Swords and Spaceships

I'll admit, I was less than pleased with the second and third waves of the new Universe/Classics 2.0 line. I wasn't sure I was going to continue buying these new TFs, especially since the toy 'budget' is slimmer than ever. However, the day after Christmas this year, I found a couple of these guys still hanging on the pegs at my local TRU, so I decided to buy one. This guy truly represents the spirit of the original Classics line, and is a worthy addition to your collection. It brings back all I used to love about modern TFs that the lengthy hiatus and movie toys (can't believe I bought so many of those) ruined for me. I was hoping for a reissue of Cyclonus from Takara, until they abandoned their Collection for Encore and started all over again. Thankfully, Hasbro and TakaraTomy brought back the Classics line and Cyclonus makes the cut, doing away with my need to buy a vintage Cyclonus. Which is good, because he and Scourge are pretty pricey. Cyclonus features a fair...

Yes, lads and ladies, this is the big one. I picked this up tonight, since my local comic shop was having a great sale for its VIP members (read: people who spend too much money there) and I've been lusting for this piece since I first saw it a month ago, so, with 40% off, I brought it home. I opened it, and I continue to be amazed at its mere existence. The Marvel Select line has been great. Figures like Uatu the Watcher and Thanos, who have yet to be made in the Legends line by either Hasbro or Toy Biz, got great figures in the Select line that look great with your Legends collection. I think this figure returns to that, giving us a 10" tall Hulk figure that puts every previous Hulk figure to shame. He might be a little too large for the Legends collection, but seriously, who cares? This beats the pants off those Hulk Classics from Target. I've never been much of a scale nut, having collected Star Wars and Transformers for years, and neither of those lines are even close...

I will admit- I had no idea who Airborne was in the mythos and no idea what his figure looked like until I looked it up on YoJoe after I heard the announcement that this character made the cut for the modern Joe line. Some people were crazy about the character, but I couldn't relate, probably because this was an '83 figure, a little before my time. However, when I saw this figure on the pegs at Target with Zartan and Trakker, I had to own it. The vibrant colors just pop, and he adds some distinctiveness to a line that, except for the Cobra figures, is still very much olive drab or Snake Eyes black. Yeah, if you find this figure, I know you're going to buy it. I think it ties with Zartan for the winner of the wave; it's my nostalgic reverence for Zartan that makes him win. But Airborne is a great contender, and would look awesome in the Tomahawk, laying down supressive fire while his comrades pile in. Why isn't that on Hasbro's reissue list instead of these? I l...

Yes, I am skipping a pic of the loose figure for the carded pic. But it's great art, isn't it? That fully painted art used on toy packaging in the 1980s could fill books. About this time last year, I was hunting the Zartan figure from wave 3. While that figure was OK, this new version really captures the essence of the vintage toy, much more so. If Hasbro had left out the mini Chameleon skier, I don't think it would have diminished this figure. That skier is worthless, suited more for the Combat Heroes line than this one. Also included are two masks, and instead of a general nondescript mustached dude, now the masks feature actual characters, them being Storm Shadow and Duke. He IS Cobra's master of disguise, after all. A homicidal actor and mercenary, working for a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world, who also heads up an international biker gang known as the Dreadnoks. I want to say that this guy was probably Larry Hama's Mary Sue, but he ...

Not really. Just a newish figure from Hasbro based on the cartoon. I was surprised by how much I liked this figure. It's really just a mishmash of previously released parts- Cobra Trooper body, legs, head, and Flint's head and new arms. Put 'em together and what have you got? Something never done before, and proof of how creative Hasbro is being with this line. I intially passed on it when I found this wave and could only afford three, so I skipped Flint and Scarlett for Zartan, Airborne, and Trakker. I've found this figure several times since then, so I eventually got one. I thought about getting another and just keeping the Cobra head on it, since it would look a little different in my Cobra army to have a shortsleeved trooper or two, like Cobra mechanics or something. And you can always use that extra Flint head to replace the one that's coming in that new GI Joe 5-pack sometime this winter, so it's a winning purchase, and a fair consolation prize after findi...

AFA graded SDCC exclusive Cobra Commander at Hasbro Toy Shop This is awesome. Take a con exclusive, that some of even your most loyal GI Joe collectors DON'T have, and sit on it for a few months. Send it to AFA, charge an arm and a leg for it, and see the toy bloggers piss and moan about it. My ill will towards Hasbro grows every time I see stuff like this. I gave up on owning ths figure sometime in August, and I did promise myself that if I ever saw AFA graded con exclusives on their website again, I'd sell my stuff because this is revolting to me. I guess it's time get off the pot, because I've made a sizable investment in this line, and I'm not selling it to anyone. I guess it's time to realize that Hasbro is a company that exists to make a profit, and when I consider that the economy is in the shitter, Hasbro has to make money for the line to continue. If this is a way for them to get it, they really need to go for it, since toys are a luxury if there ever w...

A preview of MOTUC Skeletor Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. WANT. However, I'm poor. I would get a second job, but really, a second job just so I can buy toys? Not that bad of an idea, and in this economy, it can't hurt to hedge one's employment bets.

A great gift idea, if you're buying for me.

So, yesterday was the big day. He-Man and Beast Man are up for purchase on mattycollector.com. I'm broke, so I haven't ordered them, and I don't know if I'll be able to this Friday, since the Dark Knight DVD comes out next Tuesday. Man, the $20 price point is a little too much for me to commit. It's why I don't buy Star Wars vehicles or Evolutions sets. I suppose I'll order He-Man, and if I like it, I'll try to get a Beast Man later. I imagine if it was He-Man and Skeletor for sale at the same time, I'd throw the cash together.

Here it is- the best figure (so far) in the line. I probably shouldn't say that, since I don't own the rest of the wave, but this figure is fantastic. Master Plo Koon was my third favorite alien design from the prequels, and to see it rendered in the new 3D animated style is great. Plus, this figure includes the double lightsaber gauntlet he was initially designed with, but was an idea nixed by George Lucas. (Surprised? I'm not.) I was stoked to see it finally included with a 3.75" figure. Hell, I almost bought Sideshow's exclusive version of the 12" figure just to get this character with that accessory. He also features two regular lightsabers, just in case the gauntlet isn't your thing. The hood is effectively pulled off by two plastic pieces that clip around his neck or head. One is hood up, one is hood down. It would be best not to confuse them. This way we avoid any restriction of articulation, which is great since this guy is actually pretty fun to p...

Oh, Hasbro and Star Wars. I love buying Star Wars toys, even after 13 years of the modern line. Hasbro consistently finds ways to offer characters I've already bought figures of, and yet make it different enough that I don't feel the fool. This brand-new General Grievous is a great example. I'd have to check to be sure, but I'm fairly certain I own every Grievous figure Hasbro has made. They all shared a common flaw- they were too short. Grievous is about as tall (maybe taller) than Chewbacca, but his figures were about the same height as a Han Solo action figure. (Discounting both 2D and 3D animated figures.) I found this new Grievous last night, part of Legacy wave 4, and bought it with a smile, as long as you consider sticking the package in the sack as quickly as possible and hoping the cute college girls behind you in line didn't notice a 27 year old man buying three Star Wars toys and the new issue of Star Wars Insider a smile. Well, firstly, here's what t...

fails to impress. I was really hoping for a box, so that these felt like an actual collectible. But, I open everything, so the packaging is secondary. At least they got away from the red and blue from the original and 200x lines.

AFA graded GI Joes at Hasbro Toy Shop Henkei Thrust and Dirge Great. AFA is a blight on the hobby IMO, forcing certain collectors WITHOUT trust funds (like me) out of the vintage MOC game. Now they're doing it to toys that haven't even made it to retail, in fact, that came from their manufacturer? I know Hasbro can do what they wish with their own product, but it just stinks of unmitigated greed. And then, Hasbro won't sell me a set of Thrust, Dirge, and Thundercracker, thinking the Botcon set was good enough and that nobody would buy them now, yet, you can get a stupid Seeker repaint on shelves now and in a month or two, you can get a repainted Starscream. It's things like this that make me want to give up toy collecting for my other love, vinyl albums. At least those are meant to be collectibles these days. I do get tired of people treating toys like gold buillion.

I received my case of wave 10 this weekend. In it was a variant Wraith. I'm not sure how I feel about that one. I wasn't going to bother hunting the variant, I just wanted the regular one. I bought the case so I wouldn't have to hunt this wave, and here I am, having to chase its most popular figure anyway. Le sigh. The variant seems to be selling for about $30 on ebay, and I haven't opened mine yet, seeing where it goes. If the bottom falls out, I'll just open it. If not, I'll see what happens. Odds are I'll just open it since selling things on ebay is a bit of a pain. The rest of the wave kicks ass. While I didn't find this wave as appealing character-wise as I did the last wave, it has some high points. The Cobra Bazooka Trooper is a real winner to me, having the RPG and the web gear on his torso just makes it an interesting to look at figure, and one I might get a couple more of. The Para-Viper is an instant classic, a figure that could only be improv...

America, FUCK YEAH! Unlike most fans on the interwebs that I read, when I first heard the announcement of the Rattler and Conquest being issued as Target exclusives for the modern GI Joe line, I was looking forward to owning the Conquest more. Firstly, I have the hideous orange Rattler Hasbro issued in 2002 for the GvC line. Secondly, since this was a post-1985 vehicle, it was a little more recognizable to me. I didn't buy the 2002-3 Sound Attack version, so this is an all-new vehicle to me. Well, not technically. A friend of mine had this back in the day, and I was very jealous, you see. But then I got the Night Raven and the skies over Casebeer Heights (kudos if you know which town this is in) were dominated by Cobra. However, the Night Raven was big, with many small, easily-lost parts. The Conquest was trim, sleek, and only had a removable canopy and missiles. All that is pretty much the same with this new release. It even has an updated version of Slipstream, even though he doe...

I have a huge backlog of toys I'd like to review and other things I'd like to blather on about, but man, I just do not have the willpower anymore. I've bought several GI Joe vehicles, lots of Star Wars and GI Joe figures, many TFs, and still, a lot of them are sitting in their boxes on the floor waiting for me to open them. I wonder what happened to the days that I'd tear into a brand-new purchase with gusto. Mayhap this weekend I'll get something together. The Conquest and Rattler jets from GI Joe might be up first, since I can't put them down.

Clicky! Forgot to post about this. Man, I can't wait to own these toys. I've been dying for new MOTU action figures since 2003.

Indy: Really dead. Well, sumbitch. On one hand, it's nice have one less line to hunt. On the other hand, I at least wanted that second Raiders wave before this line went away. I think it's time we started a campaign to at least get Toht. Hasbro used that body make an exclusive this year, so it can't be too expensive to make a Toht exclusive. I mean, they have a website where they sell toys, and failing that, there's always the 2009 SDCC. But considering the indifference to this line, that won't happen. In other news, I got my first Crystal Skeleton last week, and my Temple of Doom wave is due to arrive this week. So after I acquire an Elsa Schneider, my collection is as complete as Hasbro will allow.

This thing sucks. Avoid it at all costs. I was stoked to hear about the return of the Transformers Classics line. I was even happier to hear that Galvatron would be making an appearance. Then I saw pics of the prototype at this year's Toy Fair. Galvatron is only a Deluxe. And it wasn't all that nice-looking. But, I bought it anyway. I hate it. Firstly, it was a pain to transform. I didn't like the tank mode, so I had to transform it right away. I'm leaving it in robot mode, since not only would it be a pain to get it back to vehicle mode, it's just that the purchase is slightly redeemed by the robot mode. The G1 Galvatron is a big toy, taller than his contemporaries by a few inches. While this new version is a little more closer in scale to the rest of your TFs, it just feels cheap. He fares much better than Prowl, color-wise. I guess his legs just look cheap and bootleggy. I'd advise you to skip this one. I find it ridiculous that Hasbro tries to push this and ...

Grain of salt and all that... but I don't doubt it. I have never seen a line back up on the pegs so fast. I would have expected Hasbro to buy back the pegwarmers to give the line some more life, but they're apparently going to pull the plug. I might add, even though the Batman Begins and Superman Returns toylines were also colossal blunders, they lasted longer than the May-December Indy toyline.

One thing I appreciate: irony. Let me explain- Henry Jones Sr., in the 'Last Crusade', sought the Holy Grail. And what did Hasbro make sure of when packing the wave 3 cases? That finding the elder Jones' figure would indeed be a Holy Grail-type quest. I guess they thought that kids wouldn't be interested in an old man in tweed, but that just shows what they know since that type of attitude has completely boned any chance this line has at a longer shelf life than May 2008-January 2009, but I digress. This figure is fantastic. The right look, the right accessories, the right articulation. Hasbro really did knock this figure right out of the park. They knew they'd only have one chance to do it right, and they did. He looks like he did when we first see him in the film, breaking a fake Ming-dynasty vase over his son's head, who he thinks is a Nazi. The accessories are all perfect: removable hat AND glasses, his bag with a removable umbrella stashed on top, and the a...

Screw the 'Nemesis Immortal' name- I like my toys to be un-PC. What I don't like on my toys, specifically on my GI Joes, are figures that can't stand up due to an obvious design flaw. Namely, the wings on NE. They're so heavy that it's impossible to get him to stand up straight with them on. And the green tentacles just look stupid, so it's pretty much a letdown. Which isn't good, because I was really looking forward to this comic pack and was almost ecstatic when I found it last week. Other than that, Nemesis Enforcer is a fantastic-looking figure. I think he's using an all-new sculpt, or if he isn't, it's sure disguised well. He's tall, purple, and mean-looking. Just like his vintage counterpart. I was expecting to really be disappointed with Falcon, but he ended up saving the purchase for me. Firstly, he has the loathed Duke arms, which Hasbro said a year ago they would phase out. (Yeah, whatever, you liars.) Then the figure's face...

Stop the presses and shave the paperboy: this figure is great. Hasbro has really knocked this guy out of the park, which is great, especially for an army builder. I guess they learned their lesson after the Viper fiasco. To start, this figure is huge. The bulk comes from the furs lining the torso, since an arctic trooper would need those. The articulation is what you'd expect from this line. He can sit, which isn't a common thing for this line. The accessories are spectacular. He comes with a rifle, a missile launcher, a big backpack, snowshoes, and a stand. The neatest part? The feet and snowshoes have an extra set of holes to allow you to display the figure on the stand with the snowshoes on. Nice touch, Hasbro. Yes, I love this figure. I've bought two, and they're intimidating the rest of the toys on my desk because they're bigger and better armed than everyone else. Buy yourself one or two, because this is a crown jewel of the modern GI Joe line.

Yes, friends, I finally found a Last Crusade action figure that's not Indy. It's the one figure that sold me on the line when I first saw pictures for it in April- the Grail Knight, immortal protector of the Holy Grail. First off, the figure looks great. The sculpt is awesome, bringing to life what I think is the most visually interesting figure in the Indiana Jones line. This great sculpt also works against him, as he's sculpted with a hunch (he is around 700 years old) and on my sample, the figure really likes to lean forward. The cape doesn't help matters any, as it's plastic, and doesn't like to move. The accessories include the sword he can't handle anymore and the figure-scale true Grail. I probably would have bought this figure anyway just for the Grail, but I also got a figure of a really ancient guy from the Crusades who guarded the Grail since then. If you can find it, get it. It won't be around much longer. On a different but related note, I h...

If you come to this site, odds are you played the late, great Nintendo Entertainment System. An even further leap of faith would be to assume you liked the music on a lot of the games. Well, I found a site with the original (or close enough) MIDI music that you can download in mp3 form. Here's my personal favorite, Mega Man 2, to get you started.

I wasn't too sure about these figures when I first saw them. But, I took a chance on a couple, and before the week was out, I owned the entire first wave of them, and I dig each and every one of them. Let's take a gander at Obi-Wan, shall we? Wow, two Obi-in-armor figures out on the same day? Amazing! And they're different enough that you don't feel ripped off. This Obi-Wan features a rocketpack with a forgettable firing missile feature, a lightsaber, and what I thought was cool, a swappable head. You can change the regular head with a Clone Commander helmet, which is the best of both worlds as far as I'm concerned. This figure has some questionable articulation- as in no knee or ankle joints. I don't have any problems with my figure standing, though, so maybe it wasn't such a bad choice. The paint on this figure is fantastic, too. The armor is weathered beautifully, and there's a subtle difference in the hair color when compared to the beard. (Your auth...

This is my most anticipated figure from the latest wave (wave 9 or wave 5, depending on your count) of GI Joe. I'm glad to say, it lived up to my expectations. I had the original BAT, back in 1987. Of course, as I was wont to do, I lost all the arm attachments and even the hologram sticker on my figure before he disappeared entirely. I never did get another one, and when I started buying vintage Joes in 2000 (funny how thriteen years will allow you to call something 'vintage') the BAT was one of the first figures I looked for. Alas, to this day, I have not replaced it, since the samples I've seen go for too much money for my blood. The modern updated BATs that Hasbro had in the GI Joe vs Cobra lines left a lot to be desired, so I just about did a backflip when I saw images of this new, updated, yet curiously vintage-looking BAT. This figure features everything that made the original so damn endearing, with some modern flairs that Hasbro wasn't capable of doing twent...

He-Man posted this on MySpace. I hadn't seen it in years, and just had to post it here. Don't you just love the cross-sells in these old toy commercials? Not only did it make you aware of the new bad guy, but also the new Battle Armor He-Man and it reminded you about Castle Grayskull.

Official TMNT25 website Just in case you wanted to check it out.

It's neato. I like it. I find it to be a great nostalgic update to my very first action figure. Hopefully, the regular figures won't be as hard to acquire as King Grayskull. BTW, anyone got an extra regular KG to trade or sell?

I was fortunate enough to score what I lacked from wave 9 of GI Joe this weekend. I scored Hawk, Snow Serpent, and two BATs to accompany the Bazooka and Ninja-Ku dude I scored a few weeks ago. Since I'm way behind on these reviews, I should start with the guy I didn't mention, Barbecue. I assume this fellow is using the Wild Weasel/Snow Job body, or at least a few parts of it. Not that it matters. I'm just wondering how a human head can fit inside that helmet. Granted, there's never been a Barbecue figure with a removable helmet, and these toys are just supposed to pay homage to that. Tha accessories are pretty much the same as the first release in 1985, as are the colors on this new version. There's a lot more detail in this new one, owing to twenty years of improved toymaking technology. I really can't find anything to pick apart or write home about with this figure. It looks fantastic, it doesn't change the world, and it looks great with the rest of your ...

I just bought a toy of an overweight, six-breasted alien prostitute. It's a good thing I have a sense of humor about myself. This is one of those figures that fans have been requesting for years while I just sat back and asked 'why?' I know, like every other fan these days, that Kenner had planned to issue a figure of this character in the vintage line in either 1984 or 1985, but that isn't really a good enough reason for it now, I thought. Kenner thought better of it, but in the modern line, we've gotten two different Slave Leia figures (plus one in the Galactic Heroes line) and the lady who gave us the only naked breast in the Star Wars saga, Oola, who was a green, chained-up alien prostitute, so times clearly aren't as chaste these days. For your seven bucks, you get a good sculpt of Yarna here, all the way down to the warts on her face and the fat on her back. The accessories include a knife and a drink cup. I imagine you'd need a strong, vengeful libati...

Yay, new Star Wars toys. Nay for shitty packaging. So I spent a shit-ton of money on these things this weekend, especially wave 2 of the Legacy collection, which this guy comes from. I really, really liked these guys when I saw them in the Clone Wars cartoon all the way back in 2003, and it's taken this long for Hasbro to do proper figures from that cartoon. I was all jazzed to own this guy, until I opened it up and saw the dicked-up way Hasbro has decided to package this figure. Not only is the left leg bent, the peg that connects to the hip is bent because of that, and now it won't stay in. So I have a $7 figure that won't stand up. Normally, I'd just buy another one and try to trade this to a customizer, but these are just too expensive to keep doing that. Hasbro, seriously, what's your deal with being completely unable to package droids properly? Not only did you decide to make the toy out of gummy plastic, you put it in the blister in such a way that the toy is...

Well, two of them, anyway. Aren't they just fab? As much as I loved these 200x line, these just blow those away in pretty much every way possible. I hope Mattel shows more of them at SDCC, and I'm sure they will after tomorrow's panel, since they have a huge, huge display there in San Diego. Apparently, the line kicks off with He-Man in October, and they're sold one every month on Mattel's website. Which is an idea I like, since I won't have to go to shitty stores like Gordmans or Aldi to find my MOTU toys. Edit- after trying to budget for this line, there's just no way. Even if it is $20 a month, it will take more than a year to get any kind of interesting collection going. I was hoping for a line that would be at retail, therefore making it a little cheaper, but that's not the plan right now. I guess the retailers remember how badly they got burned five years ago, and wouldn't dare give He-Man and his crew a chance again. And I can't blame them...

I picked this guy up recently, as a consolation prize for again missing the Elsa and Hnery Jones Sr. figures (I got Hasbro'd). It had decent paint, and it was an Indy with the tie, man. But those were the only good things about it. Since Hasbro insists on packaging these figures with their weapons in their hands, it requires those cursed clear rubber bands, and they, of course, warp the hands. I've had it loose for a week, and only now can I fit the submachine gun in his hands. But barely. It takes both hands, and even then, if I look at it wrong, it falls out. This Indy is a better effort than the Raiders or Crystal Skull versions. The Raiders version has no neck, so it looks funny. The Crystal Skull version has the removable hat, which is neat, but the hat is a little big. This seems to split the difference, giving us an Indy with a neck and a nonremovable hat. Oh yeah, and a tie. Can't forget the tie. It has good parts, and it has faults, and at $7-8 at retail, you can p...

Sunstreaker is one of those G1 guys that has stayed very expensive. Firstly, the toy has never been reissued, so the ones that are out there are it. Secondly, he's based on a Lamborghini, and everybody thought those were really cool in 1984, so this new version has a lot of pent-up interest. The car mode looks like a modern Lambo. Hell, those things are so out of my price range, I don't even bother looking at what they make anymore. (Personally, if I had the jack, I'd get a Ferrari.((Or more Transformers. Who am I kidding?))) As with most US Transformers, the vehicle mode would have a lot more zazz if Hasbro painted the plastic instead of molding it in the desired color, but they have to keep these things at $10 somehow. After spending five minutes transforming this guy, I'm amazed it only cost $10. This is an Alternator/Binaltech level transformation here, folks. At least in my opinion. Sunstreaker shirks the hood-as-chest transformation featured on damn near every 19...

Sweet. I didn't pick this guy up back in 2002/03, so getting another chance now is pretty sweet. I wonder if it will be an exclusive, but there are no details yet.

I wasn't sure about buying the rest of this wave. When I first found them a month ago, I passed on them. I didn't think they were worth my $7 each, and for the most part, I was right. First up, we have the Python Patrol, uh, Python Officer. I never had any love or contempt for Python Patrol back in the 1980s. I simply didn't acknowledge them, preferring instead the brand-new figures that were out. Even then, they were silly and borderline ugly, and not much has changed. It's a decent tribute to the 1980s and another for Hasbro to use the Cobra Soldier mold, but I doubt anyone is going to army build with this guy. Hell, I didn't even buy a sample to keep MOC. Secondly, we have what I assume is a comic version of the Baroness. I ended up buying two of these, one because I wanted a MOC Baroness for my collection and the second so I could make a not-sucky custom Baroness. I took the head off my 5-pack Baroness, took the head off this new one a placed it on that body, an...

Someday, I'm going to get a camera and a place to take pictures. Until that day, stock photos will have to do. I found the first wave of the new Transformers Universe Classics tonight (4th of July!). I ask you, fair readers: what's more American than sports cars and guns? I couldn't really think of anything, but then I realized that I was putting them on my VISA, and that, dear readers, makes it overly American, even if these were probably designed in Japan based on imported sports cars and made in China. Prowl is based on the new Nissan Z, as far as I can tell. Unlike the movie toys, these are just far enough away from real cars to avoid TakaraTomy or Hasbro getting sued, not being licensed like GM and Lockheed Martin did for the movie toys. The car mode, as usual, looks great, even with the breaks in the body. It kind of falls apart in 'bot mode. I bought Prowl and Sunstreaker this time, and I opened Prowl first, expecting him to be the better of the two. The pictures...

Here's the first wave of Hasbro's upcoming Star Wars: The Clone Wars line. These particular samples feature a sticker promoting the '1st day of issue' which I guess says to eBay sellers "BUY ME!" Mattel does the same thing with Hot Wheels. I, for one, will skip figures with that sticker, since buying ones without it will mean better figures once the kinks get worked out. The more I see these, the more I want to buy them. I really dug the animated line Hasbro did in 2004, and I see these as an extention of that. I just opened my set of Droid Factory sets, and I'm really tired of repaints of toys I bought one or two years ago. I suppose if I just bought one a week, I could get them all over two months. These are brand new, and looking great. I love the Yoda, the Clone Trooper, Grievous, and the Battle Droid. I should probably mail my Captian Rex thingy in while I'm thinking about it.

Yes. I've been waiting for a Mola Ram since the line started. You know, there simply aren't enough toys with flaming disembodied human organs as accessories.

Most GI Joe fans here on the interwebs look down on the 1986 and after lines. '86 was the year I came into GI Joe, so figures from that year always held a special place in my geeky heart- Wet Suit, Serpentor, Low Light, Beach Head, and the BAT are my favorite figures in the line. There was a second version of Roadblock that year, and this new release from Hasbro pays homage to that with this repaint. Besides the Cobra Commander from this new wave, I see Roadblock the most. It's really a shame. Sure, he's just a repaint of the not-great 25th Anniversary Roadblock, this time with a neon green vest, but I guess it's a symptom of him being a less-popular version in a line that now costs $7 a single figure. Hasbro gave him a new gun, though it's nowhere near as intimidating as the Ma Deuce the previous version carried. He does NOT have the helmet pictured here. Buying this figure is dependent on your favorite 'era' of Joe. 1982-'85 or '86-89. I'm in ...

I picked up my first sample from the Transformers: Animated line last week. I had heard lots of praise for these toys, even from die-hard G1 guys I know. I decided to take a $10 chance with Cybertron Mode Optimus Prime, a Deluxe-sized toy. Yes, I'm impressed too. I was not impressed with the Animated design aesthetic when I first saw it. My reaction was much the same when I saw the movie designs. But, these designs, as toys, are such a breath of fresh air. They are far more innovative than the movie toys, not to mention much more functional. You can transform Prime here once or twice and remember it, unlike the movie toys where you better never lose the instructions. This particular model isn't the same as the Voyager class. I don't know what it's all about, since I've never seen an episode of the cartoon. I don't think this truck looks all that convincing. However, the 'bot mode is a lot of fun. This Prime doesn't feature a gun as his main weapon, inste...

Here it is, the one figure from wave 8 that everyone thought they wanted. Thought they wanted, until early word got out that "Bludd sucks!" Of course, toy fans on the interwebs are easily given to hyperbole. Major Bludd is nowhere near as bad of a toy as you'd been led to believe. Yes, I don't disagree that the Flash body mold probably would have been better, but would you believe that the Zartan body works better for Bludd than it did Zartan? The armor works better for the first mercenary to work for Cobra, especially since he was on the battlefield in the cartoon. The stolen dog tags didn't look to great in some reviews I've seen for this figure, but those can be pushed down the neck and made to look a lot better than the way they sit on the figure in the package. The right arm, whether it's armor to protect his arm from his rocket-firing handgun or a completely bionic arm, doesn't have any elbow articulation. But, if you were a good, knowledgeable, ...

That's what she said. Yes, the Star Wars Legacy Collection Millennium Falcon has been found and purchased at retail. Retail in Canada, anyway. Hell, for all we know, they're in the backroom of your local USA Toys R Us, waiting for the July 26th launch. After seeing the comparison between that and the original Falcon toy, I've come to realize there's no fucking way I can buy this. $150 really isn't a lot of money for what we're getting here (especially when you consider the $4-a-gallon gas these days), but it's just that I can't possibly put this thing anywhere. That thing is the size of a coffee table, and my apartment has no room for one of those. Plus, I have the 1995 POTF2 and 2004 OTC Falcons. Redundant doesn't even begin to describe this purchase. I wish I could say I could buy the AT-TE that comes out the same day, but I run into the same situation. However, both of those toys are masterpieces, and it's great to see Hasbro take big, big ris...

This weekend, I managed to find the rest of GI Joe wave 8- Roadblock, Major Bludd, Baroness, Cobra Commander, Python Patrol Officer, and this one, Tiger Force Flint. This guy seems to be the most in-demand figure from this wave. I've only seen the one I own, while seeing all his casemates at least three times now. Of course, after the extreme disappointment that was the wave 1 Flint (whether you found him or not) people were looking forward to this one. This figure rights the wrong Hasbro did by using the dreaded Duke arms on the the first version of Flint, which, while the hands lacked gloves, were completely incapable of bending to a 90 degree angle. While I have lots of toys without elbow atriculation, the fact that a modern-designed GI Joe couldn't bend his elbows while a 25-year-old version could was ridiculous, I felt. This version of Flint not only has the gloves, but functional elbows as well. Functional, that is, if the elbows on your sample actually move. The right el...

A gallery of Transformers movie Leader Optimus Prime from Takara Man, this is a thing of beauty. If I hadn't already dropped $40 on the first version of Hasbro's Leader Prime, I might have saved for this one.

Cobra BAT pics! Look out, local toy fans. I'm buying the hell out of these guys.

I found some of GI joe wave 8 on Friday. Alas, Tiger Force Flint and Roadblock as well as Major Bludd were already gone, but that happens when there's only one case of eight figures with one of each in every case every month. I did get my hands on Arctic Trooper Snake Eyes, which was one of the figures I was looking for. I left the two Python Officers, the Baroness, and the Cobra Commander from this wave, as I really couldn't afford such lameness. First, the packaging. Gone are the foil accents in place of the white on the front of the card. I wasn't sure how it would look once I actually found these new cards, but it looks much better. In my opinion, it looks more like the vintage cards this way. Now, if they'd really go nutty and change the explosion background from the fireball to the digital pattern seen on the 1986-1989 lines, that'd be pretty neat too, but not necessary. Gone also is the 25th Anniversary logo, replaced with a blurb about where the figure came ...

Dig this one first. Then see the rest. Sure, this Chevy Malibu could be painted up like Prowl just to throw us nerds off the trail. Or it could just be a Chinese police car, since China is apparently a location for some set pieces for this movie. It does seem pretty elaborate for a red herring, but considering how much Bay hated the leaks on the first one, it wouldn't surprise me. I really hope it's not Prowl, since I'd rather see him as a new Nissan Z.

GI Joe goes to IDW Yeah, OK, great. I buy a lot of IDW comics, and they have the Transformers license already. But IDW's books feel painfully thin sometimes, consisting of little dialogue and lots of splash pages. And I loved where Devil's Due was going with the GI Joe: America's Elite book. Le sigh. Issue #35 of that title is out this week, freaks.

Better late than never, eh? It's pretty ambitious, being 26 (!) discs, but maybe it'll be priced reasonably so they can sell them easier. And, at least the whole series will be out in one shot, which like many cartoons put to DVD, doesn't happen. (Witness GI Joe and Gargoyles.)

September 2nd! Crap. I was thinking about buying a Wii here, but I might decide to get a PS3 so I can watch this in its much-deserved hi-def glory. Plus, you never know, the new Indy flick might be released on Blu-Ray this fall too.

*- gold star if you name the reference. So, the Indiana Jones toys are out in full force, and brother, are they awesome. These are the toys I've wanted to own all my life, and thankfully, there are several to choose from. Sallah? You got it. Marion? You can get her figure two ways. And, there's lots of Indy. I have no less than six of them, and there's two others with some traps from the Hovitos temple from Raiders I don't have yet. The figures I own are listed here, because yes, I do have a "mine is bigger than yours" complex when it comes to toys: Radiers of the Lost Ark- Indy w/ fertility idol Belloq Sallah (best fig in the line, hands down) Deluxe Marion Ravenwood w/ Cairo Henchman Deluxe Indy w/ horse (best Indy money can buy, so far) Deluxe Indy w/ark Cairo Swordsman Cairo Indy w/ whip-cracking action Last Crusade: German Soldier w/ motorcycle Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Indy w/ crystal skull (and the figure that gave me the idea for the title of this ...

Clicky. I could totally see him as something like a Scion xB with subwoofers that transform in to Rumble and maybe Ravage, since Frenzy was used up in the first movie.

I've not purchased any Marvel-related toys since Hasbro took over the license. Well, I did buy one Ghost Rider from that movie line (which was pretty neat) and the X3 Beast from the first ML series they did, but those were developed by Toy Biz, so it wasn't a true representation of what Hasbro could do. Then the awful Spider-Man 3 and Fantastic Four 2 toys came out last year and were in a 5" scale, and the Legends price was bumped up to $10, so I walked away. That all changed last week. I picked up the Iron Man movie Mark 03 armor figure, and it blew me away. This weekend, I decided to get the X3 versions of Jean Grey and Juggernaut, since the X-Men movie toys back in 2000 are what got me started on Marvel toys in the first place. I also picked up the Iron Man Stealth Ops armor figure, which is really disappearing fast from Wal-Mart, the chain it's exclusive to. Knowledgeable fans will recognize this as War Machine, though it's not named as such on the package even...

The Joker's Wild As pretty much everyone with a pulse guessed, people are buying up the Joker action figures from The Dark Knight toyline by Mattel and putting them on ebay, where dopes are dumb enough to buy them. Due to Heath Ledger's untimely death earlier this year, people think they can sell these for a mint, and so far, they seem to be right. I speak of the $10-12 Movie Masters 6" version, which is aimed at collectors. I was lucky enough to pick up a Joker and Batman from this line late last week, and I can tell you, if you pay $30 for that Joker figure, you're mad. It's really not that great. However, the Batman figure is amazing, but also not worth $30, but you should totally pick it up for $10. I think this line might take off once the movie hits in July, so you might be able to find the Joker then. I have noticed them disappearing locally, so it's not limited to New York. It's pretty despicable that people will try to profit off toys like that, bu...

Future of Star Trek: The Experience in doubt This is really disheartening. Here, Paramount has this big new relaunch movie coming next year, and the Cedar Fair wants to close this thing. Wow. It's unfortunate, but business is business. I'm very glad I got to go this year, after a decade of waiting to go. I wonder what the Las Vegas Hilton would do without the attraction there, since an entire wing of their casino is dressed up to look like the inside of a spaceship. So anyway, here's a select few pictures I took of the museum part of the Experience this past March when I visited: It's kind of pity that all this stuff will likely be auctioned off and not seen by the public again, but at least Star Trek fans buy it, so it's owned by someone who will take care of it.

It's not a question of IF this movie will suck, it's a question of how hard. Seriously, Bollywood could make a more interesting-looking movie.

This was one of my first purchases from this line, and to be honest, I wasn't all that impressed with this one. Sure, I mostly wanted it for the 3.75" scale Ark, but the Indy figure included with it doesn't stand very well, and none of my GI Joe or Star Wars stands seem to fit the peg holes on the feet. What I found most disappointing about this was a lack of a Staff of Ra accessory, since what we saw Indy do in this particular garb was find the Well of Souls in the Map Room. If Hasbro plans on selling a Map Room playset and they include that accessory, then this will be one of the better purchases you can make. The Ark accessory is almost necessary, and so far, this is the only way to get it.

but do you have a right to bear toys? Bills seek punishment for use, display of fake weapons Yeah, let's worry about the children and their toys instead of real gun crime. Someday, they're gonna lock us all up for owning G1 Megatron toys.

Yeah, I know it's a rickroll, but anything involving the Muppets is good to me.

I scored a set of GI Joe wave 7 at my local Wal-Mart tonight. (Yay late-night toy runs and knowing when your local store stocks toys!) I'm impressed to say the least. Let's start with the bad- the Viper really isn't all that great. The goggles slide off too easily, and I was disappointed about that until I realized he looked better without them. Then, I was bothered by the weird angle his hands were at, but since it helps him hold his weapon better, I let that go. What really sucks about this guy is the fact that the hands pop off at the point-of-articulation between the elbow and the wrist. Every time I try to get a new pose out of this guy, the friggin' hands come loose. That's really annoying, especially on a figure I would have liked to have bought five of. As it stands, I'll be hard pressed to buy two since these things are $7 a whack at Wal-Mart and Target, with TRU undoubtedly waiting to raise their price. Severely disappointing, but maybe I just got a ba...

This is possibly the most meaningful post I'll ever put on this site. Believe me, I had tears welling up when I scanned these photos. They didn't turn out so well, but the point is there. This is me, at three years old, sitting on my mother's lap having just unwrapped my first action figure ever, Skeletor. This was my birthday in 1984. This guy is still standing on my desk, beat to hell, but something I'll never part with. Christmas of 1984. Some of my earliest memories involve this Christmas. I received a Tonka dump truck full of Star Wars and MOTU toys, and the Roton pictured here. I remember my dad telling me to find my Skeletor figure and put him in there, and here's the pic. I find it amazing that my parents still remember the names of all these characters, even now, 24 years later. Halloween of 1985. Who doesn't remember those Ben Cooper costumes with the vinyl bodies and cheap plastic masks? They made you sweat like crazy, and they only lasted that one ni...