DC Collectibles via USAToday announced a number of interesting upcoming Flash products that are guaranteed to knock the socks off of older and newer Flash fans alike.
First up, we have a brand new DC Collectibles 6″ action figure line called DC Icons. Not only will the series be featuring characters and designs from the New 52 but they will also be mining the classics; In the second wave, due out in Late 2015/Early 2016 we can expect to find Barry Allen circa the Crisis on Infinite Earths and featuring a brand new Cosmic Treadmill!
DC Collectibles (then known as DC Direct) has released a Crisis on Infinite Earths-style Barry Allen AND a Cosmic Treadmill in the past. Crisis Barry featured an interchangeable withered, dying head and was released way back in 2006 in the second series of Crisis On Infinite Earths figures from DC Direct. Unfortunately, that entire line was marred with poor paint applications, limited articulation (at least compared to the newer releases), and fragile joints.
The Cosmic Treadmill was released even earlier in an excellent box set alongside Silver Age Barry Allen and Wally West (in his original Kid Flash costume, no less)
Not only did we get our first (and only until Dec/Jan) Cosmic Treadmill but we also got a toy replica of Barry’s costume ring that opened to reveal a little patch of red, yellow, and white, that was meant to represent his uniform. So awesome! Speaking of rings…
Yeah, that’s right. I hate to spoil anything but honestly I can’t even really describe what it is without doing so…
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SPOILERS
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They are releasing a replica of the Reverse Flash’s signet ring from the hit CW Show, The Flash! For those that are still reading, A Reverse Flash uses this special signet ring to access his uniform that is located in a hidden compartment inside of a wall that stores his suit; a great modern twist on the costume-storing function of the ring. I’ve always loved the fantastic nature of how Flash stores his costume, especially the Wally West suit that was created from pure Speed Force and then later, as his powers developed, was eventually able to condense it into a ring as a nod to his (then dead) mentor, Barry. In that vein, DC Direct released a sweet version of Barry’s original ring a few years ago. It wasn’t really wearable and there was no workable hinge but still…Flashtastic.
The Impulse in me couldn’t really wait so yeah…I’ve acquired a couple of Flash-style replicas…
*Note: (Counter-Clockwise) The first two are Flash CW Replicas (without the cutesy lightning bolt on the band AND in the vein of The Flash) and the last was a Christmas gift from the family.*
Last but not least is arguably one of The Flash’s greatest archenemies (or Rogues), Captain Cold! Cold has been realized on the CW show in a solidly accurate version in the style of the show The Flash spun off from, Arrow:
I still can’t believe they kept the freakin’ PARKA! YES! I would have loved to see a little scene of how he acquired it but I have to wonder if maybe Mr. Gambi isn’t waiting in the wings somewhere to outfit them (The Rogues) with something a little more…familiar. In any case, I’m just happy to be getting more figures from the show. I haven’t really had a chance to express my feelings about it on Speed Force, but this show makes my entire week! I can’t wait to get Flash, right around my birthday, and I also can’t wait to see who else they will be making from the show. As one can easily see, for the most part the costume is a more utilitarian version of what we are used to:
But at the same time I like that the core elements (tee hee) are still represented. As you can see the Good Captain has gone through a number of incarnations over the last few decades or so (thankfully they left out bald Len) but I like that the parka and goggles still persist as a part of the uniform, even down to certain explanations. 😉
Long story short: Right now is a great time to be a Flash fan! I have to be honest, I’ve not been reading the current comic series, but with Convergence coming up, along with the show on the CW, airing Tuesdays at 8pm (Eastern time), and now a new 6” action figure series featuring a classic version of the Fastest Man Alive and not only that but an upcoming Rogue and a Prop! I hate to overuse exclamation points but this is one situation that definitely calls for it!!!!!
I will definitely be preordering every one of these Flash collectibles and the entire DC Icons set the second I get a chance to. It is a little annoying that the most of the previous DC Collectibles’ releases are going to be way out of scale (action figure-wise) but at the same time, I just love seeing new products on the shelves, especially new Flash products. I am, however, hoping that they stick to this aesthetic for at least a little while; I have more than two hundred (200) DC Direct/DC Collectibles releases and while I know they are a company that needs to make money consistently it is getting a little bit frustrating buying the same characters over and over again. Mix it up! But not too much…I still need my Flash fix.
So who ISN’T excited about these upcoming releases? And who (like moi) plans on buying every last one of these new releases (barring the statues, meh)? Please let us know in the comments below!
Thanks for reading,
Aw man, I have my eye on Len (of course), Wells’ ring (any word on the price?), and Barry with the Cosmic Treadmill. I’ve never gotten the previous set with the treadmill, so it’d be nice to have.
I almost certainly won’t be able to wear the ring due to metal allergies, which is a bummer. So for that reason I may or may not get it.
IGN listed the Reverse Flash Ring will retail for $34.95. Shapeways.com often has a number of flash ring designs available for print in different materials which may be worth looking into if metal allergies are a big concern.
Thank you, ElfGrove and Veronica — I’ll look into those! I can wear gold and titanium, and possibly silver, but any other metal causes unpleasant reactions.
For those of you who are interested there is company that sells genuine gold and silver Flash rings. It can be found at Superherorings.com. Only thing is that the Flash logo is based on the one from the Justice League cartoon. And it takes about five weeks. But the ring is very beautiful and is heavy.
I pre-ordered the Flash ring
Ring (opened) and the cosmic treadmill. Already have a few of Barry, but that action figure looks well made.
I’m not big on action figures these days, but that ring looks awesome.
Maybe they’ll re-release when their movie comes out. Hoping in that the ring design will not be drastically changed. (Why mess with a good thing?)
Devin, y’r slippin’ man, you forgot about a couple of figures that were also announced at toy fair this weekend….
The Flash Sprukits which will take a little bit of touch up paint to make look good as the eyes and generally the face itself on the thing is not going to have any paint applications.
And then there are the Reaction figures based on the new Flash TV show… Looks like we will be getting Flash and Captain Cold judging by the pictures. Google it, you should be able to find them right away.
That Cosmic Treadmill will be mine. I am still contemplating the ring. I think we’ll be drowning in Flash merchandise over the next few years with his hit show on the air.
Hi, where did you get the rings on your second and third fingers? Thanks.