[Chain Base Comics] #016

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[Chain Base Comics] #015

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[Acquisitions] True Heroes L.A.S.E.R. Storm

Wow, I didn’t realize how busy I had been the past few months until I saw this monster lounging under my hobby table several days ago! I bought this bad boy during our Singapore trip way back last February and here I am today, writing an entry about it on a rainy August morning. It took me six long months to make this post, so let’s make this intro short and jump straight to things! Ladies and gentleman, I give you the True Heroes Land-Air-Sea-Elite-Rangers (L.A.S.E.R.) Storm!

[Acquisitions] 1:18 Avengers Vehicles

When it comes to play value, nothing really beats the 1:18 scale. Heck, nothing even comes close to it! You want some proof? Let me warn you first, dude. What you're about to see is a bit picture-heavy. If you're still up to it though, then go and take a look!

[Acquisitions] True Heroes L.A.S.E.R. Rockslide

When my wife and I went to Hong Kong last 2010 for our honeymoon, I was able to spot and acquire some World Peacekeepers (WPK) toys from one of the Toys "R" Us branches there. World Peacekeepers are 1:18-scaled, military-themed toys which are pretty much like our beloved Joes in the sense that both brands have various playsets and vehicles that help provide kids of all ages an expanded and more enjoyable playing universe. Yes, the WPK action figures may look terrible but their playsets and vehicles can definitely go toe-to-toe with their G.I. Joe counterparts. They're not locally available here in the Philippines (even up to now) and that's the reason why I was so excited to fill my shopping cart up with WPK stuff back when we were in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, I had to pass up on some cool items then and make do with a Black Hawk chopper, a tent, two jeeps, and three sets of bunk beds and lockers because of baggage space limitations but still, it was a great haul.

[Acquisitions] G.I. Joe: 30th Anniversary V.A.M.P. MK-II

 

I have a huge backlog of modern G.I. Joe vehicles that I still have to acquire and they're all from Cobra's side of the fence. As of this writing, the only POC Cobra vehicle that I own is the Doom Cycle. No, I don't have a HISS v.5 and I certainly don't have a Fury. What's even worse is that I also haven't bought a single Cobra vehicle from the 30th Anniversary line! I'm not sure why, but the Joe vehicles seem to appeal more to me than their Cobra counterparts do. Maybe it's because of the fact that the Joes' stuff are more military in nature but I can't really say for certain. Today, we've got the 30th Anniversary V.A.M.P. MK-II and it's here to show why I don't often miss out on Joe vehicles!

[Acquisitions] G.I. Joe: 30th Anniversary Sky Striker XP-21F

To me, the real appeal of the 1:18 scale can be summarized into one thing: the possibility of expanding my toy universe thanks to the various vehicles and playsets available in this scale. I'm all for troop-carriers, large headquarters/bases, and the likes, and it really bums me out everytime a large vehicle/playset capable of fitting only a single figure gets released. That's the reason why I'm not into jets and other aircraft (*aircraft is also the plural form of the singular noun aircraft) that much; they're a bit expensive, they consume a lot of shelf space, yet they offer very little play value.

[Acquisitions] G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra Attack on the G.I. Joe Pit Headquarters

I don't know how the heck it happened, but it did. I bought this set way back last June and I totally forgot to write about it. I have a short list of acquisitions that I still have to write about, and my list doesn't include this bad boy. Tell me, am I getting old or what?

[Acquisitions] G.I. Joe: Pursuit of Cobra Cycle Armor with Ashiko

I have a confession to make. To be completely honest, I'm slowly losing my interest  in G.I. Joe products. Why? Because it takes a lot of effort on my side to be able to get the latest figures and vehicles that I want. I either have to travel all the way to Greenhills or have the items shipped here in Bataan just to get my POC fix. A good sum of my toy money actually gets wasted on transportation and/or shipping, and it's beginning to irritate me.  Curse you, Playkit!

[Review] G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra Jet Storm Cycle (Rip Attack Vehicle)

We've already talked about how these Rip Attack Vehicles work when we checked out the Tiger Snake. Let's now take a look at the Joe's Jet Storm Cycle, and see which is better of the two.

[Review] G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra Tiger Snake (Rip Attack Vehicle)

The Rip Attack Vehicles are one of the last Rise of Cobra toys released by Hasbro prior to the shift to the Pursuit of Cobra line. Like the 5th wave of ROC toys, the Rip Attack Vehicles already carry the environment-specific themes that would later be a staple in the POC line.

[Review] Unimax Bravo Team: U.S. M3A2 Bradley

I have a fascination with all things military. I think that my love for the G.I. Joe brand  can be attributed to the line's military elements. Although G.I. Joe seems to have military roots, it actually draws a lot from the science fiction genre, usually to the dismay of military enthusiasts. I'm cool with the sci-fi elements of the line, as I believe that they make the brand more entertaining especially for casual fans. I also love how the sci-fi elements translate into toys, though suspension of disbelief is oftentimes necessary to accept that a certain item works a certain way. But if you want your toys to be purely military, then you're going to love Unimax Toys' Bravo Team. 

[Review] Iron Man 2: Rolling Battle Headquarters

Note: This review was originally posted at TS118’s Forumer site on September 2, 2010.

As a G.I. Joe fan, I'm always looking for ways to expand my Joe-verse. I frequently scout other 1:18 figures and playsets to look for potential keepers, and I'm always happy whenever I find something that is perfectly compatible with my G.I. Joe figures. There may not be a lot of non-Joe toys that suit my taste, but there are still some items that I can't pass up on. One of those items is the Iron Man 2 Rolling Battle Headquarters (RBHQ). And we'll be checking it out today...

[Review] G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra Rockslide A.T.A.V.

Note: This review was originally posted at TS118’s Proboards site on August 29, 2009.

As a kid, I grew up with a scant amount of G.I. Joe figures. What's even worse was that I never had any vehicles or playsets except for Destro's Despoiler. I remember taping battle stands onto pieces of cardboard just to give my Joes some mode of transportation. Yup, snowboards. Well, 20 years later, I'm now a G.I. Joe collector, and my Joes no longer need make-shift snowboards. They now have better rides, like this Rockslide All-Terrain Attack Vehicle.

[Review] G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra Mantis Attack Craft

Note: This review was originally posted at TS118's Proboards site on August 12, 2009.

Today, we'll discuss the difference between a manta ray and a mantis, just because Hasbro failed to distinguish one from the other. So, let's consult the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary!

Manta ray (noun): any of several extremely large rays (genera Manta and Mobula) that are widely distributed in warm seas and have enlarged pectoral fins resembling wings

Mantis (noun): any of an order or suborder (Mantodea and especially family Mantidae) of large usually green insects that feed on other insects and clasp their prey in forelimbs held up as if in prayer 

So, what do we really have here, a Manta ray or a Mantis?