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Sometimes as toy collectors, we can look across our displays and, no matter how many toys we have, only see the ones that aren\u2019t there. They are the missing figures. The characters toy companies never got around to, never thought were important enough, or worse \u2013 the figures companies felt the need to show us at comic-con in the \u201cWe\u2019re Never Gonna Make These\u201d case\u2026 <\/p>\n
Anyone that’s read our Blackest<\/a> Night<\/a> reviews knows that I have a love\/hate relationship with DC Direct. A fully realized DC Comics toy collection has long been a dream of mine. When DC Direct started with Swamp Thing & Wonder Woman in 1998, I made a commitment to have a complete set of DCDs. I kept that up until summer 2004 when I started picking and choosing. Since then, I still add a few DCD figures to my toy collection each year. There are some beautiful figures in there, but what finally soured me on DC Direct was what we weren’t getting.<\/P><\/p>\n If there is one thing DC Direct is good at, it’s leaving fans wanting more. Fans never got the “big 7” JLA in the same style\/scale. Fans never got a full set of the Endless. Fans never got a complete group of Titans from any one era. Fans never got a good Zatanna (despite three attempts). And fans never got Watchmen figures based on their comic looks.<\/p>\n The difference between Watchmen figures and the other things mentioned was that we actually got to see the Watchmen figures. DC Direct had them on display at the 2000 San Diego Comic-Com. They debuted a Comedian (w\/ alternate heads to capture his three main looks), Silk Spectre, and two versions of Dr. Manhattan with varying degrees of translucence, but were unable to bring them to market. It’s complicated.<\/p>\n Yeah, we’re not calling out DC Direct for violating cardinal toy sin #2 by showing us figures that they didn’t release because it’s not entirely on DC Direct that they didn’t come out. DCD showed the figures at SDCC 2000 and anticipated having them out in 2001 to coincide with the 15th Anniversary of the Watchmen series. What they hadn’t taken into account was Alan Moore. Suffice to say, an agreement between the two parties couldn’t be reached and a planned 15th anniversary graphic novel was canned. The figures were shelved along with it. And Watchmen fans, circa 2001, were crushed.<\/p>\n We had been shown amazing Tim Bruckner sculpted figures of some of our favorite characters and then been summarily denied. Now, this wasn’t my first experience with this type of bitter pill. There was already fourth wave Super Powers, Earthworm Jim Series 2, Iron Man Series 5. It happens. But not getting the Watchmen figures tasted especially bitter. So much so, that I still remember it\u2019s sting as we come up on the 10th anniversary of the figures being shown. <\/p>\n Since its nearing the 10th anniversary of the 15th anniversary, we’re nearing another milestone. At least, if you put any stock into those 5’s & 0’s being more important than all the other numbers. I don’t know what the specific roadblocks that keep the Watchmen figures under wraps. I’m guessing that Alan Moore or Dave Gibbons retain some manner of control over merchandising rights despite not having a controlling interest in the property. I suppose it’s possible that DC Direct just kindly cancelled the proposed figures to be amenable to their wishes, but I doubt it.<\/p>\n
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