Toy Remix

DC Universe Classics: Captain Boomerang

2012-03-04T21:48:00.000-05:00

Captain Boomerang is a fairly straightforward villain included in a very bizarre wave of DCUC figures. Overall, Wave 18 is defined by its assortment of figures from the 80's show, Superfriends. That series was a little before my time, to be honest, and while I find the concept amusing, I have a hard time sitting through episodes. So while I appreciate the much needed diversity this wave offers, I can't bring myself to drop twenty bucks a figure for a bunch of characters I have no attachment to. If they ever hit clearance, I might rethink that, but for the time being, this is the only character I was really interested in.

Captain Boomerang is the only figure from this wave who's a villain, not a hero. He's one of the Rogues, the team of criminals who are usually battling Flash. In addition, this is a modern version of the character, making him clash even more with other figures in this wave.

This is nice work. The sculpt is strong, and the paint is clean. Further, Mattel's included some "extra" joints: you get double-pins in the elbows and knees, in addition to all the other DCUC joints. Plus, the scarf's a loose piece, meaning it can face any way you want it to.

The accessories are a bit light. Other than the boomerang (which is required in this case), the only things you're getting are the head and crotch of Apache Chief, the Collect & Connect figure from this wave. Honestly, even if I were a bigger fan of the show, the head seems relatively weak.

I was expecting to be similarly underwhelmed by his boomerang - it's made of a very soft rubber - but I was pleasantly surprised. While it is flimsy, it works well in his hand and looks pretty nice.

I was surprised to find Captain Boomerang marked down to ten bucks at Forbidden Planet. For a relatively new figure, that's a good deal. Especially since he actually seems like the least obscure character from this wave (which is saying a lot, when you think about it).

Picture: Justice

2012-02-29T21:33:00.000-05:00

Action League: Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Aquaman Vs. Black Manta

2012-02-28T19:49:00.001-05:00

So, a while back I noticed that I owned every founding member of the Justice League in this scale except Aquaman. I knew there were two versions of the character Mattel's produced: the Brave and the Bold version from the early days of the line, and the newly released Flashpoint version. The Flashpoint one has a far superior sculpt and paint work. Unfortunately, he sort of looks like a Nazi general, since that's more or less what his character was. So I decided to keep my eyes open for the Brave and the Bold one.

I expected it to take longer than it did: I found this set in a convenience store near the Bronx Zoo. It was going for eight bucks, which is about what I'd expect to pay at retail these days, so I picked it up.

Aquaman is good, though I'm sure he'd be a lot better if they did him now. The skin tone is too orange for my tastes, and I'd like to see more detail or shading in the costume. Still, he's a decent figure, all things considered.

In some ways, Black Manta's the better figure. I like the head quite a bit. Granted, it's comically undersized given the style, but the style supposed to be comical so it all works out somehow.

The articulation here is the same as later waves: cut shoulders, waist, and neck. I'd like more, but that's life. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Black Manta retains at least some of his neck articulation, despite those tubes on his helmet. It's limited, of course, but I'd half expected it to be stuck in place.

Mattel's made far better Action League figures, but ultimately I'm just happy I finally have the entire Justice League.

DC Universe Classics: Azrael Batman

2012-02-27T07:05:00.000-05:00

The nineties were a strange time from comics. Actually, the 90's were a strange time, period, but their effect on superheroes is particularly relevant to this review. The decade was an extreme one, or at least it pretended to be so. In reality, the years were probably more melodramatic and angst-ridden than anything else, but, in hindsight, they're good for a few laughs.

In fact, this guy might be good for a lot of laughs. Yes, Azrael, the assassin turned crime-fighter who took on the mantle of Batman when Bruce Wayne was crippled by Bane: is there anyone more extreme?

Well, probably.

Mattel has made at least one version of Azrael previously, but I think this is their first Batman-Azrael (or Bazrael, for short).

Truth be told, I've never had much interest in this guy. He's ridiculous, absurd, and - well - stupid. But, looking back, he's also kind of fun. There was an unintentional campiness about him and his era that wasn't really evident at the time, but now it's impossible to miss.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that this is an absolutely fantastic action figure. The sculpt and paint work is top notch (though the legs are a bit bland). The added bits of armor, along with the utterly ridiculous number of spikes and pointy bits, add to the overall impression. Sure, Azrael's trying too hard, but you don't name yourself Azrael if you have a healthy sense of self.

I don't think I need many reminders of the 1990's (living through it was enough, thank you), but I'll happily take this one. That cape/wings/apple slicer on his back's a great example: what the hell is that supposed to be? What's it's purpose? And, frankly, who cares? It's a hell of a lot of fun.

Articulation is unusual this time. From the abs down, he's a normal DC Universe Classics (other than having double-pins on his knees, but even that's pretty common these days). But the top part of his body is a whole new game. His elbows and wrists are ball-jointed to take advantage of his gauntlets. His head's technically still a ball joint, but won't get much movement at all due to his suit.

The only accessory Bazrael comes with is one of Bane's legs. Jeeze, I know Bazrael got violent towards the end, but that's a little dark, isn't it?

I'm kicking myself, because I once passed this guy up for something like $12 or $13. I wound up paying twenty at a shop here in Queens and calling myself lucky: he's going for $40 and up online. In part, I bought him for the leg - I do want to finish Bane - but I'm also loving the figure. He's not a part of DC history I'm fond of, but I really dig the toy.

Robin, Revisited

2012-02-20T21:16:00.000-05:00

I've been dishing out quite a bit of cash over the past year on new Robin figures. First, I bought the Young Justice version, which I reviewed here. Then, in order to complete Bane, I bought the Wave 16 Robin. In both cases, I bought the figures for their accessories.

The thing is, I actually did want another Robin to display: I've got a general DC shelf and a separate Batcave, and I wanted the Boy Wonder represented in each. But the Golden Age-costumed Robin, while having a good head sculpt, just didn't work for me: the outfit just didn't work with either display. The Young Justice Robin, on the other hand, had a great body but an awful head.

The solution, of course, was to swap their heads. I ran into a snag when I tried removing the head of the Wave 16 Robin. I should have immersed him in hot water first, but I skipped that step. As a result, the peg snapped, leaving half in the head and half in the body. Getting it out the body wasn't too hard: I just used a Leatherman to pry open the neck and yank it out. But if I wanted to use the head, that half had to come off as well. That required a Dremel and some assistance from my wife (while I could probably manage myself, she's far more experienced with the tool, and I don't want to take chances with something like this).

She drilled into Robin's head and removed what was left of the peg. In the process, she also wound up increasing the size of the hole. This turned out being quite a boon: Robin's head now functions like an actual ball-joint. There's a gap between the back of his neck and head now, but frankly it's worth it for the added articulation.

At some point, I should probably paint over his arms and neck: the flesh color doesn't quite match up. It's not really essential, though. If I ever want to go the other way and put the Young Justice head on the Wave 16 body, I'll definitely need to break out the paint: a darker face on a pale body works far better than the reverse.

I'm considering doing so, by the way. The Wave 16 Robin body was extremely cartoonish, and actually looks like it could work pretty well with that head. The fact the YJ head is oversized works, too: it actually seems to fit in with the larger Robin body. I'm in no hurry, though: this is the Robin I needed to pose.

Interestingly enough, this wound up similar to the Robin Mattel released back in Wave 3. I still prefer that one, by the way, but this is a close second.

DC Universe Classics: Big Barda

2012-02-17T10:16:00.000-05:00

Wow - Wave 7. Where did the time go? We're on Wave 20 now. At any rate, I recently picked up Big Barda's husband, Mr. Miracle, and realized he was kind of boring on his own. So I ordered Barda, a former warrioress of Apokolips, now superheroine. I've actually come close to buying Barda numerous times in the past - I really like her outfit - but always hesitated due to price.

There are actually two versions of the character available: one with her helmet and one without. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, I like the other a little better. I went with this one mainly because she was cheaper. However, now that I have the figure in hand, I'm glad I went with this one. I'll explain why in a minute.

First, let's talk sculpt and paint. Overall, I think this figure looks fantastic. The scale armor is gorgeous, and the face looks good. I do think they could have done a little better on her helmet, however: say, by using metallic paint instead of primary yellow. In addition, there are gaps in her forearms around the cut joints, which is a bit disappointing.

Her articulation leaves a bit to be desired, due to her shorts and helmet, but that's to be expected. For accessories, she comes with a cosmic rod and one of Atom Smasher's arms. Not much, but I'm used to that. The accessory I'd have loved, of course, is the alternate head sculpt.

Now then. Let's discuss my real issue with this figure: scale. Look at the picture above: Barda's shorter than her husband. You know how her name's Big Barda? It's not supposed to be ironic.

Remember when I said I was glad I got the version with a helmet? It's because the other version would look even smaller.

I appreciate that this really comes down to money. Mattel doesn't have a slightly larger female body on hand, and they weren't about to invest the cash to create one. Consequently, Barda's the same size and shape as Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and every other woman they'd released. That's a shame, since her size is something of a defining character trait.

I know DC Direct also produced a version of the character and that theirs is more accurate in scale. But, despite this issue, I wanted the DC Universe Classics version. I like the articulation (even when limited) and the overall balance between toy and statue better.

Regardless of her faults, she's a cool figure. The outfit looks great, and she's a great addition to the DC shelf. Ultimately, now that I've got Orion, Mr. Miracle, and Big Barda, I'm pretty content with my collection of New Gods (at least as far as the good guys are concerned - I'd still love to have a Granny Goodness, but Mattel hasn't made one yet).

DC Universe Classics: Robin

2012-02-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

This isn't the first DC Universe Classics Robin I've reviewed. Thirteen waves and one toy review site ago, I looked at Mattel's attempt at a Tim Drake Robin. That's still my favorite version of the character, by the way. Since then, I also bought the Young Justice version of Dick Grayson in the same scale.

Today, I'm looking at a figure that's kind of in the middle.

This is one of two versions Mattel released in Wave 16. The other has a more "Golden Age" expression. I chose this one because... well, honestly, I didn't "choose" him at all: he was the only one left in the store.

For a while, I thought his face was awful. But the more I look at him, the more convinced I am that his face is fine (well, other than those paint smudges): it's his costume that sucks.

Yes, this is the character's Golden and Silver Age outfit, and yes, it's accurately represented. But it still looks bad. The yellow/red/green combination clashes, and he really shouldn't be fighting crime without pants. Also, those shoes looked stupid in the forties, and the decades haven't changed a thing.

The articulation is good. Actually, the articulation is really good. He's got double-pin joints on his elbows and knees, pin-and-post joints on his wrists and shoes, and a neck joint that actually works. This is as good as Mattel gets.

On top of that, you get a fair assortment of extras this time. First off, you get the head and lower waist of Bane, parts you'll need if you want to complete him.

You also get two or three (depending on how you're counting) accessories. First, you get a bat-a-rang; generic, but always appreciated. Next, you get a grappling gun and hook. The string came undone on mine, making me realize the hook and rope would actually work pretty well on their own.

I bought this for $20, mainly so I'll be able to finish Bane, but I'm also happy adding another Robin to my collection. I am considering swapping out his head with another one of my Robins, since this combination just isn't working for me. While I like the articulation, there's something seriously wrong with a Robin this old school being so close in size to Batman.

Happy Valentines Day

2012-02-14T07:05:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentines Day, from Toy Remix

Minimates Monsters: Frankenstein's Monster and Dracula (B&W)

2012-02-12T18:56:00.000-05:00

I don't generally collect Minimates, but not because I don't like them. Actually, I like the style quite a bit, and I'm really impressed with the sheer number of different franchises represented. But I'm less impressed with the price: while I've come to terms with paying $8 for a pair of Action League or Superhero Squad figures, I just can't justify that kind of cash for what amounts to modified Lego mini-figs (price, incidentally, is why you don't see many Lego mini-figs reviewed here, either).

However, when I last visited Toys R Us, I found most of their Minimates marked down to five bucks a pack. That still feels pricey, but it was enough of a cut for me to justify picking up one pack. I looked through their selection of Marvel and Ghostbusters, but ultimately went with these guys. While I'm far more a fan of those properties, there's just not much display value in a pair of superhero mini-figures: you really need a substantial collection or there's not much point. But Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster? They're simple and iconic enough to work on their own.

The pack I chose was a Toys R Us exclusive containing black and white versions of the characters. There was a color version with Dracula and Van Helsing I liked, too, and I almost bought both. In the end, I decided one was enough and went with this one.

Dracula's cool, though the lack of color hurts the costume. I appreciate the point behind mimicking the old films - and I like the sentiment - but the version from the other set just looked better. If it weren't for his pal, I'd have gone with that pack instead.

The head on Frankenstein's Monster is really impressive. He's got a sculpted brow, which adds a remarkable amount of depth to the figure. On the other hand, his costume's relatively dull.

In addition, mine seems to have an issue. One of the feet is extremely loose, and it falls out if the figure's lifted. While these are of course meant to come apart (all pieces are interchangeable), they're also suppose to stay together. I might experiment with some superglue at some point to reduce the chances I'll lose that foot for good (I've had a few close calls already).

I like these figures, but at the same time I'm glad I don't collect them. Considering their size, these are way overpriced.

Picture: Payback's a Bitch

2012-02-09T20:27:00.000-05:00

DC Universe Classics: Collect & Connect Bane

2012-02-08T21:23:00.000-05:00

Bane's a polarizing character. He's an artifact of the 90's, and he certainly looks the part, particularly in the mask. Likewise, his dependance on venom, a fluorescent green drug he pumps into the back of his head, isn't exactly subtle. And if there's a single antonym describing comics of that decade, it's subtlety.

The character's claim to fame comes from the story arc he was written for: the Breaking of the Bat. He managed to defeat Batman and break his spine, forever crippling Bruce Wayne. Of course, by "forever" I mean "for about six months." Since then, Bane's oscillated between hero and villain. These days, he's generally played as being a completely insane villain who really thinks he's a good guy. Recently, he was used in Gail Simone's Secret Six. I've only read one trade from that series, but it was fantastic: I really need to track the rest down.

This isn't the first version of Bane Mattel's made that was (at least theoretically) in this scale. Back when they just held the license to make Batman and Superman characters, they released a Bane, but I passed at the time. Apparently, a lot of folks weren't happy with the size of that figure (he was a little bigger than Batman, but not much), so Mattel re-did him as a Collect & Connect figure. Now, he towers over Batman... probably more so than he should, but I don't mind.

The sculpt's good, though: for better or worse it's a pretty accurate adaptation of his mask.

The body's well done, though I'm a little disappointed he doesn't have any green veins popping out of his arms. It's almost like this is the "powered down" Bane, which is an odd choice given his size.

I really like the green tube and the wrist control, though. The tube is a nice, bright, toxic green, and it really pops. Likewise, the jumpsuit and belt look good.

Yeah, he's ridiculous, but I can always use another villain with some muscle to add to the DC shelf. Most major DC villains spend their time plotting, not fighting, so it's nice getting someone who seems threatening. Plus, he's extremely photogenic, which is certainly a plus for those of us with blogs to run.

Value's always a tricky subject when it comes to these. I'd already picked up half the set before deciding to complete Bane, and when all was said and done, I actually only bought two figures I had no interest in at all (Mercury and the Creeper). Neither were particularly expensive, unlike Azrael and Robin, who set me back twenty bucks each (pity I passed them up when they were going for $13). Is Bane - or the whole wave, for that matter - really worth what I paid? Probably not. But, then again, these are a hell of a lot of fun, so I'm not exactly regretting the expense.

Picture: A Little Privacy Here?

2012-02-07T08:35:00.000-05:00

DC Universe Classics: The Creeper

2012-02-06T07:12:00.002-05:00

Maybe Mattel should just have marketed this as "Custom Joker body": they might have sold more figures. But, despite appearances, this is not, in fact, the Joker. In fact, this isn't even a villain: Jack Ryder's sort of a superhero, albeit one who operates in Gotham City, looks maniacally evil, and has a supernatural laugh.

Yeah, when he made an appearance on Batman the Animated Series they retconned his origin to connect it with the Joker. I almost think they should do the same in the comics, though I'd be just as happy if he never showed up again. The Creeper's one of those characters I can do without. I'm sure there are fantastic stories out there, and I can appreciate the influence he probably had on later properties like The Mask, but he just doesn't interest me.

The sculpt work on the face is pretty fantastic, but I'm underwhelmed by the gloves and boots. Likewise the mane of back hair just doesn't seem all that impressive. From a design standpoint, I suppose it's pretty accurate to how the character's drawn, but it just doesn't look like it's part of his body.

Besides the face, the area this figure stands out is in articulation. Mattel's thrown in all the extra joints: pin-and-hinge wrists, double-pinned knees and elbows, and a ball jointed head that actually works. It all makes sense for the character, since he's supposed to be limber, but it almost feels like a waste on a character this obscure. In addition, that mane on his back throws his balance off, so it's not like he can hold most poses (though it does allow him limbo, as pictured above.

Accessories are pretty light: the only thing he comes with is Bane's right arm. I mean, that's not even the interesting arm with the venom tube. I'm sure there's something this character could have, though since I don't really care about the character, I have no idea what that is. But I'm betting the three fans The Creeper has were probably disappointed.

Needless to say, I really just bought this for the Collect and Connect piece - it was all I was missing on Bane, so I shelled out the fifteen bucks he was going for on Amazon. He's a decent figure, but nothing special.

He's actually more interest to me as a custom base. Like I said at the top, this is clearly a sculpt that would work for the Joker. Be aware that the hair piece is attached to a peg sticking out of the Creeper's back. Most DCUC figures with capes and the like have a hole in their backs which the piece plugs into. This is reversed, which is going to require extra work.

Still, I'm intrigued by the head sculpt's potential. Mattel never put out a modern Joker in the scale, other than the "Mad Love" 2-pack (and even that was really the Silver Age version with a repaint). The Creeper's head is just some paint away from being the Joker: I'm a little surprised Mattel hasn't repurposed it themselves.

Picture: Unnecessary Violence

2012-02-04T01:08:00.000-05:00

DC Universe Classics Collect & Connect Validus

2012-02-02T20:18:00.000-05:00

Originally, I wasn't going to finish this figure. Validus is one of the Fatal Five, a team of villains who battle Superboy and Legion of Superheroes in the 30th Century. Since I don't own Superboy or any of the Legion (and, no, I'm not picking up the $200 set from Matty Collector), it's not like he's got a spot waiting for him on the shelf. But, due to various sales, I slowly picked up all but two of the figures in Wave 15. Then I saw the last two on clearance and figured, "What the Hell?"

And here we are.

It's a cool figure, at least in the arms and head. I like the brain and the fingers quite a bit: even if you don't know who this is, it's certainly a neat generic monster. The feet seem a bit dull, though, and he shares a common issue with many other Collect & Connect figures: a simplistic midsection lacking detail or distinction.

Even so, he's still pretty cool. I surprised myself when I put him up on the DC Universe shelf rather than in one of the bins. His mass helps counterbalance the large number of heroes I've gathered, making the battle seem more fair.

DC Universe Classics: Mercury

2012-01-31T07:18:00.002-05:00

Let's take a trip back in time, shall we? All the way back to the beginning of 2011 and Wave 16 of the DC Universe Classics. Along with "popular" characters like Azreal and The Creeper, this wave included Mercury. "Who's Mercury?" you might ask. Why, he's one of the Metal Men! "And who the hell are Metal Men?" They're men... made of METAL.

Honestly, I don't know all that much more about these guys. I've read a handful of comics where they had supporting roles, but frankly I've never really understood the appeal. They seem kind of silly to me, to be honest.

I can tell you this guy's name is Mercury and he can shape-shift. Also, he's sort of the comedian of the group. So, yeah: he's a robotic Plastic Man.

All that being said, I like this figure. The sculpt is simple and elegant. Even if you have no idea who this is, you can tell at a glance he's a shape-shifter. Of course, the giant set of scissors growing out of his fingers might have something to do with that.

In case you were wondering, the scissor do open and close, though I wouldn't try to use them to cut anything. If the giant scissors aren't to your liking, Mercury does come with an alternate hand:

The character has quite a bit of articulation. In addition to all the standard joints, he's got ball-and-pin wrists and double-pin knees and elbows. Since he's a lithe figure to begin with, this gives you quite a range of posing options.

Other than the alternate hand, the only thing he comes with is a chunk of Bane, the Wave 16 Collect & Connect figure. For what it's worth, it's a good sized chunk, and the scissors are awfully cool. Even so, I can't help but feel like the accessories are a tad light for what's essentially an extremely obscure character. First off, I really think figure stands should have been standard across this line, but that issue seems moot now that DCUC's final wave is on the shelves. But Mattel certainly could have tossed in another alternate hand or two, or maybe a head with a stretched neck.

On the other hand, I'm in no condition to complain: I found this clearanced for $5.90 at the Times Square Toys R Us. I mainly bought him for the piece of Bane. I'm still missing half the line, but I'm hoping to finish him eventually.

DC Universe Classics: Mr. Miracle

2012-01-29T23:21:00.000-05:00

Mr. Miracle is kind of an obscure character, but I really like him. One of Jack Kirby's New Gods, Mr. Miracle is sort of an alien escape artist. Raised on Apokolips under the name Scott Free, he has no idea he's actually the son of Highfather and heir to New Genesis (at least, I don't think he ever found out).

Personally, I like the escape-artist gimmick. It's an underused paradigm in superhero concepts, and it brings an interesting skill set. He's also one of a small number of happily married heroes in comics. His enemies better think twice before trying to get at him through her: he's married to Big Barda, a former Female Fury of Apokolips who's more than capable of pounding their mutual foes into pulp.

Scott's a decent figure, though the paint's a bit sloppy in places. But underneath it, there's yet another fantastic sculpt courtesy of the Four Horsemen (I know: big surprise, right?).

One area where Mr. Miracle really shines is in his accessories. While he doesn't have anything truly spectacular, Mattel included just about everything you'd think to ask for. First up, he comes with one of Kalibak's legs. I've actually already got Kalibak completed (I ordered a few parts off Ebay a couple years back).

Mattel also included a pair of disks that attach to Mr. Miracle's feet using pegs. He flies on these in the comic, and they're appreciated. Granted, you really need a flying stand or wire to get the desired effect, but it's still cool.

The main accessory is a pair of alien handcuffs for Scott to break out of. From the front, these are extremely cool. From the back... not so much. Hey: I think I figured out how he's always able to escape from Apokolips: their cuffs are one-sided!

While the simplistic nature of these does limit posing options, they work so well as intended you won't mind much.

Now, originally I'd assumed this was it for extras. Then I became curious if they'd remembered to sculpt a Motherbox on his back. I drew back his cape to reveal:

Not only is it there; it's detachable. I wasn't expecting this - it's kind of like coming across an Easter Egg on a DVD.

Sure, it's nothing fancy, but it's pretty cool. Granted, he can't hold it due to having two fists (alternate hands would have been great here), but I love finding extra little details like this. Kudos, Mattel.

Scott had been on my short list of figures I wanted for about a year now. When I came across him on sale at Entertainment Earth for just $4.40, I happily included him on a larger order. You can't beat a price like that for such a cool figure.

One last thing. In the middle of writing this review, I got really depressed I was missing Scott's wife. So I rectified that. She should be arriving in just a few days.

Quantum Mechanix Little Damn Heroes Serenity

2012-01-26T21:10:00.000-05:00

The year was 2002, and it was Friday night. I'd just graduated from college and was sharing an apartment with a couple friends in Western Massachusetts. It was almost eight at night, and we'd gathered in front of the TV, intrigued by previews we'd seen for a new SF show premiering that night on Fox. That show's name was John Doe.

But between eight and nine there was another new SF show, this one by the creator of Buffy. A few years later, that'd have been a hell of a selling point, but, at the time, I'd only seen a handful of episodes of Buffy and Angel and didn't really care.

John Doe didn't turn out to be all that memorable, but from the minute Firefly started, I was hooked. To this day, it remains one of my favorite live-action series. It's early (and bizarre) cancellation almost adds to the show's legend. Yeah, it died far too soon, but it sure left its mark.

In addition to action figures, I have a decent collection of miniature spaceships. In general, I like die-cast, but I've got a few plastic toys and even a few models. Mostly, I have ships from Star Wars and Star Trek, since those are of course the properties with the most merchandizing. Given my love of Firefly, I've wanted to get my hands on a version of Serenity for years, but there was nothing out there that seemed worthwhile.

Recently, Quantum Mechanix picked up the license, and started making merchandise. They've got character maquettes in both realistic and animated styles, props, and a couple versions of the ship. Despite costing more than any other single collectible I've ever bought, this is actually the low-end alternative to a massive, electronic version. Yeah, I'd love to have that, but that thing costs as much as a used car: this one's closer in price to a small TV.

As someone who's been collecting toys for a decade, I always have difficulty adjusting to the price tag on statues. A toy version of an eight-inch space ship wouldn't generally run more than thirty bucks unless it was die-cast; even then, it would probably cost no more than fifty or sixty tops. At almost a hundred, this was a little hard to justify. But not knowing when anyone would produce a version of Serenity - or, for that matter, whether these are in danger of selling out, - I ordered it.

The sculpt and paint are good - better than you'd get on a plastic toy in a similar scale - though there are areas that feel weak given the price point. In particular, I find the windshield lacking. I feel like this should at least have a small panel of glass or clear plastic embedded.

I've located what seems to be a single point of articulation on a ring located in the engine. I'm reluctant to play with his too much, since I'm not entirely certain it's supposed to move. It doesn't add much, but it's a little surprising to find any moving parts on something like this.

Also surprising are the accessories: Serenity comes with her two shuttles, which are separate pieces. One has its wings in for docking; the other's wings are out. The latter is intended to be displayed in flight and comes with a wire stand that sits on Serenity's wing and holds up the shuttle.

I appreciate the effort, though a few minor changes could have greatly improved the effect. First, given how small these are, I think Quantum Mechanix could have spared an extra docked shuttle, giving us the option of having both in their bays. Secondly, the wire holding up the flying shuttle doesn't actually clip into or onto anything, which leaves the shuttle precariously balanced. This strikes me as a design flaw, though clearly not a serious one.

The other thing included is much less surprising: you of course get a stand for the ship. It works well and looks fine. My only complaint is that it's lacking a joint, preventing you from displaying the ship in alternate poses.

Mine also seems a bit crooked, possibly due to the area where the pin connects to the ship being uneven. I can't get myself worked up over this, though: I'd rather Serenity wasn't flying perfectly level, anyway. It just seems more appropriate that way.

This isn't a perfect piece, and it's clearly a tad more expensive than it should be. But I've been waiting a long time to get a version of this ship in my collection and, for all its minor faults, this is certainly good work. The price tag's a little hard to swallow: I paid $96 on Amazon (though it seems to fluctuate - it's a few bucks cheaper as I write this).

Green Lantern Classics: Hal Jordan Vs. Sinestro

2012-01-25T07:10:00.001-05:00

This is by no means a new set: it came out in advance of the Green Lantern movie in an attempt to cash in on its success (ha!). It's a Toys R Us Exclusive, which seems kind of excessive since there aren't that many other toy stores left. When you get down to it, all that really means is that these aren't sold at Walmart or Target.

At any rate, Toys R Us has been trying to unload these for the low, low, not-at-all-low price of forty-something dollars. Here in the city, I'm pretty sure they were charging around $45 at one point. Even if I didn't already have both a Hal Jordan and a Sinestro, that's a lot of dough.

But I'm a sucker for a deal, so I jumped when these hit $20 (actually, I paid less than that: I combined it with a Google Offer that got me a $20 credit at Toys R Us's website for $10). At any rate, I got a good price.

This is basically the same Hal we've gotten before, though he's painted in a more metallic paint than last time. I'm pretty sure Sinestro's unchanged, too, assuming you got this version and not the far superior Sinestro-Corps variant.

Actually, I'm a little unhappy with Sinestro. The peg on his left hand snapped when he came out of the box. I superglued it back on, but that was that for wrist articulation.

The main selling point on this line was the new accessories. And when I say "new" I'm of course being sarcastic. I'm pretty sure all of these were existing sculpts from other DCUC accessories done in semi-clear plastic. I can never get enough energy constructs, so this was a major reason I bought the set. It might not have been the best reason, however.

Above, you can see two of Sinestro's weapons and one of Hal's in action. I'm pretty sure the mace was from Hawkman, and the others are from some of the Metal Men. Hal's ball and chain are cool, but the fact the chain isn't green is a big problem. I think Sinestro's ax is okay, but it looks kind of cheap; same with the mace.

The gun originally came with John Stewart. Apparently, something happened to the mold between then and now, because while that one works perfectly, this one's malformed. I can't seem to get it to fit correctly on Hal's arm, no matter how hard I try. Again, the plastic is kind of cheap-looking.

Next up, we've got Sinestro's wrench and Hal's pizza slicer. Look, I realize that these characters have a history of whipping out random constructs, but these are kind of silly. Even if they'd flipped the colors, it would have been better: I just don't see Hal disemboweling his foes, nor can I imagine Sinestro fixing a toilet. The wrench does tighten and the saw does spin, though. If you care.

Finally, there's... this. It's playing off of a classic comic cover, which depicted the two standing on opposite sides of a power battery that was half green and half yellow. Yeah. Fine on paper, but stupid in reality. Unless you really want to build a display recreating that image, this isn't really useful. Really, for the amount they were charging, this set should have contained this thing along with a green and yellow power battery. Not that I really need more green lanterns, mind you: I've got a ton of them now.

At any rate, these are cool figures, and if you missed the earlier waves, now's a good time to pick them up on clearance. However, if you've already got these, don't think you need them for the constructs: they're not as good as you'd hope.

Oh, and one more thing: be careful with those wrist joints.

DC Universe Classics: OMAC

2012-01-24T07:18:00.000-05:00

OMAC, short for "One Man Army Corps," is a concept created by the legendary Jack Kirby. And, because he was created by "The King" Kirby, no one's really been willing to point out just how dumb this character is.

Look, I'm sorry. I really am. But I'm calling it like I see it, and I see a character who's completely ludicrous on every level. His origin's derivative, his name's idiotic, and his design is stupid. Yeah, I get it: the mohawk is supposed to make him look like a Greek soldier. Whatever.

It's not like this is Kirby's only misstep: over the course of his career, he created dozens if not hundreds of character designs that just didn't work. He churned out stuff that revolutionized the industry, but also junk that's been more or less forgotten. I'm mainly confused why anyone thinks OMAC belongs in the former category.

The head sculpt's great on its own, though it really doesn't work with this body. The body's just too simple, too small. It's needs detail and texture to make this work. At the very least, that eye-symbol needs to sculpted rather than just printed.

You get two extras with OMAC: a pin and an arm. The arm belongs to Validus, and represents the reason about 90% of the OMACs purchased were bought. The pin's one of the cooler ones, honestly, using the character's symbol instead of some old art. I wish Mattel had done this across the board. Of course, it's value is dragged down by the fact I don't really have much interest in an OMAC symbol.

Honestly, I'd have preferred a more recent incarnation of the concept (say, an OMAC from Infinite Crisis), rather than the classic version. Alternatively, there are many better Kirby creations out there Mattel could have made instead. I appreciate that OMAC's had a resurgence recently, though for the life of me I can't understand why.

I bought this through Entertainment Earth for $8.70, plus shipping (though that was split several ways: I picked up several figures I was missing in one order). I got this for the arm, of course.

Picture: Jemm Is My Name, No One Else Is The Same... Jemm Is My Name!

2012-01-23T18:39:00.000-05:00

DC Universe Classics: Jemm

2012-01-22T13:29:00.000-05:00

I know you kids today haven't heard of Jemm, but that's because most of you are too young to remember the 1980's. Jemm was an orphan trying to keep her late father's foster house in business with revenue acquired through a successful rock band she was running in her spare time.

No, wait. That was Jem. I have no clue who the hell Jemm is.

Give me a minute.

Okay, I just skimmed the Wikipedia page, and apparently this guy's from Saturn, and his race is an offshoot of the Martians. He's been around since the 80's, and I just learned I have, in fact, read at least one story he was in. The fact I don't remember him says a lot about how memorable he is.

Let's set all that aside and take a look at the figure. The head sculpt, is pretty good, but then it was just as good when it was used on Martian Manhunter in the same wave (at least I think it's the same sculpt - I'm not 100% certain of that). They did add Jemm's gem on his forehead, and that's well executed, unlike the starfish on his cape.

I like the hands: they're very alien and make this figure somewhat distinct. The effect could have been achieved better if they'd given him double-pin joints on his elbows and knees, but this was way back in wave fifteen. If it had been even a wave later, I think we'd have gotten the extra joints.

The main accessory Jemm comes with is the left arm of Validus. Actually, let's be honest: for all intents and purposed, Jemm's an accessory that comes with Validus's arm.

You also get a pin. This one's actually pretty nice, featuring newer art. If there was anyone on Earth who cared at all about this character, this might actually be a nice addition.

Jemm's a fine figure, but it's irritating Mattel tried to pass him off as a separate figure, rather than an alternate version of Martian Manhunter. I appreciate that there were already two versions of the Manhunter, but prodding collectors into picking this up to complete Validus was a tad sketchy. At the very least, couldn't they have given him the figure stand instead of Golden Pharaoh? It's not like I need a Pharaoh figure, either (he's not even a comic character: just a toy), but he has a more interesting design than this guy.

Well, the good news is that Jemm sold so poorly, he wound up clearanced. I bought him, along with a handful of other toys, from Entertainment Earth. I paid less than nine bucks for Jemm, so I'd be able to finish Validus. That's not so bad.

Your Civic Duty

2012-01-21T21:01:00.001-05:00

It's that time again: time to exercise your civic duty and cast a vote that matters. You already know I'm not talking about the Republican primary, because none of those clowns has a chance in hell of ever becoming president, anyway. However, it's time for The Poppies once again, and between now and January 31st, you can vote for the best toys of the year. And that, my friends, is important.

The Poppies, of course, are the annual toy and pop-culture awards run by Michael Crawford, who has been reviewing toys online longer than, well, anyone. If you're looking for a review of just about any major toy line from the past decade, his archives are a good place to start.

Green Lantern Classics: Collect & Connect Arkillo

2012-01-21T09:38:00.000-05:00

Arkillo's one of those characters you either love, hate, or have no clue who the hell he is. Most people, honestly, probably fit into that last category, since he's a relatively new addition to the DC Universe.

Personally, I kind of love Arkillo. Yeah, yeah: the concept is completely ridiculous. He's the Sinestro Corps' drill sergeant, so he's basically an evil Kilowog. But that's why I love the guy: he's the Silver-Age nemesis Kilowog never had.

To put Arkillo together, you had to buy all six figures in the first wave of the Green Lantern Classics line. And - honestly - he's the only reason I bought about half of them.

As usual, the Four Horsemen did some phenomenal work on the head and hands. The rest, though, seems to be the same body used for Kilowog. This wouldn't be a problem if it had been a great body, but frankly it's a little dull. There's just not much detail or sculpting work, leaving the figure a bit bland. He's still cool - like I said, the head and hands are really cool, and the symbols and gauntlets are good - but I'd have liked to see a bit more effort, given what I paid.

Arkillo doesn't come with any accessories of his own, but I was a little surprised to discover the constructs that came with the Sinestro/Hal two-pack seem to fit over his fingers. I have no idea whether this was intentional, but they stay on pretty well. They're too small to really work, but they're certainly good for a laugh.

Green Lantern Classics: Black Hand

2012-01-19T22:40:00.000-05:00

Black Hand is an old Green Lantern villain from the 60's who I'd never heard of until Blackest Night, when he killed himself then helped Nekron nearly wipe out all life in the Universe. I've made no secret of my general dislike of that story line, so it probably won't come as a huge surprise when I say I have relatively little interest in this particular incarnation of this relatively obscure super villain.

But screw all that: he came with Arkillo's other arm, which was the last piece I was missing.

In terms of sculpt and paint, this is a perfectly fine figure. I like the metallic studs, and the head's pretty well done. He certainly looks like a contemplative zombie, which is a pretty good approximation of how he appeared throughout most of Blackest Night.

Before I get to articulation, let's talk quality control. My figure had an unusual defect, albeit a correctable one. There was a weird knob in his elbow joint, effectively preventing it from moving at all. I twisted it off with a Leatherman, which freed up the joint. Yeah, there's a small patch missing paint now, but at least his arm works again.

Hand has both double elbows and knees, which is rare for these figures. To be honest, I'm not really clear on why Mattel decided to invest in these joints here: they're not really essential to the character.

I already mentioned he came with Arkillo's arm. In addition, he's also got yet another useless pair of 3D glasses. I can't help but wonder how many kids tried wearing these into the theater only to receive a crash-course on the difference between dual-color and polarized 3D projections.

Frankly, I feel like this could have used another accessory. Something iconic, something interesting. Say, Batman's skull. Come on: that was just about the only cool thing about Blackest Night: how could they leave it out?

While I got half of this wave at a discount, I paid fifteen dollars plus shipping for William Hand here (I picked him up on Entertainment Earth, which had him cheaper than anywhere else I could find). I'm not thrilled with this figure at that price, but I really wanted that arm.

Green Lantern Classics: Black Lantern Abin Sur

2012-01-18T07:17:00.001-05:00

Abin Sur was the prior Green Lantern of Sector 2814. He held the job for a while then retired peacefully to a small planet in the Andromeda to pursue his love of music. Kidding! Like the vast majority of space cops, he got killed so a younger character could fill his shoes. That young rookie was, of course, Hal Jordan of Earth.

But that wasn't the end of Abin Sur. Nope: in the "Blackest Night" crossover, he was risen from the grave as a zombie fighting for Nekron to extinguish all life in the Universe, primary because life kept playing loud music late at night or something.

And that's where this version of Abin Sur comes from. The only problem is that Blackest Night was kind of a let down. Broadly speaking, the concept was decades old (Alan Moore introduced a prophesy of the event in the 80's, though I don't think he mentioned zombies), and expectations were sky-high for Geoff Johns, who'd already expanded the Green Lantern mythos brilliantly. In the end, the zombie-thing just felt silly and the story was kind of dull. On top of that, the subsequent company-wide reboot more or less made the whole thing feel pointless. Technically, most of it is still in continuity, but - let's face it - it really isn't relevant anymore.

The figure is certainly sporting a nice head sculpt. I also love the hands: this is an appropriately creepy toy. You also get some added effect from the sculpt thanks to some added articulation. Mattel went with the double-hinged elbows and ball-jointed wrists. Curiously, they stuck with the single-pin knees. I'm not really complaining - I don't need double-pin knees on this guy - but I was a little surprised they included them on the Manhunter and left them out here.

The only extras packaged with Abin Sur's corpse are a stupid 3D mask and the head/ass of Arkillo, the Collect & Connect character. It's a good head sculpt, by the way.

What's missing (at least in my humble opinion) is a bloody heart. I mean, look at this left hand: he should clearly be holding one.

Ultimately, I think I respect this figure more than I like the concept. He's really embedded in a single story-line I just don't care that much about. But there's no denying the head and hands are good work, and the added articulation works well here.

But, honestly, I really just bought this so I'd be another step closer to completing Arkillo. Toys R Us marked all these figures to less than nine bucks, so I picked him up.

Green Lantern Classics: Manhunter

2012-01-17T07:06:00.001-05:00

No man escapes the Manhunters, but nine times out of ten no ones needs to escape these guys: most of the time, whoever they're after just turns around and kicks their robot ass. Sure, officially they're supposed to be some kind of universal scourge and longtime enemy of the Green Lantern Corps, but in practice they wind up feeling like cannon fodder. Even so, they're certainly longtime Green Lantern villains, so I suppose it was time for Mattel to make a figure. Unfortunately, like the Guardians who made them the first time, they didn't do a great job.

To be fair, there is a lot to like here. The arm gauntlets and boots are cool, and the extra leg articulation is appreciated. But that doesn't make up for the boring paint job on the head. There's a decent if unremarkable sculpt underneath, but the lack of any real shading gives this the impression of something released decades ago.

I mentioned the articulation before: in addition to the normal joints, you get a double-pin on the knees, allowing for some cool poses. In theory. See, the above pose is really cool, but it's not like he could actually hold it. If wanted to display him on one leg, you'd need to put him on a stand. There's just one problem:

Oh, Mattel. I thought we were past this. The Manhunter, for no reason I can fathom, lacks a peg-hole in either foot. So unless you want to drill one (or wire him in flight), those knees aren't good for much beyond pratfalls.

The good news is that you do get a few accessories. He comes with an old-school Green Lantern battery (the Manhunters were entrusted with the Guardians' power once upon a time), a piece of Arkillo, and the same stupid 3D mask every character in this wave came with.

In case you were wondering, I bought this because it was less than nine bucks at Toys R Us, which was cheaper than buying Arkillo's torso on Ebay. If you're looking to complete Arkillo, now's the time to look into these. If not, you may want to skip this figure. He's not awful, but he's definitely one of the worst 6-inch DC figures Mattel's put out in a while. Unless you count the Movie Masters, of course.

Green Lantern Classics: Mongul

2012-01-16T07:06:00.000-05:00

For reasons I'm not entirely clear on, Mattel keeps releasing Mongul. It's possible they're under the impression he's a far more important villain than he actually is. Or I suppose it's also possible they just really, really like the sculpt the Four Horsemen did for them (it is, to be fair, really cool).

At any rate, they released Mongul at least twice before. As far as I know, this is the same sculpt, though I can't say for certain, because this is the first I bought and I'm clearly too lazy to spend the necessary 5 minutes of research finding out.

Regardless, he's not exactly the same as the other releases, since this is the Sinestro Corps version who showed up in Green Lantern a year or two back. I didn't actually read that arc, but I think I get the general idea: he tried to take over the Sinestro Corps from Sinestro and wound up being an antagonist for both the good guys and bad guys.

The figure is certainly imposing. I'm also in awe of the Four Horsemen's ability to turn a color scheme usually associated with My Little Pony and turn it into something genuinely awesome (also adapt at this trick: My Little Pony).

My one complaint with Mongul is that his articulation is extremely limited by his bulk and his belt. But I suppose that's the price you pay.

He comes with Arkillo's left arm, which is a big part of why I bought him. In addition, he comes with the same crappy pair of 3D glasses every character in this wave was packaged with. Noticeably absent is a Black Mercy, the alien flower used by this character to entrap his enemies within a fantasy world.

These started out costing more than $20, but I found him on clearance for less than $9. There's nothing like the period right after Christmas for finding deals.

Movie Masters Green Lantern: Hal Jordan with Bzzd

2012-01-14T21:22:00.000-05:00

Mattel's Movie Masters line has been alliterative but not particularly consistent. They released some amazing Batman figures, but a lot of the Dark Knight's supporting cast has been mediocre. The first wave of their Green Lantern figures, on the other hand, was mostly good: by and large, the aliens looked phenomenal (though from what I've seen, the Parallax build-a-figure is a flop).

While I wasn't a fan of the movie, I still wanted a Hal for my collection. When I saw one going for eight bucks at a local discount store, I got excited. Then I took a closer look and realized the figure kind of sucked. But then I looked EVEN CLOSER and realized it was actually a two-pack, as it also included Bzzd, an insectoid alien Green Lantern. And that's awesome.

The cool thing about Bzzd is that, due to his small size, I could display him with my Green Lantern Classics figures, and no one would notice he was out of place with the comic book versions of the Lantern Corps. Granted, no one would notice him at all, but that's hardly relevant, is it?

Actually, you get a few accessories here. In addition to the two Lanterns, you also get a green display stand. It's more or less identical to the ones that sometimes come with DC Universe Classics figures, but green. You wouldn't think molding it a different color would count for much, but honestly I think it's a pretty big improvement.

The last accessory is a Green Lantern ring. Unlike the pieces of junk Mattel stuck in every one of those damn 3.75 inch figures, this one is actually pretty nice. In fact, considering it's just an extra, I'd say it's really nice.

Sure, it's definitely a toy and not a high end replica, but it would certainly work as a costume piece. Also, it's not a bad fit:

That's a good thing, too, because the headliner in this pack, Hal Jordan, really isn't much to look at. This version differs from the Hal in wave one by being unmasked, being much blander in color, and having some of the crappiest paint ops I've seen in a while. Seriously, Mattel?

The articulation is also annoying. I get that Mattel was trying to design something with as many ball joints as possible, but it winds up providing surprisingly little range of movement, crappy balance, and still looks incredibly stupid, especially when compared with the earlier Movie Masters Batman.

This is definitely one of those times when the accessories eclipse the figure. On his own, this Hal isn't even worth the eight bucks he was marked down to, but the ring, secondary character, and (to a lesser extent) even the stand add up, making this is a good deal.

Action League: Arkillo & Sinestro

2012-01-12T18:59:00.000-05:00

In my opinion, Mattel's answer to Hasbro's Superhero Squad keeps getting better. The Action League line started back in 2009 with several waves based on Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Since then, it jumped to DC proper, and dramatically improved in the process.

Not too long ago, I looked at a two-pack containing Deadman and Martian Manhunter I received as a gift. It was part of wave which included two packs I didn't really need (I already have a Flash and Batman) and this:

While I actually do already own a Sinestro, he's the "White Lantern" version that came with Hal. While he's certainly cool, I far prefer having Sinestro slinging his yellow ring. The fact he came with Arkillo didn't hurt, either. For those of you who might be out of the loop, Arkillo's basically an anti-Kilowog. In fact, despite being a new character, he feels like he should be Kilowog's Silver-Age nemesis. For those of you who have no idea what any of that means, just smile and nod.

Like Kilowog, Arkillo's an extra large figure. Thanks to his posture, he stands a bit shorter than his foe, but he still towers over others in this scale. The sculpt and paint are both good, and the design is at once menacing and a little wacky, which feels right.

Sinestro's pretty great, too. I like the look and design of the figure, though I do have one quibble. With articulation already slim (cut head, waist, and shoulders), designing him with an arm outstretched reduces the your posing options even further. I'm still waiting for Mattel to wake up and realize they should be including cut joints on the wrists, given how large their hands are.

I ordered these from Toys R Us's website, where I paid something like $8 plus shipping. Four or five years ago, I'd have baulked at paying four bucks a figure for toys in this scale, but now it seems pretty reasonable, especially considering Arkillo's mass.

I still feel like the articulation is lacking, but the overall quality of these figures has really improved since the line started. I'm a bit underwhelmed on the upcoming Flashpoint wave, but I'm hoping Mattel keeps these coming.

Batman Legacy: Prototype Batman and Lt. Jim Gordon

2012-01-11T20:58:00.002-05:00

When I heard that Mattel was making a movie version of Jim Gordon, I was incredibly excited. When I saw pictures, I became decidedly less so. And the fact it came with a repackaged version of the "Prototype Suit" Batman didn't exactly help matters. The $30 price tag (more in some places) was the final blow: thanks, but no thanks, Mattel: I can live without a third Gordon in this scale.

Then a funny thing happened: no one bought this. Consequently, there were plenty of extras, and Amazon went ahead and marked it down to EIGHT DOLARS. Plus shipping (unless you have Amazon Prime and get free shipping. Which I do).

Crappy or not, these were worth $8, so I ordered them a few days before Christmas.

The bio on back doesn't shy away from Batman's motivation: the opening words are, "After his parents are murdered in cold blood before his young eyes...." I appreciate the fact that Mattel didn't pull punches here: the front states this is intended for adult collectors, and they seem to mean it. On top of the opening, Gordon has a fairly realistic gun, something Mattel seemed reluctant to include in the Movie Masters line this spun off of.

The gun is definitely the better of the two accessories included: Bruce comes with a rubber mask that goes over his head:

See, that's exactly the kind of accessory conventional wisdom says you stick in with toys aimed at young kids (though I question whether kids want something so ridiculously awkward, either). At any rate, this effect clearly should have been done with an alternate head sculpt.

On the other hand, this pose is kind of cool:

I expect that most people displaying this figure are doing so without the mask. The rest of suit is actually pretty cool, though there can't be that much interest in displaying Bruce in his prototype costume. Frankly, I'd rather if they'd made Bruce Wayne wearing a business suit, or that sort of thing.

The Wayne head sculpt is well done. If nothing else, this figure is an opportunity to make a custom unmasked Batman. Of course, Mattel did produce one in this scale, but that was a rare variant. If I had an extra movie Batman lying around, I have to admit I'd be tempted to make my own.

Yeah. Bruce's head was nice, but something is seriously wrong with Gordon. The nose is just ridiculous, and the glasses are way too big. The paint's off, too, though with a sculpt this bad, I'm not sure I can blame Mattel for phoning the rest in.

Ultimately, this set just isn't all that good. It's certainly worth the eight bucks I spent, but I feel bad for anyone who paid retail.

It's Like Reading this Review

2012-01-10T07:14:00.001-05:00

I received a lot of presents this Christmas that genuinely surprised me. This... wasn't one of them. See, I may - just possibly may - have mentioned to my wife that I wanted this.

And that it was in stock at Midtown Comics. And I might have mentioned that it was going for something like $18, not a steal, but certainly less than I paid for the nearly identical Wreck-Gar figure I bought earlier this year.

Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that transcendentalism is due for a comeback in today's consumer-friendly climate of philosophical speculation. Well, that's an incredibly stupid thought to be having, and you should be ashamed for allowing your attention to wander so far off subject.

A better question - the one you should have been asking - is why I wanted Junkheap when I already have a nearly identical figure.

No, no: I take it back. That's a dumb question, too.

Here's the thing some of you kids today might not know: the pinnacle of human civilization was reached in 1986 during the release of the only Transformers movie that matters, in the midst of an epic battle sequence on the planet Jun, when an army of Junkions attacked the Autobots (due to a misunderstanding, of course), all to the soundtrack of Weird Al Yankovic's "Dare to be Stupid." Everyone who was paying attention back then knows this to be true; we just usually don't say anything because we want to leave future generations with the false illusion they might be able to offer something of value and importance.

Those Junkions attacked mounted on motorcycles. When they were knocked off, the robots turned into motorcycles and their cycles turned into robots, and it all started over again.

As you can imagine, just having Wreck-Gar, leader of the Junkions, isn't enough: you need a second Junkion to remain in vehicle mode as his ride. It's only logical.

As you can see, Junkheap's vehicle mode is pretty awesome. Sure, it's exactly the same as Wreck-Gar's, but that's as it should be. Plus, new paint.

Let's check out Junkheap's robot mode:

Actually, you know what? Let's not. See, I learned with Wreck-Gar that transforming these guys takes effort. Like, serious effort. And I ultimately want to display this guy in vehicle mode, anyway. Besides, the only difference between this and Wreck-Gar (other than the paint and decals) is his head. And, fortunately, I don't have to transform him to get a look at that:

That's a damn fine mustache right there.

Before I wrap this up, I should probably mention this is a good time to pick up Wreck-Gar himself: I've seen him going for $8 at a couple different bargain shops in town. Keep your eyes open, and you're liable to snag one without dropping three times that much.

As for me, I'm sorry I'm out that money, but at the same time I'm proud I dared to be stupid. Frankly, the money's nothing compared to the joy I'm getting out of this. Because I've been waiting twenty-five years for this:

And to think some suckers devote their lives to faith or science.

Batman Legacy: Catwoman Classic

2012-01-09T07:22:00.000-05:00

Officially, DC Universe Classics just came to an end with wave 20. Unofficially, it's still going pretty strong with a handful of spin-off lines. The Batman Legacy line is actually a bit more complicated than that. It's actually a bizarre hybrid of DCUC, Movie Masters, and new Arkham Asylum/Arkham City figures. What I'm looking at today, however, is pretty clearly an extension of the Classics figures Mattel's been putting out for years.

I skipped the first two waves, with the exception of a Gordon/Prototype Batsuit 2-pack I found on clearance (I'll get around to reviewing that soon). The new wave, which is just showing up at retail now, is split between retro and new styles, featuring two classic designs and two video-game inspired figures.

Before I get too involved with the figure, I've got a few thoughts about something I generally ignore: the packaging. I'm impressed with the amount of character-specific art included on both the front and back of this. In addition, take a look at a close-up of the character bio:

There's some impressively obscure info on there. I'm especially impressed they mentioned that Selina was simply called "The Cat" in her first appearance: that's the kind of detail that usually gets glossed over.

But of course I don't buy toys based on their packaging. In this case, there were a few factors. For one, both my wife and I are fans of this look. While I still prefer her modern black, I also love the glamorous, purple design she sported in the Silver Age.

I expected to like this from pictures I'd seen, but frankly my expectations were exceeded. This is a beautiful figure. While I'm not completely sold on her cape, I think the purple dress (reused from Raven, I'm sure), works fantastically. In addition, the Four Horsemen delivered an amazing head sculpt. The only thing you want to watch out for is paint: while I couldn't be happier with how my figure looks, there were two others on the peg who were nowhere near as lovely.

Articulation is basically the same as we're used to, though there is one point worth celebrating. Unlike almost every other female character Mattel's made, they actually took Catwoman's hair into consideration. She still doesn't have much range vertically, but there's enough space between her hair and cape to allow you to turn her head side-to-side.

While I love the figure, I have mixed feelings about her accessories. She comes with a stand which is at least somewhat personalized, including a sticker containing her name on the front. The top has a raised bat-symbol. Overall, this is a decent character stand, certainly better than the clear plastic ovals that came with DC Universe Classics figures (correction: that should have read, "that RARELY came with DC Universe Classics figures). But it's still very light and very simple. Considering what DC Direct's offering at the same price point, I'd like to get something better. Also, be aware that her heals don't work perfectly with the stand. She can stand on it, but the fact they inserted the peg holes right beside the gap in her shoes leaves her a bit unsteady.

The only other accessory is a small poster. Normally, these are just about worthless, but Mattel's actually taken a few steps to make this at least interesting. First of all, they rolled it up instead of folding it, which means there are no creases. Secondly, they used a classic Catwoman cover, a nice touch, and had the common sense to make it actual size.

While it's certainly nothing spectacular, I have to admit it's well-executed. By the way, in case you were wondering, the coins are there to keep the poster from rolling back up.

The reason I'm a little disappointed in her selection of accessories is that she's missing her trademark whip. I'm kind of surprised Mattel didn't include one, seeing as her right hand has the same grip the Superheroes Catwoman had. Here's the Legacy Catwoman borrowing the other's weapon:

Despite that omission and despite her price point (expect around $16 - $20), I really like this figure. I wound up paying the higher end of that scale, by the way: I found her for twenty at a toy store in Queens and grabbed her. She's worth that to me, but I'll be the first to admit it seems a bit high objectively.

Picture: Version 2.0

2012-01-08T11:35:00.000-05:00

Green Lantern Constructs

2012-01-06T21:12:00.000-05:00

Recently, I've been buying a lot of cheap 3.75 inch Green Lantern merchandise for their energy constructs, and I wanted to post some pictures showing how those look with 6 inch figures.

Above, I've got Sodam Yat posing with a crossbow from the Ultimate Construct Collection, along with Sinestro's smaller energy sword. The crossbow is attached using the connector that came with Kilowog. It's a tad awkward: it seems to work best with the more 2-dimensional constructs, like the pinchers pictured below:

I'm pleased to report I found an even better use for a few of these constructs that doesn't require the connectors. On a hunch, I pulled my Katma Tui off the shelf. To date, she's the only female member of the Lantern Corps Mattel's produced (a shame: there are some great characters out there), and the constructs she came with were a bit lacking:

I like the idea of her having a sword and shield, but those are quite possibly the crappiest constructs Mattel's made to date. On top of that, none of the other 6-inch constructs fit her hands, because they're so much smaller than the male characters'.

Fortunately, the miniature constructs made for the 3.75 inch figures are just right. Like I said, I wanted to maintain the sword/shield combo, but I gave her an upgrade:

Much better. She has trouble standing up with the shield, but I've got her (along with most of the Corps) wired up in flight anyway, so that's no real problem.

The next step is to take a look at some of the extra connectors I've got and see if I can build some new constructs off of them using various green plastic parts I have lying around.

Picture: It's Old Mr. Brand, from the Circus!

2012-01-05T20:06:00.000-05:00

Lego Friends: Olivia's Invention Workshop

2012-01-04T22:27:00.000-05:00

When Lego created the new "Friends" line, I don't think they anticipated how controversial it would be. In the past week, I've engaged in several online and in-person discussions about these. There seem to be several different schools of thought around why these are bad, but most concerns center on the message these are sending to young girls.

I respect where people are coming from, but personally I don't see it. Anyone who's been paying attention to toys for the past decade knows that Lego sets haven't been gender-neutral in this age range for quite a while. And, frankly, if Lego's innovating new and better Star Wars sets for the boys, don't girls deserve some attention from their designers and marketing team?

Also, the mini-dolls are awesome. They're a little larger than the old mini-figs, and all accessories (and hair/hat pieces) are interchangeable.

The concept here is that each set contains a number of small projects, rather than one big one. Supposedly, Lego's research determined that pre-teen girls prefer this structure. I can't speak for young girls, but my wife decided this was adorable and picked it up. If she hadn't, I would have.

This set is of Olivia and her "Invention Workshop." Kudos to Lego for including a science lab in their first wave. With some luck, this could inspire a generation of young girls to grow up and become mad scientists and super-villains.

Along with Olivia, you get five projects, none of which should take you more than a few minutes to snap together. At first, I wasn't keen on the blackboard, due to the miniature hearts and flowers included. But the more I think about, the more it grows on me. Sure, it's girly, but that's the point, isn't it? And the message that math and science can be girly isn't a bad one to pass on to the next generation, given the gender divide in interest in those subjects.

The spectroscope (or whatever it is) is also pretty cool, if exceedingly simple. I like the included gem. As you can see, Lego was thoughtful enough to toss in an extra blue block, so Olivia's at the right height.

You also get to build your own miniature robot and remote control. The robot sort of looks like he's related to Wall-E or Johnny-5. I do wish they would have made him a bit larger, but that's just my opinion.

The workbench is one of the cooler aspects. It has working drawers and includes an assortment of miniature tools for Olivia's unholy experiments.

Finally, you get a shelf of jars and a beaker. I really love that beaker. I know Lego was trying to be cute with the colors, but it just looks radioactive to me. Cool.

The new mini-dolls are pretty awesome, too. They come apart in a few places, in case you want to swap out the heads or bodies with another of the Lego Friends figures. Unfortunately, the heads aren't compatible with traditional Lego mini-figs. However, the hair pieces are, and the hands are the same size, allowing them to trade tools and the like.

If you're not a fan of pastels, you're definitely not going to like these toys. But if you like the color scheme (as I do), then these are a lot of fun. And at $10 a pack they're a hell of a lot cheaper than Lego Star Wars sets.

Green Lantern Ultimate Construct Collection

2012-01-02T19:07:00.001-05:00

I just looked at a few of the 3 3/4 inch Green Lantern figures yesterday and found them... lacking. In fact, the only redeeming aspect was the green energy constructs. As such, this set holds a bit more interest to me: it's almost entirely made up of constructs.

You do get a Hal Jordan, but who cares? He sucks, just like the other figures in this scale. But some of those constructs are pretty sweet. Of course, you'll want to get some of the connectors packaged with the larger toys in this line, so you can use these with your 6 inch Green Lantern figures.

I paid around $10 for this on clearance at Toys R Us. If you've got a collection of Green Lantern figures, that's an enticing deal.

Green Lantern 3.75 Inch Figures

2012-01-01T18:43:00.000-05:00

Now that we're a solid six months from the most disappointing movie of the year, the toys are finally hitting clearance. Mattel went nuts getting products onto the shelves in preparation for this thing, and I suspect they were even more underwhelmed with the film than I was (had the movie done better, there likely would be fewer toys left in clearance).

These are actually only a few of the toys I picked up. I'm focusing on these two, because - frankly - they get redundant.

Taken out of context, these toys suck. There's just no getting around that: the sculpts are crap, the paint can't save them, the articulation is about two decades out of date, and their accessories are grossly oversized for these figures. I mean, look at Sinestro:

That sword's as big as he is. It looks absurd and garish, even for something aimed at kids. Likewise, Kilowog's accessory is useless unless you buy other toys: he comes with a connector to make up the difference between his large hands and the others in the line. It works, for what it's worth:

The only other accessory you get is a ring with each figure. By the way, these seem to photograph better than they look in person:

Be aware these are scaled for young kids: don't think you're getting a cheap Halloween costume if you're over the age of twelve. In addition, these are far thicker than they should be. I was far more taken with these in the package than in reality.

So, these are completely worthless, and you shouldn't waste your time.

Except... all of that is looking at what these toys are in and of themselves. In the greater scheme of things, there's something of value here, if you're willing to look for it.

It's those constructs. The connector that Kilowog comes with doesn't just fit his hands: it also fits 6 inch figures. Which means you've got the ability to turn any of the movie constructs into accessories for your DC Universe Classics and Green Lantern Classics figures.

If you can find these things cheap enough, go for it. I wound up paying around four bucks each for these: I wouldn't be at all surprised if they're cheaper outside New York.

DC Action League: Deadman and Martian Manhunter

2011-12-31T08:58:00.000-05:00

Christmas, as we all knows, brings toys, especially when one is lucky enough to be married to a woman who appreciates the geekier pursuits of life.

Lindsay had her work cut out for her this year: after buying this pack for me, she had to prevent me from jumping the gun and ordering it as soon as I realized it was available online. Somehow she managed to do so without tipping her hand, and I was surprised on Christmas morning.

The Action League line is one I'm extremely excited about these days. Now that I've more or less got every DC character I care about in the 6 inch scale, I want a set of 2-inch, stylized figures. At the very least, I'd like a full set of the original Justice League, and this puts me within striking distance of that goal (I'm just missing an Aquaman, and there are, at the very least, Brave and the Bold versions available).

This is a set I've been interested in for some time. While this Deadman is cool, it's of course Martian Manhunter I wanted, so I'm thrilled he's the standout. I love the eyes, cape, and expression: actually, there's nothing on Martian Manhunter I don't like, save the articulation (both are limited to just the standard waist, shoulder, and neck cuts). Deadman's not quite as close to perfect, but he's still extremely cool. The plastic is just the slightest bit translucent, hinting at his spectral nature (despite the fact this version's technically alive again, but who cares). My one quibble is with his feet, which are connected in an odd-looking manner.

But overall the sculpting is well executed, as is the paint. This is a great set: Mattel's really getting good at this scale.

The back answers a question which had been baffling me for a while: namely, why these two are paired. This is intended as a tie-in with the Brightest Day story line, which followed both these characters (along with several others) following their resurrections at the conclusion of Blackest Night. It all seems fairly trivial now that the universe has been partially rebooted, but fortunately the character designs are generic enough to fit in with just about any era.

This is a gift, so I'm not entirely sure what my wife paid. I have seen these online recently for as little as $8, though, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding them at that price. Seeing as they're going for more than $10 in Toys R Us stores here in NYC, that doesn't seem as unreasonable as it once did.

A Merry Christmas, Jack!

2011-12-24T21:45:00.000-05:00

And a Merry Christmas to you, too, from Toy Remix.

Picture: It's Not Easy Being Green

2011-12-21T10:39:00.000-05:00

Nativity

2011-12-19T08:52:00.001-05:00

"....And there were in the same city sidekicks abiding in the streets, keeping watch over Gotham by night. And lo, the Man-Bat came upon them, and the gory of his fangs shone before them, and they were kind of afraid. And the Man-Bat said onto them, "SKREEEEEEEEE!"

The above picture was my entry in the Action Figure Nativity Contest hosted at "Hey! Look at My Toys." There are some great pictures up on the site: head on over and vote for your favorite (or, you know, mine).

Stargate SG1 Replicator Carter

2011-12-18T19:26:00.000-05:00

More custom bait today: I picked this up for five bucks at St. Mark's Comics. As you can see above, this was more or less a loose figure, missing the back of the pack. Eh. I'd have thrown it out, anyway.

The figure was made by Diamond Select, a company which does good work. I'm not all that familiar with the show, but the character looks awfully lifelike. My only major complain is with the shoulders, which are cut rather than ball joints.

My wife and I picked this up for a few reasons. There are some cool looking techno-things. I don't know what they are, and I don't really care: as far as I'm concerned, they're whatever I need them to be.

She also comes with a piece of a Stargate. It's almost worth it trying to track down the other pieces: while I'm not a fan of the show or movie, I'd love to have a Stargate around.

She's got a few right hands in addition to the blade (which, by the way, could easily put an eye out). One hand looks normal, while other appears to be a sort of halfway point. I hope this was significant in the show, because otherwise it's a waste of time.

My wife likes the character's head, and I like the accessories. At five bucks, we decided to buy her and see what we came up with.

Masters of the Universe Classics: Captain Glenn

2011-12-15T18:55:00.000-05:00

When I saw the Black Friday sale going on at Matty Collector, the first figure I looked for was this one. Captain Marlena Glenn was an adventurer and space pilot from Earth who crash landed on a distant planet, became its queen, and was later the mother of that world's greatest hero, He-Man.

Yeah, she's freaking awesome. And this is easily one of the best toys I bought this year.

This is her shut-the-fuck-up gun. I suggest you shut the fuck up.

She actually comes with everything you need to turn her into either Captain Glenn or Queen Marlena. What really impresses me is how well that works. Take a look at what's actually included:

You get an underlying body with two sets of clothes and accessories, two heads, and Cringer thrown in as a bonus. She'd still be the coolest MotU Classics toy I've seen even without Cringer, but it's nice getting something extra.

The dress and vest are both made of very thin plastic, with tabs in back. There is a noticeable line where the edges meet, but it's no worse than the molding lines on most action figures.

Technically, her pilot uniform looks nothing like it did in the original series: that one looked lame; this one looks awesome. She's clearly got a Buck Rogers, pulp SF serial adventurer-vibe going on here, and I absolutely love it. They have retained the "Rainbow" symbol she was wearing in the episode featuring her, which is a nice throwback. My guess is that they updated and streamlined her outfit, so the underlying color scheme would match her queen outfit. Whatever the reason, it looks fantastic.

Hey Mattel, I hear you're having trouble getting a new He-Man movie green lit. Ever consider starting with a prequel in the vein of John Carter? Just think about it.

The giant laser rifle comes out better in photos, but the hand laser is the standout in person. It's wonderfully evocative of old science fiction movies. The holster is just as fantastic.

Here she is in royal dress. I love both the crown and outfit. If I remember right, the sword is actually intended for her husband. Screw that: she can cut down snake-men on her own. The scepter is fine, but probably the weakest accessory.

Cringer's fun, and as an extra he adds a lot of value to this toy. But, on his own, he's nothing spectacular. Not that he necessarily should be, mind you.

He's got cut joints on his neck and tail, but his legs are sculpted in place.

I will say this: seeing him standing next to Battle Cat explains why everyone doesn't realize they're the same creature. I mean, these toys are in scale, so, markings aside, there's not a lot of similarity.

I love both versions of Marlena, and I'm honestly torn as to which I want to display. I got her for $22.50 on Matty Collector's Black Friday Sale, which I think is a few dollars under retail. All things considered, this set may start out with a hefty price tag, but it more than delivers the value.

I consider this photo definitive proof that she could single-handedly defend Eternia against the forces of Skeletor at least as efficiently as He-Man. She probably just sits it out so she doesn't steal the spotlight from her son.

Hey, It's His Computer

2011-12-13T22:08:00.000-05:00

Picture: Beast Boy's Been Working Out

2011-12-12T19:50:00.000-05:00

Masters of the Universe Classics: Battle Cat

2011-12-11T09:29:00.000-05:00

Yeah. Okay. So I'm ridiculously late to this party. I could never justify racing to Matty Collector's website on their sale dates just to fight for a chance to maybe buy an overpriced toy then get gouged on shipping (since there's usually not much opportunity to combine).

But then Black Friday rolled around, and Mattel made a massive number of exclusives available, many at discounted prices (Battle Cat, for example, was marked down to $27). Add that to the fact I could combine shipping with a couple other toys I wanted, and the math suddenly looked a lot better.

As every other toy collector on Earth learned more than a year ago, this is pretty amazing toy. The Four Horsemen did a phenomenal job sculpting something that was simultaneously true to the original concept, while looking completely modern. Not to mention intimidating.

I love the work on the head, both with and without the removable armor. This guy's extremely scary - if I were Skeletor, I'd think twice before making trouble.

I will admit to having mixed feelings about the headpiece. It's amazingly well done, given the design of the original, but it looks equal parts cool and, well... silly. Then again, there's something realistic about that: real world armor doesn't always look as frightening as it's intended to.

The articulation is good, though I do have a gripe. The shoulders and hind legs are all joined with swivels instead of ball joints, which limits your options. The knees and ankles, on the other hand, are ball-joints, which mostly makes up for it. Mostly.

There are quite a few other joints, giving you quite a bit of movement. I also love the mouth, which looks fantastic open or closed.

He-Man looks good riding, but not great. The limitations in the Masters of the Universe Classics' leg articulation become apparent.

He works quite a bit better standing in front of Battle Cat: this is a good vehicle, but an amazing backdrop.

I'm thrilled to have finally gotten my hands on one of these. Truth be told, I was awfully jealous of my fellow collectors last year when pictures of these started showing up online, but I couldn't justify the price until now.

Picture: Revenge of the 80s

2011-12-10T10:32:00.000-05:00

Picture: Sense of Vertigo

2011-12-07T07:07:00.000-05:00

DC Universe Classics Swamp Thing

2011-12-06T07:30:00.000-05:00

I've been hoping for a DCUC Swamp Thing for years now, eagerly checking out every news article I could get my hands on, reading the Q&A's to see if the Vertigo embargo had been lifted, and waiting... waiting.

Then, about a year ago, I heard that it was finally happening. With the "Brightest Day" story line, Swamp Thing was finally rejoining DC proper, allowing Mattel to produce a figure. Almost immediately, they announced they were making one as a con exclusive which would later be offered through their website.

"I'll buy it," I thought. "No matter the cost, no matter the wait... I must have it."

Then I got the details.

In an attempt to make something exceptional, Mattel covered his arms and legs in a soft rubber, concealing his joints.

Ah... okay. That's cool and all. It's just that... that's not going to hold. Anyone who collects toys knows rubber deteriorates and falls apart. Eventually, it's going to tear and break down.

On top of that, I saw pictures and wasn't impressed. Sure, he looks cool, but concealing knee, ankle, shoulder, and wrist joints while leaving the shoulder and hip joints visible just draws attention to the flaws.

So I didn't buy him. I've actually passed up a few chances to get one since. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who felt this way: these weren't quite the hot sales item Mattel (not to mention scalpers) were hoping. These showed up on Ebay, Figure of the Day, Amazon... you name it. And the price seemed to be hovering around the forty dollar mark, which is about what it cost initially (I think it started at $30 plus shipping, but you get the idea).

Then, in November, I actually saw one in person and started having second thoughts. Sure, it's not perfect, and it'll require upkeep, but I had to admit it was pretty awesome.

Well, on Black Friday I got another chance, and I jumped on it. Matty Collector was hosting a massive sale on their website. They were selling an unprecedented number of different figures from Ghostbusters, the DC Universe, and Masters of the Universe. Due to the volume of toys, things weren't instantly selling out. Plus, it was possible to buy several figures at once and pay one shipping charge.

So that, right there, is the saga of how I bought the Swamp Thing. Let's talk about the toy itself.

Actually, we'll start with the packaging. It comes in an extremely large, very cool box pictured above. In the box, you'll find a tray shaped like Swamp Thing's head.

Mattel's trying to make it a selling point that this is biodegradable. I appreciate the effort, but the sentiment feels a little hollow given that it comes with a giant plastic toy that isn't. But that's a sin all of us toy collectors share in, isn't it?

Nevertheless, it's creative packaging with at least a tip of the proverbial hat towards the comic's environmental themes. Now, let's get to that toy.

Okay, let's get this out of the way. If you're looking for photos of detailed poses, you'll have to look elsewhere. I'm a tad paranoid about that rubber, so I'm not even testing the covered joints. You can find video reviews elsewhere that go over the full range of motion, but - for my purposes - I'm pretending the arms and legs are sculpted pieces. I like how they come posed, and I want them to stay that way.

In addition to the covered joints (wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, and abs) this has ball-jointed shoulders and head, and those swivel/hinge waist joints I usually like so much. In this case, I'd have been just happy with a sculpture, since that's how I'm basically treating it.

The rubber covers just about everything other than the joints you see. The toes and fingers lack a skeleton at all, so they're incredibly loose.

Visually, the figure's absolutely gorgeous. The amount of detail Mattel got out of this material is incredible. But ultimately the fact there are still visible joints defeats the point. Striking the balance between reality and action figure is tough, but I'm of the opinion Mattel got this about perfect years ago when they started this line. I appreciate the attempt to experiment, but I'd have rather this done as a "conventional" DCUC figure. I think it'd certainly would have fit in better on the shelf beside other toys in the line.

Let's move onto accessories. The version sold at cons included a pair of "un-men," which are bizarre mutants. I'd have liked those, but not enough to drop an additional twenty bucks on them on Ebay.

This does still have the Swamp Thing's stand, which is extremely cool on its own. It's nicely detailed, and it looks like an extension of the figure (as is appropriate).

I like that they've sculpted a skull and some bones here. I'm operating under the assumption those are the remains of Alec Holland (if you've read Alan Moore's run, you know that the Swamp Thing isn't actually Holland).

There's one more extra, though it's not all that impressive. You also get a "replica" of Holland's journal. The term "replica" might be an exaggeration, unless the original only had one page.

Yeah, it's not much, but it's cute and it's free.

For those of you wondering, this cost me $30, plus shipping (about another four bucks, after dividing the total three ways for the three toys I bought). It's a long way from an ideal Swamp Thing, but I do think this is an exceptionally nice piece - I just hope it stays that way. And at the price I wound up paying, it was certainly worth it.

Picture: Smile

2011-12-04T12:35:00.000-05:00

Fisher Price Imaginext: The Goddamn Batman

2011-12-03T22:21:00.000-05:00

Is it time to reassess your life when you realize you're a grown man getting ready to discuss an Imaginext Batman figure only to realize that it is not, in fact, the FIRST Imaginext Batman figure you've ever reviewed?

Don't answer that - the question's rhetorical and besides, I honestly don't know whether I could handle the truth.

I bought this for five simple reasons:

1. It was only two bucks.
2. I like the color scheme.
3. I was already buying a Catwoman and wanted this to compliment it.
4. I bargained with myself that I could have this one if I put three other Imaginext figures back. And:
5. An almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.

Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

First, the good. The figure is absolutely hilarious. As alluded to in the title of this post, this figure is more or less Frank Miller's "goddamn" Batman from the atrocious All-Star Batman and Robin. Seriously: look at the psychotic grin on his face. There's a punk who's made him angry, and Batman's going to hurt him. A lot. And enjoy it.

To this end, Batman comes with three accessories. Oh, I'm sorry: I forgot to transition into this section by saying, "and now for the bad."

What the hell is that supposed to be? The Riddler's staff painted red in the Riddler's blood, perhaps? I don't know. Maybe it's a lacrosse stick painted red in the Riddler's blood. I have no idea.

Whatever it is, it doesn't seem to involve these two giant batarangs:

They're... maybe a little large for this figure. Whatever. The figure's good even if the accessories are a wash. The chest symbol is great, and even though I generally shy away from fabric capes, this one's pretty decent.

I wouldn't recommend dropping much on something like this, but at two bucks he's fantastic.

I leave you with this scene from the new Catwoman series:

Fisher Price Imaginext Catwoman (and Catcycle)

2011-11-29T07:14:00.000-05:00

A long, long time ago I bought and reviewed a couple of Imaginext DC figures over at the Clearance Bin. This was before the existence of the similarly scaled Action League figures, and at the time I thought they'd be the closest I'd ever come to having a DC analog to Marvel's Superhero Squad.

Obviously, Mattel eventually did produce the Action League figures, so I made the jump. While I've occasionally considered more of the Fisher Price figures, I've ultimately stayed away. It's not that I haven't liked the toys (I have), it's just that they never became a priority.

The only time I was tempted was with this set, which appeared in Toys R Us stores earlier this year. I almost bought it several times, but somehow convinced myself I didn't need it.

On a recent visit to a Big Lots, I saw one going for just $5.50 (which I think is a few bucks less than Toys R Us was asking, though to be honest I can't recall the exact amount). At any rate, you can already see I broke down.

While the line is pretty good overall, this is probably the coolest figure they've produced. They went with the modern catsuit, which is my favorite version of the costume (though the old purple version is a close second). The bright blue goggles look fantastic, too.

The strong point of this set is the accessories. The whip is decent for this scale and fits nicely in Selena's hand. She also comes with a growling cat, which is surprisingly creepy up close.

Last but certainly not least, she comes with a cat-cycle, which is really something. The design exudes silver age silliness, particularly in the front. It has a couple modes, courtesy of a play feature that pops the wheels forward with the press of a button. The "tail" is articulated, giving you a couple of options.

It's a fun little toy and - compared to the more "collector friendly" figures on the market - a hell of a bargain at less than six bucks. There's nothing wrong with a toy that geared towards a younger market, and, frankly, with the over-sexualization present in Catwoman's comics (and many of the toys/statues on the market), it's kind of refreshing seeing a version of the character that's kid friendly.

Sparse Updates Through Christmas

2011-11-25T17:34:00.000-05:00

Hi, folks. Toy Remix is going to be updated fairly infrequently from now through Christmas. All right, so this thing updates infrequently about half the time anyway, but I usually don't know it's going to happen in advance: this time, I do.

This disruption of service is seasonal in nature: my wife and I run an intensive holiday blog called Mainlining Christmas, which tracks the effect watching dozens of holiday specials and listening to nothing but Christmas music nonstop has on a pair of hapless test subjects. Unfortunately, lacking anyone else crazy enough to serve as guinea pigs in our mad science project, we're forced to experience all ten metric tons of holiday cheer ourselves.

Mainlining Christmas updates a minimum of three times a day, so it requires pretty much all of my free time. I'll still post occasional toy reviews and pictures here (I've got some prepared in advance), but there are definitely going to be long stretches between posts.

They'll also be a handful of toy reviews going up on Mainlining Christmas this year, so it's worth checking even if you don't want to read about how much I hate the Alvin and the Chipmunks' Christmas album. Those of you with strong feelings about Christmas - both pro and con - will find much of interest at Mainlining Christmas, though.

Picture: Hello There

2011-11-22T22:40:00.000-05:00

Whatnot Workshop

2011-11-20T21:13:00.000-05:00

A few years ago, FAO Schwartz installed a Whatnot Workshop in the corner of their flagship store in New York. My wife and I considered buying one, but we were bothered by two things: first, you select the eyes, hair, and nose you want, and those are then sewed on. Since the actual Whatnots were meant to be modifiable, the parts were attached with pins or velcro on the Muppet Show and Sesame Street. That means the ones at FAO Schwartz aren't really authentic. Secondly, they cost a hundred freaking dollars each.

Well, with the new Muppet movie coming out, FAO Schwartz and their corporate overlords at Toys R Us decided to cash in on the success of the workshop by offering packaged versions with interchangeable parts. Best of all, they're priced at a more reasonable $60.

Okay, that's still a lot. But the toy's pretty cool and it gives you a good sense of what it would be like to operate a Muppet. At this price point, I will say I feel a little cheated on the accessories. There's three noses, eye sets, and wigs, along with a rod to operate his arms. They could have tossed in some costumes and/or extra eyes (I'd like to have gotten more variation). But it wouldn't be too hard to customize these: hell, with a little work, we could probably figure out what size he/she wears and pick up some baby clothes.

The package claims this is an FAO Schwartz exclusive, but that's bunk. When Toys R Us bought FAO's soul, they got access to their exclusives, as well. We picked this up at a Toys R Us on Long Island, and I'm betting they're available all over the country.

Amazon Exclusive Star Trek Data PADD Replica

2011-11-17T19:58:00.000-05:00

I don't usually buy high-end stuff: it's generally out of my price range. But when I heard Amazon was producing a Star Trek data PADD (Personal Access Display Device) replica, I got interested. Another company has been offering a similar replica for five hundred bucks, while Amazon was charging less than half that much.

I broke down and ordered one. It came a few days ago, and I've been playing with it ever since. Due to Star Trek's myriad incarnations, they had some freedom designing what's clearly a "iconic" interpretation of the Data PADD. While I'd have preferred something a little more boxy and old school, I appreciate the more "Next Gen" version they went with.

It's a little small, but like I said, with all the different versions that have appeared in the Star Trek franchise over the years, it's got to be accurate to some incarnation or another. Due to Trek's popularity, there are larger versions sold by competing retailers, but those are the aforementioned $500 models. Thanks, but I think I'll stick with this one.

It's pretty cool, with a bright, adjustable display and speakers. Surprisingly, it doesn't come preloaded with any Star Trek images or sounds, though it does offer WI-FI access if you want to hop online and download some.

At $200, it's certainly pricey, but not compared to some of the high-end replicas out there. This fits in perfectly with the Diamond Select Star Trek accessories I've already got.

Apparently, this is one of Amazon's best sellers right now. I never realized there were so many cosplayers out there....

Picture: Vaudeville

2011-11-17T06:56:00.000-05:00

Steppin' Out Rowlf

2011-11-13T21:34:00.001-05:00

For years, Animal was my favorite Muppet. But, as I grew older, I changed my mind. That honor now belongs to Rowlf and I finally decided I've been without an action figure of the character for far too long.

Performed by Henson himself, Rowlf was the first of the major Muppets. Originally appearing in a dog food commercial in 1962, he picked up a recurring gig on The Jimmy Dean Show a year later. Whether or not it was intentional, I always felt like this informed his character on The Muppet Show and the movies. While the others seemed worried most of the time, Rowlf was generally more laid back. He seemed to have a better grasp on show business, like he'd been in the game longer. Kermit and Piggy always felt like they were struggling to build up their careers, but Rowlf always felt like his time had passed, like he was a part of the fading vaudeville era the Muppets are a tribute to. Although he never came off as bitter or upset, I always felt like there was a melancholy subtext to his character.

Well, years and years ago, Palisades produced a "Steppin' Out" Rowlf figure, which was available at comic, toy, and some other spots for a while. I'm sure I came across him once or twice - this would have roughly corresponded to when I'd just started collecting toys - and passed him by. Yeah. Live and learn.

I found this one loose on Ebay. He had all his original accessories, with the exception of his stand (identical to several others I have, anyway). He wasn't cheap, but he was more reasonable than what packaged ones are going for. My wife, also a lifelong Muppets fan, didn't object, so I bit the bullet and ordered the figure.

The figure himself is great, both in terms of sculpt and paint. The articulation is on the low side, but he has enough to pull off the poses you need. His ears are articulated, which I like.

As a result of being used, my figure has several paint scuffs on him, but that's the cost of buying used. At some point, my wife and I might see about cleaning him up, but I took pictures of him as he is.

In some ways, the accessories are as impressive as the figure himself. The figure came with two things: a scale bust of Beethoven and a scale grand piano. As awesome as the bust is, I don't think it'll surprise anyone to hear the piano is my favorite of the two accessories. Actually, in this scale, it might be my single favorite accessory ever produced.

This came disassembled, both when I bought it and in its original packaging. The legs snap in securely and hold the body up. The top opens and is held in place by a moving peg. In addition, the keys are protected by a hinged cover, and the music stand flips up or down. The whole thing is made of hollow plastic, but it looks fantastic. Once again, there are some paint scuffs on the piano, as well as the figure.
The bust is accurate to how I remember it portrayed on the show.

Given what the toy I'm looking at cost me, I'd rather not consider how little it was when originally released. Years ago, when these first hit store shelves, this would have run you about eight bucks. Now, used, it ran me $56 with shipping. That's how it goes sometimes. If I'd wanted one in the package, I'd have been looking closer to a hundred bucks - ouch.

But it was worth every penny.

Picture: Wrong Turn in Albuquerque

2011-11-09T20:46:00.000-05:00

Muppets: "Vacation" Fozzie

2011-11-08T07:14:00.000-05:00

As we get closer to the release date of the new Muppet movie, I thought it would be a good time to continue shouting the praises of the greatest action figure line to ever grace the shelves of toy stores. Palisades: you are sorely missed.

While Lindsay and I have plastic versions of most of what I consider the "core" Muppets - Kermit, Piggy, Gonzo, etc. - there have been a few lingering holes in our collection. The most notable, at least to the casual Muppet fan, has been Fozzie Bear. I've been meaning to remedy that for years, but I finally had a chance on Labor Day, when I found this at Midtown Comics. Thanks to a 20% off sale, I wound up taking Fozzie home for $16, which isn't quite as good a deal as getting the Koozebane Kermit for the same price, but is still more than fair as far as this collector's concerned.

I knew I'd like this, since I've yet to buy a single toy in this line I haven't at least liked. I don't think I was expecting to love this, though. I was wrong. This thing is absolutely incredible.

The toy itself is great, featuring some fantastically utilized articulation. The cut elbows manage to maintain the sculpt's integrity while opening up some gorgeous posing options. Other than that, sure, the articulation is minimal - V crotch, ball jointed shoulders, and a head joint that must a ball, even though it gives you a fairly limited range. The amount of different poses you can get is fairly staggering, and the figure always looks more like a statue than an action figure.

What really sells the figure are his accessories. Fozzie has a suitcase (sorry; it doesn't open), a hat, sunglasses, and a flotation device. The flotation device looks amazing, as does the briefcase. The sunglasses are pretty cool, though they're a little hard to position and potentially easy to lose. It's the same deal with the hat, which is held in place by a magnet - a great way to capture the look of the show without having to muck up the sculpt with pegs or holes.

Finally, you also get a sheet of stickers you can affix to Fozzie's case, if you're so inclined. While the stickers look cool, I think I'm going to hold off, since I really like the case the way it is.

It feels redundant to say it, but this is another spectacular action figure. Highly recommended if you ever see one at a decent price.

Muppets: Koozebane Kermit

2011-11-06T08:17:00.000-05:00

In the decade I've been collecting, I've seen some great 6 inch toy lines. Mattel's DC Universe Classics, Toy Biz's Marvel Legends, and NECA's Nightmare Before Christmas are all towards the top, but - let's be clear - they're vying for second place. Because first place is owned by the now defunct Palisades, which produced a legendary line of Muppets action figures before going under.

The detail of the sculpts, the creativity in the articulation, and the sheer genius in the accessories and designs added up to a quality of action figure that's never been matched. And, frankly, almost certainly never will be, since rising costs make it more or less impossible to duplicate this level of quality at a profit.

This figure (really more of a playset) is a good example. It's a toy I never expected to get my hands on, actually: last time I checked, these were commanding a lot of cash on Ebay, and I haven't seen one in person since... well, possibly ever. Then, on Labor Day, Lindsay and I stumbled across this in Midtown Comics for $20. I'd gladly have forked that over for this set, but they were having a sale and everything was 20% off. So, in the end, this ran me about sixteen bucks.

The sheer amount of thought that went into these toys is staggering. Sure, Palisades made a point of advertising some of their other figures on the back, but they also included character accurate bios with appropriate humor. On top of that, the credits list the artists involved. Makes perfect sense to me: if I worked on this, I'd want my name attached, too.

Kermit's awesome, but the real stars here are the Koozebanians. The two larger figures have articulated arms. Only the Merdlidops (the ones with blue eyes) are attached. The rest can be moved around to your heart's content.

The base is extremely cool, though I kind of wish there were pegs to stabilize Kermit. But I can appreciate that Palisades always viewed their toys as, you know, TOYS, and wanted them played with.

I'm thrilled to add this to my collection.

It's Time to Get Things Started

2011-11-04T07:21:00.000-04:00

All right. In honor of their upcoming movie, I'm hereby dedicating the next few weeks to The Muppets. That means, if you don't like The Muppets, YOU CAN BURN IN HELL! I mean, if you're not into The Muppets, you may want to check out other toy sites for a while. Also, the Hell thing.

Action League Green Lantern 3-Pack: Guy Gardner, Hal Jordan, and John Stewart

2011-11-01T21:43:00.000-04:00

I almost never get to visit Walmart. I know, I know: most people would consider me lucky. But after six years living in New York, I miss the place. Well, I miss aspects of the place.

Lindsay and I recently rented a car just to get out of the city and drive around for a few days; sort of a mini-vacation. And one of the things we did was stop at a few Walmarts. Among other things, we found a bunch of Green Lantern 3-Packs going for $9.44 each, which is less than I usually pay for a 2-pack in the city. I had no idea these sets even existed, but I grabbed this one. There were some other options, as well, as advertised on the back:

The others are solid deals, but I only wanted one figure each from those packs. Ten bucks would have been a bit pricey, so I just got the one.

None of these figures are unique, though the set is a Walmart Exclusive. This is the same Hal Jordan I already own, along with John Stewart from the recent wave of two-packs and the Guy Gardner from the Batman: Brave and the Bold Action League toys (at least I think it's the same).

The best figure here - in my opinion - is the Guy Gardner. His head is stylized, yet instantly recognizable, and he has a different body than the other two.

John Stewart (my favorite Earth-based Green Lantern) is good, though they went a little overboard on the caricature of his face. My thoughts on Hal haven't changed since the last time I reviewed him: he's not a bad figure, but there's something seriously off in the face.

The articulation is the same as ever: cut joints on the neck, shoulders, and waists. I still wish they'd make ball jointed shoulders standard and add cuts to the wrists, but I'm coming to terms with what we've got.

These aren't perfect toys, but I really like the style. And, at a refreshingly reasonable price, I'm pretty happy overall.

Once Again, Mattel Violates the Treaty

2011-10-30T23:34:00.000-04:00

"I don't buy dolls: I buy collectible action figures."

As toy collectors, the above line is supposed to be our shield, our defense against the charge we purchase dolls. On some level, we know it's an illusion (there's no metaphysical difference between the two - there never was), but it's all we have.

And, once again, Mattel is violently yanking it away from us. It's bad enough they forced me to buy Barbies when they made superheroes under that brand, not to mention the Speed Racer 2-pack and the Barbie/Ken as Star Trek characters my wife reviewed.

Now they're at it again. Lindsay and I came across these Polly Pocket figures dressed as Supergirl and Wonder Woman in a Target recently. She wanted to buy them, but I told her she couldn't and snatched them out of her hands.

These were mine.

I mean, come on. They're freaking adorable. Wonder Woman even has little bracers: I honestly don't think I had any choice in the matter.

Articulation is limited but decent. The heads are attached with ball-joints, which work well. The shoulders are also ball jointed, but Supergirl's are limited by her outfit. It's made of a soft rubber, so you can still get some motion, but I don't want to push it for fear of damaging the suit. There's also a cut joint at the waist, but it moves the figures out of alignment with their costumes. Finally, the legs are connected with pin joints, but - once again - the suits get in the way. In terms of posing, you're going to need to lean these against something to keep them standing.

Each figure comes with a single accessory: a character-themed bag, presumably for trick-or-treating. These were five bucks each, which is pretty reasonable.

However, I'm still pissed at Mattel for making me buy dolls. I won't settle for anything less than an apology and a release of the San Diego Comic Con exclusive Polly Pocket Batgirl, so I can complete my collection.

October Horrors, Pt. 7: Helping Hands

2011-10-29T18:03:00.000-04:00

Green Lantern Classics: Collect & Connect Stel

2011-10-27T19:03:00.000-04:00

Wave two of the Green Lantern Classics contains six figures (well, six packs - technically, there are eleven figures if you count the alternate heads and the three pack). At any rate, each toy comes with part of Stel.

I bought three of the packs more or less immediately. I wanted the three pack of mini-figures, and the toys with alternate heads, so I didn't hesitate. I was less excited by the others. In fact, I find one of the others downright disappointing (that would be Star Sapphire), another cool but not really essential for my collection (G'Hu), and the last fine but underwhelming (Sodam Yat). If you're wondering why I felt the need to recap several reviews, it's for contrast. Because while those weren't spectacular, I absolutely love this Stel.

I'm not a huge fan of the comic character, thought I like the little I've seen. Unlike some others, Stel's never gotten a major role on any of the animated properties, which makes him a bit more obscure. But I like the Green Lantern Corps being diverse, so having a robot in the mix is certainly appreciated.

What's more appreciated is this toy: this thing is awesome. No, strike that: it's AWESOME.

The green metallic paint is beautiful, and the brighter green highlights, representing pulsating energy, stand out nicely. The sculpt is just about perfect. Robotic characters always have an edge when captured in plastic, since the joints don't look out of place. This takes full advantage of that fact, delivering an amazing looking toy with great articulation.

I can't think of any greater compliment than this: Stel was worth picking up those extra figures. Heck: even they look pretty good beside him.

Green Lantern Classics: Sodam Yat

2011-10-25T18:36:00.000-04:00

Sodam Yat was created in 1986 by Alan Moore, who intended to use him in a never-published story set in the future of the DCU. Moore intended for Yat to kill Superman, and - to Moore's credit - he gave the character a plausible explanation for having that kind of power.

Sodam Yat is a Daxamite, an alien race closely related to Kryptonians (Daxamites have been around since the 60's, though they never came up much). Under a yellow sun, they exhibit the same powers as Superman, but instead of being susceptible to Kryptonite, they can be killed by lead. So everything bounces off them EXCEPT bullets.

It was a silly concept created for a fairly silly story involving an alien who showed up pretended to be Kryptonian and befriending Superboy. But, for better or for worse, the species was created and in continuity, and Moore saw the potential.

What if you gave something like that a Green Lantern ring?

He did just that - or rather alluded to it - in a prophecy told to Abin Sur. Moore himself never got around to telling that story (he had a falling out with DC Comics soon after), and the character faded into obscurity for decades.

Until Geoff Johns dusted off the concept and folded him into the Sinestro Corps War, a major event involving an alliance of villains so bad you'd need a super-powered Green Lantern on your side just to have a chance. Johns actually upped the ante, empowering Sodam Yat with Ion, the living embodiment of willpower. Even so, he eventually got taken down (but not killed) by Superboy Prime, whose origin... I'll leave for another day.

The action figure is pretty good, but not spectacular. Honestly, I wish they'd gone with his Green Lantern outfit instead of his Ion look, but that's just my preference. There's nothing special about his articulation: this is standard DCUC (which is still pretty good).

The one trump card this figure does have is accessories. He doesn't do as well as some of the other packs in this wave (a few of the figures have interchangeable heads and hands, basically working out to two figures in one), but he does come with an extra hand.

The one he comes wearing is actually the one I'd consider the alternate: it has a green energy construct of a ring symbol shooting out. It's a great idea, and it mostly works. I'd have been happier if it were a little bigger, but the idea is so much fun it's hard not to love it anyway. I think I actually prefer Yat with his normal hand, but I plan on "shopping this around" to my other Lantern action figures: I'm sure it'll look good on someone.

I was torn on this figure for the longest time. He's good but not great, and, while I like the character concept, I'm not really attached to him. What finally made me buy him wasn't the toy himself, but the Collect & Connect pieces for Stel. He comes with Stel's head and waist, which were all I was missing.

I found him at a Toys R Us on Long Island for $18. I actually bought him knowing he was three bucks less on Amazon, but decided that was worth the instant gratification.

Green Lantern Classics: Star Sapphire Carol Ferris

2011-10-24T20:32:00.000-04:00

This was picked up at a K-Mart in New Jersey, where she was marked down to $12.39. While I really like Star Sapphire as a character, I would have skipped this entirely if it weren't for the Collect & Connect piece. Because, while I like the character, I hate the current outfit.

This is - unfortunately - accurate to her look in the comics recently. The character was never overdressed, but this really takes the concept about ten steps too far. This isn't appealing or attractive - it's just stupid.

The head sculpt is fine, though not really spectacular. Honestly, comparing this to some of my other DC Universe and Green Lantern Classics, I can't help but wonder if the sculptors aren't similarly unimpressed with the design. The Four Horsemen always do solid work, but I don't see much evidence they went above and beyond this time. Can't say I blame them.

The articulation is lacking, as well. This is the first of the redesigned female figures I've gotten my hands on, and I'm not impressed. There's almost no articulation in the stomach or neck joints, severely limiting posing options.

Accessories are similarly lacking. The only thing you get is Stel's left arm, which certainly doesn't justify the prices these are commanding in some cases (over $20 at the Toys R Us near my apartment).

Even at $12.39, I don't feel like I landed much of a deal. Still, worth it for the Collect & Connect piece I needed.

Green Lantern Classics: G'Hu (Movie)

2011-10-21T07:15:00.000-04:00

G'Hu is easily the figure in Wave 2 of the Green Lantern Classics I was least interested in, despite the fact he has excellent sculpt and paint work. In fact, as an action figure, G'Hu is pretty awesome. The issue is more with the style.

This was released last spring, before the Green Lantern movie or tie-in merchandise hit. In fact, I'm pretty sure this was the first movie-related toy available.

The thing is, the movie wasn't all that good. In fact, in my humble opinion, it was kind of awful. Seeing as the film wasn't much, I haven't exactly been driven to track down the action figures, this guy included. And, while he's relatively close to my comic figures, his color scheme and costume are just different enough to clash on the shelf.

So. Why'd I buy him? Two reasons: first, I found him at a K-Mart in New Jersey marked down to $12.39. Second, he came with this:

That, of course, is the right arm belonging to Stel, the Collect & Connect figure broken apart and sold with Wave 2 of Mattel's Green Lantern Classics. And, frankly, I kind of wanted to finish him.

Like I said before, G'Hu isn't a bad figure in his own right. He has an almost absurd level of detail, and the head is gorgeous. I also love the hair, which ends in pointed barbs. There's a good amount of articulation, as well. The joints are different from what we're used to - not surprising, as the figure has an alien physiology instead of human. The elbows and knees are cut rather than pin joints, but they actually work pretty well.

So, while I'm not all that interested in the style yet (that could change if the other movie toys start appearing in clearance sections), I can appreciate fine work. And this is definitely a good toy.

Lemax Spooky Town Lighted Moon

2011-10-19T07:06:00.000-04:00

I was meandering through a Michaels recently, when I came across this. Normally, it would cost $14.95, but all their Lemax Collectibles were marked 50% off. Seven-fifty for a light up moon? It seemed like a steal. I mean, look at that picture on the side: that looks awesome.

Ah. The power of photoshop. Want to see what the moon ACTUALLY looks like when this thing is turned on?

Okay. Uh. I know moonlight looks blue and all, but the moon itself... well, that's usually yellow or orange. Like in the picture. Or when this thing is turned off. This thing actually looks more like I imagine the Earth looks when you're standing on the moon.

Also, when it's turned on, it makes a soft, high pitched whistling sound, kind of like a small fly is buzzing around the inside of your ear canal trying to escape. It... gets annoying after a while.

This is quite a bit nicer turned off than on. Though if I wanted a moon on a disk, I could have made a far nicer one using a sticker. And it would have cost a hell of a lot less than $7.50.

It's not awful. No, actually it is kind of awful. Well, it's not without merits. The metal bar holding it up extends, giving you some options on how you want it displayed. And, despite not being the right color, it still looks kind of neat when used with the right toys.

A Grave Picture

2011-10-18T07:13:00.000-04:00

Okay, so Bruce Wayne PROBABLY wouldn't have selected the headstones with a skull and crossbones motif. Probably.

But it wasn't like Michaels was selling miniature Halloween headstones with angels on them. And at $1.19 each after a 40% off sale, Batman can get over it.

Creatology Halloween Vinyl Decorating Toys

2011-10-17T06:57:00.000-04:00

These small, vinyl figures are being sold at Michaels for Halloween. While I've got some history with Michaels (I worked at one for a year right after college), I didn't actually stumble on these. I found out about these guys when Wes reviewed the pumpkin one over at Scary-Crayon Reviews and I went looking. The Michaels near me was sold out (assuming they ever had them in stock), though I did find a Santa vinyl figure (but it wouldn't be right to discuss that so far before Christmas, would it?).

I had some luck at a Michaels further afield, which miraculously had all four. They didn't have many left, either - at least one of these was the last in stock. At a mere $1.99 each, I picked up one of each. The only "packaging" is the cardboard tag tied to their necks. Inside, it offers a suggestion for how they might look painted.

These have cut neck and shoulder joints. Right now, my favorites are the pumpkin-head and the Frankenstein's monster, though that could change when I get them painted.

They're not spectacular, but they are a lot of fun and a bargain at two bucks each.

October Horrors, Pt. 6: Dissection of a Kiss

2011-10-16T19:10:00.000-04:00

I bought this figure a few months back for the giant 'I' packaged in the lower left - I wanted to give it to Zatanna as a table (more on that here).

Here's the figure intact with all his accessories. Don't get attached.

Almost immediately, the figure's lower arm snapped off. I didn't have much interest in keeping the figure intact anyway, so I decided to salvage the parts.

The head is fascinating. Despite being a traditional action figure in most respects, the head is actually more like a typical doll's: soft, hollow plastic with rooted hair.

He also came with this delightful spear.

I've kept everything except the green fuzz. I have no idea how much of this stuff I'll get around to using, but you never know.

Halo: Flood, Pure Form

2011-10-15T08:23:00.000-04:00

Ah, Halo. I've never played the game, but I sure have a lot of the action figures. Why? Because these things wind up in clearance more consistently than just about any other toys I know of. You just have to wait.

Judging by appearances, this thing looks to be some sort of alien parasite. Beyond that, you probably know way more than I do.

I like the texture on this thing, though overall the design feels a bit too bizarre. I'm all for making aliens look alien, but if it takes a minute to determine which end is the front, it's gone too far.

I picked this up at a Toys R Us Express for three or four dollars. At some point, I've got a custom project that might incorporate some of the parts. Assuming I ever get the time, of course.

October Horrors, Pt. 5: Another Day, Another Bin

2011-10-14T00:05:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty sure every collector has a bin like this containing extra build-a-figure and collect-and-connect parts. I hope to finish some of these figures eventually.

October Horrors, Pt. 4: A Bag of Heads

2011-10-13T08:13:00.000-04:00

I found this bag of random heads in a bin.

October Horrors, Pt. 3: Pandora's Toy Bin

2011-10-07T23:37:00.000-04:00

This is, in Lindsay's own words, the bin of shit she's going to turn into something. I grabbed a picture from both sides, so you can fully appreciate the effect. For the record, I didn't shift, move, or rearrange anything before taking these pictures. What you see is what I came across.

Bonus game: Can you find both headless dinosaurs in the above pictures?

Spawn: Scourge

2011-10-06T23:11:00.000-04:00

Ah, Spawn. What would the 90's have been without you? I remember when it seemed like Spawn was here to stay, like he was the future of comics.

Ha! These days, the character's remembered more for his impact on toys than comics. Spawn may not matter much on the comic shelves, but the influence McFarlane had on the toy industry can't easily be overstated.

None of this has anything to do with I bought this, however. Honestly, I just wanted the parts, particularly the head. Well, the lower head, anyway.

If the copyright info on the back is to be believed, this guy's from 1996. The articulation is pretty good for the time, but clearly dated.

The sculpting is really the strong point: there are some really cool ridges and horns that have great custom potential. Not bad for five bucks at St. Mark's Comics.

October Horrors, Pt. 2: I... See... You.......

2011-10-04T20:06:00.000-04:00

In case anyone was wondering how Lt. Malcolm Reed was doing since I repurposed his playset as a Bat-Computer....

I deconstructed him a day or two after taking the original pictures. Hey, I was curious how he worked.

This has been floating around the apartment in more or less its current state for a couple months now. I have tentative plans to use this as a base for a custom project I have planned. Until then, I kind of like it this way.

October Horrors, Pt. 1: Scalped

2011-10-02T18:07:00.000-04:00

All right. It's October. That means I have to do something for Halloween. Since I don't have to time to write another multi-part horror epic about dolls and ponies, I figured I'd just take some pictures of stuff around the apartment. Hey - I'm busy these days.

So. Here's the first of a whole bunch of pictures exploring the darker side of toy customizing.

This is an extra Powergirl I won in an eBay lot. While removing the cape, her hair popped off. I'm leaving her like this until I come up with a good custom project.

Reveal the Shield Optimus Prime

2011-09-30T21:18:00.000-04:00

I picked this Optimus Prime up in a Lots Less for eight bucks, and I'm about to say something I almost never say: I wish I'd skipped this one.

While this isn't an awful toy, it's extremely underwhelming. It's based on the movie version of the character, and - for this scale - it isn't a horrible representation. But, overall, there's just something off about the appearance, particularly in robot form. The entire thing looks a bit garish, especially in the face. At a glance, it almost looks more like a dollar store knock-off than the real thing.

The vehicle form is a little better, though not much. I should point out that this is the last time I expect to have this guy in vehicle form: he took a long time to convert. I've got Transformers with transformations that are more complex, but given how mediocre this one looks, it's just not worth the effort.

Despite the ridiculous shoulders, Prime has some decent, though not exception articulation. He comes with that giant sword, which - incidentally - gets shoved up between his legs when you transform him.

At about five or six inches tall, this is actually the second Prime I have in this scale. The other, based on the original cartoon, is far better.

At eight bucks, I'm not down a huge amount of money. But, frankly, he just wasn't worth the money. I really feel for anyone who got duped into paying twice that for this guy.

Green Lantern Vs. Prometheus Vs. My Budget

2011-09-28T21:34:00.000-04:00

I wasn't going to buy this, and I certainly wasn't going to buy this for full price. I already owned a Green Arrow in this scale. Why would I need two? The answer: I wouldn't! And the one I already owned was fine. Good even. Really good.

It's just that, well, it wasn't GREAT. I mean, it was based on the Brave and the Bold design, which was fine and all that. But just fine.

This one, on the other hand, is pure DC. But that's beside the point. Even if this one's a little better - okay, a lot better - he's still ten bucks. And he comes with Prometheus, a supervillain he shot through the head (he, ah, had a good reason).

But this isn't about Prometheus: it's about Green Arrow. Cool character, great figure, but... I didn't need him.

So I didn't buy him. Not the first time I saw this set, nor the second. In fact, I came across this at least five or ten times, took a deep breath, then walked out of whatever store I was in at the time.

But each time I felt my resolve weaken a little bit. Not a lot, mind you: just a little.

I know what you're thinking: you're thinking I broke. Well, it shows what YOU know. See, that's not what happened, at all. On the contrary, I held firm.

But I realized that I couldn't hold out forever. That, eventually, I was going to break down and buy this set in a moment of weakness. I couldn't let that happen, so I came up with a brilliant solution. Rather than hold off until I broke down and bought the toys, I just purchased them while my resolve was still strong.

Anyone buying any of this?

Museum Quality

2011-09-26T20:38:00.000-04:00

I can't even tell you how excited I am to have picked up these Dinosauria packs for only three bucks each at a Toys R Us Express. Why am I so excited? I'll tell you! It's because these are MUSEUM QUALITY REPLICAS.

I know. You're skeptical. But just take a look at this:

That's right - PROOF! I mean, they couldn't just print that if it wasn't true, right?

"So," you're probably asking, "what the hell does 'museum quality replica' even mean?" Don't worry - I'll show you. First, here are the two Museum Quality skeletons standing next to the Museum Quality miniature plastic dinosaurs they came with, so you can see what these actually looked like when they were alive:

Apparently, the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Triceratops looked like crappy pieces of plastic when they ruled the Earth. See, these are the kind of insightful realizations you get when you start collecting Museum Quality Replicas from the clearance aisle of a Toys R Us Express.

Perhaps, someday, you too shall be so cultured.

Note the Museum Quality gap where the plastic doesn't quite fit together right. Also, added bonus: the Museum Quality pieces falling off (fun fact: every year, tens of thousands of museum visitors are killed by dinosaur skeletons).

Unfortunately, while I now have Museum Quality Replicas, I don't have the same kind of space. So I disassembled them and stuck them into a bin, until I need them for some custom project or another.

I'm sorry. I mean, Museum Quality Custom Project.

Picture: Riddle Me This....

2011-09-25T16:38:00.000-04:00

Picture: Breaking and Entering

2011-09-24T17:39:00.000-04:00

Dusty Trails Action Series 2: US Army 3rd I.D.

2011-09-23T20:43:00.000-04:00

Here's another Dusty Trails figure I bought at St. Marks Comics for five bucks. Like the last, I picked this guy up for his base.

Since I don't have a need for a giant picture of a diseased dictator, I'm planning on either pasting something over it or finding a way to sift through different backdrops. More on that eventually.

I'm not going to say too much about this figure, seeing as he's going in the spare parts drawer, but I will mention the sculpt and paint are great, while there's almost no articulation. The gun is removable, and on its own is a great accessory.

The packaging made a big deal about being able to see the look of determination in his eyes. Ah... if you say so. Honestly, he looks kind of scared to me.

Once again, this is a cool statue, but not much more. The sum of its parts add up to much more than the toy, however, and I'm thrilled I found this for as little as I did.

Dusty Trail Action Series 1: S.W.A.T. Pointman

2011-09-21T19:56:00.000-04:00

I remember seeing these in Toys R Us several years back. While I was intrigued by the bases, I wasn't as serious about collecting back then as I am now, so I never picked one up.

However, when I came across this at St. Mark's Comics for five bucks, I grabbed it up.

This was produced by a company called "Dusty Trail Toys." They were clearly trying very hard to duplicate McFarlane's success: since I haven't heard of them since, I'm guessing they weren't all that successful. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine.

As a statue, this is a pretty impressive piece. The sculpt and paint are both phenomenal. On the articulation front, this doesn't do so well. There are few joints here and there for fine-tuning the pose, but it's really only designed to hold the one.

Though I did manage to get him doing a dance:

The value of this comes from the stand, which is pretty fantastic, though I wish the door closed. In addition, I think they went a little overboard detailing the damage.

You also get a pair of goggles and a gun. Both are good accessories and will work with other six inch figures. For example:

The Pointman's custom bait, and his accessories are headed for the bin, though I haven't decided whether or not I want to turn his stand into something else. To be honest, I kind of like it the way it is.

Picture: Shortcut to Mordor

2011-09-20T18:40:00.000-04:00

He was going to get there by Eagle, but then he decided that would take too long.

Picture: Shall Not Pass

2011-09-19T22:35:00.000-04:00

Picture: Smaug's Going to Arkham

2011-09-18T18:44:00.000-04:00

Picture: Ghosts are a Superstitious and Cowardly Lot

2011-09-17T20:33:00.000-04:00

Picture: Dark Knights

2011-09-17T00:06:00.000-04:00

Action League Firestorm Vs. Deathstorm

2011-09-15T21:21:00.000-04:00

I've been collecting figures in this scale and style for years now, ever since I spent three months lying to my wife by claiming I couldn't stand the Star Wars Galactic Heroes figures she loved, all so she'd be surprised when I gave her some for Christmas.

Firestorm doesn't generally appear on the list of superheroes I care about, though with Gail Simone working on the relaunch, I expect that might change. At any rate, when I originally purchased the rest of these, I skipped this one. It wasn't that I didn't want it, just that I wasn't willing to spend ten bucks. Especially since I had a feeling the price tag wouldn't stay that high forever. In a wave with Superman, Green Lantern, and the Flash, Firestorm's a pretty obscure character. As such, he wound up warming the pegs for months until the Times Square Toys R Us apparently decided the space was too valuable, as you can see in the picture above.

At less than five bucks, I decided I could use Firestorm after all. Like I mentioned earlier, one of my favorite writers is taking over his book, so my opinion of the character might be changing soon. On top of that, the sculpt and paint work here are stellar.

Of the two figures, I actually prefer Deathstorm, though he's even less a desirable character to me than Firestorm. Deathstorm comes from Blackest Night, when dead superheroes and villains were resurrected. Without going into too much detail, he's the fusion of two characters, one living and one undead. The character is visually cool in the comics, though I can't imagine we'll be seeing much more of him anytime soon.

The look of his skull is absolutely beautiful, and the fact they did the character at all is extremely impressive, though I'm at a loss to explain why they're willing to cater to obscure characters and not women (memo to Mattel: 12 year old boys don't know who either of these are; next time make Batgirl and Supergirl instead).

I absolutely love the Black Lantern symbols on Deathstorm, as well as the translucent flames on both figures. These are great toys, despite having some balance issues (another memo to Mattel: plastic stands are cheap; INCLUDE THEM).

So, great toys at a great price, thanks to the obscurity of the characters. Can't argue with that.

Picture: Team-Up

2011-09-14T20:41:00.000-04:00

I wanted to get Man-Bat in there, too, but he's wired in flight in the back of my DCU display. Maybe next time.