4 Attachment(s)
DC Universe Classics Wave 16 PART 1
The Creeper, Jonah Hex, and The Riddler...
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Although it still looks like 2009 in my local retailer’s DC Universe Classics display, Mattel has continued to churn out even more heroes and villains in Wave 16. While each wave is usually a random assortment of characters, Wave 16 is a bit heavier on Gotham City, which should make it a popular set with kids and collectors alike. This set’s Collect-and-Connect figure is BANE, a character that the Four Horsemen have attempted previously but have finally given it a more appropriate treatment. We will look at Bane in Part 2 of this review, along with Robin, Mercury, and Azrael Batman.
Up first is the bounty hunter Jonah Hex, and Gotham City’s The Creeper, and The Riddler. The packaging for Wave 16 is an all-new design, reflecting changes requested by retailers (think Wal-Mart) for a slimmer and taller card. The changes were also done as a running change anyway as it is no longer the 75th anniversary of DC Comics. Either way, I think it’s a great look and direction for the line while using the familiar colors of DCUC past. The back of the card still features the familiar bio and stats and a look at the rest of the wave.
The Four Horsemen have done another bang-up job on this set of figures. Even though the prototype of The Creeper looked more amazing than the final product, it’s still a creepy good sculpt with a back full of creepy hair. This figure is just creepy all around.
Jonah Hex is a more subdued looking figure compared to the rest but it’s better that way. He isn’t the same type of super hero; he’s a western bounty hunter and he looks just that. The face is a the perfect balance of snarling and determined.
The Riddler is a really impressive sculpt. I’m a much bigger fan of the more modern costume but the Horsemen did a bang-up job on the classic figure. He might be a little too buff but he has the perfect look and it makes it harder not to prefer this version of the Riddler.
Paint can make or break an incredible sculpt and thanks to the powers that be, Mattel almost consistently manages to have great paint apps. Jonah Hex, for example is an amazing looking figure, owed very much to the paint work. The amount of weathering applied to his shirt and pants are admirable, but even more so are each bullet on his belt and bandolier. Riddler is a more basic color scheme but they managed to do a great job with it so that it doesn’t look too flat. There is a bit of slop on his face but it’s a minor thing. The Creeper could have been a disaster but lucky for us, the wash gives him more tone and realism to that loud yellow skin. Bad paint is what made me quit Hasbro’s Marvel Legends so it’s a good thing the DCUC figures have good ones.
Great sculpting and paint can only take you so far as a figure isn’t worth much to me unless it has some good articulation. Mattel has given their DCUC figures a very similar method of articulation over the past 16 waves but here we’re starting to see a few tweaks. Jonah Hex, being the character that he is (fully clothed) actually ends up losing on some of the articulation. His shoulder and elbow joints are more limited than the others and he lacks an upper torso joint entirely.
The Creeper is an odd one and given that, has a few bonus joints in the elbows, knees, and an extra swivel in the wrists. What’s confusing however are his heels, which seem to have articulation but because of the massive foot, they have no movement whatsoever, thus making the double knee joints void of any real purpose.
The Riddler, thankfully, is nothing but your standard DCUC figure through and through with 23 points of articulation. There’s something nice about its simplicity.
In the accessories department, each figure comes with a different body part of Bane, but gone are the collector buttons. Jonah Hex comes equipped with a pistol and a rifle, each can be saddled in a holster or holder on his bandolier. Unfortunately the hat is not removable.
The Creeper comes with an arm of Bane and nothing else while The Riddler at least comes with his signature question marked staff.
If you’re lucky to score these for $15 each, definitely get them for that price as these figures are getting absurdly more expensive. These were pre-ordered on Amazon.com but I have yet to see them in my local stores.
Review and Photography by David Yeh
