Odds ‘n Ends

January 27, 2009 | Poe

odds_n_ends_09

Welcome to another weekly installment of Odds ‘n Ends. I’m your host, Poe Ghostal.

  • PGPoA now has a fan page on Facebook–become a fan today! I’m thinking about ways to make it worth your while, such as Facebook-exclusive content or contests and such forth.
  • February has always been “Retro Month” at OAFE, and this year PGPoA is getting in on the fun (but totally not just ripping it off) with Vintage Month. Look for a few design tweaks and a focus on classic toys from back in the day.
  • It’s been a rough week for Mattel. There’s no question the DCUC Wave 6 issues are a major problem, but at least Mattel did finally admit fault and absolve online retailers of any blame. Now bring on wave 6…I need me a Hawkman.
  • I still owe you a review of Adam Strange and Starfire. I have a question for you all: do you often read multiple reviews of the same figure? Time and again it’s been made clear to me that people love reading reviews on this site, but it sometimes feels like a waste of time when, say, Michael Crawford or Articulated Discussion has already done a good review of the figure.
  • While I don’t follow Marvel comics these days, I have to say the Hulk Vs. direct-to-video movie looks great. I’ll be checking that one out for sure.
  • Dr. Mrs. Ghostal and I have gotten through B:TAS, Justice League, and just last night, Batman Beyond. All we have left now are the final season of Justice League Unlimited and a few of the movies, like Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker and Superman: Doomsday. I’m a little surprised DC hasn’t been trying to mine the DCAU further with more direct-to-video titles based on those series. While the original productions, like New Frontier and the upcoming Wonder Woman, are great, I still think some direct-to-video films based on Justice League Unlimited and so forth could only help the brand.

What the Hawk, man?

January 26, 2009 | Poe

He's mad at his editorsI recently became interested in Hawkman due to his great-looking DCUC figure, much as I became interested in Deathstroke last year for the same reason. As a result, I’ve started looking into the character. And holy shit, is his continuity a mess.

And I once thought Marvel had ruined Wolverine’s history. As much as I hate stuff like the bone claws, at least Wolverine doesn’t have three or four other versions of him that may or may not exist at any given time running around the canonical universe.

I think I’ve managed to get a grip on Hawkman’s continuity as it stands right now, though. Here’s the timeline I’ve put together. Feel free to correct me on any inaccuracies, as I’m sure there are many. (more…)

Pic of the Day

January 26, 2009 | Poe

Guys and their gadgets by Poe Ghostal

Guys and their gadgets

Poe’s note: I’d love to read some reader captions for this pic. Here’s the one I came up with:

Skeletor: “So, you say you can get the Sox game on this thing anywhere in the universe?”

Darkseid: “Yep. And I can watch episodes of The Office too.”

Toy review roundup (via Fanmode), 1/24/09

January 24, 2009 | Poe

fanmode-copy yo go re reviews the Mattel DC Universe Classics Green Lantern figure. Excerpt: “… Hal Jordan isn’t much of a character; this mundane action figure suits him perfectly.” (See also.)

Thomas Wheeler reviews the Mattel DC Universe Classics Harley Quinn figure. Excerpt: “… this is one very impressive figure.” (See also.)

yo go re reviews the Hasbro G.I. Joe Flint (Cobra disguise version) figure. Excerpt: “… this is a good toy, even if it is everything we’ve seen before.” (See also.) (more…)

Toy review roundup (via Fanmode), 1/20/09

January 21, 2009 | Poe

fanmode-copy Scott Rubin reviews the Toynami The Masterpiece Collection Robotech The New Generation VFB-9H (Rand version) figure. Excerpt: “The fighter mode does suffer from a sort of anti-kibble …” (See also.)

Corey Tincher reviews the NECA Street Fighter IV C. Viper figure. Excerpt: “… she’s actually a great action figure and solid first entry for NECA in the Street Fighter franchise.” (more…)

Odds ‘n Ends

January 20, 2009 | Poe

odds_n_ends_09

  • I’m trying to get my mind off the possible weeks-long wait that may be in store for my DCUC6 order. The good news is, my Skeletor and Starfire/Adam Strange set should arrive tomorrow. That will help salve the pain.
  • Have I mentioned I’m rooting for the Gargoyle?
  • This weekend, I went on a toy hunt with fellow Massachusetts collectors PrfktTear and Ed Lee, who produced this awesome video. We didn’t find much, this being MA, but we did get to see several different Walmart layouts and enjoyed being guided on our tour by KITT. According to Ed, my possession of said gizmo makes me a King Nerd, a title I humbly accept.
  • Before this weekend, I’d never watched an episode of The Office–until Dr. Mrs. Ghostal decided it was time to watch what seemed to be every episode of the series via Xboxflix. It’s a funny show, though the episodes start to run together around the twenties or thirties. I love the one where Jim and Pam who aren’t not dating pull the prank on Dwight by getting Michael to awkwardly discuss Phyllis’s fiancee’s ex-con past while walking across hot coals.
  • I came across NECA’s Aliens Warrior yesterday and decided to pick it up. This was a figure I’d been waiting for years to get and…well, I’ll have a review up soon.
  • You know, the wait wouldn’t be so painful if Hawkman didn’t look like the coolest DCUC figure since Deathstroke…

Secrets of Mattycollector?

January 16, 2009 | Poe

Good morning, faithful readers! We start the day with a rather juicy find.

A poster on AFI (“The Question” appropriately enough) stumbled upon some interesting results when you do a search for “DCUC” “JLU” and “Infinite Heroes.

Before I go any further, let me make it clear: it’s very likely that most of these will not be sold on Mattycollector.com. As several AFI posters suggested, they may be some sort of test of the store program. (more…)