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Remember when Mattel was just Hotwheels and Barbie? Not anymore folks. Mattel is kicking butt and taking names with the DC License and He-Man. And it doesn't hurt to have the Four Horsemen doing the sculpting on your feature products.
Batman
Ok, ok, so I've already touched on this one. Still, there's MORE to talk about after Toy Fair. Hehehehehe. Beyond the umpteenth versions of Batman, Mattel showcased a number of vehicles, a Nightwing/Batman Two-pack (woohoo!), and best of all, a 12" Batman figure that has a utility belt that actually holds stuff!
Good; the Four Horsemen doing most of the sculpts!!!!! Whether it's a Jim Lee influenced Batman for Zip-Line Batman or a Joker piece that Brian Bolland would be proud of, these figures finally LOOK like the characters from the books. Oh yeah!!!!!!
Bad; But you have ONLY ONE VILLAIN??!??!?!?!!!!! Ok, ok, this is series, one, but how about one more? Maybe a second-string character like Bane or Killer Moth? ... ok, drop Killer Moth.
Ugly; Stealth Wing Batman??!??!?!?!?!?!!!! No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Justice League
Better late then never, right? As part of the license agreement, DC passed on the molds from Hasbro to Mattel to create a line of JLA figures. Like the Batman-TAS pieces, these figures capture the simple lines of the JL animated series very well.
Good; At last the Super Seven all on your shelf!!! Ok, so it's not the same as the Silver Age version with Hal Jordan, or the latest one with Kyle. Still, it's one of THE gathering of heroes in comics.
Bad; How come there are no VILLAINS? Hello! Mongul, Felix Faust, et al. Sure, you have a Supes/Luthor Two-pack, but come on people.
Ugly; Haven't we done this already?
He-Man
You can say all you want about Harry Potter bringing Mattel back, but it was really He-Man that did it. No more tired, lame molds, we finally get into the realm of Collector Toys with real sculpts, detail, the works. And now, time to rake-it-in with TONS AND TONS of figures, ranging from more characters like Buzz-Off to more vehicles and play-sets. Ah, let the cash keep coming in... and the figures still look COOL.
Good; Four Horsemen, Four Horsemen, Four Horsemen. Redundant? Yeah. True? Unquestionably. If anyone else were doing these, they would just look like another toy.
Bad; Stop short-packing the supporting characters!
Ugly; Exo-Armor He-Man?!?!??!?!!!!! Oh boy...