Marvel Universe: Series 2

Action Figures: Case of 12
Release Date: Late March 2009
Size: 3 3/4" Tall
Set inlcludes: Wolverine, Silver Surfer, Human Torch, Captain America, Classic Spider-Man, Green Goblin, The Hulk, Ronin, Iron Fist, and more.
Retail Price: $149.99


Robert's Two Cents:

Points in Favor:

• It's pretty exciting to have a 3 3/4 inch series of Marvel figures.
• Iron Fist is a cool character.
• I like the Iron Fist and if I had to get a second one, I would select the bright green Hulk.
  
• Green Goblin is in there as a close third place.
  
• Odds are favorable to getting more obscure characters. I know Kenner's doing this with their similarly scaled DC line.
  

Points Against:

• Paint Jobs look imperfect. They seem to put too much color in the crevices and not enough on the exposed areas. Pretty typical these days.
  
• I wish Hasbro would look at the early Spider-Man Classics figures from Toy Biz from the early 2000's. The ones with around 30 points of articulation.
• Like anything else, some characters will translate to this size better than others.
• Price? $150 for a case of 12? These are 3 3/4 inches. Then again, that's the Wizard Universe price.
  

Summary:
When I was a kid, most of my action figures were in the 3 3/4 size, from Star Wars to GI Joe & The Corps, so I'm a little biased on the size thing. Nothing like a line where you could take two or three with you without your mom knowing. GI Joes under the pews at church without mom knowing (or so I thought). Plus, since Hasbro is making these, you can use the different characters with the other series' accessories and vehicles. Spider-Man can join GI Joe.

As an alleged grown up, I like the larger scale of the DC Direct and Marvel Legends lines, mostly because I can display them on a shelf or hang them on the wall.

I would grab: Iron Fist.

Zimm's Two Cents:

• I would rather spend my money on a statue.
• I do like the Green Goblin, Ronin, and Iron Fist.
• Once again - something is severely wrong with the Hulks. But the whole reason that I brought up this series is because the Hulk's eyes bother me. Is he constipated? or What?

I would grab: Iron Fist or the Green Goblin

Have you ever wanted a Batphone?

Have you ever wanted a Batphone? Now you can have one. GetABatPhone.com is now offering you the opportunity to own a Batphone of your very own just like the one on the TV show from the 60's. They also offer a dome to cover your Batphone and a Shakespeare bust with a flip top head so you can open your very own Batcave, whenever you become a billionaire playboy.

At $122.00, I'm not rushing out to buy one, but it's a fun idea. Also, if I ever get around to building a secret room, the Shakespeare bust is a must have item.

Note: Yes this would fall under the new What the Frack header, but I kinda like this one.

What the Frack????

I can understand some of the Star Trek geeks truly enjoying this; however, if I am going to spend $2,100 (much less $2,700) on a chair. I want it to heat up and massage my ass! That way I can sit through even more episodes of Star Trek without having to get up.

However, if you want it:

Available: April 2009
Retail: $2717.01
On Sale Here for: $2,145.99

Go Figure.

Sideshow Collectibles: Captain America

Legendary Scale Bust of Captain America

Manufacturer: Sideshow Collectibles

Statue Type: Legendary Scale Bust

Dimensions: 12"H x 12.5"W x 7.5"D

Edition Size: Unknown

Release Date: June 2009

Retail Price: $199.99

Zimm's Two Cents:

• Face seems a tad pale in the pictures.
• While I know that he is out of time, he shows no signs of determination. (After Apocolypse, I would have expected more from the facial expression.)

Recommendation: Pass. I really don't have anything to say about this one.

Robert's Two Cents:

• Go get the Apocalypse bust instead.
  
• Despite recent depictions, the chain mail is supposed to be underneath his fabric shirt.
• Face doesn't really look that great.

Sideshow Collectibles: Abomination

Sideshow Collectibles' Abomination - worth a second look...check out the photos here.

Manufacturer: Sideshow Collectibles
Designed by: The Sideshow Collectibles Design and Development Team
Statue Type: High-Quality Polystone
Dimensions: 25" H x 26" W x 22"L
Edition Size: Unknown
Release Date: June 2009
Retail Price: $499.99

Zimm's Two Cents:

• I feel that this provides a true rendition of what the Abomination would look like in real life.
• I like the fire hydrant available in the Exclusive Edition version.
• I also like how his fingers are digging into the pavement of the base.
• Doesn't look so much like the comic book character as it does a monster from some 70's horror movie.
• Something about the blue cloth used for his underwear bothers me. Look at one of the back pics.
  
• Way to pricey for my pocket book - I would buy the Bowen Version (supposedly releasing this month) here. Or even consider the Bowen Designs' Faux Bronze version for $450.00.

Recommendation: Pass - purchase the Bowen Designs instead.

Robert's Two Cents:

• $500 dollars? Is it made of real bronze?
• Looks like a real world version of the Abomination.
• They did a really good job with the face.
• The mouth shouldn't be open like that. That part doesn't look like the Abomination.
• Very nice detailing.
• His shorts are too comic book blue, while his skin tones are more natural/muted.

Recommendation: Pass. Send me and Zimm $100 each and I'll get my kids to draw you a picture of the Abomination. You'll get just as much value.

Secret Geek Delight: Bobble Heads

I have never seen one that I like - until recently, and I have never understood the fascination with the whole line of Bobble-Head toys. However, when I saw this Ben 10 Heat Blast Bobble Head - I actually paused, looked at it, and liked it.

I wouldn't buy it, but if Bobble Heads are your thing, and you enjoyed the first of Ben 10, then you might appreciate this one.

Available: February 2009
Price: $11.99
Recommendation: Pass

I know that there are some geeks out there that love these Bobble Head thingamagigs, so why not this one. He glows in the dark too. Much better then the upcoming Green Goblin.

Go Figure.
Robert: Bobble heads? I like Ben 10 and all, but sheesh!

Note this isn't the Ben 10 Heatblast, it's the Ben 10 Alien Force Heatblast. I'd be more likely to consider it if it didn't have "Alan as Heatblast" in white on the front.

My favorite Ben 10 toy is still the 17" Fourarms. I got mine on clearance for $14.97 a couple of years ago and got it signed by Dave Johnson at MegaCon last year.

Hank Pym

Marvel is finally doing something interesting with Hank Pym for the first time in years. He's becoming the Wasp. You can read more about it here. Just be warned there are spoilers.

I first encountered Hank Pym as...Hank Pym in the West Coast Avengers. He was the resident Jarvis being brought in by Hawkeye in the first issue of the ongoing series. Then he gradually became a super powered uncostumed adventurer until John Byrne came on board and made him the resident Reed Richards (Scientific genius/team leader).

From there he eventually moved over to the main Avengers title when the West Coast book was cancelled and became Giant Man again. For those paying attention, he wasn't supposed to be able to use his Giant Man powers any more due to the strain on his heart. He did improve his formula and restricted his size changes to deal with this problem, but it was a weird time in Avengers history.

Then during the awesome Kurt Busiek/George Perez run, he became GiAnt-Man.

In recent years he's become the Yellowjacket again. I'm really not sure why he would choose this identitty. Yellowjacket was the identity Hank was using while he was experiencing a mental breakdown and suffering a MPD issue. Really. Also, this was the time he and Janet Van Dyne (the original Wasp) got married and the identity he was using at the time he began abusing Jan.

So why this identity? I'm not really sure. I've only been following the Avengers ephemerally since Kurt Busiek left, so I don't really know what's been going on with Hank.

However with recent events that have come to my attention, this move makes a lot of sense. Also, it looks like they're taking him back to his super adventurer days from the early West Coast Avengers. I know I'll be keeping one eye on this change of circumstances for one of Marvel's most underrated heroes.

Kotobokiya Nova Statue

Another Nova Statue is cool, but I'm not quite so sure about this one.

Manufacturer: Kotobukiya
Sculpted by: Junnosake Abe
Statue Type: Cold-Cast Porcelain
Dimensions: 15" Tall
Edition Size: Unknown
Release Date: June 2009
Retail Price: $174.99

Points in Favor:

• Good Price Point - With Bowen Statue's going well into the $200 range, it is nice to see some still in the mid $100s.
• Decent body frame and not overly bulky
• Face and helmet look pretty good

Points Against:

• LED light in the base recreating Nova's explosive energy effect make his feet look a little bit trapped instead of flying
• Base - in general - looks "iffy"
• Haven't we seen this base (and pose) on a series of Iron Man statues already?
• Not the greatest Nova costume
  
• Paint Job looks a little splotchy

Recommendation: Pass

While I originally had high hopes upon seeing this statue, the more I look at it - the more I dislike it. So, for about $5 less, I would recommend the still available Bowen Designs' Nova found here....

More Mighty Muggs

When you thought that they had already reached the bottom of the barrel, out comes another set of four. And when you thought that Wolverine could never ever be cuter than he was before, they come out with a hairy cuter Wolvie - trying to throw some 'tude.

Estimated Release Date: February 2009
Reg price: $67.96
On Sale Here for: $59.99

I really do not like any of these, and the Jean Grey and Sabretooth prove my point.

Robert's Two Cents:
Some Insight from Robert, as he is the Mighty Mugg expert of the group:

• The wolverine Muggs with the hat is frackin' hilarious. Actually the Wolvie with the hat looks like Brubaker.
• Phoenix looks like an overweight super hero hooker.
• Is that Sabretooth or the snake character who can eat people.
• Cyclops doesn't smile. Ever.
• Actually the Wolvie with the hat looks like Brubaker.
• The Wolvie is the best of the bunch. Unfortunately, that isn't saying much.

I'm not especially a fan of the Mighty Muggs, so much as I like certain ones. The first one I bought was Chewbacca and I still mostly like the monsters. One of the worst I actually own is the Han Solo I bought to be a companion piece to my Chewie.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas

For this holiday, I thought I would present you with a look at the statue that started my collection - oh those so many years ago.

From All of Us here at Comics and Geeks to you -
Happy Holidays!

This coming year is when we really plan to take our Blog to the next level - so please stay tuned.

Robert and Zimm

Rogue Bishoujo Styled Statue

This is the first (in a new series) from Kotobokiya of Marvel Comics superheroines based on the Japanese Bishoujo (pretty girl) art style.

Manufacturer: Kotobukiya
Design Illustrator: Shunya Yamashita
Sculpted by: Koei Matsumoto
Statue Type: High-Quality PVC and ABS Plastic
Dimensions: 7 3/5" Tall
Edition Size: Unknown
Release Date: June 2009
Retail Price: $59.99

Points in favor:

• Good Price Point
• Paint job looks pretty good
  

Points Against:

• Bland Base - Kotobukiya needs to work on their bases.
  
• More of a "street pose" than a Rogue battle pose.
  

Sidebar: When has Rogue ever had to work the streets? Come on! She couldn't even kiss her boyfriends during this period.

I should check on this one with my niece, as she would probably have some insights into the boots.

Recommendation: Neutral.

Kotobukiya Ares Fine Art Bust

The first character in Kotobukiya's collection of Mighty Avengers Fine Art Busts - ARES! The GOD OF WAR!

Manufacturer: Kotobukiya
Sculpted by Junnosake Abe
Statue Type: Cold-Cast Porcelain Bust
Dimensions: 11"
Edition Size: Unknown
Release Date: June 2009
Retail Price: $79.99

Points in favor:

• The colors, two weapons, and small shield.
• This one is just cool!

Sidebar: As this is one of my first ones to order from Kotobukiya, I am hoping for the following:

• The cold-cast porcelain is as good in production as the photo appears.
• They limit the number of releases to below 4000.

Points Against:
Nervous about his face. While the helm looks great, I am going to have to do some hunting to see if I really like it.

Recommendation: Hot Buy!
Unlike the Wolverine, this is only a Hot Buy, as I feel that this is a personal favorite. Robert - can you provide an update on what your thoughts are about this bust?

Sidebar:
I hope that Kotobukiya continues to develop such a wide range of statues and busts, as I am being drawn to more and more of their releases. I look forward to hopefully an impressive lineup of the Mighty Avengers busts, as there are so many of them.

Kotobokiya Wolverine Fine Art Bust

The final character in the X-Men Classic Character Fine Art Bust series by Kotobukiya.

Manufacturer: Kotobukiya
Sculpted by Takeshi Kimura,
Statue Type: Cold-Cast Porcelain Bust
Dimensions: 9"
Edition Size: Unknown
Release Date:June 2009
Retail Price: $79.99

Points in favor:

• Wolverine's wicked 2 1/3 inch-long claws are real metal!
• Great facial expression.
• Good Costume choice
• Muscles seem to be realistic and not overly done.

Sidebar: I have one statue who has a 8-pack stomach. Is that even fricken possible?

Points Against:
Not certain about the paint job.

Recommendation: Hot Buy!

Kotobukiya is really catching my eye as of late, and this one is right up there. Also, as Robert has stated, with the prices of statues going up so high. I'm going to have to start buying more busts.

Overall, it gets a "I likey."

Updated: I decided to put it to a regular "Hot Buy", as Robert had some great insight; however, I am still inclined to recommend it to those who don't have a Wolverine.

Zatanna Statue

Manufactured by: DC Direct
Based on the Art of Adam Hughes
Sculpted by: Jack Matthews
Statue Type: Cold Cast Porcelain
Size: unknown
Edition Size: Unknown
Release Date: August 2009.
Price: $99.99

Points in Favor:
Zatanna is cool.

Points Against:

• She had implants! Or is that part of the super power of all statues. I never thought of it before - but did all of Adam Hughes women have porn-star "busts".
• Again with the base being plain. I mean - it does include here name in case you don't know who she is.

Again this one looks good - despite the implants and boring base. Is it the cold-cast porcelain that is making them catch my eye. I think this one and the previous Wonder Woman from this series will be definitive collector's items in the future.

Recommend: Neutral. Don't know until I see this one.

Wonder Woman Maquette

Manufacturer: DC Direct
Sculpted by Jim Shoop
Size: 9.25" tall x 3.75" wide x 4.25" deep
Edition Size: 4,000
Release Date: March, 2009.
Retail Price: $89.99

This is based on art from the Warner Home Video direct-to-DVD - WONDER WOMAN! Do you think she will spin in the cartoon?

Points in Favor:

• Simplistic in it's design - this wonder woman caught my eye.
• Her face has a slight grin with an uplifted eye that says (in my opinion), "You think so."
• She doesn't have breast implants.
  
• Paint job looks good - but that could always change.
• Boots are not painted onto the legs but sculpted out away from the legs. (I think my niece would be proud that I noticed that.)

Points Against:

• The base
• I'm uncertain about it being "cold-cast porcelain." For some reason, I think of my grandmother.

Recommendation: Neutral - Good price - decent statue - if you can ignore the base.

Indiana Jones Mighty Muggs

Speaking of Mighty Muggs, Entertainment Earth has exclusive Indiana Jones Mighty Muggs. They have Short Round & Sallah Mighty Muggs for $33.99 for the set.

Get them here.

I wonder what ever happened to Jonathan Ke Quan (Short Round). Hmm.... According to IMDB he is a martial artist and stunt coordinator working with Jet Li. Cool!

Mighty Muggs: Skrull

It is Mighty Muggs Day!!!!

The only reason that I mention this one is that I received it about a week ago, and the release date was scheduled for today. How cool is that!

Once again - though - these are not for me; instead, I am supporting someone's bad habit.

Price: $15.99
Available here for: $14.39
Released: November 19, 2008

Mighty Muggs: Captain America

Okay, I missed the release of this one; however, I had to post it, as I thought this one might be one of the "cuter" ones. As someone has stated, there are some that should not be cute and should not be owned.

Thank goodness that I don't own any of these.

Price: $15.99
Available here for: $14.39
Released: November 19, 2008

Maquette: Black Queen

Manufacturer: Sideshow
Based On Art by: Adam Hughes
Dimensions: 16.5" H x 9.5" W x 9.5" L
Edition Size: Unknown
Release Date:June 2009
Retail Price: $149.99
Points in favor:

• Cape and whip are perfectly placed in this sculpture
• Breasts appear to be pushed up instead of implants.

Sidebar: My Wonder Woman statue looks like she has implants, and everyone wonders why Wonder Woman would need implants.

Points against:

• Uncertain about the face.
• Base is rather boring.

Personally: Pass

While this appears to be a nice statue, I personally looked over it rather quickly, as I looked for something else to purchase.

Women of the DC Universe: Supergirl Bust

DC is releasing a second Supergirl in their Women of the DC Universe line. This one is based on a design by Terry Dodson. The original was based on an Adam Hughes design.

I have enjoyed this series a lot. So far I've preferred the ones designed by Adam Hughes, but this one is the exception. Hughes' Supergirl was a little too stripper for my tastes, this one is very cheerleader. Sexy, but not in a strip tease way.

The base complements both the previous Supergirl bust from the Adam Hughes' design, as well as the upcoming Superman bust from the new Heroes of the DC Universe line.

Manufacturer: DC Direct
Sculpted by: Not sure, but based on design by Terry Dodson
Dimensions: 5.75" high x 3.5" wide x 2.25" deep
Edition Size: Unknown
Release Date: August 2009
Retail Price: $55.00

Points in favor:

• Nice design
• Less overtly sexual than previous bust (or I like cheerleaders more than strippers).
  
• Base makes this a fit with either upcoming Superman bust or previous Supergirl bust.
• It's fun to talk about Supergirl's bust.
  

Points against:

• Face isn't quite right
  
• They've already released a Supergirl in this series.
  

Updated Recommendation: Buy, it's a nice bust in a nice series.

Batman: The Dark Knight Sets Another Record

According to Newsarama, Batman: The Dark Knight has set the home video record for 2008 and came in second in all time first day sales to Finding Nemo.

Pretty impressive. I haven't seen it yet.

Another interesting tidbit in Lying in the Gutters this week. The Dark Knight and Incredible Hulk top the list of most torrented movies for 2008.

Plus, the film is returning to theatres and IMAX theatres in January.

Hopefully I'll get around to watching it soon and can get a review up.

Umbrella Academy PVC Set

OK, after being ever so gently encouraged by Zimm, I've taken a closer look at the Umbrella Academy PVC set (which you can pre order here). And since we here at Comics and Geeks are big fans of the Gerard Way penned series, here are my thoughts on the Umbrella Academy PVC Set.

I am not impressed. While I am anxiously awaiting action figures of the Umbrella Academy family, these PVC figures aren't quite doing it for me. What I'm really looking for are 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.
  

Points Against:

• Other than Spaceboy and Vanya, the other characters look pretty lifeless.
• Price. $40 is pretty steep for a handful of PVCs.
  

Rating: Pass. I want the Spaceboy. The others I can pass on. And at $40, No Sale!

'Back in Black' Spider-Man Comiquette

Manufacturer: Sideshow
Sculpted by: Not sure
Dimensions: 16.5" H x 8.5" W x 13.5" D
Edition Size: Unknown
Release Date:June 2009
Retail Price: $269.99

Points in favor:

• Clean colors - as you can't really do that much with black and white

Points against:

• Similar in Design and Pose as the Iron Spider-Man
• As with the Iron Spider-Man, he may have one more muscle than humanly possible.

While I am leaning toward liking this statue, this appears to be nothing more than the Iron Spider-Man sans the tentacles. So, what this really comes down to is which one you prefer.

Updated Recommendation: Pass - Robert is right about the eyes.

While I wouldn't mind having a Spider-Man in the black costume, I am not quite certain that I would spend the $269.99 for this one.

Additional note from Robert: If you want to spend that kind of money on a cool Spider-Man, I'd recommend following Zimm's previously recommendation of the Armored Spider-Man by Sideshow Toys.

Umbrella Academy PVC Figure Set

Well, I am quite surprised that Robert has not mentioned this one. I figured since this was one of his favorite books, that he would definitely have something to say about the Figure Set being released in April 2009.

Maybe - just maybe - if we are real quiet, he will still give us his opinion of the Umbrella Academy PVC Figure Set.

Robert? Your Thoughts?????

Top 3 Statues for 2008

While I had originally selected only one statue which is selected for a 2009 release, it appears that the Mark Newman statue will not be releasee until January 2009. Despite that, I feel two of these statues look so good that they HAD to be in the top three - if not first and second place for the 2008 year.

So - here are my top pics for 2008.

Odin

Sculpted by: Bowen Designs' Randy Bowen

Product Type: Statue

Release Date: October 2008

Edition Size: 1500

One of My Favorite Aspects: The Ravens

Still Available for the Holidays: Not Certain

Why? Come on. If the mini-bust made it as the bust of the year, the statue (which the bust had to be based upon) was definitely going to make it as one of the top 3 statues. The only thing that could make this better is a Faux Bronze version..... OH - Look at this....

Medusa

Sculpted by: Bowen Designs' Mark Newman

Product Type: Statue

Release Date: November 2008 (However, it looks to be a January 2009 release now)Edition Size: ??? (I'm estimating 1500)

One of My Favorite Aspects: The Hair

Still Available for the Holidays: January doesn't count as a Christmas gift, but you can still order it HERE.

Why? This has to be one of the all time best female statues to-date. While simplistic in her posing, the statue offers tons of character. You can still order it here.

Iron SpiderMan

Sculpted by: Sideshow

Product Type: Statue

Release Date: March 2009

Edition Size: 1250

One of My Favorite Aspects: The Arms (tentacles)

Still Available for the Holidays: No - as March is Not Christmas. You can order a copy HERE though.

Why? Every picture that I have seen of this statue looks awesome. The colors, the pose, and the legs. Have I mentioned the legs?

Okay - that puts Sideshow into my top 3 for both busts and statues. If anything, I think that Bowen Designs' may finally have some competition. I'm still biased toward my Bowen statues; however, if Sideshow can put out a couple more of these busts and statues, life may become just a tad bit more expensive.

Next year's top 3 will only include those statues and busts that were released in 2009.

Best Bust of 2008: Bowen Design's Odin

Sculpted by: Randy Bowen
Product Type: Mini-Bust
Release Date: October 2008
Edition Size: 1500
Still Available for the Holidays: At a Price
Why? The detailed armor, the interchangeable hands, the facial attitude that can only be Odin.

This one is most definitely going to become a collector's item over the years.

Umbrella Academy: Dallas #2 Preview

CBR has a preview of Umbrella Academy: Dallas #2 up here. I just read the first issue last night. While I have recently cut back on my comics purchases, both due to funds and space, Umbrella Academy is still at the top of my pull list.

Kotobukiya Storm Bust

Manufacturer: Kotobukiya
Sculpted by: Not sure

Dimensions: 11 inches

Edition Size: Unknown

Release Date:June 2009

Retail Price: $79.99

Points in favor:

• Kotobukiya have made really nice bases for all of these busts so far. It's the "classic" Iron Man armor.
  

Points against:

• It doesn't portray Storm well.
  
• Pretty lifeless
• Cape could be better
  

I'd much prefer the Nightcrawler or the Shadowcat. This would look better if they added some life to her. With her eyes glazed over like they do, you have to make up for it somewhere else. Zimm doesn't like the Shadowcat, but the more pictures I see of that one, the more I like. This statue, I haven't seen a single picture that had something I've liked so far.

Rating: Pass!

Honorable Mention Busts of 2008

Okay, I've worked my way through the honorable mention of statues for 2008, and before I get to the top 3 statues and top bust of 2008, I wanted review my honorable mentions for 2008 busts. The primary criteria for these picks is that they were released in 2008 - which isn't holding true for one of my top three statue picks.

So, here they are - in no particular order:

Black Knight - Red variant
Product Type: Mini-Bust
Sculpted by: Rocco & Vinnie Tartamella and Randy Bowen
Released: January 2008
Edition Size: 700
Still Available for the Holidays: Possibly
Why the honorable mention: It is all about the coloring, and the red cape with the blue chainmail make this piece worth enjoying.

Scorpion Modern
Sculpted by: The Kucharek brothers
Product Type: Mini-Bust
Released: March 2008
Edition Size: 1500
Still Available for the Holidays: Possibly
Why the honorable mention: I have the Mark Newman statue of Scorpian, which is awesome, but I The tail and coloring on the mini-bust far exceed Newman's version.

Apocalypse
Manufacturer: Sideshow Collectibles
Product Type: Legendary Scale Bust
Release Date: October 2008
Edition Size: 350
Still Available for the Holidays: Possibly
Why it is in the top 3 Busts: The more I looked at the statue - the more I appreciated it. Not a fan of the legendary scale bust's size, but I can appreciate this one.

Bowen Designs Faux Bronze Iron Man

Originally I didn't like the Faux Bronze line from Bowen, both as an attempt to re release existing sculpts without technically violating the original edition size at a higher price than the original release, and aesthetically, these characters seem like the belong in color, not monochrome. Now after seeing them on Zimm's shelf, I've changed my mind. They look really sharp.

The latest edition in this "series" is the Iron Man. This looks really nice.

Manufacturer: Bowen Designs
Sculpted by: Randy Bowen

Dimensions: 13 1/2" tall overall

Edition Size: Unknown, but it's a Bowen website exclusive

Release Date: Summer 2009

Retail Price: $250.00

Points in favor:

• The faux bronze looks sharp, almost like Iron Man was made for this treatment.
• It's the "classic" Iron Man armor.
  
• A really nice sculpt and pose.
• It's a Bowen sculpt.
  

Points against:

• Price, but at $250 it's one of the less expensive faux bronzes.

If I buy one Iron Man statue, this is it. Plus, if you order it from Bowen directly, you can request Randy Bowen himself sign it for an additional charge.

Rating: Hot Buy!

Disappointing Aurora & Northstar Mini Bust Set

I purchased this bust set for memories sake, and they really have not fallen on any of my recommended lists. After receiving them in the mail, I must admit that I am even more disappointed than I had originally planned to be. Besides being the faces and/or pose, the painting on them is really sub-par. I can easily spot where mistakes were made around the faces.

Recommendation is PASS - I would even suggest for waiting for them to go on clearance. If for some reason you do decide to buy them, you can still find them here.....

One of the greatest tragedies...

One of the greatest tragedies to my wallet is my ability to find deals. I've only paid over $100 for a couple of Bowen statues ever. I've not paid full price for comics on a regular basis since I was a kid, usually getting somewhere between 25% and 40% off, even after shipping, if I had to pay shipping.

Here's another one. You can get a full year of McSweeney's back issues for $25 by clicking here. Not familiar with McSweeney's? It's a quarterly anthology book publication that is edited and produced by David Eggers and includes works by Denis Johnson, Joyce Carol Oates, Roddy Doyle, TC Boyle, Joe Meno, Lawrence Weschler, Ann Beattie, Chris Adrian, Edmund White, Steven Millhauser, Yannick Murphy, Robert Coover, and so many more. It's a great value at the normal subscription price, but for $25, it's a steal. Usually McSweeney's.

I'm not sure when this deal will end, so if you're interested, you better click soon.

Also if you order more than $60 from their site, you'll get your choice of either Michael Chabon's Maps and Legends or Nick Hornby's Shakespeare Wrote for Money, as a free reward. All you have to do is spend $60 (not including shipping); then, at checkout, find the promo code field and enter:
- MC01 if you want MAPS AND LEGENDS
- NH05 if you want SHAKESPEARE WROTE FOR MONEY

Pretty cool stuff.

Batman versus Catwoman Statue

I believe that this is DC Direct's third in their series of "Classic Confrontations." It features Batgirl versus Catwoman - a confrontation that I read about ALL the time. Note sarcasm.

Manufacturer: DC Direct
Designed By Matt Haley
Sculpted By Andy Bergholtz
Dimensions: 8” high x 11” wide x 5” deep
Edition Size: Limited Edition
Second Release Date: July 2009
Retail Price: $224.99

Point in favor:
~ Capes are what suspend each character in the air.
~ Statue is built in 3 different pieces - Batgirl, Catwoman, and bank vault.)

Points against:
~ When you think of a classic confrontation, you typically don't think of Batgirl versus Catwoman.
~ Compared to the Batman and Superman statues, these seem very bland.
~ Batgirl lacks any facial expressions during this classic confrontation. If you compare it to the Batman or Superman confrontation, it makes you wonder is she really that determined.

Recommendation: Pass

If you can still find it, I would recommend the Batman versus the Joker or even the Superman versus Darkseid.

Hulkbuster Iron Man from Bowen Designs

I wanted to review this statue before Zimm had beat me to it.

Manufacturer: Bowen Designs
Sculpted by: The Kucharek brothers

Dimensions: 14 1/2" tall overall

Edition Size: Unknown

Release Date: Summer 2009

Retail Price: $225.00

Points in favor:

• Flip top mask revealing smaller Iron Man head beneath. (although they already did this with the mini bust).
• Detail in the armor

Points against:

• Pose is lackluster.
• This should be staged to look more like a companion piece to earlier Hulk pieces, more like the earlier Wolverine or even the Juggernaut.
• Over abundance of existing Iron Man material at this time.
• Didn't they just release this as a bust?

I give this one a PASS!

What's up with Bowen doing statues and busts back to back of the same character?

Updated comment: Don't get me wrong, it's a cool idea. I guess I'm more passing on the over abundance of Iron Man statues at the moment and Bowen decides to release another one. Also, he just did the bust of the Hulkbuster Iron Man.

Bowen Designs' Daredevil Statues

Bowen released three Daredevil statues leveraging the same base, in the same pose, but in the various customes that Daredevil has worn over the years, and while I continually try to buy different characters then the ones already in my collection, these statues prove that you can never have enough of even the same character.

Manufacturer: Bowen Designs
Sculpted by: Randy Bowen with Troy McDevitt

Dimensions: 15" tall (18" with booster base)

Edition Size: Unknown

Release Date: Summer 2009

Retail Price: $250.00

Where do I start, there are so many good things about this statue. Points in Favor:

• Pose and position - not only is Daredevil posed ontop of an awesome gargoyle (see next point), but his cable/wire is poseable as well
• Gargoyle base - once you see it, I don't need to elaborate.
• Randy Bowen craftsmanship - something you have come to expect from his statues over the years
• The attention to detail - note the chain in the gargoyle's mouth.

Points Against - yes, I have one:

• Three awesome statues of basically the same character.

Recommendation - Hot Buy(s)

I may not be able to afford all three, but I would appreciate having any and/or all three as part of my collection. I, like many others, may be forced to pick only one, and if I had to pick one today (at this moment), I would probably go for the Daredevil Yellow Statue.

Fables May Be Jumping to the Silver Screen

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Fables, the series about fairy tale characters living the in the modern world, is being developed by Warners for the ABC network with "Six Degrees" creators Stu Zicherman and Raven Metzner at the helm. David Semel is on board to direct.

The structure of the show is not set yet, but said to be flexible enough to allow any character to appear and take focus, but Snow White and Bixby Wolf are said to be central characters, as they are in the comics.

This is the second time that an attempt has been made to bring Fables to TV. The first was for NBC in the 2006-07 season.

Maybe Bill Willinghams' 20+ years in the comics industry will finally result in a nice big paycheck for him.

Bowen Designs' Archangel

Manufacturer: Bowen Designs
Sculpted by: Mark Newman
Dimensions: 14 1/2" tall
Edition Size: Unknown
Release Date: Summer 2009
Retail Price: $225.00


Besides being another Mark Newman masterpiece, this statue has a lot of Points in its Favor, which include:

• Designed to be rising up into the air, in typical Archangel fashion
• Facial expression looks good - which tends to be one of my biggest complaints
• Great muscular definitions - Mark did not go overboard with the muscle definitions, which seems to happen on some statues from time to time.
• Good Paint job

Recommendation: HOT BUY.

This one will look AWESOME as part of anyone's collection.

Added by Robert: This may be the coolest statue released by Bowen Designs ever.

Top Shelf Comics Free Shipping Offer

Now through December 14th, Top Shelf on all orders of $40 or more.

Ame-Comi: Huntress PVC Figure

Reviewing a release that Robert mentioned a few blogs back, I thought that I would at least give the statue a quick review and rating. This is another in the Ame-Comi series - the Huntress, and I must admit that I keep coming back to her, as she would make a great gift for my niece.

Manufacturer: Ame-Comi

Designed by: Udon Studios

Dimensions: 9" tall

Edition Size: Limited Unknown

Release Date: July 22, 2009

Retail Price: $55.00, with a Sale Price around $44.00 here

Points in Favor:

• Great Anime representation of Huntress
• Attention to detail from the crossbow holsters, to the cape, to what look to be claws.

Points Against - while there really do not appear to be any. The only issue that my niece pointed out (which may be do to the picture) is that it is hard to tell where the boots end.

Personal Choice: HOT BUY

Leverage - New Show on TNT

The Caper Show is back. Leverage is a new show created and written by John Rogers. How does this fit the Comics & Geeks motif? I'm glad you asked. John Rogers has been a fan of comic books and was the writer of the new Blue Beetle series by DC Comics for a while (and announced as being cancelled). He was also the lead writer on the aborted Global Frequency series based on the comic series by Warren Ellis (If you haven't seen it, go out to those naughty places and download it. It's worth it. I promise.). After having seen the pilot, I must say, it's going to be a pretty good show. While there is a little pilotitis, I think almost every pilot has to grow through some things. Timothy Dutton is one of my favorite actors (He made a great Archie Goodwin). And any show written by a former standup comic who has a physics degree has to be good, right?

CBR has a pretty good write up on the pilot and the series here.

Go watch it. It's worth the time. It's on TNT Sunday, Dec 7th, at 10:00 EST.

New Sculptures by Bowen Designs

Go check them out....Bowen Designs.

XIII ON NBC

I just read this from Comics Continuum. XIII is being released as a mini series on NBC February 8 & 15 next year.

What's XIII you ask? It's a European graphic novel series with lots in common with the Bourne series.

Crossover Fatigue

Holy crap! There are 22 graphic novels so far in the Secret Invasion collection and it's not done yet. No wonder I'm feeling Crossover fatigue.

From James Simes' Flickr

2008 - Honorable Statue Mentions (Non-Bowen)

As I did not want to dominate all of my honorable mentions with Bowen choices, I thought that it was only appropriate that I include a list of "Non-Bowen" honorable mentions. Oddly enough, they all turned out to be DC characters, but that is the way it goes.

So, for my "Non-Bowen" 2008 released honorable mentioned statues (in no particular order), I present to you the following:

Supergirl Vinyl Statue

Sculpted by: Kotobukiya

Released: December 2008

Limited Edition Size: Re-Released

Still Available for the Holidays: Yes

Why the honorable mention: This is every straight man's dream of Supergirl. Something for men (especially teens) to enjoy everywhere. Teen boys everywhere demanded more, and DC Direct is giving it to them.

Batman Vinyl Statue

Sculpted by: Kotobukiya

Released: December 2008

Limited Edition Size: Re-Released

Still Available for the Holidays: Yes
Why the honorable mention: It is all about the cape. The cape holds him up, the cape goes everywhere, and the cape makes the statue - thus the re-release.

Ame-Comi Wonder Woman

Designed by: Udon Studios

Released: 2008

Limited Edition Size: Uncertain

Still Available for the Holidays: Uncertain
Why the honorable mention: This is an awesome Ame-Comi interpretation of Wonder Woman and a definitive Hot Buy.

Ame-Comi Supergirl

Designed by: Udon Studios

Released: 2008

Limited Edition Size: Uncertain

Still Available for the Holidays: Uncertain

Why the honorable mention: Again, an awesome representation by Ame-Comi. If anything, this is the perfect representation of Supergirl for a teen girl. I got this one for my niece, and thus started the story of the "shoes."

Interesting Top Ten Skrulls list on Marvel.com

Almost makes me want to pretend I care about Secret Invasion.

Click here to read.

Hulkling, John the Skrull, and Lyja are my favorite Skrulls.

The one statue I'd buy right now if I had the extra cash.

Strangely enough, it would be Deathlok. I was never a fan of any version of the character in the comics, but I always thought he looked really cool.

This statue captures the essence of Deathlok. In many ways. he is the Captain America of the future, if the future were a post apocalyptic 1984.

The grimace on his face tells the tale of his life. He's had it rough and continues to fight to this day.

However, for such an obscure character, $175 seems steep. Even if you can find it discounted by 20% or more it's pricey. The two reasons I selected the Marvel Zombie statue over the Deathlok were price (the Marvel Zombie is $100) and the base on the Marvel Zombie is very cool. Zimm's niece looks at the shoes, I like the funky bases.

Anyway, if you have the spare scratch, buy Deathlok, if not skip it.

2008 Bowen Design's Honorable Mentions - Statues

There have been a number of great statues this year, and as I try to narrow down my selection to the top 3, I had a series of Honorable Mentions that I definitely wanted to point out. For this first set, I focused on the Bowen Design statues of 2008.

So, in no particular order, I give 5 statues that you should have at least considered adding or added to your collection from this past year. Additionally, I tried to select statues that were scheduled for a 2008 release.

Red Black Knight

Sculpted by: Ulises Cantu

Released: October 2008

Limited Edition Size: 300

Still Available for the Holidays: Uncertain

Why the honorable mention: Color choice is what made this statue better than the Black Knight statue. Had there been a bigger run on this series, it would have made my Hot Buy list.

Loki

Sculpted by: The Kucharek Brothers

Released: June 2008

Edition Size: 1250

Still Available for the Holidays: Yes

Why the honorable mention: I really appreciate the manner in which the Kucharek Brothers caught Loki's personality. Definitely was a buy for me; however, I was broke at the time.

Wolverine Classic - Action Pose

Sculpted by: Randy Bowen

Released: February 2008

Edition Size: 1000

Still Available for the Holidays: Yes - may have to pay a little more

Why the honorable mention: Because it is the Wolverine that I have been waiting for; it is a companion piece to my Juggernaut; and it was a definitive HOT BUY.

Mistress Death

Sculpted by: Randy Bowen

Released: August 2008

Edition Size: 1000

Still Available for the Holidays: Yes

Why the honorable mention: This was another definitive HOT BUY. I am still debating on getting this one, as it is a perfect representation of Death - be it Marvel's Mistress Death or another representation of Death. If I had her today, I would have her on the shelf with her interchangble skull head on.

Abomination

Sculpted by Randy Bowen

Released Planned for: December 2008

Edition Size: Unknown

Still Available for the Holidays: Yes

Why the honorable mention: Another great companion piece to the Juggernaut; however, I was a little uncertain about the paint job. It could be the model, put the paintaing looked a little splochy. Ranking would have been a "Buy".

Finally, if you need some help in finding one, ordering one, or even determining if it is available, I highly recommend Best Comics International.