Action Figure Blues

The Elephant in the Room - DC Direct's Green Lantern Wave 5

2012-02-08T23:16:00.001+11:00

It’s been a pretty long time since I had an entire wave of DC Direct figures to review, but tonight I’m looking at the whole set of DC Direct Green Lantern Wave 5. Granted, I probably would have left one of these figures on the shelf if they hadn’t been cheaper as a set, but thanks to a good discount I'm reviewing all four figures from the wave tonight.

DC Direct is notorious for not finishing what they start, but the Green Lantern Universe has obviously been a cash cow for them. Between the Green Lantern and Blackest Night lines, the DC Direct Green Lantern display has become a pretty crowded one!

As well as being notable for being a fifth wave of a series, this wave also brings us two first time in plastic characters, Soranik Natu and Brother Warth. Both of these figures are great examples of what DCD has to offer when they bring their A game. Alongside these two new entrants, we have worthy revisits for Guy Gardner and Sinestro as a Green Lantern.

Brother Warth is the obvious standout of this wave. This figure is a good reminder of why we need DCD to continue their action figure output - Mattel isn’t going to be bringing us the characters that need this amount of tooling. This is the kind of character that DCD generally excels in, and this figure is one of their best in a long time. Beautiful sculpting work on this figure has created a great representation of our favourite elephantine Blue Lantern, and this has been bolstered by an excellent paint job using a clever mix of metallic and matte to represent different aspects of Warth's uniform and skin. It's early days to be thinking 6" figure of the year, but I'll be surprised if Warth doesn't factor somewhere in the runnings.

Soranik Natu has become a significant character in the GL-verse, and is therefore a welcome addition to the DCD line. Unfortunately, DCD has used the Donna Troy base for her body, which is my least favourite of the different styles they recycle. The bizarrely flat hips are not my cup of tea. The headsculpt and uniform suit the character and are nicely painted, but once again DCD loses points from me by casting the figure in the character’s flesh tone rather than painting it - a cost cutting measure that sadly cheapens the look of the end result. Soranik is a great team builder for your GL shelf and a worthy purchase on that basis, but as an action figure she’s not much to write home about.

Guy Gardner is a repeat character, but a welcome DCD revisit. The original DCD Guy Gardner remains one of my favourite 6” action figures, but it is firmly rooted in the late ‘80s JLI Guy, so a modern update is certainly warranted. I like the headsculpt - modern look, same Guy attitude, but could have done with a bit less metallic on his tunic and boots. It doesn’t stop the figure from getting a thumbs up from me, but it does hurt my eyes a tad.

Sinestro as a Green Lantern has been done before, but once again we are getting a modern update and so it’s an allowable figure in my book. The figure wins points with me for having a much better iteration of Sinestro’s flesh tone as opposed to the grapeish purple DCD’s last few Sinny efforts have borne, but loses points for casting the figure out of the plastic of that colour instead of painting it. This figure also has a touch of the uber-metallics, but the headsculpt, body sculpt and stance is quite good.

All up, this is quite a solid wave, helped greatly by the standout effort with Brother Warth. As we enter a time of uncertainty as to what we can expect from DCD, it’s good to be reminded of what they’re capable of!

You can see more pics at Facebook, discuss this at the AFB Forum, and comment on this post to enter the AFB Comment of the Month Contest for February!

Until next time!

Bowen brings Hercules to the Statue fold

2012-02-05T22:49:00.001+11:00

Tonight I'm reviewing the Bowen Designs Hercules Full Size Statue. This review has been a long time coming, and not just because I'm always behind in reviewing additions to my collection!

Having made an interstate move just over 12 months ago, I had a period where I was looking for the best avenues for getting statues and tried out some new suppliers. Unfortunately, the site I ordered my Hercules statue not only stiffed me on the statue, but is still hedging on returning my money. A nasty story, to say the least.

Needless to say it took a while for me to realize that I was going to have to find another place to buy Hercules - many thanks to Alternate Worlds in Melbourne for once again coming to the rescue. They seem to get all of the Bowen statues in and so they can often be relied on to have a recent Bowen item in stock. I was very happy to see Hercules up on their shelves when I went in hunting for them!

After seemingly losing a fair stack of money on my failed purchase, I might have decided not to try again with some characters, but Herc is an Avenger, and the Avengers are one of the teams that I am a completist with when it comes to Bowen statues, so I was pleased to be able to find a local option.

I'm happy to report that there is nothing to be disappointed with when it come to this fabulous statue. Sculpted by the always reliable Mark Newman, Hercules stands 14" tall and casts an impressive shadow over any display shelf. He most certainly has been given the sculpting treatment worthy of a god!

Mark Newman can always be relied upon to deliver an excellent piece. The pose he has chosen for Herc, with one leg raised and perched on the creatively thought out base, is magic. Some of Bowen’s newer sculptors need to take notes from Newman here - the energy lacking in some of their sculpts is present in spades here thanks to the pose and levels Newman has created. The statue gives off a majestic air that keeps drawing my eye when I walk past my display even though Herc’s been on my self for awhile now.

You might think that there isn’t much to sculpt on a character that doesn’t wear much in the way of clothes, but Newman has gone above and beyond in providing detail here. Newman obviously had a strong understanding of anatomy and musculature, but the level of detail he bring to this piece goes far beyond that. Every element of Herc’s costume is sculpted, from his headband to the extensive leather boots and straps that cover his legs. No shortcuts have been taken in allowing any of these just to be added in paint. The detail in the weave on his sash is particularly impressive.

The headsculpt for Hercules is simply dead on, right down to the hooked nose. This is classic Hercules in every way. He has a well defined, determined facial expression which has translated well from concept to production.

The base is inventive and adds much to the statue without taking over. The crushed pillars add levels and interest, but don’t create a particularly expansive base when you consider the size that would have been required to suit Hercules’ ‘wide stance’.

Nothing about the paint job on this statue takes away from the great sculpt - instead it adds to it greatly with excellent flesh tones and solid colour choices. The colours in the figure and gear mesh nicely with the sand colour of the base to create a very strong visual effect. There is some nice use of metallic paints where appropriate.

All up - I couldn’t be happier with this purchase, and it was well worth the hassle and wait. Some Bowen pieces make it into my collection because they help complete a set, while some make it in because the statue looks fantastic. This Avenger ticks both of those boxes without a doubt!

You can see a greater range of pics at Facebook, discuss these at the AFB Forum, and comment here at the blog to enter the February AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

AFB Asks Matty for 1 February 2012!

2012-02-02T12:59:00.001+11:00

Some technical snafus have kept AFB out of the last couple of rounds of Ask Matty, but we’re back today with a new instalment!

Q. A comment recently that Granny Goodness was not on the cards for Club Infinite Earths as figures that needed 100% new tooling weren't possible. What exactly is the percentage of new tooling that is workable?

A. Tooling is based on sales. We had a very low sell in rate for the online 2012 DCU sub and therefore we had less tooling to use. We will have to see how day-of sales go and how the 2013 sub sell in rate goes before revisiting other highly tool'd figures. At the end of the day fans vote with their purchase. If DCUC sold as well as MOTUC we could certainly look at fully tool'd figures, but as of now, it does not so we have to be creative with the tooling we do have to use.

Q. Is there any possibility that multiple packs of WWE figures might be sold at Mattycollector? This would be away to bring collectors a few fan-demanded characters at once!

A. Yes, this is something we are looking into.

Q. Are there any firm plans to bring more Legion of Superheroes characters to either Club Infinite Earths or DC All Stars?

A. Yes in time.

Q. Has Club Lion sold well enough to ensure a second year of the subscription?

A. The subscription did not so we are waiting to see how day-of sales go before giving the green lite on a 2013 extension of the line.

Q. Is the Star Sisters Three-Pack a one-off, or are Three-Packs a possibility for future MOTUC releases?

A. We are not going to force any figures into a 3 pack, but if there is a logical pairing of 3 figures we are open to this option.

Have something to add or say? You can discuss these at the AFB Forum, and comment here at the blog to enter the February AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

The AFB Comment of the Month Contest for February 2012!

2012-02-01T22:28:00.001+11:00

First off, thanks to everyone who commented on last month’s blog posts! Congratulations to flywheels for being our randomly selected winner! Once we hear from flywheels, (you can can PM your choice to "Andy" at the AFB Forum or email me at scott@actionfigureblues.com), his choice of either the DC Direct Green Lantern Wave 5 Brother Warth or the Marvel Universe Mister Sinister / Gambit Two-Pack from Hasbro will be on the way when available from Mike’s Comics N’ Stuff.

Now to February's Contest: on offer are two great prizes, either the DC Universe Classics Wave 20 Hawk or Dove Figure from Mattel - either of which would be a great prize!

A few bits and pieces:

every genuine comment on a post from the calendar month will be eligible to receive the prize. I’m going to stick to my own time zone and call it at 23:59:59 Australian Eastern Standard Time – best to comment often and comment early!

if my super scientific randomizer comment selector system chooses an Anonymous comment, I’ll skip it and go again – you need to leave a name, a link, your AFB Forum username or email addy so that I can contact you if you are the winner. Blogger comments allows you to do this, as long as your profile is not set to private – check your settings.

you will be given a choice of one of the two figures on offer from the month’s contest – figures will be in their original packaging.

figures will be sent by first class mail within the US (Mike is sending them, remember) and first class international to any overseas winner. An overseas winner can elect to chip in for Priority Mail or Insurance, but otherwise we can’t take any responsibility for a parcel that doesn’t arrive – after all this is coming out of AFB’s not dreadfully deep pockets!

Once again, thanks to Mike for making this all possible for us, and here’s to another happy month of commenting!

Until next time!

The 2011 Poppies - The People's Picks!

2012-01-21T22:49:00.001+11:00

For quite some time now, friend of AFB Michael Crawford of mwctoys.com has been conducting The Poppies, which are a set of awards for the types of toys and statues we all love to collect.

The Poppies is quite a complex effort on Michael's behalf. It comprises of two sets of voting. The first is the Judges' Vote, with a panel of industry professionals, members of the toy media (including yours truly) and invited collectors, who contribute to the nomination process and then vote on them. The second set, The People's Picks, is open to everyone!

The ballot for the People's Picks for the 2011 Poppies is up now - please check it out and vote!

Voting is open until the end of the month, at which time Michael will post the results of both sets of voting. It's always interesting to compare!

Bowen Designs' Mini-Bust line goes Nova!

2012-01-20T00:09:00.001+11:00

Tonight I’m sticking with Mini-Busts but moving from DC to Marvel, and looking at the Bowen Designs Nova Modern Mini-Bust.

For collectors of Bowen’s Mini-Busts, the pickings have been slim in recent times as Bowen have dealt with some issues with factories producing the bust line. The Modern Nova Bust is a recent light in the mini-bust darkness sculpted by none other than the ridiculously talented Kucharek Brothers.

Back in my original comic reading days, Nova was a character that I was aware of but I don’t know that ever had a significant role in any Marvel Comic I’d read. Shortly after I came back to the comic world, I read Annihilation, and fully understood who Nova was and what he meant to the Marvel Universe. His fantastic (and greatly missed) solo series (Volume 4) followed, and by then I knew that I was quite the Nova fan

I recently bought the Bowen Nova Classic Statue, so wanting the modern look as well would mean breaking my one piece per character rule. I justified this bending of the collecting boundaries by the fact that Nova in his modern look was briefly a Secret Avenger, and I collect all Avengers, and yes I know that’s a very thin thread to dangle from, but the idea of having collecting boundaries makes me feel better anyway. Of course, once I knew that the Kucharek Brothers were on sculpting duties, the purchase was a lock!

I am a big fan of the modern version of Nova’s costume. It’s a modern twist with more angular lines and exaggerated features that remains faithful to Nova’s classic look but takes it to the next level, and adds a majestic edge to his cosmic exploits. The Kucharek Brothers have very faithfully brought it to life through their excellent sculpt.

One of the things that the Kucharek’s consistently bring to their pieces is a sense of depth and density. Many sculptors could fulfil the brief of presenting a likeness of a character, but the Kuchareks do it with such an amazing amount of detail that you almost expect to be able to see the character breathing. Nova’s armor has been sculpted with such a level of detail that you really get the sense that there is a man underneath it. The features such as the angular shoulder pads and forearm accents are beautifully done.

The red burst on Nova’s helmet is rather prominent, but a check of the reference art shows that this is a comic accurate representation. The shape of Nova’s helmet is another aspect of this piece that shows such a strong understanding of Nova’s appearance in the comics. This is truly one of those pieces that feels like it’s jumped right off the pages of the comics.

The base of this bust was shown in the design phase with some gold accents which matched the accents on his uniform. I’m glad these were abandoned in the final version - there’s enough happening visually here, and the understated base helps draw attention to the main event - Nova himself.

Bowen pieces have a much better strike rate with paint quality than other companies, and this piece won’t be doing anything to blot that record. The work with the metallic colours is excellent, and the matte pieces like the red burst on his helmet become accents against the overall metallic tone. I particularly like the way that the white sections, which light up in the comics, have a different appearance to them, as through they are opaque glass. A great touch.

Bowen bust collectors should be well pleased with this great release, and Nova fans even more so. It’s definitely looking great on my shelves!

You can see a greater range of pics of these items at Facebook, discuss these at the AFB Forum, and comment here at the blog to enter the January AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

Pre-order the Sideshow Exclusive Hot Toys Iron Man Mark I (2.0) Now!

2012-01-14T11:58:00.002+11:00

Hot Toys is re-issuing the Iron Man Mark I, and Sideshow has an exclusive version with a holographic version of the Mark I to accompany it!

Click here to check out this item and pre-order it before it's gone!

Pre-Order Hot Toys Red Skull now!

2012-01-13T20:26:00.001+11:00

One of the items I'm most looking forward to adding to my collection this year is the Red Skull 12" Figure from Hot Toys, and this item is now up for pre-order at Sideshow Collectibles!

Click through on the Sideshow banner above this post to check out this great piece. If you follow the link from one of these images, you'll also be supporting AFB with any purchases you make!

Until next time!

Mattel announces new MOTUC Release Schedule for Jan - June

2012-01-12T11:43:00.001+11:00

Toy Guru has released the following information regarding a revamped release schedule for Mattycollector.com's Masters of the Universe Classics line for January to June:

He-Fans and She-Ravers,

First, Demo-Man™ has arrived in our warehouse and should start shipping out in the next few days. We will post a confirmation when he starts to ship. But just when we thought we made it through the Demo-Man delay with clear skies ahead, it looks like our carefully planned release schedule has hit some turbulence.

When we lay out the line each year, we very consciously try to plan it so there are not too many items in one month to help spread out the purchase price over the year. When it comes to shipping items according to plan, MOTUC has had relatively clear skies for a few years. Unfortunately, logistical issues we could not avoid (yes, I know how you feel about that word!) have knocked our schedule around. We will still ship all of the figures we announced, they just may not be in the same month as originally intended.

We've looked at the full year and it looks like we will be back on track with figures starting in July. But between now and then, here is the revised shipping schedule for MOTUC and the 30th Anniversary Series:

January

Star Sisters™ - Club Eternia® multipack

February

Sorceress® - Club Eternia® figure

Fisto™ – Club Eternia® figure

Fearless Photog™ - MOTU 30th Anniversary Series figure

Shadow Weaver & Preternia™ Map* – shipping automatically to sub holders, not for sale

March

Kobra Kahn™ - Club Eternia® Figure

April

Thunder Punch™ He-Man® - Club Eternia® variant with mini-comic issue 1!

Draego-Man™ - MOTU 30th Anniversary Series figure

May

Stinkor® - Club Eternia® figure

Slush Head™ - Club Eternia® figure

Snake Mountain™ Stands – non-subscription item

June

Horde Prime - Club Eternia® figure

Snake Man-at-Arms® - Club Eternia® variant figure with mini-comic issue 2!

The Mighty Spector™ - MOTU 30th Anniversary Series figure

July

Griffin - Club Eternia® beast

Monthly Club Eternia® Figure – to be revealed at NYTF!

MOTU 30th Anniversary Series Figure – to be revealed at NYTF!

Why a complete revamp of the schedule? We didn't want to get into another situation like with Demo-Man™ and sell a figure before the full quotas arrived. While a few figures are shipping in different months then originally intended, this new release schedule should ensure there are fewer shipping delays like we had in December.

Please keep in mind this new schedule is subject to change, just like the first one. MOTUC products are handmade and hand-painted overseas, so schedule changes are bound to happen. But don't worry, because at the end of the year, you’ll ideally have all the figures we promised for 2012.

We do appreciate your patience and understanding. Our goal is to deliver the best figures and the best buying experience. Improvements will continue to be made and we will do our best to update everyone if any further changes are needed. There are a ton more surprises in store for the MOTU 30th Anniversary, with a reveal of two of the most fan-demanded figures ever at New York Toy Fair on February 12th! I can't wait for our big collector night!

Toy Guru

Does this effect you? What are your thoughts about the changes? Comment below!

Until next time!

Hawk and Dove Bust into the DC Direct Statue Line

2012-01-11T17:42:00.001+11:00

The DC Comics duo Hawk and Dove have enjoyed quite a resurgence of late, propelling out of Blackest Night into Brightest Day and finally their own series in the DCnU. They've also finally come out of the toy wilderness, with 6" action figures from both DC Direct and Mattel, and their first foray into the statue world with these mini-busts from DC Direct. While the original Dove, Don Hall, has yet to be produced in any of these forms, his successor, Dawn Grainger, has certainly found her place in the collectables spotlight!

While you'd be forgiven for thinking these busts are a boxed set, they are actually from separate mini-bust lines. Hawk comes from the Heroes of DC Universe Mini-Bust line, while Dove comes from the Women of the DC Universe Mini-Bust line. They are sold separately, but have clearly been designed by Amanda Conner and sculpted by the very talented Karen Palinko to be a matched set.

While the 6" versions of Hawk haven't been compete home runs, this bust captures the character perfectly. Some of this has to be put down to the facial expression - the Avatar of War really needs to be getting his rage on, after all, and that's harder to pull off successfully on an action figure than it is on a statue. Conner and Palinko have produced a real winner here. I do think that a full size statue would afford a more natural aggressive arm pose, but for a mini-bust this works just fine. I do like the fact that instead of two closed fists, Hawk's left hand is open to show the talons at the end of his fingers.

Hawk's costumed red wings, which are long strips of red, must have posed quite a design consideration for this piece, but DCD has come up with an excellent solution. Instead of including these in the sculpt, which most certainly would have lead to breakages and collector tears, a flexible metal solution has been used, and in fact is shared by the DCD Hawk figure from the Brightest Day series, which I'll be reviewing shortly. This is a great idea for the bust not only for preventing breakages, but also because it allows the collector flexibility to decide how the wings are displayed, which may in part depend on the space available. I wasn't quite able to achieve the exact bend and pose that was shown in the pictures on the bust's packaging, but I was happy with the options I came up with. It's a smart and clever design choice.

The 6" efforts with Dove have been more effective at capturing her look than the Hawk figures, but this bust is still a considerable step up in capturing not just Dawn's costume and appearance, but the nature of her as a character. The pose accomplishes this and also delivers a great deal of energy. Palinko's skill as a sculptor really comes through in this piece: you can tell she has a great grasp of human anatomy when you look at the structure of the figure.

This might seem to be a simple sculpt, but there is a pleasing amount of detail present, especially in Dove's hair and cape at the back. I'm providing rear or side shots of both busts so that you can appreciate the detail. Palinko is a great talent and I do hope that DCD continues to put her talents to good use.

The bases of these are a rather inspired nod back to the origins of the original Hawk and Dove. These characters were born out of a time when "peace" was a word and and idea that was becoming a catch cry for the youth of the West, and represented the opposite sides of the argument that was gripping the world at that time. It's very fitting, then, that the busts sit atop brick walls with the character's names spray-painted in a '60s style graffiti. It works especially well when the busts are positioned next to each other. A great touch!

While the overall effect of the paint work on these pieces is excellent, especially considering that each character has white as a predominant colour, there is a tiny bit of paint bleed on each bust, both around the belt and hip region. I doubt I'd notice it on either bust if I wasn't expecting them closely for review, but it's worth noting. DCD statues and busts are usually pretty spotless in the paint department, but there have been a few paint bleed issues of late. Let's hope it's not a trend. Happily, the issues here really are very minor and don't hinder the enjoyment of the pieces at all.

I fear we may have seen the last of this style of product from DCD, as it appears the company will be focusing solely on the DCnU from this point out. These two bust lines have given us a wide range of characters to enjoy and display, and I do hope that DCD finds a way to continue to bring us the slightly more unusual character selections that these lines, in particular the Women of the DCU line, have afforded us. If we have reached the end point of these lines, these are excellent pieces to go out on.

You can see a greater range of pics of these items at Facebook, discuss these at the AFB Forum, and comment here at the blog to enter the January AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

Start of Year AFB Business - Forum, Facebook and Twitter Links

2012-01-10T16:01:00.001+11:00

Just in case you're not aware of any of these things, the New Year seems as good a time as any to remind folks of the following:

You can "like" Action Figure Blues on Facebook by going to our page at: http://www.facebook.com/actionfigureblues

You can follow AFB on Twitter by going to our page at: http://twitter.com/afblues

And finally, you can get even more out of the AFB Experience by joining in with a great group of collectors and enthusiasts at the AFB Forum, which is located at: http://afbforum.com

Take a moment to make sure you are linked up to all of these for an all-AFB, all the time internet experience! (Read that in a way that doesn't sound creepy or stalking-like, and that's what I mean!)

2011 was a great year for both personally and collecting wise, and the AFB Family definitely added alot to that! I'm looking forward to a another great year ahead in 2012 - and also to an exciting development which should be announced shortly!

Until next time!

Pre-Order Sideshow's Magik Comiquette Now!

2012-01-07T11:22:00.002+11:00

Sideshow Collectibles is currently having a love affair with the New Mutants and X-Men's Illyana Rasputin, also known as Magik. As well as producing a Comiquette of her alter ego, Darkchylde, Sideshow has just put up for order a Comiquette of Magik herself!

Click on the banner above this post to check out this great piece. If you follow the link from one of these images, you'll also be supporting AFB with any purchases you make!

Until next time!

New Year, New Prizes! The January 2012 Comment of the Month Contest!

2012-01-03T00:23:00.001+11:00

First off, thanks to everyone who commented on last month’s blog posts! Congratulations to Polarboy for being our randomly selected winner! Once we hear from Polarboy, (you can can PM your choice to "Andy" at the AFB Forum or email me at scott@actionfigureblues.com), his choice of either the Age of X Minimates Boxed Set from Art Asylum or the Marvel Universe Wave 17 Psylocke Action Figure will be on the way when available from Mike’s Comics N’ Stuff.

Now to January’s Contest: on offer are two great prizes, either the DC Direct Green Lantern Wave 5 Brother Warth or the Marvel Universe Mister Sinister / Gambit Two-Pack from Hasbro - either of which would be a great prize!

A few bits and pieces:

every genuine comment on a post from the calendar month will be eligible to receive the prize. I’m going to stick to my own time zone and call it at 23:59:59 Australian Eastern Standard Time – best to comment often and comment early!

if my super scientific randomizer comment selector system chooses an Anonymous comment, I’ll skip it and go again – you need to leave a name, a link, your AFB Forum username or email addy so that I can contact you if you are the winner. Blogger comments allows you to do this, as long as your profile is not set to private – check your settings.

you will be given a choice of one of the two figures on offer from the month’s contest – figures will be in their original packaging.
figures will be sent by first class mail within the US (Mike is sending them, remember) and first class international to any overseas winner. An overseas winner can elect to chip in for Priority Mail or Insurance, but otherwise we can’t take any responsibility for a parcel that doesn’t arrive – after all this is coming out of AFB’s not dreadfully deep pockets!

Once again, thanks to Mike for making this all possible for us, and here’s to another happy month of commenting!

Until next time!

The Toys I Liked The Best: AFB looks back at 2011

2011-12-31T21:09:00.001+11:00

The year is at an end, and that means it's time for me to look back at the toys and statues I've reviewed this year and choose the best. Far from an industry-wide "best of" list, these are simply my subjective choices of the items I'm happiest to have in my collection from the items I've reviewed during the year that will be nearly over when this post goes live. This blog has always been about my own journey as a collector, and this list is no different - its just my opinion!

With that out of the way, let's get started. I'm going to start with the smallest figures I collect and work my way up!

My favourite 3 3/4" figure from the year was the Marvel Universe S ilver Samurai figure. This figure came in one of Habro's Comic Series Two-Packs. While the Wolverine figure it came with was instantly forgettable amongst all of the other MU Wolvie versions, the Slver Samurai was am amazing effort. The level of detail, particularly in the sculpting of all of the elements of Silver Samurai's armor, put this figure a step above my other favourites in this scale, which were the Marvel Universe versions of Taskmaster and Thanos.

My favourite Male 6" figure from the year was the Marvel Select Magneto figure. I will always take issue with the awkward hip articulation on the male Marvel Select figures, but that wasn't enough to knock this fantastic figure out of first place in my book. Magneto's mask and cape are brilliantly constructed, and his wild eyed facial expression and powerful pose are fabulous. I'm usually not too fussed about the Marvel Select bases, but this crushed remnants of Xavier's School for the Gifted that Magneto stands astride just takes this figure to the top of the pile for me. Just below Magneto, I really enjoyed the DC Direct Brightest Day Deadman (with Boston Brand head), Masters of the Universe Classics Clawful, Batman Legacy Series 1 Joker and DC Universe Classics Bronze Tiger figures.

My favourite Female 6" Figure of the year won by a mile - The Masters of the Universe Classics Queen Marlena / Captain Glenn figure was a real gem. Granted, Mattel had a bigger budget to work with for this figure as it was a SDCC Exclusive, but they certainly went all out. It's not just the fact that the set contains the parts to make two completely different figures, it's how The Four Horsemen went about it that makes this figure such a winner. Nothing else in this category made it close to this standard, but I did enjoy the DC Direct Brightest Day Mera and MOTUC Catra figures.

I can't separate the two top contenders for my favourite PVC / Vinyl Figure, so I'm letting the Kotobukiya Wonder Woman Bishoujo Statue and the DC Direct Ame-Comi Raven Statue share the title. The Ame-Comi line took awhile to win me over with its unique takes on the DC characters, but a piece like Raven shows the line has really hit its stride. The goth stylings and the incredible detail on Raven's cape make this a clear winner. As for Kotobukiya's Wonder Woman, there's no better example of comic accurate amazement. Koto's Marvel Bishoujo line had a bit of a stumble this year with scale issues, but the sheer beauty of their efforts with Wonder Woman kept the DC Bishoujo line going strong.

For my choice for my favourite Over-Sized Action Figure or Build-A-FIgure, I have to go back to Marvel Select for their Marvel Select Juggernaut Figure. Marvel Select has excelled at the larger figures in recent times, and while Juggernaut doesn't surpass their brilliant effort with Abomination, it is a brilliant figure. It captures the character very well, and has a great level of articulation for a figure of this size. I like the way that Marvel Select has made an effort to do some team building, and Juggy is a great addition to the Marvel Select X-verse. Another favorite in this character would be the DC Universe Classics Bane figure.

I also have two items to list for my favourite Bust or Mini-Bust: Bowen Designs' Son of Satan Mini-Bust and DC Direct's Heroes of the DCU Demon Mini-Bust. The Son of Satan bust hardly qualifies as "mini", considering the height given to it by the pyre of translucent flames Daimon Hellstrom rests on and the staff he raises in the air. Walter O'Neal has sculpted a brilliant representation of this classic Defender that contends with most full sized statues. Meanwhile, DC Direct's Demon Mini-Bust makes the list not just to applaud DCD for its character selection, but for the outstanding sculpt of Etrigan the Demon, including his trademark inscription which runs along the base. This was one of my favourite DC Direct releases of the year, and a stunning addition to any collection.

Hot Toys' amazing effort with their Ghost Rider with Hellcycle easily makes him my favourite 12" Action Figure of the Year. Once I saw this figure previewed, I knew that my resolve not to delve into Hot Toys collecting was about to come to an end. All I can say is that I can't think of a better way to break a vow! The craftsmanship that has gone in to every aspect of this figure and vehicle is amazing, and the light-up features are a giant bonus. Not in the same league, but fun to have, was the Marvel Universe Sentinel figure.

I'm leaning more and more towards collecting statues these days, so there's a lot of competition for my favourite Statue under 18". Despite the large field, there's a hands down winner here, and that is the Bowen Designs M.O.D.O.K. Statue. This was a Previews Exclusive that was worth chasing down in every regard. You don't need to be a fan of Captain America and Hulk foes to appreciate the effect of this intricately detailed sculpt which displays M.O.D.O.K. in all his gruesomeness. Check out those teeth! Also at the top of the list in this category would be the DC Direct Cover Girls Harley Quinn Statue, the Kotobukiya Danger Room Colossus Statue and the Bowen Designs Valkyrie Statue.

For my choice for my favourite Statue 18" or Over, I have to go with the Sideshow Exclusive Premium Format She-Hulk figure. I have found the Sideshow Premium Format Figures a bit hit and miss, but there's nothing missing in this amazing effort. I love the pose, the choice of costume and the brilliant head sculpt that sums up She-Hulk perfectly. The Exclusive version, which has She-Hulk holding a dislodged parking meter, brings a level of humour which is so appropriate for She-Hulk, and makes this a real winner. Other choices here would be the Sideshow Premium Format Bucky Barnes as Captain America and the Sideshow Nightcrawler Comiquette.

So, that's my list of highlights from the year, but that's just my take. Please respond with your own in the comments below or at the AFB Forum!

That's also a fitting bookend for another year at AFB. Thanks for another year of support and fun.

Happy and Prosperous New Year to all - and here's to the year of collecting and reviews to come!

Until next time!

Happy Holidays from AFB!

2011-12-25T23:23:00.001+11:00

I've enjoyed a great day with family and friends, but I'd be remiss if I let the day end without wishing in all a very happy holiday, however you celebrate it!

Our hobby is often about the acquisition of new things, but I hope this season also brings you chances to enjoy what you already have - most important of which are the people that surround and love you!

For this year's Christmas image, I thought I'd hand over to the Legion of Superheroes, seeing as they've been the toast of the town toy-wise this year.

Have a great holiday!

Scott "Andy" Anderson

Wikicollecting.org interviews AFB!

2011-12-20T15:50:00.002+11:00

During the month of December, the crew at Wikicollecting.org are focusing on action figure collecting, and they were kind enough to invite me to answer some interview questions about my obsession / hobby.

You can check out the full interview here, and can contribute to the action figure database at Wikicollecting over the months to come. It has the potential to be a great resource for collectors for years to come!

http://en.wikicollecting.org/interview-with-scott-andy-anderson-action-figure-blues

Until next time!

Kotobukiya goes on the Warpath - X-Force Style!

2011-12-12T22:38:00.001+11:00

The latest Kotobukiya statue release in my review queue is the Kotobukiya Warpath X-Force Statue. Kotobukiya is producing a range of X-Force themed statues, and Warpath is the first of these that I’ve picked up.

James Proudstar has had quite an interesting history, and one that I’ve enjoyed following over the years right from his early appearances as a member of Emma Frost’s Hellions. He could easily be dismissed as Thunderbird’s kid brother, but when he’s written well he is quite an interesting character in his own right.

This is a fine sculpt that really does the character justice. It’s a dynamic pose which suits the X-Force theme. Don’t let the simple colour scheme fool you - there is a very good amount of detail in this sculpt. There are a couple of very impressive touches - first off, the lines between the black and the grey in Warpath’s uniform are sculpted, which is a detail I always like to see. Secondly, a very nice job has been done with the elements of the sculpt that represent leather such as Warpath’s belt (with knife sheath) and elements of his gloves and boots - it has a different look and texture which very much adds to the overall sense of richness of the statue.

The face on this headsculpt on this piece is one of the most nicely detailed faces I’ve seen on a Kotobukiya statue. Warpath’s teeth are gritted and the detail around the mouth is fantastic. His mask is also nicely done, and the expression and emotion are very clearly communicated by the sculptor - a job well done.

Warpath is shown brandishing his trademark knives, and these weapons are very nicely constructed. The handles are sculpted in to Warpath’s fists, but the blades are separate pieces which come packed flat in the box and have to be inserted. The blades are quite sturdy and not in danger of folding or bending as can happen with swords on knives on statues at times.

I like the angles he’s holding the knives at - the left hand knife is pointing to the ground, while the right hand knife is in a raised position at the back as Warpath prepares to strike. It’s a very dynamic pose.

Kotobukiya can’t always be relied on for the tightest paint apps, but I can’t really fault the work on this statue. All of the lines are great, and the colour choices are excellent. The grey sections of Warpath’s uniform have a slight black wash on them to highlight muscle definition. Everything here is tight paint-wise - and most importantly, the excellent sculpting on the face is well supported by the paint work.

The base for this statue is a rather simple one, which is understandable considering the size of the piece overall. It’s a basic sandstone type design which outlines the shape of the stance Warpath is taking in this pose. The base is quite long but not round, so it will fit on a standard size shelf, although a bit of width is needed to accommodate Warpath’s arms and knives, especially the knife he is extending upwards at the back.

The one potential issue I have with this great piece is scale. Warpath is depicted in the comics as a very large man, larger than his late older brother Thunderbird, that’s for sure, but this statue is truly massive.

I certainly don’t mind Warpath being depicted with bulk, but I’m going to have to wait and see how this statue fits in with other X-Force pieces before I decide for sure that I won’t eventually swap him for an eventual Bowen version.

I do like the way that Kotobukiya has focused on particular themes for its Marvel statues, such as the Danger Room Sessions X-Men pieces and now the X-Force line. It’s nice to be able to collect discrete groups of statues that belong together and released in a short period of time. It would be great to see Koto expand this to themes outside of the X-Verse, as there is so much of the Marvel Universe to cover!

You can see more pics at Facebook, discuss this at the AFB Forum, and you can comment on this post to enter the December AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

AFB's Black Friday Winners!

2011-12-07T22:11:00.001+11:00

Back in November, AFB turned the whole Black Friday / Cyber Monday thing on its head by offering three lucky folks the chance to win instead of just save!

All you had to do to be in the running was register an account at the AFB Forum and make at least one post before the end of the month. Today I've taken the handy dandy AFB Randomizer to our list of new members and selected these winners:

DCUC Wave 18 Bronze Tiger - "bman25"

MOTUC Captain Glenn & Cringer - "23stitches"

Marvel Universe Classic Avengers Boxed Set - "ethansuplee"

Winners, please PM your shipping addresses to "Andy" at the AFB Forum - and congratulations!!

20% off Hot Toys at Popcultcha.com !

2011-12-05T15:40:00.001+11:00

As part of their "12 Days of Christmas" special, AFB Sponsor Popcultcha.com is offering a pretty amazing gift for Day 5 - a minimum of 20% off all Hot Toys products!

This amazing discount includes preorder products, so if you've been on the fence about great items like the Hot Toys Captain America, the 1989 Batman or Joker figures or the giant-sized Hot Toys Iron Monger, today is the day to pull the trigger!

The sale only lasts until 10:00am AEST Tuesday, so check it out now to avoid disappointment. For Australian customers - remember that shipping is free on orders over $100!

Make your Christmas a Hot Toys Christmas thanks to AFB and Popcultcha.com!

AFB Asks Matty for 1 Dec 2011!

2011-12-02T16:42:00.001+11:00

It’s time for another round of “Ask Matty” answers at AFB! This month we have questions about DC All Stars, SDCC Exclusive Mix-ups and Voltron (although it doesn’t seem like Matty understood our Voltron question!)

Over to Matty!

-------------

Q: Four figures have been revealed for the first "wave" of DC All Stars. Is this how many figures will be released at one time? How many DC All Stars to you expect to release in a year?

A: Each mix will be around 4 figures, but some mixes may have more or less. Be on the lookout for more reveals soon!

Q: Is there any possibility we might see vehicles or playsets at retail to go with the DC All Stars figures?

A: This is an awesome idea, but is not a part of the 2012 offering at retail.

Q: Is the Batman Beyond DC All Star figure a straight re-release of the DCUC Version? Will many of the DC All Stars be re-releases?

A: Yes, Batman Beyond is making an encore appearance in the DC Universe retail line. The retail line will not include very many re-releases, so don't interpret the first mix offering as a pattern that will carry throughout the year. Be on the lookout for more reveals soon!

Q: Some SDCC attendees never received the exclusive items they preordered before the event. They arrived only to find the items weren't available and then waited months only to be told they were now "sold out". What is Mattel doing to ensure this doesn't happen again?

A: We will be working very closely with our inventory staff to ensure that problems do not occur again.

Q: Is the "canon" for the Voltron toy line the new animated series, or could we see items from other Voltron incarnations in Club Lion?

A: As for Club Lion Force, right now we're focusing on the 2012 Club Lion Force items which you have all seen. For any future product, you'll have to wait and see…

Want to give your own answers? You discuss this at the AFB Forum, and you can comment on this post to enter the December AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

You can also check out other Matty Q&As from our friends around the web:

Action Figure Insider Critical Mess It's All True Pendragon's Post

Poe Ghostal The Fwoosh Pop Culture Network

Until next time!

And the "Kirby Your Enthusiasm!" Winners Are......

2011-12-01T22:52:00.001+11:00

It started months ago with an idea from our Custom Board co-moderator NiteOwl - to base our next AFB Custom Contest on a Jack Kirby theme. It was an inspired idea - after all, "The King" has left us with no shortage of amazing characters to choose from!

What followed was a great deal of enthusiasm and discussion and lots of hard work which culminated in what we all feel is our best Custom Contest yet - not only did we receive the most entries yet, we also had fantastic participation from the AFB Forum Community in commenting on the entries and voting on the winners. Many thanks to everyone who participated!

Each member who voted assigned 3 points to their favourite custom, 2 points to their second favourite and 1 point to their third choice. While our first place winner ran away with the most votes, we in fact had a tie for second place and our third place winner was only one point behind those two!

You can see all of the fabulous entries here, but without further ado, here are our "Kirby Your Enthusiasm!" Winners!

First Place: Mangog by fishmilkshake

Second Place (tie): Big Barda by FB and Baron Strucker by Andy

Third Place: The Living Totem by NiteOwl

Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to everyone who entered and voted! Stay tuned for an announcement regarding the theme of our first Custom Comp for 2012 shortly!

You can discuss the winners and entries at the AFB Forum, and comment here to enter the December AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

The AFB Comment Contest for December 2011!

2011-12-01T21:37:00.001+11:00

First off, thanks to everyone who commented on last month’s blog posts! Congratulations to theotheradamford for being our randomly selected winner! Once we hear from Adam, (you can can PM your choice to "Andy" at the AFB Forum or email me at scott@actionfigureblues.com), his choice of either the DC Universe Classics Wave 19 Kobra Figure from Mattel or the NYCC Exclusive Deadpool Minimates set from Art Asylum will be on the way when available from Mike’s Comics N’ Stuff.

Now to October’s Contest: on offer are two great prizes, either the - Age of X Minimates Boxed Set from Art Asylum or the Marvel Universe Wave 17 Psylocke Action Figureeither of which would be a great prize!

A few bits and pieces:

every genuine comment on a post from the calendar month will be eligible to receive the prize. I’m going to stick to my own time zone and call it at 23:59:59 Australian Eastern Standard Time – best to comment often and comment early!
if my super scientific randomizer comment selector system chooses an Anonymous comment, I’ll skip it and go again – you need to leave a name, a link, your AFB Forum username or email addy so that I can contact you if you are the winner. Blogger comments allows you to do this, as long as your profile is not set to private – check your settings.
you will be given a choice of one of the two figures on offer from the month’s contest – figures will be in their original packaging.
figures will be sent by first class mail within the US (Mike is sending them, remember) and first class international to any overseas winner. An overseas winner can elect to chip in for Priority Mail or Insurance, but otherwise we can’t take any responsibility for a parcel that doesn’t arrive – after all this is coming out of AFB’s not dreadfully deep pockets!

Once again, thanks to Mike for making this all possible for us, and here’s to another happy month of commenting!

Until next time!

Mera and Firestorm dawn with DC Direct's Brightest Day!

2011-11-28T22:14:00.001+11:00

I’ve been cherry picking DC Direct figures for some time now, and have been mainly sticking to characters or versions of characters that have never been produced. Next in my DCD review queue are the figures I chose from DC Direct Brightest Day Wave Two, which were Mera and Firestorm.

If you know me at all, you know that Aquaman is my favourite superhero, so buying Mera’s first proper appearance in 6” form was a no-brainer!

As much as it pained me that DC Direct released the Blackest Night Red Lantern version of Mera first, all is now forgiven. I am delighted to have DCD’s Mera on my shelf!

While I expect that Mattel will eventually bring us a Mera figure, there are elements that DCD brings to their action figures that will always keep this one a step above. Firstly, the female buck that Mattel uses for DCUC really is the greatest weakness of the line, unless you like your women with stick figure limbs and flat faces.

While DC Direct doesn’t match Mattel’s articulation, they do sculpt beautiful female forms, and the effort on Mera is certainly no exception. Her hair is beautifully sculpted, and her pose is excellent.

The second element that DCD brings is the finish. The texture that has been used here for the scales on Mera’s uniform is fantastic! It not only creates a scale effect, but almost a sparkle effect as well. It’s great look at but also sturdy to touch and it seems that it will wear well.

The only thing that keeps Mera from a perfect score in my book is the switch DC Direct has made from painted faces to coloured plastic. It doesn’t have the same effect, and it really drops the figures down a notch in my book. Nothing’s going to keep me from enjoying this great version of Mera, but it’s this bit of cost-cutting that keeps her from perfection.

While nothing compares to my Aquaman mania, I am definitely a Firestorm fan as well, and as this figure is meant to be a representation of Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond sharing space in the Firestorm Matrix for the first time, I thought it deserved a spot on my shelves.

One of the things I liked about this figure from the solicits is that the skin tone seemed to represent a mixture of Jason and Ronnie’s ethnic origins, so I was disappointed when the actual figure turned out to look more like a straight representation of Jason with his darker tones.

Now, that is in no way a comment about the tones themselves - I would have been just as disappointed if it was a straight representation of Ronnie. The point is that the mixed skin tone in the solicits wasn’t achieved in real life, and to me that defeats the whole purpose of the figure. A real shame.

While it’s a pretty significant issue to me, it’s the only thing I can fault on this figure, which is beautifully sculpted. Very nice touches include the translucent material used for Firestorm’s “flame-head” and the sculpted detail on his uniform, which easily could have been just painted on. It really is a quality action figure in every regard - which makes the skin tone confusion all the more disappointing.

While I have an issue with each of these figures, I am still glad to own both - but of course Mera is the star of not just the wave, but the Brightest Day series. She’s a beautiful piece and a much needed addition to a plastic DC Universe!

You can see more pics at Facebook, discuss this at the AFB Forum, and you can comment on this post to enter the November AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

Black Friday Magic at AFB!

2011-11-26T09:56:00.001+11:00

Why should online retailers have all the fun on Black Friday? Sure, there are lots of opportunities out there to spend money on stuff, but here at AFB we love giving away free stuff, so our Black Friday Special has to be about outrageous give-always, not discounts!

All you have to do to have a chance to win one of three great prizes is register to become a member at the AFB Forum and make at least 1 post between now and the end of November. At the end of the month, all new members (from the time of this post) will go into the draw to win either:

The MOTUC Captain Glenn & Cringer Action Figure Set
The Marvel Universe Classic Avengers Box Set
The DC Universe Wave 18 Bronze Tiger Action Figure

All prizes are brand new and unopened, and include standard shipping.

So, head over to the AFB Forum, register now and and join in the conversation, and you could score yourself a Black Friday deal with the most amazing discount of all - free! And let's face it, who can say no to free toys??

It's Voting Time! Choose the "Kirby Your Enthusiasm!" Contest Winner

2011-11-24T22:52:00.001+11:00

Our AFB customizers have been hard at work, and their efforts in the "Kirby Your Enthusiasm!" Custom Contest are now on display at the AFB Forum!

Click here to see the fantastic contest entries, and here to read the voting guidelines.

You have until 30 November to vote!