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

[Team Jetfire]

171-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends 12”: Spiderman.





Full disclosure, I was whelmed when I first saw this Spiderman in hand and I’m whelmed now that he is open and on the shelf. And it’s not that he is a bad figure per se, but there's just something lacking in the execution of the actual figure. I presume that it has something to do with the original hefty $60 price tag (I got mine for $25) and the fact that as compared to Thor (IMO one of the best figures to come out in the last year) he is just severely lacking for a premium 12” figure. I suppose is could be the simplicity of the costume, but some texture could go a long way to help the overall look of the figure.

Pros: Good amount of articulation that you would expect from Spiderman, two alternate heads and a number of alternate hands.

Cons: Original price point on these premium figures was way too high for any collector to stomach and truthfully is not worth the price. I also feel that they missed a great opportunity to include a proper web accessory to allow for more dynamic poses.

[Team Jetfire]

172-2
Hasbro - GI Joe Retaliation: Data Viper.




Sadly (and somewhat ironically) my original review for Data Viper was lost in the computer somewhere and I don’t feel much like trying to recreate it. If only I had telecommunications expert, working for a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world, on retainer to assist me in data recovery? Long story short, I liked the original Tela Viper and I feel that Data Viper here is a wicked successor and upgrade. Infact I would say that if I had him as a kid, he might be one of my favorites given his unique look and super fun accessories.

Pros: Awesome assortment of cool tech accessories and looks really cool all suited up. I also appreciate that he can hold all the accessories at the same time.

Cons: Some of his parts are a bit finicky and will fall off if you look at them wrong.

[Team Jetfire]

173-2
Playmates Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Donatello.



This Donatello figure is special to me for two of reasons, Firstly, he is and will always be my favorite Turtle of the four, but secondly and perhaps more importantly, I fondly remember when I picked him up, something that I can’t say for a good portion of my collection. The actual date is a bit hazy, but I could narrow it down if I really tried, however I do know that I bought Donatello from the now defunct Toys R Us mecha in Times Square on one the trips that I took with my Wife, who is a Flight Attendant, to NYC. It was the first time that I saw the “new” Nick Turtles in hand and I could not pass up my favorite. Incidelty I also picked up a replica Green Lantern movie ring that they were selling for dirt cheap, but I’m not sure where that ended up.

Pros: Good amount of articulation, unique sculpt and color that differentiates from the other 3 and a nice arsonal of other additional weapons. On a personal note, reminds me of my trip to NYC and the AMAZING Toys R Us store in Times Square.

Cons: As with the other turtles, some poseability issues with odd articulation. I also feel that his signature bo staff should have been a bit longer.

[Team Jetfire]

008-R
Bandai- Gundam 0083 Stardust Memory: Gundam GP02A
Release Date: 2001
Current Price and availability: $18
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Mobile-Suit-...HveA:rk:1:pf:0



It’s it legitimately crazy how fast Gundam came and went in North American popular culture. I mean sure, it was marketed and geared towards kids, but so are a lot of things that are popular with adults so I have to wonder why it never really took off. Granted we started with Gundam Wing, a series that is not exactly known as the gold standard in the Gundam fanbase, but given the relative deep bench of different series it’s surprising that something didn’t become popular; ah well, their loss I suppose.

My experience with Gundam would be much the same as any one else who actually enjoyed Gundam Wing back when it aired on YTV in Canada, but I had the added comfort of collecting the many action figures that were released in conjunction with the series. Sure there were all the Gundam Wing figures, but they also released many figures from other unaired series that had very little context included. So unless you had some knowledge of Gundam, you didn’t really know what you were getting. Yes, there was some context clues that provided some level of understanding, like who is the good guys / bad guys, but even at that time there was little other information to go off of; remember this was before Youtube and Wikipedia so I was getting most of my info from Toyfare Magazine. With that in mind, I only recently went down a rabbit hole of sorts with Gundam (more specifically 0083 Stardust Memory) and now understand that my favorite Gundam Mech suit was actually piloted by the series’ main antagonist. Not that it’s a big deal, in fact it probably makes it cooler, but I always just thought of the suit as a “good guy”. Now I’m not going to even try and explain how 0083 fits in to the Gundam universe, but implore you, if you are a fan of big fighting robots in animation, to check out a few episodes on Youtube. 0083 specifically is only 11 episodes long and so far has been decent. I would also recommend watching a few of the Gundam history videos as they do a good job with connecting the dots as there is a ton of cool history.

Pros: GP02a is one of my favorite Gundam mostly due to his sheer bulk. I just love the shoulder rockets, the massive bazooka, huge shield and chunky feet; it’s just so imposing and unique as compared to all the other mechs in the series. Also like that he comes with 2 green beam sabers (not to be confused with Lightsabers), again different from the typical sabers. And like all the other Bandai Gundam figures, it is very well articulated with multiple joints throughout the suit.

Cons: I’m a big fan of all my Gundam figures and think there is very little wrong, except that the joints are usually pretty loose and tend to have parts fall off fairly easily making dynamic use of all those awesome joints really difficult.

[Team Jetfire]

174-2
Hasbro- Transformers- Combiner Wars: Dragstrip.



Ok, Now that the Aerialbots are done, time to start on the next combiner and given that we actually HAD the stunticons as kids I felt it was their time with my least favorite of the bunch first: Dragstrip. Now I should say that I have nothing really personal against Dragstrip, it’s just that the G1 Version belonged to my brother and I never really took a shine to him. Also, he sticks out as being the only “Indy” style car in a group of street legal sports cars. I also find it funny that he was the first of the Stunticons to be released and was depicted on the package art as part of the the Autobot Aerialbot Combiner Superion. Which means that some kid, some where, has the entire set of five Transformers figures as depicted on the package, unknowingly bought by their Grandparents, that is left wondering why in a group of 4 planes there is one random yellow Indycar.

Pros: As with the other CW figures, looks similar to his G1 counterpart and has great articulation. Overall the transformation suits me fine, but I could see some other fans feeling that it is too simplistic.

Cons: Released as part of the Superion wave and even though I think it is true to his G1 counterpart, has a rather lame weapon.

[Bludchylde]

That con for Dragstrip was annoying. Never saw series 2 at all. Hopefully this year I can start filling in gaps in my collection.

[Team Jetfire]

175-2
Bandai- Thundercats: Claudus



My second last Thundercats figures and I’m struggling to find a new and differed way to say that this series rocked, was cancelled too soon and that you should find a way to watch it.

Pros: As standalone figures, these smaller figure are not great, but I think they have more play values when incorporated with the vehicles. Overall, like the other 4” Thundercats figures, Claudus is decent looking representation that has a good likeness and character specific accessories.

Cons: Articulation continues to be a challenge on these figures.Unfortunately Claudus has the joints but his hair and beard limit any decent poses. I’m not looking for 6” scale possibility, but if G.I. oe could manage it all those years ago, Bandai should have no problem.

[Team Jetfire]

176-2
Hasbro- Transformers Titans Return: Hardhead.




Ok, last of the original G1 based deluxe Autobot Headmasters and while I have my favorite for personal reasons, each one of the 4 is a really great figure and serves as a fantastic update to the characters that I adored as a kid. Lucky for me I still have the Decepticon team to look forward to opening, but can’t help but be disappointed that Snap Dragon, one of my single favorite Transformers of all time, was left out of this series. Thankfully there is still hope as Hasbro seems to be intent on recycling old concepts over and over, so maybe I will get lucky after all.

Pros: Overall looks great and spot on to his G1 Counterpart. Simple, but satisfying transformation and good articulation for a variety of poses. Also appreciate that Hasbro included both shoulder mounted cannon as well as a pistol.

Cons: Robot mode is littered with plastic gaps, that is prevalent in all the current transformers figures, giving it a bit of a hollow, cheap feeling.

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

177-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: Captain Marvel




Amazing the difference that a few years can make huh? We are still a few month before new Captain Marvel Movie, but I already feel that her stock is on the rise, and why not? Disney tends to have a good track record with taking relative unknown characters and making them relevant. Which I suppose can be a bit of a bummer for those who were always fans, but I would think the more media attention leads to more toys, which is a plus in my book. Hell, the fact that 3 years ago this figure was warming shelves to probably being a hot commodity next year is proof enough that the MCU bump can only be a good thing for those who like the character. I for one am looking forward to the movie and the new world that she will bring, but have to wonder if the FOX deal was solidified sooner, would this she have been shelved for a better known X-Men or F4 movie?

Pros: Two great looking head sculpts, a mid sized female body type with a good amount of articulation and extra accessories including a waist sash and energy punching form that goes over her fist to emulate her powers.

Cons: The mould is such that it looks like she is hunched over and as with the other female bodies, the articulation is lacked as compared to their male counterparts and as with other “flyers” it would be nice if she could fully look up to achieve the flying pose.





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