In 2007, Mattel was granted the rights to produce action figures of all DC Comics characters, although the company indicated the agreement excluded the DC Comics imprints Impact Comics,Vertigo, and WildStorm.[1] DC Universe Classics was first announced at San Diego Comic Con 2007, with the first wave of action figures on display.[2] The line was scheduled for initial availability in January 2008.[3] At SDCC, close-ups of the second wave of action figures were shown, along with a line of 3" game figures that sold as the "Fighting Figures" sub-line. The second wave of Classics figures (and variants) was shown at Wizard World Chicago, alongside the first wave of figures. The third wave of figures was announced in October 2007, with photos being shown in the December 12, 2007, issue of ToyFare magazine. The fourth and fifth waves were announced at the 2008 New York Comic Con, and three of the five (six, including the Collect and Connect figure) figures from the sixth wave were shown at Wizard World Philadelphia in May 2008. More figures were revealed at the 2008 San Diego Comic Con and on MattyCollector.com.[citation needed]
The final wave of action figures to be sold at retail was Wave 20. The line was re-branded as DC Universe All-Stars and included Superman (New 52), Superboy Prime, Batman (New 52), andRed Robin, but was later canceled due to fan criticisms and lack of retailer interest. It was then rebranded into two different lines. One for Batman and one for the rest of the DC Universe; the lines were called Batman Unlimited and DC Unlimited, respectively. These lines were cancelled in 2013.
Mattel emulated Toy Biz' Marvel Legends Build-A-Figure concept with the DC Universe Classics line, which featured "Collect and Connect" with five (and later, six) separate figures including pieces to build one of DC's larger characters. Variant versions of figures include the same piece as the regular version. Collect and Connect figures are at least 25% larger than the regular figures in the wave.[4]