2014 Christmas Presents: Green Lantern x 2, Star Wars Vans, Call of Duty, Adidas & Astronaut

These were the presents I got for Christmas from family and friends :) It's more blessed to give than to receive but I certainly don't mind receiving too haha Sometimes you get gifts that you immediately think of re-gifting right away but gifts from family and friends are usually more thought out and given with you in mind. Besides the wonderful Christmas dinner with the people closest to you, the exchanging of gifts and the look of surprise and excitement on their faces are all part of the joy of Christmas. I certainly had my fair share of Christmas joy!

So what did I get? I got the Mattel Exclusive Retro-Action DC Super Heroes Guy Gardner Green Lantern and Sinestro (the Green Lanterns' most famous villain) 8-inch action figures, Vans Star Wars SK8-Hi shoes with bonus Star Wars Stormtrooper scarf, Mega Bloks Call of Duty Dome Battleground Collector Construction Set, Adidas climachill T-shirt and USB powered Astronaut LED light.

Scroll down to see all the pictures.
Click on them for bigger and better views.

Review Mattel Batman Unlimited 7-inch Batman Action Figure as seen in "Beware the Batman"

Beware the Batman is an American computer-animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. The series premiered in the United States on Cartoon Network on July 13, 2013. The series is set during Bruce Wayne's early years as the Batman, following his initial period of battling organized crime. Over the course of the season, he hones his skills with the assistance of his butler, Alfred Pennyworth (who is a former MI6 agent. Mitch Watson, co-producer of Beware the Batman, explained: "He's Sean Connery from The Untouchables. The characterization of Alfred would be that of a man who was once in a physical condition on par with Batman, who was now in his 60s and past his prime, but still able to provide advice to Batman and be an ally when necessary.") Alfred's goddaughter, Tatsu Yamashiro, is Katana, a martial arts swordsmaster hired to act as Bruce's bodyguard, but also recruited to act as a superhero partner to Batman. (source: wiki)

I like Batman in almost all of his incarnations - from his original form in DC comic books to the campy 1960s TV series, to the animated styles seen in SuperFriends and all of the various interpretations since, including films, video games etc (except the George Clooney Batman with the nipples suit). The Dark Knight by Frank Miller took Batman to a whole new level and Tim Burton's 1989 Batman really brought Batman to the big screen. Of course, the recent Batman trilogy (what a rush!) by Christopher Nolan only makes us wonder how the next Ben Affleck Batman will pan out in 2015.

Monsters Inc. and NOT of the Disney kind

Continued from previous post...

These are my Monsters Inc. NOT the Disney version. For the Disney version of Monsters Inc. check out my post HERE to see Sulley, Wazowski, "Boo", Randall, Celia, Yetty and the rest of the gang. These monsters / creatures are from the DC universe (except one from Marvel) and almost all are enemies / villains of Batman.

Clockwise from left: Bane, Man-Bat, Killer Moth, Killer Croc (all Batman villains) and The Lizard (super villain of Spider-Man). I just had to squeeze the Lizard in because he so belongs with this group. Scroll down to see more :)

Review: Mattel Batman Power Attack Swamp Raider Killer Croc 6.5-inch/16.5cm action figure

This Swamp Raider Killer Croc is the only other action figure from Mattel's Batman Power Attack line that I got, other than the Power Attack Ice Blast Mr Freeze action figure which I reviewed earlier HERE.

Killer Croc, or Waylon Jones, is a criminal and nemesis of Batman. He was born with a medical condition called "Epidermolytic Hyperkeratosis" as well as regressive atavism, which caused him to grow progressively more like a crocodile, hence his name.

In recent years, Killer Croc has been portrayed as being much more reptilian than in past incarnations. In Batman the Animated Series which was first aired on the Fox Network from 1992 to 1995, Killer Croc was more of a human with alligator-like skin and razor-sharp teeth and claws (see my post HERE). He had no tail and walked pretty much upright like a man, albeit a very large man. In this Batman Power Attack depiction, Killer Croc is now very much more reptile than man.

Review: Mattel Batman Power Attack Ice Blast Mr Freeze 6.5-inch / 16.5 cm tall action figure

This is the Mattel Batman Power Attack Ice Blast Mr Freeze action figure which is approximately 6.5 inches / 16.5 cm tall . I don't like the 3 3/4 inch figures because I find them rather small. They are good for putting into vehicles but not great when they stand alone. I was attracted to this Mattel Batman Power Attack Ice Blast Mr Freeze figure because its size stood out and caught my attention. Plus I cannot resist a good looking Mr Freeze action figure :)

Mr Freeze, real name Dr Victor Fries (surname pronounced "freeze"), is a scientist who must wear a cryogenic suit in order to survive, and bases his crimes around a "cold" or "ice" theme, complete with a "cold gun" that freezes its targets solid. In the most common variation of his origin story, he is a former cryogenics expert who suffered an industrial accident while attempting to cure his terminally ill wife, Nora.

The Mattel Batman Power Attack Ice Blast Mr Freeze 6.5-inch / 16.5 cm tall action figure comes carded and is a part of a set of four arctic mission figures from the Batman Power Attack line of figures. The other three figures in the set are Blizzard Buster Batman, Thermo Attack Batman and Battle Gauntlet Batman. Scroll down to see more pictures of this very COOL (pun intended) Mr Freeze action figure.

B is also for Batman: Brave and the Bold / Stealth Strike "Covert Attack" Batman figure

In a land that is devoid of anything to do with Mattel DC Batman toy action figures, these Batman: Brave and the Bold / Stealth Strike figures were a welcome sight indeed when they appeared in the aisles of Toys R Us. Like I mentioned in my earlier post HERE, you will not find Mattel DC action figures in Singapore. Plenty of Ben 10, Marvel Avengers, Disney Cars and Toy Story plus Power Rangers and most recently Thundercats but Brave and the Bold? Justice League? Nada, zilch, not a one, nil, uh-uh... you get me.

Coming off the successful BATMAN Total Armor series (it was named thus because the original Batman: Brave and the Bold series was canned when the animated TV series of the same name ended its run), this was an all-new segment that was released in the US last year but only arrived in Singapore stores just recently.

While the Mattel Stealth Strike "Gear Up" BATMAN (see pictures in my post HERE) wears a slightly modified version of the blue and gray suit worn during the Silver Age comics (1960s–70s) which was also what Batman wore in the animated Batman: Brave and the Bold TV series, this Covert Attack Batman looks more like the Dark Knight version where Batman worked alone (no Robin, the Boy Wonder and no dynamic duo) and everything was grimmer and darker, which suits me just fine.

Mattel Year 2011 DC Batman "The Brave and The Bold" / Stealth Strike Series COVERT ATTACK BATMAN 5-Inch Tall Action Figure comes with Removable Mask and Detachable Missile Launcher with Missile (X1254) for some snap-on action.

B is also for Batman: The Brave and the Bold / Stealth Strike "Gear Up" BATMAN by Mattel

When it comes to Mattel DC toy action figures in Singapore, it is practically non-existent :( You will be hard pressed to find the Mattel DC Justice League and Justice League Unlimited figures, or Mattel's The Batman action figures or even Batman: The Brave and the Bold action figures. Singapore is the world's most barren and desolate place as far as Mattel DC action figures are concerned. Toy stores in Singapore carry Ben 10 toy figures by the truck loads, along with Power Rangers, Star Wars, Transformers as well as Disney and Marvel action figures (Toy Story, Cars, Avengers and whatever new film that comes out in the cinemas) but DC action figures based on the animated television series cannot be found anywhere!

So imagine my surprise when I came across a few of these Mattel "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" toy action figures recently in Toys R Us. However, these have been repackaged as "Batman Stealth Strike" action figures although clearly these action figures carry on the design used on the original Mattel "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" toy action figures with the distinctive hexagonal holes on the back, shoulders, elbows and lower legs. The holes are used to attach the accessories to the character's body for more play value. It is obvious that Mattel is trying to sell these off under a new line since the show's cancellation.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain. As the title suggests, the cartoon focuses on Batman's regular "team-ups" with various heroes similar to the most well-known version of the original comic book series. The series premiered on November 14, 2008 on Cartoon Network in the United States, and ended on November 18, 2011. [source: wiki]

O is also for Oa, Green Lantern Corps HQ

Oa is a fictional planet at the center of the DC Comics universe, home to the Guardians of the Universe and headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. The Green Lantern Corps was created by The Guardians of the Universe as an intergalactic police force. The Green Lantern Corps exists to promote order and justice throughout the universe.

The Green Lantern Corps home base of Oa is also featured prominently in "Green Lantern", the 2011 superhero film which just started screening in cinemas. So we cannot mention Oa without mentioning the Green Lanterns. And since no toy of the planet Oa is available, I'll do the next best thing and cover the Green Lanterns instead ;p

N is also for Nemesis

Thomas Andrew Tresser is a vigilante, turned operative for the U.S. government and a master of disguise. His default costume is a black turtleneck sweater with a balance as a chest symbol and a chest holster.

Thomas Andrew Tresser was an applicant to an unnamed government agency whose brother Craig was an undercover agent infiltrating a criminal syndicate called "the Council". Craig was brainwashed into killing their family friend Ben Williams and was subsequently killed in self-defense by fellow agents.

M is also for More JLU Haul

What can I say? After my recent JLU Haul from Toy Carnival @ L2P (check out my post "H is also for Haul of Justice" HERE), I was on the lookout for some more JLU action figures and managed to score these last week. I'm pleased as punch with this grab as I've been looking out for these figures for sometime.

I really enjoyed the Justice League animated series and love the style in which they were rendered. Animator Bruce Timm, having successfully adapted both Batman and Superman into animated television programs in the 1990s, took on the challenge of adapting the Justice League comic book and turning it into an animated sequel to his two former animated series.

Click on this picture for a bigger and better view

This new animated TV series brought all sorts of new characters. Ignoring the sidekicks, pets, and other elements of the earlier Super Friends show, the line-up of this new Justice League of America (JLA) adaptation was created with two things in mind: to pay tribute to the original line-up of the JLA while also reflecting racial and cultural diversity. After its second season, it became Justice League Unlimited, and ran an additional two seasons.

L is also for Lex Luthor (again)

Not the same Luthor as the earlier post: L is for Lex Luthor. The earlier version I posted is not at all identical in sculpt to any of the other JLU (Justice League Unlimited) Lex Luthor action figures. This Lex Luthor has the more common head sculpt seen with the other Lex Luthor figures that have been released.

This particular JLU Lex Luthor 3.75" figure was released as a Supervillain 3-pack together with the Copperhead and Mirror Master action figures.

K is also for Kilowog

In the DC Comics, Kilowog is a former geneticist and the main drill instructor of the Green Lantern Corps, training hundreds of Lanterns over the years, including John Stewart, Katma-Tui, and Hal Jordan.

Like all Green Lanterns, Kilowog wielded a Power Ring that enables him to create hard-light constructs from thought. He was also immensely strong and powerful.

I is also for Invisible Martian

J'onn J'onzz has the ability to alter his density at the molecular level, which in practice allows him to become invisible, pass through solid objects (and vice-versa), or become invulnerably solid. An increase in his density results in a blue aura that increases his strength and invulnerability on par with that of Superman. This also allows J'onn to fully recover after sustaining severe physical damage, such as being torn apart.

In the comics, J'onn was a Manhunter, a Martian law officer and the (presumed) sole survivor of an engineered telepathic plague that wiped out the Green Martians. But this is not the case in the DC animated universe where J'onn J'onzz was the last Martian and one of the founding member of the Justice League. Check out J'onn J'onzz's natural Martian form HERE.

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 :)

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.

A is also for Atom

Professor Ray Palmer is the ATOM, an expert physicist at the prestigious Boston University.

The Atom possesses a belt that allows him to shrink his body to varying degrees, including the subatomic level. This ability is not restricted to him, as he is also capable of reducing the size of other people of objects he is in contact with. However, whilst he has shrunken himself, he retains all of his physical strength that he would have at his normal size, making him seem surprisingly strong.

W is for Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman, known also as Diana of Themyscira, was the princess of the Amazons and one of the original seven founders of the Justice League.

When "Man's World" came under attack by the Imperium, Diana left Themyscira and joined Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, and the Flash in the initial battle before all seven (Batman, J'onn J'onzz and Superman) took on the Imperium and defeated them.

U is for Ultra-Humanite

Ultra-Humanite was an albino gorilla whose intelligence is far superior to many men. Unfortunately, his true talents were not put to use when he served as a member of the Injustice Gang.

The Ultra-Humanite is the first supervillain faced by Superman. He was designed to be the polar opposite of Superman; while Superman is a hero with superhuman strength, Ultra-Humanite is a criminal mastermind who has a crippled body but a highly advanced intellect.

T is for Terry McGinnis aka Batman Beyond

Terry McGinnis adopted the identity of Batman in the future. Like his predecessor, McGinnis fought crime and injustice in Gotham City and elsewhere for many years.

"Batman Beyond" (also known as "Batman of the Future" in some countries until its reruns) was the fourth television series produced in the DC Animated Universe continuity. It began airing on January 10, 1999 and ended its run on December 18, 2001.

S is for Superman

Superman, birth name Kal-El and adopted name Clark Kent, is also one of the founding members of the Justice League. After responding to the Imperium invasion, Superman joined with Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, and J'onn J'onzz to form the Justice League.

Everybody knows how as an infant Kal-El was sent to Earth by his parents, Jor-El and Lara, prior to the destruction of their home planet, Krypton. Kal-El's space capsule landed near Smallville, Kansas, where he was found by Jonathan and Martha Kent. The Kents adopted the young Kryptonian, naming him "Clark", after Martha's maiden name.