Famous Covers Vision & Scarlet Witch

In my last post I wrote about The Avenvers: Kree-Skrull War, using my ToyBiz Famous Covers Vision and Scarlet Witch for the photo with the trade paperback. An unlikely choice you might say, reasoning that my Hasbro Legends Skrull Soldier/Kree Soldier 2-pack might have been a better choice. But the Vision and Scarlet Witch came to mind first because  a.) It was the first time I read very much about these legendary characters, b.) I was unaware of their long-standing romance, and c.) I had these two very cool dollies which I had never given you a good look at... like I'm gonna do right now  :D

All these ToyBiz Famous Covers came in beautiful 4-color window box with a fifth panel, which through a porthole exposed their face, the toys secured in their individual poses within gold foil trays. I hadn't opened Scarlet Witch until yeterday in fact, her box remained sealed in the back of my closet since I bought her for a song off eBay last year while accumulating as many of these as I could find. I loved my Mego figures with fabric costumes as a child, so these appealed to me greatly when starting my toy collection.

The Famous Covers series were some nicely made toys with exceptionally tailored fabric outfits. The capes on these dolls were outstanding, and Scarlet Witch's is particularly bitchin'- velvet outer and satin on the inside with a neat little strip of velcro securing around her neck. Her comically large hairdo sculpted in plastic is too heavy unfortunately, making it difficult for her to stand. Still, Scarlet's a looker! The red vinyl forearm, bustier, and boot leggings are a nice, glossy contrast to her lavender leotards. She's quite the luxurious dolly :D  I put her up front in my glass display curio last night so I can admire her better!

Daughter of Magneto, sister to Quicksilver & Polaris, Wnada Maximoff is a mutant who can alter probability by using a "hex" on anyone within range of sight. In this way she can perform all kinds of tasks as part of her team of Avengers, including, but not limited to:, stopping a projectile, exploding an object, short circuiting machinery, creating forcfields, contain volumes of atmosphere, and once even ressurecting Wonder Man from the dead. If not performed carefully, her hexes can backfire on her, causing "bad luck" or undoing hexes cast earlier.

Equally cool is the Famous Covers Vision I got before her. While the Marvel Legends & Marvel Universe Vision seems to go for way more than this rendering of the Android Avenger, he really is the best version money can buy. Like his lover, this figure comes with an awesome cape, and hands colored to match his forearm sleeves, givng the illusion of gloves and avoiding the use of  "oven mitts" that some of these sport. Some weren't so crazy about the chunky boots on these, but I like the way they look- they help him stand better, too. He's a GREAT toy  :D

According to the box, The Vision is a synthezoid, an android with his own will and intelligence. He is both logical and mysteriously passionate. Gaining part of fellow Avenger Wonder Man's life force, the Vision acquired a more human personality, allowing him to fall in love with the Scarlet Witch. His ability to adjust his molecular density to extreme levels enables the Vision to become super dense and immovable as well as intangible, so that he can pass through nearly any solid object. Combined with his extreme intellect and steely logic, the Vision is nearly invincible.

As I said, I was unaware of this odd romance until reading The Avenvers: Kree-Skrull War. The strange new "feelings" Vision was having for Wanda were nearly unrecognizable by him as they were by his unbelieving Avenger teammates who shrugged of their suspicions as absurdity. Pretty hilarious for a group of people fighting aliens across the universe in their tights! Speaking of comedy, let's see how long it will take for my pal BubbaShelby, known dolly persecutor, to drop one about my pretty dollies   :D

Here's something kinda fun I dug out of my old comics: Scarlet Witch & The Vision's pages from the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe series I had from childhood. Click on the images to read all about these characters circa 1983:

*Thomas Wheeler's Flashback Review of the Toybiz Famous Cover's Series.

The Avengers: Kree-Skrull War

From the beginning of my rediscovery of comics in the past year, I've sought out books I missed out on both in my youth as well as the two decades I wasn't reading them at all. There's as much nostalgic puffery as there is critical disdain surrounding older comics- every generation of readers has their own favorite tales with which they identify themselves. I came back into reading them during some eventful times, after DC's Final Crisis and Blackest Night and right before the big DC reboot currently underway.  And what has happened in the Marvel Comics Universe in the past 20 years has been at least as daring from what I gather- I dove into a lot more contemporary DC reading material upon my return, but the Marvel work I chose was much older, earlier Marvel Essential volumes.

In conversations with readers ten or twenty years younger than myself, I've been surprised at their lack of experience & knowledge of the Silver & Bronze Age material. As I said, each generation of readers has their own identity rooted in the their own times, but I'm somewhat let down by how quickly the younger has dismissed some of this work. Some of the older work is often ridiculously far-fetched & melodramatic, and the dialogue can seem stilted, lengthy, & sanctimonious to those unfamiliar with the parlance common to comics of yesteryear. I'll resist diagnosing younger readers with a disabled attention span- I was young once, knew what I liked, and didn't need some old goat telling me what's good & what's not. Closing in on forty, however, my need for angsty and hormonal, twenty-something emotions have long since subsided, and I'm often left just want to read something fun.  The Avengers: Kree-Skrull War provided just that, as well as some comic history all with...

The "Kree-Skrull War" story arc ran through the Avengers title, issues #89 - 97 (June 1971 - March 1972), right before I was born. The Secret Wars were the cosmic epic of my youth, precedent to that type of book however, came this dramatic, interstellar tale with an all-star Marvel cast. The longtime Kree & Skrull conflict boils over with Kree hero Captain Marvel's return to Earth, involving Avengers Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Quicksilver. Avengers Captain America, Iron Man, & Thor are soon involved along with Giant Man, Wasp, Yellowjacket & Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D.  Triton & Black Bolt of the Inhumans join the effort to save Earth and Avengers Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch, who were captured by the Skrulls along with Captain Marvel. Kree outlaw Ronan The Accuser turns up the heat from the other end, sending robot Sentries to attack our heroes opposite the Skrulls, his goal to devolve Earth back to prehistoric times and use it as a base against the Skrulls. The Supreme Intelligence, ancient & wise Kree invention then imprisoned by evil Ronan, aids Captain Marvel's companion Rick Jones in saving the day.

I enjoy the comic artistry of this vintage, unaided by any of today's computer technology, and Sal Buscema, Neil Adams, and John Buscema were about as great as anyone working at the beginning of the 70's. My only regret is not reading it on the dingy pulp it was originally printed on the year I was born! :D   And writer Roy Thomas has been a big part of the industry, starting out at DC Comics in 1965, only to leave for Marvel 8 days later, where he would eventually rise to editor-in-chief after work on Sgt. Fury, Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, The Invaders, The Defenders, Fantastic Four, Thor, Conan The Barbarian, & Amazing Spider-Man to name a few. His return to DC Comics in '81 to realize his childhood ambition of writing about the Golden Age heroes he loved in All Star Squadron, Thomas' revival of the Justice Society of America. Thomas is currently co-chairman of the board of directors at The Hero Initiative, a charity organization for comic creators, writers, and artists in need of quality of life assistance.

Pictured above with the trade paperback are my 9" ToyBiz Famous Covers Vision & Scarlet Witch, whose odd romance is also introduced in this story. I found it hilarious when upon noticing some unusual behavior among the two unlikely lovers, whatever bystander would shrug of the suspicion as absurdity. Because let's face it: caught in interstellar battle between Ronan & the green-skinned, shapeshifting Skrulls, alongside Captain Marvel dressed in tights & a cape is one thing, but an android's unrequited love for a mutant witch is preposterous  :D

More Later- Keep It FUN!

4" Thor Movie Figures by Hasbro

Ever since I saw some of these Thor movie figures on someone's blog a few days ago, I became obsessed with getting some! I really liked the pictures of Loki, and was mad about the Frost Giants, so I grabbed some after work today  :D

Thor, Odin, & Loki...

I was never an army builder with multiples of the same character, but these Frost Giants are all big & gnarly lookin' with ugly feet- like my prom date! Love at first sight! I bought four  :D

Here are separate shots of the two variety. The Deluxe Ice Attack versions were considerably more- the included extra accessories & projectile hardly warrant the extra cost, but I wanted a little variety in color... that's the kind of nut job I am...

I've been working all through the weekend, but have squeezed in a viewing of Batman: Gotham Knight (2008), which blew my mind, and a dress rehearsal with one of my bands for the show next weekend. I hope you have got a little time to play with your toys, I have  :D

More Later- Be Good or Be Fast!

DCUC Indigo Lantern Atom

I picked up this DC Universe Classics Indigo Lantern Atom last weekend at BAM!, a great store my brother turned me onto that sell books, comics, used CDs & DVDs, and toys. There were some great DCUC & DC Direct action figures there, including a version of this character by both Mattel and DC Direct! I chose the Mattel version due to a renewed interest in the DC Universe line, and while not always the case, I felt the Mattel looked better. Weird, I know- a lot of times the DC Direct trumps Mattel on aesthetics, case in point, the DC Direct Arkham Asylum Batman I got awhile back. In this instance however, Mattel's attention to detail, sculpt, & paint won me over- and I have several of DC Direct's Blackest Night series.

From the Green Lantern Blackest Night storyline, Ray Palmer underwent the most drastic transformation when several of our DC Universe heroes were temporarily selected as deputy members of the emotional spectrum to save the day during this epic tale.

One of the most brilliant men on Earth, Professor Ray Palmer became The Atom after creating a belt that allows him to shrink to microscopic size. After his best friends Hawkman and Hawkgirl were murdered and transformed into Black Lanterns, Ray was granted an Indigo Power Ring to assist in defeating the Lord of the Dead, Nekron.

According to Yo Go Re over at OAFE, Atom's bare chested costume is reminiscent of his days as a barbarian in Sword of the Atom, which explains a lot to a guy who initially scratched his head upon beholding this unusual figure. There are so many pieces of new sculpt on this figure, laden with intricate detail that make this a standout in the DC Universe line- simply awesome! I put him up there with my DCUC Deathstroke. If the detail of the shoulder harness with the Indigo Tribe necklace draped over it isn't enough, there's also the new buccaneer style boots with soft rubber tassels, belt emblazoned with the Atom insignia, and two different gold wrist guards. And that tiny sculpted power ring- DC Direct doesn't do that! The drybrush highlights in Ray's hair, subtle paint washes on the skin & legs, and tattoos throughout the arms & torso make this a real work of art! Bravo!

As the Green Lanterns weild the power of will, The Indigo Tribe employs the power of  compassion through their staffs, as opposed to traditional power batteries employed by other lanterns of the emotional spectrum. Their understanding of all these other emotions allow the mysterious Indigo Tribe members to conduct their powers as well as their own compassion, making them quite powerful. This was both deep & smart on part of the creators of this fictional band of heroes (Geoff Johns & Ethan VanSciver): compassion is truly a all-encompassing & effectual attribute.

I find this action figure & what he symbolizes personally meaningful, and while pondering him I thought to myself "if this tribe really existed, how much better the world would be".  I quickly realized they really DO exist: all the good people of the world- the doctors & nurses, mission & rescue workers at home & abroad, peacemakers & poets....  That gave me a good feeling inside  :)

Here's to You & Yours- Have a GREAT Weekend!

Hey Mr. Postman! ...AND A CONTEST!

Imagine my surprise when told I won the Action Figure Blues monthly comment contest... again!  :D  I won a DCUC Starman last autumn, and swear I wasn't even trying either times, which makes it even more fun. Since then I have become a member on the Action Figure Blues Forum, as some of you readers have as well, and Action Figure Blues mastermind, Scott, is throwing another BIG contest over there- more on that later, first let's see what was in the box...

... a Marvel Universe Dr. Strange! I love this! He's the translucent variant which looks absolutely killer up close! I have been really getting into Marvel's 4" figures lately, and have picked up some really cool stuff in the last couple weeks that I haven't posted on yet, so Strange is a most welcome addition to the Super-DuperToyBox  :)  Thanks a million to Scott and also Mike from Mike' Comics N' Stuff who set the prize to me- you guys have been good to me and I really do appreciate it  :)

 Now like I said, Scott is having another contest over at Action Figure Blues and it's a BIG one:

This year he's offering the biggest prize AFB ever had - the Ghostbusters Stay Puft Marshmallow Man! Stay Puft comes in at a whopping 20 inches tall, and the winner of this competition will receive him in his carry case which converts to a diorama for display. It’s a great prize!!

Some effort will be required to win in the “Sing a Song for Stay Puft” contest. Action Figure Blues is  looking for the person who can explain why they want to win Stay Puft in most creative and entertaining way.

Your “song” for Stay Puft doesn’t have to be musical-  you could present your entry as:

Whatever it is, it needs to communicate exactly why you want Stay Puft and why you should be the winner. It also needs to be kept moderately safe for work - AFB aims to be a family friendly site, so keep it clean  :)

-a comic/comic strip

-a video

-an animation

-something else entirely different

The winner will be judged by the Admins of the AFB Forum. There *may* also be some smaller prizes on offer for honourable mentions if the standard is good enough! The prize or prizes will be sent to the winner from Australia. If the prize is going overseas, it will be sent by first class international mail. The winner may choose to add their own funds for express shipping and or insurance if desired.

Entries will be submitted via the AFB Forum - new members are very welcome to register and enter, but we do ask that you have a minimum post count of 10 by the time the competition closes.

 The competition will be open for three weeks and will close at 11:59PM GMT+10 on Sunday 4th September 2011.

*You can discuss the competition in the Sing a Song for Stay Puft discussion thread at the AFB Forum. *You can submit your entries at the Sing a Song for Stay Puft Official Entry Thread at the AFB Forum. *The winning entries will be announced and featured at the Action Figure Blues blog.

 Good Luck to One & All!

Batman Legacy Catman & Mr. Freeze

Catman is the third figure in wave 2 of the Batman Legacy action figures by Mattel. After picking him up with Batman & Batgirl, I felt like Mr. Freeze from the first wave would fit in somehow with the colorful comic book characters of the second wave.

Everyone was pretty excited about Catman! While I knew nothing of this character, he is new to the DC Universe line, and possibly to the world of action figures period. An enemy of Batman, Thomas Blake is an millionaire jungle cat trapper turned antihero burglar after growing bored with big game. First appearing in 1963, Catman was mainly a Silver Age comic book villain, but made a couple appearances in the early 90's, and again after the turn of the century as a member of The Secret Six, along with Deadshot, Scandal Savage, Rag Doll, & Cheshire- a group formed in defiance of Lex Luthor's Secret Society of Super Villains.

Catman does not disappoint- he's a tight action figure with some nice detailing, including some relatively clean gold paint at the tops of his gloves & boots, as well as around the soles of his boots. The head, eyes & cowl are clean, and he enjoys sculpted stubble on his chin. Catman has a clean tampographed chest insignia and nice shading throught his limbs and torso. I'm a big fan of his utility belt styling and shoulder harness attached to his generously sculpted cape. One grievance: like some DC Universe figures, he doesn't hold his accessories very securely. The hand held claws are unique however, and don't fall out of his hands. If you pick up only one from wave two, make it Catman!

When I first saw Mr. Freeze from wave one of the Batman Legacy line online, I actually kinda liked it's crazy color combination, and seeing him in the package was even better. Still Victor Fries was last on my list. On the way home from picked up wave two it occurred to me that he would fit in with their wildly colored costumes, so I picked him up on a whim at the Wal-Mart across the street.

I had not noticed the frost on his suit & weapon until seeing SirDragonBane's post on him over at Chase Variant. Very cool! While SirDragonBane felt as I did about the wacky Super Powers coloring of this figure being a good fit with the unusual roster of Batman villains, I also agree Freeze looks very plastic due to his lack of paint. Still, I like him! What can I say?  :D

I enjoy the size of this guy, how sturdy he is on his huge boots, and his great articulation, the joints disguised well by his textured suit. His head turns inside his domed helmet by turning the waist, which I found really trick! His pack snaps onto his back with a  hexagonal peg, with his oversized gun making him look even bigger. The original DC Superheroes version of him probably had a more tasteful color scheme, but he's still the same great figure.

Cold-hearted mastermind Victor Fries started life as an outcase, tormented by his brutal father, and hungry for companionship.  Ultimately hired by Gothcorp as a cryogenecist, Fries fell in love and tried to use science to save his beloved from a terminal illness.  When Gothcorp ended the funding for his project, thereby writing his love's death certificate, Fries went mad and took revenge as Mr. Freeze, encased in super frigid armor and wielding a Freeze-Gun.  Mr. Freeze made his comic book debut in Batman #121, and went on to become the caped crusader's coolest enemy ever. 

Like Batman & Batgirl, the figures come Batman bases, which hold little interest for me- the peg isn't long enough for a good, solid connection. Annoying! They are silver (Silver Age character renderings), and look better in my photo than in real life.  They also came with 6 3/4 x 10 1/4" mini posters, which were rolled up in the side of the package- now this I liked. I think I will pick up a couple frames I can switch these Legacy posters around in. The Catman poster is particularly striking! 

More Later- Keep It FUN!

Batman Legacy Batman w/Bat-Mite & Batgirl

I wasn't overwhelmed by the first offerings from the Batman Legacy line of action figures by Mattel- I already had a DCUC Joker, I'm lukewarm on the Modern Age Batman, Harvey Dent had a coin permanently sculpted in one hand & included no weapon, and I have the far superior DC Direct Arkham Asylum Batman.  The second wave, however,  had the Batgirl I've wanted, a Golden Age Batman, and a character new to the Mattel 6" DC Universe line, Catman! 

I'm a big fan of Batman's Golden Age outfit- I like the black shorts & mask, shorter cape & ears on the cowl, yellow utility belt, and simple chest insignia. This one looks just about perfect to me. While this K-Mart Exclusive version included a smaller Bat-Mite companion figure, I regret a batarang or grapple hook not being included. Mine has a somewhat loose left shoulder joint, but he still holds a pose- any advice on how that might be fixed would be graciously considered. And as often as it is a problem, the weight of Batman's cape makes it difficult for him to remain upright in many positions, like so many of the caped figures in the DC Universe Classics line. Batman did the Nestea Plunge several times during this session  :D  I will say that the sculpt on his soft rubber cape looks both clean and appropriate- very cool!

Bat-Mite is to Batman as Mr. Mxyzptlk is to Superman- a impish nuisance from another dimension who likes to create situations that cause need for his hero, Batman, to leap into action. I was surprised to have discovered the majority of Bat-Mite's history in the comics was confined to just a few years, from 1959 to 1964, though he did appear a handful of times thereafter, including Grant Morrison's Batman R.I.P. series, which I have yet to read. I don't think a lot of kids today enjoy whimsy in the comics of yesteryear, and I guess there's only so much that can be done with a character like Bat-Mite, so I can see why he doesn't fit in with the ever-evolving, dark & complicated world of Batman today. Still, I was really glad to have found the K-Mart Exclusive that included that included Batman's loathsome, erstwhile companion.

A figure in this line I was really excited by was Batgirl! While merely a repaint of the DC Superheroes Batgirl, I preferred both the classic color scheme and the opportunity to have a Batgirl at a reasonable price- the DCSH Batgirl can go for a lot these days! And if Mattel ever wants to make any money, they can just re-release the Bargirl Barbie. She's hot property, and I'm unsure why they don't roll it all out for this beloved heroine. As though Mattel never learned, or likely never cared, the action pose she was packaged in warped her right leg. A dip in near boiling water followed by a firm repositioning under cold tap water seemed to cure that easily. Small complaint: where her articulated right forearm joins under her glove can be seen through the light yellow plastic.

Additionally, this girl should have a grapplehook or batarang- her hand is positioned to be holding one- C'mon Mattel!!

The buck on these DC Universe women have always been too small in my opinion- they feel fragile to the touch, and Batgirl here is as anorexic as the rest. I realize they are stylized like the bodies in the comics, but I would have beefed these beauties up. All complaints aside, I enjoyed this figure's styling and color, and the gloss black was a nice touch.

The figures did come with something: they both had bases, but Batgirl just doesn't stand on hers well at all- the peg isn't long enough for a good, solid connection. Annoying! They are gold (Golden Age Batman) & silver (Silver Age Batgirl), and look better in my photo than in real life.  They also came with 6 3/4 x 10 1/4" mini posters, which were rolled up in the side of the package- now this I liked. I think I will pick up a couple frames I can switch these Legacy posters around in. I love that kind of stuff! 

Group shot!

Up Next: Catman & Mr. Freeze! Stay Tuned!