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

[Team Jetfire]

Originally Posted by Toradoch

What I love most about this thread is it's a time machine, looking back at stuff I missed, sold or/and regret selling. Great stuff!

Thanks for that. I recognize that it’s not the most current blog and a lot of better stuff has come out in the interim, but still fun nevertheless.

Thanks again for checking it out!

[Team Jetfire]

496-2
DC Collectables- Batman the Animated Series: Jervis Tetch (The Mad Hatter)



Continuing my quest to re-watch all the DC Animated features to date and give some thoughts regarding 3 key touchpoints: Animation Style, Voice Acting & Story. These are really just rough notes as I watched the movie and might not make a whole lot of sense unless you have recently watched it. See 290-2, 303-2, 318-2, 331-2, 344-2, 358-2, 369-2, 371-2, 385-2, 399-2, 414-2, 426-2, 441-2, 453-2, 462-2, 468-2, 481-2 & 490-2 for my previous instalments

Justice League: War- 2014

Animation Style: Because Justice League: War follows the Flashpoint Paradox, a film where everything about the DC universe changed, the Animation style has been updated to match the DC New 52 designs. Overall it has a more realistic, detailed style that I am very fond of. That said, some of the actual character designs might not be everyone’s cup of tea as they deviate from the more traditional look.

Voice Acting: Much like the designs, the voice cast has all been changed for this new universe and 4 that are reoccurring in these New 52 DC movies are Jason O’Mera (From Agents of SHIELD, The Good Wife and Vegas as well as some other voice over projects) as a more gravelly voice Batman that I initially hated, but have grown to love over the course of the DC movies, Shermar More (SWAT and Criminal Minds) who initially sounds way to old as the high school football star Victor Stone, but works well as Cyborg, Christopher Gorham (2 Broke Girls, Once Upon a Time and Ugly Betty) grew on me as The Flash and the one and only Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, Rudy, Goonies) as Captain Marvel, but credited as Shazam. As far as I can tell the rest of the cast is pretty well one and done for voice overs in the DC movies. Green Lantern played by Justin Kirk (From Weeds and Modern Family) is a decent stand in for Nathan Fillion, Wonder Woman is played well by Kathryn Bigelow (Mission Impossible Franchise and a bunch of other movies). Lastly in odd voice decisions, the amazing Alan Tudyc (Literally everything that you like) takes a stab at an extremely normal sounding Superman.

Story: DC was not pulling any punches with Justice League: War and basically jumped right to what Marvel fans equate to Avengers Infinity War/Endgame; the only difference is that all these heroes just met. In fact, and I’m surprised that I just realized it, this movie is basically the live action Justice League movie with more heroes, a better story and is actually watchable. There is a lot going on in this story including introductions for all the heroes, with the added difficulty of a full origin story. I really enjoyed Batman and GL’s start and how they spent more time on Cyborg as a newer member. I also like that Shazam was featured as a new member of the Justice League as I don’t think he gets enough love. For a reason that is unknown to me, Superman is a dickish bully throughout, but softens throughout the movie. The overall story is fairly predictable throughout: the team comes together to defeat a super strong opponent, but has a tough time dealing with each other’s personalities. It’s a decent start to a fantastic series of DC movies that will carry over the next few years.

Pros: Jervis Tetch is a bit obsessed with the Alice in Wonderland stories and would probably like to be referred to as The Mad Hatter. It’s a very interesting DC character given that the Alice in Wonderland and the character of the Mad Hatter exist in both the universe of Batman and the real world. In a sense, it would be like if Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck made an appearance in an episode. Overall I feel that DC Collectables nailed his sculpt for Tetch with the super toothy grin, appropriate hat and overcoat. I also like the heart shaped axe, no doubt in homage to the Queen of Hearts.

Cons: Unfortunately his sculpt is the only good thing about this figure given that the articulation is pretty well useless. I mean, he has some movement in his arms, but due to the jacket pretty well every other joint is useless. I also don’t get what we are supposed to do with the card deck computer thing. And while we are on the topic of accessories I can’t figure out why DC Collectables would have advertised 15 pieces when there are only 11 if you count the figure and stand. I suppose if you break down the combined pieces of the stand it might equate to 15, but that is like saying the head is a piece if you just remove it. I have to wonder if there was more planned for this guy and it was scrapped due to budget.

[Team Jetfire]

497-2
Hasbro- Transformers Generations 30: Rattrap.




Oh boy do I ever love an updated Beast Wars Transformer which is funny as, for the most part, Beast Wars figures were pretty decent from the start. That said there is always room for improvement which is why I’m looking forward to the new War For Cybertron Primal figures. Sure I’ll probably still be opening old Beast style generations figures by the time they come out and won’t get sucked into the whole line, but still nice to have the option.

Pros: The original Rattrap is probably one the my most prised Beast Wars figures as I picked him up loose/complete well after his initial release and before eBay was the standard way to fill holes in a collection. Funny enough I would only see Rat Trap one more time, but this time Mint In Package, at the same place where I got the loose version: My local comic book store here in Calgary Phoenix Comics on 17th Ave SW. Anyways. I really like this new version and feel that Hasbro took a decent figure and really improved on the original. He has a great sculpt in both modes that resemble the source material really well, a fun transformation, good articulation in Robot mode and some really great accessories including a collapsible pistol and some binoculars that he can both hold on to and store in his forearm; I LOVE STUFF LIKE THIS!

Cons: Slight trade off with these beast figures that the Beast mode is typically less poseable. I would have loved if his Rat mode could have pulled off a few more of those poses that he was able to pull off in the cartoon.

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

498-2
Mattel- WWE Elite Collection: Mick Foley



I have complicated feelings about the WWE, accompanying toys and wrestling in general. Why is it complicated? Well, I was a rambunctious kid of the 80’s and like others my age love the larger than life wrestlers of the time: Hulk Hogan, Andrea the Giant, Jimmie Snookia and of course my favorite: The Ultimate Warrior. The obsession didn’t last long when it was clear that it was “fake” and I eventually moved on to other, less embarrassing, equally fake things like comic books, video games and Star Wars. Fast forward a few years to when I was 19 and was introduced to what was eventually known as the “Attitude era” of Professional Wrestling. The moves were big, the characters were bigger and the stories were as compelling as a Spanish soap opera; it was an amazing time to be a wrestling fan and had set what we know today as WWE wrestling. If you want to hear a great synopsis of the Attitude Era of wrestling then I highly suggest checking out “The History of the 90’s Podcast” available on Apple Podcasts: it’s a fantastic listen and really does a good job in summarizing the sport during that time. Now just to back up my bona fides as a true wrestling fan back in that time: we (my friends and I) religiously watched Raw is War and Smackdown every Monday and Thursday, We watched all high profile pay-per-views live (Hell in a Cell, Death of Owen Hart come to mind) and once outside, while drinking beers in a rented hot tub, created our own wrestling persona complete with backstory and finishing moves that we would perform on each other in bouncy castles and finally, I personally wrestled/got my ass beat on camera, Dianna Heart (Brett Hearts sister, late Davie-Boy Smith's Ex Wife) on a Calgary based, 30 min entertainment show. I even had some terrible “action figures'' called Maximum Sweat that were produced by Jakks Pacific (which I still wish I had). Anyways, shortly after that, wrestling changed and so did my life. The attitude era was toned down to appeal more to a younger audience and I had a kid on the way, so I no longer had the time to keep up with it all. Fast forward to now and Wrestling is as popular as ever on TV, but also in the toy isle and while there are mostly new wrestlers who I’m not aware of there are a few really appealing familiar ones including one of my all-time favorites Mick Foley. Sure, he’s not the great looking, or most in shape, or even a proficiently good wrestler, but he made a huge impact on me over the years as one of the most dedicated athletes / performers ever. I just hope that I can get a few more of my old school favorites from this line, but given that they are produced by Mattel, I don’t like my chances.

Pros: Overall Mick Foley is an okay figure and I’m happy that I have him in my collection. The sculpt has some nice details including parts of his more well-known wrestling looks including a Cactus Jack shirt and trademark finger guns.

Cons: When did Mattel become such a crappy toy company? I mean, were they ever really that good? Ugh, so frustrating. And while I’m not trying to crap all over a figure that I really do like, it is difficult to overlook some glaringly obvious issues. Firstly, the head sculpt and hair. Yes Foley has taken some hits over the years, but to my knowledge he has never looked that rough. I also hate that his hair looks more 80’s trailer park hair salon and less unkempt wrestler. It also prevents him from turning his head, which sucks as it's one of the relatively few articulation points that Mattel gave him. I’m not asking for Spider-Man level flexibility, but some type of ab movement and double jointed elbows should be table stakes for a $30 wrestling figure at this point. Also, he’s a wrestler… why does he not have any closed fists for punching?

[Team Jetfire]

499-2
Jazwares- Fortnite: Enforcer.





Another fantastic Jazwares Fortnite release and I feel we are on the cusp of the more “interesting” and “fun looking” releases in favor of the more badass looking figures. Now I’m looking forward to the crazy ones, but these ones are pretty great too… Apparently I love em all!

Pros: I know nothing about the character, but I really love the overall look of Enforcer. He really has a badass, yet cartoony sculpt, comes with a sniper rifle, various handhelds, a futuristic looking pickaxe, a riot shield backpack and the standard 3 different expression faces that work better then many of the others given his big eyes. I also have to give him, and Jazwares, big credit for sculpting sufficient articulation to actually aim and hold the sniper rifle. Amazingly done Jazwares!

Cons: The head articulation is severely limited due to the hood. I suppose it’s a trade off between form over function, but it's still a bit of a bummer on an otherwise great figure.

[Robimus]

Rattrap is one of my favorite chugs

[Team Jetfire]

Originally Posted by Robimus

Rattrap is one of my favorite chugs

It’s a really great figure. Gives me a lot of hope for the Kingdom figures. I’m so ready for a Beast Wars reboot.

[Team Jetfire]

500-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: Agent Everett Ross and Erik Killmonger.





I’ve heaped a lot of praise on The Blank Panther movie and with due reason as it still holds up as a fantastic action movie set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One of the things that really makes this movie worth watching is the supporting cast as they are all, in my opinion, really fantastic. In fact, that is one of the reasons why I was motivated to track down this 2 pack. Everett Ross was the perfect choice for “colonizer” outsider that was previously introduced in Civil War as he provides a connection to the established outside world, but it’s not a choice that is too on the nose in the Marvel Universe. Like it could have been someone like Agent Colson, but they decided to expand the characters out with someone new. It also doesn’t hurt that they cast Martin Freeman for the role, who I find to be very charming and fun to watch. Now on the other side of this equation is Killmonger, played by the amazing Michael B Jordan, who I feel is the life blood of this movie. Yes, the main cast is great, and Andy Circus is great as Claw, but Killmonger is easily one of my favorite villains in these MCU movies; it’s just too bad that the character was killed off.

Pros: Everett Ross: Agent Ross is another figure that has used the well-known and perhaps overused “suit” mould as worn by Tony Stark and other members of SHIELD. Overall, he has decent head sculpt to Freemans likeness, has sufficient articulation for a number of poses and a pistol.

Erik Killmonger: Likely a re-tooled repaint from an earlier Blank Panther wave (forthcoming in reviews) Killmonger looks amazing and I absolutely LOVE the unmasked head sculpt that has amazingly captured Michael B Jordan’s likeness. The 2 traditional weapons included are also a nice touch and allows for some really nice poses. I will also say that the detail on the gold panther suit is fantastic and really showcases the differences between Killmonger and T’Challa.

Cons: Everett Ross: I know the drill, it is standard practice for Hasbro to fill out the line with re-tools, but this suit mould is getting a little long in the tooth. Also, the ankle articulation continues to be an issue, and limits movement. Lastly, with only a revolver, he’s a bit light on accessories.

Erik Killmonger: If I wanted to be picky, I would say the closed fists that he has to hold on to the weapons are too loose and they just sit there.

[Team Jetfire]