Evil Flunkies!

That's what these guys are! Nevertheless, along with Duke, these bozos are 4 figures out of the 5-pack "Infiltrator" set Toy's R US exclusive.

But before I continue with this review, I'd just like to wish evryone who's reading a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to come.  Sorry I've been away feasting and making merry with family and friends these past 10 days (or preparing for it--you wouldn't believe the queues at places like TRU pre-Christmas.  All the way to the back of the store. Jeebus.)

I'd also like to add that I already had a room full of toys yet to be opened and reviewed, and now I have more.  It's not that everyone I knew got me toys, it's just that while shopping for others I happened to spot great deals.  For example, a S$5 Abomination from the 2008 Hulk movie (the dude's got 7 points of articulation in his arm alone!), a S$3, 3.75" scale Green Goblin on a Goblin Cycle that has really great articulation, and things like S15 dollar Hulkbuster Hummers from the movie line and S$10 Indiana Jones Jungle Cutters. Oh yeah, and also a couple of movie Wolverines for 3 bucks, cuz the packaging was damaged. So a great Christmas hunt all-in-all, but I digress...

Let's get on to the Infiltrator 5 pack review of these 4 Joe baddies!

Housekeeping!

Well, just a little update as we approach the bestest ever festive season--Christmas!

I've added a new category to the "Pick Your Plastic Poison" section in the sidebar on the right.  It's called 'Action Figure Comics' and contains all the well, action figure comics I've been doing these past 8 months since I started this page.

I know, there are only 11 14.

But as I accumulate more and more plastic swag, I've realized I like shooting comics more and more. So that's why I've started the new category.  What do you do with it?  Well, enjoy! (Ok, ok. As long as you don't throw up and/or feel like poking your eye out with a pen I'll be happy. ;P)

Deadly Royalty!

Well, it's only right that since I reviewed Infiltrator Duke a few posts ago that I follow up with Baroness. Why? their both royal titles.  And also because FuSe has been reminding me every day how enamored with Siena Miller he is and how much he wants to get a Baroness figure despite not being a huge toy collector (for now...heheheh...).


Well I have to admit, Anastasia Decobray is indeed very impressive out of the packaging. They don't have her in any sort of pose whatsoever on card and sometimes her shades aren't quite put on correctly.  This makes it tough to know if she'll be able to wear them any way other than crooked .  So what to do?  Get a Baroness with shades on right. That's what I did.

So exactly how impressed was I with Attack on the G.I. Joe Pit Baroness? Click on to find out!

Heeeeeere's Lexie!

I used to hate Lex Luthor so much when I was a kid.  He wouldn't stop bugging the nice Mr. Christopher "Superman" Reeves, whichever Superman movie they showed on TV. He was there in the first one.  He's there when Zod and gang terrorize in the second. Can't remember if he made an appearance in the 3rd with Ricahrd Pryor.  But he was also there again in the 4th hatching his nasty Nuclear Man (whatever) super villain plan.



But 20 odd years on I've grown to realize why Lex is Superman's greatest enemy and will always be: he represents all that is brilliant and flawed in humanity.  He thinks he's the smartest guy around and therefore feels humanity doesn't need the Man of Steel.  So he devotes all his time and energy trying to destroy "The Alien."

But for all his intelligence he fails to see that he's wasting his brilliance trying to get rid Superman, thinking that ending Supes is the best way to serve humankind. Sounds like the Devil to me.

Such a complex character deserves a great toy to go along with it.  And granted, Mattel have come up with a 5-pack Walmart version, which is the Legion of Doom version (with funky collar) from the Superfreinds cartoons.  But this DC Super Heroes power armour incarnation from 3 years back, I feel, is the best version out there.  He's going to be released under DC Universe Classics in a 2-pack with Supergirl next year, I hear. But since I had the luck to chance upon him, I couldn't turn down the oportunity to give my plastic Supes his greatest nemesis.  So how does he measure up to the Last Son of Krypton?  Check it out.

GI Joe Rise of Cobra: Bad Ass Duke!

No, he's not the version of Duke who just got a sack of 10, a large fries and chocolate shake at White Castle--he's Infiltrator Duke!

This bad-ass comes in set 2 (of 2) from the Rise of Cobra
5-pack sets packed with a M.A.R.S Industries Officer, a M.A.R.S Industries Trooper, an Elite-Viper, and a Neo-Viper. (Set 1 is a desert camo theme featuring Zartan [with additinal Joe trooper disguise head], Dial-Tone, Law & Order, Repeater, and Footloose.)

Now since Joes have been going on clearance recently worldwide, I didn't think I'd see new stuff come in and be on clearance. But on a routine visit to Toys R Us (at Vivocity) with the Rangerlord and I chanced upon the 5-packs sets for only S$34.90--that's like S$7 a figure. Woohoo! Rangerlord got the desert Joe themed set, while I immediately snagged the bad guy troop builder (Infiltrator) 5-pack because of one man and one man only--Duke!

Well, Duke is my favourite Joe, but I really didn't like him in Rise of the Cobra. I was really lukewarm about the Desert Camo Duke and I thought Reactive Impact Amour Duke was way too thin, especially in the arms. That version of Duke looks more like Christopher Lambert (custom time!).  So what's got me jumping up and down with this Duke? Review and more pics after the jump!
 

Score!

I found him! I found him! Hahaha! It's DC Superheroes Lex Luthor (Does the dance of joy)!

And he was priced at S$35, which is retail for DC Universe figures here. But the store I walked in had a 20% discount on toys.  The best part is that the store is mainly a provision shop, selling cigarettes and tidbits and what have you, with half of it rented out to another guy who sells toys.  And is never there. And I guess decided to part with his Lex Luthor, because the last time I stumbled upon the place for the first time, Lex sure wasn't.

So with the discount, the price came to S$28, which is about US$20.  Now that's a great deal I feel, for something so rarely found here.

I've just read the Superman Batman: Public Enemies graphic novel and I've also just seen the awesome animated version, so I can't wait to crack him open and get him started in a fist fight with Supes and Bats!  And you can be sure a review will be up when I do. ;)

Indy Fun for Everyone!

Well, maybe not Indiana Jones himself, but two of the rarer figures from last year's movie-spawned toy line, in 3.75-inch scale!

I give to you, Colonel Vogel and the Grail Knight!  Both these characters come from my favouritest Indy movie of all-time, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It's a pity that the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull turned out to be quite the dud, but the great thing is that a year down the road, the toys are going for clearance!

For all you Singaporean readers out there (or not ;P), I found these Inidana Jones figures going for S$1 (US$0.70) a pop at Carrefour Suntec City toy clearance about 6 weeks back.  And boy did I grab a few a bunch a whole butt-load of 'em!  By the time the sale ended, all they had left were Mutt Williams figures.  Yup, Shia got, and still gets no love. :P

Finding the Grail Knight and Colonel Vogel has got to probabaly be the BEST toy hunting experience ever.  For one, I got these rare guys for next to nothing (especially the Grail Knight, who sems to be chase/rare/short-packed in every toy form) and two, Colonel Vogel's body and accessories have been reused for a Marvel Universe character--you guesed it: SDCC Red Skull!

So the plan was to get Vogel and Red Skull and do a head switch whenever the evil Nazi villain felt like a change of costume.  After all, there's gotta be at least 4 different versions of Captain America out there, so why shouldn't ol' Skull face have his own variant too?

So how do these year-old Hasbro 3.75" figures comepare to the new Marvel Universe and GI Joe Rise of Cobra figs? Find out after the jump!

Buddy Cops!

Ok so they're not cops.  I'm not sure if they're really even buddies.  But I'll tell you what they are:

They're Rise of Cobra G.I. Joes Beachhead and Rollbar packed with Snarler Cycle!

One's a loner...The other a ladies' man. One's meticulous, the other a loose cannon. Two men who couldn't be more different. Two cops, thrown together by fate.  But both on the same side of the law...

Cue the buddy cop music!...No?...The A-Team music?

Ok, maybe not. But enjoy this crime-stoppin' toy review anyway!

Cheap Exclusives II

Yes, as promised, it's the GI Joe Rise of Cobra Toys 'R' Us Exclusive Snow Serpent!

Though it looks like this dude is exclusive to TRU in these parts and he comes at a time when the price of Movie Joes is dropping accross the board, he's not being cleared wholesale off the shelves.  That's good news for me because I'm gonna buy at least 2 more of these guys (at S$12.90 = US$9.20) to make up my crack polar combat specialist team! (I've already snagged 2. Heheh.)

Bench Press Takes a Walk

Look what Bench Press has stumbled upon...

Could it be he's found some COBRA agents' campsite?

Or could it just be campers?

Cheap Exclusives!

As the holiday season rolls around, we find older waves of toys at the more popular stores going on clearance and sometimes even on massive discounts.  So that's what happened at Toys 'R' Us with the G.I. Joe Rise of Cobra figures.  They got slashed from the usual retail of S$18.90 (about US$13.50) to S$12.90 (about US$9.20).

Then some new stock comes in and these new Joes also get the same clearance prices!

Enter Toys 'R' Us exclusive Bench Press! Woot!

Will he be as buff as his name suggests?

Find out after the jump! :)

Grey Matter

I just love how Hasbro has decided to go full swing into the Marvel Universe 3.75" range.  We're barely into the second wave of Secret Wars 2 packs when lo and behold what do I find? The first wave (Series 2) of the H.A.M.M.E.R. Files figures, that's what.  And it's here we find our second ever Marvel 3.75" female figure--Jean Grey!

And what a gorgeous figure this is! Compared to either of the Ms Marvels (Classic and Carol Danvers), this one really catches your eye in the package.  From the popular Jim Lee inspired design, to the bright colours, What's not to like about her on the outside?

But will Jean prove just as wonderful outside of her plastic shell?  Let's find out!

Christmas Colours!

Otherwise better known to us True Believers as Marvel Universe 3.75" Hulk Red and Green!

But we've already seen how awesome the Secret Wars Green Hulk is, as well as his older counterpart in the original green Hulk.  Both have the same great molds, with different heads and paint.

So in view of the nearing Yuletide season, I've decided to add some red to the green for some true festive spirit!

Marvel Universe Secret Wars Comic Packs Issue #8

It's Magneto and Black Suit Spiderman!

I couldn't wait to get this two-pack (right after I couldn't wait to get Hulk and Cyclops) after seeing a classic Magneto.  The black costume Spiderman was just a bonus, but a damn good one since he would be every bit as cool as the classic suit Spidey! Right? Wrong.

They have a saying about the Secret Wars 12 issue mini-series ("They" being a joke I heard somewhere I think).  Secret Wars achieved nothing except to help give Spiderman his Alien Symbiote suit and spawn Venom (and Carnage, if I'm not mistaken).  Well, they're wrong because now it's given us a whole bunch of like 12 Marvel Universe two-packs. Hahahahaha (Toy Collector covetous evil laughter)...

So is it just me who's biased against (yet another) black suit Spidey for this line? Or are black costume Spidey 3.75" toys sucking it right now? Well, we'll just have to clcik and find out, won't we? :P

Marvel Secret Wars Hulk and Cyclops!

More specifically, Comic Pack #4, which is the 1st of three two-packs in the 2nd wave.

Now, I know lots of Marvel Universe fans have been waiting for these packs to hit shelves, especially this one with Hulk in it because he has a more "regular" Hulk head sculpt compared to the individually packed Green and Grey Hulks.

But everything else is the same: same body, same arms, legs, fists, feet. So is this Secret Wars Hulk truly better than its predecessors?  Hit the link to find out!!!

Oh, wait. I almost forgot about Cyclops, everyone's favourite one-eyed super hero. He's got one power, and one power only.  Firing a powerful laser blast from his eyes. And he can't even control it.

Ok, you can hit the link now.

Green Movie Blues

I love last year's Incredible Hulk movie. I love the actors, I love the CGI, I love that it had more action than Ang Lee's version.


But I didn't at all like the toys.

Just off the shelves, they had ok looking sculpts, ok to sub-par paint, ok looking articulation. And they weren't all that cheap right after all the hype of the summer blockbuster.

Bats Shows the Ropes

Uh, I'm sick as a dog. Down with the flu and my head feels like exploding, while my nose is like a faulty faucet.

But I don't feel so bad that I can't post! Here's a bit of a left over from the DCUC Batman Beyond review.

It's Bruce showing Terry McGinnis a thing or two on one of their beats:

I Finally Freed The Amazing Spiderman!

Yeah, he'd been sitting on my shelf for quite a bit, but with Halloween around the corner, and me wanting to do a Halloween themed review for Articulated Discussions, I was left with one option from the non-horror themed toys of mine--Marvel Universe 3.75" Green Goblin!

So naturally I had to open Spidey up as well, for what is the Goblin without the Spider? And what a figure or favourite wall-crawler is!

Happy Huntings!

Well, I'm just about to go back to work tomorrow after a nice week long break. But I didn't leave the country on vacation, nor did I intend to. What I did want to do was to post more but what happened?

This happened:

DC Universe Classics Classic Mantis!

This is Mantis:

Or so we are led to believe...

This is also (a) mantis:



The resemblance is startling. However, one might argue that this also resembles Mantis:

What I can I say? Every time I look at Mantis I see Chinese dragon. Heck even their colour schemes are the same!