Your daily dose of something to hate

September 2, 2009 | Poe

Let’s all hate the anonymous scumbag turd who did this.

SUMM09100

Paul on RTM tells the tale:

Had to go back to work early Sunday and pick up a flash drive someone left for me and along the way I stopped in at a Wal-Mart, just to have a look around. No new DCUC singles, but what did I see on the bottom shelf? Yes, the fabled DCUC Gotham City 5-pack. I haven’t really wanted the darn thing, but I did sort of want to buy it after seeing it in person. That is until I lifted it up to eye level and immediately saw that Lex Luthor had been replaced by Green Lantern. Not just any Green Lantern, one of the ones with a reversed right forearm. Also, the scalper-scum had added insult to injury by making his own little crude symbol of something that looks like a hand flipping the bird along with the words “GOT FIRST.” I took the five-pack and showed it to a Wal-mart employee and told him what had happened. He acted like he understood, but as I walked away, I saw him head back to the toy department with it….just all-around disgusting.

Ask Mattel Roundup for Sept. 1

September 2, 2009 | Poe

My favorite bit of news is from AFP’s round:

10. It looks like Mattel has likeness rights from Sigourney Weaver – at least for the Avatar line of toys. Do those rights also apply to the Ghostbusters line?

We have the rights to create figures based on Sigourney Weaver’s characters in Avatar and Ghostbusters. They are completely separate agreements that happen to involve the same actress.

So–a Dana Barrett figure is undoubtedly coming. In fact, I bet it’s the July 2010 figure–or maybe the SDCC exclusive as a two-pack with a Terror Dog.

Review > Deadshot (DC Universe Classics)

August 31, 2009 | Poe

deadshotI’m now cherrypicking DCUC, sticking mostly with Batman-related characters. Between his nominal status as a Bat-villain and his badass outfit, Deadshot was the only figure I planned to get from Wave 9.

Of course, what were the chances I’d ever see one at retail, especially here in Boston? It usually takes months before a wave shows up here–if at all–so imagine my surprise when I came across both Deadshot and Guardian at my local Toys ‘R Us. For some reason they’re the only two I’ve seen so far (at a couple different TRUs). It’s already quite evident Guardian will be a pegwarmer of Cyborg-like magnitude.

To escape the memories of a family altercation that left his father paralyzed and his brother dead, Floyd Lawton moved to Gotham City where he began his career as a criminal. In the process he trained himself to become a highly skilled marksman and adopted the name Deadshot. During one of his many stays in prison, Lawton was offered amnesty for past offenses if he would accept a potentially fatal mission on behalf of the U.S. government as a member of the Suicide Squad. Since then, Lawton has worked both on his own as a criminal, and occasionally as a member of the Squad. (more…)

Odds ‘n Ends

August 31, 2009 | Poe

Odds N Ends

Having some trouble getting my ducks in a row this morning, so let’s start with an Odds ‘n Ends.

  • As the entire world knows by now, Disney is buying Marvel Entertainment. Will Disney interfere with its everyday operations or will they leave well enough alone, as they’ve done with Pixar? Time will tell.
  • Personally, though, I think it’s obvious this merger is happening solely so Jesse Falcon can revive Legendary Comic Book Heroes and produce a Rocketeer figure. It’s so obvious.
  • I saw at TRU they’ve released 12″ versions of those crappy Pro-Bots figures. No accounting for taste, I guess.
  • Speaking of TRU, I actually came across a Deadshot and a Guardian at one over the weekend, believe it or not. Deadshot was the only figure I wanted from DCUC9 (review forthcoming). Suffice to say I was surprised and pleased to actually find a new DCUC figure in Massachusetts a mere month after they first showed up.
  • Question of the day: Which MOTU variants–from the original series, New Adventures or 2002–would you actually like to see in MOTUC? Aside from anything that’s already been announced, like BA He-Man and Skeletor. And don’t say Smash Blade He-Man–it’s not funny.

Fwoosh has 6″ Public Enemies and Webstor first looks

August 18, 2009 | Poe

supesbats1

The well-connected folks at Fwoosh have posted first looks of Mattel’s 6″ Public Enemies and Webstor. First off, Fwoosh–and I think I speak for all toy collectors, but particularly those of us who wile away our time writing blogs about toys and secretly but arrogantly think we deserve some sort of compensation for all the free publicity and yet are ignored like–wait, where the hell was I going with this? Oh yeah, Fwoosh: you go to hell. You go to hell and you die for getting all these weeks-early free samples to taunt us with.

There, now I feel better. Moving on… (more…)

Ask Mattel > Mid-August Edition

August 17, 2009 | Poe

ask_mattel

Before we begin the Tri-Klops Day festivities, here’s my mid-August bout–er, round of Q&As with Mattel. –PG

DC Universe

1.) Emerald asks: Can we now be assured that the remaining Matty JLU 4-packs (Shazam, Doom Patrol, and Justice Guild) will in fact be released, and if so, what are the approximate release dates?

Yes, both Doom Patrol and Justice Guild will be coming out, but we do not have release dates yet. The future of the JLU line on MattyCollector.com will depend on sales of these remaining packs. (more…)

DCUC Walmart Imperiex Wave packaged images

August 13, 2009 | Poe

Man, just can’t keep up today…Mattel has posted in-package photos of the next Walmart wave on their Facebook page, along with assurances that Walmart has ordered more this time around.

They’re calling it Wave 9 for some reason…maybe it was supposed to hit stores in force before the Chemo wave?

Rumor: DCUC 2010 SDCC Exclusive is Plastic Man

August 12, 2009 | Poe

PlasticMan2

Blue Canoe Stew, the poster at RTM who’s been pretty accurate with his DCUC leaks so far, says the 2010 SDCC DCUC exclusive will be Plastic Man:

Plasticman with various attachments and shapes that wouldn’t normally fit on a single figure card. He’ll be the last figure needed to complete Mattel’s re-making of the SUPER POWERS
collection. (The others will come in waves announced prior to Comic Con).

Is he right? We’ll find out next April.

Odds ‘n Ends for 8/11/09

August 11, 2009 | Poe

Odds N Ends

  • As you can see, I’ve brought back the original Odds ‘N Ends picture. The newer version just never grew on me. Further bulletins as events warrant.
  • I noticed in the poll that a good number of people have listed “Other” for toy message boards they visit regularly. Just curious, what are they? What did I miss, or what am I missing?
  • In case you missed it, Mattel’s going to have flight stands for DCUC in early 2010. The post would seem to indicate they’ll work for MOTUC too.
  • As you may have heard, the Walmart DCUC 5-pack is popping up here and there. It retails for about $55, and in case you didn’t know, you can get the de-mulleted Superman and black-and-gray Batman separately.
  • Received my He-Ro. Review forthcoming. In case you’re wondering, I got a green gem, not that it mattered much to me. Although I didn’t really want red.
  • I beat Ghostbusters: The Video Game last night. It’s a great game, with what’s easily the funniest dialogue I’ve ever heard in a video game (slight spoiler: there’s a scene where the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man is climbing a building to get at them, and Peter looks over the edge and says, “I’m impressed with his agility, considering his complete lack of bones.” Murray nails the line and I had to pause the game until I stopped laughing). I initially beat it on the easy difficulty, and now that I’m on normal, I see why one reviewer referred to it as a “medic simulator.” The other ‘Busters go down every few seconds in the middle of a tough battle. Still, it’s a blast, and if anyone wants to try some multiplayer ‘busting let me know.
  • I can’t keep up with all the conventions. Seems like SDCC just ended and yet WizardWorld Chicago is already over, and now Joecon starts Thursday. Anyone going? I imagine this will be a pretty momentous one.
  • Is anyone else watching Warehouse 13? Have I asked this before? Well anyway, Dr. Mrs. Ghostal and I have added that and Eureka to our viewing pleasure. We have a lot of catching up to do on the latter, however. Anyway, regarding Warehouse 13, I like the new cast member they added, the computer chick–though is it me, or is that show becoming more about Saul Rubinek than the Scully/Mulder surrogates? Am I talking to myself here?