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The Weekly Haul: Week of February 10, 2021

Posted on February 12, 2021 by Walt

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Another week, another haul…made particularly large this week by including some recent back issues, and a couple of back issues. The Dawn of X single-issue collection is coming along a bit…

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So we have a new issue of TMNT–#114–and I’d have to check, but I think this one lines up more with the description of the previous issue. And hey…Tokka and Rahzar!

Radiant Black #1 hit this week–I feel like I thought it was going to be a couple weeks later, but not complaining! I enjoyed it well enough on a quick read, and do think I’ll give it a few issues. Something about it also reminded me of Hickman and the current X stuff…just without the info pages.

Robin Eternal #2 (of 2!) should be my last DC Future State book. Then I think outside of $1 reprints and/or facsimile editions, Batman/Catwoman will be about the extent of my DC for awhile.

Two GI Joe: A Real American Hero issues this week. #278 of the ongoing, and a reprint of GI Joe Yearbook #1 from the classic Marvel run.

I’m less-keen on Amazing Spider-Man post-Last Remains but apparently going a bit further. Since I had #58 and #59 was out this week, I figure that’ll at least give me fuller context for #60, which had caught my attention for its cover that I saw somewhere online.

Annnnnd jumping onto the X bandwagon, X-Force #17 and Excalibur #18. I’m in the midst of reading X of Swords as of this typing, so at least going to wait til I finish that and catch up reading from there…as well as having a lot of pre-XoS to catch up reading!

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Morrrrrrrre Batman with Comic Shop News. I am so thoroughly sick and tired of sooooooooo much Batman. I’m wavering on Batman/Catwoman but the upcoming 3rd issue’s cover is a huge part of what sold me on the series outside of it being the continuation of King‘s run. But outside of that–because it’s (to me) THE continuation of what I’d been buying for the last few years–it just feels to me like the character is so vastly over-used. But DC being AT&DC at this point, it doesn’t seem like they’re going to be doing much other than Batman, since apparently Batman’s what sells.

And with B/C…even to me.

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Snagged a bunch of additional X books from the recent-back-issues…and even a couple of bagged-and-boarded-filed-away actual back-issues that–once combined with what should be coming soon in the mail–will leave me with mayyyybe one issue to chase down of Marauders. (Which for starting at the beginning with reading the Dawn of X stuff was definitely my favorite of the #1s!)

And there we go…another week of getting this "Weekly Haul" post up as an individual week, and another week of (week)daily posts. That makes 3 5-day weeks and a 4-day week before that. About how I got rolling about this time in 2016 and rolled through to late summer 2017.

Personal life is not allowing for that again…so we’ll see what shakes out in the near-future schedule/regularity-wise!

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Filed under: 2021 Non-Review Posts, 2021 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Weekly Haul | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

First New Star Wars 3.75" Figures in Years

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Walt

Back in December, I finally got around to watching the whole of The Mandalorian. Disney had even saved my spot where I’d left off–apparently I’d really only watched the first episode…though I’d thought I had watched 2 or 3. It just hadn’t grabbed me, back in 2019.

With some family health stuff going on, I ended up watching 15 episodes in a weekend–and it REALLY re-sparked my interesting/enjoyment of Star Wars.

star_wars_din_djarin_boba_fett_vintage_series

So I–as fairly usual for me–had to get something tangible or "trophy-ish" for the show, and wound up getting a Vintage Collection The Mandalorian Din Djarin and Vintage Collection The Empire Strikes Back Boba Fett.

And I think it’s been 20-21 years since buying multiple Star Wars 3.75" figures.

I really only have one large such purchase in my past: way back in probably Summer 2000, one payday a friend and I discovered a bunch of Phantom Menace and such figures and others cashing in on the film at the time on clearance at the local Toys R Us and wound up filling a shopping cart between the two of us.

These definitely look to be a step up from those, but made all the cooler because I hardly knew who Boba Fett was at the time and in the years since have come to appreciate the character and his coolness. I also remember when The Mandalorian was announced, I assumed it was gonna be some show about Fett; when it wasn’t, I think I just wasn’t nearly as interested at first.

Now, though…it’s cool just to have Boba Fett (old) and Din Djarin (new)…both Mandalorians and both with really cool looks…and both really cool figures on vintage-style packages!

Hasbro even puts the classic Kenner logo on them to add to the "authenticity" of the things’ appearance, despite it not really being an official/ongoing brand anymore.

Cool as these are, I’m NOT all that interested in diving into the realm of Star Wars toys…I’ve got enough hassle with NECA and their TMNT stuff and the new Masters of the Universe Origins line as well as all the other miscellaneous stuff I get.

Dabbler in much, master of few….or something like that. I guess.

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Filed under: 2021 Non-Review Posts, 2021 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Toy Chronicles | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Bought it For the Cover: A Sound of Thunder’s Parallel Eternity

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Walt

This is a sort of dual-themed post. But I realized that it truly fits under the banner of Bought it For the Cover as it was definitely the art for the Rai cover that got my attention back in 2019! (Despite my aversion to modern Valiant).

Bought it For the Cover Archive:

So about a year after originally expected (thanks to the obvious of 2020), A Sound of Thunder‘s 10th anniversary album Parallel Eternity has finally arrived…along with various Kickstarter goodies.

sound_of_thunder_parallel_eternity_goodies_unboxed

First, I was impressed with the packaging. I’ve gotten used to crummy packaging with Kickstarter stuff lately. This bundle came with a nice black envelope covering with the a small sticker of the band’s logo (of the circle/X looking part in the middle-right above). It also had stickers stating FRAGILE HANDLE WITH CARE on top and bottom (or front/back…skinny package).

Getting that open revealed the box at the top of the photo above, which nicely protected its contents as well as being an attractive piece itself!

This bundle came with the Parallel Eternity booklet signed by the band; and the Rai (2019) #1 issue. Then there’s some sort of vinyl record (square?!? Huh…interesting!).

Some sort of CD with the same Rai art…possibly a game. But I think it’s a single of a Rai track (ditto the vinyl record). A sticker with the band’s name and that X thing; and a signed postcard.

And ostensibly the main thing…the two-disc CD album Parallel Eternity.

sound_of_thunder_parallel_eternity_rai_number_one

Given this Rai issue was a bonus thing, I feel it gets around my not buying Valiant single issues and such. And given how late it is getting here, hardly seems a factor to me in terms of contributing to their numbers. As an exclusive from the band, the quantity was the quantity whether I got one or not.

And it did what they presumably intended in grabbing my attention.

I actually had wound up buying several of their other tracks digitally and they’ve been part of a regular rotation in playlists for me.

And I "discovered" them and their work, those tracks…and backed the album…because of the cover art of the Rai issue getting my attention.

No plans for further Rai but I do think I’ll be enjoying this album and continue enjoying A Sound of Thunder‘s work going forward.

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Filed under: 2021 Non-Review Posts, 2021 posts, Bought it For the Cover, NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Weekend Retail Therapy: X of Swords and X-Lapsed

Posted on February 9, 2021 by Walt

Over the weekend, I finally took a plunge, and decided to check out X of Swords for myself, beyond the "handbook" issue I’d picked up awhile back.

I’ve been listening to Chris Sheehan‘s coverage of the event on his X-Lapsed podcast, and with having already stocked up on Cable, had decided on visiting the one shop that if they had the entirety of the crossover from where I was leaving off the podcast, I’d snag the issues.

Well…

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They had them.

I had to "settle" for several variants and a 2nd printing, but I was able to in one go "complete" the story from chapters 8-22.

15 chapters, and the entire crossover is 22! 15 chapters is basically only 2/3…and yet…it’s FIFTEEN CHAPTERS.

But even just looking at the principle of the thing…while yes, there’s the Creation, Stasis, and Destruction issues bookending and at the middle…the vaaaast majority of X of Swords takes place in ACTUAL ISSUES of titles.

And there’s even something rather nostalgic about the numbering of some of the issues…this event seems to be roughly at the same point in the Dawn of X that X-Cutioner’s Song was to the 1990s family of titles!

Another factor to buying these physically was that Marvel Unlimited only goes so far, and this event story skirts the newest reaches of the digital subscription–which as of Sunday ended at chapter 11.

So we’ll see where I go from this point…

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Filed under: 2021 Non-Review Posts, 2021 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Looking Forward to a Possible Documentary Feature Film about Batman: The Animated Series

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Walt

Yesterday, I shared a link and posted the following to Facebook. This is simply me supporting a project I’d love to see happen. I myself am backing the project, and this post is totally me, Walt–unsponsored, un-requested/etc. The only thing I receive from this is the satisfaction of doing what little I can from my little corner of the internet here to shine some attention on a worthy project!

Did you discover Batman thanks to the ’90s animated series? Do you fondly recall the early to mid-’90s with shows like Batman and X-Men? Have you enjoyed their successors–Superman, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited… even the modern live action films?

Is Kevin Conroy the voice of "your" Batman? Mark Hamill the voice of "your" Joker?

So much came from this brilliant series–its animation, its writing, its voice talent. And the folks behind the series are mostly still around–they’re still alive and many still active in the industry…and able to be involved in a project like this. Information, anecdotes, recollections…they’re not just names and written quotes in history texts or bland wiki entries somewhere online.

Phil’s got a documentary lined up to cover this show, with interviews from many involved firsthand on having brought a key vision of Batman to the screen with influence lasting to this very day.

I’m not generally one to "push" crowdfunding ventures but this one that I’m certainly personally behind. Phil does awesome work, and this would be an awesome one to see able to be made.

If you’d consider checking it out–don’t just take my wording for it…visit the Kickstarter page (link is in the comments), see it in Phil’s own words, and think about "backing" this, even if only for a few dollars. Toss in $3-4–about the cost of a cup of coffee on the go(???)–and you’ll be part of this documentary happening. And you’ll probably spend more time watching it than that cup of coffee would have lasted.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/livestockproductions/stay-tooned-presents-btas/

If you opt to click the link above (or click the image below), it’ll take you to Kickstarter and you can click around within the campaign page for the project.

As of my grabbing the screenshot, there are 78 backers and $7,066 raised of a $10,000 "goal."

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The way Kickstarter works is, you "pledge" whatever amount, and then at the END of the campaign–funds are collected…assuming, of course, the campaign met its goal. It’s an all-or-nothing situation: either it’s funded, or it’s not. You are NOT charged immediately–you’re only charged at the end and then only if the campaign met its goal.

But you have to actually pledge in order for that to happen.

I’d love to see this come to fruition. That’s why I’m posting about it…I don’t think I’ve ever posted something like this, supporting/endorsing a Kickstarter thing, if that helps show I’m not just blowing smoke on the matter.

If you’re reading this…I’d recommend checking out the campaign, and if you’re interested and able, back it.

If you want to check out Phil’s other work, his site is at https://retailsunshine.com/.

And for another documentary he self-produced recently, you can find Sparking Sunshine on his YouTube channel.

And with that…I’m shutting up for now.

I have several other posts planned for this week, but "real life" is already rearing its head, so whether I make it through another week of "(week)daily" posts or not remains to be seen.

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Filed under: 2021 Non-Review Posts, 2021 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a comment »

The Weekly Haul: Week of February 3, 2021

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Walt

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This was certainly THE largest single week of new comics for me in ages and definitely this year! But I consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to have weeks like this–spending this much on such a luxury item as comics. That said…it also sometimes feels a bit like a consolation prize of sorts: with no spouse/partner and no kids, money that would otherwise go into stuff related to that is thus "available" for frivolous spending. Win some, lose some, I guess?

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Hard to believe we’re "already" to the 8th issue of Fire Power; but here it is!

Despite adding to an already large week, I opted to grab Deep Beyond #1 as it’s a #1, it’s Image, and I like its look. I think it actually qualifies for Bought it for the Cover. Then Chained to the Grave apparently has a local-ish (Ohio) creator, so I figured I could at least get the #1 and see if I get around to reading it and if I’m interested in more.

We have another facsimile edition from Marvel in Amazing Spider-Man #101…I believe the first appearance of Morbius. And then incidentally, two MORE facsimile editions, but from Image this time: Graphic Fantasy issues 1 AND 2! These reprint the old publications that had the earliest appearances of Larson‘s Dragon character that got tweaked and wound up as Savage Dragon when Image was launched. While expensive as single modern issues, beats the heck outta trying to track down the originals. Not interested in that, but these being available now as reprints? I’m glad to support the facsimile edition "thing."

And then I snagged several recent-back-issues of the X-persuasion in X-Force #s 15 & 16 (I snagged #14 a couple weeks back) as well as X-Men #17 (I recently snagged #16 on a non-regular buy). I’m still wavering on throwing in post-X of Swords and torn but figure I won’t feel the price as much if I snag stuff a little bit here and there rather than grabbing a bunch of issues all at once!

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While I’ve pretty much bailed on DC, and particularly their Future State stuff, I figured I’d at least finish out Future State: Swamp Thing since it’s "only" 2 issues at $3.99 (ditto next week’s Future State: Robin Eternal).

At this point, the Warhammer 40k: Marneus Calgar is another mini-series that’s wound up at its penultimate issue where I have yet to READ the singles and now could definitely have just waited for the inevitable collected volume. Especially for the single-issue $4.99 price point. But at the same time, while it IS Marvel, I’m more interested in the Warhammer 40k angle as so few such comics based on games seem to be around.

Another factor on me wavering on the X-stuff is that I’ve been getting these Dawn of X paperbacks. With this 12th volume, we’re getting to the 10th issues of first-wave books and early 2nd-wave. I’m not sure how many it’ll take to get up to X of Swords or whether that story will be its own item (these all being paperback, I want a paperback single edition of the crossover OR let it be spread across 4 or so of these volumes!)

Finally, the Tom Taylor Hellblazer: Rise and Fall mini-series concludes, and it’s a few weeks delayed, considering I expected it and saw it on a list of current-week stuff closer to the turn of the year. I’m pretty much hoping I’m now done with DC‘s Black Label oversized issues. Especially as I think the collected volume for this series will be out in a couple weeks…I have GOT to quit buying into MINI-series!

And then we end on the week’s Comic Shop News spotlighting Radiant Black which I think is being written by the writer (or former writer? Beats me?) of Boom‘s first few years of Power Rangers. But this is coming from Image and NOT Boom…and something about it strikes me as a little bit Power-Ranger-y and I’m definitely interested in checking it out when it comes!

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Filed under: 2021 Non-Review Posts, 2021 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Weekly Haul | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

A Couple Waves of Super7 TMNT Ultimates

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Walt

In continuing to show off still-packaged figures, we’ve come to the Super7 TMNT Ultimates line.

Wave 1 arrived sometime last year; and Wave 2 only juuuuuuust arrived a few days ago!

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Though they’re still packaged, I absolutely love the display aspect for these! When one factors in the slip-cover AND the cardboard box around that, let alone what you see here…these are clearly designed FOR display!

These things are HUGE compared to the original, vintage figures they’re modeled after.

And I really dig ’em…from this first wave, Baxter Stockman is easily my favorite…despite my never having cared for the fly motif. But there’s a certain bit of nostalgia there as he’s one of the earlier non-TMNT-themselves characters I acquired as a kid, and I remember the specific trip getting him–I was annoyed because Dad wouldn’t let me open it in the car…I had to wait til we got home. And we were stopped at a train crossing for one of THE SLOWEST TRAINS EVER. I think it even slowed to a stop and then reversed…one of those.

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These are even MORE premium-priced than the NECA figures. These individually are only about $6-7 cheaper than the NECA 2-packs.

And yet, they’re TMNT so I’ll make an exception…I wouldn’t pay $45 for just any figures, that’s for sure!

But I’m ALSO willing just for the sheer SIMPLICITY of getting them.

Place order, and wait.

That’s it. From the start.

No chasing around to half a dozen Targets 20 times or so. No stress, anxiety, frustration, and other feelings that should not ever come into play as an adult collecting adult collectibles.

I’m looking forward to additional figures in this line, as well as (eventually) finding the shelf space and opening these and displaying them loose!

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Filed under: 2021 Non-Review Posts, 2021 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, showing off the shelves, The Toy Chronicles | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

A Couple Years of The Lightning Collection

Posted on February 3, 2021 by Walt

Despite it being pretty much my absolute favorite tv show for a time back in the ’90s–particularly 7th/8th grade–I never really had any of the TOYS from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

I had a fair bit of licensed stuff–folders, paper pads, stuff with imagery from the show–but other than a McDonald’s White Ranger/Falconzord from the movie, it wasn’t really until maybe 2009/20010 or so that I got a Megazord or my own, and it was awhile before I discovered and acquired any of the Legacy Collection line.

Then a couple years ago the MMPR property apparently was sold, and Hasbro got the license and rather than continue with that, they started their own line…the Lightning Collection. lightning_collection_mmpr_sides

Due to already having a (for me) huge collection of MMPR stuff that doesn’t even fit onto TWO shelves’ space combined…I’ve been acquiring Hasbro’s Lightning Collection figures when they’ve had the Mighty Morphin’ characters. I don’t care for the later iterations…MY sweet spot, my nostalgia-spot, is Mighty-Morphin’! I’m also loathe to pick up on anything based on the Boom Studios comics, as I still–FIVE YEARS LATER–refuse to buy stuff from them in my one-man-protest against their handling of the initial release of their MMPR comics.

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Anyway…for lack of shelf space, I’ve yet to OPEN my Lightning Collection figures. And since they’re pretty much display-ready as-is, they’ve remained in their packages, as I’m showing them off here.

lightning_collection_mmpr_basics

2 years in, having just received an apparently-out-of-print/out-of-production Mighty Morphin Yellow Ranger (bought as "not mint" and I expected a beat-up box but even the BOX is in as good or better condition than the others!) I now have all the Rangers I’m interested in.

Red, Blue, Black, Pink, White, Yellow, and Green.

Also have Goldar from (I believe) a Gamestop release (though I’ve seen the character elsewhere since, so I’m not sure now if it was exclusive or exclusive-for-a-time). And Lord Zedd was–along with the White Ranger–part of the initial wave a couple years ago, if I recall correctly.

While they might LOOK cool, I don’t need any variants like a Dragon-Shield Red Ranger or such. Just HAVING the single-figure packs of these characters mean pretty much the only other figures I might care for would be a single-pack Rita Repulsa, Finster, Squatt, and Baboo.

Yet those might be just as well in multi-packs or such.

Ditto for putties–army-building generic figures seem to me to be better to be part of a multi-pack than taking up limited slots in single-figure assortments. And simply AS generic things, better to get in bulk anyway!

lightning_collection_mmpr_twopacks

With the White Ranger being a single-pack figure from the start, when I saw a Green Ranger (albeit "Fighting Spirit Green Ranger") I leapt for it. Bonus…it came with a Putty! I wasn’t about to buy multiples just to get more Putty figures, but hey…I only ever had a single Foot Soldier with my classic TMNT figures, so hey…it is what it is.

Later there was a 2-pack release of Putty Patrollers that I got; though of all the figures, this is the only one not to have a window box display! Perhaps it was cheaper that way; and for bulk generics, it’d make sense. I only ordered the single pack, though as I type this I consider perhaps I should have ordered another.

Then there’s the Lord Zedd & Rita Repulsa pack. I’d actually more or less FORGOTTEN that I had a single-pack Lord Zedd when I ordered this; but not being aware of a single-pack for Rita, and being annoyed at lack of other similar-price-range figures being available to purchase from NECA, I ordered this from Gamestop partly out of spite toward NECA.

lightning_collection_mmpr_deluxe

I’d come across this deluxe pack/2-pack of Alpha and Zordon at some point and snagged it. I don’t recall if it was from Walmart or Target, but I suspect Walmart.

More recently I snagged the Pumpkin Rapper and King Sphinx deluxe packs. Given the general lack of villains ANYway in Power Rangers toys, I hadn’t really even NOTICED the lack of villains in the Lightning Collection.

Most of the "monster of the week" ("monster of the DAY?") monsters were largely forgettable and hardly as enduring as the Rangers themselves, or the "main" villains. Forgettable–so why do them at all? On the other hand–as an "of the day" or "of the week" there’s a HUUUUUUGE quantity of these things to have made!

On one hand, I could almost say that with some of the single-pack figures "out of print," they could be re-released with some villains a la NECA’s TMNT 2-packs. Buuut…already having all the Rangers, I would hate having to re-buy them just to get a villain.

If they re-released the Rangers as 2-packs (i.e. Red & Yellow, Black & Pink, Green & Blue) that wouldn’t really affect me. I could see them doing Ranger vs. Putty packs…which would not be ideal for ME but at least passing on Putty figures I wouldn’t be passing on unique monsters.

I’ve also snagged several of the Lightning Collection "prop" releases: White Ranger Helmet, Red Ranger Helmet, Power Morpher, and Dragon Dagger. I’d gladly buy a Lighting Collection counterpart to the long-outta-print Legacy Collection Power Sword. I don’t think I’d care for any of the other weapons outside of POSSIBLY the White Ranger Tiger Dagger (Saba?). And other than a Green Ranger helmet, I don’t know that I’d necessarily care for the other Rangers’ helmets. Particularly with my vastly-decreased display space for anything. (decreased due to sheer volume of acquisitions the last 2 1/2 to 3 years).

I’d also be VERY interested in Zord releases, especially toward an Ultrazord. But I suspect some of what made the originals and Legacy Collection Zords work was Bandai and Hasbro may simply not have the ability to duplicate that? Who knows.

Because I’d taken the photos anyway…here are closer-up images of the current-configuration of my Mighty Morphin Power Rangers shelves.

lightning_collection_mmpr_full_nonlightning_collection_left

The left part of the main shelving…

lightning_collection_mmpr_full_nonlightning_collection_right

…and the right part.

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Filed under: 2021 Non-Review Posts, 2021 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, showing off the shelves, The Toy Chronicles | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

A Year of DC 3.75"/4" from Spinmaster

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Walt

Last year, I started seeing some new DC action figures from Spinmaster. (Also from McFarlane Toys). The Spinmaster figures are smaller–3.75" or 4" scale, I’m not actually certain which…but considerably smaller than 6"/7" figures like the DC Multiverse or Marvel Legends figures.

Due to increasingly limited shelf-space…and already having a shelf jam-packed with loose Superman figures–I didn’t immediately open the Superman that I got. And then I chased down a black suit, bearded variant. And then over the past year, I’ve occasionally snagged another figure as my eye’s been caught.

spinmaster_dc_general

Having the "actual" Superman (Rebirth-era without the trunks) I’m not bothered by other variants. I’m actually hoping for a version WITH the trunks! I’m not overly-keen on Lex Luthor, but liked the appearance with the packaging and actually having the "logo" for his name. The "tech" Superman or whatever reminded me of the Cyborg Superman, so while obviously not that, I snagged it. Captain Marvel, Flash, and Aquaman were cool. After the Mattel 3.75 Infinite Heroes Wonder Woman standing out in my mind as one of those figures that would not stand on its own, I only got her figure to go with Superman and (separately) Batman.

But it’s been more than clear to me that Spinmaster‘s (and DC‘s!) HEART lies with BATMAN. Soooo many more figures, where the general DC ones seem–by comparison–to be token action figure presence to claim presence, perhaps to maintain a license or some such? Stuff over MY pay grade.

spinmaster_dc_batman

Robin (Tim Drake) is one of my favorite comic characters, and over the last few years I’ve wound up with quite a collection of Robin figures and such.I like to think that these variant Robins are intended to be the various characters–Tim, Damian, and Jason, at least.

I finally caved recently-ish and snagged the most NORMAL-LOOKING/most-comics-accurate-looking-to-me Batman. Nightwing and Catwoman for obvious ties to Bat-stuff.

And an apparently armored Batman putting me in mind of Dark Knight Returns, but perhaps intended more as Batman v. Superman. Whatever. It’s bulky and cool.

Then there were some of the big, bulky villains! Killer Croc, Bronze Tiger, King Shark, and Man-Bat.

Somewhere along the way, spotted Talon and figured for this line, and being (relatively-speaking) pretty cheap (1/3 to 1/2 the price of the larger Multiverse scale figures), I’d rather have more characters, so grabbed it. Same for Killer Moth. I even grudgingly bought Batwoman figuring she’d go well with a grouping of Detective Comics: Rebirth characters at least.

And that golden Joker…happened across that and initially figured I’d get it as "trade bait," but have since more or less settled on keeping it for the heckuvit, at least for now. There’s another Joker variant that I may keep an eye out for as well. Despite this, I still think it’s rather stupid to have limited chase variants in action figures; but all the more when they’re functionally UNPAINTED figures merely done in some alternate color plastic!

But as said…with this scale and the possibility quantity-wise, I’m more ok with stuff than I’d be if these were DC Multiverse or such.

And these are just "basic figures," without getting into any of the multi-packs and such that have even more recently caught my eye.

I see plenty of activity in a toy group I’m in on Facebook about the Multiverse figures…but I feel like I don’t/haven’t seen much of anything for this line.

Fine by me–if the only figure(s) being "chased" for this line ARE the solid-color-unpainted variants, that leaves more of the actual figures for me to be able to get without dealing with…shall we say…"resellers."

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Filed under: 2021 Non-Review Posts, 2021 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, showing off the shelves | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

TSR Comic Spark: Forgotten Realms and Spelljammer Arrivals!

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Walt

A couple weeks back, I posted about my "TSR Comics Spark 2021"; and the other day I included the Birthright issue in with my Weekly Haul: Week of January 27, 2021 post.

But now I also have the (I believe!) full run of Forgotten Realms from DC back in the day, as well as a chunk of Spelljammer…which leaves the remainder of Spelljammer as well as Dragonlance to snag!

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Forgotten Realms #s 1-9;

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Forgotten Realms #s 10-18;

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Forgotten Realms #s 19-25.

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TSR Worlds annual that apparently brought Spelljammer into things from Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance; and Spelljammer #s 1-2, 4-5, 7-8;

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Spelljammer #s 9-11, 13.

I don’t know if there are any "variant" covers in the mix with these…they certainly were never on the level as Man of Steel #1, and I believe otherwise pretttttty much pre-dated the ’90s stuff of variants, alternate editions, and "enhanced" covers or "Collector’s Edition" vs. "Newsstand Edition" crap.

But that makes it a loooot easier for me to intend to stick to this DC line of TSR comics without pursuing into the modern iterations and such.

Time will tell ultimately, though!

I’m grateful to be able to hit this large a chunk of the issues simply by ordering online. Especially if conventions aren’t likely to be much of a "thing" this year, similar to last year. Plus, I don’t know that there are any particularly-pricy issues overall; no major first-appearances or other "firsts" or "keys" in the grander scheme and TV/Movie/Streaming "optioning" or such. These may not be particularly plentiful in back-issue bins and such…but at least they’re not exactly "hot items" in general beyond smaller communities.

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Filed under: 2021 Non-Review Posts, 2021 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

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