What I got in February 2014: SOC GLINT, G.I. Joe Roadblock, Psylocke, Star Wars and more

These were the stuff I got in February: DAM Toys Ghost series No. SF001 1/6 scale Special Operations Center GLINT Team Leader: Ryder Watson 12-inch figure, Hot Toys G.I. Joe Retaliation 1/6th scale Roadblock 12-inch Collectible Figure, MC Toys F-029 1/6 scale Snow Space set for 12-inch figures (all set for the Inception movie Snow Scene), Kotobukiya Marvel Bishoujo collection 1/7th scale X-Force Psylocke 8-inch Statue, "Star Wars: A Pop-up Guide to the Galaxy" book, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson 1/6 scale head sculpt, Christmas card and 2014 calendar from Sideshow Collectibles.

Always enjoy my hauls. Something to look forward to as I enjoy taking pictures and posting them on my toy blog to share with fellow collectors and anyone else who's interested :) Scroll down to see the rest of the pictures.

Comparison pictures of OE Killer Instinct Sam & Viola + Motoko, Deunan, Black Widow & Selina

continued from previous post...

Having reviewed OE (original effect) 1/6 scale killer instinct SAM 13" post-apocalyptic female figure in three parts previously HERE, HERE and HERE, I think it's time to make a comparison between OE Sam and OE Viola, as well as with other 1/6 scale female action figures (NOT dolls but I guess that's just a technicality). Guys don't want to be seen playing with dolls, that's for the gals and daughters. That's why the term "action figure" was coined for masculine man so that they can say it's OKAY to pose with their action figures - same same but different Haha

According to wikipedia: An action figure is a pose-able character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and adult collectors. Barbie is very much a fashion doll, primarily designed to be dressed to reflect fashion trends and are usually modeled after teen girls or adult women. Sam and Viola aren't because they are designed with men in mind LOL

That explains why I don't have many female figures in my toy collection because I much prefer the rough and tumble kind of characters who can take a knock and keep on going, not implying durability but that the figures are action-oriented. Scroll down to check out the size difference between OE (Original Effect) Army Attractive series 1/6 scale Viola and OE (original effect) 1/6 scale killer instinct SAM as well as other size comparison pictures of these two taller than usual figures with 1/6 scale "Ghost in the Shell" Motoko Kusanagi, "Appleseed Ex Machina" Deunan Knute, Marvel's "The Avengers (2012)" Black Widow and "The Dark Knight Rises" Selina Kyle / Catwoman.

Review III: OE (original effect) 1/6 scale killer instinct SAM 13" post-apocalyptic female figure

continued from earlier post...

Here's my third part review of the OE (original effect) 1/6 scale killer instinct SAM 13-inch female action figure with the alternate head sculpt. For those who have been waiting ages for this post, I apologize. Work has been keeping me busy and there have been quite a few updates concerning incoming figures. I certainly hope this is worth the wait ;p

As mentioned earlier in my first part review HERE, OE (original effect) first previewed Killer Instinct SAM with one head sculpt and then added a second version SAM head sculpt not too long after. This resulted in mixed responses with some preferring the first over the second and vice versa. In the end, OE decided to just include both female head sculpts for customers / collectors to choose which one they prefer to pose Killer Instinct SAM with. I don't mind that at all :) Having already reviewed the first SAM head sculpt, I guess it's time to see how SAM looks with the alternate head sculpt. Scroll down to see the pictures.

Dam Toys Elite Series 1/6 scale USMC Reconnaissance Battalion M27 Rifleman figure

The Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform (MCCUU) is the current battledress uniform of the United States Marine Corps. It is also worn by Navy personnel (mostly corpsmen and chaplains) assigned to Marine Corps units (Fleet Marine Force). The MCCUU, and its distinctive camouflage pattern, MARPAT (short for MARine PATtern), are exclusive to the Marine Corps, which holds the patents to their design. MARPAT is available in two color schemes, woodland and desert. Flame Resistant Organizational Gear (FROG) is clothing used by the United States Marine Corps to reduce the number of injuries resulting from fire and flash (especially burns), due to the increased use of improvised explosive devices in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The FROG system consists of a long-sleeve shirt, t-shirt, combat shirt, combat trousers, gloves, and a balaclava. The shirts and trousers are camouflaged in MARPAT, while the remainder are colored in either sand or olive drab.

This is the upcoming Dam Toys Elite Series No.78014 1/6 scale USMC Reconnaissance Battalion M27 Rifleman 12-inch figure wearing the latest gear and FROG suit (desert MARPAT), FROG pants (desert MARPAT), USMC rat boots (CB), M27 IAR, TA11SDO-CP ACOG 3.5x35 scope, backup sight, AN/PEQ-16 laser, tango grip, BRMS bipods, sling adapter and rifle sling.

Dam Toys has certainly improved by leaps and bounds and have been releasing a slew of military figures, all of them with tons of gear and with great detailing. Always nice to have a basic grunt / trooper because they do form the bulk of the world's armies / marines. There should always be a balance between the grunt and the special operations guy even though it seems like the special ops guys get a lot of the attention. Scroll down to see all the pictures.

Preview: Hot Toys Kerberos Panzer Jäger: Protect Gear 1/6th scale Collectible Figure

Following the release of the incredible Samurai Predator Collectible Figure, the first ever collaboration with legendary artist Mr. Takayuki Takeya (竹谷隆之)*, Hot Toys is thrilled to join hands with Mr. Takeya again to bring you a collectible figure of the Protect Gear from Kerberos Panzer Jäger (ケルベロス 鋼鉄の猟犬) which is part of the classic Japanese franchise - Kerberos Saga**. Over the past few years, Hot Toys’ Production Director and Chief Painter, Mr. JC. Hong (홍진철), had been working closely with Mr. Takeya and his team to create the high quality articulated collectible figure.

The Kerberos Panzer Jäger: 1/6th scale Protect Gear Collectible Figure is the latest addition in the Hot Toys’ Artist Collection. It is based on the radio drama by Mr. Mamoru Oshii (押井守) in 2006 called Kerberos Panzer Jäger and the story is set in Germany during World War II before the events of the original Kerberos timeline.

The collectible figure features newly sculpted and uniquely painted black full body armor, a head with the iconic mask and light up function, an interchangeable head sculpt with face of a Panzer Company trooper, detailed weapons and accessories, and a specially designed debris diorama base.

The Kerberos Saga is a military sci-fi franchise originally created in the late 80s by Japanese writer and filmmaker, Mr. Mamoru Oshii, who has also directed the popular anime sci-fi film - Ghost in the Shell. One of the most iconic elements in the Kerberos Saga is the full body armor called Protect Gear that the characters wear and its amazingly cool design has even inspired many adaptations in video games and movies.

Incoming: POP TOYS "Loyal guardians" 1/6 scale X11 style series Housekeeper Dress Suit

From Pop Toys:
Before producing "housekeeper dress suit", we wholely upgraded our garment manufacturing process. Dress in the suit made by ultra-thin woolen cloth fabric. Button holes on coat and suit are made according to those on real coats and suits. Pockets and collars of suit are made by no line pressing process, which make the whole clothes a better looking. Suits and coats are high-temperature ironed to finalize the design, the craftsmanship of the shirts and ties is also improvement, to ensure there is no need for players to do after treatment. POPTOYS will continue to pursue 1:6 action figure model's craftsmanship. We will bring more and better works in return for our players.

Note: head and body in the picture are not included.

This suit will have a better look when collocates with HOT TOYS TTM21 narrow-shoulder men's body. Product list: Black coat, Black suit, Black pants, Black vest, Black Belt, White shirt, Black tie, Black shoes.

Now that's a really sharp looking suit!! This one's a keeper for sure :) Scroll down to see the pictures

The Dark Knight Trilogy Movie Accurate 2-Seater LEGO Tumbler, Bat Pod and also The Bat!

Taken from Woon Tze's page with permission and reproduced here in its entirety :)

"I've gotta get me one of those." - Lt. James Gordon

©woontze - click on the picture for bigger and better view :)

The Dark Knight Trilogy by Christopher Nolan gave us a fresh and realistic reboot of the Caped Crusader, and with it many of Batman's iconic vehicles.

©woontze - click on the picture for bigger and better view :)

This is Woon Tze's rendition of the Tumbler and Bat Pod, reproduce with lego bricks in minifig scale and staying as close to the original movie design as best as he can. This is a Lego Cuusoo project, where one can submit their lego creation or idea, and if that gets 10,000 votes, Lego will consider making it into an official Lego product. Let's help make this a reality. Check out the links for Tumbler and Bat Pod HERE and The Bat HERE and support the projects. I certainly would like to see these made. Pretty awesome! Scroll down to see the pictures.

Preview Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars Clone Wars Captain Rex - Phase II Armor 1/6 Figure

When Sideshow Collectibles first previewed their 1/6 scale Star Wars Clone Wars Captain Rex way back in May 2010 (posted in my toy blog HERE), I lamented how they only have him wearing the Phase 1 helmet (which I didn't fancy at all). Well, guess what? After four years, Sideshow Collectibles has decided to release the Star Wars Clone Wars Captain Rex - Phase II Armor Sixth Scale Figure and this one comes with battle scars :)

Backstory:
One of Kamino’s most esteemed and decorated soldiers in the Clone Wars, Captain Rex serves under Jedi General Anakin Skywalker as leader of the 501st.

Ready to lead the charge, Sideshow’s Captain Rex - Phase II Armor Sixth Scale figure comes fully equipped with his signature grey pauldron, kama and twin blasters, along with a carbine blaster and droid popper for backup. Never one to follow the crowd, the aggressive and freethinking Captain shuns the standard upgrades for his highly customized Phase II gear. His Phase II bucket boasts blue jaig eyes, a Mandalorian badge of courage, along with rangefinder and other welded modifications. Often faced with danger in the line of duty, numerous tally marks along the seasoned fighter's helmet and armor paint a vivid picture of his victories in battle.

Compare Very Cool 1/6 scale Tony Racing Suit (includes 12-inch figure body) with Super Duck

The Iron Man movie franchise is a big fat cash cow and almost every company is trying every which way to milk it. Lots of Iron Man movie-related figures have been released and still they are going at it. It seems like there's no end to what they can churn out to sell as long as it's got to do with Marvel Studios Robert Downey Jr. Tony Stark / Iron Man.

Very Cool will be releasing this 1/6 scale Tony Racing Suit set which even comes with a 12-inch figure body so that you can suit up Tony for the car race at the Circuit de Monaco where he was attacked by Vanko using his arc reactor to power whip-like energy weapons as seen in the 2010 American superhero film "Iron Man 2". And Super Duck is also releasing a similar version except theirs will not come with a 12-inch figure body but I think Super Duck's version looks better from the pictures.

Very Cool 1/6 scale Tony Racing Suit (includes 12-inch figure body) Code: VCM3006 Product Details: Racing suit set, Belt, Body (including three pairs of hand type), shoes. Note: head sculpt not included. Scroll down to see the rest of the pictures including the Super Duck version.

Teaser images of Ax2 Studio next project: 1:6 scale INU & SARU Series Yojimbo 12-inch figure

Backstory:
The two rivaling samurai families - the tribe of Inu and the tribe of Saru, have been at war with each other for the longest period of time, for both parties are determined to conquer the world.

In one single critical battle, the Saru tribe had defeated the Inu tribe, taking over control of the entire continent. In the country ruled by the Saru, the Inu people are marked as the lowest-ranking samurais, while the fighters with the Saru bloodline could serve in the government while being bestowed with the Royal, highest-ranked samurai title - the Joshi. The story entails a group of lowly-ranked samurais acquiring the democratic freedom they longed for through the revolution against the unjust government system and its extremely unbalanced samurai-labeling system.

Here's a peek at the Ax2 Studio 1/6 scale Yojimbo 12-inch figure from the Saru tribe! NOTE: The following photos are not their final product, it's still 95% only! Interestingly enough, Inu seems to imply fox in the Japanese language while "Saru" is the Japanese word for monkey. So Yojimbo appears to be wearing a monkey mask (not sure if the mask is removable). Scroll down to see the rest of the pictures.

Ax2 debut product / figure, AX2 "Boom!" Series Collection #2 1/6th scale Rei (prototype clone) 12-inch action figure (reviewed HERE, HERE and HERE), seems to have garnered very positive responses which gives the company the confidence to go ahead with producing and releasing more 1/6 scale figures. That is a boon for us 12-inch figure collectors because we really need to have more of such figures other than the ones we have been getting / seeing. The more choices and options available, the better, right?

Check out Kotobukiya Guardians of the Galaxy Rocket Raccoon ARTFX+ Statue with Groot base

You all have probably seen the teaser trailer of the upcoming 2014 superhero film "Guardians of the Galaxy" starring Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Vin Diesel as Groot and Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon.

Rocket Raccoon is a genetically engineered raccoon who is an expert marksman. Director James Gunn pointed out that the CGI raccoon used was "not a cartoon character," saying "it's not Bugs Bunny in the middle of The Avengers, it’s a real, little, somewhat mangled beast that’s alone. There’s no one else in the universe quite like him, he’s been created by these guys to be a mean-ass fighting machine."

Rocket Raccoon is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Keith Giffen, the character first appeared in Marvel Preview #7 (Summer 1976). He is an intelligent, anthropomorphic raccoon, who is an expert marksman and master tactician. (source: wiki)

Kotobukiya wasted no time in revealing their version of Rocket Raccoon from the movie. As soon as the trailer was officially out, so were their prototype teaser images of their Guardians of the Galaxy Rocket Raccoon ARTFX+ Statue. Scroll down to see the pictures.

DC Collectibles Reveals It's 2014 Toy Fair Line-Up - Batman The Animated Series and More

DC Collectibles has released press images for it's 2014 New York Toy Fair line-up. DC Collectibles is making figures off the upcoming Son of Batman animated movie and Infinite Crisis video game, but more importantly, they're also resurrecting Batman: The Animated Series for an all-new line of figures.

That's the news they revealed ahead of the NY Toy Fair. Their 2014 line-up includes new figures based on Greg Capullo designs and the Li'l Gotham designs from Dustin Nguyen as well. Scroll down to see the full list of currently planned figures below. Click on the pictures for bigger and better views.

I'm certainly most excited about the new The New Batman Adventures action figures: Batman, Two Face, Mr. Freeze figures as well as Batman: The Animated Series Catwoman action figure. These were the figures that got me started collecting toys (see my earlier post "Humble Beginnings - We all have to start somewhere :) and this is my early start" HERE and check out my very first toy blog post HERE). I've since moved away from carded figures to focus on 1/6 scale figures but once in a while, I still succumb and get myself a Batman action figure that's not 12 inches tall ;p my most recent being Mattel Batman Unlimited "Beware the Batman" 7-inch Batman Action Figure (reviewed HERE) and DC Direct Jim Lee inspired All Star Series 1: Batman 6.75 inches Tall Action Figure posted HERE

Preview Kotobukiya DC Comics 1/7 scale Starfire Bishoujo Statue - you have to check out dat ass!

Starfire is the name of a fictional comic book character published by DC Comics. The most prominent Starfire is Koriand'r, the fourth character to use that name. She debuted in a preview story inserted within DC Comics Presents #26 (October 1980) and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. (source: wiki)

The design of the character (Koriand'r) incorporated aspects of many existing characters, artist George Pérez talking about the creation of the character noted that: "...I figured based on the description, was Red Sonja in outer space, so she ended up having a visual cue from that. When Joe Orlando passed by and saw the character sketches he suggested that maybe her hair should be longer. That I took to the ninth degree and gave her the Mighty Mouse contrail."

Koriand'r, Starfire's given name, is a princess of the fictional planet Tamaran in the Vegan system, and was in line to rule the planet as Queen. Komand'r ("commander", also known as Blackfire), her older sister, developed a bitter rivalry with her after suffering a disease in infancy that robbed her of the ability to harness solar energy to allow her to fly, and by extension, her right to the throne. A series of events put Komand'r in a position to execute Koriand'r after she was captured. Koriand'r escaped by stealing a spacecraft to flee to the nearest planet, Earth, where she met the first Robin and his compatriots; she joined them in forming the Teen Titans. She became a charter member of this team and remained a member for years; during this time she was frequently romantically involved with Robin.

Scroll down to see the preview pictures of Kotobukiya DC Comics 1/7 scale Starfire Bishoujo Statue ;p

Incoming: DAM toys 1/6 scale Spetsnaz FSB Alpha Group 12-inch Special Operations figure

Spetsnaz is an umbrella term for special forces in Russian; its literal meaning is "special purpose forces". Historically, the term referred to special military units controlled by the military intelligence service GRU (Spetsnaz GRU). It also describes special purpose units, or task forces, of other ministries (such as the Ministry of Emergency Situations' special rescue unit) in post-Soviet countries. (source: wiki)

The Center of Special Operations of the FSB (CSN FSB, центр специального назначения ФСБ) is officially tasked with combating terrorism and protecting the constitutional order of the Russian Federation. The CSN FSB consists of three operative divisions: Department A (Spetsgruppa Alfa), Department V (Spetsgruppa Vympel) and the Special Purpose Service.

Alpha Group is a counter-terrorist unit created in 1974. It is a professional unit, consisting of about 700 operators and support personnel in five operational detachments. Most are stationed in Moscow, with the remainder in three other cities: Krasnodar, Yekaterinburg and Khabarovsk. All Alpha operators undergo airborne, mountain and counter-sabotage dive training. Scroll down to see all the pictures.

Preview Hot Toys 1/6th scale "The Terminator" T-800 (Battle Damaged Version) 32cm Figure

“I’ll be back”.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic portrayal of the cyborg assassin in The Terminator has remained a forever classic in popular culture and among fans! Hot Toys is revisiting the motion picture that has started the Terminator saga by proudly presenting the 1/6th scale T-800 (Battle Damaged Version) Collectible Figure from The Terminator.

The T-800 collectible is specially crafted based on the image of Arnold Schwarzenegger in battle damaged look from the movie featuring two battle damaged head sculpts with red LED light up left eyeball, leather-like jacket, as well as detailed weapons and a specially crafted diorama figure base.

The 1/6th scale T-800 (Battle Damaged Version) Collectible Figure specially features: Authentic and detailed fully realized likeness of Arnold Schwarzenegger as T-800 in The Terminator, Two (2) newly sculpted battle damaged head sculpts with LED light in left eyeball (red light, battery operated), Movie-accurate facial expression with detailed wrinkles and skin texture, Muscular body with over 30 points of articulations. Approximately 32 cm tall. One (1) damaged right arm. Nine (9) pieces of interchangeable gloved palms including: One (1) pair of fists, One (1) pair of relaxed palms, One (1) pair of battle damaged palms, One (1) pair of palms for holding guns, One (1) left palm for holding guns. Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted.

Scroll down to see more pictures.

Incoming: OE (original effect) 1/6 scale "Spanner Boy" GAYA 13.5-inch / 34cm tall female figure

Spanner Boy is a Chinese comic book series, and Gaya is a character in the series. NOTE: She is not the "boy". This is OE (original effect) upcoming 1/6 scale OE401-GAYA "Spanner Boy" GAYA 13.5-inch / 34cm tall female figure.

1/6 scale "Spanner Boy" GAYA will come with Female Head PVC With two sets of hair replacement, Female Body Ball-jointed OE REBORN PVC+PC (Size 34 cm tall). Costume: White Vest, Blue and white striped Underpants, Leather Pants, Waistband, Hooded Dress, Yellow Band, Pair of Gloves, Pair of High-heeled Boots, Pair of Hold-ups. Accessories: Gaya’s Exclusive Chain Saw Sickle, Sets of Hair Replacement

Although touted as 1/6 scale, OE's female figures are 13-inch tall and taller (at 13.5 inches / 34cm), which actually puts them in a league of their own. They are taller than most of the guys in 1/6 scale. How's a chick gonna find guys when they look so intimidating? haha Check out my NEXT post for size comparisons. Meanwhile, scroll down to see the rest of the pictures.

Pre-order ZCWO: 1/6 scale Firearms Collection Set A & Set B - More BANG for your buck

ZC World has released pictures of their ZCWO Accessories: 1/6 scale Firearms Collection Set A & Set B and they look pretty good. It'll be GREAT for kitbashing and upgrading or adding on extra weapons to your existing figures. You can get the Remington M870 shotgun (wood version), M870 shotgun with weapon sight, 357 Magnum, 357 Magnum 38 Special, M10, M92F, Desert Eagle in Set A and M10, Ridge Warrior, Glock 19 with silencer, P99, Magnum 357, Desert Eagle .50 and TT33 with weapon blade in Set B.

These 1/6 scale firearms seem very well made and highly detailed with removable parts. The most unique piece in these two sets has to be the Ridge Warrior as it is a crossbow which means it's not actually a firearm since a firearm is defined as a portable gun, being a barreled weapon that launches one or more projectiles often defined by the action of an explosive. Scroll down to see all the pictures. Click on the pictures for bigger and better views

Have you seen the threeA: Marvel The Invincible Iron Man figures? There are 4 Iron Man in all!

From ThreeA:
Feb 13th will see the release in our ongoing MARVEL line, I'm super excited about this line! Soon we can share Doctor Doom, Ultron, Spidey, Thor and Cap and more! I grew up in Perth Australia, reading Marvel, dreaming of drawing comics for them, so to be able to make our own versions of Marvel characters here at 3A is incredible. Now If only I could make the comics based on the toys, these designs are linked in my mind, a 3A secret war if you will!

The Stark Industries Prototype Single (3AA Members Only), Stealth and the Iron Man Boxed Collection 4-Figure Set are exclusive to Bambaland. As a side note, the shipping version of Stealth Iron Man will have red eyes, not blue like the images show!

Each threeA: Marvel The Invincible Iron Man Figure stands 13.5 inches (34cm) tall, is Fully pose-able with soft PVC material covering both arms and legs. Eyes, chest and both palms light up, 6 x AG1 button cell batteries required (batteries are not included) Estimate shipping date: 3rd quarter 2014. Scroll down to see the pictures. Click on them for bigger and better views :)

Pre-order ThreeA (3A) KillZone Hazmat Trooper Sixth Scale Figure - light up eyes & arc cannon

From Killzone wiki:
The Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) Troopers are Chairman Stahl's personal bodyguards, clad in powerful armor and carrying the VC5 Arc Rifle as well as the StA-5X experimental weapons. Stahl's forces will stop at nothing to ensure that the ISA attack fails, even if it means exterminating the very prisoners they need for their weapons research.

Hazmat Troopers wear special heavy armor and can survive significantly more damage than any other Helghast soldiers, able to survive more than twice as much damage as elite units like Commandos or Elite Shock Troopers.

This is the upcoming soon-to-be-released ThreeA KillZone Hazmat Trooper Sixth Scale Figure. Figure stands approximately 12.5 inches (31cm) tall and has a Fully pose-able action body inside. It will come with Incredibly detailed costume with both PVC, fabric and plastic material, including Realistic soft rubber hose, cable & metal spring throughout the figure. Detailed clothing also comes with pouches.

Preview Sideshow Collectibles DC Comics Wonder Woman Premium Format Figure

In a world of ordinary mortals, she is a Wonder Woman!

Since her debut in the early golden age of comics, Wonder Woman has been a blazing symbol of feminine power, intelligence, and grace.

Created in 1941 by William Moulton Marston, the same psychologist who invented the polygraph test, it’s no surprise Wonder Woman wields the magical Lasso of Truth alongside her unbreakable gauntlets and Amazonian strength. Using his wife’s achievements and personality traits as inspiration, Marston felt that a female superhero would be entertaining and a good role model for young women – and of course, he was right!

As strong as Superman and as fierce as Batman, she has earned a central role in “The World’s Finest Trinity” and as a founding member of the Justice League. With a popular 70′s TV series, various animated appearances, and a new film on the horizon, she’s been a beloved DC Universe character for decades. Everyone, male or female, can admire Wonder Woman’s strength and compassion for humanity.

BEWARE: Play Imaginative Super Alloy Iron Man Mark VII 1/6 figure with Hall of Armor – FAIL!

I received a comment / feedback from Brett.Tolino regarding the Play Imaginative Super Alloy Iron Man Mark VII 1/6 collectible figure and felt compelled to share his bad experience here for all.

Brett.Tolino said...
BUYER BEWARE on this product! I just bought one from a seller on ebay, paid over $500.00 for it too. It comes packaged VERY well, there's even a plastic taped seal around the figure box (which is boxed inside the Hall of Armor box). Clearly, it was sealed at the manufacturing plant. When I opened the figure box, the shoulder pieces were completely detached and sitting at the bottom of the box, exposing the ball joints. The shoulder pieces have pins in them to attach to the shoulder but nothing on the shoulder to attach them to. Needless to say, the die-cast figure came defective, as if someone did not want to assemble the figure at the plant and just tossed the metal shoulders into the box and sealed it up. I was PISSED -- paying over $500 for this piece of garbage. Instructions state to contact Play Imaginative for any issues regarding the purchase but all emails (and the Play Imaginative website only provides email addresses) to the company go ignored. Wasted $500.00 on this garbage and Play Imaginative DOES NOT RESPOND to complaints about their defective merchandise. BEWARE before you buy ANY Super Alloy product from Play Imaginative. You are not dealing with a professional company like Hot Toys or Sideshow Collectibles where if you receive damaged or defective merchandise, you can return it for an exchange. Buy a Play Imaginative product, risk getting a defective item that Play Imaginative will do NOTHING about -- not even reply to your emails. Check their facebook page -- I'm not the only one having issues with their products. Many people complaining about their Super Alloy Superman where the feet come with missing screws and all sorts of nonsense -- and Super Alloy Superman wasn't nearly as expensive as Super Alloy Iron Man. If you buy one, beware, Don't say you weren't warned.

It's most upsetting to read about how companies take us collectors for a ride. They charge us an arm and a leg for their product (USD$500 is no small amount!) and then not only do they NOT deliver on their promise of a high end good quality product, they do not bother to solve their poor product quality issues when it arises, leaving us completely helpless without any recourse and no way to get our money back or at lease rectify the problem which is all due to their poor handling in the first place. Something ought to be done about this, don't you think?

From day one, I was NOT impressed with Play Imaginative's product, Super Alloy Batman being the first that I saw. The finished work looked shoddy and far from the quality I would expect for the price they were asking which was crazy and ridiculous. It was doomed to fail from the get-go. Then PI tried to market Super Alloy Superman and followed that up with the Iron Man figures. I wouldn't touch the company with a ten foot pole and I'm glad I stayed away. This incident just proves how right I was about the company's products.

OE (original effect) 1/6 scale killer instinct SAM 13-inch post-apocalyptic female figure Review II

continued from previous post...

Originally called 1/6 scale killer instinct "Mechanical" SAM, the moniker "mechanical" was dropped when the product was finally released. Why? No answer was given although SAM still retains her mechanical right arm. Here, OE (original effect) 1/6 scale killer instinct SAM 13-inch female action figure is wearing her complete outfit of a shawl, Orange scarf with iron wire around the edges for posing, white swimsuit, green pants cut off at the calves with leather reinforcements at the knees, Leg protector, Special bullet waist belt and yellow construction worker type safety boots.

This is the head sculpt that comes on this figure. There is an alternative head sculpt included as well but that's all in the next post. This second part review post is all about the complete figure that is OE (original effect) 1/6 scale killer instinct SAM. The mechanical arm is very unique and makes this piece stand out. This female figure comes with a normal forearm and right hand for if you feel like switching out the mechanical arm for a normal human one. It is a fairly simple and straightforward process: just pluck out the mechanical arm and slot in the normal human one. As for me, I'm keeping with the mechanical arm :) scroll down to see the rest of the pictures and turnaround views of OE (original effect) 1/6 scale killer instinct SAM.

Review 1: OE (original effect) 1/6 scale killer instinct SAM 13-inch female action figure

Backstory by OE (original effect) on their “killer instinct” series:
In the near future, the world becomes more turbulent. The first style of the series Teacher Sam with heavy bomb possesses powerful mechanical arms and the fire bomb with surprisingly large caliber. She has the power to destroy one city.

This is the recently released OE (original effect) 1/6 scale killer instinct SAM 13-inch female action figure. I had first mentioned it in my toy blog post "First Haul of 2014" HERE and finally found the time to take pictures and post my first review :)

OE (original effect) 1/6 scale killer instinct SAM comes with the following: 1/6 scale SAM female head sculpt x 2, 13-inch Woman body, White swimsuit, Green working pirate shorts, Yellow working boots, Orange scarf with iron wire around the edges for posing, Special bullet waist belt, Special bullet x 6, Mechanical arm, Alternative arm, Bare hands x 2, Leg protector. Scroll down to see pictures of the packaging and the contents.

Kotobukiya Marvel Bishoujo collection 1/7th scale X-Force Psylocke ninja 8-inch Statue Review II

continued from previous post...

The great thing about having a product in hand is that you can zoom in and take close-up pictures, sometimes not forthcoming in teaser preview / prototype pictures. Close-up shots allow you to examine the product more closely and appreciate the fine details (or lack thereof) that went into the making of the product. Here are the close-up photos of the recently released Kotobukiya Marvel Bishoujo Psylocke X-Force ninja outfit statue.

According to wikipedia, Bishōjo (美少女, literally "beautiful young girl", also spelled bishoujo) is a Japanese term used to refer to young and pretty girls, usually below university age. Bishōjo characters are seen in almost all genres of anime and manga, especially in dating sims and visual novels (also known as bishōjo games), and harem anime and manga. Since one of the main draws of these series is typically the art and the attractive female characters, the term is occasionally perceived negatively, as a "genre" which is solely dependent on the marketability of cute characters rather than content or plot.

Master artist Shunya Yamashita has illustrated X-Force Psylocke as an anime bishoujo character and scultor Busujimax (Takaboku Busujima) has translated Yamashita's 2-D rendering into a 3-D masterpiece. Not only has the Japanese taken British woman Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock and turned her into a Japanese anime character, they also made her much younger. The fact that she is also a ninja shows how much the Japanese culture has crossed into the American media. How many caucasians have been transformed into sword wielding, shuriken throwing ninja warriors? Besides Psylocke, there's Bruce Wayne Batman (posted HERE), Snake Eyes and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ;p check out my posts HERE of Snake Eyes and the turtles HERE and HERE.

Scroll down to see the rest of the close-up views of Kotobukiya Marvel Bishoujo collection 1/7th scale Psylocke X-Force ninja outfit statue

Review 1: Kotobukiya Marvel Bishoujo collection 1/7th scale X-Force Psylocke 8-inch Statue

Once a British woman with minor mutant powers, Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock's mind was transferred into the body of a ninja giving her additional martial arts prowess. A long-time member of the X-Men, Psylocke more recently joined up with the brutal mutant hit squad X-Force, comprised of mutants willing to do anything to get the job done and protect the world. Psylocke fits right in, using her awesome powers and debuting a cool monochrome costume. Based on a new illustration by master artist Shunya Yamashita, Psylocke has never looked better with her X-Force outfit and adorable Bishoujo styled face!

This is the latest Kotobukiya! The Marvel Bishoujo collection: a brand new version of the mysterious and beautiful telepathic mutant ninja, PSYLOCKE X-FORCE NINJA OUTFIT version. Having previewed this femme fatale earlier HERE, I just had to get my hands on this female ninja figure ;p

I've always been a big fan of the X-Men. Read a lot of X-Men comics growing up and seeing them rendered in eye-popping 3-D is just the icing on the cake :) From the original five (Xavier recruited Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, Beast, and Marvel Girl, calling them "X-Men" because they possess special powers due to their possession of the "X-Gene," a gene which normal humans lack and which gives mutants their abilities), the X-Men have grown to become a much bigger group of individuals / mutants that have taken the world by storm (pun intended), having been featured in movies and lots and lots of other medium as well (comics, games, toys, statues etc). Check out my post on the X-Men HERE and HERE. Scroll down to see the rest of the in-hand pictures of Kotobukiya Marvel Bishoujo Psylocke X-Force ninja outfit statue.

Check out the Kotobukiya DC Comics Batman Arkham City ARTFX+ 1/10 scale Statue

Batman: Arkham City is a 2011 action-adventure video game developed by Rocksteady Studios and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and Microsoft Windows. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the sequel to the 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum and the second installment in the Batman: Arkham series.

Arkham City Batman has been making the rounds quite a bit, with many people growing fond of this new Batman costume. As the Batman in The Lego Movie says: I only work in black. And sometimes, very, very dark gray.

Kotobukiya has released the first gallery of their upcoming Batman: Arkham City – Batman ARTFX+ Statue. The 1/10 scale statue portrays Batman as seen in the second installment in the acclaimed Arkham video game series. The statue features a swappable right hand to show him holding either a Batarang or a grapnel gun. No word on release date at this time. Scroll down to see all the pictures.

MC Toys 1/6 scale The End Walker 12" figure – Denzel Washington in "The Book of Eli" Review II

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"Stay on the path. It's not your concern. Stay on the path. It's not your concern."

"The Book of Eli" (released in 2010) is post-apocalyptic tale, in which a lone man (Denzel Washington as Eli) has been wandering westward across North America carrying with him a sacred book that he has sworn to protect and deliver to its destination. Searching for a source of water, he arrives in a ramshackle town built and overseen by Carnegie (Gary Oldman). Carnegie dreams of building more towns and controlling the people by using the power of a certain book, the same book that is in Eli's possession.

MC Toys 1/6 scale The End Walker 12-inch action figure (ITEM #F-034) is inspired by / based on the character Denzel Washington plays in "The Book of Eli". It comes with a 1/6 scale Head Sculpt, 12-inch figure Body, Green Coat, Khaki Pants, Khaki Long Sleeve T-Shirt, White Short Sleeve t-shirt, Inmate Iridium Sunglasses, Remington 870 "Witness Protection" shotgun, .45 Pistol, Oakley Panel Pack backpack, Scarf, Gloves, Leather Boots, Beanie, MP3 with ear headphone, Machete, Leather Machete Sheath. To see the details of the contents, check out my previous post HERE. Scroll down to see the pictures of the (almost) complete 1/6 scale Eli figure.

Review 1: MC Toys 1/6 The End Walker 12" figure - Denzel Washington in "The Book of Eli"

This is the recently released MC Toys F-034 1/6 scale The End Walker 12-inch figure which is inspired by / based on the character Denzel Washington played in the 2010 American post-apocalyptic action film "The Book of Eli". This was part of my first haul of 2014.

"The Book of Eli" was directed by the Hughes brothers, written by Gary Whitta, and starred Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson and Jennifer Beals. The story revolves around Eli, a nomad in a post-apocalyptic world, who is told by a voice to deliver his copy of a mysterious book to a safe location on the West Coast of the United States. The history of the post-war world is explained along the way, as is the importance of Eli's task. (source: wiki)

Thirty years after a nuclear apocalypse, Eli (Denzel Washington) travels on foot toward the west coast of the United States. Along the way, he demonstrates uncanny survival and fighting skills, hunting wildlife and swiftly defeating a group of highway bandits who try to ambush him. Eli has a book of great importance that Carnegie (Gary Oldman) desires and wants, believing that it will give him the power to build and control more towns.

Preview Hot Toys "Iron Man 2" 1/6th scale Whiplash Mark II 33cm tall Collectible Figure

At the climax of Iron Man 2, Ivan Vanko appeared in his new Whiplash Mark II armor and proved to be a formidable foe for both Tony Stark and Colonel James Rhodes. The Whiplash Mark II’s incredible mechanical design has left a strong impression for Iron Man fans and since the appearance of collectible figure’s prototype at various Hot Toys exhibitions, fans have been longing for the official reveal of this amazing armor.

Now we are very excited to present this eagerly awaited 1/6th scale Whiplash Mark II Collectible Figure. It will also be the newest addition to our MMS Diecast Series which the collectible figures are made of diecast material, realistically designed to look more like Whiplash Mark II as he appears in the movie. The MMS Diecast Series will take fans to the next level of authenticity, focusing on the materials, fine details and engineering of the collectible figure.

The movie-accurate collectible is specially crafted based on the image of Mickey Rourke as Whiplash Mark II in the movie featuring a helmeted head sculpt with authentic likeness of Mickey Rourke, an interchangeable helmeted head with LED light-up eyes, a magnetic mask, highly detailed mechanical design, metallic black painted full body armor with distressed effect, interchangeable battle damaged chest armor, pair of whips with real-like flashes and light-up function, and a specially sculpted diorama figure base.

Preview Deluxe Maquette: "Darth Vader and Son" & "Vader's Little Princess" by Gentle Giant

How cute is this?

Based on the "Darth Vader and Son" book by cartoonist Jeffrey Brown, this adorable maquette shows a scene from an alternate "Star Wars" in which the Dark Lord of the Sith is an active father, with li'l Luke very proudly presenting Dad Vader with a Rebel Alliance-pattern tie! Awkward... This charming display stands about 23.5cm tall, and a base is included. It's the perfect gift for anyone who grew up with "Star Wars," and who's maybe even helping someone else grow up with it too!

Gentle Giant has partnered with Chronicle Books to put together something pretty special just in time for Father’s Day. The artisans at Gentle Giant Studios have captured this hilarious and sweet comic as re-imagining, Darth Vader as a dad like any other-except with all the baggage of being the Dark Lord of the Sith. Traditionally sculpted by the Artisans at Gentle Giant Studios, no detail has been overlooked.

Check out Kotobukiya Marvel Comics Avengers Now Hawkeye ARTFX+ 1/10 scale Statue

Kotobukiya presents the next Marvel 1/10 scale ARTFX+ statue in their Avengers Now line: Hawkeye. Kotobukiya based this figure of Hawkeye on his appearance in his current Marvel NOW! comic.  Caught in mid-draw as he prepares to bring an enemy down, Hawkeye is tightly coiled in anticipation. This iconic character certainly looks different from his first appearance in the comics (check out the Famous Covers Hawkeye posted in my toy blog HERE).

Hawkeye was introduced as a reluctant villain in Tales of Suspense #57 (September 1964). After two more appearances as a villain in Tales of Suspense #60 and #64 (December 1964 and April 1965), Hawkeye joined the ranks of the Avengers in Avengers Vol.1 #16 (May 1965). He has been a prominent member of the team ever since. Scroll down to see the pictures of this Kotobukiya Marvel NOW! version of Hawkeye which looks much closer to the movie version.

Review "Star Wars: A Pop-up Guide to the Galaxy" book with dual light-up light sabers

I had reviewed the "Star Wars: A Galactic Pop-up Adventure" book with light-up lightsaber earlier HERE and enjoyed the book quite a bit, not for the content because most of us Star Wars fans would already know most of the facts inside the book but for the pop-up effects which were astounding and truly a feat of paper engineering :)

This "Star Wars: A Pop-up Guide to the Galaxy" book is actually the first Star Wars Pop-up book by Matthew Reinhart, renowned paper engineer and bona fide STARS WARS aficionado. "Star Wars: A Pop-up Guide to the Galaxy" book was a NEW YORK TIMES bestseller and covers Star Wars episodes IV to VI, which to many of us older folks, was the better trilogy of the two because it was the classic that spawned the prequel.

The Pop-up book is divided into six sections. Each section covers a particular subject or topic and within the section are sub-topics. What's most interesting is that most of the pop-ups are hidden under the sub-topic sections via flaps and as you uncover each sub-topic, a pop-up appears, catching you by surprise with how it's cleverly engineered to be folded flat and hidden from view until you lift the flap. Ingenious is the word and so much FUN haha It brings joy to reading LOL. Scroll down to see the rest of the pictures.

Beautiful Retro 70's and 80's Sci-Fi Poster Series by Boiling Point Creative brings back memories

These super 70's and 80's Sci-Fi Poster series (size: 16 x 24 inches) are digitally illustrated posters designed by Boiling Point Creative Group and printed on high quality matte archival stock. They are available on Boiling Point Creative Group website HERE. Feel free to check them out :)

These posters really bring back a lot of memories and nostalgia. I remember watching most of them on TV (except for The Black Hole which was a movie. And we never got Flash Gordon over here in Singapore) as a child and these shows really appealed to me and stoked the sci-fi-ness in me haha. Scroll down to see the rest of the posters (there are a total of six in the series). 

Prototype images of ThreeZero 1/6 scale 2014 (Reboot) RoboCop V1 and V3 figures revealed

RoboCop is a 2014 American science fiction action film directed by José Padilha. It is a remake of the 1987 film of the same name and a reboot of the RoboCop film series, making it the fourth installment of the franchise. The film stars Joel Kinnaman in the title role.

When Alex Murphy - a loving husband, father and good cop gets critically injured in the line of duty, OmniCorp sees their chance for a part-man, part-robot police officer. OmniCorp envisions a RoboCop in every city and big profits for their shareholders, but there is still a noble man inside the machine pursuing justice.

From threezero:
Here is the promised photos of Robocop V1 model, which we will release this year. We are keen on making the figure with utmost care and attention to details and all the tiny nuances. Not every company shows early and WIP photos, but we are excited to show you guys, what we are working on.