Brave New World

Move over Batman—it's time to share the spotlight with a legion of new superhero (and super villain) figures in 2008, as Mattel significantly expands its partnership with Warner Bros. and DC Comics to include all of the more than 3,000 additional characters in the DC Universe.

The deal, which lets the El Segundo, Calif.-based toy maker court both adult action figure collectors as well as kids, means many comic book characters will soon be hitting toy store shelves for the first time ever.

“The Mattel team is extremely excited about the entire DC collection,” Scott Neitlich, Mattel's associate brand manager for the DC Universe, tells Playthings. “The many different heroes and villains present a wonderful opportunity to add a variety of new and favorite characters to our new DC Universe Classics (DCU Classics), Justice League Unlimited (JLU) and upcoming Infinite Heroes lines.”

Infinite Heroes are new 3¾-inch figures—a first for DC in that scale—from the biggest DC crossover events. The line, which includes more than 40 figures, is one of Mattel's key DC Comics efforts in 2008, Neitlich says.

As a result, fan sites have been abuzz with speculation about which characters will make the cut and when they will finally be available. Just ahead of New York Comic Con last month—on the eve of Mattel's announcements of its latest releases and exclusives—Playthings spoke at length with Neitlich. In our interview, he provided a behind-the-scenes look at his team's process for creating collectibles, plus details about figures to come.

Playthings: How do you decide which figures to make, to distinguish yourselves from DC Direct?

SN: Our philosophy is to not have characters appear in every line ... we do our best to spread them across all of our collector lines. Of course, the Mattel designers always have favorites, so those characters will show up every now and then when one might least expect it. One of the key differences between Mattel's DCU Classics line and DC Direct is that DC Direct offers artist specific figures.

The Mattel Classics line is sculpted entirely by the talented Four Horsemen designers. Each figure presents a unique opportunity for fans to collect one-of-a-kind interpretations of the many DC Comics artistic stylings past and present. We have a fantastic and close working relationship with DC. When it comes to characters, we work together intimately to avoid potential overlap.

Playthings: Which are your bestselling lines?

SN: The new DCU Classic 6-inch line and the JLU 4¾-inch line are some of our most popular collector lines. DCU Classics is aimed primarily at the growing adult collector market. Similar to the widespread audience appeal seen last year with the introduction of our DC Super Friends preschool-friendly line of action figures and vehicles, DCU Classics also lends itself to a much broader fan base. Both kids and adults know and love the characters, so it was essential that we create and deliver a product line that would appeal to [them both]. We anticipated initial interest from adult fans and collectors with DC Super Friends; however, we were surprised by the overwhelming interest and number of character requests and custom figures for it. We're thrilled that it's generated so much interest among adult collectors.

Playthings: What are your next releases?

SN: DCU Classics Wave 4 will feature Wonder Woman, Ares, Captain Atom, Batman Beyond and Cyborg. The Collect and Connect figure will be Despero, and Wonder Woman will have a variant as Artemis. Captain Atom will be available in silver and gold decos. Wave 5 will be available exclusively at Wal-Mart, and—since this is a bonus wave— we will now introduce six total waves for the year. The final wave will include The Atom, Amazo, The Riddler, Eradicator and Black Lightning. The Collect and Connect figure will be Metallo. We'll also introduce DCU Classics two-packs exclusively at Toys “R” Us, four in total. Each will contain new figures, repaints or fan-requested re-releases. The first will be Orion (with removable helmet) and a new Lightray, and the second will be re-releases of Azrael and Batgirl, [which] haven't appeared on store shelves in years.

Playthings: Are you creating new figures for Justice Society of America, Legion of Super Heroes, Metal Men or Doom Patrol?

SN: Absolutely. We will get to all of these in time.

Playthings: Are there going to be playsets for the DCU Classics or Infinite Hereos lines?

SN: Playsets will likely appear in our 3¾-inch Infinite Heroes line. However, before we move forward in producing larger items, such as the Hall of Justice or the Batcave, we first will determine how the figures performed at retail and if they're an appropriate fit, in line with the overall brand and product statement.

Playthings: Will female characters like Wonder Woman or Supergirl in the Super Friends line?

SN: We're considering the addition of a female figure.

Playthings: Are you planning figures for Legion of Super Heroes in time for its 50th anniversary?

SN: There will not be a Legion of Super Heroes figure line specifically tied to a 50th anniversary celebration; however, we are currently considering bringing these characters to toy shelves soon.

Playthings: Are retailer exclusives important?

SN: [They] are a great way to help drive traffic to our major partners. It also provides an outlet for us to create and deliver additional figures that might not otherwise make it to store shelves. [At Target] we can confirm that The Question will be in the JLU line in late 2008. The line will include singles, three-packs and six-packs. The first wave will consist of Superman (black outfit), Batman (classic), Kilowog, Stargirl and Hawkman. The first three-packs will be Green Lantern, Supergirl and an all-new Captain Atom, as well as Superman, Huntress and a new Galatea. The Wave 1 six-packs will be the “Attack from Apokolips” pack, as well as a repaint of the Gorilla Grodd set. Red Hood will also have a re-deco.

Playthings: Will the JLU line include characters that never appeared on the show? What about Lobo?

SN: Lobo is not available to produce for the JLU line. The earliest one might see non-show characters in the line-up is the second half of 2009.

Playthings: Are Comic-Con exclusives important?

SN: [They] provide an opportunity for us to create collector pieces that might not otherwise fit into our main line. At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, we will be offering a special DCU Classics Lobo figure and a large scale Justice League Unlimited Giganta figure. These two characters did not fit logistically, so by releasing them as exclusives, we are bringing these fan-requested characters to the collector in an easy and ideal way.

Playthings: How big a role does the Internet play in promoting and developing your figure lines?

SN: Mattel works very closely with many of the action figure fan websites, as well as those who attend pop culture conventions and events like San Diego and New York Comic Con and Wizard World. This helps ensure that we are delivering collectibles that meet the growing needs and interests of today's fan base. The Internet has changed action figure collecting in many different ways. It provides a place for collectors to come together and share their interests, as well as generates a breeding ground of wish lists and figure requests. Working with the fan sites and message boards has also helped our marketing and design teams to identify specific lines and figures that we know collectors are looking for.