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

[Team Jetfire]

S-39
Hasbro: GI Joe Classified- Kamakura





Apparently Kamakura debuted in 2003 which was a very dark time for Canadian Joe Collectors given that we had nothing on the shelves for years on end. I?m not really sure why we were left out, but aside from a hand full of classic style ARAH figures and some really bad ?Power of the Force 2? style 2 packs, GI Joe didn?t see a whole lot of love in Canada until Sigma Six which was a VERY polarizing way to re-launch the brand, but I digress: that (S6) was where I was first introduced to Kamakura. For those still wondering who this new ninja is, the long and short of his story is that he is a student of Snake Eyes. According to Wikipedia his backstory was developed in the Devil's Due comic line and as such predictably convoluted:

Kamakura (G.I. Joe) - Wikipedia

All that is to say, the backstory of Sigma 6?s Kamakura was basically nil so he was basically an open book to me. That said, quick point of annoyance- why did they make him caucasian? Could have been an easy lay-up for Hasbro to diversify the Ninja?s in their ranks, but to be far, I doubt they thought this random character would have any kind of staying power.

Pros: As a ?DELUXE? amazon exclusive I was a bit worried that my pre-order would not be filled, but it seems that both Hasbro and Amazon have upped their supply for new figures. Overall I am impressed with the sculpt, accessories and different accessory/elements that he comes with. Also, I appreciate the addition of a cardboard foot locker storage container. Yes it's just cardboard, but the idea is reminiscent of the old plastic foot locker containers that came with the deluxe Sigma 6 figures.

Cons: I am a strong believer that if a figure comes with an accessory, they should be able to hold on to it all; knives should have sheaths, guns should have holsters and swords should have scabbards, but Kamakura can only hold a few items. Also, points off for alternative heads that just sit in storage.

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

S-40
Diamond Select- The Muppets: Dr Teeth and Zoot




In my review for Janice and Floyd Pepper I mentioned that I was in a few bands during my youth and shared details of my first one.

My second band was a bit more successful and enjoyable given that we were focused on music that we wanted to actually play. There were a number of iterations throughout the life of the band, but at the core it was myself on Bass, a Buddy on Guitar and a kid we found from an ad on drums (not even kidding about the kid thing. He was 16, but lied to us saying that he was 18. Not really a big deal considering that he was a really good drummer… A classic power trio not unlike pop punk bands like Blink 182 and Greenday. Over the life of the band we played a few shows, self recorded a demo, professionally recorded an album and another single and even filmed a video that was supposed to be used during the credits of a daily entertainment show, not unlike Entertainment Tonight, that was created, filmed and produced by the parents of our guitarist (nepotism at its finest). Unfortunately the suits at Global Media didn’t like the hard rock sound of the original song and later re-recorded it as a jazz/swing type number and our fleeting chance at fame was quickly extinguished. Incidentally I was also a featured regular on a weekly wrestling report on that same entertainment show. I played the mute friend who often got hurt or embarrassed by the host (the guitarist) and even wrestled with Diana Hart (yes, that Diana Hart) for a segment, but that is a story for another time (unless I already told it)

Pros: Again, lots to love with this Muppets release. Both Dr Teeth and Zoot have nice sculpts and a good amount of articulation to pose with their respective instruments. I also have to once again commend Diamond for making moving joints on such thin arms.

Cons: As with other of these Best of Series, the accessories feel a bit light for this set. Not sure what else could be included though.

[Team Jetfire]

889-2
Diamond Select: Invincible: Invincible





Who else is excited for Invincible season 3? I for sure am as I was a massive fan of the first two. Funny thing is that while I thought I was new to the character, I actually had an Invincible comic from a ?Free Comic Book Day'' issue released years ago; really hilarious that I had no clue that I had it. Anyways, I sincerely hope that Amazon keeps the series going because the world that was built fleshed out in the first two seasons and the long running comic series seems to be well worth exploring the series further. Also, big shout out to added touches in the overall direction of the series. Yes it?s just moving pictures that were basically storyboarded from a comic book, but both the voice acting and music is right down my alley. And while people may think it's just ?The Boys? in cartoon form given the grit and gore of the subject matter, it's really so much more. Check it out on Amazon Video today!

Pros: Overall Diamond Select provided most everything in an Invincible figure: Great sculpt with detail from the show, a good amount of articulation that allows for some nice poses and enough accessories to make it fun.

Cons: If you know anything about the character you know that Mark gets his ass kicked almost daily and would have benefited from an alternative head that was all busted up. That said, perhaps Diamond can make a different figure with all the battle damage one would expect.

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

890-2
Bandai- Gundam Universe: Burning Gundam




Back in the early 2000, Gundam popularity was on the rise in North America after the full court press of stakeholders on an unsuspecting population ready for the next big English dubbed series brought over from Japan. The initial release was Gundam Wing and I feel it did a fairly good job in prepping North America for the wide world of Gundam, but the next series released may have been a miss-step. See, for those not aware Gundam is MASSIVE in Japan; like Star Wars big and much like Star Wars, over the years it has grown and morphed into a bunch of different things. There is the main series that was initially released in the 70’s that told the initial story over multiple different seasons, but there are also a lot of other Gundam series that are not connected to the original series. Presumably this was to grow Gundam in a new way while not being tied to the dogma. Gundam Wing was one of the more popular series, but there were a few other ones that were a bit less typical including G-Gundam which was released after, but for some reason in the United States only which was weird considering we in Canada still got the toys, but I digress: It was a strange series. The basic idea was that every country has their own specific Gundam suit that fight-off in tournaments to solve international disputes. The main character is Burning Gundam, which represents Japan and there are a bunch of other countries that are represented throughout the series. And while Burning Hand looks like a fairly traditional Gundam, many other others range from badass, to interesting to downright goofy. But you don’t need to take my word for it as you can see the fun for yourself as the entire series is uploaded to Youtube.

Pros: Despite having little connection to G-Gundam I was always drawn to the international Gundam designs and Burning Gundam is no exception. I loved the sculpt and the overall look including that splayed wing/backpack that is unique to the design. Nice that he also has his trademark red power hand too with enough articulation for great poses.

Cons: Not a huge Con per se, but he has a chest gem that can be displayed by replacing a chest section so it looks “flipped up”. Unfortunately with the flipped up section the gem doesn’t sit flush and has a tendency to fall out. I love the look, but hate the idea that I might lose the chest gem.

[Team Jetfire]

891-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: War Machine





Personally I have always had a lot of love for War Machine and even though he has been featured as a supporting character throughout the MCU from almost day one, I don’t feel that he gets the respect that he deserves. Considering that he was the first POC hero in the MCU, before Black Panther, before Shang Chi and even before Falcon, War Machine was the only representation in ranks and as of today STILL doesn’t have his own series. And while this is changing in the next MCU phase with the announcement of Armor Wars, it still will be a while until it’s released. So what’s the deal? Why did it take that long? Do people not like War Machine? Are they not fans of Don Cheadle? Do they not like the military connection? It also seems like a bit of a no-brainer to me that in a world with out Tony Stark, War Machine could have taken over duties, but I guess they thought a literal child would have been a better fit… #moreloveforwarmachine

Pros: Wow, War Machine is a remarkable figure and literally blows away almost every other Iron Man and War Machine figure that preceded it. A fantastic comic based sculpt, solid articulation without a lot of hindrance from the armor and tons of weapons that really allow him to live up to his name of War Machine.

Cons: May be a Pro given that I like the comic accurate comic head, some folks may have preferred a MCU accurate one.

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

892-2
McFarlane Toys- Avatar the Last Airbender: Zuko




Avatar: The Last Airbender seems to have a bit of a strange future ahead of itself. On one hand there looks to be a bunch of new shows and movies on the horizon, with a live action series being set to release later this year (don’t quote me on that) and multiple animated movies in production, but on the other hand it looks like ever current toy manufacture, including McFarlane, Diamond Selects and Loyal Subjects, has stalled their production of new merchandise which is a bummer because we were just getting past the main cast and getting into the supporting roles. I’m guessing that with the new upcoming media will come a new license and a new selection of product, but even if it covers the new live action series (which I don’t have much hope for if I am being honest) there is still so much that can be done with the original cartoon characters, not to mention a whole other series that has gotten NO LOVE whatsoever: Korra.

Pros: While these little figures are basic, I can’t help but love their simplicity, overall style and cost. Really nice figure for the cost.

Cons: It feels as though this is one point of articulation away from being a perfect toy, but I’m not sure where that would be located. Perhaps an ankle joint? Maybe a thigh swivel?? Hmmmm.

[Team Jetfire]

S-41
McFarlane Toys- Avatar: Neytiri



I’ve already done a post to celebrate James Cameron’s Avatar, so I think I will keep the celebration going with a post celebrating the fantastic actor Zoe Saldana, who is responsible for not only playing the female lead protagonist in Avatar, but also responsible for bringing a bunch of major characters in huge franchises to life. I first noticed her in the massive bPirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pear blockbuster where she played an old associate of Jack Sparrow and felt like they were setting her up to be in future movies, which did not materialize for her. Her second role has some sizable boots to fill as Uhura in JJ Abrams Star Trek (which was the movie that ignited my new found fandom for Star Trek) and lasted over 3 movies where she played an integral role throughout. It was also the same year where she played Neytiri in Avatar and is arguably the best part of that film. And the final leg of her tent pole career was playing the role of Gamora, the green assassin/daughter of Thanos that has been prominently featured in a good portion of many MCU movies. Pretty amazing right? I’m not sure I could name another actor, male or female, that has that kind of range with franchises and I feel like she is a very underrated actor that more people should be aware of.

Pros: Basically a carbon copy of Jake Sully with the same nice sculpt, good articulation and neat accessories.

Cons: As with the PROs, same with the CONs: She has a bow and a hand to stretch it, but no arrow, or string to complete the look.