Alpha Flight

Alpha Flight

Hasbro Marvel Legends

Hasbro keeps piling on the Marvel Legends!  Not much else to say about that, or the basics of the figures for that matter.  Their articulation scheme set the standard for 6-inch figures, no different here with Alpha Flight.  Sasquatch (waaay back in the initial Deadpool wave) had a long wait to be joined by Guardian (recent Wendigo/X-Men wave), and then a few months more for the rest of the team.  Instead of one big retail wave, Hasbro delivers the goods in an Amazon exclusive 6-pack.  And who better to show off a good 6-pack than Bob and Doug McKenzie?

Bob:  Good day, eh!  Welcome to Canadian Corn...er...the Great White North.

Doug:  Today's topic is, like, great Canadian superheroes.

Guardian is joined by Vindicator in matching outfit, with the same pearlescent white.  I would have preferred a flat white, but maybe the shine was to add something to the power of their suits?  Not bad, but a bit bland...though most team leaders are!

Puck is a retool of a build-a-figure that got lost in distribution.  I think he came out when the economy was in the crapper...talk about downsizing!  He was joined by Hit Monkey and Rocket Raccoon in the disappointingly small BAF years.  Man, remember when a figure of this size would have been a bonus pack-in with a standard 6-in?  Anyway, I'm glad to have a re-release, one with an improved headsculpt at that.

Northstar and Aurora have great, pointy-eared headsculpts.   Beyond that, nothing new here.  More of that pearlescent white?  Would it have killed them to have thrown in some power effects to help them stand out a bit more?  Sub in the Wonder Twins, hosers!

Shaman could have also used some power effects to show off his magic.  His choice of colors at least make him stand out among his teammates.

Snowbird has the flat white I'm talking about!  Considering her name, they would have really botched it with any other deco.  Really makes the blue and blonde pop.  She didn't come with any alt. animal forms, sadly...lucky I have a few laying around from the Toy Biz 5-inch days!  I also have a blueish-white Sasquatch variant for her. (Sorry, forgot to grab that for the photoshoot.)

My newer Sasquatch is missing his head, (I wasn't buying another Deadpool variant) but the Toy Biz era was a decent transplant.  Other than that, the gang's all here!  "Wait a minute, bub!"

"How can you have a show about the greatest Canadian superheroes and not invite the cream of the crop?"

"I'm the best at what I do, and what I do ain't..."

"Oh, hey, we gotta go!"

"That's our show for today...so, good day."

Yavin Luke Skywalker

Yavin Luke Skywalker

Hasbro - Star Wars Vintage Collection

It’s that special time of year again, lil Wookies.  Put on your red robes, grab your glowing orbs, and head on over to the Tree of Life to celebrate the one true Star Wars Day.  Yes, November 17th is the 41st anniversary of Life Day and the Star Wars Holiday Special!  I’ve got all my Wookiee action figures out to celebrate along with my customs of Chewbacca’s family.  This year, they’re joined by a special guest, Yavin Ceremony Luke Skywalker!

I picked up this "Rebels" Y-Wing Scout Bomber at Burlington Coat Factory for $7.

I’ve always loved Luke’s yellow jacket.  I imagine that kids around for Star Wars in 1977 dreamed up so many adventures for Luke with that look...but were stuck with the farm boy attire for 3 long years!  The jacket never made it to the original Kenner line.  Next to the lack of Grand Moff Tarkin, what a great travesty!  It wasn’t until Hasbro’s Power of the Force 2 series in the late 90’s that we got a Yellow Jacket Luke. (And Tarkin, thank goodness!)  And it wasn’t all that bad looking for the time.

This update is still a welcome one.  The face scan is near perfection, and he sports just the right amount of modern articulation.  He comes with a removable blaster (seen in a lot of promotional stills), Medal of Honor,  and a lightsaber hit that plugs into his hip.  Really, the lack of a fully ignited lightsaber is the only failing of this figure...but I’m sure I’ve got one or thirty to spare from the many other Lukes over the years!

The elusive Jurassic World Brachiosaurus...exclusive to Target.  *grumble grumble*

The sole yellow jacket adventure (no, comics don't count) is featured in the animated segment of the Holiday Special.  As if the debut of Boba Fett wasn’t enough!  Some losers out there believe this is the only watchable part of the show...but they probably suck Rian Johnson’s alien teats.  Who would have thought that forty plus years later, someone would make a more miserable Star Wars viewing experience?

I personally love the Holiday special.  Sure, the 70’s variety format was wildly inappropriate for Star Wars, but looking at it in the context of the time, it’s better than most programs of the same ilk.  Having this back right up seasonally to the Paul Lynde Halloween Special is pure bliss.  I challenge all Star Wars fans to concentrate all their Midichlorians in growing a sense of humor about their fandom, embrace the Lumpy, and give it another shot.  In the immortal words of Bea Arthur’s Ackmena the Bartender, “Come back soon...I’ll be waiting.”

The Holiday Special IS Chewbacca's medal.

The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants

The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants

Hasbro - Marvel Legends

Hasbro has been slowly chipping away at my Toy Biz Marvel Legends rosters for years now...too slowly in some cases.  Like the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.  I lacked a decent classic Magneto and Mystique for too long.  And Toad?  Sure he's a D-lister, but his last figure was way back at the dawn of the 6-inch Toy Biz effort.

And that effort kinda sucks.  He lacked the "modern" articulation that other figures in that first wave had, and the damn toad is glued to his hand!  Still, the sculpt isn't all that bad, and his costume is classic enough... but he's still a sore spot on the roster for some.  He became quite expensive and elusive after his release, but I recently picked one up in-package for $30 at a local comic convention.  I told the vendor, "Look, Hasbro is gonna remake him soon, right?  Then no one is gonna want him."  True, but who knows when that is gonna be.  I wanted him now, so I ponied up the money.  No regrets.

At least the swamp base is nice!

The female sculpts were pretty terrible in the Toy Biz days, and their Mystique was no exception.  This upgrade was a no-brainer for me.  Especially considering she comes with an alternate, Rogue-transformation head and a Lilandra head for disguise or a full blown custom, using the Legends Silver Sable body.  I think she looks a bit like Nicole Kidman in her prime.

Hasbro's previous Scarlet Witch made us forget about gangly, teen SW from Toy Biz.  But then they went and outdid themselves for this "family" box set with Magneto and Quicksilver.  This has to be one of their best headsculpts ever (somewhere between model Kathy Ireland and Catherine Mary Stewart from Night of the Comet/Last Starfighter).  I like the shiny pink undertights better than the exposed skin, and she comes with some new power effects.

Quicksilver was also an easy call.  Hasbro's first attempt was just plain awful.  He's not one of my favorite characters (especially in the MCU...please stay dead forever), but the figure is decent and he can join the baddies, as brief as his tenure with them was.

Magneto takes the gold here.  The Toy Biz figure used an ill-fitting Iron Man body as it's base, and I missed Hasbro's first classic attempt due to poor distribution.  This one is the end all, be all.  He comes with an alternate, standard head, but I'm probably gonna keep this pupil-less, Jim Lee snarl for all time.  The helmet-less jheri curl head from his modern costume release fits for that Animated Series look...but I still prefer the Toy Biz Classics head, modded to fit.

I also upgraded Juggernaut...well, sort of.  This one isn't a huge departure from the last one, but he is in more classic colors and comes with a battle-damaged look.  I also like the no-pupils look for him.  He came in a two-pack with a classic Colossus (another welcome improvement.)

 

So, along with Toad, Hasbro still has Pyro, Avalance, and classic Sabertooth to tackle.  I don't mind the TB Pyro, but Avalanche is a bit off.  TB Sabertooth is gonna be hard to beat...it was definitely one of their best sculpts and one of the few to stand the test of time.  Though others may disagree, I don't need a replacement Blob.  He was a fantastic build-a-figure from Hasbro's early, dark days and I think he looks great.  I am good to call this classic line-up complete for now.  With the arrival of a new Jean Grey, I look forward to having a complete X-Men team to wage battle with them.

Laurie Strode, Teen Wolf, and Lock, Shock, and Barrel

Laurie Strode, Teen Wolf, Gengar, and Lock, Shock, and Barrel

NECA, Funko, Wicked Cool Toys, Diamond Select Toys

I'm a week overdue in showing off this year's Halloween display.  I kept the firehouse, Samhain, and the Spectral Busters up in honor of the Ghostbusters' return to Universal Studios.  Joining them are returning baddies:  Freddy, Jason, Michael, Pennywise, Chucky (all sporting gruesome, deformed looks this time), Audrey II, Black Phillip, and Beetlejuice.  I added a couple of newcomers/new pick-ups to the fun:  Lock, Shock and Barrel, Gengar, and Teen Wolf.

While a big fan of Nightmare Before Christmas when it came about, I have to admit that I have cooled on it as a result of the Hot Topic generation marketing it to hell and back.  These were mostly an impulse buy whilst perusing the Halloween section at Walgreens.  Diamond Select has done a great job with this property in sculpts, accessories, and character offerings.  Even if not collecting the whole line, the three trick-or-treaters would look good in any Halloween display.  Just look at Barrel with his new pal, Michael!  I would rather have the Silver Shamrock kids, but NECA just had to cheap out on us with the retro, 8-inch clothed garbage there.

They sport removable masks and display stands.  The WG releases have less accessories than the comic shop releases, but are cheaper by about $10.  This set of three was $15.

One caution here:  even with her stand, Shock is top heavy and prone to diving off the shelf.  

Gengar is one of the new, deluxe Pokemon from Wicked Cool Toys.  Press down on his head for some wicked tongue action!  

Teen Wolf is 80s megacheese, but as far as adding something different to the Wolfman mythos, I dig it.  And, yes, I bought another Funko Pop...grumble...

On the opposite side of the living room, I put up a balance to all the mischief.  Ash and the Munsters are keeping the evil dead in check with new addition, Laurie Strode.  

She's one of NECA's "ultimate" editions, but everything here is pretty standard.  Don't get me wrong, she looks great and is packing enough heat...but she's lacking a little something extra to push her over the edge.  It doesn't help that the second head included is the exact same as the other.  One has glasses, the other doesn't...but the glasses are removable in either case!  Why not some mud, blood or other battle damage?!

Anyway...Happy Halloween!  

Past Halloween reviews:

Michael Myers, Freddy Kruger, Chucky

Pennywise, Jason

Black Phillip