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More Recent Toys (As Of February 13th)

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Walt

I’ve been accumulating some new toys lately. So, I’ll keep showing ’em off, whether or not I get to any lengthier "spotlights" on any of them.

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Several weeks back, I finally "gave in" and bought a blind-box of the Disney Afternoon Mystery Minis. I got Shere Khan from TaleSpin, I believe a Toys R Us exclusive for the set. Initially, I wasn’t all that thrilled, but he’s grown on me…especially as I liken this version to the mid-’80s Lex Luthor. I’ve got this at my desk at work, and have yet to hear any complaint!

disney_afternoon_mystery_minis_darkwing_duck

The mini I especially wanted from the set was Darkwing Duck himself. However, for the price of these, I decided it’d be much more economical to just order the loose figure online. While it was more than I’d prefer to pay for any single one of these…it was cheaper than buying two more blind-boxes. And this way, I have a cool figure from the set in Shere Khan, and I have THE figure I most wanted. No dupes, no fuss.

JLAction_new_supermen

I did not know the Justice League Action Mighty Minis line had continued until I happened across several packs at a Half-Price Books. I bought two, and wound up with these two Supermen. Some sort of "gold variant" and a "holographic". Not overly keen on ’em (I especially wanted The Atom!) but they go on my Superman shelf, so…could be worse?

one12_mirror_universe_spock

While I’m totally hit or miss on actually keeping up with Twitter, one time that I was on, saw a post from FigureFan Zero about a deal at ThinkGeek for a Mirror Univers Spock figure, apparently usually in the $80 range, on sale for a ridiculously great price. I followed the link, liked what I saw, and ordered it. I especially like that the figure came with a base, though I have yet to figure out a semi-permanent place to display it. Of course, I’m having that issue with a lot lately…really need to get around to assembling some bookcases I bought last year.

legacy_dragonzord_imaginext_green_ranger

Then there’s my favorite of late, and the one I’m most excited to have (FINALLY!) managed to get: the Legacy Dragonzord! I’ve been wanting this for years (it’s been over 2 1/2 years since I got the White Tigerzord) and just happened across one being sold via Walmart‘s third-party stuff. While a lot more expensive than I wanted to spend at the time, it was (including shipping) roughly what I paid for the White Tigerzord, and about $10 under my "upper limit" that I’d set for myself for this awhile back. Here it’s pictured with an Imaginext Green Ranger.

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Here’s the plastic 2010 Megazord next to the White Tigerzord in robot mode (and the visor was down when I took the photo without realizing it).

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And here’s a shot of the Dragonzord with the White Tigerzord in Tiger mode.

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…And the three Zords together. I would not mind getting the Thunder Megazord…but that’s a BIT pricy right now…especially with some other expensive stuff I’m very interested in at present, amidst all my other spending with comics and such!

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I happened across some blind boxes of the Loyal Subjects Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers in a clearance aisle, 75% off. I got the T-Rex Zord, Saber-Toothed Tiger Zord, Red Ranger, and Blue Ranger.

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The Zords came with these teeny-tiny ultra-miniature figures. I thought that was great, as it actually gives the Zords some scale! And I never imagined such tiny Ranger figures…with removable helmets and poseability themselves!

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Here’s the full-size Red Ranger…more articulation than the tiny-mini.

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And the Blue Ranger. The helmets have hinge/clasps, and remove to show the human face of the Ranger inside. Of course, I prefer the helmets on, as these are the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, and I’m not going for the cartoony human side.

To say that I’m on a Power Rangers kick lately would probably be an understatement. And I’m rather amazed to see how my MMPR collection has grown in the last 12-13 months!

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Filed under: 2018 Non-Review Posts, 2018 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Toy Chronicles | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

The Weekly Haul – Week of November 23, 2016

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Walt

For a Wednesday that includes issues from last week, and the cover prices on stuff, this ended up being a rather light "week" for me. Especially with some stuff I’d half expected to have come in. Not gonna complain, though!

weeklyhaul_11232016_a

Action Comics, A.D. After Death, and Super Powers! are from this week; as is TMNT, I believe. The Spawn issue and Darkwing Duck may be from last week; they were part of my pulls, but I didn’t make it to the usual shop last week. I actually swung by the other shop for the Action issue, as it was sold out at the usual.

I had not been planning on getting the After Death issue, especially being a limited series and "prestige format" at that…but its non-standard size caught my attention, and I figured might as well try it and see what I think of it.

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As part of a week-long sale, the usual shop was having a clearance sale, getting a bunch stuff out, with a "progressive discount" thing–Monday was 60% off, today was 70% off, and I believe Friday and Saturday will be 80% and 90% respectively.

I wound up buying a couple packs of gamedice for Munchkin, and the first three books above.

Batman Eternal vol. 1 cost roughly 3 regular Marvel issues, while War Stories and Superman: Secrets of the Fortress of Solitude were hardly more than the cost of a Marvel #1 each.

At the other shop, seeing the actual/regular/"finished" color cover edition, I went ahead and picked up the DC Universe: Rebirth – The Deluxe Edition…figured better to just pay that now than wind up adding numerous other things to some online order for now

I also flipped through the 25-cent bins, but nothing really caught my eye. There were several bins of series stuff, but others had already cherry-picked stuff, so there weren’t even any true "runs" of anything for me to snag.

Plenty of other stuff with Black Friday this week that’s gonna suck up money I don’t really have anyway.

Really, of everything, the one I was most looking forward to was the Rebirth Deluxe. It’s not a bad volume, though I think I was expecting something else. I’ve gotten SO USED TO hardcovers–especially the "deluxe" and "oversized" hardcovers–having dustjackets that this one feels a bit cheapened somehow, still slightly incomplete. But for its size, it’s not a bad price, and it’s nice to add to my "events" shelf.

Next week is a "Fifth Week" or "skip week," which at least on the DC side means several Annuals, which is also a bit of a bummer as they weren’t part of the bundles I’ve been getting, so if I want ’em, I’ll be paying the full price…

Filed under: 2016 Non-Review posts, 2016 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Weekly Haul | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

The Weekly Haul – Week of September 7th, 2016

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Walt

This was a much better haul this week, with a visit to the usual comic shop, and only a passing visit to the closer-by one.

weeklyhaul_09072016_a

Though they’re doomed to be duplicates with the Rebirth bundle from DCBS, snagged Superman and Supergirl. Also Darkwing Duck and Aliens: Defiance, from previous weeks’ pulls.

Then I did end up hitting the bargain bins.

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A quick glance at the bargain bins told me there was nothing really of interest, but I flipped through anyway, once I spotted a bin that I hadn’t seen at first. In this one, for 80% off, I found the Marvels: 10th Anniversary Edition, and quickly did the math in my head. Yep. For $10, on a $50.00 book that I have honestly wanted since I first learned of its existence some twelve years ago, this was a no-brainer. The book sports a little bit of wear–or at least, the dust jacket does. But it’s more than acceptable given the price!

Then the Wolverine hardcover was a freebie for buying something from the 80% off bin! At the closer-by shop, after seeing it for several weeks, I "gave in" and snagged the Heralds volume. Oversized hardcover, contains 4 issues (I think), at the price of one single regular-sized Marvel comic? Considering I couldn’t find it showing in my ‘inventory’ on my phone, opted to go for it.

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There were a lot of "new" ’90s books in the quarter-bins, and I snagged a few, though they were still collectively cheaper than two current Marvel books!

The Batman: Sword of Azrael #1 I recall as–at one time–being listed in Wizard as a $40 book. 25 cents today! It wasn’t til I got the thing home that I noticed a scribble on the cover…could be an autograph, though there’s no certificate or anything for its authenticity. Still, for only 25 cents, I’m quite happy. I actually had forgotten that the cover folds out…and this on a roughly standard-priced single-cover "iconic image" issue. Today these would be 3 different covers, all for this first issue: the center image as the "main" cover, the left panel as the "original Azrael" cover, and of course, the actual "Batman" cover for the right.

And there’s just something–to me–appealing with a handful of the Marvel #1s that Marverick and Mutant X are a part of.

weeklyhaul_09072016_d

I’m quite interested in assembling the entire 18-issue run of Eclipso, and have been for years. Ideally from 25-cent bins, as I could probably just go online and get it relatively easily as $1+ single issues. Snagged the Prodigy variant because of the art, and nostalgia (Slingers was a cool concept, to me!). The Sovereign Seven Plus issue is one I may or may not have already, but not a bad one to snag. And the Doom Force caught my eye initially as a #1, then for curiosity with the "Suggested for Mature Readers" note. And the cover just looks like a ’90s book..! So why not?

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I’ve been working on an extra set of Mantra, and this Giant-Size issue comlements that nicely. The Superman issue is one of my favorite cover images, one I’d love to have a poster of! Nomad #1 for the sake of hey! Nomad #1! And though I had a copy from several years ago, I think this copy of Parallax: Emerald Night is in better condition and so will be a ‘replacement copy’ as well as a ‘convenience copy’ to have my "core series" set of The Final Night unified for now.

weeklyhaul_09072016_f

I’m a sucker for old Wizard issues, especially as they are a relative rarity at all in bargain bins, and I have a shelf full of all my old issues and then some. The Image themed Wizard Special Edition is a new one for me. And this copy of #12 is in far better condition than the copy I had previously, thus serves as an excellent replacement copy for the rather beat-up copy I’d had. The Mage issue/collected edition was an oddity that caught my attention…it’s a Book One yet has a #9 on the cover…I still don’t have the issues all straight for this series. But for only 25 cents, I added it to the stack!

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These six issues were relatively random. Several for nostalgia, others for probably filling-in-of-holes in runs. All of these would likely be $2+ at Half-Price Books, with the Batman issue probably getting priced at $5-$10, based on recent patterns of pricing. All six for 25 cents each at the actual comic shop that knows the value of these sorts of issues.

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And finally, several Marvel Annuals…I may eventually see if I can assemble a set of all of the ____ and ____ ’98 annuals. For now, two new (I think) ones, plus the ’96 X-Force and Cable. I would have passed on the Gen13/Generation X and Generation X/Gen13 issues had both not been present. I found one in the back of one box, the other in the front of an adjacent box, and decided to grab them. Some weird synergy to them, and hopefully an interesting read eventually!

All in all, considering the stack of older stuff, the hardcovers, AND the new issues, this was an excellent haul…though one that certainly could have been a lot more expensive.

Filed under: 2016 Non-Review posts, 2016 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Weekly Haul | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Darkwing Duck (2016) #1 [Review]

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Walt

darkwingduck(2016)001Orange is the New Purple part 1

Storytellers: Aaron Sparrow and James Silvani
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters: Andworld Design
Assistant Editor: R. Janice Orlando
Editor: Jesse Post
Published by: Joe Books Ltd
Cover Date: April 2016
Cover Price: $2.99

It’s been a few years, but here I am covering a first issue of Darkwing Duck once again. And as with that time, this time finds an issue whose story title is a play off another. Here we have Orange is the New Purple, where back then it was The Duck Knight Returns. As best I can follow, this continues the bulk of the story from that previous series, itself picking up and continuing from the classic (now 25-years-old) animated series of the same name. I don’t truly “get” comic book politics, and was disappointed at the time when Disney‘s purchase of Marvel seemed to spell the end of Boom‘s license and its run on the Disney books. Now, we have another publisher running with the title, but it is not Marvel.

That aside, this works quite well as a first issue.

We open on a parade that is quickly crashed by DW rogue Megavolt, whose attack is quickly dampened by Darkwing. We move on to see DW in his civilian guise, interacting with family and neighbors; while there’s an attack on the transport carrying Megavolt to prison. Later, Darkwing interacts with SHUSH, though things don’t go overly well there with a new assignment. Back at home, DW is flabbergasted at learning that he has not been invited to cut the ribbon at the opening of the new super-max prison that is primarily populated by individuals HE put there. And still later, crashing that particular party, the villain of the piece is (unsurprisingly) revealed and sets the situation to a cliffhanger worthy of any episode of the classic tv series.

As first issues go, this is definitely a solid one. The most noticeable thing for me is the art, which gives us characters that look like they stepped right off the tv screen (albeit with improved, more robust coloring than the cartoon could maintain). This is not some reinterpretations of the characters’ looks; it’s no “new take” or some artist looking to put their stamp on the appearance: it’s just clear, solid work that carries the absolute look and feel of Darkwing Duck and leaves no doubt of what this book is.

The story itself does a great job of things, serving the main points I’d expect FROM a first issue. We’re introduced to the title character; we meet supporting cast members, and associated characters; we see the hero in action, and we get a good taste of where we’re going from this issue. Though this issue is not a singular, complete, contained story, it gets things set up while providing enough in and of itself to satisfy on the single issue level…at least for me. Given how short and formulaic some of the tv episodes could seem, I welcome the longer story that this sets up while still getting the various elements we’d have in a single episode.

This issue feels like a mix of things…it’s a new series, a new first issue, and suitable for younger readers though it hits home for me as an adult reader and long-time fan of the property. It feels like a continuation of the cartoon, and a continuation of the previous comic series that ended several years ago. Of course, part of the latter is that we have some of the same creatives carried over, itself a sort of continuity that I hope is nothing but good.

I enjoyed this issue, and expect I’ll be adding it to my pull list at least for awhile…and might even try to track down the super-sized collected edition ostensibly collecting the previous series if only for a convenient availability of a re-read of that.

If you’re a fan of Darkwing Duck, this is very definitely a comic for you. Maybe best of all…despite never ever having heard of this publisher prior to learning of the collected volume and now this series, they do what it seems most publishers are utterly incapable of: offering a full-sized, full-length comic for “only” $2.99. Like with DC‘s promise of the upcoming price drop back to all-$2.99s, this is as good a price point as one is really going to find in this day and age, and will certainly hold me a lot longer than $3.99 would!

Highly recommended!

Filed under: 2016 posts, 2016 Reviews, Darkwing Duck (Boom! Kids), INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

The Weekly Haul – Week of April 27, 2016

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Walt

This seems to be a small week overall. I’d thought I had more stuff on my pulls than I actually had waiting for me.

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I’ve been looking forward to Aliens: Defiance for ages now; and I’m following the current Superman story as we head toward Rebirth, and wasn’t about to pass up the new Darkwing Duck (especially with no personal conflict–I have yet to have any problem with this publisher, while I’d’ve been quite conflicted if it was again a Boom product).

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Taking up some of the “slack” I did a final raid of the Essentials bargain bins. I got these four volumes for the price of a whopping TWO new Marvel single issues.

I honestly would’ve snagged a bunch of other volumes, but they were “later” numbered volumes in series that would be financially prohibitive to try to track down amidst everything else…to say nothing of simple shelf-space which has come to be a definite premium on the whole.

Then there’s the online stuff…where my doubt and stubbornness paid off in placing an order today that I’ll likely post about next week when it arrives. Along with the Age of Apocalypse Omnibus, it takes care of the “splurging” part of my tax return for the year, I think.

Filed under: 2016 Non-Review posts, 2016 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Weekly Haul | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Darkwing Duck #4 [Review]

Posted on September 22, 2010 by Walt


Full review posted to cxPulp.com.

Story: 4/5
Art: 3.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

Filed under: Comic Reviews 2010, cxPulp.com, Darkwing Duck (Boom! Kids), INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Darkwing Duck #2 [Review]

Posted on July 21, 2010 by Walt

Full review posted to cxPulp.com.

Story: 4/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

Filed under: cxPulp.com, Darkwing Duck (Boom! Kids), INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

The Duck Knight Returns

Posted on July 16, 2010 by Walt

This is a series that I’m all about getting the single issues, even if I then get suckered into a collected edition.

If you were ever a fan of Darkwing Duck, this series is the next best thing to getting new episodes of the actual tv show, and I highly recommend this in any format!

I can’t think of any better title to go with than The Duck Knight Returns. It’s a great homage to the Batman story The Dark Knight Returns…but speaks on a deeper level to the fact that it’s been so many years since there was a Darkwing Duck comic available, and nearly as long since the show was on the air.

I would love to be able to buy a poster–this image, or the image more directly in parody of the Batman story.

My local comic shop stocked only a single copy of the first issue–the single issues of Boom‘s kids’ line just haven’t been selling well enough for him to justify stocking more than just the one or two shelf copies of the single issues…though the collected volumes have been selling just fine.

The Duck Knight Returns

Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

DuckTales & Darkwing Duck are back

Posted on June 19, 2010 by Walt

I was largely introduced to Uncle Scrooge and much of the comics versions of Disney characters by checking ’em out after noticing a string of highly positive reviews by Blake Petit (of comixtreme.com and evertimerealms.com) more than half a decade ago.

Though I dabbled briefly in buying some of the newer comics as they were released, the ridiculous price ($8/issue!) Gemstone was charging for the books being geared toward collectors instead of readers quickly drove me away from the monthly releases. I did, however, pick up a couple of TPBs of Carl Barks’ Greatest DuckTales Stories (originally published in the Uncle Scrooge title, that later served as the basis for episodes of the cartoon), The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, and a couple other books that were quite enjoyable.

So when Boom Studios got the license to the classic Disney books, to publish through their Boom Kids imprint, I checked ’em all out on principle: $2.99 was not at all bad for giving things a look-see compared to the $8 price that one would have to be pretty darned committed to a title to pay.

I did quickly back off on the single issues of both the classic Disney books and the newer Disney/Pixar properties (particularly The Incredibles) in favor of collected volumes.

This month, though, has undone my intentions there, at least as the classic Disney stuff goes.

For a few months, at least, we have the return of DuckTales in Uncle Scrooge (the first issue of this, at least, was highly enjoyable) and in what has since been “upgraded” to an ongoing series from mini-series status the return of possibly my favorite Disney character, Darkwing Duck.

I expect DuckTales to make for a very enjoyable read in collected-edition format, and same for Darkwing Duck (and with a story title of The Duck Knight Returns and an inside-cover/title-page image in homage to the classic Batman: The Dark Knight Returns…I would absolutely buy a collected edition if they use that as the cover!)

But in the meantime, after nearly missing the first issues of both the DuckTales run (in Uncle Scrooge #392) and Darkwing Duck‘s premiere…both titles have now become the “core” of what I’m on the verge of making a full-blown pull-list at the local comic shop I’ve been frequenting for the last 2 1/2 years.

I suppose that makes both these titles a success, as Boom has drawn me back to the single issues rather than simply “waiting for the trade,” and in Darkwing Duck‘s case, might even result in what would basically be a “double purchase” of the first arc, at least.

If you’ve checked out neither of these, I would recommend tracking them down if your local comic shop still has ’em. And if not…keep an eye out for the inevitable collected editions, as both titles are an excellent read. These classic properties from childhood are back and better than ever!

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Darkwing Duck #1 [Review]

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Walt

Full review posted to cxPulp.com.

Story: 4/5
Art: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

Filed under: cxPulp.com, Darkwing Duck (Boom! Kids), INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »