DC Collectibles : Essentials Line

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

I was actually kidding, but I'm glad you did it That's great!

 

[Captain Clown]

 

[MisterPL]

I'm pretty sure that Superman is getting an update:

 

[guyver1]

This line is really late..wasn’t it introduced in SDCC 2016 or 2017

 

[pug205]

It was introduced last SDCC but with a mid 2018 release so a long lead in time more than being late at this point.

 

[LIBBY1957DOG]

I'm pretty sure that Superman is getting an update:

View attachment 394053

new adjusted superman looks great but still aways off from the style guide they are now using

https://insidepulse.com/2018/02/12/...ed-trunks-underwear-tom-derenick-concept-art/

 

[FriendlyPiranha]

 

[JonWes]

I had thought about not getting into this line after giving Icons a go and having that cancelled. But, never having gotten into DCUC, and wanting a good quality figure line with good articulation, I decided to give this a go. I got Batman and Deathstroke to start with. I love the headsculpt on Batman. Possibly one of my favorite headsculpts of him ever. I actually really like the Rebirth costume design, and am kind of sad to see it go. The Deathstroke costume I was less familiar with, but it makes for a pretty striking figure and is recognizably Deathstroke.



I have to say, I was really pleased overall. Both have a great amount of articulation. They hold their poses well. Batman has some slightly loose rocker ankles. The jointed part that goes forward and backward is tight, it's just the left and right motion. But he still stood up well in different action poses. Deathstroke seemed to be better in this regard. The ab crunch works well with a nice range of motion, but the heads are the best. They have a wide range of motion that'll be great for flight poses and other more natural looks.



Accessories are minimal with this line. I don't mind it so much, though, to keep costs down. I will say, ONE pair of alt hands would have been nice. The hands are engineered to be removed easily. I would guess they might have planned extra hands but they didn't cost out. Still, this is not a huge knock in my book.



I do greatly prefer it to the Multiverse figure of the same costume. I just think it looks better aesthetically, though the Multiverse version has its charms. And it has much better articulation.

 

[JonWes]

Got Flash and Reverse Flash. The articulation in this line is a lot of fun. The first Flash I got from Amazon had TERRIBLE paint apps. This one looks great. I wish a shop near me sold these so I could actually choose the best paint app for myself. I've got wave 2 coming as well as the Doomsday Clock figures. So hoping for the best there.

 

[FriendlyPiranha]

Whaaat? Clear plastic? That's notorious for breaking. Good thing I only got Flash and Reverse Flash.

 

[JonWes]

I don't know why they think it's clear plastic. I have seen no sign of that. Also, the joints themselves are made of different plastic. I love these things. Sounds like a YouTube reviewer trying to get clicks and making crap up. Yes, its harder plastic. Honestly, for a collector's line I FAR prefer it. And there are actually quite a few unique parts here and there. They do have the same basic buck, but hands/torsos/overlays/belts/etc help mix it up. And the reason they are done that way is so they can make figures of this size for a relatively affordable price. Even though $28-$30 is the MSPR, they're easy to find for $22.

Honestly, YouTube culture sucks the joy out of collecting. Everyone wants to be a sneering malcontent because that's what people click on.

I mean, just compare the quality of the Mattel Watchmen figures to the Doomsday clock figures:



I've had a TON of fun with these things so far.

 

[FriendlyPiranha]

I don't know why they think it's clear plastic. I have seen no sign of that. Also, the joints themselves are made of different plastic.

In conclusion, are they using clear plastic or not? I don't wanna scratch the paint to find out, or worse to end up with broken joints.

 

[JonWes]

The joints are just cast in a color so they match the color of the figure. Which, they do in real life pretty well. But the difference between the color is more noticeable on camera up close. Some the joints do have a hint of paint, but some do not. I can't see anything to indicate the main body parts are clear, either. As you can see from where I've removed Manhattan's hand, it looks solidly blue.

 

[Animal Mother.]

I don't know why they think it's clear plastic. I have seen no sign of that. Also, the joints themselves are made of different plastic. I love these things. Sounds like a YouTube reviewer trying to get clicks and making crap up. Yes, its harder plastic. Honestly, for a collector's line I FAR prefer it. And there are actually quite a few unique parts here and there. They do have the same basic buck, but hands/torsos/overlays/belts/etc help mix it up. And the reason they are done that way is so they can make figures of this size for a relatively affordable price. Even though $28-$30 is the MSPR, they're easy to find for $22.

Honestly, YouTube culture sucks the joy out of collecting. Everyone wants to be a sneering malcontent because that's what people click on.

Yeah, seems like I've only heard negative things about these across social media, to the point where I had zero plans to pick any up (which bummed me out since Fabok is currently one of my favorite artists).

But then I saw Superman in person while out of town last week, and he looked, well really great to me. And the wrist bands are so barely there he's pretty much a classic Supes anyway. That same day I got lucky and nabbed a Batman from Amazon Warehouse deals for $15. Those are sometimes a roll of the dice but I got lucky again when it showed up and was in perfect shape, down to the packaging which is usually damaged. As soon as I handled him, it became one of my favorite Bat-figures. I don't think sharing the same body type buck works across the board (so far really only for Batman and Superman who Fabok draws with stockier imo), but I'll definitely be picking more up here and there.

 

[JonWes]

I feel you. I was VERY skeptical before I got Batman. I mean, I get people being gun shy about another DC Collectibles line that might peter out. But man, he was just such a fun figure in-hand. I really am hoping they can keep this up and give us a decent variety of the new looks. The sculpting is just so crisp and good. And I feel like the plastic actually gives a nigh high-end quality.

Now, if I had my druthers I wish there was a place near me that actually stocked these so I could get the best paint app. I had to send my first Flash back because of messiness on his face. But the replacement was great, and so far the paint has been good on the rest of them. If they can just watch the paint QC more, and tighten up those ankles so more... I think these would be pretty much perfect.

It WOULD be nice for them to introduce a bit more variety in the bucks. But the new Joker will have a lot of new parts because of his suited look. So I'm hoping we'll see more of that over time. Eventually there needs to be a teen buck, for instance.

 

[batfan08]

Is it wrong that, at this point, I feel like getting every character but Batman and Deathstroke? I love the Rebirth designs, but we’re at a point, now, where literally everyone in the line-up as a gorgeous, clean, classic look, and, especially with Batman now having returned to his briefs and pouch belt look, I’m kind of hoping DC revisits him to better mesh with the others.

 

[Animal Mother.]

I'm not a fan at all of that Deathstroke design, so it's an easy pass for me but I'd say if you find a deal on Batman, go ahead and pick one up in the meantime. Since they have a Marvel Legends thing going with these, I definitely wouldn't be surprised if we see that classic Batman (since it's just really a new belt and gauntlets). Not sure if I'll pick up the Watchmen stuff. I prefer the Mattel figures since I think they better evoke Gibbons art (and I think I've just finished the set cheaply). But if I find them at a good price, then probably.

Funny, I have like the opposite reaction to these that I did Icons. I was so hyped for those, but immediately let down once I got that Batman in hand. Ended up giving him away.

 

[JonWes]

I love the Rebirth Batman design. I'm kind of sad to see it go. SO that was a no-brainer for me. But I'm SURE they will do another version of Batman in his new/old duds eventually. But it'll probably be late 2019 at the earliest since they've got the schedule set for these through early 2019 at least. Deathstroke is an interesting one. I'd love to get a more classic look at some point. And I wasn't even that familiar with this look. But I ended up really digging the colors and design on him.

My biggest want with these are some more hands/heads.

 

[FriendlyPiranha]

Mystery solved. I held them against my flashlight last night and they are entirely made of clear plastic, including joints. I'm extremely disappointed by their choice of material. Therefore my DC Essentials adventure ends here.

 

[JonWes]

Mystery solved. I held them against my flashlight last night and they are entirely made of clear plastic, including joints. I'm extremely disappointed by their choice of material. Therefore my DC Essentials adventure ends here.

You do realize that light passes through all kinds of objects, right? This does not make them "clear." In the past, when figures have used clear joints, they've literally been clear. And the reason this is an issue is that clearer plastic can be more brittle. But brittleness and hardness of a plastic don't go hand in hand. I mean, if you want to avoid Essentials, do so. But having a slightly translucent plastic that allows light through doesn't equate with breakage.