Batman Begins Again

If you want to read the "long story" on this figure, skip to the diatribe past the pictures. Otherwise, just enjoy the toy :)


This is Survival Suit Bruce Wayne. This figure is from the Movie Masters line and although it's labeled as "The Dark Knight," this figure recreates a scene in Batman Begins.

Remember before Bruce decided to be a Bat, when he put his gear together and held a stapler to Detective Gordon's head? Good times.

My favorite part about this scene in Batman Begins is how it's reminiscent of the similar pre-Bat costume scene in Mask of the Phantasm. Bruce is trying to thwart crime, but he just doesn't have the "edge" he'll need; that split second of fear, intimidation and surprise that the bat costume gives him.

He's learning.

Like most of the Movie Masters figures, Bruce comes with an inexplicably large accessory item, in this case a ski mask. If I had any Mego or Retro Action dollies, I'd put it on them. Otherwise it's pretty useless.

The back of the package shows a few more of the new releases in the Movie Masters line, as well as a close-up of Beanieman.

"Criminals are a superstitions, cowardly lot.

I know, I shall go to Vail, Colorado!"

The beanie is made of a soft stretchy rubber and is removable, revealing the excellent likeness of Christian Bale formerly only available on the variant unmasked Batman figure.

The costume has all sorts of details too, buckles and straps and stuff on his belt, and perfectly recreates the movie moment in it's design.

With Alfred on vacation, Bruce decides to do his own laundry.

3 hours later:
"Dammit!"

Good luck to all who are going to run to Toys R Us to find this figure. Be sure your Karma is clean before you go!

And now for my long toy rant. Read on if you need to get some sleep:

Two years is a lifetime where pop culture is concerned. So many toys, TV shows, movies and iPads have been released in the last 24 plus months it's hard to remember the golden days of Spring 2008. A new movie was about to be released called The Dark Knight, and dreams of awesome action figures based on the iconic characters in the film danced in our heads.

In addition to the kid based movie tie in toys, Mattel used The Dark Knight to launch a new action figure line: Movie Masters. Larger collector aimed figures with movie accurate sculpts, this toyline seemed to answer all our hopes and dreams and even gave rise to speculation on where the line could go after The Dark Knight (a movie accurate Keaton Batman, anyone?)

Then the Mattel curse hit. Lead infested toys, scalper speculation about the Joker action figure, QC issues, limited variants, schizophrenic distribution, etc etc etc. The line, although producing some excellent figures in it's short run, soon died of over saturation of a few figures (Joker, Goon) and extreme difficulty in finding some key movie moment figures (maskless Batman, Ghoul Batman etc.)

Mattel had a long list of figures it was planning to release as the line went on, but retailer interest waned when shelf upon shelf of Jokers and Goons couldn't be given away for years on end. Mattel then promised to release them on their website direct to consumers. But after raising the price five to ten dollars depending on the figure, fans of the line felt cheated and frankly robbed.

Then, almost exactly two years after The Dark Knight hit theaters, a strange thing started to happen. On top of the half full aisles of Joker and Goon action figures, clearanced to $4.98 at Toys R Us, new Movie Masters Dark Knight figures have started showing up, unannounced and unexpected - and in Two-Face's case, BEFORE he goes on sale at Mattycollector.com!

The figures people are finding are:

Survival Suit Bruce Wayne
Joker (as he appeared in the Jail Cell escape scene)
Scarecrow (in a suit)
Two-Face
"Night Vision" Batman
Harvey Dent

Some toy collectors are even getting these new figures for $4.98 because Toys R Us isn't paying attention to new or old product; they just see this release as the same stuff they've been unable to sell for years. Some collectors are getting them for $12.99, the retail price these new figures are supposed to sell for. Regardless, Mattycollector.com is still charging $15 plus shipping for the only one they list as "coming soon" (Two-Face is scheduled for a May 17th release,) so either is a good deal.

No one knows how many of these will hit retail or if all Toys R Us stores will get them. But with so many clearance figures hanging around, it's unlikely many stores will want them. I can't see this line being anything more than appealing to a niche market at this point anyways.

Frankly it could go either way; no one cares about the line, so it's plentiful, or the release is limited due to lack of demand, so it's as rare as an online comment praising Mattel's customer service. Only time will tell. And it's been two years already!

Toy collecting is a weird beast indeed.

So good luck to anyone out there wishing to get these figures.

I Horde it Through the Grapevine

I've discussed in length my aversion to Hordak and the Evil Horde in previous posts. Essentially, I always saw them as girl's toys due to their status as villains in the She-Ra cartoon. As such, I never owned any of them as a kid.

As an adult, my aversion to girl's toys has waned (dollies notwithstanding,) and cheap swap meet finds always help ease one into uncharted territory as well.

I found a near complete and pretty well conditioned Hordak at the swap meet a few weeks back. I must admit he's got a really cool design and a great color scheme. He looks pretty darn mean, alright!

My Hordak is missing his cape and a bat wrist band accessory, but he displays well enough with just his armor and the crossbow weapon many of the Horde preferred.

He's no Skeletor, but I guess when you're up against a bunch of girls and that twinkie Bow, you don't have to bring your "A" game.

I'm just a skater cat, said "see ya' later rat."

Remember back in 1996 when Playmates released a new line of Flash Gordon action figures, based on a cartoon which attempted to relaunch the franchise to a younger, hipper audience?

Me neither.

Which is why this action figure intrigued me when I spotted it at the toy show I attended a couple weeks back.

"Kobalt the Mercenary comes with everything you see here! Dignity sold separately."

The funny thing is, I spotted this cat loose in a box of toys at the same toy show and was intrigued by his design and my inability to recall from whence he came. He does have a cool Thundercat-ish vibe going for him, and spiked knee pads are always cool (just ask Gene Simmons.) I moved on to another booth and lo, they had him carded for a couple bucks, along with a few more characters from the line!

I talked the vendor down to a buck and bought old Kobalt for the pure novelty of owning the odd figure.

Kobalt was made by Playmates in '96. There were eight figures from the line (according to the cardback,) and honestly they aren't half bad from a design and mid nineties toyline perspective. The cartoon was probably crap though, which is sad because more kids need to know the classics, and Flash Gordon is a classic and an important sci-fi icon who really deserves respect.

In order to stay hip and keen and far out and all that jazz, Kobalt came with a "jet powered" rolling skateboard. Silly yes, but let's face it; all your toys would be more fun if they came with skateboards.

Admit it.

From a design perspective, Kobalt would fit right in with the Thundercats or the X-Men or even the New Adventures of He-Man. He's actually pretty cool. The skateboard really adds to his fun factor, and I am glad I found him MOC in order to enjoy him to his full capacity.

That's why I say hey man, Deadshot.

Dc Universe Classics Deadshot that is!

Of all the kooky clad Bat-villains, I have always thought Deadshot one of the kookiest and therefore one of the coolest. Back in the late eighties and early nineties he was one of my favorite villains and I always enjoyed it when he popped into a Batman comic.

Wearing wrist mounted guns, shiny silver, bright red and yellow and pretty damn near everything else that would make sniping a difficult endeavor indeed, Deadshot takes the cake for overdressed Bat-antagonists.

In his first appearance in Batman #59, Floyd Lawton actually looked more like a dapper dropout from a forgotten western serial. As the Silver Age progressed, he got his current and most well known look, and has held on to it with only moderate alteration since.

Deadshot bounced around Gotham City for a while, but he is currently best known for his role as a team member of the Suicide Squad. With Checkmate and Amanda Waller playing such big roles in the current Smallville storylines, I really hope we get to see Deadshot in action there soon. There is also rumor of a Suicide Squad movie, in which Deadshot would have to be a major player!

This Deadshot figure was part of the difficult to find (aren't they all) DC Universe Wave 9, and is a must have for anyone looking to add a little diversity to their Batman's Rouges Gallery. After all, happiness is a warm gun.

Always look on the Darkseid of life!

Darkseid first appeared very early in the JLU toyline's run. In fact, he was the second villain to be released (Ultra Humanite being the first,) under the Justice League Mission Vision banner in 2004. In his original release Darkseid sported a black outfit and purple tights and had some useless accessories as well. He was released a year later in a Toys R Us exclusive box set, adorned in this shiny blue color scheme.

I have the original Mission Vision Darkseid but recently stumbled onto this version at the (you guessed it) swap meet. I first passed on him two weekends ago because I already have the original version and didn't feel like paying the whopping dollar they wanted for this one. But it nagged me all week, so when I went back this past weekend I bought him for the dollar they wanted (can you believe they wouldn't take fifty cents?!?!) and am glad I did. Although the black costume of his first release is more recent cartoon accurate, this shiny blue getup is more reminiscent of his Superpowers and seventies comic book look. And I didn't have to buy all the other shiny-clad superheroes to get him!

"What kind of car do I drive?"

"An Omega Beamer, of course."

Penny for your thoughts

I pulled some change out of my pocket this morning and just had to smile when I discovered this brand new 2010 penny, adorned with Captain America's original shield!


Okay it isn't exactly Captain America's shield, but it was the first thing I thought of when I saw it and I'm sure I am not alone.



UPDATE: This shield design is officially called the Union Shield, and this new 2010 penny represents President Lincoln's legacy of preserving the United States of America as a single country. It appears this will be the design for all pennies minted for the foreseeable future, so keep your eyes peeled for them to arrive in a change jar near you soon!

Visit the US Mint for more info on this cool new penny.

"When Captain America gets change for a buck!
You know the bad guys will soon be out of luck!"

Tricky Dick

I've been one of the few true blue fans of DC Infinite Heroes from the start. While I've also said from day one that they are over priced, I have defended them as fun toys and have collected quite a few since their debut.

I'm no articulationazi, and having grown up with the classic 5 points or less articulation standard, I've been fine with what DCIH had to offer from day one. I often fall in the "less is more" articulation camp anyways.

Well it seems I'm pretty much alone in this, and Mattel has refurbished their standard DCIH "buck" for some of their newest DCIH releases.

Only some.

Earth 2 Robin is the first DC Infinite Heroes figure I have gotten since the change-over began.

First off, from a character selection standpoint Earth 2 Robin is a character I really wanted when I heard he was a DCIH release. Dick Grayson has grown to adulthood on Earth 2 but has never left Batman's side nor has he altered his alter ego to become Nightwing. He has changed up his costume a bit though, going with a longer cape and less skin. And ditching the pixie boots. How could a Bat fan like me pass up a guy like this?

The new DCIH packaging is similar to the originals, with the plastic bubble molded to give a 3-D-ish effect; this time pronouncing the big three who are shown on all the new figures. A neat effect if only for the few seconds anyone really dwells on such things.

The new DCIH figures, like the latest DCUC fiugures, also come with a collector's button. I admit I like this add-on, and Earth 2 Robin comes with a great button representing original comic art with Earth 2 Batman and Robin.

The packaging also emphasizes that this line is for the "Adult Collector." Why? I don't get it. I understand that toys are being collected by an older audience, and I understand that kids are not likely to know who Earth 2 Robin is (or at least how he differs from any other Robin they are familiar with,) and I understand more adults are buying these DC lines than kids but why call out the designation at Walmart or K-Mart, especially on a line that has done nothing more than anger 99% of the adult collecting fanbase as it is? Is it to justify the price, the lack of availability, or to convince people they need something they otherwise would have passed on? Who knows, but I think it's dumb.

The back of the card is really nice. Some original Robin artwork here, some minimalist stats, DC's 75th anniversary called to attention (am I supposed to buy them a sterling silver gravy boat?) and the current figure line-up are all her along with all your legal jargon (don't choke!) The line-up image is interesting because it only accurately represents a couple of the figures as they appear on the shelves. The newest Joker is totally different (and an improvement) from the first DCIH Joker represented here, the newest Black Canary release is painted differently (blues instead of blacks,) and the Earth 2 Robin shown in this lineup has the old DCIH body. Green Lantern, Firestorm and Two-Face do look like the ones released; Firestorm getting the full blown new treatment and Two-Face being all old body DCIH all the way. GL I think is a combo of the two but I honestly didn't look too closely at his figure when I saw them in the store, so I may be wrong about that one.

Anyways, back to Robin.

Earth 2 Robin's head is a larger scale than most previous DCIH figures, but seems to be proportionate to the all new body. the sculpt is simple but effective.

The new hands are nice and a big change from the ham fists the original DCIH sport.

The body sculpt works on a human character like Robin, but I can see it being less effective on someone like Martian Manhunter (whom I believe shares the same body sculpt.) Robin is articulated all over the place and now that I own him I must say I like the improvements. Although the solid recast DCIH Batman cape limits his movement (cloth please) Robin's 376 new points of articulation work very well and make sense for a circus trained crime fighter.

Unfortunately the new body style does not fit in well with the older DCIH figures. I know Batman has been released with updated articulation, but his head is still too small to be in scale with Earth 2 Robin. Even Tim Drake looks awkward next to this Dick Grayson.

And as for the cost? These guys are still ranging around $6.99 - $7.99. With Marvel Universe ranging around a buck more in most places, this isn't a bad deal for the all new figures. The addition of the button helps offset the lack of accessories, and lets face it, often an accessory ends up in a drawer anyways unless it makes perfect sense for a character to have it.

I do applaud Mattel for giving the line a second chance, but I question buyers' willingness to stay with a line that has either clogged the pegs with sub par entries or has been readily available at close-out prices, or in DCIH's case...both. I did pay full price for Earth 2 Robin but I have seen and walked away from every single other release since the "new" figures started hitting. And that says more about the unique choice of character than the product itself. It would be different if this were a total line re-boot, but with the mix of old and new bodies and old and new parts, it seems more like a half-assed attempt to make a few more dollars off a half-assed attempt to make a toyline in the first place.

And Ironically, Earth 2 Robin will most likely be the pegwarmer of this release, so I will probably find him for a dollar on clearance inside of six months anyways.

Oh well, I dig him.

"I already told you I work alone, weirdo!"

Is He an Idiot? Snorks Edition

Toyriffic is launching a new cooperative effort with (EDIT: the now defunct) 'Is It Fun?' wherein Wes and I both look at a single subject and give point/counterpoint on the topic. If we agree that something is cool/lame/whatever, then all is good, but if Wes disagrees with my perspective then I am forced to call him an idiot.


Oh yeah, and vice-versa.

This idea began serendipitously when Wes called out the GoBots and I was forced to school him on the intricacies of transforming robots. This time we do it on purpose, with our first topic: The Snorks!


No discussion about the Snorks can begin without first looking at the Smurfs. A highly successful political and social Belgian high concept satire, the Smurfs came to America in full force in the early eighties, first with a successful Hanna-Barbera cartoon and then later with a cereal. Oh yeah they made some toys too. Maybe you had one or two of them.


So the success of the Smurfs meant the Saturday Morning Cabal needed something sure-fire to fill another half hour. And your cereal bowl. And your toybox.

They went back to Belgium; not for the waffles or for Jean-Claude Van Damme (although I suspect he may have stowed away in their luggage and that's how he got here,) but with the Snorks. Basically, a Snork is what happens if you try to drown a Smurf. They don't turn blue, they are already blue, so they turn all sorts of other colors. And they lose their noses. And they lose their hats. I suspect the snorkel was already under there.


What can I say, the cartoon wasn't an emmy winner. The toys (were there Snork toys?..


I guess there were) came and went faster than a wave of DC Universe Classics figures. And the cereal? They didn't get a cereal.

But did I like them as a kid? Yes I did. I watched the Snorks every Saturday that they aired. All three of them. But I didn't have the toys. And If I was on a Snork cereal diet I would have starved to death (thank God for Smurfberry Crunch!)

Okay enough Snork talk. Is Wes an Idiot?

Let me check 'Is It Fun?' and see if he likes Snorks or not. Come with me!


I'm back. Looks like Wes gave them a "Meh." No, I can't argue with a "Meh" rating for the Snorks. Although I would rate them a bit higher, I can't argue with a blase attitude for these tube topped "also swams."


So what do you think? (About the Snorks, not the girl, silly!)

Buy stuff by me at Zazzle!

WonderCon 2010

My family and I attended WonderCon 2010 yesterday and it was a blast! The first "real" comic book convention I've ever attended, WonderCon 2010 took place April 2-4 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. It was insanely packed on Saturday April 3rd, the day I attended. I estimate there were about 300 million people there:


There were a lot of artists and vendors and stars signing autographs, but WAY too many people for the space alotted, and moving through the aisles was more like riding the rushing rapids of the Rio Grande than perusing a comic book store. I didn't buy anything and an attempt by my entire party to get tickets to buy the exclusive DC Direct action figures failed, so I spent little time perusing the wares and more time checking out the awesome people dressed up as movie, comic and cartoon characters!


The 501st Legion were there in full force. And I have to admit, a fully functional Stormtrooper is an imposing thing to behold in person! I wouldn't want to face down a whole squadron of these guys no matter how bad their aim!


My mom wasn't the droid he was looking for. He was willing to let us go if I promised to help look for a small silver/white R2 unit with blue trim accompanied by a tall gold robot.


I found the R2 unit first...


...but when we returned with the tall gold one, he simply ran away! Some people! You try and help them out and you get no appreciation!


We saw a lot more familiar faces too, like Joker, Black Canary and Green Arrow.


Baroness also showed up for the festivities.


As did a couple 1930s era heroes, The Rocketeer and The Shadow.


Harley Quinn was there too...


...along with Angel and Nightcrawler...


...and Vixen!


And here is old chrome dome himself, Cobra Commander. I tell you, it was very surreal to say "Hey Cobra Commander, can I take your picture?" and to get a response just as if you yelled out "Hey Tim," or "Hey Raul." These folks take their cosplay seriously. They are their characters!

Besides my mom, I was the only other one of all of us willing to get a picture with these costumed folks. For me it was better than Disneyland! Here I am with Captain America.

And here's the main man himself, Batman. (Oh, in case you couldn't tell, I'm the one on the right.)

Nurse Joker wanted to get in on the action as well.

The highlight of the convention for me was the surprise guest during the Warner Brothers panel. After listening to the actors from The Losers (which included the past Human Torch/future Captain America Chris Evans and The Comedian himself Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Nightmare on Elm Street (which included Jackie Earle Haley of Rorschach and soon to be Freddy Krueger fame) and the director of the upcoming movie Splice (which looks pretty freaky! The movie that is, not the director,) we were treated to a glimpse at Christopher Nolan's upcoming Inception...presented by the man himself, Christopher Nolan!

Yeah, that's Cobra Commander's helmet blocking my view. Asshole! Hey, down in front!

Sure...I was like, a half a mile away...but I was in the same room as Christopher Nolan!

Nolan was joined by his wife, Producer Emma Thomas, and they talked about their new movie and film in general. Later everyone who sat through the WB presentation got a bag of goodies that included a cool Inception t shirt and a metal top. How that plays into the movie, I do not know. Also included were shirts for Splice and A Nightmare on Elm Street. DC Comics also gave away a ton of free comics and pins and stuff. In fact I got some extra stuff which I will be giving away here so stay tuned to Toyriffic for an upcoming contest!

All in all the convention was a ton of fun. I would have liked to have been able to see more, which I guess is why they hold it over three days. There's just too much to take in during one day. Oh well, there's always next year!