge in comic sales that has yet to subside. However, much of that sales success proved to be temporary for DC, and in doing a reboot, much was lost. The legacy characters, and the very real sense of a long and fascinating history that they brought to the table, were largely erased. One of the things that made DC's superhero universe so wonderful and unique had been taken away, and readers made their dissatisfaction known.

Now, nearly five years later, the powers that be at DC have admitted that something of value was lost with the New 52 reboot, and are intent on restoring it. We've already seen some steps taken in that direction with series such as Titans Hunt. With DC Universe Rebirth #1, all bets are off, as one of the DCU's most beloved characters returns, and the impending return of many more are teased. The value of legacy is tackled head-on in the narration, as well as characters with long-established relationships that were jettisoned with the New 52. It's clear that Rebirth is equal parts damage control and fan service, even as it sets up a future conflict that promises to be almost torturously exciting. I'm still reeling from the ending. The only way it could have been more shocking is if I had appeared on that page myself! If you've managed to avoid spoilers, do whatever is necessary to remain spoiler-free until you can read it. It's one of the most genuinely shocking revelations in comics history, and I can barely stand the wait to see what comes next! I basically had to avoid all comics-related websites and discussions for the past week, but it was completely worth it.

While Geoff Johns turns in some of the most engaging work of his career, his partners on this comic have brought their A-game, as well. Artists Gary Frank, Ethan Van Sciver, Phil Jimenez, Ivan Reis, Joe & Frank Prado, and Matt Santorelli, with colorists Brad Anderson, Jason Wright, Gabe Eltaeb, and Hi-Fi, make this one of the most gorgeous comics you're likely to find on the stands. It's an eighty page comic, so a lot of hands went into creating it, but the visuals are of such a high standard that they have a consistent feel, and the transition between artists never feels jarring.

So, does DC Universe Rebirth deliver on its massive hype? By Grodd, does it ever! This is one of the most satisfying reading experiences I've had in quite a while, and I really can't remember the last time I was so excited about a comics event. If you have the slightest interest in Rebirth, or superhero comics in general, by all means, pick up a copy. Plus, it's eighty pages for $2.99, so it's quite a lot of content for your money. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts on Rebirth below in the comments! As for me, that ending is about to send me diving into my back issue boxes...you'll know why when you get there!