Rorschach ~ DCU / Watchmen / Club Black Freighter ~ US$25

Rorschach's journal. January 15, 2013. Matty sale burst open on website today. Moderately cool merchandise spilling all over. But no Ram Man. Must investigate later. Matty's new Rorschach figure is the first entry in Club Black Freighter. Fan-demanded character, but not overly impressive release. Pricey but cheaper than customizing one. Tomopop editor has mixed feelings.

Saint Walker ~ DCU / Signature Collection / Club Infinite Earths ~ US$20

Saint Walker, Mattel's first true Blue Lantern (as opposed to deputy Blue Lantern Flash), will also be the first DCU "Signature Collection" figure to suffer the rate hike. While the line was already priced US$18 off-sale (US$2 higher than retail MSRP), apparently even that wasn't high enough as it's been bumped an extra US$2. I'd like to say that fans are being nickel & dimed, but it's a bit more than that at this point.

Of course, some won't even look at the price considering Saint Walker's popularity. Saint Walker has generally been the front man for the Blue Lantern Corps, a group empowered by the blue light of Hope. The figure features the sort of updated articulation (double-pinned ankles and knees, socketed wrists) that we had been seeing creep into the core DC Universe Classics line towards the end of its run. So while Saint Walker might cost a bit more, he offers a little more for the money than some of his peers.

I was planning on picking up Saint Walker myself back before Ram Man got bumped. Hopefully he'll be offered again later in the year when Matty Collector has some of my other wants listed.

Netossa ~ Masters of the Universe Classics / Club Eternia ~ US$27

Netossa is the month's Club Eternia subscription item. Given that she's a She-Ra supporting character, I can't say that I know anything about her. Mattel mentions that she was one of the last figures in the Princess of Power line although apparently she had some cartoon appearances.

Of the Matty Collector offerings, the Masters line was hit the worst by the price hikes. The off-club price for a standard release jumped from US$22 to $27 and, consequently, some fans may be pickier now. Netossa strikes me as being an iffier item for most people (She-Ra fans obviously excluded) and she may suffer from the rate hike more than others. Matty Collector should still be commended for at least bringing out a Netossa figure, though.

Griffin (US$35) and Horde Prime (US$27) round out the month's releases. Both Masters figures are previous releases and represent withheld stock rather than actual re-releases (likely meaning a shorter supply). Given that both are from older runs, it seems ludicrous that Mattel is charging the new rates for them. Are they doing it for consistency? At any rate, Griffin costs a little more than Horde Prime since he's an over-sized figure (and serves as a mount). If you want either one, this may be your last chance to buy them here.

Anybody planning on picking anything up?

[ Matty Collector ]