Figures In Action! AQUAMAN Hates HydroTherapy

[via]

Figures In Action! THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE

[via]

Figures In Action! The Popular and Fatal Attraction of DEATHSTROKE

DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR

 DC Universe Classics (Mattel) [via]

Figures In Action! is back with a bang -- and a purpose.  We're not going to be detailing you on the latest DC Universe Classics news from Mattel - though we will be soon - and we won't be sharing our thoughts on the precipitously (and ridiculously) high prices the action figures are demanding from collectors, either. But if we were, Deathstroke The Terminator, part of Classics' third wave, would certainly be a hot topic of  discussion. With an MSRP of $11, two versions (or variants)  of the figure hit store shelves just over a year ago, but most retailers haven't stocked a Deathstroke since that time. And the few that do aren't giving him up without a fight:  these days, a new Terminator commands an asking price anywhere from three to six hundred percent above last year's tag. 
Popular in effigy, Deathstroke aka Slade Wilson is even more in demand as one of DC Comics' pre-eminent comic book villains. A violent, gun-toting mercenary with enhanced skills and perfect aim, Deathstroke is clearly one of the bad guys - although writer Marv Wolfman, who created the character in 1980 to be a nemesis for his and George Perez' debut series, The New Teen Titans, has said he never thought of him to actually be a 'bad guy'.  While Deathstroke's not afraid to kill, he's unlike The Joker or Lex Luthor in that he does so only because killing is his line of work.  


Deathstroke (or Slade) made his first comics appearance in the second issue of The New Teen Titans as a fully-rounded, well-conceived antagonist that, from panel one, intrigued and interested readers and creators alike.  Slade's depth of character made for an ambiguous foe; he wasn't all bad,  despite being a murderer. And with the introduction of his children - both of which later went on to be Teen Titans themselves - Deathstroke became even deeper.  The character some have described as an "anti-Batman" was well ahead of the curve when Alan Moore's Watchmen and Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns redefined the superhero genre and gave birth to the 'anti-hero' in the mid to late 1980's.

If Slade's an anti-hero, he's an extreme example.  Nevertheless, DC Comics awarded Deathstroke The Terminator his own ongoing series in 1991, and readers were captivated enough by the mercenary with a moral code to support the title for a five-year run. Marvel Comics creators Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza were also quite taken by Slade Wilson, and in homage, created their own version of DC's character. Naming him 'Wade Wilson,' Nicieza and Liefeld introduced the comics world to Deadpool in their New Mutants, Issue #98 (1991).
 

Marvel's Deadpool has evolved to become one of that publisher's top-selling superheroes; Deathstroke, as one of DC's heaviest hitters.  As much of a co-star in the various Teen Titans books as any of the titular teen superheroes, Deathstroke played a pivotal role in Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales' game-changing Identity Crisis, in which he skillfully - and single-handedly - beat two-thirds of the Justice League of America.  More recently, Slade  and his family were the focus of last summer's Titans mini-series tie-in to DC's Blackest Night event.

Earlier this month, DC returned Deathstroke the Terminator to the 'pilot's seat' once again, relying on the character to inject a new twist (and hopefully the sales to match) into its much-troubled Titans title. Just two weeks published and featuring a team of 'heroic villains' much like Slade himself, The Villains For Hire Special has already succeeded at shaking up the comic's  status quo -- by becoming the focus of much controversy and DC's current 'hot potato'.

 

Abbracadabbling will be examining Villains For Hire's controversial storyline and its larger implications over the next several days. Understanding Deathstroke The Terminator is  necessary for that examination, and the dedicated dudes at Titans Tower have compiled excellent creative and fictional histories for the character on their website [here]. They put ours to shame, and we urge y'all to give 'em a look-see.

Dabblers who want to hang with us should check out the two-page Origin of Deathstroke The Terminator, which we have for you below. Remember, panels can be enlarged with a simple right click.  Stick around; lots more to come...!

Deathstroke's Origin [via]

 - COMING TOMORROW -

TITANS: Villains For Hire
T H E   C O M P L E T E    4 0 - P A G E   S P E C I A L

COLLECTORS WAR: The Free Floatin' Mighty Morphin' Power Universe Rangers Classics

  Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers  

Bandai America (2009) [via] 

Constantly hoping for the new Mattel DC Universe Classics action figures they never  have, last week's hunt brought me once again to the toy aisles of Springfield's mega Wal-Mart.  Overlooked and under-cared for,  the same eleven superhero toys they've had on sale for

close to a year hung on their hooks, pushed far to one side to make room on the shelves for mass quantities of the latest and greatest of Bandai's  Power Rangers.

'Latest and greatest' for the Power Rangers, toys that  have been around as long as their syndicated live-action Saturday morning namesake, simply means re-mastered. After 700 episodes and 17 seasons, the long-running Power Rangers fought their last battle  against Lord Zed and Rita Repulsa on Dec 26th, 2009. From their 1993 beginnings on then-new Fox Kids, the Power Rangers series morphed its way through fifteen different iterations, finally landing at Disney's ABC Kids channel, which canceled new production on the series one year ago. That doesn't mean Disney - or their merchandising partner Bandai - is oblivious to the dollars still there to be mined from the franchise, however. Returning to and re-mastering the early episodes of the series, the original Mighty Morphin' Rangers are back on Saturdays, young again and looking better than ever.

That's great for Amy Jo Johnson, Dave Yost, and the other former teen stars of the original show, but not so good for The Dabbler, frustrated as I was that one late night last week in Wal-Mart.  If the ratio of Rangers to Classics wasn't enough of an upset, the chain store giant added insult to injury by actually increasing the price of the Mattel heroes!  Instead of 'rolling back' their prices on my toys, they 'rolled out' a heap of toys about which I could honestly care less -- cheaper toys, lower-quality toys, all garishly painted a metallic pastel. 

And you know what, dabblers? It all makes perfect sense.

Mattel's DC Universe Classics have become a sell-out hit since the line's first wave of comic book action figures hit two years ago.  Despite ever-increasing demand and Mattel's exclusive agreements with its three biggest vendors - Toys R Us, Target, and Wal-Mart - to launch many of those six-inch superheroes, DC Universe Classics - averaging $15 a pop - remain scarce on shelves, unevenly distributed amongst store locations, and even victims of production shortages by Mattel itself. As a result, eBay has become the toy line's biggest reseller of DC Universe Classics, with most buyers paying $15-20 or more above retail for every figure. Other online vendors - including Mattel's own delimited online shop Matty Collector - have also entered the fray, but the costs remain just as inflated.

If the decision to buy even one DC Universe Classics action figure sounds like an expensive uphill battle, then you're definitely paying attention. It is.  It's a Collector's War, one fought by adults, not their children, and for which a terrible price is paid -- figure by collectible action figure. 

And that's why Wal-Mart's toy aisles are full of well-stocked Rangers, not marked-up Classics. Comic books have evolved into adult reading material intended for an audience that Wal-Mart doesn't bend over backwards to target. Thirty-four year old toy collectors aren't the chain's primary demographic; thirty-four year old parents of three are.  It's a far more general demographic, and the Power Rangers are far more general toys.  Superheroes and their unique identities and powers and origins versus six colors of Rangers, often reincarnated but always essentially the same.  The appeal of the toys is easy to see, even for kids who haven't seen a single Power Rangers episode.

Even if they did, the show's as general as its toys - non-linear, cartoonish, even ill-logical. Comics readers by definition have a taste for a structured, well-ordered universe. Comics are stories, and comics fans are meticulous about them, able to spot oversights and gaps while eschewing the unsubstantiated. Power Rangers was never a show to worry about form or follow-through; it was simply a vessel for free-floating imagination.

Unfortunately, imagination like that seems to be on the wane. Disney can't create it, only become its re-master.  The toys may help tow the line, but will they be enough to invigorate the raw imagination of a new generation? Judging from the small stacks of Mature Readers comic books here at the Home Office and my own mile-long want list of action figures called Classics, the answer should be obvious.

DC Figures In Action: Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepott

The Penguin via [link]

Abbracadabbling Auctions: DC Universe Classics Action Figures on EBay Now!

You probably recall that not too long ago, abbracadabbling was assaulted by a nasty virus and that we had to take some time away from the blog.  We also said we'd been busy on other fronts during that time, and we think the best of them was founding the Present Magic Comics Shop on  eBay. 

Our  Shop's daily Mission is identical to abbracadabbling's -- to get a comic book into the hands of every potential reader we can find.  For that  Mission to succeed on eBay, we strive to offer members what they need and want: quality comic books in top condition at a great price, along with  the  best customer service possible.  (And not to brag, dabblers, but folks seem pretty darn pleased with us so far!)

Oddly coinciding with The Dabbler's recent decision to begin a collection of his own,  we've also added a few  action figures from Mattel's  DC Universe Classics line to the PM Comics Shop.  Considering how difficult these heroes are to find - and the astronomical asking prices if you do  - we thought some of our daily dabblers might appreciate a head's up. 

Among our DC Universe Classics auctions currently underway, our favorite two include the double-auction of Wave 8 action figures Mister Terrific and Commander Steel, and the individual auction for  the Wave 9 Black Adam action figure.  Each figure is brand new with accessories, and is sold out of its original packaging (loose).  If you're a collector, you won't find a better deal on eBay- guaranteed.

We've got links to our DC Universe Classics auctions  - and all our other items up for eBay grabs - after the jump.  Remember, all proceeds from the PM Comics Shop go toward the maintenance of the comicsblog.    And what better reason to go shopping is there?  Our minds go blank.

eBay Auction Linkage:

• DCUC Mister Terrific and Commander Steel [link]
• DCUC Black Adam [link]
• Present Magic Comics Shop [link]

Other Helpful Linkage:

• DC Universe Classics Information [link]
• eBay [link]

Figures In Action: The Gentleman Ghost (of Christmas Past)

Gentleman Ghost - DC Universe Classics by Mattel 

New DC Direct: DC Origins Batman and Batman Reborn in 2010!

I often forget that my obsession with toys -- specifically, super hero action figures -- began years before I really got into comic books. In fact, if it weren't for Mego's super hero dolls, my trusty boyhood companions, I might not be the avid collector and fanboy you know and love today.

From quality to detail, the best super hero action figures of the last ten years have come from DC Direct. As the name and logo suggest, DC Direct's collectible action figures are based exclusively on the many super heroes and villains of the DC Comics Universe, and more often than not, are sculpted to reflect their appearances from specific comic book story lines and the artistic styles of the artists responsible for those same comics.

DC Direct announced mere hours ago the debut of another new line of action figures, the DC Origins series, scheduled to arrive in stores beginning May 5th, 2010. The first wave of DC Origins will include two full-sized action figures packed together, one based on art from the characters earliest appearances, and the other based on art in the modern era. Each two-pack will also include one original trading card featuring each character's retro and modern day looks.

DC Origins Series 1 will consist of four two-figure packs showcasing the past and present styles of Batman, Catwoman, Nightwing, and The Joker.

The only unanswered question surrounding the new Origins series is that of pricing. With two figures a pop, whether the regular $17.99 price tag will apply to DC Direct's latest official series is a question even the Dark Knight Detective may be unable to solve!

Even more exciting is the as-yet unofficially announced Batman: Reborn series, also from DC Direct. Abbracadabbling hasn't received too much info on this new line of Batman action figures, but we did manage to score this page from the September 2009 issue of ToyFare magazine:

As you can tell, the line will also begin with DC Direct's customary body count of four action figures: the new Batgirl (Stephanie Brown), Two-Face as Batman, Jason Todd as Batman, and the as-yet-to-appear new Azrael.

The first wave seems to sample characters from several of the new Batman: Reborn titles, and with all the changes creators like Tony Daniel, Grant Morrison, Judd Winick, and others have brought our way since Battle for the Cowl began, it's likely collectors can expect at least one additional wave of Batman: Reborn action figures before the end of 2010.

It's also very possible that we'll see a newly-returned Bruce Wayne as Batman action figure in the Reborn series. Abbracadabbling continues to hear more and more buzz that the original Caped Crusader will indeed be returning to the DC Universe next summer.

What do you think about DC Direct's two newest Batman lines? Are they fresh and different, or is DC Direct over-doing it where all-things Batman are concerned? Leave us a Back Issue today!

Batman: Reborn Series 1 is scheduled to hit your local comics specialty retailer sometime in July 2010.