The next assortment of Mattel’s new 6.5-inch action figure line has officially arrived at retail, and I have spent the last few days putting the entire lineup through its paces. Wave 1 gave us a decent foundation to build on, but this new mix promised to expand the roster while keeping the budget-friendly $13.99 price-point intact. Now that I have unboxed the whole set, I am ready to share my complete Mattel DC Premier Wave 2 review.
This assortment officially consists of four figures: a comic-style Superman, John Stewart’s Green Lantern, a Stealth Suit Batman, and a Jokerized Batman. While there are some incredibly fun elements to look at here, especially when it comes to the modular accessory systems, I also have a major concern about the overall direction of the line that needs to be addressed.
The Breakdowns: Superman and Green Lantern
Starting off with the non-Gotham characters, the classic Superman is a solid entry. The head sculpt is excellent, offering a clean, generic comic look that hits exactly what I want from a core line. The dark blue on the suit looks a bit metallic under heavy studio lighting, but in hand, it is a nice matte finish with clean line details mirrored from the 12-inch scale version. The articulation buck is identical to previous releases, featuring double-jointed knees and a boot cut. My only real gripe is the lack of an “S” shield on the back of the cape, which is interrupted by the plug-in port for the modular gear. He comes packed with awesome Total Justice-style Kryptonian armor plates and a twisted metal girder accessory.
Next is Green Lantern John Stewart, which is easily my favorite paint application of the bunch. Mattel did a phenomenal job detailing his eyes with a crisp green finish that stands out immediately. Upon closer inspection, I confirmed that this figure utilizes the exact same body buck as Wave 1’s Hal Jordan, but with a new head, and a lighter, metallic green paint finish on the torso. His construct armor accessory sprue allows you to build massive heavy-duty blasters and an oversized forearm gauntlet that captures his military background perfectly.
The Batman Over-Production Problem
Now we have to talk about the Caped Crusader. Wave 2 brings us two more versions of the Dark Knight, which marks my fourth and fifth Batman purchases early into this line. Both the Stealth Suit Batman and the Jokerized Batman share the exact same body buck as the previous versions.
The Stealth Suit Batman features a solid black paint application with a gold belt and a gold outline around the chest emblem. For $13.99, it looks fine, but it highlights a massive problem. I completely understand that this is a kids’ retail line and Batman drives sales. However, this level of character over-production so early in the line’s lifespan is incredibly concerning.
The saving grace of the Batmen variants lies purely in the accessories. The purple-suited Jokerized Batman features a unique, sinister mouth sculpt and comes with an awesome pale-green accessory sprue that actually glows in the dark flawlessly. Furthermore, the wave introduces modular character masks, including a Jokerized Superman mask and a Green Lantern mask, that fit onto the standard cowls, allowing you to build out a larger accessory display wall using the connectable weapon racks included in the packaging.
Final Verdict
Ultimately, the figures themselves are highly competent and full of play value for the price point. The articulation is consistent, the accessories are genuinely fun to assemble, and the paint apps are generally sharp. However, for a line to truly sustain itself, Mattel needs to look past Gotham. I want to see this line succeed, but I need more character diversity in Wave 3 to stay fully invested.
