#44: DC Universe Classics vs Masters of the Universe Classics - Aquaman (minus Mer-Man)

A little while ago, I decided that since I was about halfway there, I should complete the classic JLA lineup of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and of course Aquaman. Naturally by that point Aquaman's wave had long since been gone from stores, so it seemed the only choice was the very expensive secondary market, or the gaudily painted two pack with Black Manta (not a fan of Aquaman sporting a gold shirt). So I decided to wait. Finally, they announced a DCUC vs MOTUC two pack of Aquaman with a blue Mer-Man. I didn't have any interest in any Mer-Man, much less a blue one. Fortunately, Phillip Reed of Battlegrip.com was in the opposite position of wanting the Mer-Man but not the Aquaman. I bought the two pack and sent Mer-Man off to him, so it's cool that we were both able to get the figure we wanted without getting stuck with one we didn't.

So anyway, this version of Aquaman is basically the same as the original wave 2 version. The paint apps on his trident are different, and his shirt does seem to be of a more glossy finish. Either way works for me, so I don't mind that it's not exactly the same as the first release. The points on the trident are a bent a bit from the packaging, unfortunately. It's always a nice surprise when none of the joints are broken or stuck on a DCUC figure, and I'm happy to report that this Aquaman is one of those figures that is in good shape. When Aquaman was first released, we weren't yet jaded by Mattel's constant reuse of sculpts for figures. I don't think Aquaman's scaled shirt has much potential for re-use, so it is cool that is an original sculpt. Overall, I think it's one of the better DCUC figures, so I'm glad I was able to pick it up without paying ridiculous secondary market prices.

#44: DC Universe Classics vs Masters of the Universe Classics Luthor and Skeletor

Previously I was able to get the Superman and He-Man two pack from Toys R US. Of course, you can't have a hero without a villain, so I wanted to get Luthor and Skeletor as well. Again, thanks to James I was able to get my hands on this Toys R Us exclusive DCUC/MOTUC set.

I've always dug the power armor look for Lex Luthor, since I had the Super Powers Luthor figure way back when, and that's what he was wearing. This Luthor figure is a re-release of the DC Superheroes version that came out a few ago. Since he wasn't Superman, he was pretty hard to find, and I only saw him on the shelf once. It's a cool figure, and I have been wanting to get my hands on one, so I'm glad this set came out. If it hadn't there's an upcoming Luthor/Supergirl two pack that I was considering, although I have no interest in a Supergirl figure. The first release of this figure had a gun that a piece of kryptonite fit into, and this version instead has four differently colored pieces of kryptonite: the standard green, red, blue, and gold.

Skeletor here is pretty great. The comic book style coloring definitely works in its favor here. See, the regular Skeletor release has the green shadows or whatever on the face, just as the original toy did. As a kid, that always bothered me because it didn't match the cartoon, which I held at the highest level of He-Canon. So as far as I'm concerned, this is the best version of the MOTUC Skeletor figure. Unlike his nemesis He-Man, he can actually stay standing, which is another huge mark in his favor. I only wish he had his ram's head staff, but he didn't have it in the comic, so of course it's not included here. I can always borrow that from my 200X Skeletor.

Of the two DCUC/MOTUC two packs, I would say that this one is better for character selection alone, although both are worth picking up if you're trying to avoid the ordeal of ordering through Mattycollector. I only hope that Mattel will release more MOTUC figures to retail in the future because these figures are cool and deserve to be more readily available.

#33: DC Universe Classics vs Masters of the Universe Classics Superman and He-Man

Thanks to James, I was able to get my hands on one of the Toys R Us exclusive DCUC vs MOTUC two packs. The other is Lex Luthor and Skeletor, which I was a bit more excited to get, so I am looking forward to getting my hands on it in the future. I'm really glad they made these sets, because it means I can get some He-Man figures without having to deal with the monthly clusterfuck at Mattycollector.com. Also, these are cheaper: 30 bucks for two figures, which is about what one figure costs when you buy from Mattycollector. If they weren't so expensive and hard to get, I would definitely be collecting this line since I was really into He-Man as a kid.

The only Superman I have is the Public Enemies version, which has a more stylized look, so it's different enough that I don't mind getting this version as well. It's a good basic version of the big blue boy scout: no mullet and no glowing eyes, and that's what I like. Unlike my other Superman figure, this has sculpted boot tops, and the "S" shield on the cape, so I'd call this an upgrade.

One of the first things I noticed about He-Man is how much bigger he is than Superman. They're about the same height, but he makes Superman look like a skinny little wimp. I figure the ridiculously over muscled look is true to He-Man, so it's nothing to complain about, but it just looks odd juxtaposed with the DCUC figures. Also, he has some funny coloration and doesn't come with a sword. Those details are straight from the comic, so they're not really something to complain about either. To get a He-Man with a sword, you'd have to go with one of the Mattycollector releases. I can deal with him not having a sword. Really my only complaint is that his left ankle is pretty week, so I have to be careful when standing him up. It hasn't caused him to fall over yet, but we'll see if it comes into play during the Summer. Otherwise, it's a really cool figure. In fact, it just reinforces my annoyance with the way Mattel is running this line. I can understand that they are reluctant to have the line at retail because there's no current cartoon or movie to help promote it. I think they have been too cautious with the line's production numbers. If they made more, so that everyone that wanted to could get their hands on these figures, they might even be able to sell them for less. That would solve my two problems with the line, and I'd have bought a few of them by now. Alas, that's less money for them out of my pocket, so for now they will be content with their five minute sell outs. I hope they put these out to retail at some point, because I would definitely buy more of them.