Illuminating Avengers

I'm still feeling rather reflective about (almost) getting all of the Legends I want. I have been going through all of the possible things I might want to collect next, Star Wars 6", Lego, but nothing is quite clicking. One thing that does quite appeal would be to collect some Watchmen and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen figures. Maybe a V for Vendetta figure (spot the pattern?!). However, they either don’t exist or it’s not quite right (or complete).

Previously I never thought I would collect Marvel Legends or Transformers Masterpiece, so it’s likely a matter of the right figure of a character being released and suddenly I’m addicted to something again. Collecting takes up money, time and space. I think that is true of any hobby, but it needs to be balanced against the enjoyment gained. If I was getting really philosophical, I’d go as far as to say collecting toys doesn’t help me achieve any of the things I really want to achieve in life, really, it hinders it. I don’t think I’ll ever recount my grandchildren with the story of how I found Cyclops at the local comic shop! Though I do really want the X-Men cartoon lineup in Marvel Legends.......

Perhaps, being a bit more sensible, I think should catch up on the various TPB comics and DVDs I’ve been after. Perhaps a bit of cold turkey for the time being then.

Moving swiftly on, Hawkeye and Ant-Man have arrived. That’s almost my Avengers lineup finished, just need a Thor! Toy fair is next month so that’s something to look forward to.

Hawkeye has ratchet arms which is a little strange, but otherwise a fine addition. Ant-Man is perfect, though I think he looks a little cheap in the retro style packaging. The figure is fine of course, but something about it reminds me of an un-stretched Stretch Armstrong. I think the retro packaging is really cool - I've actually kept it for all of the retro style figure I have, but I think it does subconsciously make me think I'm getting a cheaper product. A boxed figure seems worth more than figure in a bubble on a card.

Black Bolt and Widow have also arrived (Widow in the retro style packaging). Black Bolt also has the ratchet shoulders which makes me wonder whether some of the figures I already have have them as well and I just haven't noticed. Black Widow is pretty good, but unfortunately her lipstick looks like she might have applied it whilst riding a motorbike, the paint application has been applied somewhat higher up on her face than it should have been. A lipstick moustache perhaps.

As has Namor! He’s in his modern costume, which was a custom I was considering doing. I don’t know much about the character, but he’s one that appeals to me. He’s a very good looking figure though, the metallic blue green looks especially nice. When I put him next to Reed Richards, he looks huge. Can't blame Sue for being tempted!

Siege Leader Optimus has been shown off, looks good! I’m excited about it, though I don’t think I’d get one. I like the idea of a matching Optimus and Magnus (assuming it’s built off of the Magnus toy) so will keep an eye on it. Something that does interest me is a Nova Prime repaint, the mock up I’ve seen looks fantastic.

Looking through the upcoming Siege figure, Hasbro will have more or less redone all of  the Classics and Universe characters. I think Hot Rod and Ramjet will be my only remaining Classics figures, Hot Rod hasn't had a solid new version, and with the coneheads, I'm happy to have them as deluxe and the original seekers as voyagers. Assuming I go for the new Starscream that is.

The X-Men wave for the year has also been shown off, Beast, Gambit, Forge and Jubilee. Wow! That’s over half my X-Men wants in one go. Along with Professor X and a rumour of Colossus it’s looking really good for the X-Men.

50 Marvel Legends

‘Twas the night before the night before Christmas Eve and everyone was desperately trying to buy more stuff. Luckily, I was able to find the Siege Voyagers in time for Christmas. I had a choice between Prime and Megs, and went for Megs because there was only one left. First impressions very good, it looks great. He's a good size, weight and suitably chunky. There is the battle damage, which on the black looks pretty good, the stuff on the chest less so. The altmode is a Cybertronian tank so a bit vague, but the transformation is solid. Overall, very excited for the line! I'm going to hold off on Prime, because I want to see what they do with the rumoured leader Optimus. I am rather attached to the idea of Prime and Magnus sharing a core mode if that's possible.

I want to like the new Starscream, but can’t quite convince myself based on what I’ve seen so far. Conversely, I really want to not like the new Omega Supreme because I don't want to replace my Year of the Snake figure, but I have a feeling it's going to be absolutely amazing.

I've opened Bishop and Psylocke (purple hair). Fantastic figures, Bishop's one of my favourites from the 90's cartoon, so it's great to have a figure that does him justice. Psylocke is also very well done. Need to put together the rest of the teams!

Looking back over the last year it’s amazing how Marvel Legends have taken over my collecting, what seems stranger is that it’s at the expense of Masterpiece - I had to save money somewhere, and so I no longer have Masterpiece Megatron or Starscream, and never bought Shockwave or Dinobot. I have gone back and forth over what characters to collect so many times and I’m not done yet.

I've hit a bit of a milestone - 50 Marvel Legends figures. Technically the 50th is a preorder for Professor X, and it's only 33 different characters because several are Iron Man armours or MCU versions of characters, but it feels significant. I've also now ordered Black Widow, Black Bolt, Namor, Ant-Man and Hawkeye. That means I've got 7/8 Avengers from Avengers: EMH, 5/6 of the Illuminati (I love the idea of that group), 3/4 Fantastic 4, 4/9 of the 90's cartoon X-Men and 8/14 of the comic X-Men blue/gold teams. I have 5/7 of the first comic lineup (2008) Guardians, but Gamora is almost unavailable and Quasar/Phyla-Vell seems unlikely (though Genis Vell is coming). The one figure that is available that I need is Thing. Hoping he gets a bit cheaper, but I might have to just bite the bullet.

Now I've pretty much caught up, I'm sure my brain will be working out what to collect next. It hasn't given me any hints what yet, but it's bound to be something which I've quietly admired, but held back on. For the time being at least, it's time to concentrate on getting a Titans Return Fortress Maximus as well as keeping up with Siege.

It occurs to me that these Legends have come at the expense of Masterpiece Decepticons, which I have to admit I would likely have never transformed. Though I’ve spent a lot, I think I have and am getting more enjoyment from the choice I’ve made.

I’ve tried to stay away from ‘want’ lists recently, though I find it hard not to comment when I want a particular figure to complete a particular set. That said, part of the reason is being so close to completion on many lines. There are several figures I want for Classics/Generations Transformers, but I think Scorponok is the essential one. For Masterpiece similarly, Jazz is badly needed. There are others of course. Marvel Universe there are a few, but I have customs lined up so it doesn’t seem quite so necessary. Legends is where I have most of my wants. Most of the X-Men are coming, but I need Jean Grey, Storm and Colossus, plus I need a classic Thor and Doctor Strange. I'd also really like a Nightcrawler since he's my favourite X-Man. If I can get all of those then great!

Sometimes it is fun to put together a 'top ten', as you have to make some compromises. Of lines that aren't running anymore, I'd also love a Classics Tygra and Cheetarah, as well as a Mega Bloks TMNT blimp and (classic) lair. I think of those original figures I mentioned, Jazz and Colossus would have to make way for the latter four. I miss TMNT Mega Bloks, was really hoping for some more sets.

Speaking of TMNT, I’ve picked up Donatello to go with Mikey and Raph, I prefer his skin colour to the other two I have. I’ve realised (like with many toys), the sculpt is great, but the colours and paint are not quite there. I will try and track down Leo (sadly not available in discount stores), then perhaps consider doing a bit of painting.

I’m very happy to have caught up with Legends (bar Thing). I’ve been in the habit of checking eBay and Amazon every day, so there’s a bit of a routine change now. Not sure what I’m going to focus on next - there’s always something that sends me scuttling back to eBay. It occurs to me that so far only Transformers, Marvel and Star Wars really have had the range of characters necessary to really pull me in - for almost any other franchise I’m only interested in the core, generally heroic, characters. Also, I tend to stay from really expensive stuff. There will be something though I’m sure. Happy New Year!

Christmas Siege

Red Swoop! Yay, popped my preorder straight in. Really glad to see they're doing extra figures like this. It does raise the interesting prospect of other extra figures - something from Punch/Counterpunch perhaps? Monstructor or Dinoking? The Ricochet also looks rather good, but will stick with my Million publishing version from RTS Jazz.

I have also finally got round to opening Punch/Counterpunch. He is a great figure, the headsculpt is (are) fantastic. I've heard that you need to swap a couple of pieces round from his shoulders. Having transformed him, it wasn't that obvious to me and given that the problem is with the altmode, I've decided to leave him as he is.

Picked up the Bumblebee cassettes. The Bumblebee looks like a right load of tat! Frenzy and Buzzsaw are nice though. Time to get rid of my 'cartoon' Buzzsaw.

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I've done something a bit strange, I've ordered an Adam Warlock figure. It's a bit random, I like the character, but crucially he was a member of the Guardians in A:EMH. I like the idea of being able to have different incarnations of the team. Really glad I did though, great figure. Looks cracking with the Guardians. Need Phyla-Vell!

I've opened Punisher. I was a bit on the fence about whether to get him, but the alternate head is brilliant - snarling expression and red bandana. The standard head I think looks like it could be Superman. Most of the comics I owned in the 90's were Punisher comics so it seems appropriate to have a figure of him.

I also opened Archangel, I can't deny it, it's a very impressive figure. Really need a flight stand to properly show him off.

I've received the Disney Store Civil War Legends 4-pack. Might as well keep the standard Mark 43 and Falcon, but I really got it for the War machine (the other way of getting the figure being a Target exclusive 2-pack). He's a great improvement over the Mark II. Much chunkier, and I much prefer the matt finish. Stylistically he seem closer to the Mark I. I've popped the old head on him though (with some blu-tac as it's a smaller ball joint.

I've ordered SDCC Netflix Daredevil, primarily for the Matt Murdoch/Charlie Cox headsculpt. And, finally, Kitty Pryde. As with many Legends figures, I really couldn't make my mind up about her. The main stumbling point was that she wasn't in the 90's cartoon. But she was in the pilot, as well as X-Men Evolution, Wolverine and the X-Men and the films. I've decided she's an essential character, and so popped an order in.

I had hoped to be 'caught up' on Legends before Transformers Siege hit the shelves, but alas, Optimus and Megatron are out. I realise my collecting mentality has changed a little, I now buy figures to experience them. With the idea being to see whether I like them. Diamond have (or are about to) release some Real Ghostbusters (cartoon) figures. I did pick up a set of Ghostbusters 2 figures a few years back, but ultimately sold them again. I might have to pick them up. This got me thinking, my Turtles figures are comic based. Do I need some cartoon based figures to match? I saw some 'classic' figures for cheap in a bargain store. Were they still there? Happily they were, Michelangelo and Donatello. I picked up Mikey to see what I thought. The eyes were a bit iffy, but found a figure which wasn't too bad. Very posable, but perhaps just lacking a little something. I think I'll pick up another if I see one.

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Sooo, picked up a Raphael. I like him more, I think the shade of green is nicer. The classic figures are an interesting mix of the toys and cartoon - them being different shades of green is a toy thing. I think I will pick up a Donatello, I'll probably have to buy Leo online.

Netflix Daredevil has turned up. It is a very accurate headsculpt, and does a good job of suggesting Charlie Cox. Kitty Pryde has also turned up, I'm very glad I've got her. Much better headsculpt than the 3.75" figure. Lockheed also sits nicely on her shoulder. I've also got another Juggernaut limb. Truly, I think the 2016 X-Men wave was the turning point for Legends for me, I just didn't notice! So I was a couple of years behind, am all caught up on X-Men now though.

I've decided to go a bit more all out with Legends, sticking with heroes (apart from Venom and Carnage), but all important characters from my favourite cartoons (90's X-Men, Spider-Man plus 2000's Avengers: EMH), plus a couple of select others. Yep, I'm addicted!

I managed to win an auction for the Mark I War Machine! He's a little smaller (like the Mark III and VI Iron Man figures) than more recent figures, but I really like the sculpt, and so for me this lifts him well above the Iron Man Mark VI. Since Hasbro are supposed to be carrying on with the 10th anniversary stuff, I would love it if they did a Iron Man 2 set with new versions of both. Anyway, I now have all three War Machine amours so far. Hoping for a Mark IV figure from the Avengers Endgame line. Speaking of which, the trailer has finally dropped! Marvel are truly experts of their craft. Obviously I can't wait. 2019 is going to be something special, two Marvel films plus Episode IX.

Christmas is almost here, Siege is just starting to hit. Merry Christmas!

Titans Return (again)

Titans Return Nautica. I’m a Lost Light fan and I have a dedicated display, so Nautica made sense. However, given the (original) cost of getting her, I made an excuse to myself that she was just a repaint and so I couldn't justify the cost. I also wasn't too keen on the colour, though I suppose it is accurate. I would have preferred a slightly darker purple. I bought the Takara versions of the Clones (despite being a bit grumpy about the pink), then thought no more about it.

But then, Chaos on Velocitron set has turned up at UK retail for £30! I rather enjoy the thrill of the hunt and so started checking stores. I found a set in the second store I tried (Home Bargains). Yay! It's funny having talked myself out of it then going a bit crazy when it became possible to get it. I have to admit, I suppose I kinda bought it for the sake of it. Having it in hand I still think a darker purple would look better. Still, my Lost Light shelf will be a little more complete now. I also have the option of replacing my Autobot Clones with the non-pink versions, so all good. There are some other figures in the box, but I haven’t investigated yet.

There was also a hint that the BBTS set might also have made it to the UK. Again, having decided to pass on Metalhawk (I already have the Botcon figure), suddenly I'm thinking that the headsculpt on this newer version is quite nice. I'm happy to wait and see though for the time being.

I really want a voyager Sludge. I wouldn't particularly care if it combined or not, but I think it would be quite neat if Sludge could also be a torso. Then add a deluxe Paddles as a limb replacement for Sludge and then it would be set up so that the combined form could be centred around Grimlock or Sludge. Somewhat similarly to Power Rangers where the Dragonzord can also use the smaller zords as limbs. Do it!

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Legends Drax and Rocket have turned up. I feel that I made the right choice ultimately going comic. I need me some bright colours! Time to put Star Lord back together. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do about Gamora though as her (comic) figure is almost impossible get hold of.

Having a brighter Drax has caused me to think I might try and paint the Hulk to be a slightly brighter green, perhaps a darker wash. Here he is fist bumping his smaller self for a colour comparison.

Last blog I started talking about frameworks for collecting. I want to get the cast of the 90s X-Men cartoon. However, that lineup is based on the blue/gold teams era I the comics. The missing characters are Archangel, Iceman, Colossus, Bishop and Psylocke. Four of those characters I want to get anyway since they're important characters and played important roles in the cartoon. Psylocke however, wasn't all that important in the cartoon, but she did appear in pretty much the only 90’s X-Men comic I had so if I’m looking for reasons I’ve got a good one.

Speaking of finding reasons, I previously bought Venom and decided against keeping him. However, messing around with him a bit he has grown on me a bit. Anyway, I've bought Carnage as well now! Carnage I knew I would like, Maximum Carnage was a big deal when I was growing up. This is a great figure, the tendrils are nicely done, he has great accessories. Nicely.

Invisible Woman has also turned up. Not much to say about her really, compared to some of the previous headsculpts figures in this size point have had, it's brilliant. Still need Thing!

With my current Legends focus I have kinda forgotten about Marvel Universe, but it has struck me that the best figures are the larger ones (Hulk, Juggernaut, Thanos, etc), or the ones with masks. The smaller human headsculpts, for the most part aren't all that great. Often with dodgy eyes. I think that's why I'm enjoying the larger scale at the moment, getting figures with top quality headsculpts.

I have given my Legends their own shelf now and packed up my (rather dusty) Masterpiece figures. I realised how much I've ignored them recently, and what great figures they are. It reminds that I should try and interact with my figures more, even if not actually transforming them then at least re-posing them. I think if I can sort my storage out a bit so that things are easier to retrieve I would like to have more of a rotation system. I also realised Grimlock still had a battery in him. I should play with my figures more!

I’ve just put in an order for Archangel, Bishop, Psylocke and Punisher. That’s a major step to getting my complete X-Men teams! I've also put in an order for the Disney Civil War set with the Mark III War Machine figure.

I hear the Bumblebee movie cassette set is now available at Argos so think will try and track that down. More Titans Return molds! If they ever release an Eject on that mold then it would be a nice set.

RIP Stan Lee

Stan Lee, the man, the legend. The characters he created and the stories he wrote will live with me forever. Thanks for everything Stan!

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My approach to collecting is to work out what figures I want and then to try and fit some sort of framework to it, try and create some sort of rules to follow. Inevitably there's always a couple of exceptions, plus a couple of figures I might not have got otherwise. Masterpiece for example. I know I wanted the 'main' Autobots, Optimus, Ironhide, Ratchet, Jazz, Prowl and Bumblebee. Plus I wanted the sports car based figures, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and Wheeljack. Therefore I decided to collect the ark crew. I'm not that bothered about Hound and Trailbreaker, but I like the idea of a set. In addition I got Tracks and intend to get Skids if he is released. I could try and justify the latter two, but really, I just like their altmodes.

I also like to try and take the same approach to one toyline as I do others I collect, so applying a similar approach to Marvel Legends. Trying to work out what that 'framework' looks like is all part of the fun.

After all this spending (and time) on Marvel Legends I’m conscious that Transformers Siege is on the way. Need to slow down the spending in preparation! Siege is going to be a strange line, Shockwave, Soundwave, Flywheels and Reflector are definitely needed. Starscream I’m also fairly ready to replace the old deluxe. Optimus and Megatron too. The rest, I want them, but I don’t need them. Mostly I just want to have a good look, some of the new headsculpt a look rather good so I’d like to see whether they could fit on the old figures.

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I realise that the way I'm going about collecting Legends at the moment is very similar to how I collected Star Wars, I wanted the main and or interesting characters. So in the case of Star Wars I got (almost) all of the main and non-human Jedi and Sith, but again with this caveat that I had to have seen them in something (cartoon or film). I tried to create some sort of scoring system to objectively decide. But still, there was also a lot of changing my mind, but ultimately I haven't regretted buying anything nor have I suddenly decided there's more characters I need. I would quite like a Darth Plagueis though.

Hulk, Daredevil, Captain America and the Iron Man Mark III have all turned up. Hulk is from the Avengers Walmart 6" exclusive line, unfortunate he is a KO. A fairly well done one though, a bit of mold flash and the plastic hasn't quite joined properly on one shoulder. I should have known for the price I paid, but he will do for the time being until a better one gets released, or I acquire more money than I know what to do with.

Daredevil I'm very happy with and have no regrets on getting even though I don't have that much attachment to the character. He's another one on the Black Panther/Nick Fury buck.

Captain America is another vintage style figure, so like Spider-Man has the lighter blue. He looks rather grumpy, and unfortunately the civil war MCU head doesn't fit on him. I will hold off for the time being, but I might drill a slightly larger hole so it does fit. If the Infinity War part 2 Steve Rogers Legends figure has a good (bearded) headsculpt then I could also be tempted to recreate the Skrull invasion look from A:EMH.

The Mark III is a bit small (though I was forewarned). It does have nice paint though, but also the dreaded swivel joint hips (I'm not sure if that's the correct term). He can however do a reasonable Iron Man pose. It doesn't really look like a man could be underneath the armour compared to the later figures and so I'm sticking with the Mark VII as my Iron Man (I figure if there had been a series 3 of A:EMH it might well have been in armour inspired by the Mark VII). I love the idea of an armour from each film though so am content. Just waiting for the Mark VI and 42 now!

I am also waiting for the Mark II War Machine armour which I recently bought, it's the American version so had the mask up Rhodey headsculpt to recreate the Iron Man 2 look with Tony. (I suppose strictly I need the Mark I armour.)

As well as....... Rogue! When she was released in 2016, I didn't even bat an eyelid. When Cyclops was released in 2017, I thought, nice figure but am happy with my 3.75" version. When Wolverine was released in 2018 I thought, it's time to get on the bandwagon! And now here we are with Professor X, Gambit, Jubilee and Beast on the horizon. Wow, just need Jean Grey and Storm and that's my X-Men lineup done in 6". (I don't count the 2013 Jean as she has the funny hips.) After much much deliberation, I've decided to also get Iceman and Angel/Archangel (original X-Men), Colossus and Nightcrawler (giant sized X-Men), as well as Bishop and Forge (Jim Lee era), based on the fact those characters were the most important/reoccurring guest starring characters on the 90s TV show, but also on the various other TV/film incarnations. As well as the figures of those characters just have a bit more personality in 6” rather than 3.75”. I'm throwing Deadpool in as well since, well, he's Deadpool.

I’ve also ordered Invisible Woman, spotted a good deal on her and so made the leap. Just have to find Thing now, I feel he’s less urgent as he’s a relatively recent release and is still being found in stores (Walgreens). And finally, I've bought comic Drax and Rocket (the Entertainment Earth versions) having initially gone for MCU versions. Drax is a much better than the previous (comic) version, Rocket is wearing the blue with red trim costume which I'm rather fond of. I might customise Drax to have blue trousers and a MCU headsculpt.

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The Mark 42 and VI Iron Man armours have arrived. Not much to say about the Mark 42, it's the same sculpt as the Mark 43. I think (compared to the 3.75" version), it works better at this scale with slightly more expensive paint and the darker red plastic. The figure deco has grown on me more as time goes on. The Mark VI has nice bronze paint on it, but I think one of the cheaper looking plastics from the various figures I have. It is also one of the hardest to pose (those darn hips again), the Mark III is better in that regard. However I pose the Mark VI it looks like he's sticking his butt out! Definitely sticking with the Mark VII as my primary armour. I feel that just getting the Mark III and VI is fine, no need to get more over priced and under sized, hard to pose figures (Mark IV and V).

The Mark II War Machine has also arrived. He’s a little less chunky than I was expecting, but it’s got a nice paint job and the extra mask up head is worth having. Also, Rogue and Iceman!!! Rogue's one of my favourite X-Men and I thought I was really going to struggle to get her at a decent price. She was expensive, but not too bad. It's amazing looking at Wolverine, Cyclops and Rogue together. They're just perfect! Honestly, 3.75" figures just can't compete for the detail. It's amazing how in a couple of years Legends have gone from larger versions of the 3.75" figures (frequently dodgy joints and face sculpts and paint) to statue quality figures that can also be posed. Iceman is good, there's something about his small size which makes me think 'Iceboy' might be more appropriate. He does have the extra shoulder articulation though.

As I've said before, I think I made the right decision in 2009 to collect 3.75", but I reckon as of about 2016, with the leap in quality of 6", and a lack of product for 3.75" it becomes an easy decision. I've no intention to get rid of my 3.75" figures, but the idea of getting a 90's X-Men team that looks so good is very exciting.

More of the same

I'm anticipating some tough decisions when the Siege figures come out, I have the Classics 'white Prime' version of Ultra Magnus as well as the Combiner Wars version. If I get and keep the Siege version can I justify keeping all three? I like having a version which is a white Prime. Do I keep my Classics Prime? Megatron and Starscream I'm ready to part with, but others like Sideswipe, finding the Universe figure is a special memory (as is Magnus actually). What to do?!

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Having spent a heck of a lot of time deciding whether to get particular Legends figures, I think I've got deciding whether to get a figure down to a fine art. Is the character important, do they appear in repeated media? Do I like them? Then, what does the figure have? Compared to the 3.75" figure mostly. Does it have a better headsculpt, does it have a better costume, does it capture the character better? So, Silver Surfer, great character, I like him, he has his own series. But the 3.75” is fine, it’s a silver dude on a surfboard. Job done!

I have found deciding whether to get particular X-Men the most difficult, the main cast from the 90's was an easy decision, the other X-Men who guest starred are much trickier. Iceman and Angel were original X-Men so they seem important, also, one's a man made of ice, and the other has a great big set of wings. Nightcrawler is my favourite blue character so he's in (mostly because of X-Men Evolution and the X2 film). Colossus is also in, he appears in every series, is made of metal and is one of those quintessential characters. Forge as he doesn't have a 3.75" figure, and finally, Bishop as his 3.75" figure doesn't quite have the physical presence that I think the character should have.

All are quite visually distinctive characters. The resulting list is I think exciting, but doesn't feel overwhelming in terms of how much it will cost. That feels like the right balance!

What I am about to write feels ridiculous, but it’s the sort of thing I spend my time thinking about so I might as well get it down. I want to put together a group of figures which best represent the Avengers: EMH lineup. Iron Man is in his classic armour, but it is a somewhat updated (stylistically) version in that it looks like armour rather than spandex. It is somewhat more inspired by the movie design. Further to that, the updated armour in the second series is inspired by the second movie. So therefore, the best figure for such a lineup are the movie figures. The same ones I decided not to get since I already had a 3.75” versions of them.

So I’m now in the market for the 6” Mark III and VI armours. But, the little voice in my head says, what about War Machine? As well as, well if you get those armours, do you not also need the Mark 42? That way you’ll have a suit from each film Iron Man appears in. If I can resist getting the other four armours as well (Mark I, II, IV, VI) it will be a miracle!

Having said I’ve got deciding which characters I need down to a fine art, I had my moment of clarity after ordering Venom and Cable. They’ve arrived. Venom I wasn’t sure about, I liked the look of Carnage, so quite liked the idea of both characters. Venom just seems to be lacking something. It’s possible that I like monster Venom more, but he seems a bit too over the top. I’m just happy with my 3.75” figure really. He was a bit of a dodgy call in the first place, I’m only getting heroes, so I optimistically labelled him as an anti-hero. I like the headsculpt but don’t think he’s essential for my collection.

Now, Cable is a tricky call. In my mind I initially put him on a level with Bishop, so I enthusiastically added him to the list. Then took him off again. Several times. Bishop is an X-Man, mostly only in the future but still, he hangs out with Forge. He also appears in Wolverine and the X-Men, and Days of Future Past. Cable isn’t an X-Man in anything I’ve seen and is just a bit grumpy. Sorry Cable! It was good to check out the figure though.

I had decided to get movie versions of the Guardians (and in fact I have), but looking at them on the shelf it has struck me that they are, well, a bit incompatible. I previously realised I like comic based toys because of the variety of colours.

The movie guardians are just a bit dull! There is also something of a discrepancy in the level of detail. Comic figures have large patches of bright colour, mostly of a spandex nature, but bright. Movie figure are a variety of mostly quite dark detailed figures. Try as I might, I’m in the comic book camp.

That leaves me in a tricky position. Star Lord and Groot I’ve got covered since I already have comic figures, I can pop the Chris Pratt (which is rather good) head on Star Lord and move on. Rocket, I could use the 3.75” version, but there are BAF and Entertainment Earth versions available. Gamora has one expensive figure available. Drax is complicated. I want the look of the old comic book figure, the build of the newer versions, plus possibly an MCU headsculpt. Can I be bothered to put together some sort of custom?

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I've ordered the Mark III and 42. And the Mark VI. Okay, so this is a bit of a milestone, I have (on the way at least) an armour from each film Iron Man appears in. I quite like the idea of displaying each figure with its respective film cover. One major setback in this plan would be the fact I don't have any of the films on DVD, but it would be cool. (I'm holding out for a cool box set once the third phase is finished.)

I now have the Homecoming Mark 47 set. I like the colour scheme on this one, it is apparently an homage to the Ultimate Armour, which I only really am aware of from the 3.75" figure. It is an identical sculpt to the Mark 46, but it looks nice. It also has an alternate empty head to show Tony is piloting it remotely. The Spider-Man figure is the same sculpt at the Civil War figure, but in a lighter colour. He also has a masked head with a squint which I quite like but the shape of the eye is still sculpted in which looks a bit strange.

The Tom Holland headsculpt is very good, although perhaps a bit big for the movie body. I now have it on the regular comic body and it works much better. (It strikes me how serious he looks, too serious for pizza perhaps?)

As you can see I now have the RDJ head on the Mark VII, and that seems a little small. The armoury is coming along nicely though! (I am using the Mark VII as my 'main' armour since it's the closest to the A:EMH armour, but more posable than the Mark III which I don't actually have yet.)

Nick Fury and Black Panther have turned up. Samuel L Jackson is fantastic as Nick Fury, but I do like the classic 90's Nick Fury for that cartoon look. I might get a SLJ head for special occasions. Black Panther is the Walmart exclusive version, he's a fantastic fit for a A:EMH lineup. Will get a Chadwick Boseman head for him at some point as well. The artwork on the box is pretty special as well, very reminiscent of the Black Panther series from the 2000's. Both figures are on the same mold, but I think it works.

Keeping calm

The news that Takara is making a Dai Atlas set has sent me back into thinking about Transformers, I am very excited about Dai Atlas! I love the idea of having a complete set of Autobot leaders in the Classics aesthetic. (It's also is making me think about Titans Return Fortress Maximus again.)

Siege is also seeming more and more exciting with the Decepticon NYCC reveals. Despite the fact it contains characters I've already 'ticked off the list', getting Voyager Soundwave and seekers is great. I think I will be content to keep my coneheads as deluxes since, really, they're fairly minor characters. I have high hopes for Soundwave. Leader Shockwave is also great, it makes me happier with my decision not to get the Masterpiece. Flywheels is also fantastic news, I'm not too worried about his components not having their own robot modes.

At this rate I think I'm down for almost every figure, Shockwave is a definite want, Ultra Magnus I want to have a look at. Soundwave is a definite. Prime, Megatron and Starscream I want to look at. Reflector and Flywheels are definites. Sideswipe, Ironhide, Hound and Prowl are all on the interesting list. I'm thinking that I might as well get the Targetmasters and Micromasters. The ones I'm not so sure about is Cog, Sixgun and Brunt. Lucky I decided to pass on those Masterpiece figures!

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Legends 90's Jubilee was also announced at NYCC, another figure for my X-Men cartoon lineup. Bit tempted by Forge as well.

So after a period of self-analysis, I did order the Mark 46 Marvel Legends set (the battle damaged civil war one), but I have sold an unopened Transformers Masterpiece figure to compensate a little. Probably need to sell a few more bits really.

Anyway, in terms of my Legends collection, I'm happy with the characters I’ve chosen to collect and am just about content not to add any more. That said, characters have gone in, I decide there's too many and so they go out again. I try and justify their inclusion to myself based on how much they appeared in various cartoons, and how much they mean to me. I've rewritten this blog several times as I decided to add and takeaway again. What I've finally got is a fusion of 90's cartoons, and Avengers: EMH, with a bit of MCU thrown in. Perfect for the time being.

I bought a Spider-Man, he was an easy purchase. It's the retro style Legends figure with pizza (the 'Pizza Spidey' mold). I opted for this version because it was cheaper and I prefer the lighter blue. What a great figure. I love the poses he can do! (It's good to find reasons to justify decisions I've already made.)

The armoury: the Mark 43 3.75" sculpt wise compares very well with the 6", and there's not actually much difference in the articulation. The plastic on the 6" is more of a cherry colour, compared to the 3.75" which is more of an actual red (quite similar in fact to the Mark 50). Both have a slight metallic sheen in the plastic, though more so on the 6". The 3.75" version looks very impressive from a slight distance, but close up looks a bit cheaper because of the plastic. I wonder whether a wash to bring out the detail might help. The eyes and arc reactor are flat white so a little circle of light blue might also help. It's just occurred to me that the Lego Iron Man I have is the Mark 43, I've got three versions of it now!

At one point I was considering the 10th anniversary Mark I/Tony Stark set. I instead bought the previously mentioned Civil War set. So glad I did! Though the RDJ sculpt from the 10th anniversary set is better, for less money I got an armour I wanted (in a cool battle damaged deco), a Steve Rogers headsculpt (which admittedly looks nothing like Chris Evans), and a cap shield which is quite a fun accessory since Tony took the shield after civil war. I could even add the Spidey to the armoury since the suit was designed by Tony. Overall, a great value set for me.

Incidentally, talking about headsculpts, the 3.75" Mark 43 set came with Nick Fury, there was also another set with Cap and Widow, the Cap headsculpt is too small and not very good, and strangely looks a bit like John Tracy from Thunderbirds.

It's quite interesting having three 6" armours. As well as Iron Man, they show the evolution of Legends over time. The Mark 43 just has feet which more up and down. The Mark 46 has ankle rockers, and the Mark 50 has ankle rockers plus a proper thigh swivel rather than the funny ball joint/swivel. The ankle rockers make standing the figure so much easier, and the thigh swivel greatly improves the posability (making the classic Iron Man pose much easier/actually possible). Colour wise there is change as well - the cherry red of Mark 43, a dark red for Mark 46 and a bright red for the Mark 50. I've ordered the Mark VII, and so the Mark 47 will be my next target!

I find it funny how much of an Iron Man fan I've become, an armoury in two scales, plus a Lego Hulkbuster and a 12" Legends figure. If I come into some money I think I'd probably need the Legends lifesize helmet you can get! In some ways I think it would be a fantastic dramatic end for Iron Man and to get killed off in the next Avengers film, on the other hand, it wouldn't be the same without him. Perhaps he could come back as an AI?

I found Cyclops at a local comic shop! Much cheaper than anywhere online. Cyclops to me is the X-Men, so it's great to pick him up. It's strange though as his 3.75" version was one of the most perfect Marvel Universe figures, still the 6" X-Men need their field leader! Actually this reminds me, Wolverine and the X-Men is a great series, but I feel that Wolverine and Cyclops' roles should have been swapped round. Wolverine is (was) not a leader, yet it was Cyclops who was acting like a grumpy teenager. That aside, it was a good series. I don't really even like Cyclops, but he is a leader.

Similarly, having Hulk as a team leader in Agents of Smash is even more ridiculous. It seems that if a character is popular then they have to be the leader. Again, I don't like Red Hulk, but you would kind of expect that a General might have some better leadership qualities. Children's cartoon not meant for me, okay fine........

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I’ve been continuing to think about addiction. It occurs to me what motivates my spending: it is an irrational belief that my life will be better if I own these things (which I believe is a common part of shopping addiction), but combined with a fear that said items won’t be available in the future, or if they are then at a greatly inflated price. One of these things I know definitely isn't true, the other plays on my mind something rotten.

The Mark VII arrived, I wasn't too taken initially, but it has grown on me a lot. It has a few paint splodge so that made me a grumpy, but then I got it into a pose I was really happy with and so much happier. The paint has more of a metallic sheen to it than the other figures I have. It's a great looking figure.

I bought Gamora and Rocket. (Did I mention I decided to get the Guardians as well?!) The Guardians are about the newest characters that appeal to me, such is the quality of the films. They guest starred in Avengers: EMH, but strictly speaking that was a slightly different team - Star Lord, Groot and Rocket were present, but Gamora and Drax were not. As it happens though, they both appeared in the 90's Silver Surfer cartoon so I'm covered. Uniform wise, I like their comic look, though I don't think they wear it anymore. I have them in that uniform for my 3.75" collection, and really I mostly have a connection to their MCU selves so, I've decided to make an exception for them and get that version of them. (There was a 6" Entertainment Earth comic set, but only Star Lord and Rocket were in the uniform.) They are mostly in blue anyway, so the MCU versions are closer to making them look like a team.

I have that EE version of Star Lord (which I used for my Groot custom), so I might restore it to as it was, since MCU Star Lord is the only one not in blue. The EE Rocket looks like an upscaled version of the Universe - still with no leg articulation so that's an extra argument for going MCU.

So Gamora is a great likeness of Zoe Saldana, looking extremely calm in comparison to Rocket (and Drax). She comes with a good weapons. Rocket comes with a mini Groot, is well articulated and comes with guns. Good stuff. I feel like I have most of Mantis as well, but she didn't appear in the (old) cartoon so she's out. I've ordered Star Lord so am almost there with the Guardians. (I'm going to use the Marvel Select Groot which I already have.)

Finally, have just ordered Captain America, Hulk, Daredevil and the Spider-Man homecoming set (the Mark 47). Think I've made some good progress getting the figures I want that are already out, though the ones left are probably more expressive. Doh. I'm conscious that there are a lot of Transformers coming out soon that I want!