Toy Review – DC Signature Collection Platinum w/ Tin By Mattel

Finally! A DC Club Infinite Earths Signature Collection action figure that feels like the sort of thing we were told we would get!

Mostly.

Back in 2011 when the DC sub was first proposed we were told that it would be the best source for obscure characters. It would also provide accessories and features that simply wouldn’t work in retail packaging. Since then we have received a whole bunch of accessory-free figures, many of which were slated for retail before the DC Universe Classics line was cancelled.

But Platinum here not only finishes off a team, she also comes with Tin. It might have been nice to get a fully articulated version of the most diminutive of the Metal Men, but after a few years of Managing My Expectations I feel lucky to have gotten him at all. And as far as accessories go he’s not too shabby.

First Glance: Seeing two figures – regardless of size and level of articulation – in a DC Signature Collection box is mind-blowing. On top of that, they both look really good. I’m as enamored of shiny objects as the common crow or raccoon, but even taking that into account Platinum and Tin look neat.

Articulation: Platinum has what is basically the standard for Mattel’s DC figures. 

Head – ball joint

Shoulders – swivel/hinge

Biceps – swivel

Elbows –pivot

Wrists – swivel

Abdomen - pivot

Waist - swivel

Hips – swivel/hinge

Thighs - swivel

Knees – pivot

Ankles - pivot

The hair is short enough that it doesn’t interfere with the movement of the head and the joint is built in such a way that it can move as much as you would want it to.

The triangular piece on Platinum’s front limits how much her abdominal joint can bend forward, but not much.

The skirt obviously interferes with the hip movement, but that’s just part of the look of the character. I’m okay with it. Better than the weird alternative of a skirt that is part of the sculpt with joints cut into it.

Sculpt: Platinum has a new head, forearms, and calves. 

Platinum’s hair looks great – a real standout sculpt amongst the ladies of Mattel’s DC lines. I like that it has a definite shape and almost a weight to it. I feel like the sculptors knew they could do something a little different with a character that is consciously able to manipulate her hair regardless of gravity, product, or humidity. The little hat on top is silly, but it looks like it should. I’m not crazy about her face. It’s just a bit too long and narrow. She looks kind of alien. I would have preferred a rounder, more Marilyn Monroe type of face. Don’t get me wrong – it looks fine, it isn’t a bad sculpt. I just would have preferred a different shape.

The new forearms and calves are done with rivets at the tops of the boots and gloves to match the triangle on Platinum’s torso. They look good and the placement of the rivets is precise.

Otherwise Platinum uses the same body as most of the rest of the DCUC females. It works much better when it is all one color than it does in some other cases. Ideally – in my opinion – Platinum would have been a little more curvy and 50’s pinup shaped as opposed to this athletic build, but I understand why she isn’t. All in all what we’ve got here works well.

Coloring: Aside from the black used for her eyes, eyebrows, and the “P” on her hat Platinum is a uniform metallic grey. It looks nice and is a different hue from Tin and Steel. I think Mattel’s designers did a great job with giving all of the Metal Men distinctive colors that still worked together. 

The black used on Platinum’s detailing looks very good and is applied well, particularly the eyes. They used a bit of white within the eyes themselves to give the figure some life and it looks really good.

Flair: Platinum has a separate but attached skirt and triangle thing on her torso.

The skirt is a softer plastic that allows for just a bit of movement in the hips. It has a good shape and the top blends well with the upper torso, creating a look that is uniform and appears to be a short dress rather than two separate pieces of clothing.

Which makes that triangular piece a bit weird. The way it is sculpted suggest it is supposed to be a sort of front piece of the dress, but the placement creates an odd thing when the figure is viewed from the side – sideboob. 

Since these DCUC bodies are sculpted to be women with catsuits or unitards or whatever on, the sculpt means that when you put another piece on top it looks like that is clothing and the boob part… isn’t. Honestly the triangle just becomes confusing when the figure is anything other than standing and being looked at straight-on. But they did the best they could and for the most part Platinum looks good and like she should look.

Accessories: Platinum comes with Tin, a full separate figure. The sculpt on this little guy is fantastic and since Mattel was able to make him from scratch he look just like he is supposed to. He only has three points of articulation – head and shoulders – but that’s okay. He has a distinctive color and looks great standing amongst his larger brethren. I give Mattel all the credit in the world for their execution on this little guy.

The problem here is that – like Lead – Platinum does not include any arm attachments. The rest of the Metal Men came with one or more pieces that attach to their arms to represent the various tools or weapons that they could morph into. I understand that Platinum comes with Tin and that’s great, but we have a precedent here. This is pretty much like if Hasbro decided to stop including lightsabers with Jedi figures. It just isn’t okay.

Packaging: It’s a neat little window box. I dig the packaging and I love the art on the backs. It looks very classy and does work to make these bare-bones figures seem more special than they really are. The bio on the back tells you as much as you need to know:

This bio would work for any of the Metal Men minus the last couple of lines. I didn't realize Platinum was first.

Value: $23.70 (including shipping) actually isn’t too bad for what you get here. I still feel like arm attachments are a necessity, but to get a whole separate figure is pretty good.

Overall: Aside from the lack of attachments I think this is the best Platinum we could expect from Mattel. I’m happy to own her and think Matty did a pretty solid job.

4 out of 5

If you want the Metal Men you’re going to have to buy Platinum. If you don’t care about the Metal Men, I can’t imagine you’ll feel the need to own her. I doubt very much Matty will offer her again, so you’re stuck going to eBay or BigBad if you really need one.

-Phantom