Bowen Designs: Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider Busts

Randy (himself) provides us with both a Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch version of Ghost Rider. While these statues do have some similarities, there is enough different to warrant calling out the differences.

Produced By Bowen Designs
Sculpted by Randy Bowen
Size 9" Tall
Type Bust
Edition Size TBD
Release Date October 2009
Price $65

Zimm's Two Cents
Wow! Where to start.

Points in Favor

• The base, as usual, is incredible. The detail in both the engine and tire bring the motorcycle aspects of the character to life, without having the motorcycle.
• The coloring. This is a bust that requires the shadows and highlights of the black, greys, and blues.
• The sculpting looks awesome, but - then again - it is (done entirely) by Randy Bowen. I'm loving the detail in everything - from the skull, to the leather circus jacket, to the bust. Looks awesome.
  

Points Against.

• The hair looks off, but I'm certain that it will look better translucent. So I am not quite certain I really have a point against.
  

Recommendation: It was sculpted by Randy, so this one is a Hot Buy. The real decision is do you want this bust, the other bust or one of the statues. I'm leaning toward this one so far.

More tomorrow.

Just Another thing that is Too Geeky!

So they had cologne for men, why not some perfume for women?

Release Date: July 2009
Price: $29.99

But I guess the real question is: Would a Trekky wear this stuff?

Your not even sure what it smells like! Besides, how can they prove that this the actual scent of Pon Farr? Yet, it might be a good way for the girls to tell if their boyfriend is a Trekky or not - without having to ask.

Mummy Mickey

Just in case you are considering developing a "Halloween Set", I thought I would throw this one out there as well:

He has been out for a while, but still worth the adding to a nice "Spooky Collection". Something that even I would consider.

Medicom Toy: Franken Mickey

Another great piece from Medicom Toy. They are really providing us with some great pieces . You can tell that Disney has to approve every piece, as the quality definitely shows.

Licensed By Disney
Produced By Medicom Toy
Size 5.7" Tall
Type Vinyl Collectible
Edition Size Unknown
Release Date Q4 2009
Price $69.99

Zimm's Two Cents
This one might be a great Halloween Holiday piece. Therefore, I could purchase it and pull it out once a year to enjoy. Definitely a nice buy.

Robert's Two Cents
Sweet! I love pieces like this from Disney. They're not afraid to mess with their characters. These take me back to the Pez dispensers from several years ago, where there were normal Mickey's and one in four would have an angry looking Mickey.

X-Men Universe Relationship Map

This is a very interesting relationship map from one of my favorite X-Men related sites, http://www.uncannyxmen.net.

Check this out.

Not really amazing to find out Wolverine has had nearly as many relationships as he has crossover appearances.

Sideshow Toys: Elektra

Sideshow is really starting to put out some excellent statues. So much so, that I think their fan base will continue to grow and value will continue to increase.

Produced By Sideshow Collectibles
Artists
* Mike Najera
* Anthony Mestas
* Eric Sosa
* Trevor Grove
* Tom Gilliland
* Seth Rinaldi
* The Sideshow Collectibles Design and Development Team
Size 14.5"H x 11.5"W x 8.75"D
Type Polystone Statue
Edition Size TBD
Release Date 1st Qtr 2010
Price $209.99

Zimm's two cents:
Another great piece by Sideshow. I am still leaning toward Emma, but the details and quality of this statue may too good for me to pass her up.
Points in Favor:

• Attention to detail. From the belt to the boots and base. This statue has little details that would draw anyone's attention to this piece.
• Pose. The stance and look of the statue capture Elektra's personality.
• Color. Even painting for the skin looks great.
  

Points Against:

• In my humble opinion, there is not something obviously wrong with it.

Recommendation: Hot Buy. From the hair to the sai to the back to the base - this is a piece well worth purchasing.

Batman and Robin 2

Classic logo with a classic picture of Robin in trouble and Batman trying to get to him. I would recommend that everyone give this series a chance. This series, within one issue, has jumped to the top of my pull list.

Robert: I think Batman & Robin may be the best new series of 2009. That will partially depend on whether Frank Quitely can complete arcs on the art. Different artists working on a single arc was one of my biggest issues with their run on New X-Men. So far in one issue, I love it! I can't wait to get my hands on #2.

Umbrella Academy PVC Set Revisited

I can admit I'm wrong. I now have these in my possession, due to no efforts of my own. These are very nice PVCs. The Spaceboy is terrific. The other siblings look good as well.

I am still anxiously awaiting action figures or small statues of the Umbrella Academy family. For the time being these PVC figures are really nice. They will look really nice next to some of the other PVCs I own (Hellboy, Grendel, etc.). The only downside to these is, they're actually much nicer than the other PVC sets I own. I still want figures in Gabriel Ba's style and in the same scale as Mezco's Hellboy Comic Book figures.

First the Points in Favor:

• The Spaceboy looks really, really good.
• They really nailed Spaceboy.
  
• Vanya looks pretty good.
  
• For the most part, the characters look like Gabriel Ba's artwork.
• Great packaging.
• They look pretty good for PVCs.
• The price isn't too bad. I think the Hellboy PVCs were going for about $30 when they came out several years ago, and the packaging and production values of these are much better. I really liked the Hellboy PVCs.
  

Points Against:

• Number 5, Rumor, and Seance could have used a little more attention in the detailing, but are still nice looking figures.
  
• The Umbrella and packaging would be even cooler if they were a base.
  

Rating: Hot Buy. I really wanted the Spaceboy. The others I can still live without, but as a group they look really nice together on a shelf. I'd love to see the packaging be able to easily used as a display stand, but overall, I'd buy it if I had to go back and do it again. I'd almost pay half that amount

Get your own here.

Update: I'm going to do another post focusing on the Spaceboy later this week.

DC Comics - Blackest Night

I have never really been a big fan of the Green Lantern series. Even as part of the JLA, I wasn't that concerned with which individual was bearing the ring at any particular time - this included the rampage, death, and the introduction of a new lantern. While I have always thought of the Green Lantern Corps as the premier space Corps team, I still maintained a disinterest in what was occurring over in GL or the GL Corps.

That was until I read the precursor for the Sinestro War and thought that I had to pickup that series. (A series which my then current comic store forgot to add to my list after reminding him several times. I go to another local shop now).

The war lead me to the Blackest Night, and to be honest, I almost dropped off after the Sinestro War, as the Blackest Night series sounded cliche. I was oh-so wrong.

This is the series that I wait for in anticipation. The first books that I read when found within my weekly pull. The series that has more cohesion and intertwining parts then the Dark Reign crossovers (Marvel is losing me again with all of the crossovers). And the series that reminds me that there is a reason that the traditional 'tried and true heroes' are always the best and lay the foundations for some of the best stories.

Now, to top things off, this image ties the Blackest Night with one of my all time favorite Teen Titan stories. My only dilemma is how soon do I get my hands on the next issue.

IGN has a great site dedicated to this series. You can find it here.

Sneak Peak: DC Direct Q1 2010 Statues

And what a start! Wasn't thrilled with the Wonder Woman. But the Aquaman looks great. More soon.