Sunday, September 30, 2012

TOY HAUL/ ARTICLE: Superhero Showdown Spider-man | Superhero Showdown Line


        Recently got hold of my third Superhero Showdown figure! Thanks to jedicholo's FS thread in PTK. I got this for only Php 200! Yay me!

        For those who aren't familiar with it, it's an old line created by Toy Biz the same manufacturer that handled the 6" Legends line before Hasbro owned the said company. It was released back in 2005, which includes a gimmicky game that involves cards and dice of some sort. Its scale is within 4" which makes it fully compatible with the Marvel Universe line.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Bye-Atus! (an end of a hiatus): Ultimate Haul Update & Stuffs


       It has been exactly 1 month and a week since I made my last post, and how glad am I to finally be back! Work has really been draining my energy lately, since I sit in front of a computer, photoshopping all day til the late afternoon. Though I might be on a hiatus with my posts, it didn't affect my toy hunting at all. In fact it has been a very fruitful month for me with regards to my plastic hauls. 

Thursday, August 16, 2012

You've Got Mail!: Toy Expo VIP Night Invite

Two days ago, someone in Facebook was asking toy bloggers to send in their full name, email, and blog site for a chance to get invited on the VIP Night of Toy Kingdom's Toy Expo. Just for the sake of trying, I did send in my details and blog site without really expecting on whether or not I get an invite. However, when I checked my email after I got home from work today I saw this! It's an email inviting me to the VIP Night of Toy Kingdom Toy Expo on August 22 at SMX Convention Center! I never even thought I'd receive an invite or even a reply from them! 
 However there's a dilemma. The 22nd of August falls on a Wednesday, which means I do have work on that day and I only get to go out at 5pm. (darn it! why not put the event during the 2 day holiday -_- ) So I'm not sure if I can attend the said event or not.  Anyway, to be invited is an honor itself, and whatever happens, if I do attend or not, I'm glad to have been given the chance. As a French phrase goes, C'est la Vie!

Thursday, August 2, 2012

REVIEW: Marvel's Jubilee



It's been a long while since my last review, and I've been itching to do more. My initial plan was to do a complete take on the Wave 18 and 21 figures however getting employed got in the way of things and messed up my free time (Though I'm not complaining, it's hard to live a bum's life broke. Having a job guarantees you more money for more plastics. Lol!) So without further a do, here's 1/3 of Marvel Universe's Wave 21 lineup, Jubilation Lee.

Monday, July 30, 2012

TOY HAUL: 1:18 Harley Davidson Chopper



I've seen a lot of my fellow collectors pick this one up for their MU figs especially for Ghost Rider which everyone's having a hard time finding a ride that fits him. I didn't find the urge to get me one, since I already have a bike for my Ghost Rider that came from an old Toybiz figure of mine. However, my stand to get one changed when I saw these:

Sunday, July 22, 2012

TOY HAUL: Iron Man & Spider-Woman Comic Pack


I started collecting Marvel Universe figures first before I even started to read comics. I vowed to stick to one figure per character so as to avoid overspending. I remember the time I got hold of an MU Spider-woman (Jessica Drew) figure from Toy Kingdom. I have no idea who she was back then, and what her story was. All I know is that I have yet to own a Spider-woman figure and so I did purchase her right then and there.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

TOY HAUL: Malaguti Phantom F12



   Finally got employed for my first job last week and started working Wednesday. Being employed in a learning institution just literally behind Greenhills Shopping Center gives me the privilege to check out every hobby and retail shops every after working hours, and that I did. Everytime I go home, I make sure to pass by Greenhills first to check for some good finds.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

TOY HAUL: Marvel Universe Multiple-Man

I was finally able to complete my X-men related figure checklist yesterday. Got these items from a fellow collector who's selling them as a set. I was really eyeing this set from the time he posted it back when it was sold for Php 3,000. However I wasn't willing to pay more than SRP for a loose figure. After weeks, he posted the same item but at a lower price. I immediately put a dibs on 2 figures, and fortunately two other collector dibs on the remaining 3 as well. I was the one who meetup with the seller since I'm just a 15 minute jeep ride away from the meeting place. Got there on time, and was able to bring them all home with me until their respective owners get theirs from me. Seeing them together on hand feels great since I'm not really an army builder type of collector and seldom do I see these many of the same figures right in front of me. If I had a choice, I wanted to keep them all, but for my pocket's sake I'd stick with my army-of-two vow. Cheers!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

REVIEW: Ultraposeable Spider-Man



This review might be a bit late for toy collectors, but it is just in time before the premiere of the new The Amazing Spider-man movie starring Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker. With just a day away, I decided to do a take on the Ultraposeable Spider-man figure.

Monday, June 25, 2012

REVIEW: Spider-Man (The Amazing Bag-man)


When Toy Fair 2012 revealed the upcoming roster for the Marvel Universe line, there was one figure that really grabbed my attention and triggered my curiosity. It was said to be a variant for the Future Foundation Spider-man, but by the looks of the figure I couldn't see Spidey in him. He looks like a barefooted member of the Fantastic Four with a paper bag on his head. I wasn't really sure if it was some kind of a gag or just a concept series, so being the comic noob that I am, I did a little research and to my surprise that's exactly what it is.
"In Amazing Spider-Man #258, Spider-Man heads around to the Fantastic Four building, so that Reed Richards can have a look at his new black costume, which has been acting a bit strangely.When it turns out to be an alien symbiote, they remove it post-haste, leaving Peter with nothing to protect his secret identity. Johnny Storm kindly finds a Fantastic Four, but of course, the FF don't have much use for masks, and so they have to improvise! (paper bag)"


I never knew Peter Parker wore such odd improvised costumes. There's even a Bombastic Bagman version, Paint Splat Boy, and Net Masked hero to name a few. 

Judging from the photo of the sample figure, it was something that I was looking forward to dispose off if it was included in the set since I'm not really a huge Spider-man fan, and I do tend to limit the duplication of a character per figure. Surprisingly, Bag-man Spidey was the lone Wave 19 figure that was included in the assortment. The day before the distribution event, I was really decided to let go of the 2 Spidey which was included in the set. However after seeing the actual figure on hand, I immediately saw and felt that it was a keeper which leads us to this review.


Where did I acquire it?: Robinsons Galleria event distribution
How much?: Set of 8/ Php 500.00 each (approx $10.00)
Condition during acquisition: MOC


Packaging: 
They still retained the new design from the Wave 17 line. I must admit, I hated the change in packaging back then, since I thought it would ruin the consistency of the look, especially for MOC collectors. Though as time passed by I grew to like the new ones better. 

The card artwork shows the regular version of the figure which is the Future Foundation Spider-man as well as the included collectible comic shot. At the back of the packaging we have MODOK as the card character for this wave. It seems like the MU line, has dropped the 1 card character for the whole series and decided to go with different card character per wave.





Accessories:
 



The figure doesn't come with any, othen than a "collectible comic shot" which is made of a thin flimsy cardboard. Although I wish it included even the most overused web slinging accessory which comes with the old Spidey figs like the one at the back of the packaging for FF Spidey.


Sculpt:

PROS:
  • From its folds, dents and ragged edges, the paperbag on his head is very much detailed that it captured the behavior of a paperbag well.
UPDATE: 



2ND UPDATE:







Tried to paint his hair.

  •  A real headsculpt is used inside the paperbag, which up until now is a mystery whether it's a reused or a unique one. So it seems like the sculpt is a glued Peter Parker, JRS style. Still waiting for someone who's willing to sacrifice their figure just for us to see the said headsculpt. THERE IS A NEW HEADSCULPT! Thanks to Amuro Mk Ii of PTK for the tip and his courageous attempt! 


  • The feet are so detailed that you can see little sculpted toe nails on it and subtle veins.
  • The Cyclops body mold they used looks fantastic! (no pun intended)
CONS:

  • Looks a bit too tall to be Peter Parker. Since they used the new Cyke mold, he becomes as tall as Cyclops who is listed around 3-4" taller than Spidey.
  • Two gun gripping hands. How I wish they could have had one web shooting hand or even a closed fist maybe.


Paint:

PROS:

  • The "4" logo on his chest is painted flawlessly. If you look closely, it's filled up with clean stripe pattern.
  • Paint wash on the figure making the muscles more defined.
CONS:
  • Not much gripe on the paint, though I wish they could have added a paint wash on the bag as well.


Articulation:




PROS:
  •  This is what makes this figure even more incredible! The use of the new Cyke body mold gives justice to the poseabilty of Spider-man. I don't care how many time they reuse this body mold as this is close to perfection as we could get for now, though I'm still hoping for double hinged elbow and a ball hinged wrist but that's just me asking for too much.
CONS
  • A ball hinged wrist could have been a great addition for web shooting poses.



Size Comparison:

L-R: MU Series 1 Spider-man (dark variant), Series 4 Spider-man (bag head variant)






Angle View:




Overall Grade
Overall the figure comes in as a surprise! It's definitely one of those one of a kind figure in terms of aesthetics and it even looks better on hand! A great odd looking figure plus superb articulation equals a winner! Hands down one of the best variants and figure from MU so far!
Accessories - N/A
Sculpt - 4.5/5
Paint - 4.5/5
Articulation - 5/5
Value - 5/5
Final Grade- 4.75/5

Sunday, June 24, 2012

TOY HAUL: Marvel Universe Wave 18? 19? 21 | Ultimate Iron Man

Assortment photo provided by Sir Eric

3 days ago, Sir Eric of cyb.ph announced that there will be a Marvel Universe distribution on the 23rd in Robinsons Galleria.
For those who are not familiar with the distribution, it is a system implemented by Playkit for some time now, so as to lessen hoarders and give fair chance for everyone to acquire a figure (mostly by set) at SRP price. It is where you register your name and get a number, then comeback for the actual distribution after lunch and wait for your number to be called. It's strictly 1 set per customer, therefore lessening the chance of hoarding.
This was good news for MUllectors, since the last distribution was held December of last year leaving us on a 6 month drought. However, what's odd about it is the assortment of figures that were included in the set. While everyone was expecting to see Wave 18 and maybe Wave 19, what we got was a mishmash of 18, 19 & 21.

Monday, June 18, 2012

TOYCON 2012 Experience


(Here are some random footages I got during Day 1 of the TOYCON. Sorry for the shaky and crappy clips. I literally had my camera dangling from my neck since I only had 1 free hand during my hunt. I was suppose to go on the 3rd day so I can take clearer shots, but unfortunately I can't, so I had to make use of what I got)

   The 11th TOYCON is over and I'm sure you guys got your hauls. I was really planning to go on the 1st and 3rd day but unfortunately I wasn't able to come during the 3rd due to a family gathering but nontheless day 1 (retailers' day) was still a treat for me.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

NEWS: TOYCON 2012!


It's that time of the year once again when we get ready for a wallet-busting event, though I presume we all have saved up for this event for weeks or even months now. At exactly 12 hours, the 11th TOYCON would officially start in Megatrade Hall in SM Megamall. The event would last 3 days with various programs, activities and contests on each days. I'm most certainly sure you guys already got advance tickets, for those who don't, don't despair. Tickets would be readily available at the entrance gate for Php 100. I do hope you guys get your most targeted figures, oh and do check out PTK-Marvel Division's display on the 16th! See you guys tomorrow! Happy hunting!

Fore more info visit TOYCON's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/toyconph and website: http://www.toyconph.com/

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

REVIEW: Marvel's Hawkeye (Movie Series)



Since the release of the movie Avengers toyline, I've been on the fence on whether to pick it up or not since the articulation of the figures are said to be limited, and the increase of price makes it even more unappealing to me. I was really controlling the urge of completing the Avengers lineup, especially after watching the movie which is AWESOME! though I didn't mind getting the comic series figures from the toyline. I bought Ultimate Hawkeye once I saw it on the peg of a local retail store (review to follow). I don’t know but there’s just something about his character that I really like specially after watching Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. I can officially say that I am a Clint Barton fan hands down. With that being said, with the announcement of the movie version Hawkeye, Black Widow and Skrull being released during an event here in the Philippines, there’s no way I’m not getting a Jeremy Renner figure (and Black Widow is just to good to pass on too.)

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

MOC No More.



There's nothing like the sweet smell of plastic of a newly opened figure and that's exactly how I feel about my first post. Nothing much for my first, its just that I've been constantly reading blogs about figures, watching video reviews on YouTube since I began collecting MUs June of 2011. 

Through my 1 year of toy collecting, thoughts of putting up my blog has always been something that I wanted to do, its just that time won't permit me because of school works, plates and thesis always gets in the way. But now that I've just graduated It would be a perfect time to setup one. Also, one triggering factor that lead me to finally doing my blog, is because a friend of mine has also recently put up his which makes me envious. LOL. (check out his blog and bookmark it as well  http://finnthegeek.blogspot.com/)

Hope you guys forgive my writing skills as well as my comic knowledge, haven't written much for quite sometime now and its only recently that I got to follow Marvel's story arcs. Expect to see toy reviews, toy news and announcements, toy hauls - how and where I got them, how much and all that. Also expect to see random basketball thoughts, video game, movie and TV rants and review posts from time to time.

Cheers!