In Defense of Club Infinite Earths!

     Near the end of July each year, Facebook pages and action figure message boards come alive with discussion regarding the reveals at the San Diego Comic-Con.  I, like hundreds (if not thousands) of fans just like me, scour the Internet looking for snapshots of what is to come in the toy aisles or online toy sites in the year ahead.  Inevitably, many people are dismayed at their top choices not being part of the line-up, and still others are overjoyed to see that their pick made the cut.  In perusing the message boards these past few days since the close of SDCC, I have seen a noticeable uptick in the amount of negativity expressed toward, specifically, the DC Universe Club Infinite Earths subscription service and Mattel.  I have quietly subscribed each summer in hopes that the line continues for yet another year.  When the end of the subscription sign-up period has ended, I have waited anxiously for the final announcement, and rejoiced when its life was affirmed.  This year, I feel a certain duty to offer my perspective on a toy line that has brought incredible joy to me and my family because, quite frankly, I fear that the preponderance of negative feedback will deter many would-be subscribers and bring a premature end to the collecting days of people just like me.

     The most common complaint I have read over the years regards Digital River, the customer service organization that processes the online subscriptions.  I have no doubt that, yes, people have been displeased with their experiences with this company, and have been frustrated with little to no assistance with their unique situations.  However, people need to know that this has not been the experience of everyone.  Over the past several years of purchasing toys through Digital River, I have never experienced a single problem.  I ordered the Legion of Superheroes 12-pack, and it was delivered to me without hassle or frustration.  I needed to change my address a little less than two years ago, and I was met with professional courtesy and quick service.  When I called again months later (in anticipation of the beginning of my subscription) to verify that my address change had indeed been processed (and I did so after reading all the horror stories), I was assured that it had.  Sure enough, my action figures came to my new house with absolutely no problem.  After having my credit card compromised (through no fault of Digital River, by the way), I called to update that information, and, again, the customer service representative handled my situation with professionalism.  I experienced no interruption of my subscription service.  Again, in no way do I doubt that errors have been made and customers have been upset with their service, but I know that I am not the only person who has had a resoundingly positive experience.

     Other complaints center on the fact that we are asked to subscribe to a service without knowing even the majority of what we are purchasing.  Would I like to know precisely what will be delivered to my doorstep from January through December?  I believe that goes without saying.  However, from a business standpoint and from my perspective, I understand that Mattel would only reveal a limited number of action figures.  If the subscription fails, Mattel has minimized its losses by only having “tool’d” four figures instead of thirteen.  To me, that is simple business sense.  Still, people will ignore that issue and demand more figures to be revealed before they subscribe.  While in no way is this even remotely an exact comparison, I have never expected to see every issue of Consumer Reports or Entertainment Weekly prior to subscribing to the magazines.  (And lest I be digitally crucified for comparing magazines to toys, as far as I know, there are no other action figure subscriptions to properly compare, so I simply chose the most common of subscriptions.)  I placed a trust in the company that I will pay up front for their service (and, yes, I realize that the price comparison shows a stark difference as well) and hopefully be rewarded with a satisfying product.  Have there been issues of Entertainment Weekly that I merely flipped through and discarded?  Of course.  But, on the whole, have I been pleased with their news coverage and articles?  Absolutely!  And the same holds true for both DC Universe Classics and its subscription extension, Club Infinite Earths.  Was I really crazy for Poison Ivy?  Not especially.  But when I also get to enjoy figures such as Metron, Saint Walker, and most recently, Freddy Freeman, I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my personal investment has paid me back exponentially.

     And that is precisely where I, and hopefully many other potential subscribers, will center their thoughts…on the enjoyment of it all.  I got back into collecting action figures (after a lengthy addiction through the 1990’s to WWF / WWE) with the Alex Ross Justice line.  After that line drew to a close, I began looking for something to augment that limited collection.  I still remember purchasing my first DC Universe Classics figure, Cyborg from Wave 4, and adding him to the collection on my desk at work.  (Yes, all the pictures are from my desk at work...how I get away with this, I will never know!)  It was exciting.  The more I looked into the line and discovered all the various characters, the more excited I became.  Whether scouring the aisles of Target or Wal-Mart or Meijer, the thrill of the hunt was exhilarating…frustrating when I could not find what I was looking for, and amazing when I tracked down that last figure to complete the Collect and Connect figure…like Chemo, or Imperiex, or, yes, even the Anti-Monitor from the colored lanterns wave.  Having subscribed to Club Infinite Earths the past two years, I feel that same excitement as I anticipate and finally see a box outside my front door and tear it open, revealing that month’s selection.  My two sons have even caught the collecting bug with me.  I cannot count the number of times my sons have looked through the DC Universe Encyclopedia and asked, “Dad, do you have this guy?”  This connection I share with my sons through these action figures simply goes beyond words, and when it all comes down to it, isn’t it really all about the kids anyway?

     The package may read “Adult Collector,” but I firmly believe that every person who has collected DC Universe Classics or subscribed to Club Infinite Earths is really attempting to retain some sense of his or her own childhood.  Honestly, being an adult really sucks sometimes with all its responsibility and political correctness.  A simple action figure can harken a person back to a pure moment of childhood innocence.  I grew up in a single parent household with not much extra money for toys.  Every action figure I collect as an adult makes the child inside of me smile a little bit wider, and my children get to experience the happiness that I never knew so many years ago.  That level of happiness is positively priceless.

     With the demise of both the DC Unlimited and Batman Unlimited lines, Club Infinite Earths is the only hope we have to retain the excitement of 6” action figures, to experience the anticipation and amazement of that monthly (or quarterly, depending upon your shipping choice) figure, to be a child once again, to pass on the love of collecting to one’s own children…to be happy.  Don’t let the frustration of the adult world stifle the happiness of the child inside you…please subscribe to Club Infinite Earths!