5/31/15

Imaginext Bioshock Inspired Pirate Dive Armor

I try (and often fail) to keep my Imaginext collection limited to DC comics themed stuff, while also skewing more towards the denizens of Gotham City. But Imaginext is SO COOL that sometimes I have to step outside city limits and grab some other epic piece. Case in point, this Pirate Dive Armor, which is clearly the pre-school answer to Bioshock's Big Daddy.

Equal parts steampunk, early 20th century dive suit and direct Bioshock homage, this guy is as irresistible as he has been hard to find at retail.

I prefer to have the dive suit piloted by my Imaginext Creature from the Black Lagoon...

...but my intern thinks the diver that came with the Dive Suit is the proper choice.

Either way, one of the neatest aspects of this Pirate Dive Armor is that proportionally speaking it is basically just a giant Imaginext figure.

Besides an opening cockpit that fits most basic Imaginext figures (Batman has a hard time squeezing in because of his large gauntlets, but Killer Croc fits just fine), there's an oxygen tank on the back with a button that makes the left arm move up and down (and those gears spin too). Otherwise the articulation is almost the same as smaller Imaginext figures - legs move at the hips, shoulders rotate up and down, and wrist rotation. It also comes with a drill-gun accessory inspired by the drill arm of the Bioshock Big Daddy.

"Ahhh, that's better!"

You can even see the face of whatever figure you have piloting it through the portal!

The diver that comes with the Dive Suit is similarly clad in his steampunk inspired scuba suit. It would have been nice if he would have also come with a smaller dive helmet, but whatyagonnado?

If you want your own Imaginext Pirate Dive Armor, you'll be hard pressed to find it at retail, or at retail price anywhere online besides the Amazon link below (which is how I got mine!) So why don't you...

...wait for it...


...take the plunge!

HAW HAW HAW diver humor!

5/30/15

Imaginext Cheetah, Sinestro, Red Robin, Man-Bat and Firestorm coming soon!

Fisher-Price just released a slew of new product images and descriptions for many of their Imaginext sub-themes. Among the surprises (and most relevant to my interests) are the DC Super Friends figures, most specifically the beautiful and long clamored for female villainess: Cheetah!
Ever since Imaginext made a Wonder Woman figure, fans have been awaiting her most well known rogue Cheetah. Imaginext could have gone a couple directions with this figure, but I think most will agree the Golden Age Priscilla Rich was the best version to make in Imaginext form.
It's now abundantly clear Imaginext is putting together the Super Friends cartoon era Legion of Doom (do we dare dream a Giganta will actually happen?) so Sinestro was bound to appear sooner or later. Apparently Mattel/Fisher-Price have gotten over the bad taste left in their mouths from the craptastic Green Lantern movie and are finally approaching the GL universe again. I could honestly care less about any of the GL themed characters, but I will get Sinestro because he comes packaged with Cheetah. And he does have that sweet dragon helm construct, so I guess he could be worse. Also, now that Imaginext is venturing back into the GL mythos, I am hopeful they will shrink their Hero World Dex-Starr down to Imaginext scale (like they did with the Hero World B'dg).
Another surprise reveal is Firestorm. I don't follow Firestorm at all but I know he's getting some attention in the current Flash TV show. Whether or not I pick this one up will depend on how he looks in person, and how many other 'must-haves' are already in my shopping cart at the time.
Man-Bat! I will probably have to own this guy, as he is such an integral part of the Batman mythos. He'll look awesome next to other Imaginext 'big-figs' Solomon Grundy and Clayface!

Most exciting to me (besides Cheetah of course) is Red Robin! Now mind you, this New52 Teen Titans Red Robin costume is not even remotely my favorite Robin design, or even my favorite Red Robin design, but...HE HAS A CAPE! I have seriously held a grudge against Imaginext Robins for years. They NEVER have a cape! I've actually avoided owning any of them because of this fact, only recently 'breaking my one rule' because the latest Toys R Us exclusive Robin comes with a sweet sweet Robin Mech Suit.

Mech Suit > Cape...but only just barely. Of course this new Red Robin is yet another Tim Drake Robin. Which is fine, but here's hoping Imaginext gives us a Damian Wayne Robin (WITH CAPE) next.

Fisher-Price also revealed some awesome additions to their Pirates, Medieval Forest Elves, Dinosaurs, Power Rangers and Spongebob lines too, but this handful of DC related stuff should keep my attention focused for a little while at least. So stay tuned and keep your eyes peeled, True Believers. All of these figures should be hitting stores within the next few weeks!

5/29/15

Imaginext Green Arrow & Launcher

This is the Imaginext version of Green Arrow. I'm not terribly up on my modern Green Arrow mythos, but he appears to be based on the current 'New 52' Green Arrow designs, or perhaps the Arrow television show version. Or maybe a bit of both.

This Green Arrow with Launcher set is a Target exclusive. The launcher is a repaint from an earlier medieval themed set.

The launcher is a beast. It comes with dual launchers that rotate up and down, and the whole firing mechanism rotates side to side. It's relative in that it is a pair of giant bows/arrows, but otherwise doesn't really seem right for Green Arrow in my opinion. He's a Robin hood based vigilante, he's not laying siege to Kings' Landing! The figure should have still come with a standard bow. I'll have to rectify the issue with something from Playmobil someday.

Green Arrow's hood is removable, which is pretty fun! Looking at him in package, I had assumed it was a permanent piece. I should have taken a picture of the back of it as it has a quiver full of arrows molded on to it. So he has arrows, just no bow.

Sigh.

Green Arrow is a fun addition to the Imaginext line-up. And for all my kvetching about 'no bow,' this launcher will get would have gotten a lot of play when I was a kid. But a bow with maybe a boxing glove arrow molded to it? That would have been SO COOL!

Sigh.

5/27/15

Imaginext Man-Bat and New52 Red Robin Coming Soon!

A member of the Facebook group 'Imaginext Generation' (come join the fun!) found the newest Imaginext Bat-Boat on the store shelves the other day, and the back of the packaging has revealed some wonderful upcoming surprises, including Man-Bat and the New52 Teen Titans Red Robin (aka Tim Drake)!

Man-Bat looks awesome. A 'big-fig' like the recent Solomon Grundy, Man-Bat most assuredly comes with a wing-flapping action feature.

Here battling Man-Bat you can (barely) see Robin (or Red Robin) in what appears to be his modern Teen Titans costume, with a glider and...dare I say it...A CAPE! If my interpretation of this itty bitty picture turns out to be correct, Red Robin will actually be the first Imaginext Robin to be wearing a cape. It's about dang time!

Hopefully Red Robin is easy to come by and is released in a single/two pack, and isn't part of that obnoxious new Batcave.

Also shown along with the currently available Hall of Doom is the upcoming Hall of Justice. Both are amazing additions to the Imaginext ranks.
This is the latest Bat-Boat, upon which these new pieces were revealed. It is hitting store shelves now, so if we're lucky all this other wonderful stuff will be out there for the pickin' very soon!

5/26/15

Hot Wheels Batmobiles

I used to be much more into Hot Wheels than I am today. I try to keep that corner of my collection under control these days and greatly limit my purchases, but for around a dollar I can't pass up a Hot Wheel Batmobile that I don't already own.

I can still remember when Hot Wheels first released the '89 Batmobile way back in 2004. I was very into Hot Wheels at that time, and Batmobile merchandise was pretty much sparse to non-existent. So finding a new toy Batmobile - for around a dollar - made me a bit crazy and I vowed to buy every one I saw at retail until I owned one hundred of them.

I've moved about six or seven times since then, and my Hot Wheels and Batmobiles collection remains boxed up to this day, so I honestly cannot tell you if I ever reached that goal. (Although I don't think I ever passed one up at retail, so I nailed that part of my personal goal.) But I can comfortably say that I came close, and with all the variations on that standard black '89 Batmobile made to date, I'd not be surprised if I surpassed it by a comfortable margin.

This '89 Batmobile in chrome with yellow trim is a 2015 release on shelves now. It is part of the HW City sub-theme and is numbered 62/250. I generally don't like Batmobiles that aren't black or blue, but this car does look hot in this muted chrome livery.

This black with red trim '89 Batmobile is also a 2015 HW City sub-theme number 62/250 and on shelves now. I may have one of these already that Jon from Robot Monster Space Superhero sent to me a few months back. But when it comes to one dollar Hot Wheels Batmobiles it is better to err on the side of 'I NEED it' when I see it. The red trim works as something Batman might have actually added to the Batmobile, and the red windshield looks nice and menacing.

When the Brave and the Bold Batmobile was first released in 2010 I also went a little overboard. I didn't aim at owning a hundred of them, but I probably have about ten if not more. The Brave and the Bold is one of my favorite representations of Batman, and the Batmobile design is definitely one of my top ten favorite Batmobiles of all time. This is a 2015 HW City sub-theme release numbered 63/250 and is the first variant of the 2010 cartoon accurate version made (other than cardback and probably wheel variants if any.)

And while the purist in me thinks it looks ridiculous with the eighties-ish blue scallop trim and ugly rims the car itself is incredibly sexy and again - just a dollar - so I bought it. Plus, as is not always the case, this Hot Wheels version is proportionally correct to the cartoon version while most other toy versions of this Batmobile made were not. I think Eaglemoss makes a 1:24 version that's screen accurate, but that's about it. So I love it!

All these Hot Wheels Batmobiles are on store shelves now, so go out there and hope I didn't hit the store before you. Because when it comes to Batmobiles - I'll buy that for a dollar!!!

5/24/15

Martian Manhunter and Plastic Man by Imaginext

Speaking of Plastic Man, I've had this Target Exclusive Martian Manhunter and Plastic Man Imaginext set for some time now and it's about time we looked at them here on the old blog.

It was a hard to find set for a while, but lately they are appearing in greater numbers and I believe they are shipping with the new Solomon Grundy.

I of course picked the set up because of the unexpected inclusion of Plastic Man, but I have to admit that Martian Manhunter is pretty cool, even if it's his 'New 52' costume and not his classic look. Don't get me wrong, I really like Martian Manhunter as a character, but I am just not a fan of his modern look.

"Hey, I want a New 52 cape and hardcore edgy look too! Wait, I'm Plastic Man, I can have whatever look I want!"

Even though under his cape and chestpiece Martian Manhunter is just a plain bald green alien, Fisher-Price gave him an exclusive body sculpt and gave him weird alien ripples as well as cloth wrinkles on his pants. As simple as these figures are, it's neat to see these extra little details!

Plastic Man is unique too, but in a special way. He's made of a more rubbery substance - almost like a bouncy ball - and he is a bit bendy and a little bouncy. Almost like a bendy figure, but he has no internal metal armiture to keep him in place once bent.

His rubbery nature is a neat detail and a fun way to represent Plastic man's powers in Imaginext form.

"Eat your heart out, Stephen Amell! Okay, which way to the TMNT 2 tryouts?"

Plastic Man is a surprising addition to the Imaginext ranks. It isn't like he really has any media representation at the moment. Plus Fisher-Price didn't give him to us in his 'modern' New 52 garb but instead gave us a classic Plastic Man! I'm very pleased about that fact.

Finally, he's so simple yet they actually sculpted the details (limited as they are) of his costume instead of just painting them on. This guy is awesome on every level!


The Martian Manhunter and Plastic Man Imaginext set is only available at Target, so keep your eyes peeled and nab it when you see it.

5/22/15

Plastic Man BootLEGO by Sheng Yuan and Happy Memorial Day Weekend WOOHOO!

Memorial Day, in addition to the somber remembrance of those who have died in defense of our great nation, is considered by many the three day weekend launch of summertime. Which means BBQs!

So I built a LEGO BBQ. Just an unassuming (and terribly gaudy) BBQ, waiting quietly for someone to fire it up this Memorial Day weekend and slap some steaks on it's hot grill.

Or is it...?

Oh Plastic Man! What mischief are you up to now?

"HAW HAW HAW How do you like your BBQ, Wolverine?!?! I heard you like it like you like your women: with a big wiener!!!! HAW HAW HAW!!!"

The primary reason I purchased my recent bootleg LEGO minifigure haul (which I first discussed on my Ant-Man post) was to get this Plastic Man minifigure. I missed out an official version which was given away at Gamestop when you pre-ordered LEGO Batman 3 (I still don't even have that game!) and while I have considered picking one up off the secondary market (and probably will someday) I couldn't resist this Sheng Yuan bootleg version because it is so unique.

Like the LEGO version, the minifigure represents Plas in his current comicbook costume. Unlike LEGO's official version, this Sheng Yuan version has elongated legs and arms! A detail that really sets this guy apart and made him a 'must own' for a Plastic Man fan like me!

Another reason owning a building-block version of Plastic Man is a necessity for me is - like Plastic Man himself - the morphing possibilities are endless (or at least only limited to the red, black and yellow LEGO bricks I own!)

I originally set out to build Plas a vehicle body or something uninspired like that, but when I glanced over at my LEGO BBQ (which has been sitting around here since last Labor Day) I decided to recreate it as closely as I could with a Plastic-Man twist!

Wolverine also comes from the latest Sheng Yuan batch I purchased. He's the brown-costume Wolverine I prefer and he's pretty cool looking in this Sheng Yuan bootleg form. He's somewhat unique - Sheng Yuan made their own cowl design for this guy and didn't directly copy LEGO  (unlike the Decool bootleg that is in fact a direct copy of LEGO's version.)

Like with Ant-Man, Wolverine is incredibly wall-eyed under that cowl. But it looks good on him and that's where it will remain.

I've not yet acquired any bootleg Superman minifigures, but from what I've seen and read online, these bootleg companies have a hard time getting Superman's hairpiece (which Plas shares) correct. But it seems perfect in this instance, so perhaps they've gotten better at making that piece, or I got lucky with mine.

Regardless, I can't recommend this guy enough to any Plastic Man fan, or any minifigure fan for that matter - even if it's not Plas in his classic and iconic costume. You know you're just going to stick his head on random red/yellow/black builds anyways!

5/20/15

Harley Qwednesday :: Harley Quinn, I Choo-Choo Choose You!

Mattel revealed another of their 2015 San Diego Comic-Con exclusives this week - a set of Thomas the Tank Engine/DC Super Friends mash-up minis - and whoa nelly the set will include a Harley Quinn train!

Woo-WOOOOOOO!

The set is a 2015 SDCC exclusive. Well, they say the Batman train (and the packaging) is the SDCC exclusive part, and early indicators suggest that the rest of these guys (most importantly, Harley!) will be available at general retail. Hopefully I can confirm that as fact before SDCC 2015, because (channeling Don Cornelius) I need that Harrrrrrrrrley Trrrrrrraiiiiiiin!

Also if this set doesn't sell out at SDCC (and if it does I'll eat my hat) it will be available on MattyCollector.com after the 'con, and I will probably resort to spending way too much for shipping and this whole silly train set itself just to get my hands on the Harley Quinn train.

The Thomas the Tank Engine Minis are new this year from Fisher-Price. From what I can tell they are sold in three packs and blind bags. I hope and pray Harley is made available in the three pack format, but I am fine with squeezing stupid little bags of trains to get her if I need to. It's still a much better option than trying to track down an SDCC exclusive set, or worse, buying anything off the MattyCollector website!

Below are the official details on the exclusive set from MattyCollector:

Thomas & Friends™ Super Friends Minis

The world’s favorite engines meet the world’s greatest super heroes as Thomas & Friends™ collide with DC Super Friends™ for a mighty mashup! The engines who keep the Island of Sodor running now have heroic new makeovers as MINIS with designs based on the heroes seen in DC Comics.
This exclusive San Diego Comic-Con pack features five fantastic MINIS mashups, including:
  • Exclusive to San Diego Comic-Con: Diesel as the Dark Knight version of Batman!
  • Thomas/Superman
  • Spencer/Cyborg
  • D10/The Joker
  • Millie/Harley Quinn
Best of all, it includes a premium, exclusive-to-San Diego Comic-Con package complete with a new comic story revealing the origin of the Thomas& Friends/DC Super Friends mashup and dynamic light-up action! It’s the perfect introduction to the Thomas & Friends/DC Super Friends MINIS.

All ABOOOOARRRRD!

5/19/15

Imaginext Batcopter Pilot Batman

I found this helmeted Imaginext Batman at the flea market recently. He originally came with an Imaginext Batcopter, but sadly I did not find that sweet vehicle.

This Batman would have looked much better had they gone with a black cape, or even (dare I say it) no cape at all, but for some reason they gave him a bright blue cape. It looks pretty tacky.

Regardless, I do like this guy's bat-helmet. It looks plenty cool!

I already have this same Imaginext Batman in blue and grey, but I like to think of that one as AzBats, so this one works well for a standard helmeted Bruce Wayne Batman. I currently have it piloting my Imaginext Batmobile, and he looks good on an Imaginext Batcycle too.

5/17/15

Arkham Knight Batmobile :: Hot Wheels New for 2015

I don't follow Hot Wheels as closely as I used to, so I was surprised to learn of the recent release of the Arkham Knight Batmobile, and even more surprised to find it not long after hearing of it's existence!

Due to the delay of the game's release, we're seeing a lot of Arkham Knight relevant merchandise like action figures and this car months before the video game has even been played by fans.


There's really no 'jazz' to this vehicle, it's just another Bat-Tank. But it's a Batmobile, and it will be the first playable Batmobile in the Arkham video game series, so it should be pretty awesome. If I played with my Hot Wheels I know this one would be fun too. It isn't pretty, but it gets the job done.

The Arkham Knight Batmobile is part of the New for 2015 HW City series and is numbered 61/250.