#146: LEGO Harry Potter - The Lab

This set was in the stocking stuffer area at Target, but it was four bucks and I wasn't willing to pay that for basically just a Harry Potter minifigure. Then after Christmas, that whole section got marked down to half off, and two bucks sounded like a good deal. The set isn't named on the package, but there's a number, so I looked it up on Brickipedia, and this is the name they went with, so it's good enough for me. Basically I just got this set for the Harry minifigure. He's got a head with two expressions: one side is worried looking, and the other (pictured) has a kind of smirk. The wand seems a bit long, almost long enough to be a broomstick. The other part of the set is some sort of potions rack. There's a hollow space in the middle where a letter to Harry and a fang (I'm guessing it's a basilisk fang) are held. It seems kind of weird. Also, there's a spider!

#145: Minecraft - Foam Pickaxe

It's all well and good to have a good idea what gifts you'll be receiving for Christmas, but when you get something that's a total surprise it's like being a kid again. This gift is from my brother and I wasn't expecting it at all. It's totally cool.

In case you aren't familiar with Minecraft, it's an independently produced game from Sweden that basically involves wandering around some mysterious landscape mining and building. And watching out for monsters, of course. This video is a nice introduction to the game, so you can go check it out. I'll wait.

Think Geek has a habit of coming up with really cool products (like the Tauntaun sleeping bag for a while back) and this is another great idea. Minecraft has a low-res look to it, and this pickaxe is an accurate reproduction of the in game item. I think I'm going to go mine for some diamonds...

#144: Batman The Brave And The Bold - Sea Spear Aquaman

Another Christmas gift, this one is from AJ. The Brave and the Bold was a great cartoon, but I never bought into the toy line because with all my DCUC figures, I don't need more of the same characters in a different scale. For what it's worth, I do feel that the BatB version of Aquaman is my favorite take on the character, which of course is helped by the voice work of John Di Maggio. So even though I already have the DCUC Aquaman, this is a cool figure to have as well. Like all BatB figures, Aquaman has holes along his arms, legs, and on his back allowing different weapons to be plugged in. If you have a lot of figures from the line, you can come up with your own variations, which I imagine would be fun. Aquaman comes with a trident, and there is a certain amount of amusement to be had by plugging it into his arms or legs, which just looks absurd but is rather funny. I'm not going to start collecting this line, especially since it's on the way out now, but Aquaman is cool.

#143: Thor The Mighty Avenger - Ram Smash Volstagg

Since I was unable to find a Volstagg figure, I was beginning to think I would have to use a Punisher figure to fill out my Warriors Three. Fortunately James had seen several of them and gave me one for Christmas. Thanks, James!

I think Volstagg officially is the winner of the facial hair contest of my collection with that awesome beard. It barely even gets in the way of moving his head, which is a nice bonus. Like all Thor toys, there's the standard oversized goofy weapon. In this case it's a spinning axe ram. So when you push in the piston, the axes spin. Okay. Fortunately, Volstagg includes a proper battle axe. All told, it's a good figure, even if the legs are a bit hindered by the armor. Now if I can find Sif...

#142: Mega Bloks Hello Kitty - Hello Kitty with lollipop

I wouldn't say I'm a Hello Kitty fan, exactly. But it's something that's iconically cute, with an insane amount of branding. Have you seen the Hello Kitty microwave at Target? Yes, it's something that exists, and it is hardly the strangest officially licensed Hello Kitty product out there. So you combine that with the appeal of the LEGO blindpacked minifigure craze? Well, I caved. There's something compelling about having a LEGO compatible Hello Kitty minifigure. This is the first one I pulled from the display, I felt the packaging to see which accessory was included, and figured this would be a good one to have. I like that the lollipop is so ridiculously oversized, although I suppose it could also be interpreted as a table tennis paddle. Unlike the display plates for the LEGO minifigures, Hello Kitty has a brick to stand on. Only her neck and shoulders are articulated, but that's all that could really be expected of a character with such odd anatomy.

#141: Transformers Generations - Sergeant Kup

Recently Target had Generations figures on sale for $6.99, which is almost half off the normal price. That's the kind of deal I can't resist, so I decided to pick up Kup. Overall, he's pretty cool, although the arms are a bit wonky. The articulation on them is kind of hard to deal with, there are just too many joints in the elbow area. Also, the huge panels hanging off the lower arms kind of get in the way. Otherwise, he's cool. I like how they incorporated the gun into the altmode, where it plugs into the bottom of the truck and the end of its barrel functions as an exhaust pipe. Neat!

#140: Star Wars The Vintage Collection - Boba Fett (Prototype Armor)

Another year, another mail away figure. Another mail away Boba Fett. As I've mentioned before, I'm a total sucker for this sort of thing, as mail away figures are a fond memory of childhood. Previously there has been a small subline of figures based on concept art, but this takes a slightly different approach. Basically, this is a white Boba Fett, like the concept art Boba Fett figure, but this is based on the actual prototype costume that was made. Black repaints have been a longstanding trend, maybe this will start a wave of white repaints. Since it is just a repaint, it's fortunate that they picked one of the better Boba Fett molds to work with, unlike the one that's currently available in the Saga Legends line.

Maybe next year, we'll get a clear plastic "stealth" Boba Fett as a mail away figure?

#139: Star Wars The Clone Wars - Stealth Ops Clone Trooper

So a few months back a variation of this figure was a Toys R Us exclusive. I had no idea they were releasing a non-exclusive version until I saw one on the pegs at Target. Although lately I have been less enthusiastic about collecting ever more clones for my army (there are a couple I have passed on recently), the fact that Clone Wars figures were on sale and this clone looks markedly different from the rest moved me to buy it. The Vader-esque breathing apparatus on the chest is removable and indeed comes packaged separately. In order to put it on the figure, you have to remove the head and slide it over the neck peg, which is a bit odd. The ridiculous rocket launcher pack plugs into the back of the chest piece, and I'll be leaving it off for display purposes because it's so bulky and goofy looking. Also, he's got a totally weird helmet, with some sort of wrap around padding thing going on. Not sure what that's all about. But at least it's distinctive. It's definitely cool to have some variety in the ranks.

#138: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Jack Sparrow

After I got the other two Pirates of Caribbean figures, I wanted to get a Jack Sparrow too, since I don't already have one. Ultimately, I was just too cheap to get one and figured I could wait until they went on clearance. Target is apparently eager to get a jump on the post-Christmas clearance season, so they recently marked their PotC figures. The first series didn't sell very well, so the second series only showed up when they put it on one of the clearance end caps. I opted for the second series version of Jack, which has the overcoat. Like all the other figures in the line, he has that black light gimmick, and Jack's light is a ring. He comes with two pistols and a sword, and can hold or store all of them at the same time. Nice! Also, the hat is removable. It's not the greatest likeness, but it's obvious who this is.

Johnny Depp has had many different action figures made based on his characters, so I'm kind of surprised that this is my first. Off the top of my head, there's been Edward Scissorhands, Ichabod Crane, Willy Wonka, whats-his-face from Corpse Bride, the Mad Hatter, and of course Jack Sparrow. Probably more that I'm forgetting.

#137: Star Wars The Clone Wars - Clone Commander Colt

A couple months ago at the toy show I went to, Clone Commander Colt here is one of the figures I saw available for sale, but I passed because I wasn't willing to pay inflated prices for him. Fortunately, my patience paid off and I finally saw the figure at Target while Clone Wars figures were on sale. So basically, he's just another ARC trooper. I think the shins and feet are newly sculpted pieces. I dig the grey and red color scheme, and he's got a backpack that's similar to those that sandtroopers wear. One of these days I'm going to have to take a count of how many clone trooper figures I've got, I bet it's over 100 by now.

#136: LEGO Star Wars - Republic Attack Cruiser

Lately I've been playing LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars. Then I noticed this in the impulse area by the checkstands at Target. And I kept seeing it. And hey, it's a proto Star Destroyer, so eventually I just gave in and bought it. At this reduced scale, it's not the best likeness, but it's still neat looking. If they made a micro scaled Star Destroyer like this, I'd be all over it.