DC more impressive than Marvel?
 

If this topic has been discussed before, I do sincerely apologize and ask any mod to merge it.

However, is it me, or does DC just have such a better variety and availabilty of it's various toylines?

Maybe because I'm not actually looking for them it just seems that way? But I swear. Target, TRU, wherever...they just have more figures, a huge variety of figures, 3 packs, comic lines, characters who look cool whom I've never heard of (I'm a Marvel loyalist.)

Anyone else know what I'm talking about? Besides maybe one row of pegs with a handful of MUs, 4 rows of Cap Movieline, and then Cap vehicles on the lower shelves, DC just has more straight figures, whether at a 4" approx. or 6" scale?

yes? no?

I prefer Marvel. I like DC characters but for me it's Marvel all the way.

At stores now:

DC:
Classics
Batman Legacy
Green Lantern Classics
Green Lantern Movie Masters
Young Justice 6"
Young Justice 4"
Green Lantern movie 4" stuff
Batman Brave and Bold

Marvel:
Thor movie
Captain America movie
Marvel Universe
MU Comic 2packs
MU 3packs

So yeah, I guess you're right, there's more DC out there right now. Maybe it'll balance out soon. . .all the Green Lantern stuff will dry up (but will be replaced with stuff for the new Batman movie) but Marvel will be adding back Marvel Legends. I think it's more that most of the DC stuff is 5" - 7" while most of the Marvel stuff is 4". They take up less space.

nice breakdown!

It's not a matter of preference per se, rather the actuality of what's available.

I tried to say the same thing here and was nearly stoned to death:

Got to give props to Mattel... - Toy Discussion at Toyark.com

Look at the CRAP DC stuff out there. Green Lantern(Crap blobs of Plastic) Young Justice, 10.99 for those,give me a break. Mattel is terrible,Anything that is decent is pretty much overpriced(Crime Syndicate). Hasbro does have problems too, but is streets ahead of Mattel. WIsh Hasbro would get the 3.75' DC licence.

See what I mean? We all know that Hasbro figures are way better! I think what Andy is trying to point out is that even though their figures aren't as good, Mattel seems to be more succsesful at getting more and better shelf space from retailers.

Mattel is stuck in 90's when it comes to 3.75 but as far as 6 inch goes there the best that DC fans have right now. Also Toybiz > Hasbro

all the dc stuff outnumbers the marvel in my area simply because it never sells.
i really have no idea why the dc stuff gets on the shelves after selling so poorly the last order...this is just my area, no idea how you guys in the states fare in this regard

Here the 3.75 Green Lantern figures overflowin the isles,They are really bad figures and NONE of the stores around here have reduced the price.(If they gave them away I might take a few.) I bet these things cost 5 cents each to make and it shows.

Where I live the local tru has more dc but only because marvel items sell out quickly it's funny when I asked a tru employee about marvel to dc ratio he said with the exception of batman dc just don't sell as well and that they will reduce the size of dc shelf space soon

Though I agree about 3.75", I wish Mattel & the Four Horsemen would get the Marvel Legends license.

Neither company excels at both. Marvel has great 3.75" but mediocre 6" figure lines. Mattel came a long way by the end of DCIH, but their earlier 3.75" stuff, movie lines, and YJ lines have been really weak while their DCUC line far surpasses the quality of Marvel Legends under both ToyBiz & Hasbro.

All the above are merely opinions, but I believe these are commonly held.

Just my opinion:

In terms of articulation Toybiz is the obvious winner. Mattel makes better looking figures but the articulation is not as good as Toybiz or even Hasbro. If only we could have Toybiz articulation and Mattel sculpts.

The 4" figures have really poor articulation and do not fit in with the MU line as a little smaller. The one GL figure I bought even smelled bad! Instead of trying to improve articulation, the DC figures keep going with their same ole/same ole. The DC Universe is so massive, often waves of figures are missing recognizable characters (ie Superman, Batman, Aquaman, The Joker) for casual fans. (On the balance, we complain about how they do this with MU because it means tons of Wolverine and Spider-man figures!). Right now, they have a neat BAF - building the Hall of Justice - but once built, it is nothing but a background piece that could have been somewhat more epic.

I can agree with you. Mattel does seem to have a better distrobution. I have to disagree with the people who say its just becouse mattels product doest sell seing as the number one consumer of toys is kids and parents buying toys for their kids. Both of these groups are far more likely to pick up that major blockbuster green lantern toy! over dark hawk or Dr Strange regardless of articulation. Bjt then again thats just my opionon.

You forgot DC's JLU line of toys and Action League.

You also forgot Marvel's Spiderman 3.75", and 6", Marvel Legends, 6" Iron Man figures, 3.75" Iron Man figures and Super Hero Squad.

That puts DC ahead by 1, if you count MU 1, 2, and 3 packs as 1 line, and don't count the Thor and Capt. America 6" movie lines as their own lines.

Yes slightly but then again most of those DC toys suck.

I think Mattel does an excellent job on the 6" figures they produce, not only for DC, but MOTUC and WWE as well.

DCUC is superior to ML IMO as well, because there is more consistency from figure to figure, through out the line.

Don't foget the DC imaginext figures (which are more articulated than the 3 3/4) and the Marvel eraser like pocket full of heroes.

I Defenitely don't buy the idea that Green lantern figures are flying off the shelf because of the huge hit movie. Of the five superhero movie movies this year it grossed fifth.
Now the Batman tv series and games, THAT will move figures.

Do I think the larger company that can leverage their other toy lines to force retailers into more floor space is impressive? No each of the companies makes better products in one category than the other.

I'm a 3 3/4 inch collector. Mattel has phoned those in for years. Hasbro's rock.

I think some of it is due to the fact that you're not actively looking for DC toys. I go entire waves of DCUC and never see a single figure at retail.
I've also never seen anything of the GL MM beyond the first wave (And wouldn't have some of the best figures of that line, if it were not for BBTS preorders).

However, I have the reverse with MU. I don't really collect (Just grap characters I *really* like), and I don't actively search. But I have no problem finding all the figures the guys here drive themselves crazy over.
It's like, my mom used to drive ten minutes trying to find a parking spot close to the door and can never find one. I however have no problems about walking, but always seem to get good ones. But the moment I start looking for one, I can't ever find it.


You also have to look at if the articulation is useful. Sure, ML has more articulation than DCUC, but it's generally worthless articulation. The quality of the ML suffers for it. Do they really need three or four joints on their feet and ankles? No. It just makes them floppy, and loose. My Gambit figure is rubbish. My Mystique snapped in two trying to get her out of the package, because her articulation made her so weak.
DCUC, when given the improved double jointed elboes and knees hits that perfect sweet spot. Not too little, but not overboard like ML. But even still, I prefer the slightly less than ML that the standard DCUC has over the best ML, due to quality.

One thing I've noticed, the majority of the people who'll jump down anyone's throat who says anything good about Mattel's DC toys tends to be exclusively Marvel toy collectors.
The primarily DC collectors on this board seem to have more of a "Live and let live" philosophy. While the marvel collectors, it almost seems that the more hardcore Marvel fan they are, the more aggressive they get about trashing DC toys.
That's just the way it feels to me.

i would have to say marvel in all fariness because they consider articulation as much as detail compared to dc

The problem isn't the amount. It's the sales. Across all these brands and lines that mattel has for DC, the lower amount Hasbro has of marvel is selling better. MU even made the top 10 hot toy properties list. DC didn't with any line.

The list should also include the lego heroes and young kid focused lines.

DC has more stuff out but Marvel has better quality on the 3 3/4

I still wish Hasbro and Mattel could share the Marvel and DC lisences.
With Mattel having the rights to all six inch figures. DC Universe Classics, and the new Marvel Universe Classics.
And Hasbro getting the 3 3/4" rights, to continue Marvel Universe, and start up DC Universe.

Of course, this would be financial ruin for me.