I open a toy & post it here... VOL 2!

[WhenGeeksCollide]

Marvel Legends Surtur
https://youtu.be/GlDVZz_z8Ew

[Team Jetfire]

740-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: Klaw and Shuri




It?s not very often that I can recall the exact time that I bought a toy, but sometimes it just happens that way. Take as an example this Toys R Us 2 pack. This was released in conjunction with the super popular Black Panther movie as an exclusive to Toys R Us and was very high on my wish list. That said, exclusives, even Toys R Us ones, were never a given at Canadian Toys R Us locations so I was happy to have seen in on the shelves of a Toys R Us location while on vacation in Phoenix, AZ for my Son?s soccer tournament. Little did I know, this would be my last time stepping in to a Toys R Us south of the border. See, this purchase was made in February 2018 and TRU filed for bankruptcy March 2018. I?m not sure how long that TRU location stayed open, but seeing as all the locations closed by July, I would imagine that it did not last long. And while I?m still happy that my local TRU seems to be doing well, there is something sad about TRU closing in the US. You see, I?ve been lucky enough to travel and with that comes trips to all sorts of toy sections hoping to find something new and often times that brought me to various Toys R Us locations. Early on it was a literal cornucopia of riches with a huge selection of G.I. Joe Sigma Six figures (story forthcoming), but in the later years, decent figures were harder to find; especially as compared to Target, Wal-Mart and Walgreens. In any case, I will never forget my trips to New York and subsequent visits to the epic Times Square Toys R Us and am sad that it?s a thing of the past. For those interested the YouTube Channel ?Defunctland? did an amazing retrospective on the NYC TRU that I?m sure will bring back memories for some.

You can watch it here:

https://youtu.be/cbH8qX12Glo

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

741-2
NECA- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Movie: Splinter



I?m really into this line a lot deeper than I ever thought I would be and for the most I?ve really loved each figure? until now. There is a good chance that I was expecting too much given how great everything has been up to this point, but I think there were some legitimate miss steps with this figure. Some things can be chalked up to my trepidation in testing NECA?s quality control, but also some design issues that kind of bother me. There?s also the issue of minimal accessories coupled with little ability to hold them. I mean, is Splinter even part of the same toy line?

Pros: Credit where credit is due: Splinter looks great. The sculpting is amazing and up there for NECA standards. I also appreciate the soft goods robe as it is not very often that a $30 toy comes with such things.

Cons: Overall the articulation and movement do more to hinder the figure then help it. He also feels relatively fragile which is important to note if you have any NECA figures.

[Team Jetfire]

742-2
McFarlane Toys- DC Multiverse: Superman: The Animated Series.



It?s funny, I?ve watched the entire run of Superman: The Animated series and I?m not sure that I could name a specific episode or story line. I?m sure that they all had something to do with foiling a plan by Lex Luthor, or battling Metallo or Brainiac, but nothing specific comes to mind. Compare that to Batman: The Animated series where I remember a really good portion of the episode. I suppose I could chalk it up to how I feel about Superman over Batman, but that?s not to say that I?m just bashing one over the other. Truth is, I would love a series based on ANY other DC franchise other than Batman, Superman or Wonder Woman at this point. You would think that DC forgot that they owned the rights to more than 3 characters.

Pros: Sculpted in the Animated likeness, Superman matches Green Lantern and Batman reviewed before and looks pretty great. Articulation is McFarlane standard and works well for a few decent poses and I can?t wait for McFarlane to release the rest of the Justice League to line em all up.

Cons: A bent steel beam? Really? I would have rather they included one of those kick ass flight stands that the other flyers get. Also, the left shoulder joint was glued into place, but I was able to get it loose after pulling his arm out.

[Team Jetfire]

743-2
Hasbro- Transformers Generations Thrilling 30: Cosmos and Payload




So here is something that I?m not sure I understand: What ?Earth? vehicle is Cosmos based off of? Sure, it?s pretty clear that he?s a flying saucer, but that?s not a real thing right? So I guess he?s then based on the human 50?s Sci-Fi idea of what an alien spacecraft would be, however that is such an interesting concept to think about as it means one of two things: 1. The Transformers have the ability to scan fictional vehicles and tailor their alt-modes on them which would signify that if Batman were to exist in the Transformers universe that an Autobot could take the alt form of the Batmobile. Or 2. The US government actually is hiding remains of alien technology and Cosmos found it and picked it for an Alt mode. On paper, a transforming Batmobile is cool, but there have been a number of cross platform Transformers that have not been great, however I think a stand alone story about Cosmos finding out that the US Government has been hiding Aliens since the 50?s sounds pretty amazing.

Pros: I always love a good mini figure and Cosmos certainly fits the bill. He?s a fun little figure with a simple transformation and looks great in both modes. His little buddy Payload is neat and works well with the space theme plus is a great homage to Armada Jetfire and his Mini-con rover of the same name.

Cons: No complaints here; Cosmos is great!

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

744-2
Hasbro- Star Wars Black- Gaming Greats: Scout Trooper.



I?ll have to take the packages? word for it that this Scout Trooper constitutes as a Gaming Great as I unfortunately have not played a Star Wars Video game since The Force Unleashed and even then I don?t recall too much about it. I suppose this trooper may have been part of that game, but I feel it was likely featured in one of the newer games.

*Literally 1 minute later*

Ok, so I actually looked at the package photo and it turns out that this version of the Scout Trooper was featured in the Jedi Allen Order game, so that is really neat I guess.

Pros: As mentioned on a previous Black Series review, I have always loved the design of the Scout Troopers and this iteration is even an improvement having the electro vest and shock baton accessory. Extra props for keeping the little ankle blaster and holster.

Cons: I assume this is just a retooled Scout Trooper and would have hoped for a more obscure, yet popular character as a one-off release. Perhaps a Kyle Katarn, Dash Rendar or even Dark Trooper would have been more favorable to a simple re-release.

[Team Jetfire]

S-6
Jazwares- Fortnite Legendary Series: Slushy Soldier



Happy New Year everyone! And what an interesting year it has been. I thought I?d take some time in this special review to collect my thoughts in a ?Highs and Lows? list for the year. Full disclosure: some of this stuff could have happened late 2020 so don?t hold me to a perfect ?year in review?.

HIGH: It?s been twenty years since The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, and thy Toybox toy line, was released and I guess the perfect time for me to really get back into it. I suppose it?s more of a chance to fix a long standing error that I made by not collecting that line after the first few Fellowship waves due to being more into Transformers at that time, but the point still stands. I missed out. Thankfully the spark that I needed to get back into it was lit by my favorite local comic store that found a treasure chest of old LOTRs figures in storage and did the solid favor of pricinging them ridiculously cheap so that it was nearly impossible to not pick them up. I?m not going to lie, as a collector it felt good. It kind of set off something in me that I had not felt in a while: endorphins from the thrill of toy hunting. This led to countless Facebook market deals with some really great people and of course the odd eBay purchase to round out some holes in the collection. I?m excited to open/review these figures, as well as tell some of these stories iterating with sellers in the coming months. I should also say that I?m happy that other manufacturers are working with LOTRs and I've picked up a few of those too. Overall, it seems that it could be a good year for LOTRs fans.

LOW: The closing of the Disney Store in Canada. If you have read my reviews, you know that I love all things Disney and one of my favorite things to come out was the Disney Infinity Video game. And while I didn?t care much for playing, I loved the little 2? figurines that were released with it as interactive pieces to the game. Now the game and the figures have long been discontinued, BUT what arose in their place was a series of 5? fully articulated toys that were designed and stylized in the same way as the little DIsney Infinity figurines that I loved so much. And the best part was that because they were Disney Store exclusives they were never difficult to find and relatively cheap. Getting the news figure was as easy as driving to my local mall and seeing what was new or exciting. In 2020 it became a little harder given that The Disney Store closed for a relatively long time due to issues from COVID, but eventually did open with a different vibe; almost as if they knew their days were numbered. It wasn?t long until some stores started closing followed by the news of the final Death Blow that all Canadian Disney Stores were closing for good. I wrote a rather long opinion piece about it earlier this year, so I won?t get into it, but I?ll just say that I?m still salty about it.
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HIGH: It?s been a really great year for GI Joe Classified collectors. We have had a ton of great releases and some promising stuff on the horizon. If not for COVID and supply chain issues I?d bet that we would all have all the Joes we wanted, but I suppose patience is a virtue that we all need to learn. What is clear is that the future is bright for GI Joe and I have a lot of really great figures that I am excited to open up in the next year.

LOW: I suppose this is a bit of a one-two punch with the above ?high? but for all intensive purposes the Snake Eyes Movie probably created more division and issues within the franchise then was necessary. Firstly it was a big swing and heavily changed the historical subject matter which rarely works to ingratiate the fandom, Secondly it wasn?t a very good movie, had a bunch of issues and kind of made you hate the main character Snake Eyes, and Thirdly (and most important) it was a total bomb. Granted, it?s performance can be attributed to the global pandemic, but even if it was released in the ?before times?, I doubt it would have fared much better. And before you say anything: I loved the cast, I just didn?t feel they had the ?right stuff? to do.

High: If you are a fan of the AMAZING Avatar: The Last Airbender series you know what I?m talking about. This year has seen a sizable increase in Avatar toy offerings from just Diamond Select to include heavy hitter McFarlane Toys and new commer Loyal Subjects. And while I am still patiently awaiting a Legend of Korra figure, I love where this is heading and cannot wait for more.

LOW: This might seem like a bit of an odd ?LOW? for most collectors as Hasbro?s Marvel Legends series has been consistently killing it year over year, but I just can?t anymore. I can?t pay $30+ for another Iron-Man, Spiderman or Captain America just for the BAF piece, I?m done with the hard plastic capes and skirts that take a fully articulated figure and delineate them to statues and I?m done with hasbro reusing molds and providing limited accessories.

HIGH: I can?t remember when it was announced that He-Man was coming back to store shelves, but I recall being fairly excited. I was a modest He-Man fan in the 80?s, but really enjoyed the 2000x reboot that happened all those years ago and regret not picking any of these figures up back then. I will also say that, despite distribution issues, Mattel has done a fantastic job with the Origins line giving them a retro feel with updated articulation and all for a VERY reasonable price point. I have mixed feelings with the new Revelations figures that will be explored in future reviews, but for the most part I am happy where things are heading for the Brand in general.

LOW: I didn?t intend to end this list on a LOW note and I don?t think it is indicative of the collectible toy industry in 2021, but fear that the next few years may be a bit rough. First off the price increases are out of control and it's due to greed. Hasbro seems to be the biggest offender here with multiple price increases over the year, but the industry will soon follow. It has made me rethink many purchases and I think will lead to a bunch more collectors doing the same and could be a good thing in the long run given that things will go on sale and prices will need to drop. The other effect of these rising prices for me is trying to support more local and independent toy retailers. Obviously my favorite local comic store gets most of my dollars, but even other online places like TFTOYS.ca, canucktables.ca and toysnowman.ca have been great to deal with as well. If I can support a fellow collector?s store over a huge enterprise like Amazon or Walmart I will gladly do it and I suggest you do the same in the New Year.

Well that?s it for me and my personal HIGHS and LOWs for this year. I hope everyone has had an amazing Holiday season and wish all the best in the new year.

Pros: I actually picked up Slushie Soldier last holiday season in anticipation of reviewing him this year, so this review has been 12 months in the making. Slushie here is a perfect example of why I STILL love the Jazwares Fortnite line of figures. For starters it?s just a fun looking figure. Big old snowman with tons of little details throughout including the carrot bandolier, snowball grenades, ugly Christmas sweater, carrot knife and wreath backpack. Then you have all the great accessories that Jazwares includes: lots of weapons and a unique pickaxe in the shape of an icicle. Lastly is the articulation. Standard for these Jazwares figures, but still blows away most of the other manufacturers. Great figure and a perfect one to end 2021 and start 2022.

Cons: I think I have finally sorted out how to deal with the unnecessary hand joints which historically has been one of my major complaints. Overall I am completely satisfied with Slushie and have no real issues.

[Team Jetfire]

745-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: Nebula



Previously I touched on some thoughts regarding the new Disney+ What If? Series and thought it would be fun to go through episodes one by one. Check out review 710-2 and 720-2 for details.

EP 3- What if? The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes.

OK, so what the hell did I just watch? Whose idea at Marvel Studios was it to just up and kill 90% of the avengers, one by one, for an entire episode? I get wanting to be edgy and even understand Hank Pym?s motive, but this was just ridiculous and lazy writing when you understand that Tony Stark and the rest of the Avengers had very little to due with his Wife?s disappearance. In all honesty, this just felt like a poorly executed ?Batman, Tower of Babel? storyline in which all members of the Justice League are neutralized by plans formulated by Batman in case they went rogue. Fortunately they were not all killed, but it showed how each of their weaknesses could be used against them which was smart; something I can?t say about this What If? Given it was just about shock value. Thankfully this had minimal effect of the other episodes and the series as a whole.

Pros: Nebula has a great overall sculpt and looks like she walked right out of the films. Articulation is standard for the female mold (sadly) and I love that she comes with a robotic arm.

Cons: At what point can we get a female figure, who is likely more flexible than any male superhero figure, the same amount of articulation and poseability. Additionally, is there really any reason that ?heels? need to be a part of a costume at this point? She is an amazing fighter and I can?t imagine heels make it easier. Lastly, A gun and an arm? That?s it for accessories? There isn?t even a holster to store the gun in: come on Hasbro.