[PRE-ORDER] ThreeA Bambaland Exclusives!

Up for pre-order at TFH (The Falcon's Hangar) are these ThreeA Bambaland Exclusives and MORE! If you are into Ashley Wood's work or the hit comics Popbot or just post-apocalyptic stuff, then these are probably up your alley :)

Princess Tomorrow Queen is the first Tomorrow Queen figure in the TK Classics series in the Popbot toy line and the series' second release. Although initially pictured with a severed bot head, one is not included :( You're only getting the girl i.e. ThreeA 1/6 Popbot - Princess Tomorrow Queen female figure

There's also Shadow Bleak Mission which is the 3AA Exclusive variant of Bleak Mission available exclusively to ThreeA Associates at Bambaland.

H is also for Haul of Justice

Nope, I didn't misspell Hall of Justice ;p I really meant haul of Justice as this is my haul of Justice League Unlimited / JLU figures from yesterday's Toy Carnival @ L2P 2011 and what a great day it was :) I actually picked up quite a number of figures and I've never been happier (well, at least until the next haul haha). While posting about these JLU figures recently in the A-Z challenge (unofficially), I discovered that there were a whole lot of these figures released which never saw the light of day in Singapore so it's really NICE to finally be able to grab hold of these today.

Click on this picture for a bigger and better view :)

Sideshow Collectibles Sandtrooper Deluxe Figure with Dewback PREVIEW

When I posted about dewbacks in my earlier posts HERE and HERE at the beginning of the month of May, little did I know that Sideshow Collectibles was in the process of putting together their own 1:6 scale Dewback sculpture. Well, this week Sideshow has released these official prototype preview pictures of their Star Wars Sandtrooper Deluxe Figure with 1:6 scale Dewback sculpture and wisely enough, these two are sold separately although the Dewback is considered as a 12-inch Figure Related Product and the deluxe Sandtrooper is its preferred companion product.

Since Hot Toys started on their DeluXe (DX) series in order that they can have a reason to price the figures higher and earn a little more profit (a LOT more if you multiply the increment with the total sales worldwide), it seems Sideshow wants in as well and has decided to embark on their own DX series too, starting with this Star Wars Military Series 1:6 scale Sandtrooper 12-inch Deluxe Figure.

Hot Toys 1/6 Superman Collectible Figure PREVIEW

Amid high anticipation, Hot Toys is proud to present their Movie Masterpiece series MMS152 1/6th scale Superman Collectible Figure from the classic superhero movie "Superman" in 1978. The movie-accurate Superman collectible is specially crafted based on the image of Christopher Reeve in the movie, highlighting the authentic head sculpt, movie-accurate costume and detailed figure stand imitating the Fortress of Solitude.

Superman is always portrayed as a brave and kind-hearted hero with a strong sense of justice, morality and righteousness. He is an American cultural icon, a fictional personality and a movie character. But Christopher Reeve (the actor who played Superman / Clark Kent in the movie) was a true SUPERMAN and that is why this 12-inch collectible is long overdue! And this 1/6 scale version by Hot Toys far exceeds in quality compared to the 12-inch Mattel Superman they tried to sell us some months ago. I'm so glad I waited :)

Hot Toys "Resident Evil: Afterlife" 1/6th scale Alice Collectible Figure PREVIEW

YES! It's finally going to happen. Hot babe Milla Jovovich is going to be released as a 1/6 scale female action figure! Hot Toys has released pictures of their "Resident Evil: Afterlife" 1/6th scale Alice 12-inch Collectible Female Figure and pre-orders are already up!

The Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece Series MMS139 movie-accurate Milla Jovovich as "Resident Evil: Afterlife" Alice 12-inch collectible figure is specially crafted based on the image of Milla Jovovich in the movie, highlighting the newly sculpted head, detailed costume and weapons.

Hot Toys teases with Christopher Reeve Superman!

From Hot Toys:
Dear all,

Amid highest anticipation, Superman, the most beloved superhero of all times, finally comes!

We are proud to present the great collectible figure of this brave and kind-hearted hero with a strong sense of justice, morality and righteousness to our fans, which is a must-have item to fulfill everyone’s dream in childhood! You’ll believe a man can fly!

Can't wait :)

Gatchaman - Battle of the Planets - G Force

This is a re-posting of an earlier post :) Some things just need a second look

What started as Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman in Japan became Battle of the Planets in the US with the team named as G-Force. Up till now, only three of the five main characters have been produced as 12" figures so the announcement that Imagi Animation Studios (Imagi) together with Hot Toys are producing collectors' action figures based on the studio's next two CG-animated feature films, Gatchaman and AstroBoy is GREAT news indeed!!

Mark (Eagle), Princess (Swan) and Jason (Falcon)

G is also for Glider Strike Batman

This is the 5" Batman action figure from Knight Assault Batman with Glider and Extension Claw (not shown) from the "Mission Masters" line of figures. It was also sold as "Glider Strike Batman" as part of "Mission Masters" from "The New Batman Adventures".

CooModel U.S. Military M14 Sniper Rifle PREVIEW

The M14 rifle (formally the United States Rifle, 7.62 mm, M14) is an American selective fire automatic rifle firing 7.62x51mm NATO (.308 Winchester) ammunition. It was the standard issue U.S. rifle from 1959 to 1970. [source: wiki]

The M14 was used for U.S. Army and Marine Corps basic and advanced individual training, and was the standard issue infantry rifle in CONUS (Contiguous United States), Europe, and South Korea. The M14 remained the primary infantry weapon in Vietnam until it was replaced by the M16 in 1966–1967.

Click on the pictures for a bigger and better view

This is the CooModel 1/6 scaled highly detailed U.S. military M14 sniper rifle. This isn't the real thing but a 1:6 scale ABS model comprising 36 pieces, completely detachable into component parts with Dual-mode combination: Vietnam era long barrel version or Modern era short barrel version.

Hot Toys Exclusives at Toy Carnival @ L2P 2011

Toy Carnival is here again! And TFH will be there, with bargains galore!

The following Hot Toys exclusive items will be offered at Action City's booth (E9):

Iron Man Mark VI Exclusive Bust - $150 ea

Iron Man Mark VI (Exclusive Version w/ bonus left forearm armor) - $350
- Limited to 80 pcs per day, 1 pc per customer
- Whilst stocks last!

- Bundle DEAL! Get BOTH Iron Man Mark VI & Bust at $450/set!

Blade (Wesley Snipes) and Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel) by Hot Toys

From the 2004 American vampire Marvel Comics action film "Blade: Trinity", I give you MMS (Movie Masterpiece Series) 1/6 scale Blade (Wesley Snipes) and Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel) 12-inch limited edition collectible action figures by Hot Toys.

In "Blade: Trinity (2004)", Wesley Snipes returned as Eric Brooks / Blade, vampire hunter / slayer and is aided by Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel) and Hannibal King (Ryan Reynolds), who head a group of vampire hunters called the Nightstalkers, formed by Blade's mentor (Abraham Whistler played by Kris Kristofferson) to assist him.

Blade reluctantly joins forces with the group of vampire hunters led by Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel), the estranged daughter of his old mentor, to destroy the first vampire, Dracula, who goes by the name "Drake" (Dominic Purcell), simultaneously using him to disperse a vampire "cure" that apparently destroys every vampire in the local area.

F is also for Father and Son Lightsaber Duel from "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back"

Circa 1995, these were the Applause Star Wars Classic Collectors Series Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker Statuettes with lighted bases from "The Empire Strikes Back". They come with certificates of authenticity and are limited editions (5,000 pieces of each were produced).

IMHO "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back", released in 1980, was the best film out of the six films released. The Empire Strikes Back initially received mixed reviews from critics upon its release. However, by the turn of the 1990s and up to now, fans and critics alike now widely consider "The Empire Strikes Back" to be the best film in the franchise (like I said, I agree :)). On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, "The Empire Strikes Back" currently holds a 97% "Certified Fresh" rating, from a total of 72 reviews, making it the highest rated episode of the Star Wars Saga, and also one of the highest rated science fiction films of all time. [source: wiki]

Darth Vader was ranked as the third greatest film villain of all time (after Hannibal Lecter and Noeman Bates) in the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest heroes and villains (2003) for his role in this film, and Wizard magazine selected the ending of "The Empire Strikes Back" as the greatest cliffhanger of all time.

REVIEW III: Jessica Biel as Abigail Whistler from "Blade: Trinity" by Hot Toys

This final review shows Hot Toys MMS128 (Movie Masterpiece Series) 1/6th scale Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel) Limited Edition Collectible Figurine from "Blade: Trinity" as she is meant to look, complete with her compound bow, quiver of arrows plus cool red and brown colored leather jacket.

After having seen Hot Toys Abigail Whistler 12-inch limited edition collectible female action figure in the earlier two reviews covering the packaging and contents, and her other accessories and weapons, let's now look at her with her long range weapon i.e. the compound bow.

So what does Hot Toys Limited Edition mean? or is it just a marketing ploy? No one really knows for sure. What we do know is that pre-orders ensure you get the figure because Hot Toys will take all the pre-ordered quantity and produce according to what people have ordered, and then some. This would ensure that they don't flood the market with figures and de-value their own figures. That's why most Hot Toys products once released are quite hard to find on the secondary market. They are "limited" in that sense. And usually upon their release, demand will exceed supply because people who did not pre-order now want the goods and then there are those who just chance upon pictures of older figures and want them bad too.

E is also for Empire Strikes Back Probe Droid

Probe droids (also known as probots or recon droids) were droids that were specifically designed and programmed to perform reconnaissance duties. These units were often dispatched by various space navies to gather information from a variety of different locations, reporting anything of significance as defined by specific pre-programmed protocols.

Some models were equipped with a self-destruct mechanism in order to prevent those whom it had been sent to observe from studying them and determining their source, as well as a small blaster-type weapon for defense.

STGCC 2011 Logo comes ALIVE (almost)!

Adrian of Little Plastic Man has made a STGCC 2011 Paper Toy! Check out the picture below :) click on it to bring you to his post with even more pictures of his awesome interpretation and creation. It's cool when something two dimensional gets transformed into 3-D, it's even cooler when it's your own design haha feels like a proud father looking at his baby

Thanks Adrian for a wonderful rendition and for sharing the pictures. It certainly made my day!

Crazy Owners Ninja Accessories and Uniform set PREVIEW

This is a preview of Crazy Owners Historical Series "1:6 Ninja (忍者) Accessories and Uniform set". These items are more than enough to dress, equip and make any 1/6 scale figure become a 12-inch NINJA action figure. So next time somebody says "Ask a Ninja", you whip out your very own 12-inch Ninja figure and answer the question, okay? All the 1/6 weapons have die-cast metal parts. How's that for heavy duty?

There's the Ninjato (忍者刀) or ninjaken (忍者剣) - a short sword having a straight blade with a square tsuba; Ninja Shogee (hook end and 13 foot chain with large ring attached to the end. Used masterfully it can detain, entangle and control any opponent that a ninja wishes); Suntetsu (寸鉄) - a concealed weapon used for stabbing, poking, pinching, striking, smashing, scraping and throwing; Shuriken (array of darts, spikes, knives, and sharp, star-shaped discs); Kunai (苦無) - used to gouge holes in walls and as a thrusting and stabbing implement; and Nine-section whip (which actually has more of a Chinese origin than a Japanese one).

Hot Toys Abigail Whistler from "Blade: Trinity" REVIEW II

We have seen how the box packaging and 12-inch female action figure of Hot Toys MMS128 (Movie Masterpiece Series) 1/6th scale Abigail Whistler Limited Edition Collectible Figurine from the "Blade: Trinity" movie looked like in the earlier post, now let's take a closer look at the accessories that are included with this fine figure.

Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel) carries a Smith & Wesson Model 686 Magnum revolver, which she nicknames "Lucky7" due to it's 7-shot capacity as her sidearm (a 686 with a 7-shot capacity is designated a Smith & Wesson 686 Plus).

Besides the 1/6 scale Smith & Wesson Model 686 Magnum revolver, Hot Toys Abigail Whistler Limited Edition Collectible Figure also comes with a regular bow (folded), right forearm gauntlet with retractable knife and another "retractable" blade (silver spike) that shoots out from her right shoe (sneaky gal, isn't she?)

Daniel Picard Pictures - Post #4

Daniel Picard has so kindly shared five more pictures he has taken with us. What can I say that has not already been said? He's Dan the Man! ENJOY the pictures :)

When I first saw the picture below, I thought of the caption "Vantage from on high" or "View from above" (better yet, "A view to a kill") - click on the pictures for a bigger and better view. They are simply amazing!

"Who goes there? CAN or foe?"

"Look ma, no blaster!"

The Iron vs the CAN

"You are this close to me giving you the evil eye."

Other Picard posts:
Sept 10, 2010 - Post #1: Meet Daniel Picard, Photographer Extraordinaire
Nov 12, 2010 - Post #2: More STUNNING Daniel Picard pictures!
Jan 12, 2011 - Post#3: Popbots, MOPP, WWII, Stormtrooper and Beachhead!

D is also for Dewback MINI

Seeing double? This is a different dewback from the one seen in the earlier post "D is also for Dewback". This dewback with Sandtrooper was part of the Star Wars Action Fleet series of toys in the Micro Machines family of products. The Action Fleet line of toys was produced by Galoob starting in 1995. Hasbro bought Galoob in 1997 and integrated the Micro Machines products, including Action Fleet, into their 1999 Star Wars lineup.

Battle Pack #4 was originally titled "Imperial Hunters" but was later changed to "Galactic Hunters". Only the "Imperial Hunters" version contains the IG-88 figure. The other figures were the Sandtrooper, Boba Fett, Greedo and Bossk.

Red, White and Blue plus Green

What does the hammer, stars and circles have in common? They are all symbols used in some of the logos of the political parties contesting in Singapore's General Elections of 2011, of which today May 7 is polling day. Serious stuff but on a lighter note, the hammer, the shield (circles and star) and the green lantern are all an integral part of the comic-book superheroes making it to the big screen this year :) And that is why the same symbols are now a part of my new ToyHaven banner and will remain till the end of the year.

Thor and Captain America hail from Marvel Comics while Green Lantern is from DC. You will never see these three characters all in the same frame since they belong to different companies that created them. While Thor and Captain America will appear in "The Avengers" film, I doubt we'll ever see Green Lantern in any Batman movie, let alone the Justice League, because I doubt that there'll ever be a film made of them.

Hot Toys "Blade: Trinity" Abigail Whistler REVIEW 1

From Action Man to Action Woman! Jessica Biel is among a group of women who can play an action role most convincingly. The others I can think of at the top of my head are Angelina Jolie (From "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" to "Mr & Mrs Smith" to "Wanted" and most recently "Salt"), Jennifer Garner (as super spy Sydney Bristow on "Alias" to her starring role as Elektra in "Daredevil"), Kate Beckinsale ("Underworld" and "Van Helsing"), Milla Jovovich ("The Fifth Element" and all the "Resident Evil" films) and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow in "Iron Man 2" - ouch! she's HOT)

This is the Hot Toys MMS128 (Movie Masterpiece Series) 1/6th scale Abigail Whistler Limited Edition Collectible Figurine from the "Blade: Trinity" movie. The movie-accurate Abigail Whistler FemFig collectible (Female Action Figure, NOT doll) is specially crafted based on the image of Jessica Biel in the movie, highlighting the newly sculpted head, multi-layered stereoscopic hair sculpture, highly-detailed costume and weapons.

Similar to the Hot Toys released Blade figure (reviewed HERE), the box packaging resembles that of a shoe box with pictures of Jessica Biel as Abigail Whistler on the front and product picture on the back.

D is also for Dewback

Dewbacks were large, four-legged, omnivorous, cold-blooded reptiles native to the desert wastes of Tatooine. As such, they were well-adapted to the harsh desert climate. This and the fact that they could be easily domesticated, made them commonly employed as beasts of burden by both the inhabitants of the desert planet and the off-worlders wandering its dunes. Due to their numerous useful traits and versatility, they were quite possibly the most respected of all the creatures native to Tatooine.

Dewbacks were employed by moisture farmers, local security forces and even off-world military organizations such as Imperial Sandtroopers and a desert specialist team from the 4th regiment of the Alliance Special Forces as mounts and pack animals.

ACI Toys 1/6 Warriors "FLAMMA", Gladiator of Rome PREVIEW

ACI Toys as released pictures of their new Roman Gladiator named Flamma as part of ACI Toys 1/6 Warriors Series: Gladiator of Rome – FLAMMA. ACI also developed an all new male body (known as Andrew 1.0) that is more bulked up with the torso being a single unit (no articulation in the abdomen) and the arms and legs more muscular in nature.

A little backstory: Gladiators were well-trained fighters with distinctive armor and weapons. They were mostly slaves or criminals who fought for their lives and freedom in combat. Flamma has won over 20 times and was awarded the 'rudis' to become a freeman, yet he chose to remain as a gladiator.

Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention (STGCC) 2011 is on 20 and 21 August 2011

By popular demand, the Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention (STGCC), a popular culture convention, will be back four months earlier this year. Into its fourth year, the annual pop culture event will take place on 20 and 21 August 2011 at the Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The event is a showcase of the latest and greatest in the toy, games, comics scenes, and the top-notch quality and variety it offers in these sectors have attracted legions of fans locally in Singapore and across the region.

Last December, the show drew more than 28,000 fans and a total visitorship of 72,000, and the online community is already abuzz with excitement and looking forward to the show being staged earlier this year.

This year, STGCC promises to delight, tantalize and inspire fans with up-close-and-personal opportunities with heavyweights and cult names in the toy, games and comics scenes. Ms. Yeow Hui Leng, Project Director of Reed Exhibitions Singapore, which organises the yearly show, said: “We look forward to continue giving fans thrilling opportunities to meet and interact one-on-one with well-known comic creators, illustrators and toy designers.”

On a side note, notice the new STGCC logo? It was redesigned by yours truly haha. Here's a look at the old logo (shown below) which the client felt didn't really show off the show's dynamism and diversity. So it was up to moi to jazz up the logo by incorporating the Toy, Game & Comic elements, yet retaining the cube shape and colors which has become familiar to so many people :)

Well, I'm glad to say that the client was pretty pleased with the new look, not just the local office but overseas as well.

C is also for Catwoman

This is Catwoman as she is seen in "The New Batman Adventures". Her outfit changed from dark gray with black gloves and boots to entirely black. The mask (its eye-holes replaced by white lenses) only revealed her mouth and the area around it, and also made her skin appear chalk white.

Catwoman had no abilities beyond those of a normal human being. However, she was relatively fit, and displayed some gymnastics training. She is after all, a cat burglar. She also has a way with any animal feline, knowing how to keep her enemies' cats from attacking herself.

May 4 is Star Wars Day or Medicom RAH Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker REVIEW

May 4 is called Star Wars Day (also sometimes known as Luke Skywalker Day) because of the popularity of a common pun spoken on this day. Since the phrase "May the Force be with you" is a famous quote often spoken in the Star Wars films, fans commonly say "May the fourth be with you" on this day. Punny, isn't it? :)

This is the Medicom Toy 1/6 scale RAH (Real Action Heroes) Star Wars Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker 12-inch figure, released in 2005. Luke came in the all black Jedi Knight outfit he wore in "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi". There's also the gray vest he wears over the black long sleeve shirt, held together by his belt.

11,621 Page Loads; 6,275 Unique Visitors; 904 Returning Visitors in 1 day! That's a new HIGH for me :)

When I started my toy blog and blogging way back on July 18, 2007, I had no idea I'll be where I am today. It was just a FUN way for me to post pictures of my toy collection so that I could look back and recollect all the toys I've bought over the years and the memories they brought back for me. As time passed, I discovered that there were many more like-minded people out there in the World Wide Web who had similar interests and we could connect, share views and exchange thoughts.

So on 26 March 2008, I put in the Stat Counter to find out how many hits my toy blog was getting on a daily basis just out of curiosity. By September 9, 2008, I had 100,000 Unique Visitors (I'd posted about it HERE) :) and by December 17, 2008 there were 205,006 Unique Visitors with a total of 321,059 Page Loads (see my post HERE). There are obviously many more Super Bloggers who are clocking much higher numbers on a daily basis and I don't mean to brag but this is just a personal journey and the numbers are a positive indication. I only wanted to put my toy collection on a toy blog as a way of cataloging my toys as well as to share them with fellow toy collectors or anyone who also has a similar interest. But yesterday's numbers were a new HIGH for me (even if it's a one-off).

11,621 Page Loads on May 3

I'd discovered earlier on (before I started my toy blog) when I was searching the internet that NOT everything was out there and there were toys I was looking to see but couldn't find. So I decided to try and put everything I owned on Toy Haven so that others may be able to view the pictures as well. Well, that has certainly been a most rewarding journey, not in terms of monetary value (although that would have been nice as it can then pay for everything and I could probably do this full-time) BUT there are other things that money cannot buy - friendships, passion and support! Blogging about toys has been a wonderful experience as it puts into words and pictures my passion for toy collecting and puts me in touch with fellow TOY bloggers all around the world and exposed to the other toys that we don't get here in Singapore.

Stats over the years

The reason for the sudden surge in numbers yesterday? It had to do with Osama's death :) There were countless searches for "SEAL Team Six", the team responsible for eliminating Osama Bin Laden. The increase in numbers was because of the First Time Visits as the Returning Visits generally stayed the same. So you see, it's just a one-day phenomenon but one I didn't expect.

SEAL Team 6: The Ones Resonsible For Osama Bin Laden's Demise

Osama bin Laden, the terror mastermind was killed by Navy SEALs in an intense firefight. The military team that killed Osama Bin Laden (see my earlier post "Osama Bin Laden is DEAD! Good Riddance") is an elite special forces group unofficially called Navy SEAL Team 6. U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say units from SEAL Team Six dropped into bin Laden's high-walled compound in Pakistan early Monday morning, sliding down ropes in the pre-dawn dark.

U.S. counter-terrorism officials considered bombing the place - A drone strike on the compound was considered but ruled out because of the danger of killing large numbers of Pakistani civilians.

Instead, President Obama signed an order on Friday for a team of SEALs to chopper onto the compound under the cover of darkness. According to officials who declined to be identified by name, bin Laden was shot in the head during a firefight, and his body was identified to near 100 percent certainty through DNA testing. Photo analysis by the CIA, confirmation by a woman believed to be one of bin Laden's wives, who was also at the compound, and matching physical features added confirmation, they said.

Action Man James Bond Agent 007 "GoldenEye" 12-inch Figure REVIEW

We've already seen the Action Man James Bond Agent 007 "The Spy Who Loved Me" in a earlier post HERE, now let's take a look at the other 1999 released Action Man Limited Edition James Bond Agent 007 "GoldenEye" 12-inch collector's figure.

"GoldenEye (1995)" is the seventeenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. In the film, Bond fights to prevent an arms syndicate from using the GoldenEye satellite weapon against London in order to cause a global financial meltdown.

Box Packaging Front with Film Frame included

Interestingly enough, Bond was created in January 1952 by British journalist Ian Fleming while on holiday at his Jamaican estate, Goldeneye. The hero was named after the American ornithologist James Bond, a Caribbean bird expert and author of the definitive field guide book Birds of the West Indies. Fleming, a keen birdwatcher, had a copy of Bond's field guide at Goldeneye.

Fleming once said in a Reader's Digest interview, "I wanted the simplest, dullest, plainest-sounding name I could find, 'James Bond' was much better than something more interesting, like 'Peregrine Carruthers.' Exotic things would happen to and around him, but he would be a neutral figure — an anonymous, blunt instrument wielded by a government department.

Osama Bin Laden is DEAD! Good Riddance

The world cheers as 9/11 mastermind and Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden is confirmed dead. Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in a firefight with U.S. forces in Pakistan on Sunday, ending a nearly 10-year worldwide hunt for the mastermind of the September 11 attacks.

"Justice has been done," President Barack Obama declared in a hastily called, late-night White House speech announcing the death of the elusive head of the militant Islamic group behind a series of deadly bombings across the world. Obama said that he had directed the US armed forces to launch an attack against a compound in Pakistan on Sunday acting on a lead that first emerged last August.

"A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties." A source familiar with the U.S. operation said bin Laden was shot in the head. His death was confirmed separately by officials in Pakistan. [source: Yahoo News]

B is also for Bane

Bane was a chemically-boosted assassin, once hired by Rupert Thorne to kill Batman. The man later known as Bane was an inmate of Pena Duro, a Cuban prison meant to contain the hardest, most dangerous convicts.

He was chosen as a test subject for "Project Gilgamesh," a government project to create super-soldiers with a new "super-steroid", Venom. (Bane's origin sounds a lot like what happened to Steve Rogers as well. In the Marvel universe, Steve Rogers is a sickly young man who was enhanced to the peak of human perfection by an experimental serum in order to aid the United States war effort. And that's how Captain America was created.)

Action Man James Bond Agent 007 "The Spy Who Loved Me" 12-inch Figure REVIEW

Since we were on the subject of the Royals (see previous post) and everything British, who is more iconic and representative of the British in film than Royal Navy Commander James Bond, an officer of the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS; from 1995 onwards, SIS would be officially acknowledged as MI6).

The James Bond film series remains one of the longest continually running film series in history, having been in ongoing production from 1962 to 2010 with a six-year hiatus between 1989 and 1995. In that time EON Productions has produced 22 films, at an average of about one every two years. The films have grossed just over US$12 billion (in inflation adjusted dollars) at the worldwide box office, making it easily the highest-grossing film series ever.

Box Packaging Front Cover with Film Frame included

This is the 1999 released Action Man Limited Edition James Bond Agent 007 12-inch collector's figure from "The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)". "The Spy Who Loved Me" is the tenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the third to star Roger Moore as the fictional secret agent James Bond.