Black(ish) Friday

I opened the Primal that came with Takara Megatron. I guess I’m keeping it then!

The MCU seems to be getting a fair amount of either criticism and analysis recently. Obviously there’s all the stuff around Jonathan Majors, and it seems like a good amount of the future projects are having script issues. That aside, here’s my take, phase by phase. Well, saga by saga maybe. The Infinity saga was great overall, but individual films weren’t always great, some were decidedly average, and it’s easy to forget that. Phase 4 was a restart and so I don’t think you can criticise it for not being as coherent. Film wise, I enjoyed them all except Eternals which I didn’t care about the characters nor really, the plot. The rest were all fine for me, though I’d remove the splits scene and the line where Jane asks for catchphrase advice from Thor 4. Similarly, I enjoyed the shows for the most part though I’d remove a couple of lines/scenes from She-Hulk. Phase 5, film wise good so far although I need to rewatch Ant-Man 3 (I don’t have an issue with Kang as the main villain). Shows wise, Secret Invasion was a wasted opportunity (particularly with how War Machine was set up and handled), and I’ve not finished Loki yet. In terms of the rest of the phase, I’m looking forward to the upcoming films (concerns about Blade aside). The upcoming shows is where I’m really losing interest. I enjoyed What If…? last time around, and Daredevil is similar to Blade where I’m hearing about a lot of issues. The problem is going to be Echo, Agatha and Ironheart. I like the characters well enough as supporting characters but as the lead? Is there any wider interest?

So, for me, the issues are including characters people just don’t care about (Eternals, Echo, Agatha, Ironheart), some slightly dodgy ‘humour’ (which could easily be edited out), and some worrying stories about development issues with important characters like Blade and Daredevil. If they need to recast Kang then I’m sure they can.

Anyway, I watched Ms. Marvel and I enjoyed it well enough, plot wise there’s obviously not too much going on, but I watched the Marvels and enjoyed it. It was a fairly frantic film but had heart to it. As long as I know and care about the characters then I enjoy it. It’s possible that it contributed to this (probably jointly with reading the Generations comic book with past and present versions of identities).

It occurred to me that I now have have figures of Jane Foster Thor, Rescue and Sharon Carter so got this (I owned it before but sold it). Mostly in case she turns up in the MCU. Red She-Hulk completes my ‘alternate reality’ Avengers.

I feel the villains of the individual Avengers are often overlooked so took these pictures, which similarly to Red She-Hulk, required re-buying Titanium Man. I also (re)bought Captain Marvel (I made my original into Phyla-Vell):

Apparently Deszaras is delayed until next year so that me done for Transformers for the year. Top three Transformers for the year, all excellent leader figures:

I got my Jada Chun Li. I’m not the biggest Streetfighter fan but these are fantastic figures.

I bought some more IKEA boxes. Got my Marvel Legends all sorted across two boxes (similarly to my 3.75” stuff), gave Star Wars its own box, created a Ghostbusters/Power Rangers/Thundercats/Batman box, then kind of an everything else box (Thunderbirds/computer games/other 3.75”). Sorted out Transformers a bit so there’s some sort of chronological order to the boxes. Found some of these guys so took this photograph which I’ve been thinking about for a while. Childhood dream achieved!

I’ve picked up a small Lego set on Black Friday! Should be a good Christmas…….

Level 42

Got me some Lego minifigs, I got these as an insurance policy, just in case we don’t get them again and the cost will only go up! Changed the hairpiece on Storm. (Speaking of which, there seems to be a rumour on an X-Mansion set!)

Made a custom Ronan to complete my Annihilators lineup. I went the whole hog taking the legs to pieces to properly paint the knees. I did consider a cape but he generally doesn’t have one. The Colossus mold is very versatile, it’s strange they didn’t make more use of it.

I’ve got a stash of unopened 3.75” figures (cough, hoarding, cough….), I realised since Love and Thunder, Jane Foster Thor is fair game. So opened it and it caused me to take a couple of movie inspired photos.

Looking at my remaining custom plans, a couple were redoing old customs and so not very exciting. I realised that the Legends Terrax figure was available for a good price and Annihilus is getting a Selects figure. (Terrax is pretty cool.) So crossed them all off the list which just leaves Surtur! I really struggled to work out what to use for his tail but ultimately went for a snake……

Have been rather distracted by 3.75” Marvel, kind of forgot about Transformers! Out of nowhere there was a Magmatron reveal which seems pretty crazy as there’s nothing wrong with the original. I’ve preordered it but it got me thinking maybe I need to double up on Megatron as well. I wasn’t a fan of the purple/excess sand colour on the Kingdom figure but then Takara did this!

Interestingly there seems to be a Big Convoy image on the Magmatron boxart so might have to rethink my doubling up plans once again (I’ve got the original plus the Encore anime version). I still wonder if we’ll get a Galvatron from dragon Megatron. Generally though Transformers isn’t too exciting at the moment.

Haslab Giant Man is exciting though, looked a bit uncertain initially but got there in the end. There also seems to be rumours on pretty much every Legends figure I might want - Yellowjacket, Ms. Marvel has been shown on the Beyond Earth’s Mightiest artwork. Wolfsbane as part of a Wolverine set was rumoured a while back and the Wolverine sets further collaborated by other sources. Then at NYCC there was apparently a comment of ‘more Inhumans’. Yay! Hope it all pans out.

After the Haslab and Takara Beast Wars it’s been an expensive couple of weeks but also really anticipating the Lego Avengers Tower. That’s my Christmas sorted! I think the X-Mansion and Baxter Building are definitely my most wanted toys let alone Lego now. Baxter Building I think requires the film to do well and given where the MCU is now that’s not guaranteed. Thinking about the MCU, I haven’t quite mustered the enthusiasm for Loki season 2 just yet. Or Ahsoka. Will give them both a go eventually.

Ghost Jaga turned up on Halloween! Very appropriate, he looks pretty great. Really hope it doesn’t yellow. Just need Snarf!

Finally, Mark II Iron Man arrived. Nothing too surprising, good Tony Stark sculpt. That’s armours I-III sorted, just need updated armours for the second film!

Finished Surtur (although a bit like Ronan, he needs his weapon). That’s 42 customs done, time for a break! They’re in a good place though, I’ve done the regular Mortal Kombat characters, the main Batman villains, and completed all Marvel teams and important villains. Even if I never pick up a paintbrush again, there’s no major gaps.