Articulated Discussion Review - DC Universe Classics Wave 7 - Blue Beetle

3/31/2009Review - DC Universe Classics Wave 7 - Blue Beetle

Ted Kord is one of those characters that only becomes super popular after their death. His death caused a good old fashioned ruckus among a lot of comics fans, and bolstered his reputation in the process. It's a pleasure to see a well made figure come out of this popularity in Mattel's ever growing roster within the DC Universe Classics line. This toy does Blue Beetle some of the justice he deserves by giving fans a little something to hold on to.
 
Name: Blue Beetle
Line: DC Universe Classics, Wave 7, Figure 3 
Manufacturer: Mattel
Released: Early 2009
Price: Retail: $11.50-$13.99, Online: $12.99-$17.99
Scale: 6.25 in.
Accessories: Gun
Collect & Connect Piece: Atom Smasher's Right Leg
     
     Blue Beetle uses a basic body sculpt that is shared across multiple figures in the DCUC line. It is a slimmer build that looks more athletic than it does bulky, and it's actually a great fit for good old Ted Kord. He has really proportionate parts and looks great from a lot of different angles. His hands, feet, and head all match one another size-wise, unlike Beetle's little DCIH brethren which suffer from swollen hands syndrome. His costume is quite simple, requiring only four unique molded pieces: his head, belt, gun, and holster. Each of these look great, with crisp details and accurate designs. They did a good job at making him look distinguishable despite his rampant part re-use by using just a few new molds. His face has some nice features and a neutral, if slightly wry expression. There are nice sharp lines for the details in his face, no soft edges under the Four Horsemen's watch. This does look almost precisely as I've always envisioned Blue Beetle, so I'm quite impressed.
     Kord's gun has an almost comical hairdryer-like design (see the comic at the bottom), but it works with the character and even fits into the holster quite snugly, which an be difficult to achieve. Although all together this is a wonderful sculpt, I don't think I can call it perfect just because of the simplicity. One thing that's beginning to bother me with DCUC males is the lack of any sculpting in the lower torso. Men in the DC universe must have perfectly flat and texture-less "crotch areas" because all of these toys are smooth, flat, and super rounded at the bottom. This might very well be a necessary evil for the articulation, but adding a slight ...well, bulge seems like it would be more accurate. Even though he has a few minor problems, this is still a well executed sculpt that captures a classic character in his classic design, which should make a lot of fans happy.  

Sculpt Score: 9 / 10

DC Universe Classics Wave 7 Blue Beetle


      Blue Beetle has a surprisingly intricate paintjob considering his relatively basic design. There are two shades of blue that are the exact right shades so that they're distinguishable from one another but still complement each other too. This must have been really hard to achieve, but Mattel did a nice job with it, both matching the look of the character in other media, as well as making this toy attractive in its own right too. The only other color we see is a very small amount of yellow on his belt, the details in his eyes, and the clear yellow of bubble eyes on his mask. All of these look good together, and the skin tone comes across just right. There is a problem with color matching from some body parts to others, particularly at his thigh cut which has a noticable shift to a darker blue on the lower leg. This is almost certainly because of a different plastic being used, and isn't particularly new to the line. It's a distraction, but not a deal breaker. 
     Applications are  otherwise done well in most areas. The black lines that separate his costume colors do just that, separate them well, providing an extra level of contrast that brings out the cool design of his costume and bug emblem on the chest. These thin lines are usually straight and the correct thickness, but in a few areas that taper too thin while other spots have fuzzy edges. Although those mistakes are present, I'm still quite satisfied with how clean the lines came out. There are two issues that might fall into a design standpoint instead of application, first that his chest emblem isn't centered with his abs articulation, one of the bug's legs much closer to the articulation than the other, and secondly the darker blue on his shoulders doesn't line up with the darker blue on his chest and back simultaneously, which should have been striven for in a neutral position at least. The work around his face is very tight, and it seems like his eyes are great too, yet they're difficult to actually see behind the goggles. One final problem is some slop, with a strange green spot on his knee, and some black marks on his back that don't belong. 

Paint Score: 7 / 10

DC Universe Classics Wave 7 Blue Beetle   


      For a line that has been plagued in the past by broken or problematic joints, DCUC has righted itself recently, and Blue Beetle came out perfectly in this regard. All of his articulation works well, moving smoothly, although still tight enough to hold poses. Even after messing around with his joints for a while, most everything is still great to work with, only the ab crunch is a little loose, and it still manages to rest naturally in a neutral upright position, so it's not a big problem either. There is enough articulation to find a lot of dynamic stances or battle positions, specifically he has hinges at the abs, elbows, knees, ankles, and hips; swivels at the at the biceps, wrists, thighs, hips, and waist; the rest of the points are "ball style" shoulders and neck. I'm still in love with this kind of hip arrangement which offers ball-style movement without the visual eyesore of a typical ball joint.
      On that note, all of the articulation meshes well with the sculpt. The Four Horsemen have done a great job at balancing a diverse articulation model with attractive sculpting and Blue Beetle is just another figure that's a product of that balance. Some people may think that the shoulders come off wonky, but they don't bother me at all. Gaps are small and unobtrusive between pieces, so very little of his great sculpt is visually broken. In the end, you can't find every possible pose that you might want from this guy, but there are plenty of movement options which allow you to add personality and life to your shelf.

Articulation Score: 9 / 10

DC Universe Classics Wave 7 Blue Beetle   

      Blue Beetle isn't one of DC Comics' top-tier characters, but as a central figure in the Blue & Gold duo, as well as a constant presence in the background for the last 20 years (and don't forget he's the basis for a core Watchmen character), Ted Kord has gained a lot of popularity, especially after his death a couple years ago. This cult popularity will make a lot of people (including me) enjoy this toy all the more, particularly since there aren't a lot of other choices for plastic renditions of the character. The toy itself has a pretty basic design that won't jump out at kids or moms, but it is once you get him out of the package that he becomes more fun. His articulation model is great for play or display, allowing him to fight with the rest or stand proudly next to Booster amongst other JLI members (if Mattel gets around to them).
     Included is an accessory, that while not that dangerous looking, does add some options for fun (even more interesting if you're a hairstylist by profession). There is also a holster on his belt, and being able to store the gun with a closable flap and all is always a blast. People love when characters can store their weapons, so Mattel got that aspect right. Something that BB avoided which made past DCUC figures unenjoyable is the quality control issue. Without a single problem in this respect, Beetle avoids all the frustration and retains all the fun, which is really quite a bit. Even the packaging is nice with cool photos on the back, along with a biography and history of the character, as well as detailing abilities and weapons he might use. Having a Collect and Connect piece in there with him is another entertaining function, because building that final huge character is always a cool memory. 

Fun Score: 8 / 10

   DC Universe Classics Wave 7 Blue Beetle 

     This figure cost me about $12 at retail, whereas he might range from $13 to $17 at various online retailers. At $12, I actually think this is a particularly good deal. Nothing is broken with the figure and there is no word of any consistent quality control problems across this wave, so the one you buy will most likely be free of problems too. Having faith in that fact is something new to DCUC, and let me tell you, expecting a non-broken figure when you rip through the bubble is a nice feeling. Blue Beetle also exhibits a strong sculpt, clean paint, and a nice articulation model, all of which is at a price that's very competitive to other toys in the 6-7" scale, so I have trouble complaining. Beetle's not a big action figure by any means, but he has a nice weight and is average-sized for a 6" figure, so you're not getting ripped off an the amount of plastic in the package. The accessory may be small, but every little bit helps. The biggest contributor to the perception of value here is that he includes a Collect & Connect figure piece, and when you buy every toy in the wave you can build a huge Atom Smasher, so Blue Beetle provides you with a "free" chunk of another toy. The packaging itself isn't amazing, but it has nice photos, as well as some biography information. Be warned that a lot of people are stealing the C&C pieces and then returning the otherwise new figures to the store, which would definitely severely impact worth.  

Value Score: 9 / 10  
DC Universe Classics Wave 7 Blue Beetle

Summary

9 - Slightly simple, but still attractive design, looks good from all around, extra little details work well, perfect facial expression, good accessory, sculptless crotch is bothersome. 

7 - Some clean applications while others aren't great, slop in a few areas, colors were picked correctly, colors don't match across body parts, face looks great, clear goggles!, accessory wasn't left out. 

9 - A lot of articulation that all works very well, looks great with sculpt, no loose or broken joints, could be a few more obvious additions to make him more posable. 

8 - Great articulation model for play/display, comes with an accessory and holster, C&C piece adds fun, nice packaging, less than famous character, simple design, no action features. 

9 - Price is okay, but it could stand to be a hair lower, average-sized figure, includes an accessory, comes with C&C piece, nothing's broken, packaging has some nice elements. 
DC Universe Classics Wave 7 Blue Beetle
Overall Score: 83 / 100 - This is a Great Toy

Beetle is a really strong entry into the DCUC line that avoids quality control issues, thus standing strong in every important category. 

P.S. This could be the figure I'm giving away this month, just leave a comment for a chance to win (if it's the one).

-The Articulated One 
DC Universe Classics Wave 7 Blue Beetle
Comments (27) | Author: The Articulated One

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