Conventions, San Diego Comic Con, Toy Korner, Toy News

Comic Con 2013: Masters of the Universe Takes Mattypalooza By Storm

By junior - July 21, 2013

Comments

San Diego Comic Con’s Mattypalooza panel was a time of energy and excitement. We were promised 2014 subscriptions that would entice fence-sitters back into Masters of the Universe and DC Infinite Earths, and boy did they deliver.

It truly felt like the early goings of the line where every entry was varied yet warranted. There is very much life left in these lines. 2013 will wrap up with some surprises, and usher in a strong year filled with fan-requested entries. DC Club Infinite Earths wraps up with villains Ocean Master, Ra’s Al Ghul, and Batzarro. Sadly, the last two entries seem more befitting choices for retail, but 2014 kicks things into high gear with 90’s Aquaman (with tons of new tooling, but unfortunately has windswept hair), Connor Kent Superboy, and JLU member Ice (who, according to Eric Treadway, will be WHITE WHITE). The membership is $35, and if we hit tier one, we get first-appearance Doomsday. With tier two, we get more figures coming for the following year, as well as the in-scale Doomsday we have all wanted for ages. It’s definitely emotional blackmail, but thankfully the 2014 lineup warrants multiple sub purchases! Hopefully fans can get the word out to friends or their comic stores to build the brand we all want to see continue!

MOTUC had a rough patch as if late, mostly due to character choices, but they have shown us that there is plenty of gas left in the tank! September includes Filmation A-lister Batros and the army-building sky sled with Wind Raider Pilot Sky High. October gives us no time to rest, with Mantenna, 200X Lord Daktys, FilMation’s greedy Nepthu, the End of Wars Weapons Pack (with Kowl in toy colors), and the Horde Troopers two-pack. In November, we’ll be giving thanks for Adora’s love interest, the sub-exclusive sky pirate Sea Hawk, the new tiered display stands, Castle Grayskull, and mini-comic baddie Geldor with sticker sheet. If you thought Christmas came early, December rounds out the year with evil world ruler Plundor and Strong-Arm.

No rest for the rest of us, However, with 2014 returning to the 2011 days of heavy hitter after heavy hitter, the sub is an easy deal. January has the final a-list baddie Two-Bad. February gives us the last member of the Great Rebellion triumvirate: Glimmer with Moon Stone and wand, and the figure-of-the-year frontrunner– the oversized figure Modulok!!! Like Glimmer with PoP, March does the same for New Adventures with Galactic Protector Hydron. Not to be outdone, the Traveling Convention exclusive is Goatman with mini-comic staff of Avion (with handle for Stratos to hold!). Based on the strong entries of the sub, the exclusive included with sub purchase is merely “the Unnamed One”, with the mystery revealed when he arrives in mailboxes worldwide. It includes the final battle between He-Man and Skeletor in comic form.

Other tidbits of information from the panel included:

60s Batman Prop replica utility belt: $125
Standor Comikaze Exclusive Figure ushering in a POW! Comics and Mattel partnership
Ghostbusters Ecto Goggles ($110) Proton Wand ($130), and a pre-order for the much Requested 6″ scale Ecto-1 vehicle!
Charity auction for a Michael J Fox autographed hoverboard
Watchmen wrapping up with Comedian and Ozymandias with two heads

I have become jaded in my collecting, ready to just surrender to superior import toys. Not to be outdone, Mattel threw together the most can’t-miss menagerie of wants I haven’t seen in years. Fans, the choice is clear: simply buy several subs, no questions asked. It’s a gamble that may hurt the longevity of the brand, but there’s no denying it is a much needed shot in the arm for Mattycollector. I hope Mattel Design and the factory filter won’t dampen the enthusiasm. Much thanks to Toyguru and the Four Horsemen for the fantastic reveals!

Check out photos from Mattel’s Masters of the Universe on the floor at Comic Con: