Toy Fair 2015: DC Collectibles

My last appointment this week at Toy Fair was also the one that will change my collecting interests for years to come. DC Collectibles not only expands the animated world, but brings us a whole new scale of figures to hunt down.

With all the prep for Toy Fair and my day job the Icons line slipped through the cracks. I knew a new line was coming but it was not until I walked into the booth and saw the figure that it hit me, oh shit I have a new obsession.But before we get to the Icons let’s talk about the rest of the booth.

The TV shows are getting a lot of attention from fans, and collectors will get the chance to own a lot of the cast of Arrow and The Flash. Up until now all the the figures shown were based on the heroes and villains leaving the civilians without a presence, but that is about to change. Diggle and Felicity will both get figures in 2015, and if they do well I’m sure more will come. We also asked about some of the characters that aren’t regulars, making it harder to get their likeness rights, and while they are not out of the question, they also don’t always make the top of the list. Hopefully we will see a Hamill/Shipp two pack some day. And for those of you wondering Felicity will have her glasses they just did not make it to the display.

Statues will continue with the classic lines. Bombshells continue to stun collectors with a pinup spin on our favorite female DC characters. And even the Joker is getting in on the action with Harley recreating the classic pose from the 40’s. The trinity of characters (Batman Black and White, Superman, and Wonder Woman) will continue with artist specific designs. As one of the longest running series from DC the Black and White has no signs of slowing down, adding a whole new version of Harley to the mix.

The designer line also continue in 2015 with Batman Superman and Earth One Titans. The sculptors are able to capture the look of the comics perfectly, and still keep the articulation. One of the improvements starting with this line is the thinner capes. Soft goods won’t happen, but the thinner capes will allow for better posing of the figures. Also continuing is the Arkham lines, not forgotten as the games series comes to an end this summer. A Batman 5 pack is coming with an exclusive Bruce figure, the assassins will be completed from Origins with a Dr. Harley, and Arkham Knight will kick off with more on the way. They are holding back on the rest of the line so the game is not spoiled before it comes out.

OK so the big news to come out of Toy Fair is the DC Collectibles Icons line. Seeing these figures in person was stunning. The waves will space out the line, full of different eras of characters, but seeing them all together just triggered the collector inside of me. The feeling of, just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in, washed over me. The whole weekend through conversations with friends was about dumping the Mattel line for this one, and I was sure I was happy with what I already had. That all changed on Sunday. The line is a true 6 inch scale, smaller than the normal DC line, but look great as a group. Each of the figures will come with accessories, some more than others. One of the more impressive ones is from Deadman, you will have a ghost attachment that will fit over the head and torsos of some figures, recreating the effect from the books. They are trying to stay true to the characters too, like with Green Lantern. How many times do you want more constructs? Well this version will come with multiple constructs, and others like the Flash will come with his own treadmill. I don’t think the pictures really do the line justice, and when they start to hit stores later this year it could become the definitive DC line.

One additional note from the booth tour was the commitment from the company on quality. There were issues with the first wave of Animated figures, and they are working to make sure it won’t happen again. One thing collectors should know is if there is an issue the figures should be returned. They are now aware how much comic shops are making it difficult to returned damaged items, so if you are one of those collectors contact DC Collectibles through their website or Facebook page. They will help with replacements, even if the local stores won’t. Also if you don’t return the items the stores won’t tell Diamond, who won’t let DC know, so be vocal and give them the chance to fix the issue.

It was an amazing showing for DC Collectibles this year, stealing the show with all the lines on display. And for more on the Animated line check out Jr’s wrap up!