Granamyr ~ Masters of the Universe Classics ~ US$80

The biggest item, figuratively and literally, is Granamyr who stands around 23-inches at his full height. Although incapable of standing on his own, even seated Granamyr will tower over most figures and is even taller than over-sized Masters figures like Tytus and Procustus.

Granamyr will come in multiple pieces (much like a collect-n-connect) out of the box, so some assembly is required. When built, you'll have an incredibly cool dragon. Granamyr features hip rotation then ball-sockets at his wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles (plus some tail movement?). Although I'm tempted to recommend Granamyr as a general display piece, his US$80 price tag might be a bit much for some collectors.

Procrustus ~ Masters of the Universe Classics ~ US$44

Procrustus is December's second over-sized figure and, while not as large as Granamyr, is still fairly large. He looks to be around the same height as the previously released Tytus and Megator (and seems to share Megator's legs, for that matter), which would put him at around 12-inches tall.

While I can't remember Procrustus, his bio makes him sound like an important (but obscure?) character:

After the Gods created the Five dimensions, they hid their secret magic in the form of a star inside the core of a small planet in the center of the dimension of Eternia®. Naming the planet after the dimension it resided in, they assigned the immortal four-armed giant Procrustus™ to remain there and guard their magical secrets. Over the millennia, the magic began to seep out, and many wise magicians learned to tap into these powers for both good and evil. In time, the ruthless warlock Hordak® attempted to break apart Eternia® using a spell of separation in order to access the magic’s source. Although his spell was thwarted, Procrustus™ was now forced to literally hold the planet together remaining forever at the planet’s core!

Procrustus comes with the all-important Star Seed, apparently the source of great magical power. He's included in the Club Eternia subscription.

Lead ~ DCU / DC Signature Collection / Club Infinite Earths ~ US$35

Even smaller than the other two is the still over-sized Lead, who seems to share parts with the DC Universe Classics Darkseid (making both characters seem a little tall?). Presumably he's around nine inches tall. The one general disappointment (that I didn't bring up in my recent Metal Men discussion) is the lack of accessories. All of the previous Metal Men figures included alternate arm/hand bits (sometimes several) yet Lead gets nothing. At any rate, it's a pretty solid mold and an okay deal at US$35.

Lead is included in the Club Infinite Earths subscription.

Platinum & Tin ~ DCU / DC Signature Collection / Club Infinite Earths ~ US$18

Joining Lead (and the Metal Men) are Platinum and Tin. The duo are packaged together (a Signature Collection first) although arguably Platinum is the figure and Tin is an accessory. Tin features a brand new, very cool sculpt with virtually no articulation (head only). Platinum seems to recycle most of a female mold although she pulls it off well between the added bits and coloring. This pairing (along with Lead) effectively finishes out the Metal Men team line-up since Dr. Magnus (like Dr. Caulder) is something that we'll likely never see.

While I'm really not a Metal Man fan, I can't help but think it's a good-looking set. Platinum and Tin are included in the Club Infinite Earths subscription.

Mosquitor ~ Masters of the Universe Classics ~ US$22

Mosquitor is the  second new Masters figure this month. This "evil energy-draining insectoid" is a member of the Evil Horde (meaning a She-Ra villain?). Supposed the figure "pays homage to the vintage figure with a unique non-removable three-layer chest plate that recreates the look of a red blood-filled chest". He also comes a blaster.

I don't remember Mosquitor from the original toyline although I imagine some people probably enjoy the somewhat goofy design. The chest-piece certainly looks cool, if nothing else. Mosquitor is included in the Club Eternia subscription.

Dr. Destiny, Toyman, Firefly ~ Justice League Unlimited ~ US$30

Shockingly, this completely theme-less pack supposedly includes the first-ever JLU Toyman figure. I have a very hard time believing that the line has been without a Toyman but, in all honesty, I've never really paid it much attention. Come to think of it, I can't even remember if they made a Toyman in any of the Superman: The Animated Series lines (and I haven't found anything via search). If this is the case, it's more than a little baffling given that this was among the most iconic revamps in the DC Animated Universe.

Superman: The Animated Series took the slightly disturbed Toyman character and massively amped up his creep-factor. The character is depicted as always wearing a smiling doll-like mask and being dressed in the same vaguely boy-ish outfit. This version, Winslow Schott, jr., is a toymaker's son who was traumatized by being placed into the foster system after mobsters framed for his father for their money laundering activities. Common Toyman stories include abducting and brainwashing women (including Lois) to be his mate, trying to build the perfect mate (only to be rejected by his creation), and then the occasional revenge story. Despite his cartoonish appearance, Toyman is fairly dangerous and even managed to zap Superman into an alternate future at one point. He was easily among the most colorful characters in the DCAU and his cameos were generally fun. Is it worth buying the entire pack just for him? I'm not quite sure.

Dr. Destiny made a single appearance in the DCAU during a Justice League Unlimited episode entitled "Only a Dream". The character gained the ability to enter and control other peoples' dreams thanks to a science experiment he participated in while incarcerated. It's actually a pretty cool episode that again highlights Batman's value to the team (although I'll always better remember the character for his appearance in a Neil Gaimon Sandman story). I believe this is his first appearance in the JLU line.

And finally we have the Batman villain Firefly, allegedly entering the JLU line for the first time. He appeared in Batman: The Animated Series (which provided him with his DCAU look) in addition to some of the other non-DCAU Batman cartoons. Firefly is a pyrotechnics engineer who, while being chased by Batman, was inspired by a firefly and decided to base a costume around it. Besides being obsessed with his ex, Firefly is just a career criminal who specializes in arson.

Frankly, this has been the first sale in a while where I've somewhat wanted everything (except Mosquitor). I'm definitely planning on getting Granamyr which opens up the possibility of buying some of the others as well. Platinum (and Tin) top that secondary list, as I like their designs. I'm also mildly tempted by Lead (when I thought him US$30 that temptation was a bit stronger). While I'd love to own a DCAU / JLU Toyman, I'm really not sure if I want to US$30 for a three pack with two characters I don't really care about. I've also never liked the pricing on JLU. Finally, Procrustus is just a darn cool design. He looks like something out a Ray Harryhausen film. 

How about you guys? Has anything caught your eye?

[ Order at Matty Collector, starting December 17 ]