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

[Team Jetfire]

Originally Posted by Eko123

I agree, it is a great figure. My only other Con would be that they got the hair color wrong (it should be brown instead of black).

I suppose so huh? Hal certainly doesn?t have jet black hair.

[Team Jetfire]

969-2
Bandai Namco- Gundam Universe: GAT-X105 Strike Gundam




There are a few certainties in my life. I know I’m going to have to work, I know that I’m always going to love my family, I know that I will always struggle with not eating doughnuts and I know that if there is a new Bandai Gundam Universe figure, REGARDLESS of what series it is from, I KNOW that I am going to buy it and add it to the collection. I literally cannot help it: I love them all THAT much. I wish the same could be said about the hours of the new Gundam series that is out there these days, but I rarely make time to watch Star Wars and Marvel projects now, why would Gundam be any different? That said, as is seeming tradition (or new tradition that I’m going to start with all new Gundam Reviews) I’ll watch the intro of the series and give my thoughts. This figure is part of the Mobile Suit Gundam SEED series that was released in 2003 and here is the opening:

https://youtu.be/a772kuDLGO8

Ok some thoughts:
Cool music that sounds very reminiscent of every Gundam theme song.
Animation style is very similar to Gundam Wing which was released a few years prior and I really love it.
Not a ton of time spent on the actual mech which is a bummer considering it is my favorite part.
I’m not sure what continuity SEED takes place, but if I was to guess I would say that this is a new timeline that features an updated storyline from the original series.
Overall it does not feature Strike as he is produced here so I’m not really certain that I want to watch further.

Pros: As with all the Gundam Universe figures, Strike is incredibly well detailed and looks amazing. I’m not sure if I have said this before, but the quality of these “toys” is amazing and Strike is no exception. Articulation is decent enough, but has some limitations from the various plastic sections hanging about. Also they have included a standard rifle, shield, a few spare fists and some blades presumably used for hand to hand combat.

Cons: I get that this could be part of how the suit is used in the series, but including two blades instead of a standard beam saber or other weapons feels like a bit of a letdown. Also, some on suit storage for these extra weapons would be nice.

[Team Jetfire]

Halloween-1
Hasbro- Star Wars Black Series: Wookiee (Halloween Edition)



Not going to lie, I?m a bit of a sucker for these ?Holiday Edition? figures that have seemed to make the rounds over the last few years. I?ve picked up a few of the Christmas ones in the past, but was pretty interested in the Halloween series given that they had a bit more potential to feature Halloween style costumes on the figures, rather than just painting a figure Green and Red (like the Christmas figures).

Anyway, as with those Christmas figure reviews I thought it would be fun to write about my fond Halloween memories, but when I sat down to write, I just couldn?t think of any. I mean, sure, I know that I had some great Halloween experiences as a kid and also had some fantastic ones when my kids were growing up, but I certainly did not have the same impact on me as Christmas did. I suppose this can be chalked up to Halloween being just another day in the week without the same reverence as Christmas, but I would argue that the build up and excitement, for a kid anyway, is almost the same, but for me it?s certainly not the same.
When I was little there always seemed to be a lot riding on what you were going to dress up as for Halloween, but the final product never really managed to meet the original expectation (probably because it was always so dang cold that I was wearing a jacket and snowpants, but that?s a familiar tail of Halloween night for us Canadians. Some of my favorite costumes included an Executioner (with a big plastic ax) and ?Goalie Mask guy? (with a machete), but that is really all I can remember.

I also recall the ?age? cut off being much lower back when I was a kid and would guess that my last year of trick-or-treating was when I was in Grade 6 and had final football games on Halloween day the years after. Then as an adult I went to a few parties (as you do) but my son was born when I was 22, so every Halloween thereafter became about him and his sister, so I never really was able to fully embrace the season in the same way as many people do now. Again, I still had a great time, but this could be why I do not have the same crazy reverence for the spooky season as others do.

Lastly, and I think I?ve mentioned this before, I don?t like scary movies which seems to be a BIG part of the reverence for Halloween. I understand why people like them and why some people think it is fun to be scared, but I saw ?The Exorcist? when I was probably far too young and decided that because I?ve already seen the best scary movie released, there is no point in watching any more of them. Hell, I?d rather watch any of the cartoon Halloween specials from back in the day (Peanuts and Garfield obviously) or even Disney?s House of Villains which is essentially an old Disney Channel movie made of old Disney Hallween cartoons.

So to wrap up, even though it doesn?t seem like it, I really do love Halloween, but clearly not in the same way as others seem to. I love that kids still dress up and go door-to-door trick-or-treating and I love that some people still go all out. I think it is important to have some fun in life and fully support anyone, child or adult, who wants to partake in the season, but for me it will always be the holiday that kicks off the best time of year.

Pros: Kudos to Hasbro for retooling the Wookiee mold into something a bit more unique and not just re-paining it like they do for the Christmas releases. And even though its head looks quite a bit larger than the others, I love the cat ears. Also I?m a big fan of all the accessories including a Bogling (little creature) and a Camtono (ice cream maker made famous from Willrow Hood, Empire Strikes Back, that now is used to transport valuables) and some raw beskar (mandalorian armor) wrapped up like chocolate. Very cool and such a fantastic re-purposing of accessories including the armor that was initially released with the ?comic version? of the Wookiee bounty hunter ?Krrsantan? that I certainly passed on. Oh, I should also mention that even though I hate the windowless boxes, I love how they wrapped the figure in Star Wars themed baggies.

Cons: Generally speaking, these ?holiday? versions have two drawbacks: 1. They are overpriced coming in at $45 and a full $10 MORE than standard release. 2. They are often simple re-paints of figures that one may have in their collection. Lucky for me, this figure was on sale from Amazon for a VERY reasonable $17 and I didn?t already have it in my collection, so no issues here. That said, the armor has a spot for a weapon and I kinda wish they included one.

[Team Jetfire]

970-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends Riders: The Punisher.






This might be a hot take, but I?ve never seen the appeal of The Punisher. I mean sure, he?s a REAL vigilante that actually enacts vengeance on the criminals in his life, but that is not how I like my ?hero?s? to act. I guess there may be more nuance to the character, but every time a friend who is a fan has tried to explain the appeal it just seems like some edgy ?cool? series because he is a badass with a gun that actually kills the bad guys. I suppose when you are 12 that may seem awesome, but it is also extremely problematic. Also there is the added ?ick? with how the military and policy organizations have co-opted his symbol seemingly without understanding the irony and problematic nature of emulating a vigilante who uses excess force to do his job. In any case I look forward to opening the more ?classic? looking Punisher figures to see how bad ass a gun loving, vigilante looks while also wearing white leather knee high boots.

Pros: My last ?rider? figure and boy did I save the best for last as this guy is AMAZING. I don?t even like the character, but this figure makes me want to read the comic, watch the various movies and TV shows and buy a black skull t-shirt just to show my new found love for it. Ok, I might be exaggerating a bit, but in all honesty this is a great set and a fantastic use of the idea. The sculpt is great, he fits on the bike really well and all the accessories really fit the character well. Also, I LOVE that they included two head sculpts while also including a wicked removable helmet (yes to helmets, no to alt head sculpts).

Cons: I got nothing. This is a great figure.

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

S-72
Hasbro- Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves- Golden Archive: Holga




I'm on a plane right now and could be watching the new D&D movie, but have decided to write instead. I'm not sure if that means I'm putting off watching a great movie to continue a labour of love, or that I'm purposely not taking time to watch something that I'm not particularly excited about. The more I think about it though, I think it is the former given that I also have the latest DC Animated movie, Antman Quantimania and Shazam 2 that I could be watching too, but feel like writing so that says something right? Anyways, I will watch the movie and will have my review eventually that you can look forward to... eventually.

Pros: I wanted to pick up one of these D&D movie figures as the sculpting/design looked really great in pictures and for the most part she exceeded my expectations. Solid looking figure through and through, decent amount of articulation and I love that they included an extendable battle-ax with a extra piece to hold it on her back,

Cons: Few things: 1. I'm not sure who the actor who plays Holga is, but the head sculpt looks like Jennine Garotholo. 2. Because of her hair sculpt she can't look up. 3. Her SINGLE jointed (come on Hasbro) were unbelievably loose. I was able to fix them with some crazy glue, but it was just really bad QC.

[Team Jetfire]

971-2
McFarlane Toys: Avatar: The Last Airbender: Katara



I knew I was going to be disappointed as soon as McFarlane made the announcement that they had the license to make toys based on ATLA and TLOK. Not because they are unable to make solid figures (quite the opposite) but rather because I knew they were NEVER going to finish what they started. And 3 (or so) years later and guess who doesn't have a goddamn Korra figure yet? Me! What needs to happen before figures of my favorite animated series are produced? I suppose the silver lining is that with all the new Avatar stuff coming there is a good chance that a bunch of new figures are on the horizon, but I don't want TLOK to be buried with all the new live action stuff.

Pros: Fun little figure with a decent sculpt, simple articulation and a neat little water accessory. For the money it's a win.

Cons: As with any ATLA figure: it's bad because it's not KORRA.

[Team Jetfire]

73-S
Hasbro- G.I. Joe Classified: Lt. Falcon





Ok, let's not bury the lead here. We need to discuss that head sculpt. In short, what the hell happened? I mean, whose job was it to sculpt that and why did it turn out so weird. Don’t get me wrong, I certainly understand that not every Joe is going to be traditionally handsome, but this is just a bad job. And made worse when Falcon of all characters is fairly well known among collectors given his involvement in a few high profile media projects and we know what he SHOULD more or less look like. I’m also not convinced that there wasn’t an issue with the mold that was not identified until it was too late and the execs at Hasbro just made the team run with it due to production timelines. Thankfully this seems to be an outlier as compared to the rest of the team and there are some workarounds with other Hasbro toy lines, but I’ve decided to embrace what Lt Falcon's momma gave him and just deal with it.

Pros: From the neck down and the forehead up Lt. Falcon is a fantastic figure. The body sculpt is solid and the articulation is well suited for posing. The accessories work well for the character and I appreciate that his beret is removable and that there is storage for his blade. Lastly, I like that they included his handkerchief as it is a bit like a trademark for him.

Cons: The head sculpt (duh) is bad. Also I feel it should be standard that a handgun with a working holster should be included with every Joe figure, especially considering the price and not having a BAF piece. Lastly, I assume the shotgun is the same one that comes with Flint, but seeing as they are both in similar roles, similar weapons would be a given.

[Team Jetfire]

74-S
Mattel- Jurassic Park Hammond Collection: Velociraptor.





Ready for an adventure as to how I acquired this little beauty? Ok, buckle up as it has a bit of everything: Adventure, terror, espionage and even a little humor to cap it off. It starts as many of my memorable toy adventures do; on vacation. My wife, who is a flight attendant for a Canadian Airline, was working a flight to the Hawaiian island of Oahu and seeing as my Daughter was/is there for school I took that opportunity to join her, take advantage of a free hotel room and have a visit. Now, I don’t know about you, but my M.O. while on vacation is to get up early (I’m a natural early riser as compared to my family) and do some exploring (toy hunting) while everyone is sleeping. Thankfully our daughter joined us in the hotel room (apparently the hotel shower alone is worth it) and she has a moped scooter that she uses to travel around the island; a moped scooter that I could “borrow” to explore. I had a fairly robust plan for the morning that included stopping at a few “Ross Dress for Less” locations, Target, Costco and wrapping it up with a visit to Leonard’s bakery to pick up some world famous malasada (Portuguese Doughnuts) for breakfast.

Now unbeknownst to me at the time, this trip also aligned with a fairly major health event in my life that has still not been properly diagnosed and would soon come into play while I was on my little adventure. Not to bury the lead, it seems as though I may have developed Crohn’s disease which decided to make itself present while I was just about to enter the first Ross Dress for Less on the itinerary. Now for those who don’t know Crohn’s is a condition that affects the lining of one's intestine and makes it difficult to process foods with the result being what I can only describe as “surprise explosive diarrhea”. I should also mention that Honolulu, especially downtown Honolulu, home to one Ross Dress for Less’ has a bit of a unhoused problem and as such needed to take steps to ensure their property (bathrooms) is secured from such people, but in doing so have made it very difficult for others with a rather explosive need and I had a NEED. I locked up the moped/scooter, shuffled into the Ross Dress for Less and politely asked for a public bathroom. Nope. I scuttled over to the 2 neighboring big box stores to the same response: Nope and nope, but the guy at the Staples must have seen my panic and suggested I head over to the Dole Cannery building for a public restroom. This new information sparked a lot of questions, questions that I was not really able to process at the moment. Dole Cannery? Like Dole Pineapple? Why did they have a public toilet? Would I need to book a tour? Can I even make it? Not having much choice I gingerly ‘hotfooted’ it down the street and just as it started to pour rain, I was able to locate my destination, or rather found my actual location after I tried to make my way through the offices of the Regal Dole Cannery company. Turns out THAT building is closed to the public, but the Dole Cannery building across the street was turned into a very basic mall, with a food court and you guessed it: a bathroom.

I was very relieved when I saw it given that my time was running thin, but my terror was reignited when I saw that the Dole Cannery had turned its back on the needy members of the public and put a combo lock on the door. Now I could have given up at that moment and did what the other “undesirables” likely do in that situation, but I really did not want to end up on a security camera so I had to get clever. Surely there was a way to make this work. The food court was empty, given that it was the weekend, but there was a fitness gym that had a steady amount of people going in and out and figured that it was only a matter of time before I could catch the door open/close. Turns out, luck was finally on my side given that a gym member was heading to the door and when I saw him entering the code, I made my move. Unfortunately my luck was short lived given that he had the wrong code and could not gain access either. Turning back, he saw me right behind him and he asked


“Do you know what the code is?”


I had to think fast given that if I hesitated or said I didn’t know he would now I was an outsider and not authorized to use the facilities. “Uh, what code did you use?” I asked.


He said “ 5189”


“Oh strange, I think that’s the right one. Here, let me try” I suggested.


He moved aside to let me give it a go and after a few more failed attempts I suggested to head back to the gym and get the right one, which was interrupted by another guy coming out of the bathroom that gladly let us, two totally normal guys who were allowed to be there, to the bathroom… FINALLY.

Once I was done, I walked back over to the Ross Dress for Less, in the rain, and made my way over to the toy section were I spied this little fella just hanging out on the shelf which is funny because it was only the last time I was in the states (Florida) that I stupidly passed on a Hammond Collection Raptor in Target that was never seen in the wild again until this moment, so clearly it was meant to be.

And just when I thought this transaction could not get more memorable, the cashier and middle aged women, looks at the toy and says. “Oohhh a VEE-LO-chopper, those things are scary”

Anyways, it was at this time that my wife had woken up and my adventures were cut short so I be-lined it to Leonard’s (in the rain) waited in line (in the rain) and made it back with some soggy sweet treats just in time for the sun to come out and for another much needed bathroom break.

Pros: Ever since I started picking up these Mattel Jurassic Park figures, I’ve wanted to round out the crew with some actual dinosaurs but felt the Amber Collection was just too big for my shelves, so these smaller Hammond Collection work a lot better. The sculpt is nice, the articulation is decent for what it needs to be and the price was right.

Cons: Now I don’t have an Amber Collection to compare, but I feel like the detail and articulation would be modified in-kind for these smaller ones. And it’s not that I’m complaining, but it would be nice to have just a bit more ability to pose.

[JonoPrime]

Love the toy hunting stories! Always fun to read your posts with my morning coffee. Great pictures too