Counted Out: DC Cancels Orders for Their Baffling DC Lucha Explosiva! Line

“Hey! You’ve got my DC characters in my Lucha Libre!” “You’ve got your Lucha Libre in my DC Superheroes!”

Far from the two great tastes that go great together, the DC Lucha Explosiva! line was announced at February’s annual Toy Fair event, to a lot of head-scratching and confusion as toy collectors tried to wrap their heads around the unusual mash-up.

I had little interest in this line, but I could have found a place for this one in my collection.

That confusion seems to have manifested into a general lack of interest, as all comic store orders for the DC Lucha Explosiva! action figure line have been cancelled by DC Collectibles. Although the company offered no insight into the reasons for the cancellation, it leaves no ambiguity in its statement that “these items will not be resolicited,” which would suggest direct market retailer interest wasn’t sufficient to produce the line.

This shouldn’t come as much surprise of a surprise to DC Collectibles fans. With the Direct Market, largely made up of comic book stores, rapidly shrinking (with a comic book retailer seemingly shuttering it’s doors on the weekly) niche products like DC Lucha Explosiva! are going to feel the pinch. If DC Collectibles can’t keep lines with broader-range appeal like Batman: The Animated Series or DC Icons viable, more outside-the-box lines face a steep uphill battle.

We wish them the best in their future endeavors.

The first wave of the line was set to include Luchador versions of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Deathstroke, Metallo, and Cheetah. Like so many actual professional wrestlers employed by but not given health benefits by the WWE, we’re saying goodbye to them far too soon.

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