Batman: The Killing Joke

To avoid having to watch some Redbox flick with Zimm, Jamie, and the Wife, I have escaped to comment on the Batman: The Killing Joke.

Alan Moore's story is engaging--although I am enjoying Miller's All Star Batman and Robin a bit more. The gentle compassion of Batman and Jim Gordon's friendship emphasizes their brutality and determination, their raw force--and that is what the narrative is really about.

The characters, the story, and the scenery are beautifully rendered by Brian Bolland. He includes a gentle, almost imperceptible 1940's touch that gives the storyline a depth that moves the story well beyond the written text. But then the Batmobile arrives. Smiple, flat, unimaginative, the car threatens to disrupt. It stands out and distracts--like Scooby Doo prancing into a Miyazaki flick.

As usual and is to be expected, I am behind the times. Either way, read the comic--but not for a history lesson on Joker (yawn).

Read it for an insight into Gordan and Batman's friendship, to learn the true power of a bromance. And once you have follow it up with (in the following order) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Star Trek, Sherlock Holmes. Finish with T.H. White's The Once and Future King.

Funny our discomfort in acknowledging the intimacy of two males. We can watch a bunch of middle-aged women yodel in a kitchen about the shortage of worthy men--but two men facing the vicissitudes of fate, relying on their strength and love for one another, makes us ponder, hesitate, and draw crappy cars.

Bayard

Batman: Under the Red Hood

Save time. Skip the graphic novel. Pick up the Blu-Ray.

More Batman: Under the Red Hood Info

Not that thrilled with Batman's voice. Need to look it up.

Bayard's Thoughts
No way.

Period.

This looks far far too anime. Too cute. There is a bit of edge to the narrative and graphics of the novel that this thing fails to capture. This is something for a mom to keep in her Yukon to play on long family road trips to keep the kids happy.

If you are looking for cute, fun videoes, get you a couple of Blamoids for company and buy Family Guy.

What now, Think Geek?

What now, Think Geek?

An Alien USB Collectible?

I think this would be perfect on Bayard's desk. Something to remind them that they are out there. As soon as he turns his back or opens that door, they are there. (No, not that door, the other door).

But seriously, this little guy isn't that scary. He is almost cute. Aliens = cute. Something is wrong there.

• 9.4" tall.
• Animated and lights up when plugged into your USB port.
• Price $39.99

I think the only thing that this alien could take out is my little yorkie, Ollie. (But Ollie isn't really a dog. He is an aspiring something).

But back to my original point.

This would probably bother Bayard.

Bayard's Thoughts
I have never been a big fan or advocate of the whole alien brood. Almost any version of Windows--except for XP--is way more disturbing than this beastie. I guess my point is it is less frightening than the problem ladden computer I would plug him into. (Zimm's bobble heads are a helluva lot more disturbing.)

Why does he have fighting rooster spurs?

Robert's 2 cents:

So, Zimm, I should return the plush Alien I bought for your birthday?

For me, it's just one of those things. If you like it, get it. Just be prepared for me to make fun of you for getting it because I think it's stupid. It's not cool, like my TARDIS USB hub or my R2 D2 USB hub.

Not Need a Plush Do I

Sometimes, things should just not exist. Then there are times that things should not talk to you.

Flashback: Teddy Ruxpin. I didn't have one; however, I do admit that it would have been fun to creep out both of my brothers.

I think this is one of those times.

Yoda 'plushy' phrases include:

• 'When 900 years you reach, look as good you will not.'
• 'For 800 years have I trained Jedi.'
• 'Do, or do not. There is no try.'
• 'Concentrate, feel the force flow, yes.'
• 'Judge me by my size do you?'
• 'Size matters not.'

With comments like that, Yoda might end up on my 'stress relief' pile.

Yours for $39.99 around July 2010.

Just be nice to him.

What does 'Think Geek' have for us today?

Why, look! They have "Caffeinated Maple-Bacon Lollipops"

WoW!

Doesn't everything go with bacon?

And for a simple $3.99 to $9.99 (single or 4-pack), you can 'suck on their meat.' (Their statement. Not mine.)

I wonder what Homer Simpson would say about this one?

What the.... Blammoids Series 4!?!

Seriously? Do we need more? Seriously! While I have to admit that I did get a kick out of the Flashs' lightening bolts and Hawkman's wings, I can not justify these in any way and/or manner. DC Direct must be stopped!

The real question is the type of conversation that you are going to have 15 or 20 years from now at some undefined convention.

You: "Ummm. Excuse me. Ummmm....do you happen to know where I can find the Martian Manhunter Blammoid?"

Vendor: "From the 3rd Series?"

You: "YEAH!"

Vendor: "No."

Avoid these at all costs....or keep looking at them and enjoying them in some unknown Bizarro world.

Hodgson's The House of the Borderland

Looking through Vertigo's website is always a bit of fun. A few weeks back, I went through a spending spree. Planetary and Air both ended up in my mailbox--as did Simon Revelstroke's adaptation of William Hope Hodgson's The House of the Borderland.

Richard Corben's artwork somehow does not fit a late Victorian horror novel. The thick lipped, roughly hewn characters, lack the aristocratic delicacy that would open them to the horrors beneath the house. The author of the manuscript seems better suited to Zulu battles in South Africa or trapping in the Rockies.

Revelstroke. sadly, captures the cumbersome, convoluted prose of Hodgson. The story's premise is an engaging one. But the confusion and ambiguity that leads to the crisis of consciousness, the blurring of realities, has less to do with a deft manipulation of readers than with wordiness.

Of course, I may be alone in this--the thing was nominated Best Graphic Novel of 2003 by The International Horror Guild. Go figure.

For me, the graphic novel is a neutral; the original novel would be a definite pass. If you are looking for obscure late Victorian gothic/fantasy writers, go with Algernon Blackwood's The Wendigo first.

Bayard

Carey and Fabry's take on Neverwhere

I have always distrusted comic adaptations of literature. (When I was much much younger, we had comic book versions of Treasure Island and Last of the Mohicans—not that anyone can do much damage to Cooper’s writing.) Classics Illustrated seemed somehow subversive. Egalitarian.

Despite my misgivings, I ordered Mike Carey and Glenn Fabry’s Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere. Even the title warned me of my folly. Is it a graphic novel about a novel that belonged to Gaiman? Or is it simply a marketing ploy—two guys riding on Gaiman’s coattails? Either way, the title is terrible.

Reading the introduction only confirmed my fears. Carey begins with a two page apologetic convincing us that Gaiman is a deity (up there with Matsou Basho) and the graphic novel is, well, it is a tribute, celebration, a psalm. Disappointed and forewarned, I started. What choice did I have?

Actually, I didn’t start it; I was swallowed. Like Mayhew, I disappeared into London Below. Into Carey’s world, Fabry’s world. Door did not look like I had expected. I didn’t care. The narrative twisted aside; I followed. It is one of those reads that you finish hours later, a little dizzy, a little disoriented, and frustrated—I wanted more.

One of the glories I have discovered in this geeky world of comics, graphic novels, statues, and ghost hunters is its unwillingness, refusal to bow to convention, authority—to a canon. More and more, though, as I read the introductions, I see a pecking order, a hierarchy, or oligarchy that would put the stuffiest, most hidebound of English Departments to shame. That, though, is a different rant.

If—like me—you are four years late, buy Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere. Scratch out Gaiman’s name on the cover, tear out the introduction, and settle back for a hell of a run through the world of London Below—which is too big for any one author’s narrative. And if you read it back in the day, stop again to notice what everyone else overlooks.

Bayard

Deformed Iron Man

Distributor Marvel
Artist Oliver Coustan
Sculptor Peter Mook
Type Statue
Size 8"
Date August 2010
Price $150.00
As Low as $118.99

Zimm's Two Cents
Drool! I love this piece.

Points in Favor

• Internal lights in hands, chest and vizor!
• Great colors!
• Love the lines - or the detail in the armor.

Points Against

• Guess you have to enjoy the 'deformed' style.

Recommendation I'm biased. I like it. If I could, I would say, "Hot Buy." But to be honest, it should only get a 'buy.' It is a 'movie based' statue, so it might not hold up as a collectible.

I'm going to order it though. I need an Iron Man statue. Does this count?

YES!!!!!! Droool. Internal lights!

Robert's Two Cents
Wow! Where did you find that?

Points in Favor

• It's a cool cartoony proportioned version of Iron Man that is completely detailed.
  
• The detail of the armor and the internal lights.
  

Points Against

• Not much. Maybe I'd like it to be a bit bigger than 8".
• Not really a point against, but I'm surprised they've gone with the triangular repulsor in his chest for the second movie.
  

Recommendation I'll give it a HOT BUY not for collectibility, but just because it's cool. It is a bit pricy for the size, but so is everything these days.

Twilight Zone

One of Robert's comments sent me in search of a clip of my favorite Twilight Zone--"Nothing in the Dark." Robert Redford plays death, working his way into a suspicious old woman's apartment. Great stuff.

Robert's favorite, "Will the real Martian please stand up?," is a popular one. It was ranked third by someone on YouTube. (Mine was much farther down the list. But how can you trust anyone who pushes Shatner that far back?)



Bayard

What the.....Marvel Capsules

I'm exhausted. Sorry about the lack of posts, but I am exhausted. In order to buy my toys, I have to work. In order to post, I need the time. Sadly, the work sometimes interferes with the post, which interferes with the fun.

Despite the exhaustion, I (of course) had the time and energy to read comics, a graphic novel, and flip through Previews. It was in the last one that I spotted these:


Who the hell's collecting these? Seriously! I've spotted an Iron Man statue that I don't want to admit to desiring, and yes, I did purchase the Uni-Formz DC Characters. (And yes, I am going to post something on the statue.)

But these??????

Bayard or Robert will probably like them.

Oh.....almost forgot. I need to follow-up on my Uni-Formz Flash order.

Robert: Not me. Now if the heads popped off and you could use them as marbles maybe. Those things are beyond ugly.

Summer 2010 Movies That I Have the Slightest Interest In

Movies that I might be interested in watching:

Salt, an Angelina Jolie vehicle to launch a sort of female James Bond type thing.

Robin Hood looks interesting although I don't think I like Cate Blanchett or Russell Crowe that much. Plus Ridley Scott hasn't done much that I've liked since about the time he did Gladiator.

Prince of Persia looks fun.

Iron Man II looks to potentially be better than the first one. I think part of the reason sequels are sometimes better than the first movie in a series is because the origin stuff is out of the way.

Shrek 4. Why not? I've enjoyed the first three.

The A-Team up to a point. Mostly it's totally affection for the original show. And to be completely honest the trailer had me interested up until the tank fell out of the airplane and started shooting at the other air planes. Really? Still, I'll probably watch it.

The Karate Kid looks really good. I never thought I'd say that. The whole premise of turning things around and immersing the kid in China intrigues me.

The Last Air Bender. I love the cartoon and expect to love the movie series just as much.

The Losers. This is the A-Team done right for the 21st century. Plus Zoe Saldana is awesome (and hot).

Movies I should be looking forward to but aren't:

Knight & Day. It just doesn't interest me in the least.

Jonah Hex. He's a post Civil War era comic book cowboy / bounty hunter.

Toy Story 3. Eh! I didn't really enjoy the second one much. Plus it's been 15 years since the original came out. I've changed.

But that's just my 2 cents.

Batman: The Book of Shadows

Okay, this is an older one-1999. After Batman Under the Hood, I needed another fix, so I pulled Batman: The Book of Shadows out of a pile of freebies I had been given--charity case that I am.

The coloring gives all of the characters a plastic texture--like new action figures fresh from the shrink wrap. And the demonic beasts all look to be distant relatives of the star of Alien. (A much more original representation of demons is in the episode of Millennium with four old men in a donut shop discussing their diabolic successes.)

The story line is as plastic and forced--a demon possessing people to to---well to do something that Batman just cannot allow.

DC looks to have poured some bucks into this one, but in the end, it is--despite the flashy packaging--unimaginative and almost boring. Stick with The Hood.

On a far different track, I just ordered Air and The House on the Borderland. Hopefully, both will fare better. I am curious if the Wildstorm badge differs markedly from Vertigo.

Note from Robert: Didn't Millennium steal that bit with the four old men as aliens from The Twilight Zone? Also the late 90s / early 2000s were not the best time to be a Batman fan.

Destination Truth

It has been a hectic week, and I came home to escape. A game of Halo only reinforced the failures of the week. Thankfully, Destination Truth was on SyFy. Cryptozoology at its most exciting.

As I have mentioned elsewhere, I have the sneaking suspicion that Josh Gates is not a true believer. (Now, Jason and Grant? They are zealots.) Anyway, Josh seems comfortable maintaining a tongue-in-cheek approach to his ventures into the spooky. Whether it is in the Mongolian deserts looking for a devil worm or on a small Mexican island covered with seriously creepy dolls, Josh maintains a quirky monologue that suggests it is all in fun, a means to an end--and the end is SyFy springing for another road trip with some of his buds. (See his map of cool destinations, and tell me he doesn't look a bit smug.)

Josh is fun until he slips, asking to be taken as seriously as Jason and Grant. And at that point, I am disappointed. (I mean it is not like he has the techno gear and professional affiliations.)

Wanting to change to her tele-novellas, the wife asks if I am actually watching. Of course not. Listening to the voice punctuated by the yelps of startled investigators is strangely comforting after a week at work with drama queens.

Zimm's 04/14 Pull List

Blackest Night is over, and Brightest Day is starting. Most likely, I won't be reading Brightest Day. Siege is almost over; however, I am interested in the aftermath that Marvel is going to leave us with after this one. Not much of a pull list, but here it is.

DC COMICS

• Brightest Day #0
• Flash #1 (Brightest Day)

MARVEL COMICS

• New Mutants #12 (X-Men Second Coming)
• Savage Axe of Ares #1
• Siege: Captain America #1
• Siege: Loki #1
• Siege: Young Avengers #1

Anyone have something that they could recommend? I'm running out of reading material.

'The Duel of Light and Fire' - Gandalf vs. Balrog

Manufactured by: Sideshow Collectibles
Artists:
* Adrian Taboada
* Pablo Sapia
* Martin Orona
* Pablo Viggiano
* Tom Gilliland
* Anthony Mestas
* Darth Rimmer
* The Sideshow Collectibles Design and Development Team
Type: Polystone Statue
Size: 18"H x 14"W x 12"L
Price: $299.99

Zimm's Two Cents
I realize that I forgot a major point within the Trilogy. There were lots of trees. For some reason, Tolkein really likes the trees. The trees were so important that he allowed them to move from one plot point to another. He moved them from the (ever so exciting) forest to a (small, but supposedly important) battle. I didn't need any trees in the battle. I was already enjoying all of the death and mayhem.

Points in Favor

• Great detail. I especially enjoy the wings.
• Good colors. Balrog's mouth to Gandalf's robes.
• Right size. If your going to do a diorama, then it needs to be sized appropriately to capture all of the details.

Points Against

• Reviews point to the attachment point for Gandalf to the Balrog not being seamless.
• Something isn't right about the translucent flames. They throw me off a bit.

Recommendation: Buy, or consider the faux-bronze piece. It has to be a decent piece, if they made a faux-bronze version of it.

Bayard's 25 cents
This is a great scene for a statue. It marks one of the deaths that Zimm mentions; Gandalf the Grey dies. And I think that is key to success of any portrayal of the battle. Gandalf teaches the fellowship how to die.

Points in Favor

• The wings are wonderful. They are full of movement--past, present, and future.
• The red of the mouth highlights.
• The figures are intertwined; you have to find Gandalf. Perfect.
• The statue is perched on the base; it looks as if it is unstable, falling.

Points Against

• Something about Gandalf is not quite right. I would like a closer look. He almost looks wooden ( a problem in this series).
• The Balrog's flaming whip seems cheap.

Recommendation
I am not sure, but it might have been more telling if Gandalf had looked to be getting the worse of the fight. Follow the advice of a collector (Zimm). Buy.

Drawn Together - The Movie!

Wahoo!!!! Yes, the show is offensive. Yes, the show is wrong in so many ways. Yes, I should be embarrassed to admit that I actually scheduled my DVR to catch every episode.

But I don't care!!!!! If you haven't seen the show, then you know what I am talking about. If you haven't, then you should pass on the trailer.

Available for enjoyment - April 20th.

LOTR - Battle of the Last Alliance

Never really paid that much attention to the Lord of the Rings Statues and/or Busts; however, knowing Bayard, I think that I may start. In fact, if I were to be totally honest, I have found a few that I have considered giving as a gift, but I was never quite certain what the recipient would think of the statue.

With that said, I wanted to post an older piece. Not going to post a review of this one, but in the future, I figured that I will do my best to give an 'objective' opinion. Especially, since I never enjoyed the LOTR trilogy.


I know, I know. I get it. Short guy finds a ring. Trouble ensues. Everyone rallies to save the universe, but death (still) wins in the end.

Recommendation: Neutral. Until I really start doing my research, I can't tell you if this one is worthwhile or not.

Bayard's Penny's Worth
Points in Favor
The movement is graceful and unique; it captures the movement and chaos of battle (warriors tripping over the body of a fallen comrade).

Points Against
As I mentioned elsewhere, I am not wild about some details in Sauron's armour. Sauron seems stiff--a stiffness that is emphasized by his flowing cloak and the warriors.

Recommendation: Neutral
If I was going to spring for an LOTR, I would go with the Gandalf first. This battle scene does capture the death of LOTR, but it does not suggest Tolkein's notion of "unyielding will"--which contextualized death for the warriors of Middle Earth and Anglo-Saxon England.

And it can get creepier...

Although I would like to say that I saw this coming, I could not have foreseen this, this...atrocity.

Having seen the Frodo, Gandalf, and Legolas Wacky Wobblers, I suddenly empathize with Sauron's view of Middle Earth.
Someone, someplace, owes Tolkien an apology.
Recommendation
These things are poorly executed, crafted, and envisioned. For the sake of all that is decent, avoid them.
On the other hand--
The Gandalf Premium Format Figure is a different matter. Elegant, evocative, detailed (look at the frayed coat). Years ago in our D&D days, Zimm had a friend who would paint characters for us. They were fascinating; the guy's attention to detail made each piece unique. I still have them 20 odd years later. This statue looks as good. (The lcd light in the staff seems a bit cheesy.)

Distributed by: Sideshow
Size: 27.5" H
Release: Sept 2010
Price: $260.99

Recommendation
It reminds me of the first time I read The Hobbit and watched Gandalf manage the trolls. Suddenly, I understand Robert's and Zimm's drive to collect. Buy.
Bayard

Black & White Batman - Arkham Asylum

Bayard really showed an interest in the Batman Black and White series, so I figured that I would start highlighting them a little more often. This one is based on the Batman: Arkham Asylum game.

Distributed by DC Direct

Sculpted by Dave Cortes
Size 7.25"H
Type Statue
Release September 2010
Price $80.00 Sale $65.00

Zimm's Two Cents
I still don't undersand the affinity that so many people have with Batman; however, I don't really have an affinity with any of the characters.

Points in Favor

• The detail. This series always does a decent job of following the source for the statue.
• Good pose. Nothing major. Just a "going to kick your ass" pose.
• As it is based on the game, it is a bit different then the typical monochromatic statues.

Points Against

• I already have 3 Batman statues.
• I guess you have to understand the monochromatic pose.

Recommendation: Neutral. If I started buying this series, I would probably want ones that I could put next to the villains. Like the recently released Neal Adams based Man-Bat.

Clear Internet

When Zimm was in last week, he checked my connectivity. The system was slow; it froze more often than not. YouTube downloads were next to impossible.

Zimm and Jaime suggested Clearnet. We checked for coverage, but according to their maps, our house is not in range. This weekend at BestBuy we came across the Clear sales table and tried again. The satellite showed all of our house as being covered--except for the drive.

Points in Favor
The guy on the phone gave us an incredible deal--$25 off the first two months, no activation fees, and sweet discounts on the phone adapter and USB modem. BestBuy and the kiosk guy could not compete.

We ordered Friday around 3. It was waiting for me when I got home today at 3:30. My router gave me a bit of a turn. But I was up and gaming by 5 (getting my butt kicked in Halo Live).

Tech support was clear and responsive (2 buttons from a real person).

Points Against
Changing from ATT, we have temporarily lost our phone and permanently lost my previous ultra-cool email address.

Recommendation?
So far this seems like a nice deal by a focused, customer-support driven company.

Bayard

Bowen Designs: Black Widow

With the upcoming release of Iron Man 2, what did you expect? Bowen had to have some related pieces.

Distributed by Bowen Designs

Sculpted by Tim Miller
Size 12"H
Release July 2010
Price $175.00

Zimm's Two Cents
Okay, I have to put aside the fact that she is appearing in Iron Man 2, and I have to put aside the fact that she has never been a character of interest.

Points in Favor

• Great face, and the faces are one of the pieces that usually turn me off. Even the hair looks pretty good.
• Detail. The gun. The zipper line.
• Museum piece fits the Black Widow. My view of her is that she is too classy for anything flashy.

Points Against

• The base is bland for a Bowen. . Seriously, Tim, a little more on your next one.
  

Recommendation: Buy. It's a good piece, but be certain to look for her in Iron Man 2

Hard-Boiled Detectives

I have spent the weekend jumping between Joe Gores's Spade and Archer: The Prequel to The Maltese Falcon and Judd Winick's Batman: Under the Hood.

Sam Spade and Old School Detectives
Spade and Archer is less of a novel than a collection of short stories, recounting a series of cases filling the time between Sam leaving Continental Detective Agency and the arrival of Brigid, bringing news of the falcon.

Gores's is an interesting literary exercise. A Hammett scholar and an accomplished short story writer, Gores knows enough of Sam Spade's world to be able to recreate it. The novel, though, lacks the sharp hard edges of Hammett's narrative.

Reading it, I keep thinking back to Dark Horse's Star Wars series--Knights of the Old Republic and Legacies. All seem to lack the freshness, vividness of the originals--they are more of the same.

Batman and Epic Heroes

The same cannot be said, though, of Judd Winick's return to a different detective from the same time period. I have started volume two of Batman: Under the Hood, and I am captivated. Winick's writing is a wonderful mix of comic book violence and epic storytelling. (And the artistry keeps pace.)

One theorist holds that epics are too large, expansive, to fall into the tragic. If so, Winick has captured the voice of the epic bard, scop, and rawi. The Batman of Winick's world is surrounded by the potentially tragic; he is harried by hamartia; the cosmos has it out for him. But Batman's story, his world, and his character are all too too...to be taken down into the abyss of a catastrophe.

Winick's Batman follows in the footsteps of Ferdowsi's Rostam. Both are fathers who falter ever so briefly as they inadvertently destroy what they cherish. Neither is pulled down by their uncertainties; if anything, they are galvanized by the job that awaits. They have resolve.

Like San Jara, Odysseus, and Arthur, Batman is only fictional in the most trivial of ways. All of these champions are reflections of an ideal that the culture can hold out before itself--promising and threatening, "This is what awaits those who trifle."

Recommendation (for the few of you who may not have read Under the Hood)

Set aside time for the Bat--and you will be able to brag about having spent the weekend polishing off an epic.

Bayard

She is Out of My League - Trailer

Had to post this trailer, as I don't understand the concept. I never had this type of a problem.

What the .... Continued!

Since we have now discovered the dark sad side of Bayard, and we already knew of the dark sad side of Robert. (e.g. Mighty Muggs). I thought I would share another "they've gone too far" bobble-head with all of you.

And just as a reminder: NO!

Unless you are cheap. Then they may save you some money around the holidays.

Zimm's Two Cents
I'm not going to even justify one of these with a review. Bring on the statues!!! True art worthy of a my attention.

Hmmm, but this brings up a good point. I need to find a Mighty Mugg and get Bayard's opinion.

Bayard's Thoughts
Yikes. Now, this is creepy. It looks like something from a Puppetmaster movie.

As I feared, they--whoever the they is--stuck with Peter Jackson's vision. Again, I loved the movies, but their Middle Earth was a harsher, darker world than that of Tolkein's novels.

The bobble-head people (or wacky wobbler) would have been much better served--and perhaps even a bit more daring---if they had drawn on Bass and Rankin's Gollum from the 1977 animated version of The Hobbit.

Recommendation
Avoid. And if you are given it as a gift, don't open the box. If there ever was a justification for re-gifting, this is it.

What the ..... Sauron Bobble-Head?

Do they not respect anyone?!? Sauron! Really? Is this an April fools joke?

I am not sure if I have made it known, but I really do not get the whole 'bobble-head' mentality. For someone reason, people like them. In fact, I was forced to spend some time at Comicpalooza (a fun con) looking through an entire wall of bobble heads.

For me? NO!

Instead, it was the company that had opted to follow along. I was actually duped into having to look at a series that makes no logical sense to me.

Oh, by the way Robert, I saw a few Mighty Muggs. Which ones are you missing again?

Lord of the Rings: Sauron Bobble-Head. Wrong - in so many different way. Yours for only $11.99.

Preorder if you dare.

Bayard's Two Cents
I discovered an ugly side of myself last week. I think I like these things. As I mentioned elsewhere, I picked up Darth Maul--a happening guy if there ever was one. And now this floats my way.

Points in Favor
The base is terrifyingly simple--as it should be.
The scepter.
It's Sauron. (If they had gone with a hobbit or elf, that would have grotesque.)

Points against
I never liked gull wings on Mercedes or armor.

Recommendation
It is a wonderful counter to the films. Although I loved them, they failed to capture the bright warmth of Tolkein's world. (Perhaps if they had tossed in a few bobble-heads?)

Zimm was wrong about Geo and he is wrong about this one. Buy it.

Buy it before they come out with a hobbit and you have to explain yourself.

Bayard