Quick Post On The Avengers Movie Part II

A question came in on the original post. I'll paraphrase: "Do I need to see any of the previous films to enjoy The Avengers?".

I would suggest seeing Thor. Loki is the main villain and Thor is really the setup for The Avengers. Thor sets up Loki's motivation for his actions in The Avengers. With that said, if you haven't seen Thor, they explain enough to bring you up to speed.

The Ed Norton Incredible Hulk is referenced, but if you've ever seen an episode of the show or red any issues of The Incredible Hulk, you're good. The one line that definitely ties it into the continuity is one about what Hulk did to Harlem.

As for Captain America, it's technically the lead in, but all you really need to know is that he is a government created super soldier that the government hasn't been able to replicate and he was frozen for 70ish years.

If you haven't seen one Iron Man film, you'd be fine. They're barely referenced and what references there are are explained.

Nuff Said!

Quick Post On The Avengers Movie

If you haven't seen The Avengers (aka Avengers Assemble) yet. Run, don't walk, to the nearest theater and see it.

You won't gain much by watching it in 3D, but I would love to have seen it in IMAX. The Helicarrier scenes (most of the film) and the final battle scene all look like they were really meant to be seen in IMAX.

The only aspect that took me out of the film was that they had Scarlett Johansson's best assets featured on the screen every chance they could. I'm not complaining, but it pulled me out of the story a couple of times.

Mark Ruffalo, as much as I don't really like him, brought his A Game and killed it as Bruce Banner. I am actually looking forward to him playing Banner in further Avengers and Hulk films. Really, really good job.

It was Robert Downey, Jr., as Tony Stark/Iron Man who "stole the show", except he didn't have to. It was his show to own.

It is a little long at 2:20, so be sure to hit the restroom before the previews. And it is a Marvel movie, so you will need to sit through the credits. There are two extra scenes. The first is after the flashy, pretty credits and the second is after the complete, boring credits. The second one doesn't add much to the story or continuity...and yet it says a lot about what was going on.

My wife, my 8 year old daughter, my 5 year old son, and I all loved it for a variety of reasons.

Avengers - 2012

I know that you can see this everywhere, but I am just too damned excited.   This is definitely one for the theaters.  This is what everyone has been waiting for!!!!!  Boooyah!

Bowen Designs Yellowjacket

Distributor: Bowen Designs
Sculptor Jason Smith (Digital Sculpture)
Size Over 12 inches
Type Statue
Release December 2010
Run Size TBD
Price $185.00

Robert's Two Cents
I’m a huge Hank Pym fan. I hate the way he has been vilified and reviled over the years. Jan has forgiven him why can’t Bendis? I was even willing to accept that he had developed a multiple personality and the Yellowjacket persona was responsible for him striking The Wasp. My favorite of his guises was Dr. Pym, Adventurer. I really liked Rover his AI flying vehicle. He kept a gillion inventions and gizmos in his pockets and somehow, amazingly, he never lost any of them.

Points in Favor

• The colors are really good. Bowen has been doing a much better job of attaining the texture feel without making the colors splotchy for a while now.
• Classic pose.
• I like the goggles.

Points Against

• The base is bland.
• I’d have like a smaller Yellowjacket on there too that was flying or a companion mini Wasp flying around him.

Recommendation: HOT BUY! Yellowjacket is one of the most controversial characters from Marvel Comics ever. It’s especially interesting that the whole thing about him abusing his wife, The Wasp, seems to have been the result of a misunderstanding between the writer (Jim Shooter) and the artist (Bob Hall). This is one of the few male yellow costumes that makes sense and looks good. Wolverine, not so much.

Bowen Designs: Tigra

Distributor Bowen Designs
Sculptor Mike Cusanelli
Size 13"H
Type Statue
Release November 2010
Price $175

Zimm's Two Cents

I thought the fur kept her warm. Okay, never mind.

This is a pretty piece.

Points in Favor.

• Incredible colors and paint job.
• Little pieces of detail that stand out. (e.g. claws, belt, pendant.)
• For a museum based statue, the base is nice.
• Long Hair on statues tends to be a difficult thing, but this one doesn't look that bad.

Points Against

• Could she really go into battle with a wedgie?

Recommendation: Buy. This one would stand out. Colors, pose, and something different.

Robert's Two Cents

Sorry, I'm late to the game on this one. I was a huge West Coast Avengers fan back in the day. Tigra was one of my favorite characters. Then again I even liked Wonder Man back then. There's no accounting for taste.

Points in Favor.

• Awesome paint job.
  
• The stripes, color and paint are fantabulous.
  
• It looks like Greer. I'm amazed at how good the face and hair turned out.
  
• Her feet. They even have her walk perfected. She was prone to walk on the balls of her feet. It was a cat thing.
  

Points Against

• I don't really have anything. It's a great piece.
  

Recommendation: I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I'm giving it a HOT BUY! It's simple and yet the details are great. I'm a fan of the character. Tigra may be tied with the first Black Widow statue for best female sculpt from Bowen Designs.

Bowen Designs: Yellowjacket

A digital sculptor. "Digital." Still an artist - just a new medium.

Distributor Bowen Designs
Sculptor Jason Smith
Size 12"H
Type Statue - Museum
Release Dec 2010
Price $185.00

Zimm's Two Cents
Not a big Yellowjacket fan. Is anyone really a Yellowjacket fan?

Points in Favor

• Great colors. Even the 'shadows' are a little more subdued on this one.
• Clean lines - but is that due to the 'digital' piece?
• Muscles aren't really overdone.

Points Against

• How many ribs can a person show?
• Don't see much of a base.

Recommendation: Neutral. There is really that much to talk about on this one. It looks like a good piece, and Jason Smith looks to have done a really nice job. It just didn't launch off of the page and yell, "ORDER ME NOW!"


Robert's Two Cents
Um, I'm a Yellowjacket fan. More correctly, I'm a Hank Pym fan. He was originally a separate personality of Hank Pym's. then he beat his wife and it rolled downhill from there.

Generally I'm opposed to male characters wearing yellow as their primary color, especially their pants, but for YJ, I've made an exception.

Points in Favor

• I think Bowen's team may actually be understanding how the paint job should be used to provide texture and tone. The colors on this is dead on.
  
• I'm glad they didn't go the goggle route. The two lenses is definitely my preference.
  
• Good standard super hero pose. Normally, I'd be mocking this, but it seems appropriate for Yellowjacket.
  

Points Against

• The base is the standard bland base.
  
• There really should be a tiny Wasp on the base or flying around or something.
  

Recommendation: Neutral. Why a neutral? Like Zimm said, there's nothing screaming "Gotta have it!". It's a standard depiction of Yellowjacket. Plus it needs a Wasp piece to go with it. Without the Wasp, Yellowjacket was not that interesting.

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

Age of Heroes #1 -- Spoiler????

I was scanning the Marvel Previews for May 2010, and I spotted this pic from Age of Heroes 1. If you look at some of the characters, do they not match the shadows presented in "Secret Avengers" teasers? Also, the caption hints that one of the MI13 characters will defect and join the Avengers.

Finally, a question. Can anyone identify the lady in the white dress and red cape? I can pinpoint her character, and she definitely fits one of the Secret Avenger shadows.

Someone probably knows all of this and/or has spoiled all of this. If so, just point me there, and I will take a gander.

Sideshow Collectibles: Ms. Marvel Statue

Where did this one come from? Just goes to show what you miss when you aren't paying attention.

Manufacturer Sideshow Collectibles
Artists
* Tim Hanson
* Tim Miller
* Jared Chapman
* Seth Rinaldi
* Joe Allard
* Pascual Wawoe
* Mike Najera
* Anthony Mestas
* Bernardo Esquivel
* The Sideshow Collectibles Design and Development Team
Type Statue
Size 21" Tall
Release December 2010
Price $259.00 -- Order Here.

Zimm's Two Cents
WOW!

Points In Favor

• Belt is wired so that you can customize it.
• Hair looks good.
• Did they actually put reflections in the boots?! cool.
• Different pose from the standard frontal positions. She looks like she is about to be hit by something.....but isn't one of the reflections cap?
• Colors - Clean nice paint job.

Points Against

• Face. I want more of a "Just Try It" type of look. Or, a "I am definitely going to kick your ass."

Recommendation: Buy. Sideshow did a good job on this one. Only the price gives me real pause on this one. Sideshow needs to put out some affordable marvel mini-busts.

Kotobukiya: Reborn Captain America

Kotobukiya presents the second in a 3 part series that will also include Thor and Iron Man. These pieces are based on the come back of the original Avengers.

Licensed By Marvel
Manufactured by Kotobukiya
Artist Junnosuke Abe
Type Cold Cast Porcelain Statue
Size 12.5"H
Ship Date May 2010
Retail Cost $184.99

Zimm's Two Cents
I still love the Thor piece of this 3 part series, but this one. No. This is what always worries me about multi-part sets. I like one piece, but I don't like the entire set.

Points in Favor

• The little pieces of detail. The boots, belt and chain mail.
• The glove and his holding of the Shield. (Sometimes it is the little things).

Points Against

• Sculpting looks funny. The muscles in his legs look funny.
• Not quite certain that I like this version of his costume.
• The paint looks splochy, which is one of the things that Robert originally pointed out. While I like it at times, it doesn't fit here.
• I've seen one where he is wearing a helmet instead of a mask. Ugh.
  

Recommendation: Pass. While I didn't get a good look at his face (just yet), I don't really have enough interest to go hunting it down.

Robert's Two Cents
Blech!

Points in Favor

• The base is cool. The whole set should look good together even if one or two of them aren't quite right.
  
• The shield looks good.
  

Points Against

• I don't like the boots. They remind me too much of cheesy super hero Halloween costumes.
  
• I know I don't like this version of his costume. It almost looks like a Rob Liefeld design, which isn't necessarily bad in its own right, but it would be one of his worse designs.
  
• I hate when sculptors feel they have to add too much texture with the paint. It makes the paint look splotchy as Zimm says.
  
• The face looks too small to me. Also, he looks like he's smelling his own armpit. I hate this pose on super hero statues.
• He shouldn't have a pouch on the front of his belt.
  

Recommendation: Pass. I don't like it. There's a lot wrong with it. Kotobukiya does some cool things some times. Other times they don't.

Sideshow Toy: Spider-Woman

Licensed By Marvel
Manufactured by Sideshow Collectibles
Artists
*Pablo Viggiano
*Mireya Romo-Bowen
*Sideshow Collectibles Design and Development Team
Type Legendary Scale Bust
Size 18"H x 9"W x 8.5"D
Ship Date 1st Quarter 2010
Retail Cost $199.99 - Sold Out

Zimm's Two Cents
I don't provide a review of all of the statues and busts out there. In some cases, it is an artist rendition, and I would rather see the final product before I provide my two cents. (e.g. Bowen's recent release of Havok.)

In this case, the statue just does nothing for me. I'm not certain if it is the hair, the pose (shoulder lifted up), or the implants. But whatever it is, I opt to pass on writing up a review rather then provide a review.

Points in Favor

• Colors. Clean and clear.
• Sculpting - but all of these Legendary Scale Busts are good in the sculpting area.

Points Against

• Hair. I just don't like it.
• All Busts. I know that works for some guys, but I'm not certain that I want to take up shelf space for those.

Recommendation: You've probably already guessed, but Pass. But can I really say, "Pass"? Its a good piece, but it is just not for me. So maybe, just maybe, this should be a Neutral.

Your Thoughts?

Robert's Two Cents
I really, really like Spider-Woman and her costume. This bust doesn't really impress me.

Points in Favor

• The face looks decent. Although the eyes are shaped wrong I think.
  

Points Against

• I don't like the pose.
• The breasts seem awkwardly positioned.
  
• The hair. If you're going to have her hair going up behind her, you need to include all of her hair. Her hair is supposed to be incredibly long. Instead they hacked it to make it fit. I'd rather they let it hang and chop it where the bust ends.
• The base is extremely bland.
  

Recommendation: Pass. I have always been a fan of the Jessica Drew Spider-Woman, but this bust leaves me feeling a little blah. With that said, I will qualify my review with the statement that I'm not following what Bendis is doing with the character, so this representation may be good for his and Alex Maleev's series.

Bowen Designs: Ant-Man Deluxe

Produced By Bowen Designs
Sculpted By Jason Smith
Size 12"H
Type Statue
Release March 2010
Retail Price $200.00
WEBSITE EXCLUSIVE!

Zimm's Two Cents
We reviewed the other piece, but as we mentioned, this is the real buy! It has the one thing - Ant Man growing from small to large form! How cool is this!

I've never been that big of an Ant-Man fan, but this piece is sweet.
Recommendation: This is the HOT BUY of the two. Just look at the second pic that Bowen took of the piece. You can just imagine him growing in size.

You can find our original review here for the Ant-Man 'regular' statue, or you can order the Deluxe version by clicking here.

Robert's Two Cents
This Ant-Man statue rocks!

I love the transition between small and large and the way it was executed. The quarter base is just as cool here as on the original piece.

The only question I have is, is this supposed to be Hank Pym or Scott Lang?

Recommendation:This Ant-Man statue is a definite HOT BUY. Now, I just have to figure out which organ I'm going to sell to get it.

Dark Reign

Zimm's Two Cents
Overall, I haven't been that thrilled with this series. I've been wanting more and been left waiting on something to happen. A number of stories show promise, but when I compare the overall story arc with that of Blackest Night, I simply do not find it as compelling.

With that said, Brian Bendis is one of my favorite writers, and he has no problem with taken his time in building up a story - which is one of the things that makes him great. While some writers will push to get to a particular point in the story, he allows it to build over time.

If you have kept up with the series, he has been developing two plots that I am keenly interested in, and as any good writer should, he knows when to finally throw out the tidbits or development of the story to give me what I have been waiting on. One is the confrontation between Phobia and his father, War, and the other is the battle of power between Osborn, Doom, and Loki.

While I have yet to read the stories, the simple pics and insights available at IGN are enough to keep me coming back for more. Check them out.....(click). The pics are posted below with links to each article.

My final thought:
While it is easy to read and accept that a hero has fallen into the status of a villain, it is sometimes harder for us to accept that a villain has actually grown into a hero. Brian's other stories have me waiting and wanting to see who has the strength to become a hero - a hero (I would hope) who always has to fight being a hero and not falling back into the easy life of being a villain.

Recommendation: Bendis has proven to tell some incredible stories - Pull.

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.

Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow

Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow is the latest release in the animation distribution deal between Marvel and Lionsgate films.

It picks up in an alternate future where Ultron has killed most of the Avengers and taken over the United States, and is attempting to take over the rest of the world.

Tony Stark is raising the children of the Avengers on a tropical island, while keeping an eye on the rest of the world. We have Captain America's son, Black Panther and Storm's son, Thor's daughter, and Hank Pym and Wasp's son Pym living on a tropical paradise while training to eventually confront Ultron. Really, Tony is keeping them hidden so they won't be killed by Ultron.

The Vision is helping Tony keep an eye on Ultron and happenings in the rest of the world. Thor, in an unThorlike move, has retreated to Asgard to attend to Asgard, leaving his daughter behind, when the other Avengers were killed by Ultron. Bruce Banner has retreated into isolation in the desert and is constantly meditating to keep from triggering the Hulk.

The only other Avenger to survive Ultron's attack was Hawkeye who let a group of survivors in Ultra City. Hawkeye, now deceased, has been succeeded by his son, Francis Barton as leader of the group of survivors. Unknown to everyone involved Betty Ross, Bruce Banner's long time girlfriend/eventual wife, has been living with this Barton's group for many years.

I think the reason the Hulk figures so prominently is as a sort of lead into the new series of Hulk Vs. ... DVD animated films Marvel/Lionsgate are releasing and of course to ride the coat tails of the Incredible Hulk film.

Personally, I'd have enjoyed it more if the Hulk/Maestro were the villain and they had to figure out how to defeat him to free the world.

I watched this with my 4 year old daughter. She liked it, but I can't say she loved it. I felt about the same. It was a fun idea, with OK execution.

High Points: Seeing the children of the Avengers. Seeing Tony living life as a grown up, even if he's portrayed as an old man. Finding out the real story why Thor left his daughter behind.

Low Points: The Iron Avengers. Changes to Ultron's origin (He was made by Hank Pym in the comics and they have Tony Stark being his builder in Next Avengers).

I'd say pick it up when you can find it for $6 or less and watch it with your kids. Or catch it whenever they get around to releasing it on one of the cable cartoon channels.

Rating: 5.0/10.0.