Day 28

Comrade Superman has to get out of here, the Bizarro Corps have finally caught up with him.

#30: All Stars Two Wheelers - Motorcycles

So when I bought Ghost Rider, I figured he needed a motorcycle of some sort, so I went to the next aisle over where they have that sort of thing. If you ever want a motocross bicycle for your figures, that is the place to go. At first, I was going to get one of the little Harley Davidson replicas, but then I noticed the same company made other motorcycles for a buck fifty less. So for a lower price, I'll take a generic motorcycle. At least, I think it's generic. There certainly wasn't any identifying information on the packaging. It is just perhaps a tad too small for Ghost Rider, but I think that's more to do with Marvel Universe figures being more of a four inch line than a 3.75 inch line. But it works well enough for me.

#29: Marvel Universe - Ghost Rider

After seeing Black Widow at Target a little while ago, I hoped they would continue to restock with new figures that aren't Iron Man (Iron Man already has his own line, stop putting so many Iron Man figures in the Marvel Universe cases!) and on my next visit Ghost Rider was sitting out on the front of one of the pegs. I've been looking for him for a while, so I swooped in on that immediately. The next time I went to Target, they only had a bunch of Iron Man figures and one Red Hulk.

So this is the Johnny Blaze version of Ghost Rider, so his leather outfit isn't as spiky as the more modern version. He's pretty standard as far as Marvel Universe figures go, so fairly decent articulation, and he feels kind of light. There's a spot on the cheek where the paint came off or was mis-applied, but I am okay with pretending that is just hellfire spilling out from his eye. His only accessory is a chain. Too bad he doesn't come with a bike...

#28: DC Universe Classics - Deathstroke

Many months ago when I pre-ordered DCUC wave 16, I saw that Deathstroke would be available as one of the greatest hits figures packaged alongside the new figures. The assortment I ordered didn't include Deathstroke, but it was also available separately, so I added that to my order as well. I never saw a Deathstroke figure on the shelves during its initial release, but I've always heard good things about it from reviewers so this was a good chance. He comes with a sword, a staff, a pistol, and a rifle, all of which can be stowed away keeping his hands free. That's quite a nice selection of weapons! As cool as the figure is, he alas suffers from some totally not surprising quality control issues. There are a couple minor paint defects on the mask, but I can live with those. More annoying is that both of the wrists are stuck. There is that slight give that tells me any attempt to rotate them much further will result in the hands falling off, even after some time in the freezer. Damn!

Day 27

These aren't the droids Comrade Superman is looking for.

#27: DC Universe Classics - Bane

Finally, here he is, Bane! My first completed DCUC collect n connect figure. The reason for all the tears and suffering in ordering a full wave of DCUC figures. Thankfully, there are no stuck joints or limbs misshapen due to packaging. Yay! The socket in the head for the ball joint was a very tight fit, and I was worried that I would snap something when putting it on, but it turned out okay. It's on a little moveable peg, so the head actually has some forward and backward motion.

Mattel's previous Bane figure suffered from being a bit undersized in the height department, but I feel it was a superior sculpt. The proportions were a bit more exaggerated, and Bane looked somewhat more 'roided out from Venom. This Bane is definitely a more imposing height, perhaps he is too tall. I think Bane's supposed to be big, but not necessarily towering over everybody. This version of Bane has a good sculpt, but it feels more subdued. It seems like it has less personality. It sounds like I'm complaining, but I actually quite like this figure. It's hard for me to dislike a figure of a character that wears a luchador mask.

Day 26

Comrade Superman does not make a very good prosthetic leg.

#26: DC Universe Classics - Azrael Batman

Although I haven't read the Knightfall story, coming so soon after the death of Superman, Bruce Wayne's retirement as Batman was big news at the time. I think the general consensus at the time was that the new Batman's costume was kind of ridiculous, and I still think so today. So this isn't a figure I would likely have picked up if it had not been necessary to complete this wave. Even so, I still dig it in spite of its awful 90s design. Once again, thanks to Mattel's inability to package their figures without warping them, the left knee is a bit bent inwards, but not so drastically as some of the others I've opened recently. The cape/blade things seem a bit compressed, but that's not too big a problem. If nothing else, the design sticks out from pretty much every other DCUC figure, so that's cool. I'm pretty surprised Mattel decided to make this figure at all since it's hardly current and required so much unique tooling.

#25: DC Universe Classics - Mercury

I only got this figure for the build a figure piece he comes with. The scissors-hand is kind of neat. There is a regular hand it can be swapped with, but my faith in Mattel's quality control is too little for me to tempt fate by trying to remove the hand. Naturally, the right leg is bent terribly at the knee. I realized what the problem is: Mattel can't make double hinged knees. The figures didn't have this problem when they were single hinged knees. Go back to what works, Mattel! My complete apathy towards the character makes me not particularly upset by its malformation, and I may end up trying to sell it online.

Day 25

Comrade Superman thinks you're crazy if you think he's going to share his Thin Mints.

#24: DC Universe Classics - Robin

Out of this wave, Robin was the figure I was most looking forward to adding to my collection. Naturally, the figure is in terrible shape. Once again, thanks to the packaging, the left leg is bent at a terrible angle, so Robin can't stand in any natural sort of position. And the left hand broke off after I barely rotated it. I was able to plug it back in, but it's held in place very loosely.

I hate you, Mattel.

I've contacted the online store I bought the figures from, and I'm hoping to get a replacement. This would be a great figure if it was in good shape.

Day 24

Comrade Superman wants to know where Mattel's quality control department is. So he can punch the hell out of everyone that works there.

#23: DC Universe Classics - The Riddler

Hey, it's the Riddler, and I have no quality control complaints. Yay! Hurray for a figure unmarred by its packaging! So this is the second version of the Riddler in the DCUC line. Perhaps feeling that the first version had too much uncommon tooling (it was the suit and bowler hat version, and he shared a body with DCSH Two-Face and Clark Kent), they decided to update with the spandex suit version covered in question marks. I have the other version, but I like both versions of the Riddler enough that I was completely happy to get this one as well. When this version was originally shown, it looked like it was going to use the muscular body, and I'm glad they ended up giving it the leaner one. The Riddler isn't my favorite member of Batman's rogues gallery, but I'm really digging this figure. The face has a cocky smirk, which I think works well for him, and the cane he comes with is the same one as the previous version.

Day 23

Comrade Superman hates losing racing bets.

#22: DC Universe Classics - The Creeper

Mattel strikes again. Thanks to the way the Creeper was packaged, his left leg is terribly bent, making it difficult to stand him up in a stable pose. The big plastic fur piece on his back doesn't help, as it makes him kind of back heavy. Aside from that, I like the figure. He has a great demented expression on his face. My only experience with the character is from his appearance on Batman: The Animated Series, which was pretty cool, but I probably wouldn't have picked up the figure if not for his inclusion in this wave. If only Mattel would learn their lesson about packaging figures in "exciting" poses...

#21: DC Universe Classics - Jonah Hex

So after it had been on DVD for a little while, I remembered to watch the Jonah Hex movie. I thought Josh Brolin did a good job in the role, but otherwise the movie was a disappointment. When I watched the movie, I had already ordered this figure a few months previously. There is a Jonah Hex figure based on Josh Brolin's movie appearance also. Normally, I wouldn't care enough about Jonah Hex as a character to want to get a figure version of him, but I really wanted to get build-a-figure (or collect and connect if you want to get pedantic) for this wave. I figured there were enough figures in it that I at least kind of wanted, so it would be worth buying them all instead of going to Ebay for the pieces. So here it is.

This Jonah Hex figure actually turned out pretty well, so that is a bonus. For those that care about that sort of thing, he seems to be an entirely unique sculpt which is pretty rare for DCUC. His revolver and shotgun can both be holstered, but unfortunately the revolver is a bit out of shape from the packaging. Also, his legs have suffered some malformation, but at least he can stand easily. The face sculpt is delightfully gruesome, I'm glad that turned out well. He also seems oddly tall for the DCUC line, but I'm sure part of that is just the hat. I wouldn't have picked up this figure otherwise if not for his inclusion in this wave, but he is cool enough that I don't have any regrets about it.

Day 22

Comrade Superman. Is watching you.

#20: Transformers Reveal the Shield - Battle In Space

I've been waiting for this set to hit stores for a while now, but it still hasn't shown up in my local Target. Fortunately, I found it at a Target in a neighboring town. I passed on the original release of Cyclonus, although I've heard good things about it. I also passed on the original release of Rodimus. I've heard it's not the best toy, but I dig the character enough to kind of want one, mostly because Rodimus Prime is one of the Transformers I had as a kid. So I figured a 20 dollar set for two figures that would currently be sold individually for 11 or 12 bucks is a good deal. Rodimus has a decent enough bot mode, although his head is tiny. His vehicle mode is pretty cool, and the blast from his gun doubles as exhaust. Also, it makes me wish that there was a Transformer with a DeLorean vehicle mode. DMC is out of business now, I think Hasbro should make one if they can get away with it legally!

In this set, Cyclonus is clearly the superior robot. The vehicle mode is cool, if having a few more gaps than I would be ideal. I'm glad I waited for this release, because the colors are lighter and more accurate to the cartoon. And it looks great in robot mode. The conversion process works well, without any unnecessary kibble hanging off the robot. Also, the eyes are light piped. Another cool thing is that his gun is a Transformer too. Nightstick goes between robot and gun, so it's a fun little extra for Cyclonus.

Also included is a Matrix of Leadership that neither bot can hold due to the O shaped holes in their hands. It's a surprisingly heavy little piece, and a cool accessory to throw in. It would be a good Monopoly playing piece. There's a comic in the box too, which shows some action that takes place during the Transformers movie. The original, not that Michael Bay stuff. I'd say this is a set worth picking up. Rodimus is decent, and Cyclonus is pretty cool, and it's a pretty good deal for the money.

Day 21

Comrade Superman emerges victorious!

Day 20

Round 2.

Fight!

Day 19

On the train to SF. Seeing Godspeed You! Black Emperor tonight!

Day 18

Fight!

#19: Star Wars The Vintage Collection - Stormtrooper

Hooray, another Stormtrooper! Okay, this is basically the same Stormtrooper they've been putting out for a while now, but with one major improvement. He also has an extra rifle! Okay, that's not it. At long last, the Stormtrooper has the improved ball hips. Yay! For some reason, this is on an Empire Strikes Back card, which doesn't make too much sense. On the back of the Vintage cards, they show the original release of whatever the figure is, and for the Stormtrooper, they show its original release as an Empire Strikes Back figure. I'm pretty sure that Stormtroopers were released for Star Wars, so it is an odd choice. The Stormtrooper was in fact one of the original twelve figures, so I don't know what all this Empire Strikes Back business is about. Oh well.

Day 17

Comrade Superman is going to fire the sculptor who messed this up.

#18: Star Wars The Clone Wars - Cad Bane

Cad Bane is a victim of the terrible antagonist naming system they've got going on for The Clone Wars, but he is a fun character. In the Star Wars universe, bounty hunters are usually pretty cool, and Cad Bane always means trouble whenever he shows up, so I figured he would be a cool figure to pick up. Unfortunately, the first version of him had pretty terrible leg articulation, so I decided to skip him. This new version corrects that by adding knee joints (but no ankles), and has the additional bonus of an included Todo 360. So that's basically a little Seth Green figure. Only its head is articulated, and it kind of has to be looking straight down to balance. Another improvement to this version of Cad Bane is that the lower part of his coat is now made from soft goods rather than plastic, so he can sit. His hat is removable and he comes with two blaster pistols that can be holstered, as well as a satchel that can hang over his shoulder. I've been waiting for Hasbro to release the figure of Bane in clone trooper armor, but I'm not even sure if they are still planning to release that. Until then, this is a good enough version of the character.

Day 16

Comrade Superman is too busy playing Minecraft to take pictures.

Day 15

Comrade Superman took the whole bag for himself.

#17: Marvel Universe - Black Widow

I think Black Widow was originally released over a year ago, but this is the first time I've actually seen one. It probably doesn't help that my Target's Marvel Universe pegs tend to get clogged up with Iron Man figures, so we don't get new stock very often. And who knows if they'll ever get around to releasing the movie version of Black Widow in the Iron Man 2 line. So naturally I picked it up on sight. The Marvel Universe female body plain, which works in this case of a plain black catsuit, but she's got her traditional gauntlets. The hair could definitely be a more red color. She has a huge machine gun, which seems a bit oversized for a super spy to be using, but it's better than nothing.

Day 14

Comrade Superman is feeling introspective.

Day 13

Comrade Superman's negotiations aren't going so well.

Day 12

It's not even Valentine's Day yet, and Comrade Superman is already trying to steal my candy!

#16: LEGO Star Wars - Mandalorian Battle Pack

The companion piece to yesterday's clone trooper set features a gang of Mandalorian warriors. The vehicle is the same speeder I have a regular action figure sized version of (with a clear brick to simulate that it's floating, neat!), and since it's such a small vehicle there is also a gun turret. There's also a variety of handheld weaponry, including a big rifle witha bipod to steady it. The Mandos are pretty cool, but they are all exactly the same figure! That's kind of disappointing, as I'd like to see some more variety among my Mandalorian ranks. Even the clone troopers have more variety than these guys. They could have at least made one of them a Pre Viszla figure for variety's sake. At least they all have rocket packs, which improve anything.

Day 11

Comrade Superman is trying to open my toys before I get a chance to. What a jerk. This also serves as a preview of what's coming up later this month.

#15: LEGO Star Wars - Clone Trooper Battle Pack

So I first saw this set at Target back in January, but for the sake of not unduly straining my credit card bill for the month, I decided to hold off. Then I didn't see it on the shelves again for a few weeks. Lesson learned, I grabbed it as soon as it was back on the shelf. I really dig these LEGO battle packs, because they're an inexpensive way to get a few minifigures, and a small vehicle. In this case, it's a BARC speeder, the speeder bike of choice for the Republic forces. I prefer the Return of the Jedi style speeder bikes, but BARCs are cool enough. There's a trooper with green markings, a couple with crazy orange markings, and my favorite an ARF trooper. This is a cool troop building set, and worth picking up if you're into LEGO clone troopers.

Day 10

Comrade Superman enjoys nature, sometimes.

Day 9

Comrade Superman may have a problem with gambling.

This was a fun shoot to do. A few months ago, I was exploring the greenbelt areas of town, and found this crazy giant dominoes statue. Today I thought that it would be a good backdrop for a photo, but was unable to find my way back. Fortunately I was able to look it up on my phone. I spent quite a while belly down on the ground trying to get the right shot, so anybody walking by must have thought it an odd site.

Also, I've come to the conclusion that it's time for a new site banner. I put up the current one at the beginning of last year, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Empire Strikes Back. Now, it's a new year and I need a new banner. What to do, what to do.

Day 8

IT'S FULL OF STARS.

Day 7

Comrade Superman does not appreciate the sunset.

Day 5

Comrade Superman hasn't quite mastered the fine art of disguise yet.

Day 5

Comrade Superman is trainspotting. Moments later, he destroyed the tracks. What a jerk!

Day 4

Now that it's the year of the rabbit, Comrade Superman is celebrating by stealing eggs from the Cadbury bunny. What a jerk!

Day 3

Comrade Superman always hogs the leftovers. What a jerk.

Day 2

Hanging out in ruins. Comrade Superman has crushed the work of the capitalist pigs!

Day 1: Red Son February

If you've been reading this blog long enough, you may remember that during February I do a themed photo project in which I take a photo a day and post it. Last year the theme was the ARF trooper, before that it was Captain Rex, and the previous year was clone troopers. This year I decided to do something not related to clone troopers at all, and go with an entirely different scale of figure for my subject. So for the rest of the month, it's all about the Red Son Superman Minimate. And whatever toys I end up buying.