Comparing Mattel and Mcfarlane's DC figure lines vol 5
12 more figures are lined up this time to take a look and see how Mcfarlane and Mattel fare against one another. Characters and designs from all across the Multiverse ranging from classics to the Rebirth era, some Elseworlds sprinkled in, with a couple Green Lanterns, a couple villains, and only one Batman! While I've been highly critical of Mattel in the past, and still think they were far behind what a lot of other companies were doing with figures at the time of their DC offerings, a few of the figures I'll be talking about today have plenty of great merits and it's fun to think about them while seeing the modern takes Mcfarlane is putting out!
Rebirth Wally West
It did not take long for Mcfarlane to take their awesome Rebirth Flash body mold and reuse it for the Rebirth Wally West version of the design. Mattel's Wally was released around a time where they were trying to update their molds, meaning this version got double jointed knees and a more natural looking crotch piece as compared to previous molds; however, it still suffers from lack of articulation in the arms, wrists, and ankles which the Mcfarlane version pulls off in spades. I will always take sculpted pieces over painted when it comes to details like the chest emblem and other details throughout, along with the more dynamic effect pieces that Mcfarlane's version entailed. Mattel's version almost seems to be based off one of the covers of the "Flash Forward" miniseries that made Wally look oddly cartoony with bright colors, whereas the Mcfarlane version betters captures his colors and overall proportions much nicer.
Batman of Zur-En-Arrh
Right off the bat (pun intended) I'll point out the superior articulation scheme and body proportions of Mcfarlane's rendition that make it look more like an actual person. Beyond that, I love all of the suit detailing with the stitching throughout that Mattel's version only has a little bit of, the laces on the boots, though Mattel's cape is a bit more worn. Both figures come with a baseball bat, Mcfarlane's having nails throughout, but while Mcfarlane's comes with a knife as a second accessory Mattel's version includes Bat-Mite himself which is a fantastic pack in!
Just like Mattel, Mcfarlane pumped out a lot of the Dark Knight Returns designs very quickly and I can understand why with it being a hugely popular story with lots of great characters and character designs to pull from. This suited up Joker is one of them, and Mattel's take on it really wasn't too bad at all. The sculpt of the suit is sharp, really captures the proportions of the character from the comic, and includes some killer accessories like the alternate head with the batarang in the eye! Mcfarlane's take on this character has a purple color to the inner suit that matches the comics a bit better, and some texturing to the suit jacket which is certainly nice. The head portrait is a bit odd though, and I think something like what Mattel did would have been a bit better.
Carrie Kelly became the Robin of the Dark Knight Returns world and a classic character to DC's pantheon. I think Mcfarlane's really tops what Mattel was trying out, Mattel's articulation is extremely limited though I appreciate the newly sculpted pieces. Mcfarlane's figure captures everything about the character from the comics and with more dynamism when taking into account the windswept cape, range of articulation, and the bushier look to the hair. Unlike some figure's we will talk about later Mcfarlane also gave Carrie a clear visor piece for her glasses lenses whereas Mattel's blocks out the eyes completely.
Martian Manhunter (classic)
These suits aren't exactly the same but close enough to make the comparison between them. Mattel's Martian Manhunter uses the same body buck that so many of their figures did, meaning stilted articulation. The trunks being painted on looks very odd whereas Mcfarlane uses a plastic cover which conveys the costume much better though both do have dedicated sculpts for the boots. The windswept cape and hanging cape both do their job, though the collar piece works a lot better on Mattel's figure while on Mcfarlane's it is glued in a bit oddly. When it comes to the body sculpts themselves I will say that I like the veins being apparent on Mattel's figure's body; however, the colors and texturing of Mcfarlane's figure really makes it feel more premium and alike to what I expect from the character.
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner's first figure in Mcfarlane's line was one of the most anticipated from the Green Lantern figure offerings, and I think it fairs very well when compared to Mattel's version of this design. I will start by saying that I do prefer the darker green of Mattel's which matches the artwork better, and both figures have painted chest emblems; however, Mcfarlane sculpted the gloves and boots, not to mention the entirety of the figure having a very satisfying texture whereas Mattel's is smooth, plain plastic throughout. I really like the expression on Mcfarlane's headsculpt, though Mattel's hair sculpt matches the comics a bit more, though the obvious points go to Mcfarlane for their articulation and overall body proportions. When it comes to the accessories, both figures come with a lantern, which I prefer Mcfarlane's translucent plastic for, and a massive sword. Both sword designs work for the character, though Mattel's has a nice extra touch of a giant fist construct to hold the giant sword.
Hal Jordan
Keeping with the Green Lanterns for now, I have Hal Jordan who was released by Mcfarlane as a repaint of their John Stewart figure in a two pack with a repackaged Dawnbreaker. If you have read my comparison of Mcfarlane and Mattel's John Stewart figures there is a lot of the same here. Mattel's Hal uses the same body mold that nearly all male figures used, which is inferior in articulation and body proportions to the more natural looking Mcfarlane figures. Mcfarlane's Hal and John both include a lot of extra detailing in their costume which newer figures like Kyle Rayner are foregoing for a more comic accurate look, but the sculpted chest emblem, boots, and gloves are awesome. While Mattel's Hal got his lantern, Mcfarlane's version got a couple very cool construct accessories with a jetpack along with a big boxing glove!
Rebirth Clayface
Both of these Clayface figures were billed as the Rebirth design, but that is the thing about Clayface is that he can look very different depending on the story, comic, writer, artist and that seems to be what is happening here. Villainous Clayface is always cool, but I am actually a huge fan of his development in the Rebirth era Detective Comics series where he made a turn for the good and Mattel's version of the character definitely invokes his appearance in that series more. In terms of a pure Clayface mold, I think that Mcfarlane's has an incredibly sculpt and the amount of hidden details you can find in it like screaming faces and hands make it one of my favorite figures to mess around with. Mattel's feels more solid, but is also more plain in his muddy design whereas Mcfarlane's literally seems to be melting everywhere. Both figures manage to incorporate movable jaws with inner rows of teeth, and I honestly can't choose between the two, though like I mentioned I am more partial to his Detective Comics look.
Ultraman
I was thoroughly excited when the Crime Syndicate were revealed to be coming to Mcfarlane's line starting with Ultraman, and while Mattel's was based on an overall different iteration of the character their costumes are similar enough to compare figures. Articulation for Mcfarlane allows their Ultraman to get into much more dynamic poses, and while both have sculpted silver ovals around their belt line only Mcfarlane's has a sculpted in chest emblem which looks so much more appealing. I think both cape designs work for the character, and I do find myself split on the headsculpts. The sneer and hairstyle is perfect on Mattel's take on the character, though the red eyes do a lot for the character on Mcfarlane's.
Booster Gold
If you were to combine these figures I think you could have the perfect Booster Gold, but as it stands I have nit picks with them both. Mcfarlane's easily has the superior articulation and you can do a lot more with the figure; however, in an oddity for the line all of the details of the suit such as the chest emblem are all painted rather than sculpted in. This is especially apparent when it comes to the boot sculpt not matching the paint, which is because I think the sculpt base was primarily created for Blue Beetle. Mattel's version of the character has a very nice metallic sheen of gold along with a very charismatic headsculpt, complete with a clear visor piece I wish Mcfarlane's had used. Both figures include a blaster and Skeets accessories, and whereas Mcfarlane's includes an effect piece for the blaster, Mattel's version of Skeet's has a very cool feature where he opens up to reveal Mr. Mind inside!
Like I stated above, I think Mcfarlane utilized the same sculpt for both Blue Beetle and Booster Gold with the primarily intention of it being for Blue Beetle. We can see that the paint for the boot sculpt matches up, and he does have a different crotch piece that includes nice belt buckle sculpting. Unfortunately, the chest detailing is simply painted on, though looks much more clean and striking than Mattel's rendition. As always, Mcfarlane's articulation wins, and their sculpt looks much more like a natural human being. They also include a very cool effect ray for his beetle blaster, and my only wish is that they would have utilized clear plastic for the figure's visor like Mattel had.
Constantine
There is something about Mattel's attempt at Constantine that feels off. It has the blocky pant sculpt they used for plenty of figures, the ugly crotch piece, the same limited articulation that's widely outdated at this point, but I'm thinking it comes down to the headsculpt. It seems to long and narrow, almost square-headed, though the scar is a nice touch. Mcfarlane's version of Constantine also feels a little off when it comes to the face; however, the rest of the sculpt is a proper update to the past with plenty of articulation, a very nice sculpt that shows the ruffled, unkempt nature of John Constantine, not to mention the spell casting accessory and spell book he includes to really pull together the package.
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