Awesome Toy Blog

Name: Cyberleader
Series: 2 from Bif BangPow!
Availability: October 2011

As part of the initial four figures released at last year’s NYCC – The Cyberleader is the final figure to get a chance to shine in the figure spotlight. Just yesterday I raved about how awesome the Master is, how does the Cyberleader stack up?

While the Master stands out my favorite of the first group of four figures, the Cyberleader is the most frustrating. The figure is so close to perfect – but one detail just stands out and mars the figure. Using the same basic body – the Cyberleader is based on a well articulated and high quality body. The cyberman outfit is fantastic – I love the printing on the outfit at the elbows and knees giving it a corrugated look. The chest apparatus is niced sculpted with great detail. The head sculpt is amazing, it nails the look of70′s Cybermen.

Where I stumble with the figure is with the where the head attaches to the shoulders. While it maintains neck articulation, it results in the head floating up above the shoulders and just looks off. I would have happily given up the neck articulation to have the head sit closer to the body – its not like a Cyberman has ever turned his neck on screen! To illustrate my point a little better, check out this ‘what if’ picture:

If this one detail was tweaked, I’d be over the moon with this figure – which is why I find it to be the most frustrating of the first four. It could just be incredible, instead of just good. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a solid figure and definitely worth picking up if you’re a fan of classic Who. Both the Cyberleader and the Master are still available from Entertainment Earth. Overall, I’m impressed with the first four Doctor Who figures from Bif Bang Pow! The have a great blend of the retro aesthetic with attention to detail and screen accuracy. The head sculpts on the Sontaran and Cyberleader are beyond top notch! I can’t wait for the next batch to be released from Bif Bang Pow! later this year.

Name: The Master
Series: 2 from Bif BangPow!
Availability: October 2011

As part of the initial four figures released at last year’s NYCC – The Master is the latest figure to get a chance to shine in the figure spotlight. While I’ve had the 4th Doctor and Styre for quite awhile now, I only picked up the Master and the Cyberleader this past Christmas – making them new to me.

Given that I’ve previously talked about the other Bif Bang Pow! Doctor Who figures, I can really get this review going. In fact, I believe the Master to be the best of the bunch released to date. I mean, he’s fantastic. The articulated body that serves as the basis for the figure is top notch, well articulated but never floppy. The costume, albeit quite simple, is excellent. The material used looks gauzy, very similar to the television costume. A nice touch is that the hood has wire in the hem, allowing you to bend and drape it as you see fit. I’ve fiddled with it a bit, and still haven’t gotten it quite right. The Sash of Rasillon also adds an essential bit of pop, but is also removable. The Master’s head sculpt is on point – with a creepy, bug eyed expression the Master looks like he just popped right out of ‘the Deadly Assassin’. Sure, if you haven’t seen the episode, the figure head sculpt might seem a little goofy, but it’s pretty close to screen accurate.

I have to say that, as a whole, the figure is so good it looks like someone got a hold of the Master’s TCE (that’s a Tissue Compression Eliminator) and shrunk him down, plopped him on a card and sent him to my house. If you want one sent to your house, you can pick him up from Entertainment Earth.

Name: Sontaran Field Major Styre
Series: 1 from Bif BangPow!
Availability: October 2011

With a pre-toy fair announcement, a toy fair debut, and an appearance at SDCC the Bif Bang Pow! Doctor Who figures became available a few weeks ago at NYCC.  Earlier this week I received my fourth Doctor and Styre figures.

A few posts ago (Figure Spotlight #32) I took a look at the 4th Doctor; and many of my observations also apply to Mr. Styre here.  The packaged figure looks great, but the bubble was a little loose on the card.  The articulated body used on the figures is great; allowing for a wide range of posing options. The clothing and accessories are appropriate and look great.   Where Sontaran Field Major Styre excels is in the head sculpt; by not requiring a human likeness the ‘retro’ aesthetic really works well on this figure.  And not only is the sculpt great; the paint apps are also excellent (and the hands are painted as well to match the skin tone of the head) with the exposed skin having a pale, ashy color.  The Sontaran looks very alien, which works since he is alien.

If you’re a Doctor Who who’s also a fan of ‘retro’-styled or Mego figures – you’re going to love the new line from Bif Bang Pow! I’m really impressed by both the 4th Doctor and Sontaran Styre.  While the Doctor satisfies my long standing want for the vintage Mego Doctor Who figure, Styre was unexpectedly my favorite of the pair.   If you’re not a fan of ‘retro’ figures; then this one isn’t for you – and you probably didn’t make it to the end of this spotlight. But if you are a fan, you probably don’t want to delay in scoring one – these will be fairly limited – so head off to Entertainment Earth and order yourself a set!

Check after the jump for a few more images

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Name: The Doctor
Series: 1 from Bif BangPow!
Availability: October 2011

Just before Toy Fair 2011, Bif Bang Pow1 announced that they secured the rights to produce figures from the classic series. Naturally this announcement excited me, as one of my ‘holy grails’ is a Mego 4th Doctor and Leela figure from the 70′s. At toy fair, prototypes for the first four figures (4th Doctor, Sontaran Styre, the Master, Cyberleader) were on display. Despite an oversized noggin on the Doctor, I felt pretty good about these figures, particularly after having a chat with the folks behind Bif Bang Pow!.  The first wave of figures were finally released at NYCC a few weeks ago and I received my fourth Doctor and Styre figures today.

The figure comes carded; with a cardback design similar to the one recently unveiled by Underground Toys at SDCC.  This is not surprising as the BBC has wanted to maintain consistency with the package designs for Doctor Who product (DVD packaging excluded).  Fortunately, the design is quit sharp with a blue diamond scheme and images of the first wave figures right on the front of the card.  The Doctor was very nicely contained in the bubble – with plastic inserts keeping his hat in place.  Unfortunately on my sample the bubble was mostly unattached already – but as I’m an opener, this wasn’t a cause for concern.

Once freed from his constraints, I was very pleased with the figure.  The likeness is quite good; not perfect, but vastly improved from the prototype.  His clothing includes shoes, pants, shirt, vest, tie, jacket, the essential scarf and a hat.  I was really impressed with how good the clothes looked and fit.  It’s nice to be able to move the scarf around and try other looks.  The body underneath is very well articulated, with joints at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, ribcage, waist, hips, knees, ankles.  As a result many action poses are possible.  The Doctor also includes a sonic screwdriver accessory, which is not a surprise.  It’s nicely done, with a little bit of paint around the emitter.  The only thing that I’m not really feeling is the hat; the figure just looks better without it.  A swappable head would have been a better way to have a hatted / not hatted look – but I’m not sure how practical that’d be.  In the end, I’m just going to go hatless.

If you’re a Doctor Who who’s also a fan of ‘retro’-styled or Mego figures – you’re going to love the new line from Bif Bang Pow! I’m really impressed by the 4th Doctor and Sontaran Styre (expect a write-up on him tomorrow).  As far as comparisons to the classic Underground Toys line – I’m not going to bother.  They are very different lines, with different (and even complimentary) aesthetics.  Neither is better – they’re both different. If you’re not a fan of ‘retro’ figures; then this one isn’t for you – and you probably didn’t make it to the end of this spotlight. But if you are a fan, you probably don’t want to delay in scoring one – these will be fairly limited – so head off to Entertainment Earth and order yourself a set!

Check after the jump for a few more images

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As I mentioned in the previous post, Bif Bang Pow! sent out two huge announcements today.  Not only did they secure the rights to classic Battlestar Galactica – they also announced that they secured the rights to release product on the 1974 ABC series ‘The Six Million Dollar Man’.  The line-up of product will include 8″ action figures of Col. Steve Austin and friends, glassware, bobble heads, tin boxes and other similar themed products.  This is another great property for Bif Bang Pow!, and I look forward to seeing what they do with it, but I do expect that you’ll have to make your own bionic sound effects when playing with the toys.  To read the full announcement keep reading after the jump.

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Name: ‘Geek’ Domo
Series: Domo Qee
Released: July 2011

Over the past few years, a Domo Qee has been a SDCC staple.  Domo Qees are a series of Domo-shaped figures; each painted with a unique deco.  The 2011 San Diego Comic-con Domo was painted with a ‘geek’ motif – featuring chunky glasses, a button down shirt (with pocket protector), skinny tie and black slacks.  For the record, this was on my ‘must get’ list from this past comic-con and the Dark Horse booth was one of the first I went to on preview night.

If you have any Qee figures, or a similar vinyl type figure; you know exactly what to expect.  The articulation is limited; the sculpt is simple and stylized and the deco is spot on.  This figure really excels as its a unique take on the Domo character; but if you’re not a fan of the Japanese television icon, then this figure likely is of little interest to you.

Name: Chewbacca
Series: Star Wars Pop! Vinyl
Released: July 2011

Funko’s Pop! vinyl line was one of my surprise favorite items from this year’s toy fair.  I love the simple, yet still detailed approach these figures take.  I also love at the breadth of the line with licenses from movies, comics all the way to cereal boxes.  It’s just a fun line at a great price point (just under $10 from most stores).  For this year’s SDCC, Funko offered a wide variety of exclusive Pop! vinyl figures, including this Chewbacca.

As part of the Star Wars Pop! vinyl line, Chewbacca here is a bobble head.  He shares the same general proportions as all Pop! vinyl figures with a “deformed” aesthetic but features sculpted detailing.  The mold and general coloring as the mass market release of Chewbacca, however the convention exclusive is  flocked.  I have to admit, I’m a sucker for flocked toys – and as a result this Chewie is just about perfect.  The mass market Chewbacca (available now online and in Target stores) is great – you should buy one if you like Star Wars; but the flocked version is awesome.

Name: Mumm-Ra
Series: Thundercats
Released: August 2011

In the past year Thundercats have become hot, hot, hot.  With their new TV animated series having launched a few weeks ago, a new toy line from Bandai is popping into stores across the country.  The toy lines include a 4 inch line with figures and vehicles, a 6 inch line and a 8 inch Thundercats Classics collectors line.  Bandai’s PR company was kind enough to send AwesomeToyBlog a sample of the 4″ line, so keep reading to see what I thought of the villainous Mumm-Ra.

The demon-sorcerer Mumm-Ra (suggested price $7.99) is the self-proclaimed “ever-living source of evil” and serves as the chief antagonist of the Thundercats.  In toy form he stands right around 4 inches tall despite his hunched over posture and features thin and lanky limbs; as one would expect an ancient evil mummy to have.  Shrouded in his red cloak, the figure looks great – very similar to the on-screen model.  The cloak is removable, but the figure looks much better with it on.  Mumm-Ra’s articulation is on the low side for a modern 4″ figure with him featuring joints at the waist, neck, shoulders and wrists.  Due to the thinness of the limbs, I can understand why there aren’t a ton of joints – but articulated elbows would have been nice to have. The figure’s deco is spot on – its not a complicated paint scheme but its clean, well done and works.

The final thing to note is the incorporated “ThunderLynx” magnet embedded in his back which allows him to interact with and unlock special features in compatible Thundercats toys.  By hiding the magnet under the cloak, the action figure is included but also enhances the appearance of the figure – giving Mumm-Ra a bit of a hunch back look.  Personally I love when an action feature is included in a figure, particularly when it doesn’t inhibit either the appearance or the articulation.

After seeing the line at SDCC, I had pretty high expectations of the figures.  Mumm-Ra didn’t disappoint as he definitely looks nice, with a great sculpt and aesthetic. I’m looking forward to picking up a few of the other figures in the line to see how the others fair in comparison.  If you haven’t seen the figures in a local retail store, check them out at Entertainment Earth or Amazon.

The Mumm-Ra figure was kindly provided by Weber Shandwick for Bandai America.

During Comic-con, I was provided a sample Senitype collectible movie ticket, and wanted to share my impressions of the product.  Starting off you may wonder, what’s a Senitype collectible movie ticket?  It is individually numbered, glossy printed cardboard sleeve which houses a film frame from a movie (in my case, Captain America).  Printed on the sleeve is a redemption code, which is tied to Hollywood Movie Money – which gives you $12 towards movie tickets.  In one package you end up with a movie ticket, a film frame and a numbered commemorative piece of artwork.

Over the weekend I redeemed my Captain America credit, and printed off my HollyWood movie money.  One of the nice things about the movie money (at least at my theater) is that the $12 credit was applied to both tickets I was purchasing – so my total for both tickets was $3.  The film frame and the artwork are very nice; it is a nice presentation.

Where I think the Senitype Collectible movie ticket would be great is as a substitute for a theater gift card.  Not only are you giving the gift of the movie, you are providing a little something extra for the recipient to enjoy.  It’s just a little something special, which is probably what you’re looking for when giving a gift, no?  You can get more info on the Senitype website.

Name: Steampunk Bot
Series: Vinylmations Robots
Released: July 2011

Coinciding with the kick off of this years’ San Diego Comic-con, the Disney Store released their exclusive series of Robot Vinylmation figures.  Vinylmations, if you’re not familiar with them, are 3 inch vinyl figures which all have the same shape (that of Mickey Mouse) but have different paint decos – each series of figures have different themes.  The figures are blind boxed, so you never know which you’re going to get.  There are a total of 12 designs in the Robots Vinylmation series (I love Ignition-Bot and AudioSonic-bot); the one in my box was the Steampunk-Bot as designed by Gerald Mendez.

So what do I think of the figure?  I’ll admit, this is my first Vinylmation; so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  The first thing I noticed was how heavy it was.  This isn’t any flimsy, cheap plastic toy – its got some substance.  I am also impressed by the quality of the paint apps which is essential they be crisp when the deco is the defining characteristic of the figure.  Fortunately everything is very crisp and sharp!  I’m not much of a steampunk fan, but I do like the design of this figure; particularly the clear “ears”.  I can completely see the appeal of Vinylmations; from all perspectives its a solid figure – quality construction; great paint applications and a good design.  If you want to pick up your own Vinylmations Robot, they should be available now at your local Disney Store, or online at DisneyStore.com.

Vinylmations sample has been kindly provided by Ronstadt PR for Disney Store.

Just a reminder that the SDCC ATTENDEE preorder for the G.I. Cobra Ninja Viper opens tomorrow at 10AM PDT.  The Non-attendee pre-order is Friday, May 20th at 10AM PDT.  Check out the preview page (or if after 10AM Thursday – the sales page) by clicking the icon in this post.  Yo Joe!

Launched this past fall on Disney XD, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes has been bringing the adventures of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the Hulk to TV screens across the world.  The series has become a favorite of both kids and adults alike. It’s on my short list of programs I’ve been keeping up with.  On April 26th the first 13 episodes of the series will be available in two volumes on DVD by The Walt Disney Studios.  Volume 1 includes episodes 1-7 and an exclusive looks at the evolving characters and a sneak peak of season 2.  Volume 2 includes episodes 8-14 and a second peak at season 2.

If you’ve not caught the show, Iron Man, Captain America and other heroes from the Marvel Universe save the Earth from various threats including everything from rampaging robots to alien invaders.  Check out a clip of the show below.

These DVDs will be available in store this Tuesday, April 26th or are available to pre-order now on Amazon.com (Volume 1, Volume 2).

After being tricked into exile in space by the Illuminati, the Hulk returns to Earth following the death of his people and his pregnant wife on an exploding space craft.  Once in Manhattan he seeks revenge on those who sent him into space in the first place.   The World War Hulk figure is part of the Marvel Universe line, shipping in Wave 12.

The first Marvel Universe Hulk figure sorta stinks.  Unfortunately that mold was used to make a Red Hulk, a Grey Hulk, the Secret Wars comic-pack Hulk.  World War Hulk is a brand new sculpt.  A brand new, awesome sculpt.  This figure is quite good and serves as a great example of how improved the Marvel Universe line is.  There is one complaint on this figure though; Hulk comes with these great weapons…an awesome ax and sword, but he can’t hold them!  The handles of the weapons are too small for his hands, an unfortunate miss.

Vikor , a great warrior from the north was chosen by the Goddess to help protect the Sword of He while Eternia waited for a true heir to King Greyskull to be born.  He also looks alot like Conan the Barbarian.  Vikor was the MattyCollector Masters of the Universe figure for January and has the distinction of selling out in 3 or 4 minutes, then having Matty announce that half the shipment was delayed with a second sale going live the following week.  The MattyCollector experience is always something new.

But once the appropriate hoops have been jumped through, you realize that Vikor is an excellent figure.  He’s got a great sculpt, awesome deco, and fantastic detail work (those are real metal chain links hanging from his wrists).  The figure is well articulated, but not overly so which would result in a floppy barbarian – and who would want a floppy barbarian?  I’ve really got nothing bad to say about Vikor, he’s in my top 3 Masters figures to date.  I’d say this one is so good that even if you’re not buying any Masters of the Universe figures; this one is worth a purchase as a stand-alone generic barbarian.  He’s awesome.

After the events of ‘Secret Invasion’ Normal Osborne becomes head of S.H.I.E.L.D., renames it H.A.M.M.E.R.; and obtains an Iron Man suit.  Branding himself as the ‘Iron Patriot’, Norman Osborne plays the role of hero as his Goblin personality struggles to dominate him.

Between the dedicated Iron Man line and the many versions of shell head in the Marvel Universe line, I often feel that the market is over-saturated in Iron Men.  I mean, really, I’m just sick of seeing the same 5 armors clog the pegs.  While a repaint of one of the Iron Men figures, Iron Patriot at least stands out and is someone different under the mask.  I’ve got no complaints really and the design is interesting enough that the figure stands out on the shelf.  If you were paying attention this summer, you may have even been able to nab the variant; Iron Patriot with the mask removed.