Dark Knight Returns Batman Uses Masters of the Universe Classics Arms and Legs
In a recent video at YouTube Mattel reveals that, despite what was posted last year, the new Dark Knight Returns Batman toy uses more than just the shoulders of a Masters of the Universe Classics action figure. According to the video the toy uses the “arms and legs” and that the other parts are new. I could totally believe that and, as I already said, reuse is fine with me. All I wish is that Mattel had said this from the beginning.
Parts reuse, when appropriate, is nothing to hide from or be ashamed of. Parts reuse allows a company to produce a wider variety of action figures and helps to keep costs down. And keeping costs down and offering more toys helps everyone, from the company to the retailers to the fans. If anything, I feel companies like Mattel and Hasbro should be more open about reuse and the reasoning for parts reuse.
Parts reuse is not a crime. It’s smart business.
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Scott, you’re telling me that the arms and legs that are identical to MOTUC parts, are MOTUC parts!?
I just find it incredibly odd that they ever denied that they were reusing these parts in the first place. Especially since the biggest appeal of this Batman for many people is specifically that it uses MOTUC parts and therefore fits in that scale and style. Why run from that? I’m hoping they release a DKR Superman using the same parts.
Mattel is so strange some times. This is one of those situations where saying “we reused MOTUC parts to make this almost picture-perfect DKR Batman” and everyone (everyone who cared about these things, at least) would’ve said “wow, that’s really clever and imaginative”.
Instead, Mattel has spent years telling us how expensive it is to make entirely new parts, and then they go “NO, NO. WE MADE BRAND NEW MOLDS FOR PARTS IDENTICAL TO ONES WE ALREADY HAVE!”, for… what purpose? So we’d all think they’re stupid? So we’d think they’re wasting the (apparently) already slim budget for figures on completely pointless things?
Love the screen capture.
Ol’ ToyGuru needs to invest in a set of collar stays, man. Those things look like they’re about to fly off his shirt.
I’m wondering if the torso was a modified MOTUC torso. But I don’t have the figure so all I can go by is online pics; I still haven’t seen this toy in the wild.
I went ahead and ordered this Batman yesterday. Entertainment Earth had a few available for a couple of hours, and it’s worth paying shipping so I don’t have to waste the time and gas going all over the place looking.
I’m excited to get him. This will also be my first figure from Mattel for 2013, and my first DC figure in over a year (I picked up the wave 20 green arrow last January as an impulse buy, and was pretty disappointed with him.)