(excerpt)

TOYFARE #128 (Feb 2008)

This year, as it turns 10, DC Direct finds itself thinking not only of its own history, but of the history of the DC Universe. Or, more specifically, History of the DC Universe, the 1986 George Perez-drawn miniseries that touched on just about every DC character that existed up to that point. Hey, sounds like a good springboard for DC Direct’s most wide-ranging toy line ever, doesn’t it?

Coming off of their 10th anniversary celebration, that’s exactly what DC Direct will be doing. “In late 2008 or early 2009, [History of the DC Universe] is the start of a multi-figure program that really brings us back to our roots,” says Vice President—Design and DC Direct Creative Georg Brewer. “It’s really going back to how we got started—those early days where we had a broad mix of eclectic characters from across different eras and different stories. The goal for this really is to set out and build a very large universe in a very consistent scale in a consistent style from day one.”

The consistent style, of course, is that of Perez, the Crisis on Infinite Earths artist who has crafted an iconic take on just about every DC character ever. “[Perez has] a great, classic style that really interprets well and crosses over from the different eras of characters,” Brewer says. “Using his style as a basis for the line, we’re going to build out this program fairly aggressively. We’re going to be releasing several assortments starting in late ’08, through ’09 and beyond.”