Previews Picks - August

I thought I'd better get this month's Preview Picks post up while it's still August! I'll blame the distractions and excitement of SDCC for slowing me down. Yeah, that'll do.

Now, good grief, where to begin with the toys and crap in this month's Previews?? There's alot of both, that's for sure. I can't possibly cover it all so I've tried to just get the real highlights and the lowest of the lowlights for you this time around.

The "I Want" Award goes to the Marvel Select Captain Marvel. I'm always in two minds about this line because of the low output which makes it hard to develop the "universe building" feel, but some of the figures are just so damn good. Even though the Good Captain has got some weird stuff happening with his hip cut, he's still the top of my August orders. Even if he is just a big 'ol Skrull.

The "August Cheesecake" Award goes to the DC Direct Mary Marvel Women of the DC Universe Mini-Bust. (phew!). You know, I'm really happy that the Marvel family is getting some lurve, but this Marilyn Monroe pin-up style sculpt is a bit of disappointment for a character that's unlikely to get a go in this medium again. Really hate the face with the closed eyes that really remind me of the New Frontier Wonder Woman blow-up doll toy. Pass with a yawn.

The "Best Continuation of a Line" Award goes to the DST Star Trek Worf & Gowron Two-Pack. I love the way that DST is doing different things like the two-packs which this line to give us as many characters as possible. We get a different version of Worf here plus a small but important player in the Star Trek world. I like this so much it almost makes me not want to harp on about the fact that we still don't have a Tasha Yar (but we still don't have a Tasha Yar....)

The "Best Stalling and / or Death of a Line" Award goes to the DC Direct 13" Sandman Deluxe Figure. Gawd. I mean, even if I was one of the 17 people who is going to be really excited about the fact that DCD is making a 1:6 Scale figure of this dude, I'd be pretty bummed by this version. He looks like the kind of thing I could have put together in a really boring semester of Eighth Grade. Yipes. Why DCD is stalling what could be a fantastic line with diversions like this makes so sense, but then DCD / no sense... it's almost the same thing, ain't it?

The "Quickest Way to Put Your Kids In Therapy" Award goes to the DST Darth Maul 1/4 Scale Figure. Whoa baby. This is one of those toys that is specifically designed to make us regular little dolly collectors feel self-satisfied that we're really not as whacked out as those crazy toy guys out there. Big doesn't really begin to describe this fella. He talks, he makes noises, he can practically do your laundry, and at that scale he has extra super ugliness powers. Not for the little ones. Or, like, normal people.

The "I Wish" Award goes to the DC Direct Watchmen Movie Owlship Scale Replica. Boy, I can't wait for this movie, and I can tell that my resolve to not buy all the stuff DCD is going to churn out for this is going to be whittled away by the time this flick finally premieres. This would be a great prize for any Watchmen fan's collection, and as soon as I rob a couple of 7-11s I am for sure going to order mine. Sigh.

Finally, the "What the Freakin' Heck?!? Award" goes to the Barbie "The Birds" Doll. I just need to say it again: What the Freakin' Heck?!? I really have to wonder who in the world is going to want this thing. What a cruelty that we can now buy Tippi Hendren being attacked by blackbirds (or whatever) in plastic, but we're still waiting for a Reverse Flash in the 6" scale. Oy vey.

And that's the run down for this month. Whether you want to freak yourself out, your kids out or finally prove to your friends that you really are a fruitcake, there's something for everyone this month, so get busy boys, the ordering deadline looms!

Heroic Efforts?

I'm only reviewing and photographing Mezco's first series of Heroes toys in the package at this stage, because for reasons I'll discuss I'm just not entirely sold on these, and I'm keeping them MIP in case they eventually go the eBay way.

Series One is comprised of five figures: Claire, Hiro, Peter, Suresh and Sylar. The packaging is tight - I quite like the compact style, the way that all of the accessories and extra parts are visible and the simple but effecive use of the Heroes logo and familiar fonts.

The potential killer of this line for me is the headsculpts. My initial reaction when I saw them solicited was real disappointment, because they just seemed to look nothing like the actors. In person, some of this improves. Suresh's headsculpt is the best likeness, while Peter Petrelli looks like a horse man and nothing like the actor. Claire comes with an extra damaged head which looks far much more like Hayden Panettiere than the normal head which is a bummer. I want my Hayden with no blood!

Paint apps are solid across the line, I didn't detect any flaws in the five figures. From within the packages they look well in scale with each other, altho Peter and Sylar's heads are too big for their bodies. Did I mention Peter looks like a Horse Man? It is really, really awful.

Despite this, Hiro is the biggest disappointment for me. His headsculpt is just generic Asian dude, his glasses look oversized and the whole approach to his outfit just makes him look a bit shrunken inside too-big clothes. The figure is also generic in body type and doesn't reflect the actor's build.

The accessories are a mixed bag...... quite literally. Some are winners: Claire comes with a damaged head and arm, Hiro has his sword, Sylar has a hand shooting powers and a brain (yum!), but then, there's the bags. Peter, Hiro and Suresh all have these oversized bags that look like they belong in a Barbie collection rather than in an action figure set. Bizarro world. Each figure also comes with a card with one of Tim Sale's paintings that were central to the first series.

While Mezco seems to be committed to the line in terms of rounding out the cast with another two waves announced, I'm going to wait to commit to loose display until I see the next wave and see if the headsculpts have improved.

You know, maybe those bags are for putting over Horse Man's head......

Giganta is stomping her way to Oz

AFB is on the road for work at the moment and Internet access has been limited, so I have been jumping for a chance to get onto the Mattycollector.com website once it was "live" and have a look at how it was functioning and see what their international shipping was like.

I'd read in a few places of people having trouble with the site and not being able to pay, etc., so my expectations were low. I must have come in after the rush, however, as I was able to negotiate through it without any problem.

I had organised with a mate to pick up the exclusives I was interested in, but after the strong showing Mattel made for the JLU line at SDCC (and considering that the dismal showing DCD made means there's nothing to look forward to on that end, but that's another story.......) I decided to look at the Giganta exclusive, and was pleased to find it in stock and also find that the international shipping to Australia was extremely reasonable! This really made my day as it means that I'm not going to have to fork out eBay scalper shipping prices to get the exclusives coming up - especially the yummy Adam Strange - Starfire 2-pack I'm hanging out for! (Although I'd be keen to see Mattel fix Starfire's uni-boob before she's released....)

Obviously the proof is in the pudding, so I'll update you when Giganta actually arrives down under, but all signs are very positive. Thanks Mattel!!

I've joined the club!

I was pretty excited to discover that Mattel's online store had gone "live" earlier than expected. If you haven't headed over there yet, click on to Mattycollector.com and get an advanced look at what's on offer.

Much happiness here that these special offers will be available to non-U.S. denizens like myself - here's hoping the shipping costs are reasonable! I was particularly happy about this once I read at AFI that one of the JLU-related special items will be Legion 4 packs!!

I signed up for the email newsletter and finally got my confirmation email today - so bring 'em on!

Starman gives good head!

Sorry, just couldn't resist that one.

There's lots of great SDCC coverage out there at the moment (big props to Action Figure Insider and Toy News International for everything they've put up) so I'm just going to be making some random observations, yays and nays from the couch here in Oz.

After the reveal of the first wave of JSA Figures at Wizard Chicago, I posted asking for unmasked heads for Starman and Sandman. Good to see from the pics here that I got half of what I was asking for. Still nothing for Sand, but we now have a Thom Kallor head which I'm pretty chuffed about. He's going to go really well with all my other great BA Legion figures..... oh, wait.........

Still, you know what they say about beggars, and when it comes to DCD it seems that's all we'll ever be. So, yay for Thom. Good to see a better looking headsculpt for Jay Garrick as well.

Now, if these could just be in scale with anything DCD has made previously.......?

Hellboy scares the Hell out of my kid!

I'm quite the a fan of Mike Mignola's Hellboy, and I'm really looking forward to catching Hellboy 2 when it reaches cinemas here. I didn't pick up any toys from the the last film, but it just seemed like my shelves at work were calling out for something Red-related, so I made the trip to my LCS last week, only to find that they didn't order any cases of the last assortment from Mezco as the toys from the first movie hadn't sold (well, I hadn't bought any after all...).

Across town I found all of the figures, but at a ridiculous price (that shop is so much more expensive than my LCS, I just don't get it....) so I only bought Hellboy. I actually wasn't overwhelmed by the other figures. Abe Sapien looks great, but both Liz Shermanns that were there didn't have great paint apps around the head and for that matter the headsculpt is not a great capture of Selma Blair (these are meant to be movie figs....). While I was disappointed with the headsculpt for Liz, Hellboy's was spot-on, a perfect likeness, so I decided to fork out the major moolah for him and then hope to find Abe cheaper at another time.

I had two options: Hellboy with or without black t-shirt and bare-chested Hellboy. I went for the t-shirt version mainly because I preferred the accessories he came with. The bare-chested had swords and stuff while the t-shirt version comes with his "Big Baby" shotgun which was a must for me. Also, there was a bit of paint flaking on the trenchcoats of both Hellboys and it was much worse on the barechested one.

The paint apps, aside from the minor flaking paint on the trenchcoat, are solid and the accessories are functional. The Big Baby has moving parts which is fun. He has another gun which fits snugly into the holster around his waist.

Hellboy is fairly poseable, however the Right Hand of Doom, while in scale for the figure, is clunky to move and creates a bit of an awkward look, which is exacerbated by the fact that his holstered gun sits on the same side. It isn't overly irritating, however.

A vote of authenticity for this figure is that he scared the crap out of my 5 year-old, so as soon he had been opened and photographed he was dispatched to the office to keep our resident Preschooler happy!

All in all I'm happy with my purchase, and hope to add at least Abe Sapien to the mix when I can find him at a sensible price.

Green Lantern Series 3: Sculpts Pass, Scale Fails

I was a huge Star Wars fan was I was a kid. I had all the original toys and playsets, in fact I sold off the majority of that to fund the start of my superhero toy collection - keeping my main characters and of course Admiral Ackbar, who for some reason has always been one of my favourite toys.

The thing I loved about getting toys from each wave of the Kenner line was the expansion of the Star Wars "world". That bit more of the universe to explore, display and enjoy. Now I've been collecting DCD long enough to know that having an aim like that with these toys will only lead to frustration. I just collect the lines I like and put them together where I can. It usually works for me. Sadly with this line that's not the case. I'll give you a rundown on the four new figures on their own and then show you why.

First to the good: I appreciate the way that DCD gives each wave its own distinctive packaging and styling and usually keeps it consistent between waves. This is the case here, and despite the distance in time between waves these would fit in perfectly with the previous for the MIP collector.

The overall look of these figures is great. The paint apps are very clean - no issues on any of mine. I really dig Sinestro's new uniform, so much so that I am almost tempted by the 13" version, but not if it's going to be as purple as this guy is. Grape Ape attacks! He includes a yellow lantern and a Despotellis figure which is a bit lacklustre - a bit more detail would have made it worth the effort.

Star Stapphire is pretty hot - I've heard her described as "Turnerized" but the main difference is she has a bigger noggin than the pinheaded ladies from the Identity Crisis line. This is an excellent figure and easier to pose than the original. She has basic articulation, but her head is pretty impossible to move because of her hair and her collar.

I don't own the original Cyborg Superman to compare with, but this one is a very adequate representation of his appearances in the Sinestro Corps War. The biggest annoyance with this and the other male figures is the lack of ankle articulation which makes them difficult to pose upright. I haven't been able to get Cyborg Superman to stand without a base. CS does have some nice touches, like a set of yellow Sinestro Corps rings.

I was totally not buying Bat Lantern, despite the fact that actually really liked the story that inspired the figure, but - what can I say? He looks great!! Not sure about the thing poking out of his Bat Symbol tho - I think it's supposed to be a projected it looks a bit wonkyville. It's a great toy for any Batfan, but I still think it will be the peg warmer of the wave.

And so the time has come once again for AFB to sadly blow a giant, juicy scale raspberry in the face of DC Direct. As has been discussed previously, I don't get hung up on scale as much as some collectors, but the very least I do expect that is that figures within the same series are in scale with each other (JSA Atoms, anyone........?). While these four figures work together on their own, things start to go pear shaped when you introduce figures from previous waves, and the biggest clanger of all is the Hal Jordan GL from Series One. Shorty City! Obviously the figures from the newer waves are fed a much more nutritious diet than those poor Series One guys were. However it happened, it doesn't make for a very impressive display.

And that's the rub, as so often happens with DCD. The character selection on this wave is bizarre - why not slip in one long-awaited GL Corps member like Arisia to keep the collectors happy? How hard is it to ensure that figures in the same series are at least in scale with each other? Why can't DCD seem to go those few extra inches to really deliver?

I wonder what vintage Star Wars figures are going for on eBay these days?

DCUC Fan Poll: Save Ragman!!!

If you haven't come across it yet, the promised DCUC Fan Choice poll is now up at Wizard and will also be featured in this week's Toyfare. The picks are Huntress, Question (Vic Sage), Jack Knight Starman, Catman, Vixen and Ragman.

I'd actually love this to be a wave on its own. - they're all great characters! For a Fan Poll, It's not a great list - it's hard to imagine that Huntress, Vixen, Catman, Vic Sage and even Jack Knight really need the help of a fan poll to get made.

Ragman's the one in the bunch that I'd say we're least likely to see without the help from something like this, so to that end AFB is coming out in full support of Ragman, who's currently coming dead last in the poll.

C'mon guys, I want a Question and a Catman too, but we're going to get those anyway. Rags is the one!

Vote early, and if you can, vote often!

Previews Picks: July

It's a bit of a sad statement on my months, but one of the highlights of each 30/31 days is picking up my copy of PREVIEWS and flicking to the Toys section to see what goodies I can't afford for the coming months. With early solicitations etc alot of it's not a surprise but there are always a few goodies in there which make the choosing and budgeting challenging!

In celebration of this pleasant monthly ritual I'm going to post a monthly overview of my picks from the Toys etc. section of Previews each month. It may not match anyone's else's top wants but hey.... it's my blog!

Top Pick: Bowen Northstar & Aurora Mini-Bust Two-Pack
I kid you not, on the day I picked up the new Previews I was thinking how cool it would be if they finally put out a Northstar mini-bust, and wa-lah! Jean-Paul and Jeanne-Marie in one go - even better! If only I'd known my thoughts were going to be so productive, I would've wished for that pony, or at least a better golf game!

These look pretty much perfect. I just hope that they're in scale with the other Bowen busts and not more "mini" because there are two. Cannot wait.

Pick: DCD 13" Supergirl
I'm a big fan of this line (but not addicted, really!) and it's great to see another female character in the line. From the pics I might say this could well be the best female entry in the 13" line yet. The headsculpt is excellent and for me puts a true end to the sculpted vs. rooted hair debate, if there ever was a need for it.

The inclusion of Streaky is great fun, and the lack of a peekaboo hole in the breastal area means Mrs AFB will let this one in the house. Everyone's a winner!

Pick: Previews Exclusive Mighty Muggs Admiral Ackbar
I've already talked about my

developing Mighty Mugg addiction, and this Admiral Ackbar is a must! A double "Grrrr!" then that these aren't available to Australia through Previews. An eBaying I will go.....

Possible Pan: Heroes Action Figures Series 3
I'll hold out final judgement until I see Series 1 in person, but I just can't get into these Heroes figures because the headsculpts just seem sooo off. Some of them are just bad likenesses, but what power is the Peter Petrelli in S3 exhibiting? Super wrinkledness? Super constipationedness? Hrrrmmm. Love the show and I'm hoping they look better in person, but these pics don't fill me with confidence.

You Wish Pick!: 1:1 Thor of Asgard Helmet Replica
As much as I would love this (totally for display - I mean it would just look silly without the hammer...), this little collector just doesn't have a spare $400 lying around. Yeargh.

Those are the main highlights and possible lowlights as I see them. As always, too much good stuff, too little in the bank account.

Ciao!

Which Bulleteer is better? Doosh Custom Con 5

AFB is a lucky judge of the current Custom Con taking place over at the crazy and anarchic message board known as the Doosh. As you know if you've read much here, I'm a great lover and consumer (as in buying and displaying, not eating) of custom figures and I don't know many better customisers than the dudes that hang out at that site.

The way these Cons work is that folks from the amazing crew of customisers over there match up on set characters and then a panel of judges decides a winner for each character without knowing whose custom is whose.

Little did I know how challenging this job was going to be! We've done our first four match-ups today and they were all close calls in my book. Check out these two Bulleteer customs as an example of the amazing talent that is over there.

If you want to find out which Bulleteer I voted for and see the rest of the customs, have a look here:

As I've mentioned before, if you decide to venture outside of the linked thread on the Doosh, send the kiddies out of the room first and keep an emergency eye washing kit handy, just in case! And it goes without saying that AFB takes no responsibility for any psychological damage or therapy you might need after.

Oh, and if you see anything you want to buy or commission another version of for yourself, you'll probably have to get in line - I've started my list already!

AFB is now on Twitter

When it comes to technology, I'm what's called an early adopter. I love new toys, new sites. Can't help it.

I don't quite know what Twitter is good for yet, but I'm not gonna be the last kid on the block without one, so if you look on the left you'll see that AFB now has Twitter updates. You can also "follow" me on Twitter if you wish.

Everyone needs followers, right?

Anyhoo, join in if you wish - love to "see" you over there.

A small plug for The Geek Hub

They say that once you get one tattoo you get addicted and start thinking about the next one. I used to dream of a little GL or Atom symbol etched somewhere discreet, but Mrs AFB made it pretty clear awhile ago that was a no go - something about melting all my toys into a giant vase.. or that might have been melting my boys into something - either way it sounded pretty dire....

Anyway, I've discovered blogging is pretty addictive too. There's lots of stuff outside of toys that I have a take on, but I try to keep AFB as on-topic to the action figure world as possible so I've refrained from posting it here.

The solution: I'm officially bi-blogual. I'd love you to have a look at The Geek Hub, which is where I'm going to be geeking out on more general comics, SciFi, TV/Film and web stuff. I don't know what shape it will take yet but I'll try to keep it current.

The url is http://www.thegeekhub.net/

Nothing will change here, and the other blog may not be for you, but I thought I'd give it one plug to give it a start!

Enjoy!

Scott

Mini Toygasm

My great customising friend Jackknight92 has some breaking news pics of the Alex Ross JSA Wave One toys over at the Doosh. (Worth a look, however if you've never trod the hallowed and harrowing boards of the Doosh before- be warned, some of it isn't for the faint-hearted!)

I'll let you look at the whole range over there because it's Jack's scoop, but I had to have a Legion-related geek-out about the Starman figure here. I'm generally enthusiastic about the wave - good to see Jay looking his age, but I'll be throwing things around the room if Sand doesn't have a removable helmet or swappable head. I could also start writing all the irate posts people will be making when these coming out about how they don't fit with any other JSA figs - get over it now guys!!

Anyway, back to Thom - I'm going to have to have one of the for the Kingdom Come display and one one for the JSA display, and then I'm going to have to have one that can be customised to a Levitz-era LSH Thom with a beard - can anyone suggest a figure with a good bearded dude headsculpt???

Of course, he's prolly not going to fit in with any other BA Legionnaire I get made, but right now, I really don't care!!

Anyone want to help a mate out?

Gotta love Con exclusives, especially when you live a bizbillion miles away from all of the cons! Action Figure Insider has given the heads up on a couple of exclusives that this Aussie (by marriage) lad is drooling over, but the household coffers probably aren't up to funding an overseas trip just to get them. I just thought I'd put these out there in case any of AFB's tens of loyal readers (actually it seems like we're building up to more than that but I'll be cautious in my estimating) are feeling super generous in the con season.

Firstly, I loves my new Battlestar Galactica and related figures, even if the 2nd wave of DST toys is taking FOREVER to come out and the 3rd wave seems to have lost the plot a bit with the inclusion of Razor characters before we have key players like Cmdr. Adama, Roslin, Tigh or Baltar.....

But I digress - my BSG collection simply won't be complete without the groovy DST SDCC Exclusive Blood-Spattered Cylon!! Colour me weird, but why does this one appeal to me 100 times more than the non blood-spattered version?? Maybe we don't want the answer to that.

And then there's the Alex Ross Flash Gordon. I know that lots of folk have "issues" with Ross' seeming need to remake everything he likes into his own image, but I'm a bit of a Flash Gordon tragic (Flash!! Ah-ahhhhhhhhhh...!! - need I say more??)

This exclusive is "Classic Flash" in his football gear - complete with football!! Even better, it's in the 7" scale so will fit right in with Ross JUSTICE figures. That sounds cynical, but I really do want this figure. Even though it's Ross. It's Flash Gordon. That wins. Just.

Last year my LCS managed to get in the Star Trek TWOK SDCC Exclusives so I'm hoping they can help me. Dang it's hard to be on the other side of the world at this time of year!

I just keep reminding myself that my mother and I get along much better on different continents.......

Flash!! Ah-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Many thanks to AFI for the news and pics)

Showcase: Towering over the rest

Scalists beware: Showcase Presents Series One is not the wave for you. Stay away, and I mean you need to give this a really wide berth, unless you want to run into Batgirl's hips. Trust me, if you do, you won't win.

Now AFB is not a scalist, but totally understands why his scalist friends would and are going bananas (like, brown and squishy bananas) about these figures. The best way for someone who wants an in-scale DC Universe to enjoy these is either to pretend they don't exist or to keep them MIB in their lovely packaging. Opening them up will only end in tears.

From all I'd read and seen before I got my own set I was all ready to do some serious hating on these mammoth monstrosities, but once I'd opened them and had a look I had a bit of an epiphany as to the state of the world which I'll get to in a moment. With that in mind I'm willing to give the wave a review on its own merits.

The packaging of these is a definitely a highlight, so much so that I really hesitated about opening them. I decided that I'll probably pick up a second version of my favourite (tell you in a moment) to have an example of the packaging for posterity. The card enclosed is very nice and folds out to promote recent DCD waves which is a nice touch. The back of the card is different for each figure which is also a bit special.

Overall quality control on the figures I bought are excellent. I have read a number of complaints about sloppy paint apps on these but mine are pretty much perfect and the other figures I've seen are the same. The figures are well articulated and apart from Batgirl are well accessorised.

Superman is great if you look at him as a Silver Age Superman, not so great if you were hanging on this to be your Curt Swan Supes. His body proportions are just a bit off and the headsculpt isn't really Swan. I like the extra heads and hands. My eldest daughter, who has previously expressed great interest in the properties and effects of Kryptonite, is over the moon about this figure. I would have liked a lion's mane that extended past the flesh colour on Supes' neck to complete the effect. If I forget that this is meant to be a Curt Swan Supes then I quite like this figure.

Jonah Hex is nothing short of awesome. I love the headsculpt and facial scar, the pattern of the colour on his jacket which well simulates denim and his two guns, one of which fits snugly in his holster. One improvement would have been a hat which fits a little more snugly on his head as it sits a bit "on top" of his head as opposed to "on" it. But that's pretty picky - this is a figure to love for sure.

From the solicits, I expected to like Hawkman the least because of his headsculpt which I wasn't really familiar with, but this has turned out to be my pick of the wave. I've read that others struggled to find a Hawkman with a well painted Hawk symbol but thankfully mine is neat and tidy. His wings fit in easily and he's well proportioned. I hadn't realised that his mask fits over a headsculpt. My big disappointment with the Justice Hawkman was that the Carter head underneath was a pinhead in order to fit the helmet - this one is a big improvement on that. The only thing about displaying him without his helmet is that the way his head is structured to fit the helmet means that without it his face is very downcast.

On her own, Batgirl really is quite an outstanding figure and I quite prefer her to the insipid SA version from the original boxsets. I do think she could have come with some accessories like Batarangs etc especially since the other figures in the wave are well set out in this area. She's the only figure I'll go into detail about scale about: she really is disproportionate to alot of figures you'd want to display her with. She sortof fits in with Justice but is out of place era wise. Obviously DCD wasn't aiming to make these figures in scale with others, but even so Batgirl seems like a production mistake, which is a shame because the sculpt is absolutely excellent.

Batgirl in fact isn't even really in scale with Superman, but it was looking at these two together that something dawned on me: these figures come from a time in comics when stories stood on their own, and characters weren't "in scale" with each other, let alone a "universe", since the concept didn't exist. A time when fans would have been tickled pink to have these amazing representations of their favourite characters and taken them for what they are: great toys.

Before Brewer and co grab this article and make me their poster boy, I'm not defending them. Someone accused me today of being a DCD apologist. O-kay. Look, this little blogger knows that Brewer doesn't understand his client base and that this wave is the latest in a long line of either extremely incompetent or extremely arrogant moves. No question. Is it wrong to want an in-scale DCU? Of course not. Could DCD have delivered that? Yes, and those who set out collecting thinking that would be the case have a right to be jaded and cynical.

I'm not talking about DCD, I'm talking about us. Maybe, just maybe, we contributed to this mess in the first place by wanting everything to connect, by wanting "universes", by wanting everything "in scale". What's the cost? In my book, we've sacrificed good stories, sound writing and characterisation for continuity, crossovers and meaningless event after event. The idea is so appealing. I read CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS as a teenager and it felt like a new age was dawning, so exciting, but where are we now? Has it been worth it? The best comics I've read recently, DC, Marvel or other, don't connect to anything, they stand as outstanding stories on their own. Good times.

These figures could have integrated into existing lines if the scale had been nailed, but it wasn't. Let that stop you from buying them if you want, that's cool. Mine are going in their own spot to remind me that end of the day we all take this stuff a bit too seriously at times.

And now? Back to the LCS to get another Hawkman to keep an example of the packaging, and another Superman for the eldest daughter's Christmas bag.

Mmmmm!! Mighty Muggs!!

The last thing AFB really needs is another obsession. I have quite a number of shelves and storage boxes full of them after all, not to mention that growing section of the linen press that Mrs AFB keeps mentioning she'd like to reclaim for stuff like.... well, linen.

So when I first saw the Hasbro Mighty Muggs versions of some of the Star Wars characters, I breathed a little sigh of relief that they were pretty likely to show their cute little faces in Aussieland, because I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to resist them.

BIG mistake then to go to the big comic shop in the city last weekend! There they were, flashing their funny little forms and big heads, their clever and attractive packaging, and I was very lucky to walk out with just Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.

Don't know why, but while the Marvel superhero versions of these don't really appeal to me, I can't get enough of the Star Wars line. They're so funny looking they really work. They're made of 100% recycled materials, and everyone that looks at them needs to touch them to see if they're inflated, metal or what. They feel more solid than you expect.

The lines are very clear, colours bright and well applied. They have arm, leg and neck artculation and come with cute accessories in the same inflated-look style.

Definitely an A+++ product, but like I said I don't need another obsession, so Luke and Leia are going to the bookshelves at work, and I'm definitely not buying any more. Really.

That guy that called the shop to ask them to put aside C3PO and Yoda using my voice? Total impersonator.

DCD Pops its Con Exculsive Cherry

It's been a long time coming: DC Direct will officially issue its first Convention Exclusives at this year's San Diego Comic Con and Wizard World Chicago. Opinion is strongly divided on whether this long awaited entry is a bang or a whimper.

On offer will be retooled versions of the Batman and Joker figures from the recent Batman & Son series. The Bats is a black & grey version of the original blue and grey and interestingly the Bat Prongs are less stumpy than the original. The Joker is a bigger retool with a straight jacket and bare feet similar to his appearance in the recent Batman vs. The Joker statue. (Thought: I hope this new Joker is steady on his feet - my Batman & Son Joker toppled off the shelf so many times I had to put him away!!)

The packaging of these exclusives is outstanding. The style of the design and artwork is very similar to the boxes for the 13" figures and it seems that the packaging inside allows for good looking display in package if desired.

I've read a lot of complaints about the choice of figures for these con exclusives, but it seems to me this is a bit short sighted. Sure, I'd rather DCD was putting out B'wana Beast and a Silver Age Brainiac as much as the next collector, but are we really the target audience for these exclusives? It seems to me this is a great opportunity for DCD to pull in a wider range of fanboys and girls, and capitalising on the Batman / Joker hype from The Dark Knight movie is a pretty sensible move.

The flipside of course is that by offering retooled figures as opposed to originals the core DCD fanbase is less likely to chase these down and go crazy over them the way us crazy fanboys / girls (fanpersons???) tend to do. Doubtless a whole swag of these will still end up on eBay at ridiculous prices.

All up I think these are a great effort for the big picture and I don't think DCD is deserving of the bad rap some are giving them in this instance. Obviously this little Aussieland resident won't be hitting the cons to pick these up, but I'll be hoping one of my reliable Yankee mates will help me out so I don't have to go down the auction road.

Now, DCD, about that B'wana Beast................

The Killing Joke Boxset: A Killer Indeed

I'm sure it's just a weird coincidence that the DCD stuff I don't pre-order is somehow always strategically positioned near the counter of my LCS when I come in to pick up my standing order. Am I that predictable that my resolve not to buy something can be melted so quickly? Well, duh. To be fair to myself, I am developing a more steely resolve - it's not just about what I like, but what I can afford / have room for. I'm learning, if slowly.

I really hadn't planned to buy The Killing Joke Boxset. A couple of things influenced my decision to pick it up: firstly I didn't own a copy of the Killing Joke TPB, secondly the prices of figures here are really dropping at the moment thanks to the strong Aussie dollar. and finally I think this Batman would be displacing the recent JLA version as my favourite Bats to date, if not for one little thing I'll get to in a moment.

I like the 2 pack with TPB idea, and it's extra nice to see DCD offering a 2 pack with original figures again, even if these are going to be recycled in slightly different forms in another wave later in the year. I would love to see this concept branch out past the Superbat world but the market doesn't seem to want to support that. They know not what they miss!

I wasn't sure I really needed the Joker in Hawaiian garb, but these are solid figures to be sure. Paint apps were excellent on all of the sets that I saw. My Batman has the tiniest bleed of flesh paint from his chin to his mask, so small I didn't notice it when I looked him over in the shop. Bats also has a very visible seam down the front of his left leg which seems as though it could have been ironed out in QC.

I love the Joker's camera accessory, but was surprised that his hat wasn't removable. Works for me since these little bits tend to get lost in my world quickly (I have a cat that looooves to play with fallen accessories) but I have a feeling this might irk keener collectors. I like the camera accessory very much and his gun and glass of drink sit snugly in his hands. His facial expression captures the artwork very well, and he may well be my favourite Joker representation to date - if his hat came off he surely would be.

Batman is an excellent figure - I love the peaks on the shoulders of his cape - it really enhances the Bat-look. I like that they seem to have worked out how to give him an ominous cape that doesn't prevent him from standing properly (finally had to put my Batman & Son Bats, or as my youngest called him, "Batman with little prongs", away for that reason). I also want to throw a ticker tape parade for DCD for producing two Batmen in a row (this and JLA Bats) with straight Bat-prongs, after a nasty run of the bends on previous figures. Huzzah!

The "but" for me in this Bats is the acid burn on his arm. Why oh why??? It's quite an effectively done acid burn, with bubbly flesh and all, but was it that essential to the storyline as to be immortalised in plastic? Interestingly, the burn doesn't feature in any of the packaging photography - in one photo it is obscured by his cape and on the back the Joker's arm is posed to hide it. It also isn't pictured on the DCD website. Why include that and then not make it a feature? Because it's dumb, that's why. Accurate, but not significant enough to warrant a figure = silly. Here's hoping the Secret Files Series 3 Hugo Strange with alternate Bats figure is as good a shot at this figure minus the acid burn - could be an excellent Bats.

The biggest snag for me in this set was quite unexpected: reading "The Killing Joke" after all these years reminded me about a time when comics were actually written instead of just a set of semi-scripted action sequences. It made me nostalgic for really good comics and caused me to reevaluate my pull list!

Again, I'm a fan of the 2 pack / TPB idea, especially with first-run figures. This was a good effort and a fairly obvious storyline to exploit for the genre. As with most things, It would be great to see DCD edge outside the Superbat world for this format, or even work a but more creatively like going back some old Brave & the Bold or Superboy & the Legion fun to bring us something really different alongside something they know will sell.

Not a home run, but not a bad effort - besides that acid burn!! Let's stick to the truly essential wounds from now on, okay, DCD?

ST Wrath of Khan, Series "Two"

Everywhere you look, there's a closet Trekkie. I uncovered another one at my workplace the other day. Some you can guess a mile away, but I always get a kick out of the ones you wouldn't pick. I also get a kick out of the people that don't "get" Trek and its fans - little do they know that we think they're the suspect ones!

I just can't get enough of DST / Art Asylum's Star Trek series. Apart from a slight scale slip-up in the Next Generation Series (teeny Data and Geordi) these figures have been pretty consistent and very rewarding to collect. Basing a series on the Wrath of Khan film, which IMHO is the best Original Series film by far, is a great idea.

"Series Two" is actually the third series of TWOK figures (the second was a SDCC exclusive wave). It consists of Spock, Uhura, Saavik (the Kirstie Alley one) and Kirk in his Starfleet winter jacket or whatever the technical term for it is.

This wave picks up where the previous two have left off: excellent QC and great likenesses of everyone except Kirk. I have read that for whatever reason Shatner's face is hard to reproduce in plastic and once again that is proven true here, but the rest of team and the overall look is so authentic that I was able to look past it and call this wave a near home-run.

I would say it certainly isn't for lack of trying: the likeness of Leonard Nimoy is spot-on, and Uhura and Saavik aren't too bad (altho Mrs AFB reckons Saavik doesn't look anything like Rebecca from Cheers. Hello.) I do find the DST Star Trek females can have a bit of a vacant expression and that is somewhat the case here.

The paint apps are excellent and the detailing on the uniforms is intricately done. My winter jacket Kirk has a tiny paint rub on the front of his hair which may be from wear in the packet - I didn't notice it until he was out.

One thing that I find bemusing with the DST Star Trek figures is that almost all of the men seem to stand just ever so slightly crooked, as if one leg is incrementally longer than the other. Maybe it's all that exposure to space rays and stuff that happens when you're a futuristic astronaut....

As usual, extra hands and weapons abound. Not being a huge accessories person I could live without these but I know that for some they are a drawcard of the line.

Scalewise, these figures fit in perfectly with the previous waves, as per the sample photo. No full group shot sorry - I don't have room to display this set at present so they're not all out of the packet. One quibble: the IMDB lists Nichelle Nicholls as 5' 5" and Kirstie Alley as 5' 8", and yet the Uhura figure is a but taller than Saavik. Seems someone should have picked that up.

Hearty congratulations to DST / Art Asylum for excellent work with this wave - very rewarding. I did see the "Death of Spock" 2-pack in my LCS but budget restrictions prevent its purchase as present, however it also looked very good.

I am looking forward to the next wave of Next Generation figures (Ensign Ro!) but the jury is out on the Original Motion Picture Kirk / Spock two-pack - that will be a wait and see. Those figures will have to be pretty darn amazing to erase my memories of the dreadful film.......