The Avengers 3.75" Hawkeye

Ya know, what is it with guys with a bow?  It's like they hit a target and everyone thinks they're cool.  Seriously, they're not!

Just look at those guys in that whatchamacallit Games going on right now in London...That's right, the Olympics!  Ya don't see taught, tight, muscular bods, cool shades, pointy ears, or designer haircuts.  You see (some) overweight, bespectacled, ordinary-looking dudes shooting at stationary targets.  Stationary targets, fer cryin' out loud!  This guy is even legally blind in one eye.  And he won a gold medal by beating his own world record!

Really, he's legally blind!

But in all honesty, those guys (and gals) are marksmen through and through.

And I'm delighted to say ol' Clinty Barton here is from the same stock as a former Olympian himself!  (Or at least at the Olympian level.)  Sure, those guys at the London Games aren't gonna be shooting into the wind at Chitauri from the edge of a building, but what they do is about just as hard, I reckon.  And I even bet if you asked them to try a no look shot they could hit the target too!

Avengers Movie Hawkeye, though, is on another level.  He's gotta be--dashing, cool as a cucumber, nicely muscled, has all that super spy training, a cool superhero name, and can shoot and hit gods, even if it was just Loki.  And yeah, he's also got a hot superhero wife in Mockingbird.  What's not to like?

So I expected his action figure to be disappointing, especially since this movie line lacks a lot of articulation.  But I was so happy to find him that I had to grab it, since I have a thing for 3.75" actor-likenesses.  And I think I can safely say I was somewhat surprised.  Somewhat.

The Haul!

3 for $20?  Thank you very much!

Hello, true believers!

It's been a while since I last had a decent haul.  I think the last time I had anything good enough to be considered a good bargain was way back in December at the Singapore Toys Games and Comics Convention 2011.  Yeah, that's long enough back.

So when I read over at Open The Toy that there was a sale at local department store Takashimaya, I jumped at the chance to go!

This particular store usually is stocked with the latest from all the lines like Marvel Universe, DC Universe, Star Wars, Lego, Thundercats, etc.  But it almost never puts stuff on clearance--except in these particular 3 weeks in the year.  And when stuff goes on clearance, it really goes on clearance!

So I'd been working without a break since the last week of July so I really needed to cut loose.  And that I certainly did...

Marvel Universe 3.75" Series 4 Blastaar (024 Variant)

I was just thinking about it while playing around with Blastaar and realized that the really badass villains in both the Marvel and DC Universe come from somewhere other than Earth.

Sure, the craziest ones still come from our neck of the universe--Magneto, Dr. Doom, Apocalypse, the Joker and Lex Luthor--but the really powerful ones usually come from somewhere else.

In the Marvel universe, Blastaar is one of those villains that has the raw power to take over the world single-handedly.  Like Annihilus, Thanos, and Galactus, he's seemingly powerful enough that he could very well take over the universe.

So despite not having read much about him in the comics or seen him much in any other medium, I knew of him.  I can't say for sure where I'd heard of him but he's always been there, hovering like some nightmare Carebear.  And now he's gotten his own Marvel Universe figure!  Yay!  Enough talk, more review!--Okay!

What's in the Wes Box?: The Avengers 6" Captain America! (Walmart Exclusive)

Walmart Exclusive 6"

The 3.75" Retail Version

"What's in the where???..." you ask?

Well, some weeks back, my ol' buddy-in-arms from the Articulated Discussion days Wes Dennis scored me some Walmart Exclusives--and the box arrived this week, much to my delight! (Big shout out and thanks to Wes of Scary Crayon!)

The Avengers movie 6" Captain America was the first figure I pulled outta Wes' Wonder Box of Plastic Goodness, and with 3.75" avengers Shield Launcher Captain America the only figure in that line in that scale I have on the review burner, I've decided to make this a double-header!

Ok, ok, so I haven't gotten around to Avengers 3.75" Hawkeye yet though I got him some time back now.  But I certainly couldn't help not reviewing my first 6" Avengers figure right here, what with it being a Walmart Exclusive and all.  And since I'd taken individual pictures of the 3.75" Cap, I thought a comparison review would be a great idea.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy a double dose of movie Captain America goodness! ;)

From here on out, it's gonna be a game of "Spot the Difference."  Are you ready?  Here's a clue: ears. ;P

Chase Sighting: New Stuff hits the Shelves!

I was in the local Toys R Us near my office today looking for Transformer generations Wheelie before having to put in a shift for Olympics news coverage.  I promised 3B of 3B's Toy Hive that I'd snag one for him since I'd seen Wheelie there a few days before.

But this was all that greeted me:

Generations Springer, Cliffjumper, and Swerve.

Where was wheelie?!?

There were a good three or four of him the last time I was there.  From what I'd seen, he looked like a re-coloured Jazz with a new Wheelie head.  He was way too big for my own taste, so I passed.

But this time, he was missing!  Obviously people like him much better than I do.  So sorry, 3B!  I'll continue to hunt one down for ya!

Marvel Universe 3.75" Series 4 Hulk! (007)

This is the figure that all Hulk fans have been waiting for!  Or at least the Hulk fans who like figures in the 3.75" scale and don't like the sculpt for the line's releases so far in Classic Hulk, Secret Wars Hulk, Red Hulk (old rating system) and Grey Hulk.  There's also Avengers 3-Pack Hulk, which is a first-ish appearance look on a reliable big buck, but he's almost a different character altogether.

Then there's World War Hulk, who hit the right spot but is far from your classic-looking, Gamma irradiated, cuddly giant with torn stretchy pants.

I didn't like the head sculpt of the classic Green Goliath like most people (ditto with the repainted Grey Hulk variant), but I kinda dug the Secret Wars head sculpt with that body.  The neon-like green they moulded that figure with was an eyesore to some though.  And Red Hulk isn't really our dear, sweet Dr Bruce Banner at all. (He had a great head sculpt though.)

So this figure was an eventual must-produce for Hasbro.  And I'm glad to say they made it a must-have for us fans too despite they long wait.

In fact, I'm sure they were deliberately taking the time in doing this, milking the success of the extremely popular World War Hulk figure and of course, the recent Avengers movie Hulk.  Because of these two things, any 3.75" Marvel Universe fan will probably want this Hulk, and that's on top of those of us who wanted him anyway the first time he was revealed at last year's San Diego Comic Con 2011!

Funny thing about this Hulk is that he's got no name other than "Hulk".  No Gamma Smash or Classic or Avengers or even a colour.  Since it's Hasbro's second go at the classic mainstream character, he's technically Hulk 2.0.  But I think I'll call him..."Worth the Wait" Hulk! (Or WtW Hulk for short.  Hah!)

Marvel Universe 3.75" Series 4 Professor X (022)

The first time ever I saw a pic of this figure was a couple months back on eBay--and his price was something like US$100 and climbing.  Chuck eventually sold for for a whopping one hundred and twenty-seven (or so) big ones.  Immediately I thought either someone on the inside got their hands on a few figures and snuck them out months ahead of their release, and/or Charlie X here was going to be so shortpacked people didn't care and were willing to pay US127  for him.

No more Prof X appeared for sale on the auction site and I never saw him again, until...

I walked into one of the specialty stores at China Square Central a couple weeks back and saw him right there on the shelf, flanked by Beta Ray Bill and The Hulk.  Needless to say I grabbed them up.  They each were tagged at S$30 a pop, that's about S$10 more than Marvel Universe retail, so I didn't want to get them all.  By process of elimination, I put Beta Ray Bill back--great sculpt, but he was the character that I knew the least about, and was most likely to be seen again, I thought.  I was then also about to chuck Chuck until the wife said, "I think you should get the professor.  He's rarer, isn't he?"  I couldn't keep my mind off the eBay auction price, so I agreed and put The Hulk back on his perch.  I was now the proud owner of the most powerful plastic mind in Marvel Universe history!

I returned later to get The Hulk for the Rangerlord, but that's another story. Of course, I did find Hulk again the following week for cheaper and got one for myself.  But that's also for another review.

Charles, Charlie, Chuck, the Chazz.  Whatever you call him, Professor X is a darn good figure.  And he's a great example of how Hasbro has been able to re-use resources to a refreshingly new effect!