Big Bad Toy Store has updated their their DC Unlimited series 3 pre-orders with photos for Darkseid (N52), Aquaman (N52), and the Injustice Superman. And, given how terrible they look, I don't have high hopes for the still unrevealed Injustice Joker.

When the wave was first "announced", the big news was that it was to include a Darkseid. To Mattel's credit, Darkseid is noticeably bigger than the other figures (provided that image is to scale). However, the final product looks silly. It appears that they took parts from a Masters of the Universe Classics figure then gave him some plastic add-ons for the mantle and shoulder-pads as well as other places. The gloves look new, the head-sculpt looks new, and they might have sculpted the arms a little (or just painted it to resemble his flesh). While the figure looks really uneven at a glance, maybe it's not terrible; in fact, I'd love to be wrong in that regard.  The thing just seems off somehow, which is a shame considering that Mattel previously gave us two good Darkseid figures. Right now I'd say the only area this beats the DC Collectibles version is in affordability.

The Injustice: Gods Among Us Superman, much like the previously announced Batman, strikes me as looking cheaply made. The paint looks like something you'd expect from much lesser lines while the sculpting looks like a heavily clay-sculpted custom. I like the actual costume design but the level of craftsmanship is something strikes me as belonging more on the 4-inch scale than the 6-inch. Bicep joints are noticeably absent, gone in favor of more sculpting on the arms. You can make out what seems to be a waist joint although he seems to be missing an ab crunch. In its defense, the head-sculpt is pretty good and it's definitely a distinctive look for the character.

We've seen a lot of Aquaman figures in Mattel's DC Universe line, although most are just recycled molds. While I would assume they had to have gone this route, the figure displayed the proportions on this New 52 Aquaman look odd. Perhaps it's just a bad photo? At any rate, the head-sculpt seems to be new, the upper torso differs from previous releases (this one's outfit comes up higher on the neck), and the trident looks new. It will likely appeal to anybody looking to finish their New 52 line-up as well as those who missed previous Aquaman releases.

Despite being openly critical of these figures, there's a very strong possibility that I'll be picking up at least Darkseid and the Superman. Darkseid remains a pretty good value for the price and will likely be hard to find at retail. Anybody else unimpressed but thinking of buying anyway?

[ Pre-order at Big Bad Toy Store ]