Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Good times, bad times

I grew up watching X-Men, Spider-Man and Batman. As the cinematic universes have been built up around those franchises, it's Marvel, and specifically the MCU who have come out on top for me. I passed on Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad, but I was talked into going to see Wonder Woman. I didn't really know anything about the character so it was all new to me. I really quite enjoyed it! I'm glad they changed her origin to be based around WWI rather than WW2, I guess it was partially to avoid copying Captain America, but I was glad not to have a film featuring Nazis for a change. I know BvS didn't get the best reviews, but I might have to check it out now.

Having said that, Marvel has really got me excited right now; trailers for Thor, Black Panther, Inhumans and the Defenders. All awesome, all different, on the back of an excellent Guardians film. Oh, and Spider Man looks pretty good as well, if a bit more traditional in the superhero film stakes! I'm hoping Inhumans finds a home in the UK, reminds me though that I need Crystal and Gorgon figures.

I saw Premium LK Grimlock in store today; I had thought I might upgrade my AOE orange figure to a more accurate metallic deco, but really, these prices are really starting to hit me. Part of it, I think, is that I'm no longer just buying things online without question and am instead waiting to see if they turn up in store. Buying individually, in person, really makes you think more about the money. I think my sense of the value of money is stuck in time and although I can afford the price increases, I'm increasingly finding it hard to stomach. I'm starting to take more of a relaxed approach to buying, I used to plan what I would get, now I wait and see if I see it, and then if I don't and I actually still really want it then I'll get it. Case in point, the W2 TR legends, I wouldn't mind having them, but at the moment I refuse to pay the online markup.

Masterpiece Sunstreaker looks awesome!!! With the interview came with him, Trailbreaker and Hoist were very strongly hinted at (they also want to make them different), I would definitely be in the market for a Trailbreaker. News has also just come out of a cassette based set with a Steeljaw recolour - very strongly hinting at Blaster. This all makes me very happy, after Megatron and Sunstreaker, Blaster was up there as one of my most wanted. I think this leaves Jazz, Galvatron and Beast Wars Megatron as the most glaring omissions from the line (and possibly some of the later leaders such as Fort Max and Scorponok, but they seem highly unlikely to me). Really hope that Takara can sort out the licensing for Jazz.

I think it's time for a new top 5 most wanted Masterpieces: Jazz, Mirage, Runabout and Runamuck (if they got the licenses for those two it would be amazing), and a toy accurate Shockwave (surely at least Hasbro Asia might do this?) would top my list. Happy if they finished off 1984 lineup though.

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Had some good luck and some bad luck; I wanted to get the TRU Black Panther Agent 13 set, but it's always been too expensive. By chance, I googled "Iron Man 3.75", and spotted a picture of the four figures (BP, A13, Cap and Iron Man) and upon clicking on it realised it was an eBay auction from Hong Kong selling the figures at a reasonable price. Yay!

I saw that 1 Trypticon was available at my nearest Smyths, so chipped off work early and headed there. Just as I was walking into the store I saw someone coming out carrying him. Ridiculous! If I'd been there 5 minutes earlier it would have been mine. I think I took it quite well though, I'd rather buy it in person than online but I might not get a choice.

Went to see Spider-Man! By the time I got there I was pretty excited, I think it delivered. Michael Keaton was brilliant, one of the best villains we've had. The high school element was absolutely pivotal and they didn't use Tony Stark too much. What felt really central to the plot was that he had choices at every stage, things didn't just happen to him. It also tied nicely to the rest of the MCU.