#52: LEGO Minifigures - Crazy Scientist

Crazy scientist? That is an odd name choice, since the term is normally mad scientist. Maybe it's a translation issue. Whatever you call him, this one is pretty neat. With his wild hair and white lab coat, he definitely looks the part of a mad scientist. Also, he has cool goggles. The hair piece is made of a softer plastic than all the other LEGO parts I've seen. I suspect this is again a safety issue, as it is a pretty pointy hairstyle. The little erlenmeyer flask is a really cool accessory. It's clear, with a green tint in the lower part indicating the contents (some of which have splashed on the lab coat). It's a fitting accessory for a mad scientist and looks good too.

#51: LEGO Minifigures - Artist

The artist wasn't one of the minifigures that I planned to get, but while I was searching through the packages, I found one and kept it on a whim. I like that it's such a huge stereotype of a painter, with the beret and palette. The look of concentration on his face is great, although I would have preferred a wild 'stache to the goatee.

#50: LEGO Minifigures - Hazmat Guy

One of the other must buys in this series for me was the hazmat suit guy. It's a cool idea for a minifigure because it's not really something you see toys based on much. Being bright yellow definitely helps him stand out. The big helmet piece is really cool looking. It also makes this guy one of the easiest to find by touch, because it's so large. He has some sort of gun or instrument that plugs into the back of his suit by a hose. Maybe it's some sort of sensory device. Whatever it's meant to be, you can imagine it's whatever you want it to be. Also, if you're in a Back to the Future mood, you can pretend this is Darth Vader from the planet Vulcan.

#49: LEGO Minifigures - Werewolf

Another monster in this series, cool. In my mind, this is more of a wolfman than a werewolf. I think of werewolves as turning fully into wolves, while a wolfman is more of an in between creature, like this minifigure. Either way, it doesn't matter too much. The fun thing is that his bone accessory can be taken different ways. One way is to think it's cute, because he's like a dog. Another way is that it's kind of grim because it's the remains of someone he just ate. It's like a little plastic Rorschach test.

#48: LEGO Minifigures - The Monster

One of the cool things about the LEGO minifigures is that there are a few different sub-themes that run throughout the series such as period warriors, athletes, and monsters. I've been getting the monster minifigures, so Frankenstein's monster was definitely one to add to the collection. It's interesting that he's officially named "The Monster" which is correct, but why leave out Frankenstein in the name? Does Universal or someone still hold rights to it? Either way, it's pretty obvious which monster this is meant to be. The head piece is a cool way of giving the standard LEGO head a more appropriately shaped look. All it's missing are bolts in the neck.

#47: LEGO Minifigures - Musketeer

The musketeer is a dashing fellow, with his feathered cap and extravagant facial hair. With the round point on his sword (for safety reasons no doubt) he looks like he's read to take part in a fencing match, rather than an actual sword fight. I took fencing classes while I was in college, so I can dig it.

#46: LEGO Minifigures - Lawn Gnome

Now that Easter is over, I figured I would never find series 4 of the LEGO minifigures. I had assumed that Target would carry them in the holiday section like they had the previous two series. Apparently not! I found a box of these at my local Target in the LEGO aisle. It wasn't on the shelves, it was hanging from a rack at the end of the aisle. So keep an eye out if you're looking for these. The lawn gnome was one of my must haves from this series because it's that level of absurdity that really appeals to my sense of humor. To make him shorter, he uses the unarticulated legs. I don't think of lawn gnomes as normally having fishing rods, but it seems like something a lawn ornament could have.

#45: Marvel Universe - Mystique

So I walked into Target, and there was a shocking amount of new Marvel Universe figures on the pegs. When I had placed my order at Hasbrotoyshop a while ago, Mystique was in stock, and I considered adding her to my cart. I didn't order her then, but when I saw her on the peg I decided to pick her up. It's a decent figure, although still the same basic female body as the other women in the line. The addition of her dress does help her to stand out a little, and I think it works out pretty well. The paint is kind of fuzzy where the edges of her clothes meet skin. The white seems too thin in places, with blue showing through. She comes with a big machine gun, and while I don't know how much sense that makes for her, it is better than no accessories at all.

#44: DC Universe Classics vs Masters of the Universe Classics - Aquaman (minus Mer-Man)

A little while ago, I decided that since I was about halfway there, I should complete the classic JLA lineup of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and of course Aquaman. Naturally by that point Aquaman's wave had long since been gone from stores, so it seemed the only choice was the very expensive secondary market, or the gaudily painted two pack with Black Manta (not a fan of Aquaman sporting a gold shirt). So I decided to wait. Finally, they announced a DCUC vs MOTUC two pack of Aquaman with a blue Mer-Man. I didn't have any interest in any Mer-Man, much less a blue one. Fortunately, Phillip Reed of Battlegrip.com was in the opposite position of wanting the Mer-Man but not the Aquaman. I bought the two pack and sent Mer-Man off to him, so it's cool that we were both able to get the figure we wanted without getting stuck with one we didn't.

So anyway, this version of Aquaman is basically the same as the original wave 2 version. The paint apps on his trident are different, and his shirt does seem to be of a more glossy finish. Either way works for me, so I don't mind that it's not exactly the same as the first release. The points on the trident are a bent a bit from the packaging, unfortunately. It's always a nice surprise when none of the joints are broken or stuck on a DCUC figure, and I'm happy to report that this Aquaman is one of those figures that is in good shape. When Aquaman was first released, we weren't yet jaded by Mattel's constant reuse of sculpts for figures. I don't think Aquaman's scaled shirt has much potential for re-use, so it is cool that is an original sculpt. Overall, I think it's one of the better DCUC figures, so I'm glad I was able to pick it up without paying ridiculous secondary market prices.

#43: Star Wars The Vintage Collection - Clone Trooper

A couple waves back, Hasbro put out a new version of the phase 2 clone trooper, with a removable helmet and the hips with lateral motion, making basically the best version of that style trooper. Now they've gone and done the same thing for the phase 1 version. So really, it's the same thing, with a different helmet. But hey, it's cool. As far as I know, this is the first plain white phase 1 trooper with a removable helmet. This would be a great army builder if the figures weren't so expensive now. I still haven't seen this wave in person, and this figure was part of the order that included my last few Star Wars figures from Hasbrotoyshop.