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

[Team Jetfire]

729-2
NECA- Back to the Future: Doctor Emmet Brown.





Ok, picking up where I left off when I willingly, yet inadvertently, wore clothing with some white nationalist symbols. You can find more to this story on the NECA Marty review # 597-2 and the Biff Review #662-2

If you are following along, you know that I: 1. Always wear hats. 2. Didn?t want to be an advertisement for a random athletic brand that I didn?t care about, and 3. Wanted to make my own design for a hat. It should be mentioned that despite my desire to not be a billboard, I have NO issue wearing pop culture t-shirts and clothes of the things I like. It started with a simple Batman shirt all those years ago, morphed into Band shirts, Star Wars tees and a host of stuff that you can find on the various online shirt sites. Truth is, and I think it?s a reasonable practice, if I like something I?ll show it off in my own way.

This led me to a brilliant idea to make my own design for a hat and have it made at the hat retailer Lids that I procured all my blank hats from. My initial plan was to have them stitch a simple Autobot symbol on the front, but they have a fairly strict copyright infringement policy. I then thought I could bypass with an 8-bit Transformer Jetfire design that wasn?t completely accurate, but their machine was not robust enough for that level of design and it would have just ended up looking like a white, black and red mess. Finally, with the help of my brother, I pitched a design that would show my love for Back to the Future, fly under the copyright radar and still be simple enough to look decent on the hat. Basically the primary design was that of the very iconic Flux Capacitor, but I wanted to add something more to act as an inside joke to other Back to the Future fans. More on that at the next review.

Pros: When NECA hits, they REALLY hit and Doc is a HIT. Outstanding sculpt throughout, two amazing head sculpts (the surprised one being a collection favorite) a good amount of usable articulation with hardly any hindrances and some nice accessories included Goggles, Hands, a monkey wrench, house blueprints and the idea for the Flux Capacitor.

Cons: While I love the attention to detail of the blue prints and the Flux Capacitor sheet, Paper ?accessories? just never really cut it for me.

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

730-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: Juggernaut



As is tradition on BAF figures it’s time to have a quick look back on the wave that included all the pieces.

1. Wolverine- Love the brown suit version of Wolverine and think it's underutilized. Overall a great figure that I’m happy to have on the shelf.
2. Kitty Pryde- Great figure with a really nice head sculpt on the generic female body. Awesome addition of her little dragon pale, who I’ll call Figment as a node to a well known purple dragon found at EPCOT. I wish they gave her some “wall phase” effects though.
3. Iceman- Overall Iceman looks cool, but feels really cheap. The translucent plastic is tricky, but should not come at the cost of the figure.
4. Havok- Feels like a cheap repaint with little extra to set it apart. Plus I’m starting to not like those energy effects.
5. Rouge- Fantastic figure and contender for figure of the wave. Great detail on the jacket and gorgeous head sculpt.
6. Phoenix- Yawn.
7. Cable- Really great looking figure with an up to date sculpt and lots of accessories.
8. Deadpool- So far the best version of this figure that I own and possibly the best Marvel Legend to date. Sorry Rouge and Cable, Deadpool takes this wave.

Pros: Juggernaut is really what a BAF should be: Detailed, Articulated and HUGE. I don’t even mind that I have had to buy a whole other character for the extra part. Juggernaut is easily up there with the Hulkbuster as one of my fav BAFs.

Cons: I mean, I have zero complaints about this figure outside of the fact that Hasbro did such a poor job on the Phoenix figure that I needed to complete the set.

[Team Jetfire]

731-2
Mattel- Masters of the Universe Revelations: Skeletor



**deep breath**

I feel bad for Kevin Smith. It seems weird that I have to say it given that he?s made a huge impact on independent filmmaking, normalized geek culture and has provided thousands of people with hours of free entertainment in the form of daily podcasts, but I still feel bad for him. And while I understand that he?s not everyone?s cup of tea, you have to respect the hustle and earnestness in which he operates. I suppose the jury is out on if Mattel?s partnership counts as a win, but from this vantage it looks like a brilliant move given that he seems to be taking the brunt of a very vocal minority of people unhappy with the direction Revelations took, while the executives, toy makers and writers wade off in the background. Yes Smith was the showrunner, but his voice is only one in a hundred with everyone having their own perspectives. You think he?s said a bad word on these to deflect his own haters? Not at all. He?s still there, carrying the MOTU torch, pushing it forward for a group of ungrateful ?fans?, just to be called a hack by a set of man babies because he?s not doing it right.

Now this is not to say there are not legitimate criticisms of the cartoon, but if your criticism starts with ?woke? then I know you are unable to have a rational discussion given that you only wanted the show you remember from the 80?s; which honestly sucked balls.

Pros: I was really looking forward to these new 6? Revelation MOTU figures and for the most part I think Skeletor delivers. Sure there are some small issues, but that is really no different from any new toyline release. I actually really love his sculpt and feel that it?s a solid upgrade to the original 80?s series, the articulation scheme is robust and allows for a number of decent poses and I appreciate the extra hands / staff accessories. A big win in my book is the soft good cape that doesn?t impede any poses.

Cons: For all good there is evil, and that works in the action figure world too. My version has a very loose calf joint that spins freely in place; it?s a simple fix, but annoying nevertheless. Also his hip joint is odd. Hard to explain, but basically the ball joints that hold the leg in place are sticky and don?t allow for easy movement. Couple that with a rubbery T joint holding the ball joints in place, it causes the legs to feel spring loaded. The joints can be worked into place, but it?s still really frustrating. Hopefully the others don?t have this issue.

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

732-2
Hasbro- GI Joe Sigma Six: Razor Ninja Storm Shadow



You know what?s crazy? 29-some Classified figures and not one is a classic style Storm Shadow. We?ve had an artic mission version based on a late stage ARAH mold and the figure from the movie, but that?s it. Sigma was full of em, almost to the point where I would have preferred something else. I really wonder what Hasbro is thinking with this line in general. The poor distribution I get, but even after all the guff they have received from fans about the odd character choices and stupid exclusives they still can?t get a very key member of Cobra made; talk about leaving money on the table.

Pros: Like the recent flying Snake Eyes that I reviewed, Storm Shadow has the advanced double jointed elbows and knees that make this figure really fun to pose. Accessory wise he?s lighter than other releases, but probably has a lot to do with the flight suit backpack that quite frankly does not suit the character at all.

Cons: I need to remember that ultimately these are kid?s toys, but I can't help but get annoyed with the gimmicky stuff. I mean, the flight suit backpack is constructed well, but I think it?s wasted on yet another version of Storm Shadow. Why not give it to some AIR Viper?

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

733-2
DC Collectables- DC Essentials: Reverse Flash Professor Zoom



Well here it is folks, my last of the short-lived DC Essentials line and not a moment too soon. I recognize that there were some other factors to DC Collectables' shutdown and I still think it is a gigantic bummer that we don?t have the same source for high end DC collectables, but lest face it: it had not been producing good stuff for a while. They started really strong with both the Animated and Icons line and even produced some of my favorite figures in the DC Bombshells line, but my last few figures have had simplistic sculpts and limited accessories that make the Hasbro Marvel Legends series look generous by proxy. It?s sad to see them go and I very much appreciate the memories, but I think it's really for the best; time to put this line to bed.

Pros: It?s the Flash, but in reverse! No really, that?s not a joke; I think outside of a different head sculpt and a different hand, it's basically a yellow flash. Talk about being lazy. That said, on a stand-alone basis he does have a decent sculpt and an impressive amount of articulation.

Cons: These Essential figures just never felt right and I?m not sure why. It?s not really a fair assessment as feeling is more of a personal thing, but it?s quantifiable that having no additional accessories really sucks. Also, being a straight up repaint of a figure that proceeded it is really frustrating given that the character of Professor Zoom is not just a yellow Flash.

[Team Jetfire]

734-2
Hasbro- Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Bulkhead



Not going to lie, I’m getting a bit bored with some of these basic Prime figures, but seeing as I’m such a huge Bulkhead fan, I figured this one wouldn’t be so bad. I guess I still don’t understand why Hasbro released the same 6 characters in all the size classes. I suppose its fun for people of all socio-economic backgrounds, but remember that without the original mini-figures we would have never received Bumblebee and Cliffjumper. It’s perfectly reasonable to have original characters as minifigures and they will be just as cool as the big ones.

Pros: Bulkhead packs a big punch for such a small figure: great in both modes, a fun and not too simple transformation, good poseability and a nice little axe/blaster accessory. Lastly, I have to commend Hasbro on giving him a swivel for his little head.

Cons: What you see is really what you get. For the price I have nothing to complain about.












[img]https://i.imgur.com/KIbfviql

[Team Jetfire]