Toy news roundup, 2/2/09

February 2, 2009 | Poe

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  • G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra Super Bowl clip (TNI)
  • Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Super Bowl clip – I doubt I’ll see either of these films in theaters, unless you guys really want me to. I suppose a review or two might be fun, but be warned, I’m not particularly well-predisposed to these movies. (ENI)
  • If you haven’t seen it, here’s the Mr. Potato Head ad from the Super Bowl. It’s pretty cute. (Hulu)
  • I can’t get the video to work, but if you can, check out what is possibly my favorite Robot Chicken skit ever, starring MOTU’s Faker. (adult swim)
  • Since I’m such a whore for brown costume Wolverine, I’m toying with ordering the BBTS Marvel Select variant. Articulation looks like crap, though, and I hate that pre-posed torso. Also: why can’t anyone make non-warped Wolverine claws? SOTA got it right with Vega years ago. (Figures.com)
  • NECA to make Dead Space figures. Anyone played this game? Is it good? (Figures.com)
  • A nice history of Watchmen action figures. It sucks we never got those comic-based ones. Has it ever been confirmed that a falling out with Alan Moore was the reason the line was shelved? Also, I’d love a retro-styled Watchmen line like the one depicted in the original comic. (Cool Toy Review)
  • Something weird is going on over at Sideshow Toys. That’s all I know.
  • Jesse Falcon claims 6″ Marvel Legends line not dead. It’s just pining for the fjords. (Fwoosh)
  • Hasbro’s 66th Star Wars Q&A round-up. (Rebelscum)

Toy review roundup (via Fanmode), 1/31/09

February 1, 2009 | Poe

fanmode-copy yo go re reviews the DC Direct Watchmen Rorschach figure. Excerpt: “This figure is only slightly above mediocre’ by 2009 standards …”

Jeff Saylor reviews the NECA Gears of War 2 Marcus Fenix vs. Locust Drone two-pack. Excerpt: “… the best Marcus Fenix figure ever released.”

Philip Reed reviews the Mezco Toyz HB II Hellboy San Diego Comic Con exclusive 3.75-inch figure. Excerpt: “As nice as some of the other Hellboy figures out there look, I really prefer this 3.75″ version …” (more…)

Toy news roundup, 1/22/09

January 22, 2009 | Poe

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Odds ‘n Ends

January 13, 2009 | Poe

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  • While you can’t order MOTUC Beast Man or He-Man off Mattycollector.com anymore, on Mattel’s Facebook page they wrote, “with only a few hundred units left, we wanted to close down sales so we can have just handful for NYCC and SDCC to help spread the word on this amazing toy line at the summer conventions.” I’m glad Mattel appears  to have met their sales goals with this line–it bodes well for its future.
  • The wait for my shipment of DCUC6 is just starting to get to me. After my ordeal with DCUC5, I knew I’d be OK for a while after wave six start popping up at retail. But now with the news that all we’re waiting on is for Mattel to get one last figure in, I’m getting a wee bit impatient, especially when I see all the great photos.
  • Just as the coolness of the Deathstroke figure got me buying some Teen Titans trades and back issues of his eponymous 1990s series, I grabbed Showcase Presents Hawkman and The Greatest Shazam! Stories Ever Told. I have to say, though, Hawkman has the most convoluted continuity issues of any character in the DCU (and that’s saying something).
  • There’s been a ton of speculation as to what the mysterious new Mattel 6″ property will be, but we now know a few things for certain: it’s not any of the Horsemen’s original properties, and it’s not Thundercats or WWE. Nonetheless, the Horsemen “can guarantee that there will be a LOT of excited fanboys.” They also say they bet we won’t guess it. According to Mattel, the first figure will be available at SDCC. I thought perhaps it might be Movie Masters Watchmen, but that wouldn’t really be a new line, since Movie Masters is pre-existing. After looking over Mattel’s previous licenses, I think it’s…I don’t know. But just to throw out some guesses: The Simpsons, Harry Potter, Captain Power, Universal Monsters.
  • Wow–quite a dogfight going on in this month’s poll. Everyone’s had the lead except poor Tytus (Megator led very briefly when I picked him after creating the poll). I do think the only way the Sorceress would work as an exclusive is if she came with Zoar, though–otherwise it would feel too much like a “regular” figure, which isn’t Mattel’s MO for SDCC.
  • Just forty-eight until Skeletor and the Starfire/Adam Strange two-pack go on sale!

News round-up, 11/18/08

November 18, 2008 | Poe

Unfortunately, I don’t think these news round-ups can be a daily thing. There just isn’t enough significant toy-related news on a daily basis. But I’ll try to get them out every other day.

—Rustin Parr’s King Grayskull review Long, but well worth the read. Rustin seems certain MOTUC is going to crash and burn. Personally, I really like the design of the line, but those of us who do seem to be the minority.

—NECA’s Gears of War Lancer production issue

—New DC Direct announcements (HDCU Series 2, Watchmen variants, 13″ Golden Age Flash)

—Jason Voorhees Living Dead Doll, based on the 2009 remake

—Mattycollector.com announces still-MIA DCUC TRU exclusives

—Hasbro’s Star Wars Q&A round-up If I put a round-up within a round-up, does the universe implode? (Looks around hopefully, sighs in resignation.)

Intereview > Captain Atom (DC Universe Classics)

October 20, 2008 | Poe

Welcome to the first of a week of “intereviews” with the members of DC Universe Classics Wave 4. My first guest is Captain Atom. Captain, please tell us a little about yourself.

Certainly. I was originally created by Charlton Comics in 1960. I was working on an experimental rocket when it exploded, atomizing my body but giving me superpowers that allowed me to re-form my body, in addition to many other powers. After DC Comics bought the rights to the Charlton characters in the early 1980s, I was re-introduced as an Air Force officer in the Vietnam War who had been framed for a crime I didn’t commit–shades of A-Team, no?–and rather than being executed, I was allowed to participate in an experiment that threw me into the future and gave me superpowers, including the ability to grow this nigh-invulnerable silver metal shell and to control energy. (more…)

Disconnected Ramblings on ECCC 2008

May 12, 2008 | Pete

It’s no San Diego, and it’s no New York, but Seattle gets a comic convention of its own–The Emerald City ComiCon. Yes, one word. Don’t ask me. Ask them. My original plan was for a trip to SDCC this year, but for a family of four, that’s no easy trip to plan in the space of three months–not on my income at least. So, instead, I turned my attention to more local fun. And boy, am I glad I did.

The convention was held in the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, which is the same place PAX–The Penny Arcade Expo–moved into last year. The place is HUGE. We walked in and just sort of stood there at first, taking in the place. What was really astounding was that the place was packed! They had all the booths and tables set up in a grid, and there wasn’t more than six to eight feet of walking space between the booths. Quarters were definitely tight, and there was certainly the potential for something to get ugly, but then, this is Seattle–home of distant politeness. Combine that with the generally passive nature of the average comic book nerd (once they’re off the Internet, that is), and you get a very mellow, enjoyable experience. (more…)