Project: Wolverine

Notice something different about this picture? Yeah, I'm trying to customize this Wolverine figure and give it actual metal claws. I've read blogs that does customization and are very 'hardcore' at that. So I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, most of the items required(or recommended) to do the customization is not available. Either that or I haven't been looking hard enough. So, I've had to improvise.

Unlike most people I tend to forget to capture the moment when I'm doing a project so when I was halfway into it, I realized I never took a 'before' picture of Wolverine(this is from M.L Series III). But I'm sure the pics are all over the internet. I still have a bit of work to do, mainly painting. I'll post the pics as soon as I'm done, whether it turns out well or otherwise. I'd also like to thank Jin Saotome for inspiring wannabe customizers like myself. You can see his work of art here. Cheers.

Read more...

Hellboy Animated 6"

Hi guys, something that I picked up recently. Hellboy Animated 6" from Gentle Giant Ltd.

I wanted to get the Hellboy: The Golden Army Series 1 set from Mezco. I'm still looking around for a good price. For now this will do. I'll open this up and do the review in July. Cheers.

Read more...

Iron Fist

One of my fondest memory while growing up. Reading the adventures of Power Man(Luke Cage) and Iron Fist. He was cool back then in the 80's. He's even ultra cool now. There's an ongoing series called the Immortal Iron Fist. If you haven't read about him, I suggest you pick up a copy.

I mean, what kid wouldn't like a hero that is a master of Kung-Fu and has the ability to concentrate his body's natural energies into his hand, manifesting as a supernatural glow around his clenched fist, making his fist "like unto a thing of iron." So concentrated, this "iron fist" can smash into its target with superhuman hardness and impact, while his hand becomes impervious to pain and injury?(that was a mouthful). He's just awesome...

Read more...

W.A.R. # 36 : DC Direct, Wonder Woman & Green Lantern

From the pages of the JLA series comes series 3 action figures which consist of Green Lantern(Hal Jordan), the ever graceful Wonder Woman, The Flash & Geo-Force. I picked out only two because the Flash looked kinda weird for me and Geo-Force is not really in my list of Must-Have superheroes.

*************************************************************************************
W.A.R. Contents:

• Packaging
• Detail/Sculpt
• Articulation
• Pricing

*************************************************************************************
Packaging
Standard packaging for the JLA series. No difference to the first 2 series.

Back to W.A.R. contents

*************************************************************************************
Detail/Sculpt

Green Lantern
Hal Jordan is every Green Lantern fan's must-have figure. Mine has always been John Stewart. But this ain't John is it now? I've gone through every inch of this figure trying to find an uneven paint app and I couldn't find one. My only complaint about this figure is the ring. Its just a circle of green paint. C'mon guys...you can do better. This figure comes with his power battery and the JLA base stand.


Wonder Woman

This is the 2nd best sculpt for a Wonder Woman figure that I've seen so far. The best is still from the Wonder Woman series 1. At first I wasn't too sure about the sculpt showing off some of her muscles on her arms and thighs...but the look works. Its not too muscular and looks more of a woman who seems to exercise regularly. And by regularly I mean fighting other gorgeous woman in short dresses *drool*. The folds on her top is a nice touch(I'm referring to her clothes and nothing else...I swear!! LoL). The pain app is like Hal's, almost flawless. This figure comes with her lasso(sigh...is her invisible jet too much to ask for?) and the JLA base stand.

Back to W.A.R. contents

*************************************************************************************
Articulation

• Ball jointed neck
• Ball jointed shoulders
• Hinged elbows
• Swivel wrists(W.W.)/Swivel arms(G.L)
• Swivel hips
• Hinged knees

Back to W.A.R. contents

*************************************************************************************
Pricing
Between USD 14 to USD 20, depending where you get it from. Entertainment Earth still has the complete set.

(click on pic to view)

Back to W.A.R. contents

*************************************************************************************

Whether you are a fan of Green Lantern or Wonder Woman I really recommend these two figures. The sculpt just makes up for the lack of articulation. Till next time. Cheers.

Related Posts:

• W.A.R. # 35: Gears of War 2, Marcus Fenix
  
• W.A.R. # 34: Star Wars, Republic Gunship
  
• W.A.R. # 33: Kill Bill, Series 1
  
• W.A.R. # 32: DC Superheroes, Mongul

Read more...

Superhero...

...or Dragon Ball wannabe?? LoL. Johnny Storm a.k.a. Human Torch of the Fantastic Four. I almost cried laughing...honest.

Read more...

Retro T-Shirts - DC

I don't really collect much of DC shirts because I find that most of their designs are too big. I prefer the design to be just the logo rather than the character covering almost the entire shirt. I bought these at Jay Jay's last year during the Boxing Day sale for around AUD 5 each.

Read more...

W.A.R. # 35 : Gears of War 2, Marcus Fenix

This is a bit off from my normal list of action figures but damn it...this figure has been taunting me ever since I first saw it a couple of months ago on the shelves at Target. So, I decided to get it simply out of curiosity plus this figure is along the same height as my other M.L. and DC figures.

*************************************************************************************
W.A.R. Contents:

• Packaging
• Detail/Sculpt
• Articulation
• Pricing
  

*************************************************************************************
Packaging

Back to W.A.R. contents

*************************************************************************************
Detail/Sculpt

Honestly I've only played this game once...so for me to really assess the sculpt is very subjective. Though I have been a fan of Neca for quite some time and this figure does not disappoint. Their sculpt has always been superb(I've said this more than once) and at the same time have always sacrificed articulation over it. But I've noticed that this figure has very decent articulation and allows for a number of reasonable poses.

Put an eye patch and you can pass him off as a pirate.

The figure comes with two accessories. His snub pistol and his fully automatic assault rifle a.k.a. The Lancer(no, this is not the car).

Back to W.A.R. contents

*************************************************************************************
Articulation

Even with the ball hinged shoulders, movement is a bit restricted due to the bulky figure and its accessories. But the joints are well hidden due to the color of his suit.
-Ball jointed neck(limited movement)
-Ball hinged shoulders
-Swivel biceps
-Hinged swivel elbows
-Ball jointed wrists
-Swivel waist
-Swivel hips
-Hinged knees
-Hinged ankles

Back to W.A.R. contents

*************************************************************************************
Pricing

I bought this for almost AUD 30. Pricey if you think about it but nonetheless almost similar to DC Direct figures and the quality is on par if not more superior.

Back to W.A.R. contents

*************************************************************************************

I find myself really drawn to this figure the more I see it. Its true I'm not a big fan of Gears of War. But I'll be the first to admit a good action figure when I see one. Yes, its not exactly one of my proudest purchases. It was more of a "stop staring at me! ok, ok...I'll buy you" moment. Now I feel compelled to get 2 or 3 more figures from the series...ARGGHH. That or I could sell this off.

Related Posts:

• W.A.R. # 34: Star Wars, Republic Gunship
  
• W.A.R. # 33: Kill Bill, Series 1
  
• W.A.R. # 32: DC Superheroes, Mongul
  
• W.A.R. # 31: Star Wars, Legacy Collection, Millennium Falcon

Read more...

Happy Father's Day 2009

My Father's Day gift from the missus. Sweet air...air guitar that is. Happy Father's Day to all the rockin' dads out there. Cheers.

Read more...

Iron Man: War Machine & Stealth Striker Armor

Iron Man - Concept Series : Stealth Striker Armor

Iron Man Movie Series: Stealth Operations Suit a.k.a. War Machine

I picked up these two today at Target. Something to add to my current Iron Man Movie & Concept Series collection. I really like the Stealth Striker Armor. The sculpt is different from the Movie Series and it has a detachable jet backpack(huh? he needs one of those?).

The Stealth Operations suit is a repaint(and a mess of job at that) of the Movie series and on the back of the box it mentions that it is being used by Jim Rhodes. So technically it makes it War Machine. Price for both of these? AUD 6 each.

Read more...

W.A.R. # 34 : Star Wars, Republic Gunship

If memory serves me correctly, this has got to be the 5th version of the Republic Gunship or as its formal designation, the Low Altitude Assault Transport(L.A.A.T). This particular version is based on the Star Wars, Clone Wars animated movie(the reference is the Twi'lek female painted on the side). To be honest, it's just another gunship with a different paint job. But I'll save the criticism for later. Now on with the show.

*************************************************************************************
W.A.R. Contents:
-Packaging
-Detail/Sculpt
-Features
-Pricing
*************************************************************************************
Packaging

Back to W.A.R. contents

*************************************************************************************
Detail/Sculpt

The gunship has always appealed to the regular Star Wars fan. It's one of those vehicles that looks bulky and clumsy and yet is very versatile and packs quite a punch. Even though this vehicle is not up to the right scale(I'll point out why), its the best for now.

The wingspan is impressive, the two mass-driver missile launchers on top is sure to keep separatist air force at bay. The wings aren't for display either. They carry 4 air-to-air missiles underneath each wing and to top it off, 4 composite beam pinpoint laser turrets. And don't forget the 3 Anti-personnel turrets (2 at the front, one at the rear of the craft).

If that still doesn't deter the separatist ground force, then the 30 or so armed clone troopers on board would have a word or two with them.

Issues(Well...mine at least)

First, is the size of the ship itself. It's suppose to be able to carry 30...at most you can fit 15. I could barely squeeze in 9 without it looking like a bunch of people standing in a crowded pub.

Second, the blast shield doors does not close the entire way(Star Wars die hard fans would argue that there are different models especially towards the end of the clone wars). The reason I point this out is because this is based on the animated movie and it clearly shows the blast shield doors close all the way to protect the troopers on board from ground fire and shrapnel.

Third, the gunship also acts as a dropship and is able to carry other transports like the AT-TE walker into the battlefield. This in theory would not be able to do that.

Fourth, when are they going to make a decent gun turret pod that you can fit in a clone trooper like in episode 3? They are some S.W. enthusiasts that have made custom turret pods. But if Hasbro made those the other faults wouldn't be as bad. Oh wait...they are making one(August 2009). So cancel the fourth...the Gunship is PERFECT! LoL.

Back to W.A.R. contents

*************************************************************************************
Features
-Rotating turrets(front) with firing projectiles
-Opening cockpit(for 2 clone pilots)
-Auto-opening blast shield doors
-Rotating turrets(wings)
-Missile lauchers(atop vehicle)
-Drop platform

Back to W.A.R. contents

*************************************************************************************
Pricing
When this version first came out it was AUD 127. Then after a few months it was down to AUD89. Plus it was only available at K-Mart(Wal-Mart in the States). I've looked for this online and its available at Brian's Toys, Amazon and Ebay. Though I haven't seen anything below USD 100.

Back to W.A.R. contents

*************************************************************************************

Btw, the turret pods that I mentioned are available for pre-order from Entertainment Earth's website. Click on the pic to go to the product page.

Last but not least, keep it real and keep collecting.

Related Posts:

• W.A.R. # 33: Kill Bill, Series 1
  
• W.A.R. # 32: DC Superheroes, Mongul
  
• W.A.R. # 31: Star Wars, Legacy Collection, Millennium Falcon
  
• W.A.R. # 30: Marvel Select, Spider-Woman

Read more...

Maisto 1:18, Harley-Davidson

I'm not really a big fan of die-cast vehicles(unless it's Star Wars or comic related). I only got these because they are Harleys. Why else? Besides that, my dad and my lil bro are really into motorcycles, so chances are I'll try looking for more of these models and send it back home for them. Cheers.

Read more...