Club Infinite Earths
Doomed No More!

NoisyDvL5

It seemed the end had arrived for DC Classics. The mocking thermometer had stopped at only two-thirds full and stood as a grave marker for a cool idea. But today, Mattel had good news for the collectors who plunked down their cash: DC Universe Club Infinite Earths is a go!

Here’s the full announcement from FanGirl 2.0:

Hi DC Universe Club Infinite Earths fans!

We have some good news…the 2012 DC Universe Club Infinite Earths subscription program is moving forward! As you know, we did not hit the number of subscribers we were seeking for the club, but we know that there are some very passionate DC Universe fans, so we found a way to make the program work.

Current subscribers will get 6″ and oversized figures according to the schedule that was originally communicated at San Diego Comic Con and online. All figures that have been revealed will be part of the subscription program.

In order to make the program work, we needed to raise prices for day-of sales. So if you are NOT a subscriber, you will be paying more for the figures on the day of the sale. The good news for subscribers is that you are locked in at the subscription rates previously advertised.

And the even better news is that we are exploring re-opening the subscription program for a limited window of time. We’ve heard fans online posting that they wish that they had subscribed, so now you’ll get that chance. Be on the lookout for more details and dates next week.

We still have more good news, we are excited to reveal the winning club exclusive figure…Metron! So all of the subscribers will get their very own Metron, along with his Mobius Chair!

All of this good news will hopefully mean a fabulous start to the weekend for all of the DC Universe fans!

-FanGirl 2.0 🙂

I know some of you might want my thoughts/commentary on this newest wrinkle, but right now all I have to say is…

Hell Yeah.

NoisyDvL5

104 thoughts on “Club Infinite Earths
Doomed No More!”

  2. I’m totally geeking out over the Club logo being in the rocketship. That is awesome!!!

    I am so happy this is going through. I can’t believe we’re actually going to get Jay Garrick, Atrocitus, and Metron is his frigging chair, man!!! Next year is gonna be awesome!

    Hell yeah!!!

  3. I think we all owe a huge round of applause to IAT, SaveDCUC, AFI, Fwoosh and all the other sites that campaigned to get this done! I know some conspiracy theorists will insist that this was going to happen all along, but who knows what the real percentage needed was. The sites that pushed for this got us to the 2/3 and over the minimum in my opinion. Well done!

    1. The only folks we need to thank are the people who were willing to plunk down the cash to get us to that 60% and the people that understand this announcement and will happily pick up the slack on sale day.

      But thank you. 😉

  6. Im not surprised by this one bit. for one there already has been metron proto pics going around and it seems like another matty scare tactic involved. I knew it would go through and the we have to reach this number or else was just a scare tactic to get people to jump in. Regardless matty just needs to trust in their products. Though with QC issues and Digital river, its hard enough to do that.

    1. I agree with you but for another reason entirely: is a corporation that already charged all of our credit cards for $30 going to turn around and refund it? Unlikely.

  8. We better get Rita, now!

    I finally broke down and bought the cheapest GG I could find on ebay to finish Giganta. you don’t want to know how much.

  9. I’m glad that those of you that fought so hard for this got what you wanted,but DCUC is over for me,and I say this as a person who has most of the figures that have been released since the beginning.Sadly,I am not a “Real Fan” because I wouldn’t accept Matty’s figures sight ,unseen and as such, Mattel has chosen to place this subscription on my back as a “Cherry Picker” with higher prices.Well,my response is…HELL NO!! I will not be forced into a subscription,and I won’t pay MORE for figures that are too expensive to begin with.Mattel has basically said that the hundreds of dollars that I give them every year is not enough,so for me,at least, it’s over DCUC,MOTU,all of it.

    1. What you do or don’t buy is entirely up to you, but you obviously want the characters (if not the figures themselves). They’re giving you two options – agree to buy them all or pay a little more – I’m sorry, but I see zero problem with that tradeoff (as long as they do, in fact, reopen the subscription window).

      If you’re not collecting the line anymore with us, you’ll be missed, but this is a win for us.

  10. I just caught this on Facebook. I’m so thrilled for this. Maybe they’ll be able to prove to people who didn’t get on board that this is going to be great and they can get more people next year. Knowing I’ll add Jay Garrick, Starman, and Metron (!!) to my collection has truly brightened my day.

      1. You are speaking my language. 4th World to the Max!!!!! 🙂

        (keep up the good fight with the DCUC Debbie Downers! 🙂 )

  14. On the one hand, I am extremely happy for the DCUC Fans who are now going to be able to continue to get the figures they want and love. On the other hand, as a person who has been collecting MoTUC since day one, I can’t help but feel sorry for you all. Welcome to our nightmare I guess! 😀 it’s always nice to know we’ll have company in our misery! LOL! Seriously tho, I am happy for all of you

  15. Congratulations, Anyone who read the comments on Noisy’s “I have a dream” article know I think that the subscription model is going to ruin the hobby. I won’t let Mattel get away with lies (this whole thing was a Mattel lie) the rewards for poor performances, or the lack of fair honest value for my purchase. Part of me wants to go Rhodes on you and say “Choke on em” but understand the desire for figures as well as anybody. I hope you enjoy guys, but I’m take my ball and going home.

    1. as i always say, it’s not a conspiracy if they’re actually plotting against us.

      one doesn’t have to stretch the imagination too hard to conceive that this was the plan all along, to generate artificial price increases to accommodate artificial demand. i love my dcu peeps, but so long as they support these kinds of business practices, they’re part of the problem.

      1. Not True.

        In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement. There is no limit on the number participating in the conspiracy and, in most countries, no requirement that any steps have been taken to put the plan into effect (compare attempts which require proximity to the full offence).

        1. ah, well… so it’s not true that they’re conspiring against us? cuz i’d say we don’t have proof, but what we have is strong inference from the facts we do have… probable cause, one might say, to investigate further. what say you put that sharp mind to use and get us some warrants?

          if by “not true” you’re referring to my rhetorical joke that a conspiracy is, in popular mind, a secret agreement of action against a party or parties, then you’re kind of right… it doesn’t technically have to be a secret… but you’re also wrong because they are in fact breathing together over there, as the latin roots of the word would indicate. congrats on directly plagiarizing the first paragraph of wikipedia too, way to prove you’re an authority on a topic.

  16. Can’t shake the feeling that you all got played/scared into buying subs. Glad you get to keep DCUC though.

    1. Do you feel you got played into buying McRibs before they go away? Or Disney movies before they go into the Vault?

      If Mattel’s ‘antics’ / ‘goofs’ / ‘marketing’ got people to buy a sub, then so be it, but I was never played or scared. I wanted this before they suggested it. And now I’m off to improve it in whatever way my big mouth can! 🙂

      1. i don’t think those two comparisons are entirely analogous… i don’t feel duped into the mcrib because they’re seasonal, and i know this. i have 20 plus years of experience going into this, and the playing field is level. disney movies… they do make a much harder case that the movie is going away, and for a while, they all do. the re-release into dvd or blu-ray format is done at staged times, and it’s easy to predict that each movie will come back eventually… but they do sit on those films for a good long while until a new format gets proven enough sales data to warrant a release… so like, if i like HD-CVD and bought into the disney releases in that format, i did get screwed… but not exactly by disney by willful manipulation of the market.

        just sayin,, that’s fine, i get where you’re coming from. but mattel plays a much harder game and actively blames their customer base when sales don’t occur… mickie dees has never once run an ad saying “you didn’t buy the mcrib, so screw you, no more mcribs” and disney has never said “well, you didn’t buy robin hood at $25, so because we need to hit a bottom line, robin hood will be $35 from now on.”

  17. I am very happy for the sub (not happy the way it was marketed but that is a whole nother topic), but for all the folks that are against this I think this sub is more of a result of the DCnU be forced on Mattel and that this sub was thrown together to give all those fans of DCUC something to buy since the retail version of these that we have known all these years along with CnC is going away regardless of what Mattel wants. It might sound like I am quoting Mattel, but why else would they have put this sub together with so few details for SDCC and no pre-event hype we normally see for stuff like this? I do not think Wave 20 was going to be the last retail wave until DC gave them the mandate to switch to DCnU-style products for 2012. This relaunch is going to be with us for some time. I really hope NYCC gives us a glimpse at the new retail product that is replacing DCUC…

    I believe DC wants to push this new universe and the toys at retail have to reflect it and that this sub is the only way to get obscure characters in our hands. I really want a over-sized DOOMSDAY, but I think the only way we are going to see him is thru this sub since a Classic version from the Death of Superman storyline at the right scale would be unrecognizable to non-comic book fans on retail shelves (unless that design is part of the DCnU). I agree that price increases hurt, but haven’t prices on everything gone up, from action figures to video games and beyond?

    While I think Mattel has done quite a few things wrong over the life of this line (QC, distribution, store-exclusives), I really think Mattel was put in a tough position at the last minute and this was the best option to move forward. Again, just my two cents…

    1. I have a hard time buying this “DC sprang it on us” excuse I have owned my own business and worked for quite a few with huge supply chains, and we have always had pretty good lead times and lines of communication. All the people involved want to be part of a success (IT MAKES EVERYONE LOOK GOOD) not a failure. I think that Mattel often plays off a perceived ignorance and general affability of the collector community. “CnC is going away regardless of what Mattel wants” this implies that Mattel wanted to keep the CnC, which makes no sense, with the inclusion of CNC Mattel makes more money (see my math in the other CIE article) and surely Mattel cares nothing for profits.

      Again I’m gald you guys got the subs (kinda) but lets be clear Mattel isn’t going to lose money (I would bet they are profitable before day-of-sales). Mattel isn’t not being the nice guy with these subs.

      1. I have to agree with this.

        Evidence:

        a. Mattel has said a number of times that it takes around a year from conception to production. The figures that were shown as teasers were the kind normally shown as “final look” and when the fans point out problems the reply is “we can’t make changes at this stage” which says to me, they’re cutting tooling for these in China even as we speak.

        b. Mattel has had plenty of time and data to decide the fate of the DCU line, I’d say since Wave 15. Moving to a subscription model was a logical move and could have been implemented any time in the last year. Since that DIDN’T happen I suggest that Mattel was content with what the line was doing at retail and would continue to release waves.

        c. DC has been working on this change for some time, or so it seems. Warner Bros wants to have the kind of success at the movies that Marvel has had since Iron Man. Everything is pushing to make the comics like the movies. Batman is Movie Batman. Superman is (upcoming) Movie Superman. Wonder Woman is the hit TV Series Won…OK, next. Green Lantern is the Mega Hit Movie Greeeeen…um… anyway, if the comics look like the visual media then naturally there’ll be a synergy of paradigms that will maximize the ‘Q’ of the entire concept incept. (WHATDIDHESAY?!?!)So the toys have to look like the comics which have to look like the movies aaaaaaand Mattel figured things would be as they always have been but no.

        d. And now the kicker. Subbers are locked in at the current price because there’s a contract in place FOR THIS YEAR while anyone buying on impulse pay an even higher price. Recall, Mattel makes 100% of the sales on these now, not the 35 or so % of the MSRP they get currently from retail (wholesale price plus the cost of any co-op or ‘buy back’ plan in place plus the fixed costs of the ‘shelving footage’ buy they may do. I mean, you do understand they’re PAYING for that 8 foot of Barbie Aisle, right?). So, much higher profit margin on these figures and I would bet two toes that the next year sub raises the price.

        I wonder if you buy EXTRA figures and you have a sub, do you get charged the sub price or the higher ‘ala carte’ price? There’s a good question for the next run, huh?

        1. steve, that last paragraph is slow clap worthy all by itself… it’s incredibly easy to forget all those retail mark-ups that are built in to product purchases… so for them to retain the same level of profit, the sub prices should be substantially LESS than the existing retail prices we’re experiencing… and certainly should not increase.

  20. Enough of the belly aching over DCUC. When am I getting my Justice League #1 action figures? I’m liking the new costume more than the old ones.

    1. Boooo!! LOL

      But hey – if they make some articulated bucks with nehru collars and extra lines etched in, the part reuse shouldn’t be too high.

  23. Steve and TS, Yeah I see where you are both coming from on the Mattel stuff. Good points to think about. It think this whole issue has raised a lot of good questions.

    Also, I think that even if you have the sub and want to buy extras a la carte, you will get charges the a la carte price, not the sub one. That would be my guess…

    1. Yeah, day of sales will be higher regardless of if you’re a subscriber or not – DR either can’t handle combining pre-orders and new orders (or charges more for it), so there’s no chance of that happening.

      And, yes, it’s also likely that the 2013 subscription will be at the higher price (or they’ll go up proportionally). Heck, it sounds like that is going to happen with the MOTU brand too from what TG’s been saying.

      1. Which is crazy, since honestly all of these lines are overprices, especially when you factor in the S&H. plus I have been reluctant to mention the Toy guru comparison of the price increase for day of sales to magazine subscribers and off the rack magazine buyer. These is ridiculous since TG must know that magazine subscriptions are regularly 85% off cover price, not cover price with a price increase for off the rack magazine buyer. This kinda goes back to my “Mattel often plays off a perceived ignorance and general affability of the collector community” comment. But al of this is moot, it’s clear mattel is going to have it there way regardless. And I am going to buy marvel legends.

        Don’t get me wrong I’ll have complaints about Hasbro but to-date Mattel is the Grand Prize game winner of evil toy makers.

  24. Happy happy news!

    I’ve been making wish lists based off DC Direct figures that I’d like to have in scale with my DCUC Collection… but your banner graphic reminded me that I would love to have a silver age Jor-El (sunburst logo!), too!

    Mattel has already given us a Marlon Brando Jor-El. So… this guy isn’t totally outside the realm of possibility, right?

    Unlike, say, my brilliant plan to follow up the Legion 12-pack with a “Women of the DC Universe” 12-pack to fill in every JL team, ever.

    I’m pretty thrilled again, now. Thank you for your initial marketing push to get things moving! We did it!!

    1. Thank you, but I maintain it was the folks willing to plunk down their money – subs and day of people – that deserve the props. I’m glad there are more positive fans than negative fans out there.

      And I would love to get a Jor-El like that. I’ve actually got a pile of “Superman Legacy” characters that I want building up. Hopefully, Mattel can get the subline off the ground, even if it has to wait for the movie.

  25. What’s more interesting at this point is how many accessories these figures will come with since they will no longer come with C&C pieces. Has Mattel stated what these guys will come with?

    Because if, for example, Atrocitus only comes with his red lantern or Jay and Starman don’t come with anything, Mattel will have a hard time justifying a price hike for non-subbers on sale day.

    1. I’m working on article about accessories and heads, but the problem is the production run. There’s no way that the subscription can be selling as many units as the various retailers order and those decreased production runs up the per unit price considerably. What I’m hoping for is that Mattel receiving the full market value of the toy ($15+) instead of their cut of the retail sales will simply cancel out the increased production costs and leave some room in the budget, though the possible second decrease (caused by the lack of signs up and the further raised unit price) is surely to be the first hurdle to overcome.

      That said, I don’t know how much positive impact we can have on the first few. They’re likely to be the Fakers & Stratos of the DC line, but hopefully things will get better as we go along just as it did with MOTU (with the occasional dud).

      1. THANK YOU! This has been driving me nuts as I read this crazed conspiracy theories about how evil & greedy Mattel must be. They’re a company out to make money and we’re consumer who want value. It’s not some epic battle between good and evil.

  26. I’ve been crunching some things in my mind, to take my brain away from some recent events, and I come up with this:

    DCU was $15 MSRP (OK, $14.99, happy? 🙂 ), and the figure would come with a C&C piece (which, one assumes, the development costs are split to all the figures in the wave, which does have an effect on the price) and maybe an accessory or two, the cost of which is worked into the figure development.

    Now, we assume that the costing of a figure can be affected by how many ‘buck’ parts can be used un-altered, where costume details are carried by the paint app and not sculpting. No matter what, most figures will have a new sculpted head. A slip over part to make a costume detail is cheaper to produce then cutting tooling to alter a buck part, unless that new tool can be re-used for other figures.

    One cost that nobody factors is the part of the production line where someone contorts a figure into the specific ‘action pose’ tray. I know it sounds strange but that HAS to take more time then having a ‘straight up’ figure and slapping that into a tray. Time is money. How many figures are the line workers breaking as they twist and jam them to fit the trays? But the ‘wisdom’ is you have to show how action-fied these figures are and not the barely movable things McFarlane produced 15 years ago.

    So, now, the Club. Figures won’t have C&C parts yet the price is the same, and in the case of the ‘ala carte’ buyer the price is higher. They’ll still be contorted into their trays even though there’s no need for that kind of ‘look at me!’ packaging. Accessories, unknown but LIKELY to be no different from now, with odd, mysterious omissions.

    And the figures? Dunno if I have the proper perspective but boy o boy those look really heavy on the buck and light on newly sculpted parts. Which if my logic holds means the profit margin for Mattel on these is through the roof.

    And they’re UNSURE about the lifespan of the line?

    Shhhyah.

    1. You should probably put some thought into the reduced production and how it affects per unit cost before you try to figure how much money Mattel is making.

      1. Yeah, but again with whatever factor you can invent, I would make white bet that this sub is right now today profitable. Maybe not 100% thomometer profitable but I can almost grantee Mattel is in the black, as you point out they are a company and more so in the bussiness of making mIndy. I don’t think most businesses are “evil” but I think that most have grown so use to the double digit growth at all costs, that they often seem cold and uncarIng, Mattel is no exception.

        1. Mattel is definitely in the black – no one should ever doubt that. If they’re making toys, the money’s flowing. I do appreciate they’ve moved into an area where they’re more willing to look at smaller business models instead of filling up 4ft at a toy aisle, but I also know that’s partially economically driven rather than their willingness to work at that scale.

      2. I have put some thought into it. Naturally these are all ‘phantom’ numbers but I think I’m on solid ground.

        Don’t forget, with the major B&M retailers they have to ‘eat’ some amount of unsold figures due to the ‘buyback’ or ‘return allowance’ they have to make to get the retailers to buy the product in the first place. Since there’s so FEW national retailers anymore (and only ONE toy store chain) Mattel has no choice but to take the terms.

        So the ‘reduced’ production run for the club may in fact end up being in-line with ‘actual sales’ Vs. the current ‘hoped for sales’ production runs.

        Or look another way. If they make a profit now on a (estimated) run of 10,000 cases x 6 figures per wave, and that’s with the cost of a C&C figure built in, PLUS the co-op costs paid to retailers to carry the line and the return allowance, how could they NOT make a profit on 5,000 units of one figure per sale date, with NO C&C figure costs put against it and ZERO funds spent on retail placement, zero funds spent on return allowance and minimal advertising?

        1. Do you know how insanly high per unit production cost would increase if the production dropped from 10k to 5k? Bad example! 😀 It’s moot anyway, as Mattel would close up shop if they were selling as few units as you’re using in your estimates. The numbers are higher, the discrepancy higher, so on and so forth.

          1. But 5k has become a default standard with the boutique toy world. 5k is the usual run for many toys produced for the comic shop biz. Look at DC Direct. They’re producing figures for a market that’s roughly 3000 stores, not all of which are even ordering them or just ordering one case as a special order for a customer.

            What’s the highest number you’ve ever seen on a figure case you’ve gotten from BBTS or someone? case x of y? I’ll wager y has rarely been over 500.

            Otherwise, Mattel is going to take a GIANT hit on these.

            But damn me for a fool if I had the money I’d order 3 of the LSH set when it’s available. And hope for more Legion figures in the sub.

            1. Well, Mattel isn’t going to take a hit. This is a profitable endeavour for them (provided day of sales just don’t completely tank) or they wouldn’t do it.

              DC Direct does produce only about 2k-3k per figure, so things can be made profitable at that level – cheaper molds, no insert molding, less articulation, tons of other stuff someone smarter than me can probably rattle off right away. All I know is that how DCD does thing is not how big companies do things. Small companies have to be savvy, big companies have to pay for the dishwasher in the cafeteria.

              To me, Mattel’s willingness to work in the 10k neighborhood is a sign of just how poorly things are going in the toy aisle. Ghostbusters is suspected to be somewhere in the 7500-10k area while MOTUCs have runs around 15k. And while that sounds like a lot considering, we should note that it hasn’t been enough to trigger any interest from the dinosaurs upstairs to move the line back to retail even though TG has let us know there has been inquiries from retailers. As for the sub, I haven’t heard anything about the specific number Mattel needed, but if Mattel is willing to jump in with both feet for 7500-10k (on something as un-hot as Ghostbusters, no less) – then the thermometer would indicate they needed more (whether you want to think of it as fanservice/enticement or a scare tactic). From there you can make two leaps of logic – 1) 100% on the thermometer was equal to how many units were sold at retail or 2) 100% on the thermometer was less than retail, but equal to what needed to be produced to keep $15 at the price point (with the C&C removed, but getting the full retail value). If you prefer the first one, well only 60% signed up – so the production is cut by a third. I tend to think the second is more accurate though, that they already expected/accepted a decrease in production and then were dealt a second decrease in production by the turnout. I’ll know more when they announce the price point for the day of sales…

              1. I posit that the key reason Mattel won’t move MOTUC to retail is because they won’t pay the money to buy 2 feet of aisle space, fund national co-op advertising and otherwise do the heavy lifting of driving traffic to the store.

                Resources are constantly being committed to whatever mayfly movie license is available and ‘institutional memory’ constantly recalls the industry being caught by surprise by Star Wars and never, ever wants to miss the chance on grabbing that BIG HIT new license.

                Man, I love the new “Avatar Extreme” toy line with bolo-launcher blue cat chick…oh, wait, there ISN’T a continuation line?

                Or like the Green Lantern movie. Oh, sorry, too soon? 🙂

                A new MOTU cartoon would help, of course. Movie, not so much. Not unless the toys became ‘bent’ to reflect said (phantom) movie.

                (note: Bolo-launcher is my go-to for toy gags because Kenner used some version of that for EVERY SINGLE LINE they made, or so it seems. I derive great amusement picturing a goofy action figure variant packed with a bolo-launcher. So sue me. 🙂 )

                But seriously, until Mattel understands that the toy marketplace isn’t like the ’60s anymore and combine that with the knowledge that catering to the scalper…OK, ‘aftermarket resell’ mentality is a losing game, we’re just going to keep getting dicked around on this stuff.

                1. I always prefer “action-reaction-multi-action crossbow”. Vault and I made that up about Total Justice back in High School and it’s always stuck.

                  I honestly don’t feel dicked around. I’d like to pay less and get more like any good consumer, but I have this amazing DC collection and I want it to keep going until they’ve exhausted every possibility (or I can no longer afford them, whichever comes first).

      3. here’s my question, (and we really need an inside man on this to give us a proper idea of a number) exactly how much does production numbers actually affect price per unit? we know the numbers are tied, but like compare mattel figure lines to NECA lines… specifically, let’s look at gears of war vs dcu. the gears figs are selling a fraction of the numbers of dcu, maybe 10% to 15%, and they use a more complicated buck with more tooling and more paint aps, and, CNC music factory aside, they tend to come w/ more accessories… so by rights, the gears figs should be much more expensive. MUCH more expensive. instead, in the last 4 years, they’re revised the three core bucks 3 times to ADD articulation and improve quality, while staying at that 15 dollar price point… how has the small company, producing the smaller run line, doing this, while DCU has remained virtually unchanged, except for the 50% price hike in the same time frame. how does that work? because while one could easily say that mattel has more overhead costs involved, and it does, i’m admitting that right up front, what mattel also has done is provide earnings statements that indicate while sales figures are down, profits are up… meaning they’re making progressively more profit per unit sold in the last several years. earnings statements include factoring in costs of doing business, so increases in employee pay and benes, all that jazz, is factored in and they’re still rolling in it.

        just saying, i don’t think that units produced is the end-all, be-all statistic to figure profitability that we’re making it out to be.

        1. Because Mattel still has that multi-million dollar lawsuit to pay to the Bratz makers, and needs to fund it from somewhere!

          Also, Mattel has higher overhead costs due to having more employees, office space (rent is NOT chea in El Segundo, CA!!)

          Plus licensing fees – Gears just can’t cost as much as a master DC license that includes Batman & Superman for licensing!

  27. Sorry iphone buttons are little, and it has a mind of it’s own.
    White should be huge and mindy should be money.

    The bigger question is why am I at a Denny’s at 3:30am worrying about Mattel and cie?

  28. Mercury’s a liquid from -38.9° C to 356.7° C so I don’t know what he’s on about. But yes, a metric thermometer (Celsius) is 0 to 100° C. Not that that has anything to do with percentages. I think Mattel’s just fascinated with visuals that don’t make sense when you think about them. Just look at Matty’s face, for instance. 🙂

    Congrats, enjoy your Batmans! 😛

  29. I AM SO HAPPY I LOVE THIS LINE!!!!!!!!!! im kicking my slef in the ass for not getting the subscription but ireally hope they re open the subscription and i really hope this opens up the chance for a monarch figure and parallax hal jordan and some more black lanterns……and maybe a brain and monsiour mallah wont be to much to ask for to have an enieme for my doom patrol

    1. I’m sure they’ll reopen a window. It benefits both them and the consumer, so there’s no reason not too. It’s also the right thing to do after announcing that day-of sales would have a price increase.

      I’d happily snap up all of your suggestions.

      1. Thx i was practically definate positive about them re openign it and iv been wanting a monarch an dbrain figures for ever i actually put up a vote of characters on facebook on the matty collocter page of 10 diffrent characters yu should check it out and everybody is wanting the ocean master and superboyprime the most and parallax hal jordan next in line

          1. O YEAA….i always hated the look of the the infiniate heros figure we need an awsome one with a detachable head…..and who do you want the most man

  30. Look I am one of the silent majority who buy DCUC, gets the MOTUC sub year after year, but dont post in any forums.

    I think this is all a huge ploy for Mattel to create another MOTUC in the High-End Japanese toy mold- high price, low availability, fanboys do your marketing for you on forums… even bigger profit for Matty and the fat cats. Keep in mind MOTUC and its low ad budget have been the envy of almost every toy company out there. Even Hasbro’s jumping in on the overpriced-subscription-megaprofit$ model. Im just disgusted to the point where I dont even want DCUC in my collection anymore.

    Mattel has the highest markup per piece in the industry right now. We all know they cost less to make than they say!!! They have a big hit in DCUC for years now and the 1st 1/2 of 2011 they hit peg-warmer saturation, and retail needs batman, superman, etc in high quantities to keep it a hit… they slept on it, collecting their money, for years. Now WB is messing with them, forcing them to get the new DCnU figures to retail ASAP- and of course Matty wants to bleed your wallet rather than cut a high class vacation to hawaii for Matty and other execs!

    Whoever 1st brought up a few weeks ago on the Matty forums that they should just raise the price should be beaten down with a Giganta figure.

    I’m sick of Mattel and its complaining they don’t make any money off of MOTUC and DCUC, blame it on the fans, and collect an insane markup per figure. When these were $10, they collected epic profits and now that it’s double, who is foolish enough to believe them when they cry “buy the sub or we kill the lein” – dag i’m ashamed of us as a community of collectors. When they say we’ll buy anything, sight unseen, as long as they make it tough to get, i guess we really are as dumb as they say.

    I’m sad that you guys just bought into it, I expect it from AFI and the Matty advert machine they’ve created over there. I hope Matty gives you guys a big check for shilling for their sub so much, you doubled their profits and probably won’t get anything for it except more vague or condesending Q&A answers, good job.

    1. I appreciate you taking the time to comment, but you have a lot of inaccuracies & assumptions acting as facts. Fun Publications is running the Joe subscription, not Hasbro. I haven’t heard of Hasbro (or any other major toy company) trying to start a subscription-based program, so if they’re envious, they aren’t acting on it. What source do you have that Mattel has the biggest markup in the industry? When does Mattel claim to not make any money on the line? We all know they make money – we want them to make money on the lines. How do you know DCUC was pulling in epic profits in 2008?

      I don’t mind having a conversation about your point of view, but you need to bring facts to the table (and admittedly they’re in short supply – one could simply draw positive assumptions in response to you and get nowhere). Right now, though, you’re using assumptions to vilify Mattel, calling us shills, and my readers cattle – and with nothing backing you up but your gut feeling.

      As for what I get out of it? What I get is Jay Garrick, Atrocitus, Starman, Poison Ivy, Metron w/ his Mobius Chair, and what comes after. All of which I will happily fork over the money for once the subscription starts. I didn’t campaign for the sub so Mattel could have a better 3rd quarter report – I want the toys. I don’t really give two thoughts about Mattel and their profits – if I did, I’d be buying stock, not action figures.

      Those of us that campaigned for the sub stayed positive and did what we could to get what we wanted. I wish more folks were in that frame of mind.

      2. And to be ‘that guy’, on the Japanese thing:

        Figures are only in short supply and high cost to we in America due to the currently insane exchange rate and the low numbers ordered by the few exporter companies that cater to the Gaijin market. If you’re buying from a company based in the U.S. like BBTS you’re super screwed.

        In JAPAN the majority of figures are priced at what the market is comfortable with and pretty easy to get, THERE. Yes, there are show exclusives that are painful but again, the secondary market in Japan is pretty on the ball and many times you can pick something up for about the cost it was sold at. Depending. Sometimes.

        (can’t believe that Roger Smith was the show exclusive. idiot Figma people.)

        Anyway, it’s not a direct thing that Mattel would copy. They can screw things up just fine all by themselves Bandai in Japan, however, seems to be making notes of how how we plan to fail on some things. 🙂

                1. I don’t blame you. Ask me about Bandai’s ‘Armor Plus’ line sometime and how they completely screwed the pooch with that, and then the Tamashii Web online Japan only exclusives… 🙂

                  So, OK, you’ve got Roger. Have you got his car?

                  http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n103743126

                  (don’t panic, it’s only 8cm. long, so bigger than Hot Wheels, I’d say roughly around what Corgi used to do)

                  And for your cosplay needs

                  http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/150428029

                  heheheheheeh I’m a bad bad person. 🙂

      3. Steve I’m glad you mentioned it – im not talking about Bandai or their releases- I’m talking Bounty Hunter, Medicom, Hot Toys – companies that let the sheep do their marketing for them, and present a “limited edition” scare-tactic in order to drive sales. All three of these companies, and i’m leaving many smaller ones out as well, utilize the internet and their communication with customers in a scare-tactic way, if you don’t wait on line, you’ll miss it. In their 2007 public shareholder meeting, Hot Toys was mentioned by an exec as a popular boys brand that utilizes the internet to promote their products in a free, viral way.

        Attack my points all you want NoisyDvL5. If you think Mattel has taken a single loss in their boys products you are completely wrong.

        – Fun Publications or Digital River- whoever fulfills the order, it’s still HASBRO branded products shown and sold! Nitpicking details doesn’t make your point of view right!

        – If these things cost more than $2 to make, I’d be surprised. That’s about how much these cost out to! If that’s not the case, then Mattel makes less than $10 profit on a case of toys! Show me evidence that I’m wrong!

        I’m sorry but it doesn’t repair your integrity on this. If you want to make Mattel into a hero, maybe you should rethink that. Maybe you’re forgetting Infinite Heroes, and the 2007 toy recalls. They’ve been raising prices to pay for those recalls across the board for years now! You’re a **review site** that suggests SOME type of integrity, but when you make a website and a big charge to sell Mattel’s products for them, without compensation, you’re not the brightest star in the sky.

        Or maybe you do get compensated. We don’t know. But I do know that any Mattel review you publish from this point forward is null and void in the integrity factor.

        I think it’s naive to the point of ridiculousness that you guys took up the Mattel marketing banner, and defend it by saying “it’s what I want” – all the while making things worse on the toy isles, and everyone else who DOESN’T get free toys in the mail every week.

        1. If you’re going to fall back on indignance, I don’t know what you want me to tell you. Your facts still aren’t straight (Digital River & Fun Publications aren’t alike, it’s not a minor detail) and you’re still having to move to an extreme (where did I say Mattel is losing money?) to keep talking. And now you’re looping me into your assumptions, suggesting a conspiracy where I get secret kickbacks from Mattel and don’t tell you guys. As long as you’re trying to be right and justified in your disgust, then there’s no discourse here. You’re not going to convince anyone they’ve sold their soul with inaccuracies and exaggerations. Reverse our positions – if I was trying to tell you that you’ve made some colossal misstep and using assumptions you know are wrong, how would I sound to you?

          1. And please explain how Digital River (a bad company pretending to be a fulfillment partner) and Fun Publications (a magazine company pretending to be a fulfillment partner) are any different really in this context? One is Mattel’s partner on Matty.com- the other, Hasbro’s partner in the gi joe sub. Saying they’re “different” seems like you’re trying to dig yourself out of a hole.

            1. I got news for ya, Noisy’s not the one digging here, pal.

              Fun Publications makes their own Joes by sculpting original pieces and mixing them with molds and characters licensed from Hasbro. They aren’t administrating anything for Hasbro, they’re the ones doing the entire thing. It’s nothing like DR, a company that just sells and ships the figures.

              Noisy, I know I just fed the troll too, but you shouldn’t waste your time.

                1. Obviously I can’t speak for the site itself, but if IATrue has ever gotten free stuff, it has not been mentioned at all. Take the Aqualad review on the front page- would a shill site ever get a product sample that was defective warped? The megator review was so late because of some subscription kerfuffle involving digital river (I could be misremembering those tweets, feel free to correct me on that mark). and there was that weapons rack thing a few months back (did that ever arrive or get a review?).

                  There could be a suspicion based on how predominant Mattel products are here, but a far simpler explanation is just that mattel has a strong resume of products. And the experience is just as flawed as a normal mattel experience, not a marketing department approved experience that the fwoosh gets with their first looks.

                  1. And if I may come to the defense…

                    I don’t know any of the people here, altho I think I’d enjoy hanging with them and talking toys. But what I see is just a bunch of guys who want to have some fun talking about crap they like.

                    No real agenda, no booster-ism, just voting with their Dollars and telling people why they spent their money.

                    Noisy pushing the DC club? It’s not for a kickback or free toys or anything, he WANTS to spend his money on DC characters, hopefully ones he really wants. Naturally he’s going to promote that.

                    I’m glad I found IAT. They’re my kind of people.

                  2. Thank you, Henry.

                    For anyone not following IAT on Twitter, the answer to Reech’s incredulous question is “no, we don’t take product samples from Mattel”. Normally, there is little point in answering someone that comes at you like this because they simply take a different tack after they don’t get the answer they want (as Reech did, I’m still a shill – but not one that gets free toys), but since we had to make a big 30 tweet, multiple comment ordeal out of it – I’ll head this one off at the pass. We review what we buy, and we buy what we review. And if that’s not the case, we tell you.

                    Also, as Henry so aptly pointed out – a quick read of the reviews on this site – while positive, cause that’s how I roll – show us taking Mattel to task if we feel it’s truly widespread and/or important. We don’t right articles about “Meddlor”, the lost DC neck articulation, or explaining to Mattel what they need to do to fix the sub to ingratiate ourselves with the big giant head. In fact, I’d much rather think they curse my name in those Matty cubicles rather than laud it.

                    Steve, Henry, Adrian, Von, Dayraven, Jedicreeper, J1h15233, and those of you who e-mailed me privately. I appreciate it. It’s good to know that we have a little brotherhood going here and that you guys are part of the extended family. Thank you!

                2. um, sweetness, if i may… i’ve known most of the IAT crew since before there was an IAT, and the closest they’ve come thusfar to getting free product from mattel was BBTS replacing a defective figure for them. this site pays for the pieces it reviews.

                  whatsmore, this community is pretty damned awesome, in that, we allow people of all thoughts on their toys to post their POV relatively freely… i personally have said a lot of the things you’re saying about the matty sub policy and their handling of their respective lines. one needs only look at their profit statements issued quarterly (and publicly) to see that boys toys, as a division, continues to be profitable even while total sales units are down…

                  but, and here’s the catch…

                  i’ve never accused anyone i don’t know of profiteering. when i don’t know, or lack evidence for my beliefs, i don’t tell anyone “you have to prove me wrong for me to be wrong” i always adopt the position “if i don’t know, i admit it, and if i’m supposing, i admit that, and describe where and how my thoughts are coming together.

                  you sir have lost your damned mind. there’s no respect, nor ration, nor reason in your statements, and you’ve yet to provide even a suggestion for where the data you’re insinuating exists might be found and verified. you’re attacking people with ZERO factual info to back your shit up, and making a fool of yourself. leave the windbaggery at the door dude, and either back up your fallacious POV, or cram it up your ass. g’night.

                  oh, and if you’d like some tips on how to win back some points w/ this crowd, offer von diesel a tip of your hat for trying to keep you “in the know.” most people would have just let you hang looking like an uneducated tool.

  31. Sheep. All of you. This is Matty’s way of taking more money from you than is deserved. I hope they’re planning on releasing nothing but 30 variations of Killer Moth.

    I love how all of you get so excited about being screwed.

  32. I dont have any kind of agenda, I’m just a HUGE DC fan and i’m ecstatic that the sub it going thru…overpriced or not…repaints or not…sight unseen or not. I always try and see things in this toy collecting hobby from a practical perspective. I enjoy reading all the commentary and speculation about this hobby…but i think that pretty much the entire hobby is overthought. I’m probably in the minority…but i love this toy line and i’m a lifelong DC comics fan. I see no conspiracy or malicious, diabolical plan on behalf of Mattel. Mattel makes toys..period. They’re trying to make a buck in this word just like we all are. They produce toys for children..it just so happens that we like to collect these toys. They’ve come to the realization that its getting tougher to sell a toy to a kid and their target audience has become those kids from 20+ years ago that havent grown out of collecting their toys. I’ve come to grips with that and have embraced that. With all that said….i think i’m in a special position. I dont have kids, i have a pretty good paying job and i have disposible income to spend on my hobby. I love characters and will continue to buy them….$14.99 or $19.00. To me its worth it. I’ve grown up with these characters. From Pre-Crisis to Post-Crisis…from Air Wave to Zatanna. From JLA Detroit to JLI to the classic Silver Age JLA. I love them all and will continue to support this line for as long as its agound.

    I see no conspiracy with this sub. I feel Mattel and the toy designers still see an audience with these characters and are trying to continue the line..AND see a money making opportunity as well. I’m glad they found a way to let this sub happen. Was there a little deception going on as far as the “thermometer” goes?, probably. We had no clue of what Mattels bogey was as for as subscriptions. They could have needed 10 thousand subscribers to go foreward…they could have needed 5 or 100. The point is that they tried to generate some kind of buzz about their sub and tried to get as many people to subscribe….period. Whatever that number was…they got it. The sub can continue We’ve been buying this toy line for almost 20 waves….we have a general idea of what they’re going to look like. We have a general idea of what the QC issues are going to be..AND we have a general idea of what the packaging is going to look like. These are all givens as far as i’m concerned. I’m not expecting a gold plated action figure of MY most favorite character in the whole world, with all the articulation comparable to the human body….i’m expecting a DCUC figure of one of hundreds of DC characters and i’m excited to see whatever they’re going to put out. If you dont like it….dont buy it. If you have the dough to pick one up…grats.
    I voted for Rocket Red. I felt that he’s a characters thats only had a tiny bit of love (JLU) and warrants a full sized figure. That said, i’m glad Metron was selected and look foreward to adding him to my New Gods shelf. I would have been happy with any of the choices…and hope all of those choices end up being made into figures…(BL Swamp Thing, not so much hehe)

    I have the Alex Ross Crisis on Infinite Earths poster framed hanging above my bar at home. Its a great representation of the depth of what DC offers. Its always been my hope to eventually see all of the characters in that poster to be given an action figure.

    1. Right on, good sir. (Though I don’t know if I’d so openly tell Mattel I’ll pay whatever, we do have to keep those buggers somewhat in check 😉 )

      But Air Wave to Zatanna? Music to my ears. I have that same Alex Ross poster on a wall just behind me. I see it every day and I think exactly like you – I want all of those, by sub, by retail, by multi-pack, by whatever. We’ve got the sub coming. The rebranded retail line might just not be as awful as we feared. I think 2012 might just not be the disaster we thought it would be after the panel at SDCC.

  33. Man I look away for a few days and look what happens. I have gone back and forth with a few folks on here before (hey DayRaven) but it has never gotten ugly like this recent poster. It has always been in good fun and polite.

    Not that you need more praise, but I am a huge fan of the site and have never felt like to cater to Mattel in anyway. They happen to put out ALOT of product and much to my wallet dismay, they do not space it out very well in a lot of cases. THAT is why you review so much Mattel stuff. That, and you love their toys. Despite the many mistakes they have made over the life of this line and others (JLU, Generation Rex), we still have way more action figures then I ever thought we would get in DCUC and will get more with this new sub IN ADDITION to 4H sculpted new retail stuff for the DCnU. Also, why do people get such pleasure out of seeing other people unhappy? Why are people happy to see a line of toys that people like just disappear?

    Keep up the good work Noisy (and when are we gonna get a daily toy-based comic strip a la Twisted ToyFare Theatre?)

  34. Has there been any update on whether or not Mattel is re-opening the DCIE sub for new people? Seem like they should have done it right after the announcement that the sub went through, but I have not heard anything since. Maybe they will say more at NYCC?

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