[Acquisitions] Iron Man 2: Fury of Combat

 

Happy New Year, guys! Let's set the tone for 2012 by welcoming the year with a bunch of new toys! Come on!

I had been eyeing this Fury of Combat set for quite some time because of the exclusive Nick Fury figure that banners it but I wasn't willing to purchase it at SRP since I was only interested in one figure and paying for three other figures that I thought I didn't need seemed like a rip off. When I attended the Hasbro Toy Fair last December, the sets were already on sale for 1500 bucks (USD 35) but I decided not to grab one as I continued to hold out hope of finding a cheaper set at the Christmas Toy Fair being held simultaneously on a different level of the same venue. I eventually found one being sold for 1400 bucks and needless to say, that's the set that I bought. I was really happy with the purchase but I didn't realize that I would later be in for a rude awakening! Upon reaching home, I hurriedly set all of my new toys loose only to learn that one of my Ground Assault Drones came without the inner outrigger/stabilizer of its left foot! I double-checked the box to see if it had been opened before but it was definitely sealed when I bought it and that only meant one thing: the figure passed quality control despite the missing piece! Darn! I'm not a pathological cheapskate and although I can't be classified as a big spender either, I guess this time I just got what I paid for. Tough luck.

[Review] Captain America: The First Avenger Concept Series Desert Battle Captain America

I'm not sure where and when this Marvel "concept series" thing actually started, but I can fondly remember that my first encounter with it dates back to the release of the first Iron Man movie's toy line. Some people in the toy community say that the idea behind it was to take comic influences and mix them with the movie design to create new Iron Man armors, thus tying the Armored Avenger with the origin of this "concept series" phenomenon. That may really be the case, and I have to admit that as an Iron Man fan, I actually fell for it. But who didn't? What I'm trying to say is that this "concept series" stuff suits Iron Man perfectly because it fills a particular need, and I don't know if Hasbro understands that.

[Acquisitions] Captain America: The First Avenger Concept Series Desert Battle Captain America

 

I'm actually slowing down on 1:18 Marvel stuff while I'm still trying to complete my Autobot line-up, but this figure was pretty hard to pass up on and I just had to own one. Why? Because this is Desert Battle Captain America! So what? Well, to the casual toy fan, that may not sound too big of a deal, but to a true-blue G.I. Joe fan like me, there's more to the name than just cobbled-up words. You see, one of G.I. Joe: Pursuit of Cobra's four themes is called Desert Battle, and there lies this figure's charm. Coincidence? I don't know, but for me, the Desert Battle tag officially ties Cap with my Joes, and that means trouble for Cobra!

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

 

To be completely honest, I wasn't aware of the Cobra Vipers' existence until the 25th Anniversary line came out. The G.I. Joe toys that we had as kids consist mostly of Battle Force 2000 characters and the neon-colored figures that fans would later love to hate. Though we enjoyed our Joes back then, I never thought that we were actually missing out on a lot of good stuff. The classic Cobra Viper is probably one of the most sought after army-builder figures, and it's because the design of the figure is so iconic you just have to own some. So, when I first met the Cobra Viper while I was expanding my 25th Anniversary  collection, I instantly got hooked. The G3 figure looks nice, but it suffers from a lot of fundamental errors that later turned the figure into one of the most-lambasted G3 figures ever. I was able to look past the faults of the G3 release (permanently angled hands, removable goggles that won't stay in place, bad ankle articulation), and I, even up to now, consider the figure as one of my favorite figures from the TFAC era. Responding to criticism, Hasbro tried to make improvements on the base figure on later releases, and they somehow got the figure right. And now, with the POC line consistently giving us modern takes on our favorite characters, a new Cobra Viper has emerged, and this new figure puts every single variation that came before it to shame.

[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.

[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] G.I. Joe: Pursuit of Cobra Desert Battle Snake Eyes (W1)

Note: This review was originally posted at TS118's Forumer site on November 3, 2010. 

This figure was supposed to be an arctic-themed figure, but when it got released we found out that he's brought his talents and gears to the desert. So, does he fit in with the other desert-themed figs? Read on... 

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

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

Unlike other people, I love environmentally-themed figures. I just love having figures that I can put in a sub-group, and this figure has just bolstered my love for such figs! Why? Read on...