[Review] G.I. Joe: Pursuit of Cobra Desert Battle Duke

A lot of Joe fans are simply sick and tired of Duke, and for good reason. Since the G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary Collection debuted back in 2007, we've been inundated with more than 20 versions of Duke in G3 construction. With the majority of those figures being just repaints and rehashes, it's not hard to lose interest in the character. But every once in a while, Hasbro brings its A-game and dishes out a great reinvention of the character, and I'm glad that's the case with this figure.

[Acquisitions] Iron Man: The Armored Avenger 1:12 Initiative War Machine

My first encounter with this figure was when I was checking out the Iron Man thread over at PTK, looking for new 1:18 releases. I remember being so excited about this figure that I immediately asked some fellow collectors & some toy dealers about its availability. Fortunately, I was able to snag one from the pegs of Toy Kingdom (Pampanga) and I didn't have to get one through eBay. So, is this figure worth all the hype?

[Acquisitions] Iron Man: The Armored Avenger 1:12 Stealth Strike Mark IV

Though I'm a huge Iron Man fan, I don't really keep track of the release dates of the new figures from the Armored Avenger Legends Series (1:12) line. To be totally honest, I really don't have any idea about the figure line-up of this line. Not that I don't give a damn about it, it's just that I'm focusing my attention (and budget) more on the G.I. Joe line. I've also been very preoccupied with other things (family, work, this blog, etc.) that I hardly have time to visit the toy forums that I used to frequent (TS118, PTK).

[Acquisitions] Marvel Universe Greatest Battles Comic Packs

 

Back when I was still into Marvel Legends, I thought that the 1:12 scale was the best scale for action figures. I dismissed other scales as inferior to what I've been accustomed to. When the ML line wilted, I crossed over to a toy line which follows a different scale, and I got hooked. Yup, I'm talking about G.I. Joe and the 1:18 scale. Crossing over opened my eyes to the wonders of  the 1:18 line, and I'm just glad that I made the jump. The great thing about the 1:18 line is that you get those wonderful playsets and vehicles that are really a joy to play with. I believe that 1:18 is currently the "it" scale, as more and more properties are being given the 1:18 treatment. Properties like Marvel's wild bunch of super heroes and villains.

[Review] G.I.Joe: POC Cobra Shock Trooper

I've always been a fan of urban warfare and close quarters combat, and I'm really glad that Hasbro decided to include a MOUT (Military Operations on Urban Terrain) theme into their Pursuit of Cobra line.

[Spotlight] Marvel Select: Iron Man & War Machine

After receiving my POC Cobra Shock Trooper figure, I decided to set my Marvel Select Iron Man & War Machine figures loose. I got the figures out not because I was excited to play with the them, but because I was really looking forward to try their display bases out as backgrounds during my toy photo sessions. But after setting the figures loose, I found myself playing with them for a couple of hours. Man, these figures are awesome!

[Address] Overhaulin'

We all know that I shoot pretty crappy pictures, especially when I'm taking photos of action figures. Fortunately, I was able to find a site that would later make my toy photography sessions more enjoyable. Shaun from the Fortress of Testicular Fortitude generously shared his toy photography set-up on his site and I was able to pick up some neat tricks from it.

[Acquisitions] G.I. Joe: Pursuit of Cobra Low-Light + Cobra Shock Trooper + Pre-Production Storm Shadow

I ordered and paid for these items yesterday, and roughly 24 hours later, they're here! That was pretty quick, Kramer! Thanks!

[Customs] G.I.Joe: POC Arctic Threat Duke

I'm not really the artistic or creative type, so I won't be doing articles like this very often. Whenever I try to create customized figures, I only do gear-swaps and head-swaps, and that's about it. I haven't even tried disassembling, sculpting, or painting a figure. I may be too lazy to try those things out, but that doesn't mean I can't dish out a neat-looking custom when I find one worth doing.