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.