I found Flag and Bats the other day, sadly both for accessories and custom possibilities...found Harley today and I still don't know why I bought her...I THINK in the back of my mind, I'm trying to ensure toys remain in the aisles for the future

Yeah, I know nothing about SuperDoom or SuperBarack. Was the latter part of Multiversity? I haven't gotten around to it yet.

I'm definitely picking up Squad Katana, of course. Flag, sure. And there's a few CW versions I wouldn't mind having just for the designs, although it looks like DCC is taking care of that.

I don't envy Mattel. Even Marvel Legends is hitting a saturation point, although that's partly Hasbro's fault. But where do you even start, trying to market 6-inch DC figures? There's opportunity thanks to the popularity of the TV shows, but how do you translate that into a figure line? What comic characters do you focus on? What era of comics do you even try to represent, knowing that they're locked in a reboot cycle and you could be pumping out suddenly irrelevant product?

That's why I'm so glad I ordered and already have my Juggernaut wave set. The amount of waves of MLs Hasbro has pumped out recently is absurd. Stores haven't even cleared through the old stuff yet. It feels so long since a new Black Series SW wave came out because every ten days there's a new ML wave to chase down.

I'd love to see any kind of classic looking DC figure from Mattel but they seem hell bent on movie and New52 stuff. But SuperDoom and SuperObama? That's just so storyline specific that they're poor choices. I guess they learned nothing from the Deputy Lantern wave. That's a good point about the turnaround time on these relaunches. Marvel has gotten even worse now than DC. I wouldn't even consider getting back into comics the way series are treated now. Every time there's a new writer it seems like it's time for a new #1 issue.

It's weird to see Marvel doing the kind of stuff that made DC so convoluted - all the alternate Earths and versions of the same character. And all the reboots and new #1s and weird publishing schedules that make following even a single character or team so difficult. Points for Spider-Gwen, though. She's much, much cooler than whiny Parker, and her costume is boss. But even then it's hard to figure out where I go to follow her story. One of the reasons I just do trades.

I mean, comic books are already nerdy, but the more you have to explain them, the higher on the nerd scale they go. But Marvel's probably in a mode where all they want is more IP for potential movies and shows, so I kinda get it. Just pump out as many variations on things as possible and Netflix will pick up something.

packerbacker180 wrote:That's why I'm so glad I ordered and already have my Juggernaut wave set.

Wait, is that already out? I preordered Rogue.

Yeah, sites like Dorkside and Entertainment Earth shipped already. Not sure about BBTS but I would assume so. I know amazon has pre-orders for August which was why I was surprised to get a shipping notice at the start of July. Great figures. Might be the best wave ever.

Spider-Gwen I don't mind. This Gwen-pool nonsense is a touch too far. I don't know, Marvel has become just as big a mess as DC. The X-men are a mess (Teen Titans), the FF are missing (JSA), too many Avengers teams, and every 'big' event book has been awful the last few years.

So my Wal-Mart finally stocked the Squad, and I picked up Flag for my display. Same packout as I'd been hearing - tons of Flags, 1 Diablo. Tons of Harleys and Deadshots as well, but surprisingly few Batmen.

Yeah, I was just reading up on Gwenpool, and I guess she's from the real world and uses her 4th wall knowledge of Marvel to fight crime? I'd be into that if I wasn't already a bit tired of both Deadpool and comics breaking the 4th wall. Art's really nice, though, and they seem to be keeping her in Marvel's weirdo-verse, teaming with Howard the Duck and fighting MODOK, so it seems like a harmless diversion.

It's weird how much the companies try to mimic each other. Something DC does that I can't stand is try to do the Marvel call-for-reinforcements scene, where the Avengers need help and the Fantastic Four, X-Men, Spider-Man, and whoever else show up. That works for Marvel, because all those teams are on the same level. When DC does it, it's the Justice League calling on the JSA and Teen Titans and Outsiders and whoever else, and it doesn't have the same impact, because the League is A-list and everyone else is not. DC teams are best kept really separate, and their best non-League teams have singular reasons for being around (usually they're espionage/covert teams, or magic teams, or Metal Men/Doom Patrol gimmick teams, or they just operate on a different level and stay there). That's why a multiverse works for them when it doesn't for Marvel - the JSA/All-Star Squadron work best in their own world or timeline. So do the Freedom Fighters and the Marvel Family. And some of the not-quite-Superman, high-powered characters like Captain Atom, Firestorm, and even Martian Manhunter would probably do better somewhere else.

Looks like we're getting a lot of new figures like Wonder Girl. It says Young Justice. I wonder if we're getting Miss Martian, then?

Let's hope so!!! All I know is, it looks like I'm back on the Mattel crazy train for a little longer

Somebody please hit me

Yes, it's a strange feeling to see stuff I want to buy without dissecting what parts I need for customs. Getting better.