ItsAllTrueReview: Deadshot
& Wildcat (& Wildcat)

NoisyDvL5

Fourth in our five-part series featuring the ninth wave of DC Universe Classics, this review covers Deadshot, Wildcat, and Wildcat.


These two figures represent the “new pieces” dichotomy of DCUC9. More than other waves, this go around seemed to produce figures with a ton of new parts or hardly any at all. For Wildcat, we again see a character portrayed by a buck with only a new head and lower limbs. Specifically, Wildcat has new clawed feet (w/ textured souls), forearms with bandaged wrists, bandaged hands, and his head. The variant, which we’ll go into later, is exactly the same, but molded in a different color plastic.

Deadshot is the feast to Wildcat’s famine. More in line with the builds of SP Mantis, Canary, and Green Arrow, Deadshot features a new head, a new upper torso, new biceps, new forearms, new belt, new calves, and new feet to finish off his iconic look.

Articulation is standard on both figures, but they’re affected by a recent trend we’ve seen in the DCUC9 and DCUC10 figures – limited head articulation. The up and down motion is basically non-existent on these figures. We love the ball-jointed heads, but they need to work. It’s one of the most expressive joints on the figure and it being blocked takes us back to the sub-standard cut/swivel joints of years past. We as fans need to voice this concern to Mattel and get the figures back to the more freely moving heads of the earlier waves.


Paint really isn’t an issue with either Wildcat. Both of them are largely showing off their molded color and both of them look fine doing so. The paint apps on the whiskers seem to be a little sloppy – just a bunch of black dots, but it’s not that distracting. His eyes are molded on a separate piece than his cowl and painted well. The added depth really sells the otherwise monochromatic figure.

Deadshot is soaking up the cost of the wave in the paint department too. The multitude of paint apps has allowed more room for slop, but nothing on the one up for review is terribly distracting. The only complaint here is the strange mix of detailing on the torso. The vertical lines on his abdomen are done with black paint while the horizontal lines on his collar and molded, but not painted. These really should match one way or the other. It’s not a dealbreaker though, and Deadshot is still a great figure.

No accessories here and there aren’t any obvious ones missing either. We haven’t seen alternate heads as an accessory in this line, so it’s not appropriate to expect them, but these are both characters that go around unmasked about as much as they have their mask on. On Wildcat, it’s not so much of an issue. On Deadshot, even though he’s a great figure, it just doesn’t seem right to not have a Floyd Lawton head. Like Deathstroke, that would have made for an excellent variant.


But, the variants in this wave were the amazing Super Powers Mantis and a secondary color on Wildcat. Obviously, there were some cost issues that went into those choices. At NYCC, we were shown a Guardian variant and only one Wildcat. From what I’ve heard, the Wildcat color variant was chosen as a cheaper alternate to the Guardian variant. That’s understandable – the wave features a lot of new tooling already.

But the purplish/blue Wildcat just seems like a waste. Yes, his costume has been shown that color now and again in the comics, but keep in the mind the source material. And we don’t mean the original black/blue coloring of golden age comics. We mean that his costume is based on a large cat. There are black large cats. There are not purplish/blue cats – at least we haven’t seen any. So, yes, in terms of cost, the Wildcat variant is fine because we’ve seen it in the comics.

But in a wave where the modern Guardian was shown, where a Ted Grant head would be sweet, where a Floyd Lawton head would be awesome, or where a Golden Age Black Canary was a simple change away, the blue Wildcat just seems unnecessary.

Overall, if you’ve been lucky enough to find wave nine, you’ve been treated to some great toys. Even figures of lesser known characters like Wildcat and Deadshot end up great. In them, we also get two big teambuilders with Wildcat adding to both the classic and modern incarnations of the JSA and Deadshot representing the Secret Six (and hopefully, that’s a team Mattel cares about). With the shelves filling up quickly from every corner of the DCUC, it’s hard to give them all front shelf space, but you want to.


61 thoughts on “ItsAllTrueReview: Deadshot
& Wildcat (& Wildcat)”

    1. LOL. This was an accident really. I had them all and then realized if I went back and grabbed a shot of Deadshot/Wildcat, I could tie it all together.

      If I think of one, I’ll do it, but it will still be mostly one-liners for now.

  2. Yes, it’s all Slade’s fault! He set up the false expectation of unmasked variants!

    Deadshot needs to go kill helmetless Barda too.

  3. I still can’t pick out which Wildcat I want. There is something about the non-black one that makes me want it more.

    I really wish they did one without the bandaged hands.

    1. When Vault got the blue one, I started to be okay with it. There is something about that color.

      But he really should be black, so it’s a tough call.

  4. Maybe it’s because Law & Order just came on, but I realize now those pictures form a complete opening sequence for Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

    Can Goren & Eames solve the double homocide? duh-DUH!

  5. Now purple Wildcat can team up with Panthor!

    Now, if I ever find a Deadshot, I’ve got a use for the Tony head from the Iron Man 2pk.

  7. Secret Six is surprisingly good. Mattel should look to get that team out. Capitalize off it’s current success.

              1. I told you ironman two pack head…I’ll take pictures if I have too to prove to you how good it works

                    1. No comment really, I just thought it would be funny to stretch this out more. 😀

  9. Love the webcomic with Deadshot. It is too bad about the lack of Floyd Lawton variant, but I guess I’ll recover.

  10. I went with the blue Wildcat because this one BoP cover always sticks with me when I think of him, but the blue leopard thing? I never thought of it that way.

  12. I’m actually surprised they didn’t give the “blue” wildcat non-bandaged hands… you’d think that would make sense, since it would be the “golden age” version, where he just wore gloves like everyone else. had they done that, I might have kept the variant and not given it to a friend.

    I agree though.. deadshot needs a lawton head. he’s too cool not to have one.

    1. I know! They could have at least furthered a goldern/modern thing with him by switching out to regular arms.

      I’m really sure he was a last minute variant and they just didn’t think it through to it’s fullest extent.

  14. Not really being familiar with Wildcat, the black version is a little too plain to me. So if I were to get one I’d get the blue!

    Deadshot, I kinda want him (if it weren’t too much trouble to find, buy, etc) but he also seems a little too tame, especially considering what I imagined the 4H could do with him.

    Maybe he’s iconic/comic accurate/whatever, but I can’t help but picture the 4H cooking up some WAY more badass gun rigs, for example.

    Also, haven’t I seen him with a jacket/trench before? Maybe that would make him more interesting for me. I know that technically speaking he’s not just a buck repaint, but he doesn’t feel as tricked out as he should IMO.

    So in the end, for me he’s a “I would gladly buy him if I needed the Chemo piece, no questions asked” but since I’m passing on Chemo, I gotta love the figure completely on its own merits.

    Dang . . . se what the FE boards being down has me doing? LOL

    1. This was his look in a mini from a few years back. It was the first time I ever paid attention to him and I really liked it.

      This toys’s accurate, but I’d have loved to see a more armored cowl personally.

      Hey, and FE down or not, we’re glad to have ya!

      1. Aha! Knew that rang a bell!

        Yeah, I would have preferred a melding of the two looks, and with a really intricate gun rig on at least one arm.

        As is, he’s fine, but this is one character who has easy “TOTAL BADASS” potential which they didn’t begin to tap IMO.

  15. Just gotta say I love your captions. Very clever, I appreciate you going for the smart jokes!

  16. I didn’t even know about Wildcat until I saw him on Brave & the Bold!! He’s awesome! ^-^

  17. I can’t believe you called out those Johnny-come-lately Secret Six guys and totally ignored Deadshot’s Suicide Squad connections. (That’s the reason I wanted him, at least. Go, 80’s DC!)

    1. LOL.

      There is the Suicide Squad stuff, of course. It didn’t cross my mind. Oops. I never read the Ostrander run, but I’ve always wanted to. You’re right, though, I should think Suicide Squad when I think Deadshot.

      But I still like the original Secret Six stuff, so it stays on the brain.

  18. I’m really digging my Deadshot fig. I went back and forth on WC, but ended up getting the blue one. I think the black one comes off too plain, like he’s missing something. Usually, I equate black clothing to stealth, like in Batman’s case. What is WC going to do? Sneak around then surprise you with a boxing match? I think the black WC should come with a sniper rifle! Yeah, I know. That’s not him, but at least that way he has a chance against Deadshot! LOL

    1. LOL. I want to give him a Sniper Rifle now…

      I agree that the blue one has something to it, but that runs afoul of my accuracy needs. LOL

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