Johann Kraus

So I never thought I'd buy Hellboy toys. I don't read the comic book, didn't watch the first movie and had no plans to watch the second.

Then someone offered me a free ticket to Hellboy 2.

It was a pretty good movie. But what I really loved was the design of Johann Kraus. So hey! 3.75" inch, high detailed, action figure featuring heavy articulation! He looks amazing and has every joint I want in a toy. (Neck, shoulder, elbow, torso, hips, knees.)

SOLD!

I'm really getting way into this scale. Considering 4" toys cost $8 now, it's not as good a deal as it once was. Still, you gotta love the number of different lines they're making in this scale.

3.75" will rule the world.

So there's a rumor that they're going to stop making 5" Doctor Who toys because plastic costs so much.

And start making 3.75" Doctor Who toys.

http://www.doctorwhotoys.net/rumouroftheday.htm

Doctor Who toys in the same scale as Star Wars? Interesting. My question is would they go back and remake figures they've already done in this new scale?

Sinestro (DC Universe Classics)

Why did I buy that?

The nearby KB Toys outlet was having some good going-out-of-business sales, so I was able to snag this as well as a DCUC Nightwing for my brother. I really don't care for Sinestro as a character. What I mainly wanted was the Collect and Connect pieces included with both figures. I need to complete my Solomon Grundy figure!

Any regrets?

The size issue with this figure (the sculptors intended it to be taller, but it was shrunk in production so that it's shorter than it should be) doesn't really bother me. Yeah, standing next to his arch-nemesis Green Lantern he looks spindly, but I don't display my figures that way, so it's moot in my eyes. As a figure on its own it's surprisingly cool.

What's more distressing is Mattel's oft-bemoaned quality control issues. My Sinestro figure has a tear in its rear right hip joint, creating a noticeable gap. It's not so severe that I can't move the figure's leg freely, but it is a major blemish that can't be overlooked.

Am I happy with my purchase?

It's a decent figure, and it's always nice having new sculpts in this line, but ultimately Sinestro is the one figure I own from DC Universe Classics that I would have no qualms about selling. Except I really can't, because of that damn joint tear.

Origins Wolverine & Agent Zero

I hate exclusives. I have a hard enough time finding the toys I want without having to worry about them only being available in specific stores. That's assuming whatever branches of the store near me actually get them in. But the really cool stuff is usually an exclusive. The niche products not everyone wants. So a hunting I will go.

Toys R' Us has been getting exclusive minimates. For the Wolverine Movie wave they've got 4 exclusive figures. The Silver Fox exclusive looks like a generic minimate and I can do without the new Wolverine variants since I've already got like a half dozen, so I could almost skip these exclusives.

Except that one of them is the movie version of Agent Zero, an Asian Dude. And since I like minimates and seek images of mainstream Asian American characters that don't play into generic sterotypes, I needed to get this guy. I don't even collect the Marvel Movie minimates (they always look disappointing) but hell, he's an Asian American dude and that's all I care about right now.

This is what happens when your race is under-represented in the mainstream media.

The Fourth Doctor

I got into Doctor Who when I was a teenager. And when you're a teenager you try to prove that you're unique. So when all the people said how Tom Baker was the best actor to play the Doctor, I rebelled. "It's only because he did it the longest," I grumbled and promptly picked Colin Baker as my favorite Doctor. Keep in mind, this is before I'd ever seen any episodes with either actor.

After actually watching numerous episodes, and maturing a little, I can admit that I fully understand why people loved Tom Baker's Doctor. (The Fourth Doctor.) He's fun to watch. He's one of my favorites now, so when they made a toy of him I thought it was pretty cool.

I also though he'd be insanely hard to get. After all, he's everyone's favorite Doctor. So I put him low on my priority list. But then I started collecting the Classic figures, and after seeing how awesome they were, I needed a Tom Baker. And yes, they were insanely hard to get... at a reasonable price. Fortunately I found one for the price I was willing to pay. And here it is.

The Fourth Doctor actually wore a number of different costumes. They were designed to make him look Bohemian. Fortunately he had one pretty consistant accessory. The Scarf. It's his trademark. (Although he did forego it a few times. Like when he wore the Scottish garb in the Talons of Wang-Chiang. I hear it's going to be a variant.) So really, as long as he looked scruffy and had the scarf people would love it.

Actually I quite like the figure. It has a good amount of articulation (the entire classics line does. Hooray.) The likeness is quite good (the jowls don't seem quite right though) and it comes with a interchangeable head without the hat. I don't like the grim expression on the second head, but eh. The scarf does a good job of hiding the neck connection which I hated on the other Doctor Who figure with interchangeable head. (Gas Mask Zombie/Doctor Constantine)

Cobra Officer (GI Joe 25th Anniversary)

Why did I buy this?

Troop building! As flashy as higher-profile characters are, if you're collecting a toy line that involves military forces, it's always good to bolster the collection with a number of grunt figures.

Any regrets?

Look at those arms. Note that the figure is standing in the most neutral position possible. Yes, the arms are poorly sculpted and totally wonky, thus ruining what I consider the all-important neutral "just standing on the shelf" pose. This is particularly a big impediment for the figure since one of its two accessories is a rifle it cannot hold properly due to the sculpt and inadequate articulation. The other accessory (not counting the removable helmet and resquite figure base), is a narrow knife sheathed on the left leg, which is just weak.

Am I happy with my purchase?


After opening the packaging I was quickly disappointed. It's fine if you just want to stick it in a vehicle, but if you want to assemble a row of lower-tier Cobra soldiers on your shelf, this is not the best choice.