Castle Grayskullman ~ Masters of the Universe Classics ~ US$22

Castle Grayskullman is arguably the highlight of this sale. Based on a winning Create-a-Character design, CG is undeniably cool as he combines both classic MotU elements with classic MotU sensibilities. The end result? Something that just feels like it belongs in the line unlike, say, Sir Laser-lot.

CG may have no history but he carries some of the awesomeness of Grayskull with his neat brick-textured armor and iconic face. However, I can't say that I care for his hair, a detail which before now had eluded me.

Castle Grayskullman is included in the Club Eternia subscription.

John Constantine ~ DC Universe / Infinite Earths ~ US$18

As previously noted, John Constantine is an occult detective who, while obscure, has a film under his belt (and an associated video game) and a substantial cult following. He's the sort of character well-known (and well-liked) by comic readers  but not the general public. In short, John Constantine is exactly the sort of character whom should be appearing in this online format (unlike Poison Ivy).

However, this figure in no way does justice to the character when you take a look at some of the comic art. Frankly, the general approach here is strongly representative of Mattel's unwillingness to innovate within their online DCU imprint which, ironically, would be the ideal place to do so. While the line has arguably had cost issues, I can't help but imagine that at least part of its sluggish reception (ie, fewer subs) is based partly going above and beyond retail only in price.

Constantine is included in the Club Infinite Earths subscription.

Uncle Sam with Doll Man ~ DC Universe / Infinite Earths ~ US$18

If you were unfamiliar with John Constantine, I imagine you've never heard of the comic book characters Uncle Sam or Doll Man. Don't feel bad, either, because even after reading Uncle Sam's wikipedia page I still don't understand the character although it seems that he draws power from the American people. Doll Man's powers seem more straightforward, as they greatly resemble (but predate) those of Ant-Man: being able to shrink while maintaining the strength of his full-sized counterpart (albeit he can only shrink to 6-inches in height).

While Doll Man seems to be an originally sculpted creation, Uncle Sam seems to share many of his parts with the likes of the DCUC10 Joker. I don't necessarily fault Mattel for this decision, as it seems to be a good fit and the end result is fairly solid. I may have never even heard of this comic character, but I certainly wouldn't mind owning a figure of him.

Uncle Sam (and his little buddy) is included in the Club Infinite Earths subscription.

Courtroom Ray ~ Ghostbusters Movie Masters ~ US$25

Courtroom Ray depicts Ghostbuster Ray Stantz in a business suit but, oddly enough, with non-removable proton pack (you know, to wear to trials that allow to carry an unlicensed nuclear reactor on your back). The figure sports the same ugly-as-hell headsculpt as previous Ray figures which, as always, is a very poor likeness of actor Dan Aykroyd. Oh, not to mention that the jacket isn't even the right color since Ray wore a plaid one in the courtroom scene in Ghostbusters II...

Of course, the real selling point to this pack (and the only thing justifying that US$25 price tag) is in the inclusion of Tony Scoleri of the infamous Scoleri Brothers whom were convicted of murder and given the chair. While there may have been some liberties taken with the character (who seemed to have an inconsistent color and size in the film), the end result still looks great and is quite a bit better looking than his brother, Nunzio. It's really too bad that the brothers weren't instead included in a 2-pack.

Courtroom Peter Venkman ~ Ghostbusters Movie Masters ~ US$25

This month you also have another opportunity to pick up Courtroom Peter Venkman who comes with Nunzio Scoleri. Peter looks fine and appears to be movie-accurate. That suited body has appeared in the Movie Masters line a few times (including the Nolan Batman film ones, most recently in the form of Ras Al Ghul) and it's really not a bad mold even if it's a heavily recycled one.

Nunzio has his own sculpt but the scale seems off. I vaguely recall the character being quite a bit larger than the human characters for the most part yet the figure isn't even as tall as his brother (then again, they made the brother second so they probably did that as a fix). Given that he is just a reissue, I still don't see why they couldn't offer him in a Scoleri Brothers 2-pack although I guess this works out better for anybody who bought the initial release. Speaking of, this figure set was originally available for around US$20. Mattel's habit of juicing up the prices almost makes me wonder if Matty Collector itself is in jeopardy.

Dekker ~ Masters of the Universe Classics ~ US$22

Dekker was the man who trained Man-at-Arms and, as such, must be a darn mighty warrior in his own right. Dekker comes with two interchangeable heads; one representing the character in his youth while the second (and more distinguished) is considerably older and represents the character in retirement. Also included is his mace.

Dekker is included in the Club Eternia subscription.

King Randor ~ Masters of the Universe Classics ~ US$22

Hail to the king, baby! King Randor is Prince Adam's (He-Man's wimpy alter-ego) dad and the ruler of Eternia as well as Skeletor's brother/half-brother (like most royal families, it's something of a messed up family tree). While King Randor has generally been relegated to the role of a supporting character, he's still a very important one because, after all, he is the king.

King Randor comes with a spear and a chalice. He's a pretty neat figure and a character essential within the Masters of the Universe canon.

King Randor is included in the Club Eternia subscription.

Fire, Blue Beetle II, Booster Gold ~ Justice League Unlimited ~ US$30

Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle (the one who uncovered Checkmate's secret plot and subsequently had his brains blown out by Maxwell Lord after refusing to join their organization), makes his first appearance in the soon to be concluded Justice League Unlimited line. He's accompanied by a redeco'd Fire and a reissued Booster Gold in what looks to be a Justice League International-themed pack. Unfortunately, Ted looks almost here as he did when Lord got done with him, as that head-sculpt looks something terrible. If that doesn't turn you off, just remember that these 3-packs retail for US$30.

For those interested in any of the above, the sale goes live at 12 a.m. EST on Thursday (48 hours from the time of posting).

[ Matty Sale ]