Rustin's Spoils of the Week #29

SDCC haul? Yes please!

Now, this is about a third of the non-exclusive haul. The second third will be up next week while the third... third got to stay in California in my parents' attic.

DST - Marvel Select: Gambit
In general I've stayed clear of the Marvel Select figures. The few I have are for very specific reasons beyond the actual figures. However, from the moment I saw this phenomenal Jean St. Jean sculpt I was hooked. This is "my" Gambit, i.e. the signature version from my youth and introduction to the X-Men so that significantly helped. The color palette doesn't quite match up - the cowl portion on the chest should be blue, which i think would look much better, but based on the actual art it looks like one of those "did the Joker wear Black or Purple" arguments over shadowing. Regardless, unlike a lot of the previous non-giant figures JsJ brings a realistic sense of proportion to Gambit's body but the real star here is the face. Heads and faces can real deal breakers or makers and somehow, someway Jean just captures everything (sans smirk) that this character was for me. If only the paint was better, the lines just aren't great on the cowl. On top of that he comes with the same flimsy base as the recent Cyclops figures, but more importantly a ton of accessories! Four alternate hands (all for the right hand, two are identical), three card/energy options and his staff. Sadly, he doesn't have an alternate hand for the left side that can hold the staff any better since that hand is open a little too wide for it. An awesome, awesome figure and probably the start of me collecting Marvel Select more regularly.

Hasbro - Star Wars Comics Two-Packs: Darth Nihl & Delilah Blue
I'm not really into the Legacy comic but I can't help being obsessed with the red armor Imperial Jedis or Adam Hughes' astounding covers. Thus, a result is a big addiction to these figures. This set delivers a signature Sith and rather major but perhaps my least desired character. These are great figures considering all that the Star Wars line is. I'm very pleased that Entertainment Earth picked up these sets rather than let the Comic Pack line die, but based on the rest of the series it was obviously on its last legs.

Hasbro - Star Wars Comics Two-Packs: Jarael & Rohlan Dyre
I got this set mainly because it was cheap, I didn't have to pay shipping and "fake Boba Fett" looks pretty darn cool, and when it comes to the comic packs, that's all that matters. I read the issue included with the set and still don't know a damn thing about these characters, and fortunately I don't care to. All that matters is that they are pretty good figures of pretty interesting designs. If only they had balljointed ankles...

Kaiyodo - Sci-Fi Revoltech: Aliens Warrior
Found this for only $30, so despite being let down by the Revoltech figure from the first Alien film I couldn't pass it up. It looks much better in photos and package because it is cast in translucent brown plastic which unlike the first Alien looks pretty bad with this guy under his metallic blue paint highlights. Still though, its not a bad toy - it even solves a big problem on that first Alien by adding articulation at the spinal "prong" allowing for better head poseability. He comes with a nice base and a closed egg, plus alternate hands and forearms which are sans "fins."

Mattel - Avatar: Netiri
The hardest figure to get once the toys hit discount and I decided to buy in is now mine! Just a reminder of how mediocre those toys are. They just don't stand too well, but with some balance work or the base you can get it to work. She has some dots on her which are glow-in-the-dark a la the film, yet they are so little they don't really hold any sustainable glow power.

Mattel - Batman Legacy: Joker
Most wanted Joker variant, least exciting execution. Almost each piece is a subtle but noticeably different shade of purple. Also, thanks to crappy neck joints this guy is forced to always be looking down rather than straight out. I am a little pleased by the inclusion of the cards and mallet. The cards will be donated to my Heath Ledger Joker while the Super Powers mallet fits better in feel with this figure.

Mattel - Batman Legacy Two-Packs: Arkham City Batman & Two-Face
Why are these so big...? I don't really have a big problem with the varied common scales, but what does piss me off is when they set a scale and the vary subsets minimally - such as Movie Masters being 6", DCUC being 6.25" and videogames being 6.75". It just... seems cheap to me. At any rate these figures rock in terms of sculpt and disappoint in terms of articulation. Two-Face gets swivel joints rather than balljoints and nothing on Batman has the range of even DCUC figures.

Mattel - Batman Two-Packs: Batman Begins Batman & Jim Gordon
So... the Arkham City set gets two 100% new sculpts and this one gets one straight re-release and one partial reuse? Great. Thanks. All that matters is that we have a figure of Gary Oldman (aka my favorite actor of all time) as Jim Gordon. Just as amazing - he comes with a gun!!! Despite many of the Movie Masters figures being characters who need fire arms, it take Gordon to actually get one. And... it's oversized? Man, these two-packs are so bizarre. From the neck-down its a pretty good Oldman-Gordon figure, from the neck up... well I appreciate what they tried. The old Trendmasters Lost in Space figures look more like him than this.

Mattel - DCUC: Indigo Lantern Atom
Yep, its a good figure. I still haven't opened my DCD Lantern Deputy figures so I can't do a direct comparison, but come on... it's DCUC. You know what to expect. And frankly you know if you're gettin' this or not regardless of my opinions.


Mattel - DCUC: Star Sapphire Wonder Woman
While I don't agree with this series on a conceptual level I'm not too disappointed with having two different sets of these characters - one can be a Deputy display and one will get organized into the rest of their Corps. Wonder Woman turned out better than I expected and is better than the Carol Ferris figure. Plus I really like the more comic-accurate violet lantern she comes with.

Mattel - Green Lantern: Sinestro
Potentially the last of the Movie Masters figures I'll buy after seeing that horrendous Parallax BAF. This is a toy of the best thing about that terrible movie - Mark Strong as Sinestro, my favorite comic villain. And keep in mind that best does not equal great, or even good, just better than the rest. Sadly the figure doesn't match up, suffering the same pointless articulation as every other figure. Never have I seen so much do so little. Plus, he also is the first to come with something other than the exact same piece of Parallax. Oh, and a green base just like Tomar Re.

Mattel - Green Lantern Classics: Kyle Rayner
Being the only major character in the Green Lantern Classics lines he's been impossible to find, but now $30 later he is mine! And at last, Arkillo can stand! The gauntlet/sword construct is really cool but I have no real use for it as I display in teams, not in battles. It's really annoying that he lacks all the double-joints shown on the prototype, too. Still, a pretty solid figure of a necessary character.

Shocker Toys - Indie Comics Spotlight: The Tick
Shocker Toys, Shocker Toys... what I'd give to have been at their SDCC panel this year. It's really frustrating that they're so rough with the business side of stuff because their figures are really good (well, all I have is Maxx and both Ticks so far). The articulation on this guy is really inventive, simple and works really well. The paint on the face isn't the best and he could use some pegholes on his feet, but he still stands just fine. The alternate hands are the same sculpts just with a hole drilled through so he can hold the stop sign. I wish the left hand was down in a flat, salute-y pose to allow for much more posing variation but what are going to do. For all intents and purposes this is the definitive Tick figure! Now, if only they could get the rest of their stuff out...

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16 Responses to Rustin's Spoils of the Week #29

  1. Zach says:

    will the batman 2 packs be getting reviewed?

  2. Cloud says:

    Green Lantern wasn't a terrible movie at all. The pacing was slow but that doesn't make it bad. Ironman2 on the other hand....... just horrible.

    • KennyKillek says:

      Really? I didn't like Iron Man 2 much either but Green Lantern was just terrible. It was a mess. The pacing WAS slow but it also had the problems of trying to introduce too many concepts and in the process it didn't really drive home any. Try asking anyone who didn't read the comics which member of the Lantern Corps they thought was supposed to be evil. Most of them have no idea. Also, they really ruined the entire dynamic between Hal Jordan and Parallax. They're supposed to be two sides of the same coin, but they really screwed that up. I just think the movie made a mockery of the comic book and is a bad movie on top of that.

      • Friginator says:

        Do you read the current comic series? Because the movie followed that take on the mythos pretty well. Part of the problem is that the fanbase seems so divided on what Green Lantern should be like. I agree it was a mediocre mess, but I get the impression that much like the Daredevil movie, people will look back on it years from now and think "It's not great, but it wasn't as bad as it seemed at the time."

        • Rustin Parr says:

          The modern comics have Hal and Sinestro first teaming up to find/stop Atrocitus, who killed Abin Sur. I didn't see any of that in the film. Instead the Guardians made the Yellow/Fear Power Ring... Oh, Spoiler alert.

          • Friginator says:

            "Instead"? Those aren't parallels.

            The comics have Sinestro training Hal Jordan and fighting Atrocitus, who was involved in Abin Sur's death and is corrupting people on earth.

            The movie has Sinestro training Hal Jordan who fights Parallax, who was involved in Abin Sur's death and is corrupting people on earth.

            You don't see similarities there?

    • yo go re says:

      "Iron Man 2" was horrible? Teach us, stranger, the secret of posting from an alternate dimension where hot is cold and hamburgers eat people!

      • Friginator says:

        I second this motion! On what earth is Iron Man 2 not one of the most fun and exciting superhero films to date?

      • PrfktTear says:

        I third this motion. While I didn't think Iron Man 2 was quite as good as the first, I thought it was a pretty worthy successor. Plus I think Mickey Rourke's Whiplash was a better on-screen as a villain, better than Jeff Bridges!

  3. Oh good, I'm not the only one who overpaid for Kyle. I dropped $27 for mine. I was loathe to admit it here for fear of ridicule.

  4. Thunderknight says:

    I aw Kyle at Wal-Mart for $9.00 last week when they were doing toy resets. Geez...I should have picked him up!

    • PrfktTear says:

      I picked up Nite-Lik for nine bucks... I never really planned to get him, but for that price it was an impulse buy.

      Kinda pisses me off that they all sell for $15-$20 now regularly.

  5. PrfktTear says:

    I've been contemplating picking up that Begins Batman & Jim Gordon 2-pack. The likeness of Christian Bale is spot on, and although they really failed to capture Oldman's likeness, I'm actually okay with that. Still, not sure how badly I want it though. Oldman is obviously the prize, but not being in scale with DCUC kinda hurts if you ask me.

    That Gambit looks superb! I've always loved that character, even though I don't collect X-Men that is still very tempting!

  6. Rustin Parr says:

    Zach - probably, time/enthusiasm willing. I gotta swing through 20ish SDCC exclusives first

    Tear - Gambit is worth the $20. Only problem i've noticed is that the ankle joints aren't the tightest so he will fall, but some decent posing help alleviates. The sculpt and accesories are just too cool.

  7. Friginator says:

    I've watched the footage from Shocker's panel, and it's just sad. I know other people enjoy that kind of pathos, but I would have just felt depressed.

    But I agree that the Tick figure is great, even if it's the only product they've put out this year. If they would only stop being douchebags to people and release their toys, they would be a great company. I don't see what's holding them back. People are insinuating that they're out of money, which would be terrible news for all of those people still waiting on the 2010 SDCC exclusives.

  8. Zach says:

    Is there anyway you could review the arkham city set?

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