I open a toy & post it here

[Team Jetfire]

126
Transformers- Combiner Wars: Bruticus



For the record, I like Combiner Wars Bruticus better than the Fall of Cybertron iteration. He’s not perfect and there are some issues for sure, but in terms of overall look, he pretty well hits it out of the park.

Blastoff- Right Arm. Functional as an arm with an elbow bend. Can’t really even tell that he’s not a spaceship, which he’s not; thanks Hasbro.



Vortex- Left Arm. Much like Blastoff makes a function arm with decent range of motion. I think it is clear that the more slender guys work best as the arms.



Onslaught-Torso. Much like the FOC version, Onslaught provides a decent torso for the group and is pretty solid. I'm a little unclear on his shoulder assembly as the instructions show both options. I prefer them up as it allows the chest piece to snap in place, but the back cannons are less visible.



Swindle- Right Leg. Nothing special here, just a jeep on its front.



Brawl- Left Leg. Like Swindle, just a tank on its back.



Overall CW Bruticus is pretty darn great, but as this is a review I would be remised if I didn’t mention some shortcomings: Firstly: Blastoff. As mentioned, a shortcut to save money. Sure we got a unique Brawl mode and it makes more sense for Blastoff to be a fighter jet, but still, there was a mould available. Secondly, As a stand alone Bruticus is decent, but 4 of five of the figures are remoulds and I’m sure my view of him would be much different if this was my fourth CW combiner verses my first.

Pros: Fairly true to the original, very imposing all together.

Cons: Limited possibility, basically repaints, Blastoff is not a Spaceship.

[Team Jetfire]

127
NECA- God of War 3 Ghost of Sparta: Kratos



Video games were always a big part of my childhood. I loved arcades, grew up on Nintendo and spent countless hours playing all types of games. The past few years my interest in video games has dropped it's not for any reason in particular, just don't have the time for it I guess. Some of my favorite early games were action/adventure like Double Dragon and TMNT 2; the ones that bad guys come in waves and you can’t move on until you knock them all out. Sure there was very little actual skill, but there was something fun about it and carried all the way to higher end consoles, so when a game like God of War came out there is little doubt that I gravitated to it. While playing it, I always thought how cool it would have been for an action figure line for the series and low and behold, a few years later, my wishes came true; well sort of. One character does not an action figure line make, but given what we got, I’d say that fans ought to be felling realy lucky as NECA did an amazing job.

NECA is a bit of an anomaly to me as this is my first figure from them, but I really appreciate how nice they are. I suppose it took a figure that I like and that I could actual find in the stores (I'm looking at you ‘66 Batman…). It's almost like they approached action figures like Mcfarlane toys did with a high level of detail, but with added articulation.

There are some issues, but overall the figure is solid with many nice features including great accessories, good amount of usable articulation and spot on likenesses. The issues include some loose joints and limited movement from some of the moulded features. Also wish they included a stand to help with some of those poses.

Pros: Spot on likeness, great posability and awesome accessories.

Cons: Loose joints.

[turtle power eh]

Great looking figure, I have contemplated picking it up a few times but tend to pass because the cost of Neca figures at retail (specifically TRU) is crazy.

I have a love/hate relationship with NECA. On one hand the figures look incredible, so much detail and the packaging is AMAZING. Then you open the figure up and you are either a victim of loose joints, or the polar opposite of stiff almost frozen ones. In some cases many have opened their figures and found broken accesories and even joints without even handling the figure. I recently picked up the ultimate versions of Freddy and Jason (both from the 3rd movie of their respected franchise) and while I LOVE to stare at them, I am very affraid to open the packaging...so i think that is where they will remain much like my TMNT comic NECA figures.

ALSO: how do you like the Neca flight stands? Was thinking of picking some up for my MArvel legends but am currently leaning towards the bandai tamashii stage act 4's. I'm also in need of basic flat stands for those Legends, and can't seem to find stuff other than the 3.75" figure stands...know of any?

[Wintermute]

I have that Kratos too. Awesome figure but yes, the loose joints in the legs are a killer.

I know you were asking Team Jetfire about the NECA flight stands, but I got one and they are pretty decent! The suction cups hold up my ML Falcon really well in my glass display cabinet.

[turtle power eh]

Originally Posted by Wintermute

I have that Kratos too. Awesome figure but yes, the loose joints in the legs are a killer.

I know you were asking Team Jetfire about the NECA flight stands, but I got one and they are pretty decent! The suction cups hold up my ML Falcon really well in my glass display cabinet.

The suction cup option was what caught my interest, I may order one and see how it goes...but those bandai stands are pretty sweet, at twice the cost but you get three in a pack.

[BoNKerS]

I love that kratos as well. My issue is the lack of articulation at the feet. Poses are soooo limited it makes me cry as this figure is beautiful!!

[Team Jetfire]

Originally Posted by turtle power eh

Great looking figure, I have contemplated picking it up a few times but tend to pass because the cost of Neca figures at retail (specifically TRU) is crazy.

I have a love/hate relationship with NECA. On one hand the figures look incredible, so much detail and the packaging is AMAZING. Then you open the figure up and you are either a victim of loose joints, or the polar opposite of stiff almost frozen ones. In some cases many have opened their figures and found broken accesories and even joints without even handling the figure. I recently picked up the ultimate versions of Freddy and Jason (both from the 3rd movie of their respected franchise) and while I LOVE to stare at them, I am very affraid to open the packaging...so i think that is where they will remain much like my TMNT comic NECA figures.

ALSO: how do you like the Neca flight stands? Was thinking of picking some up for my MArvel legends but am currently leaning towards the bandai tamashii stage act 4's. I'm also in need of basic flat stands for those Legends, and can't seem to find stuff other than the 3.75" figure stands...know of any?

A few years back I caved and picked up a set of misc import stands from the LCBS for a pretty penny. Unfortunately all of them are basically garbage as the arms are cracked an don't hold any weight. It seams that North American releases are more robust and are too big for these stands.

I have resorted to making my own stands from coat hangers and while they aren't perfect, it works well enough.

Originally Posted by Wintermute

I have that Kratos too. Awesome figure but yes, the loose joints in the legs are a killer.

I know you were asking Team Jetfire about the NECA flight stands, but I got one and they are pretty decent! The suction cups hold up my ML Falcon really well in my glass display cabinet.

Yep, and the worst part is that it is nearly impossible to get a hold of them due to the skirt.

Originally Posted by BoNKerS

I love that kratos as well. My issue is the lack of articulation at the feet. Poses are soooo limited it makes me cry as this figure is beautiful!!

Pretty much and a damn shame. I have it in a decent pose that I am happy with, but it't just too bad, given how cool he is.

[Team Jetfire]

128
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: Hulkbuster Chest & Back (Including bonus Blizzard figure?)



Errr....









Ok I get it, there needs to be line fillers, the Hulkbuster is a massive BAF and collectors are always wanting more villains, but Blizzard here is just a zero. I guess he has been sporadically featured in some Iron Man cartoons and maybe more surprisingly in the Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. television show, so maybe I'm missing something special, but given what Hasbro has given us, I highly doubt it. Would it have killed them to give him some ice effects? How about open hands instead of fists? or how about something more than a repainted Spider-Man body?

I will say that the metallic finish looks nice and there is all the articulation that a person would want. It's just too bad that everything else is so basic.

Pros: Nice paint job, great articulation

Cons: Lazy repaint, no accessories, closed fists.

















So my wife got a dress from Guess and they gave her a jeans keychain with purchase. If course I immediately stole it and gave them to Blizzard.

[Team Jetfire]

129
Star Wars- Elite Series: Kylo Ren



I have never been so pleasantly surprised with a figure in my 20 plus years of collecting. Disney Elite series has really hit it out of the park with this figure and I can only hope that there are more awesome releases to come.

If you are reading this, having no clue that Disney released a line of 10” Star Wars figures exclusive to their Disney Stores, you are certainly not alone. I recall seeing a small news item on the Toyark about it, but thought it was simply scaled up versions of their Die-Cast line (which is lacking in my opinion, so imagine my surprise when I saw Kylo on the shelf. Question, would calling him Kylo for short, be like calling Darth Vader just ‘Darth’ like Obiwan did in ep4, or the now more clear ‘Vader’ that we have come to use? Is Ren like a salutation? Hmmm. Anyways, in the box he looked pretty detailed, had some decent accessories and boasted or 30 points of articulation; all for around $45, no bad at all. Incidentally I had been eyeing the new 12” Marvel Legends pretty hard, but while they offer perhaps a bit more detail, they also $70 a pop and not exactly flying off the shelf. Maybe when they are discounted, but i'm not ready to bite just yet.

I know that some collectors tend to stay away from large figures and as space is limited that is understandable, but out of the box he really doesn't feel like a 'doll', but more so a scaled up 6” black series; it's pretty impressive actually. Some other impressions of him include: an amazing cloak with 3 separate layers, two sets of hands (fists and action) and a great deal of usable articulation. They even included wire in the hood and weights in the clock to allow the cloth to sit properly.

However, it's not without flaws. First issue was right out of the box as I literally had to strip him down to get access to the waste twist-tie holding him in place in the package; pretty frustrating if I'm being honest. Another issue is the head/neck joint. There looks to be a ball joint at the base of the neck, but nothing at the neck/skull connection. It's not a huge problem, but certainly limits head movement. And finally, while all together the cloth hood and cloak look decent, but are quite bulky if you remove the hood. Not a big deal as I will not display without, but it certainly has some hallmarks of the downsides of soft goods. The lightsaber also came with a slight bend out of the box, but I understand it happens.

Overall, it's a great figure for the price and I think it's the step in the right direction for these Disney Store exclusives. I have already picked up Vader, but I may stop short of the more human characters as I'm not a big fan of the real hair.

Pros: Great likeness and overall look, good articulation and accessories, decent price.

Cons: Cloth costume is fairly bulky.

[Team Jetfire]

130
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: Dr. Strange.



I've never really been a fan of Dr. Strange and I have not see the new movie, but I understand the appeal. He’s basically a wizard and who doesn't love wizards? Also, it makes sense that in a world where superhuman powers are the norm that there could be someone with a connection to the mystical arts, but he's just never been on my radar.

This figure does a good job in capturing a few of the hallmarks of the Dr. Strange character: a great head sculpt with a touch of grey on his hair, some decent hand sculpts, complete with effects that showcase his magic form, but it's missing perhaps his most iconic feature; his CAPE! Such a shame as Dr. Strange without a cape is like a wizard without a pointed hat. I understand that there is a new version of this mould that includes a really great iconic looking cape, but this one figure is more than enough Strange for me.

Pros: Nice likeness and hand effects.

Cons: No cape!