The Best Of DCUC
 

DC Universe Classics is arguably the best DC toyline out at retail. While it didn't have as much articulation as Toy Biz's Marvel Legends line, the addition of ball jointed wrists, rocker ankles and double jointed knees+elbows brings it on parity or close, to Hasbro's Marvel Legends line(the recent figures, like Classic Iron Man, et al). There is such a thing as too much articulation, and too little. I think DCUC struck a balance and is getting better.

One major thing DCUC has over Marvel Legends, is consistency, and this is due to the 4 Horsemen. With the 4H sculpting every figure, no figure looks out of place. It's nothing like the time Mattel sculpted a Robin in-house for their 6" Batman comic line, before DCSH.

For the most part, quality control is usually good, but there have been some problems, like stuck joints. I had 1 breakage, and the ab joint on one of my Batman figures is semi-stuck. So the quality control hasn't been perfect. My Black Adam is considerably loose. This is made worse when you consider that the price went up to $14.99 at most places.

With regards to giving the fans what they want, I think DCUC does a good job for the most part. Each wave usually has fan-favorites that have long been in demand. Each C&C figure is usually looked upon favorably. What we universally loathe, is the difficulty in trying to track the figures down, made worse by exclusives! DCUC waves 5 and 10 were very difficult to find, I've only seen Joker once or twice, and even then, never multiples. Only saw wave 3 once. Never saw a complete wave 5.

I think the addition of the 4H to Mattel was the best thing that's ever happened to them in recent years. DCUC is the culmination of years of waiting from the fans, years of us crossing fingers that Mattel would be able to let the 4H go beyond the worlds of Superman & Batman.

So with that said, there have been stand outs. What are the best DCUC figures? Discuss!

The Flash from Wave 7, or at least I think it was.

I have loved the Flash ever since I watched him zip around with his buddy Green Lantern on the Super Friends show. I remember having the original Total Justice figure by Kenner, and I loved him to death.

Years later in 2009, I was 17 and I hadn't really paid attention to anything DC related after my Hal Jordan's leg RIPPED OFF when I was posing him. But when I heard about The Flash being in the DCUC line up, I knew I had to get him. And I was ecstatic when I finally got him.

This is a perfect figure for me. It has a ton of articulation, the body's sculpt while generic, is very good, the portrait is fantastic, and the attention to detail like the ribbed treads on his boots or his little wings are just win. I still play with him at least once a week, reminding me of good times when I was younger.

Runners up would have to be Batman (any version), Hal Jordan (IF HE HAD BEEN MADE OF BETTER PLASTIC), Blue Beetle II, Booster Gold, and The Question.

I only own Booster Gold from DCUC, but I'll be damned if he's not one of my favorite figures I own.

Mine are Hal, Flash, and the BAF Grundy. Love Grundy's massive size and he's the first and only BAF I've ever been able to complete.

Modern or discotastic Booster?

The DCSH line is by far the better sculpted of the Mattel DC offerings and I kind of wish they go back and look at the quality of those figures rather than simply rerelease them in multipacks. The Batman in black and grey costume outshines anything they've done in the 4 years.

Modern. I like nothing related to the 80's Booster :p

Lol, I got both. Discotastic Booster looks great next to Ted.

Which one, the wave 8 version, which was a repaint of the wave 3 blue/gray? That sculpt is great, and I love how a new belt was added, which freed up more hip movement. The sculpt reminds me of how Bruce would deck out the bat-suit in modern times.

I love DCUC. This line has replaced Transformers as my primary collection.
But I do have my gripes:
I wish they would stray away from the generic bodies. Being $15 a pop to get a line that is largely the same core figure with a new head and new paint. Though, they are starting to get a little better.
I wish they would work on their scale a little. There are small women, Big Men, Body Builders, and small boys. Wonder Women and Power Girl need to be larger, physically, than Katma Tui and Donna Troy.
And that brings us to the next problem. I really wish they would work on better proportioned women. The haaand. My god, onlyt children have such tiny hands and scrawny short arms.

And the last problem, often the choices they make in their line-ups are "wtf" inducing. WHY in heaven's name did they religate Sinestro Corp Sinestro to being a very low number and rare variant, instead of at least making him in equal numbers? Or at least, why not reissue him? There are *lots* of simular issues throughout. That's just one example.

The biggest problem, distrobution I don't need to comment on. But I don't think as much of the fault lies with Mattel as a lot of people blaim. retailer POS is a bigger problem that actively works against this line.

But, I think the *best* figure of the line is Blue Beetle III. He has the best articulation. I feel it's perfect, without being too much (Like a lot of ML). The scultping is likewise amongst the best of the line. (I only wish Batman Beyond had a brand new sculpt like this, instead of using the inappropriately muscular generic man body).
He's not my favorite charcacter, or my favorite toy, but I think he's the best they've produced.

I think he is the first of many great figures coming from recent waves. For example, Azbats will have the same style of articulation! Personally, I've been waiting for the 4H to make an Azbats, been crossing my fingers ever since the DCSH line!

If they do continue this more and more, then perhaps it's a good thing they haven't repainted Flash and Kid Flash as Wally and Bart. Flash is another one I feel is a bit more over muscular. Would like to see a new slightly slender sculpt for a Wally flash (With the new added articulation), and Bart's Kid Flash as well.

I hope it's only a matter of time before we see a blue/gray classic Batman using double joints and slimmer sculpt, as well as a slimmer Dickbats(Dick Grayson Batman).

Yeah Blue Beetle III is one of only 5 DCUC figs I have (Firestorm, Classic Booster Gold, Superman, Armored Lex Luthor) and man he is by far my favorite. Great paint, sculpt, articulation, and he has accessories!

I've only been buying DCUC for my daughter, and out of the figures she's asked for, Blue Beetle III is the best (even if he is the 4th Blue Beetle by my count).

However, I've been looking at Cyclotron on the peg and he is calling to me. I think he may be the figure that gets me collecting this line again. I don't know why, it's a greater than the sum of his parts thing.

Four Blue Beetles? Forgive me for asking. I'm still somewhat new to the DCU. Even though I've been reading almost since Identity Crisis, I still constantly come across new characters I don't know about (Including a chunk of DCUC.

To add to the topic, another grief I have with this line is the packaging. It looks snazzy, but the plastic blisters warp the figures like crazy, when they get into odd poses. My Kimandi can't even stand, his legs are so bowed apart.

Lol DickBats.

Just as funny to me as BuckyCap.

I'd have to say the Flash from Wave 7, loved the sculpt and articulation. Wave 13 Jaimie Reyes Blue Bettle is also an awesome on, love the accessories and the paint and overall sculpt are very nice! Wave 6 Hawkman for an awesome sculpt and some really nice accessories, plus those awesome fold out wings and DCUC Wave 10 Batman, mostly because I loved the first bat-flick starring Michael Keaton and this figure kind of reminds me of the good times I had as a kid watching that 1989 classic, which was the only film even worth mentioning from the first series of Batman movies if you ask me. :D

Ya the wave 10 Batman reminds me of the Keaton movies...I liked the 1st 2, that figure is getting rereleased AFAIK. Heard it pays homage to a JL arc that Morrison wrote years back.

Blue Beetle is great.

Jaimie Reyes Blue Bettle is awesome. The Justice league founders is awesome and it's finally complete with Martian Manhunter. Quite a site on the display. Does anyone know if that blue beetle series is ever going to be made? I remember mania had an article with pics.

^^ Geoff Johns stated they're in the very early stages of development trying to get the show off the ground. He showed some test footage at SDCC 2010, but nothing much more about it has been developed since then.