Marvel Universe action figure wish lists

I’ve mentioned that I’m a huge 3 ¾  action figure fan. Specifically I’m a big Marvel Universe fan. A friend and I were debating which figures should come out. Some were practical (the standard and John Byrne version of Susan Storm and the John Byrne version of Reed Richards) and some are never ever going to see the light of day (the western version of Ghost Rider complete with horse).

I sat down and wrote down a lot of my favorite characters and figures I’d like to add to my collection. Recently, entertainmentearth.com (WEBSITE LINK) added wave 15 & 16 (no pictures but I can’t wait to see what they look like). Wave 15 has Darkhawk – a character I who I thought would never get a figure.

TOP 10 ALTERNATE VERSIONS I WANT

Of the figures that have already been released, here are 10 alternate versions of figures I’d like to see in no particular order.

Angel (with wings, from early X-Factor) – Angel’s worn various costumes with the real wings so I suggest the red and white costume from X-Factor #15, his last appearance before becoming Archangel.

Kitty Pryde (as Shadowcat) – The blue outfit was Kitty’s main costume in the 80s and some of the 90s.

Cosmic Spider-Man – From Amazing Spider-Man #326-329, Spectacular Spider-Man #158-159, and Web of Spider-Man #59 (1989): Acts of Vengeance was an event in many Marvel titles where villains trade heroes and try to take them out. Spidey found himself imbued with Captain Universe’s powers in time to take on Gravitron, The Hulk, Magneto, and a Tri-Sentinel. Although he didn’t wear the Captain Universe costume much, Spidey in full cosmic garb is a playable character in “Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.”

Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch) – In 1990, Marvel introduced Danny Ketch, a new Ghost Rider who wore a leather jacket, spiked gloves and gauntlets.

Ultimate X-Men – There has already been a lot of X-Men characters released but none have been given the “Ultimate” treatment yet.

Joe Fixit (Grey Hulk in a suit) – In the 90’s, Peter David gave the Hulk a few different personalities but, as Joe Fixit, Hulk wore a nice suit and worked as a casino enforcer.

 Joe Fixit and the Danny Ketch Ghost Rider would make my New Fantastic Four collection complete

Punisher (in Captain America costume) – From Punisher: War Journal #6-11 (2007): When someone is disgracing the memory of the recently killed Captain America, Frank dons a version of Cap’s costume and goes after them. 

Storm & Black Panther as Queen and King of Wakanda – They married in 2006, Black Panther #18 and while I don’t have a specific costume in mind, they have both made appearances in more ceremonial type outfits. This would make a great comic pack.

Nightcrawler (in Pirate outfit) – From Nightcrawler #1 (1985): While the costume is in the Nightcrawler mini-series, it isn’t the first time he appears in a pirate outfit. Plus, Kurt Wagner is a HUGE fan of Errol Flynn and dreams of being a swashbuckling hero.

Daredevil (in armor) – From Daredevil starting in 1993: Scott McDaniel was a hot artist who drew a lot of people to Daredevil with his stunning artwork and Daredevil’s new armored look.

TOP 10 FIGURES I WANT

Here is a list of 10 heroes I want them to come out with in no particular order.

Scorpion (Carmilla Black): This ex-SHEILD agent isn’t just a cool character but may also be the biological daughter of Bruce Banner. And she has a cool costume.

Scarlet Witch: C’mon…there’s already a Vision figure and she was responsible for several major events in the Marvel Universe.

American Dream: A female Captain America in the M2 universe. Would be cool to see the Spider-Girl from that universe too.

Rachel Grey: She’s descended from two of the most experienced and battle-hardened X-Men and possesses the Phoenix Force? Only thing better might be a Hope figure since it looks like she’s carrying it now.

Black Cat: What started out as a Spidey villain and supporting character has become a Marvel Universe staple and has appeared in many other titles.

Dazzler: I’ve always liked the character and her blue costume and New Excalibur costume are both cool.

Longshot: His mini-series was drawn by my favorite artist, Art Adams and he’s always been one of my favorites.

Cloak and Dagger: They are popular Marvel staples that found a way to make a big contribution during Civil War. This would be great as a two pack.

Ares: I know he’s dead but he was a serious bad-ass and he’d make a really cool looking figure.

Deathlok: He’s never been popular enough for a regular series but if I know he’s in an issue, I usually pick it up. Deathlok is one of the most interesting looking characters in the Marvel Universe.

TOP 10 VILLAINS

Here is a list of 10 villains I want them to come out with in no particular order.

Mysterio: Visually there is no cooler looking character on the list and I don’t think this character has even gotten a decent action figure.

Lady Bullseye: Kingpin’s main assassin these days.

Kingpin: He’s the reason Daredevil has a mental breakdown every few years.

Flag-Smasher: This Captain America villain once used his organization, ULTIMATUM, to take a group of Americans hostage. In order to save them, Cap has to do the unthinkable. Wondering what the ‘unthinkable’ is - check out the cover of Captain America #321. If you have no idea who Flag-Smasher is, check out Captain America #348.

The Hood: The Hood has a kick-ass origin story and has been a huge villain lately, especially during the Dark Reign.

Dr. Octopus: There is a 3 ¾ figure in the Spider-Man series but I want Doc Ock to look like the comic book version.

The Marauders: These villains kicked off the Mutant Massacre and Arclight, Blockbuster, Harpoon, Riptide, Scalphunter, and Vertigo would make a great six pack (like the Giant-Sized X-Men set).

Omega Red: Another great X-villain.

Jack O’Lantern: While there’s been a few to wear the pumpkin, the one in the new Venom mini-series isn’t just cool looking but deadly too.

Ghost: Before he was a Thunderbolt, Ghost was an Iron Man villain in the 80’s. I want the version in the white armor (not the weird Thunderbolts version).

TOP 5 TEAMS

While I was making this list, there were a lot of characters that appeared that are considered groups. So here are the top five teams that I hope will get the Marvel Universe treatment.

The New Mutants (original and modern): Cannonball, Mirage, Karma, Wolfsbane, Sunspot, Magma, Cypher, and Warlock

One of my all-time favorites and not one character has been given a figure. Kitty Pryde did get a figure but she’s not a founding member or a long-standing member. I don’t know how you would pull of a Sunspot (maybe a variant where he’s all black?) or a Wolfsbane (would it be human and wolf in the package or the werewolf state she sometimes takes on).

Lady Liberators: She-Hulk, Valkyrie, Thundra, Hellcat, and Tigra

The Lady Liberators were a concept that isn’t new to the Marvel Universe, they first appeared in Avengers #83 in 1970. A few years ago, She-Hulk brought together her own team to fight the Red Hulk. I left characters off the roster above that have already gotten figures (Spider-Woman, Invisible Woman, Black Widow, and Storm). Plus, Hulk #9 had a great cover shot of them courtesy of the always amazing Arthur Adams.

I should mention that Mirage has a Pegasus named Brightwind and Valkyrie has a Pegasus named Aragorn. It would be awesome for Hasbro to release ‘Mirage with Brightwind’ and ‘Valkyrie with Aragorn’ packs – they could use the same mold for both mounts. They would even make great convention exclusives.

Exiles: Blink, Mimic, Morph, Nocturne, Sunfire, Sasquatch, and Magik

Exiles was one of the best books on the stands and introduced us to a lot of alternate worlds and versions of the characters we know and love. Other members of the team included Magnus, Thunderbird, Namora, Sabertooth, Longshot, Spider-Man 2099, Shadowcat, and more. There are a lot of possible characters from this series that can be created.

New Warriors: Night Thrasher, Nova (not Kid Nova), Justice (not Marvel Boy), and Namorita

Firestar has already been released as a Toys ‘R Us exclusive figure (the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends three pack) and there’s an upcoming two-pack with Speedball in it. I can’t believe Nova isn’t already a figure in the Marvel Universe line but the rest of the characters are obscure. Justice and Firestar dated for a long time and did a brief stint on The Avengers together. Namorita is the Sub-Mariner’s cousin.

Young Allies: Nomad, Gravity, Spider-Girl, and Toro

Again, Firestar has already been released. The Spider-Girl on this team is the former Arana and has a costume that hasn’t been released. Nomad is from the Heroes Reborn universe. Gravity is a newer character who has already helped the Fantastic Four save the universe and come back from the grave.

TOP 5 LINES HASBRO SHOULD MAKE 3 ¾

Since Hasbro makes such kick ass figures, here is my list of other lines that should get the Marvel Universe/GI Joe treatment.

DC Universe:  How great would it be to have the Avengers and Justice League stand in a display side by side? Think of all the great characters you wish would have adventures in the comics together can stage your own crossovers. You can own the Justice League, Teen Titan, or even The Wildcats. It would be great to also have Smallville versions of Clark, Superman, Black Canary, Impulse, Green Arrow, etc.

Wouldn't it be great to make this crossover?

Every Joss Whedon show: Okay, technically we’re getting an Avengers action figure line next year but how great would it be to have the Scooby Gang mixing with the crew of Serenity? You could have a Faith figure standing next to your Echo figure or a Wash figure standing next to an Alpha figure (I can go on and on with that kind of example). Imagine a 9 pack of Firefly figures with a variant edition of them in Serenity uniforms. There would certainly be a Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Amends” 2 pack with Buffy and Angel in packaging that makes it look like it’s snowing. How about a Dollhouse action play-set with the imprinting chair and Topher? Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my all-time favorite show and I have the MAC figures but I would have a hard time not spending every last dime on quality 3 ¾ figures.

Image Comics: Think of all the great properties that Image has or has had. It’s where Invincible and Cassie Hack live. It’s where Savage Dragon, Spawn, and Witchblade have enjoyed 10+ years of success. And don’t forget The Walking Dead and all of the success it’s enjoying on TV right now. Image is also home to J. Scott Campbell’s Danger Girl which have already gotten the McFarlane toys treatment but would be a great addition to any 3 ¾ GI Joe mission.

M.A.S.K. (Mobile Armored Strike Kommand): When Matt Tracker, the leader of MASK was released as a figure in the GI Joe 25^th Anniversary line – I was excited. Three years later he’s the only figure that’s been released and there’s no sign of any other characters. Of course the original figures each came with vehicles which would be great. This would be a fantastic addition to the GI Joe line but it’s strong enough to stand on its own. And at the 3 ¾ scale, the GI Joe’s can also use the vehicles – hell, even Marvel Universe figures can too. Now that the Shout Factory is releasing the original animated series, maybe a new generation of fans will find this forgotten gem.

The A-Team: I know that no one but me is aching for these figures, but it’s one of my favorite shows and my list…so there. The movie had 3 ¾ figures but there was only one wave (No Jessica Biel figure? Are you nuts?). I would like multiple versions of Hannibal, BA, Face, and Murdock from the movie and TV show. I would also like the television versions of Frankie Santana, Amy Allen, Tawnia Baker, Colonel Lynch, Colonel Decker, General Fullbright, General Stockwell and Hulk Hogan (he guest starred in one episode but how cool would a 3 ¾ Hulkster be?).

Those are my lists, I’d love to hear from you guys what figures you’d like to see in the Marvel Universe line.

Toy Reviews: GI Joe, Marvel Universe, and Vintage Star Wars

I was never a big toy collector. I always dabbled, getting a figure here or there, but not collecting an entire series of anything. Then I saw advertising (I’m not sure where) for the GI Joe 25^th Anniversary box set and I couldn’t wait.

As a kid I was a huge GI Joe fan and had a lot of the figures. As I got older I didn’t know what to do with the figures so I sold them to a friend. Over the years I’ve seen the vintage figures at comic stores, yard sales, and on eBay but haven’t wanted to reacquire them. But the 25^th Anniversary figures were different – the sculpts were light years better than the originals. I have all of the figures (not variants except the Wraith variant) from each basic wave.

That was the start of my addiction to 3 ¾ figures.

I’m not as big a collector of the Pursuit of Cobra line of figures but I now have every figure of every basic wave of Marvel Universe figures (with the exception of some variants) and I get a few figures from each 3 ¾ series so I thought I’d review a few of those toy lines.

In the pictures are (from left to right): Cobra Shock Trooper (from GI Joe Pursuit of Cobra), Dial-Tone (from GI Joe 25^th Anniversary (GI Joe Collector’s Club Exclusive)), Hal Jordan: Green Lantern (from Green Lantern movie), Captain Jack Sparrow (from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), and Battlefield Captain America (from Captain America: The First Avenger)

GI Joe 25^th Anniversary

This is the series that started the 3 ¾ revolution for me. When I was a kid I collected the figures, comic books, and eagerly watched the cartoons. As an adult, I don’t like the cartoons too much, the comic books aren’t that great, but the characters themselves have made an indelible mark on my life that these figures perfectly embody.

Good: A good portion of the figures I had as a kid were redone with new sculpts but the same great accessories and even greater articulation. Matt Tracker as a GI Joe figure rocks! Bring back MASK!

Bad: There were a few lousy characters – anything from “Tiger Force” sucked. Matt Tracker seemed to sell really well so why not release more GI Joe-style MASK figures?

Available: The availability really depended on the wave. There were waves I never saw so I had to get them from entertainmentearth.com or smalljoes.com.

Dabble/Collect: At the time I would have said “Collect” but it’s been a while and prices are high and they aren’t sold in stores anymore. Still, if you had a chance to get any of these great figures, congratulations.

GI Joe Pursuit of Cobra

After the success of the “25^th Anniversary” and “Rise of Cobra” lines, Hasbro gives us the most accessorized and detailed GI Joe figures I’ve ever seen.

Good: From these figures’ all-new sculpts, their jackets, to the assortment of gear stuffed in the bubble, these figures are incredible.

Bad: Only 5 waves have come out and we already have 3 different versions of Snake Eyes. There are characters in here that are obscure or have never had a figure before while I want characters like Roadblock and Scarlett to get the “Pursuit” treatment.

Available: I have had to get almost all my figures through entertainmentearth.com. Stores continually have 3 or 4 sad figures hanging (most of them the Arctic Destro).

Dabble/Collect: I dabble. I only have the first Snake Eyes they came out with and all of the Storm Shadow figures have sucked. Figures like Firefly, Lowlight, and Beachhead are my favorite action figure versions of those characters. But figures like Croc Master and Blowtorch look just like their 25^th Anniversary counterparts.

Green Lantern movie

This is DC’s first foray into 3 ¾ territory (I think their other figure lines were 3” and I don’t count the animated style figures) and they’ve based the figures on the upcoming Green Lantern film starring Ryan Reynolds. I got swept up in Green Lantern fever and purchased the Toys ‘R Us Early Bird figure.

Good: It’s Green Lantern along with other members of the Green Lantern Corp. The figures have cool “construct” accessories like Green Lantern has a huge green fist and Sinestro has two green swords.

Bad: The sculpts are a little thin and figures like Kilowag don’t tower over the other figures like he should. There is limited articulation and they’re just as expensive as much better figure lines like GI Joe: Pursuit of Cobra and any of the Marvel lines.

Available: All of the figures have been very available and no figures seem to be more popular than others.

Dabble/Collect: I only have Green Lantern Hal Jordan, Kilowog, Sinestro, and Abin Sur. If a figure comes out based on Blake Lively, I’ll pick that one up and then I’ll have all of the main cast.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

PotC is here again and with it, a new slew of toys. I don’t know if this is the first time Jack has been 3 ¾ because I wouldn’t have been paying attention back then.

Good: Great detailing and no glut of Jack Sparrow in different uniforms. Even Gibbs gets a figure in this series. The accessories are a cool rubber material which makes their hats go on easily but help them to stay put. The swords have scabbards attached to the figures and are easy to get in and out.

Bad: Lack of articulation and they’re just as expensive as much better figure lines like GI Joe: Pursuit of Cobra and any of the Marvel lines. I haven’t seen any indication that they’re going to come out with a Philip and Syrena figure (they were a major part of the movie).

Available: I haven’t noticed a shortage of any one figure.

Dabble/Collect: I dabble very little in this collection. I bought a Toys ‘R Us exclusive three pack with Jack Sparrow, Angelina, and Blackbeard because it was $20 for three figures and I wanted all three figures. I will also get Philip and Syrena figures if they become available as they were the best part of the movie for me (aside from Jack’s antics of course).

Captain America: The First Avenger

The Avengers film is less than a year away but Captain America is coming to a theatre near you next month. Marvel has a tradition with its X-Men Origins and Iron Man 2 figures of giving you three categories of figures: Movie, Comic Book, and Concept. Captain America: The First Avenger action figure series is no different.

Good: Captain America costumes from the movie to the Heroic Age of comics along with villains like the movie version of Red Skull and the comic book version of Crossbones make this line diverse enough for movie and comic book lovers.

Bad: In the tradition of X-Men Origins and Iron Man 2 figures, the women in the film and in the comic book have been ignored. I don’t know who the girl is shooting at Cap in the trailer of the film but it’s a good bet she won’t have a figure. Also, I hate some of the bladed and separating shields - I want the figures to have the regular shield (I have to get a figure with a regular shield to replace the stupid looking ones that come with the Heroic Age or Ultimates version).

Available: My guess is that this series will follow in Iron Man 2’s footsteps. There will always be three or four figures only released one to a case in one wave while six of the various Captain America figures will always haunt the toy shelves, never moving until there is a sale that frees up some space. That shelf space will be taken by another 5 cases of figures that collectors have already cherry picked which will leave the same six various Captain America figures clogging the shelves. Ugh.

Dabble/Collect: Collect…eventually. I only bought the Battlefield Captain America and I’m waiting until the movie is released to see if I can find a Red Skull figure to see how much trouble finding figures is going to be. If I can’t find Red Skull, I might have to spring for a case of figures on entertainmentearth.com. If I spring for a case, I’ll be assured that all I have is one figure that I might end up with more than one of.

In the pictures are (from left to right): Stormtrooper (from Vintage Star Wars), The Hulk (from Marvel Universe), Logan (from X-Men Origins: Wolverine), War Machine (from Iron Man 2), and Black Guard (from Tron Legacy)

Vintage Star Wars

I liked the vintage announcement that said we were celebrating Empire Strikes Back’s anniversary with action figures on vintage-looking cards. With the vintage figures came a mail away offer for a vintage Boba Fett with the rocket-firing accessory he was supposed to have when he first came out in the 80’s. It also came with the largest AT-AT in the history of the toy.

I’m not a Star Wars collector but I wanted the AT-AT badly. I didn’t get to have one as a kid and have been eyeballing it whenever it has come out in the past. I couldn’t resist it. I also couldn’t resist the mail away Boba Fett figure so I had to get five figures and ended up with about 10.

Good: Great articulation, the figures are detailed with great paint jobs, and the accessories were movie/character specific.

Bad: The price: $9-$10 per figure. There are characters in the vintage line that no one wants (the no-name aliens and things like Senate Guard) and no one is paying for. The figures look great in the packages but they’re basically figures you’ve gotten in other series (except the R2-D2 on Jabba’s Skiff – I’ve never seen that one before and I collect R2-D2s).

Available: All of the figures are available – I do look through them still looking for anything new and flip to the back to see what other figures are out and can find all the figures at different times. But that first wave with Boba Fett and Luke in Bespin outfit is gone and I haven’t seen that in a while.

Dabble/Collect: If you’re a Star Wars fan, you already are collecting these in some form or another. I just dabble in the figures that I thought I’d need to stage a scene with the super-huge AT-AT.

Marvel Universe

When I found out there were 3 ¾ Marvel figures that were just as detailed and articulated as the Legends line, I thought that sounded awesome. At first I was hesitant to get any because the good Legends figures were always really difficult to get and showed up on eBay for 2 – 3 times retail. The first time I saw the first wave at Toys ‘R Us was the first and the last time I was able to grab every figure in a wave. I was hooked. I loved the figures.

Good: Great diversity in the line from Avengers to X-Men to street-level heroes, no corner of the Marvel Universe is untouched. The detailing is great, the paint is great, and I like that the figures come with a stand like the GI Joe figures do. I like that figures like Juggernaut and Hulk are enormous while Spider-Man is appropriately thin in comparison.

Bad: Some of the figures have been…stupid. Wolverine in the Jim Lee blue & yellow costume without his mask on? Some two packs have a figure you already have (Deadpool) with a new figure you don’t (Taskmaster). And the upcoming three packs have a Fantastic Four pack with two figures we already have and one figure we don’t (Invisible Girl). There is an X-Force silver & black Wolverine, Warpath, and Deadpool but the only way to get the Archangel version is to pay $100 because it was an exclusive at the New York Convention. Speaking of X-Force, female characters are virtually ignored in this line as well – no Psylocke or X-23.

Available: Most figures are tough to get here in San Diego. The racks currently have three versions of Iron Man, AIM soldier, Winter Soldier, Iron Spider-Man, and Jim Lee Wolverine. I order most of my figures from entertainmentearth.com but I have never seen a Cable, Thanos, Archangel, Mystique, etc. in all of my Target/Walmart/Toys ‘R Us toy searches.

Dabble/Collect: Collect them all! This line will probably end before it gives us all the awesomeness it can and I’ve been able to make some diverse teams with the figures (like the New Fantastic Four with Spider-Man, the Gray Hulk, Wolverine (classic yellow & blue (not Jim Lee uniform)), and Ghost Rider (I know it’s the wrong version but it’s the only one they’ve come out with).

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

The movie was garbage. In the cannon of X-movies, I pretend this one doesn’t exist (X-Men First Class is much better if you do the same thing).

Good: The toy line was amazing – movie and comic book versions of the Wolverine cast and various X-Men. There was a Toys ‘R Us exclusive Wolverine with a motorcycle and the comic book version of Sabertooth, there was comic book versions of Maverick, Gambit, Deadpool, and Iceman. The tan and brown version of Wolverine was awesome.

Bad: No movie version of Blob. There was no comic book or movie version of Wraith, Silverfox, Agent Zero, or Emma Frost. The movie had the Hudsons and, although Marvel Universe put out Guardian, could have put out a comic book version of Heather as Vindicator. It also would have been a good reason to put out the comic book version of the original Alpha Flight.

Available: Everything was available until the later waves. I found out after all the figures had disappeared off the shelves that Colossus was available in one of the waves and is the only figure I didn’t see.

Dabble/Collect: For Marvel Universe figure collectors, this line is a gold mine of X-Men characters and just about every version of Wolverine is presented here. Whether you dabble or collect you can’t go wrong.

Iron Man 2

Whether you liked the movie or thought it was a 2 hour advertisement for the Avengers, the toy line had a lot of variety. I was pretty sick of Iron Man figures because the Marvel Universe line already had Iron Man in a variety of armors. The Iron Man 2 line brought a lot of great Comic Book version movie armors and some cool Concept armors too.

Good: There is no stone left unturned as just about every comic book version of Iron Man’s armor is offered in this collection. The Mark 1 from the first movie and the original armor from the comic book is a great touch. A Toys ‘R Us exclusive set gives us the movie version of Nick Fury. And the movie and comic book versions of War Machine are awesome.

Bad: The Ultimate armor is a concept armor but it would have been awesome to have the Ultimates version of Iron Man. I also would have liked movie and comic book versions of Petter Potts and Happy Hogan and Tony and Rhodey as civilians.

Available: The later waves are hard to find. I have only one of each drone because I’ve only laid eyes on them once.

Dabble/Collect: Dabble only. There are some armors that are beyond stupid (I’m looking at you Inferno armor).

Tron Legacy

How cool were the uniforms in this movie? There wasn’t an enormous amount of characters in this film so there wasn’t a lot of depth to the movie line. And because of the light-up features of each figure, they were expensive.

Good: The light-up features were cool. The figures all had stands and could actually hold their identity disks.

Bad: They were expensive. While the Tron Legacy figures were cool, there was an opportunity to do figures from the first movie. I wish the light on the light-up feature would stay on – that would make it cool to display. The areas where the figures light up are dark and make it look like the suits are all black when not lit up. It would have been cool to have figures without the feature so the suits could have bright colors like in the movies (and they would have been cheaper).

Available: I’ve seen all the figures and right now most places are only charging about $5 per figure to get rid of them.

Dabble/Collect: Dabble for me. If you’re a huge Tron fan, pick them all up because there aren’t that many of them.

My favorite things about 2010

As I begin a new year I want to take a quick look back at some of the things I enjoyed last year.

Comic Books

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8

Season 8 took a strange turn when Buffy and Angel created a new world, abandoned it, squared off with the Master (again), and Angel killed Giles. With one more season 8 issue due out next year, it will be VERY interesting to see what the fallout on this will be going into season 9. Hey – at least Dawn didn’t die (according to the cover of #38 that looked like a real possibility).

New Mutants
The year kicked off with Cypher returning and the team not only got a big ole’ piece of the awesome Second Coming storyline, Dani got a solo issue that sees her temporarily restored to valkyrie during the Siege storyline, and there’s sexual tension between Sam and Dani. The New Mutants was one of my favorite titles when it first came out and throughout its run (at least until Fall of the Mutants and beyond). Dani losing her powers during House of M was disappointing because she’s one of my favorite characters and my favorite member of the team (and her power was awesome), but the book has done a great job showcasing what an asset she is. Even though the new story arc is titled “Fall of the New Mutants,” I hope that the title will go strong into 2011 and not get canceled (as most of my favorite titles do).

Action Comics #894
I was never a Sandman fan but I did pick up “Death: The High Cost of Living” when it came out and was surprised by how much I enjoyed the character. I couldn’t believe it when I saw her staring out at me from the cover of Action Comics. Lex Luthor and Death hanging out together – one of the strangest concepts to reward readers with a great story in some time.

Daken: Dark Wolverine #4
I only knew the character from the beginning of Dark Reign. I knew he was Wolverine’s son (btw, sick of kids dropping into characters lives when they’re already grown up or, in Damian’s case, old enough to be formidable). I think he’s gay (he kissed Bullseye once) and I did read a Dark Wolverine issue with the Fantastic Four and I think they were helping him with something. I don’t know if he’s good or bad. I do remember at the end of Siege, he escaped by using a US Army uniform he took off a soldier he killed – not real endearing. But I picked this book up this week because the FF were in it. I don’t know what happened before but he was supposed to be dead (killed by a demonic Wolverine or something).

It was like a great Fantastic Four story that Daken happened to be part of as we got to see light-hearted banter between Reed and Sue, Johnny grieving over the apparently dead Daken, and Ben being Ben. When Daken reappears, there’s a lot of great stuff with him, Ben, and Johnny. Once you see a new character (or a character you don’t know well) through the eyes of the Fantastic Four as you do in this issue, it can change your opinion of the character (as it has mine). This issue is a great starting point for people unfamiliar with Daken and sets up his next adventure which will take him to Madripoor to kill the man who murdered his mother: Bucky Barnes (when he was Winter Soldier).

Amazing Spider-Man
I didn’t read any of the issues at the beginning of the year. I gave “One Moment in Time” a chance but found it disappointing and came back at the beginning of “Big Time.” Big Time is the storyline I’ve been waiting for – a cool new job, action with the New Avengers, a girl friend who isn’t Mary Jane, Black Cat firmly in the supporting cast, and Peter makes a new suit to go up against a newer, more vicious Hobgoblin. Hopefully the changes in Big Time won’t be another temporary status quo change (note to Amazing Spider-Man editor – STOP FUDGING WITH THE STATUS QUO! IT MAKES US DUMP THE TITLE AND REVISIT IT EVERY SIX MONTHS TO SEE IF IT’S READABLE AGAIN…JERKWADS).

Scarlet
One of the many Brian Michael Bendis titles I’m reading, Scarlet is significant because it’s the only title I enjoyed this year that wasn’t based on a character or characters I already knew. I don’t know why I picked it up (I tried a lot of new titles this year because I dumped a lot of titles that weren’t very good any more) but I’m glad I did. I reviewed it back in October so I won’t dwell, but I love the way it’s written and am surprised by how invested I am in Scarlet’s life.

Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man
Call it “Ultimate Spider-Man,” call it “Spider-Monkey and the House of Vomit” and this title would still be the title I’ve looked forward to reading for over a decade and that didn’t change this year. Spidey almost died during Ultimatum and his new title doesn’t see his luck improving. But on top of him and Gwen living with his Aunt May, Johnny Storm and Bobby Drake move in. I love that Spidey lives with a member of the FF and the X-Men. Of course it’s even better because Kitty Pryde is a supporting cast member who takes on a new identity as The Shroud. Kitty has dated Bobby and Peter in the past and there’s no one better at mining emotionally complicated situations than Brian Michael Bendis. Next year, they’re doing a ‘death of’ storyline so that could end the run. If that happens, at least Bendis was there the whole time, creating it and tearing it down. But I hope that doesn’t happen. Hopefully Ultimate Spider-Man will still be the ultimate read 10 years from now.

X-Men: Second Coming
I’m not a regular X-Men reader. I tried reading the Messiah Complex trade paperback but it wasn’t very good (to be fair I was out of touch with the characters because I’m not a regular reader). The only reason I collected Second Coming was because I was collecting The New Mutants and wanted to understand what was going on. Second Coming was the best multipart crossover event I’ve read since The Mutant Massacre. It had a great story and there were great character moments and big losses. One of the things I usually hate about an X-crossover is that the entire world can be at stake and you never see any other heroes. In Second Coming it was great to see the X-Club working with the Fantastic Four and the Avengers to try and get through the energy dome. And Hope as Phoenix? Awesome. Of course I got a few post-Second Coming issues of Uncanny X-Men and they weren’t great but Second Coming is a rare moment of glory for an otherwise event-heavy title that has departed from the character driven stories that propelled it to the top of the charts decades ago.

Movies

Knight and Day
What can I say? This movie was fun in a way that Killers (a movie that looked similar in tone) wasn’t. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz were fantastic in a well-written film that was funny, action-packed, and romantic. Oh yeah, Marc Blucas from Buffy the Vampire Slayer was in it too.

Losers

The film’s trailer was so good that I bought the trade paperbacks and read them before the movie came out. I reviewed this film back in May and stand by any glowing thing I said about it.

The Book of Eli
I was one of the three people who saw it. All joking aside, I didn’t see many of the twists coming. Denzel Washington was fantastic as always and his fight scenes were choreographed and shot beautifully (not all shaky camera and ‘who’s-hitting-who?’ quick cuts). Mila Kunis is terrific in this film. The story was great, the interaction between the characters was great, and I was pleasantly surprised (this movie was a friend’s pick – I thought it looked stupid). This flick deserves a watch if you haven’t seen it.

Edge of Darkness
I don’t care about all of Mel Gibson’s personal problems (the cast of The Hangover 2 protested his announced cameo because he’s a wife beater – didn’t you guys hang out with Mike Tyson, a CONVICTED rapist, in the first film?). There is one thing Mel Gibson does that no other action movie star in Hollywood does: he makes sure that his character has some juicy, emotional turmoil to motivate him. In this case, his character’s daughter is murdered in front of him and his quest to find who did it takes him through several emotionally charged moments where the character is back and forth between furious and devastated. Say what you want about the man but he can deliver a powerhouse performance every time.

Kick-Ass
I also reviewed this movie in May. In repeated watches, I still marvel at the scene where Big Daddy fights his way through a warehouse of mobsters and still hope that DC will make a Batman that can move like that. I read the first two issues of the comic book and hated it. I didn’t go to this movie by choice (again, it was my friend who wanted to go) and I’m glad I did. The first part of the movie is boring but sets up for the rollercoaster awesomeness that propels this movie to the top of the list for me (think of all the set up in The Watchmen before people put their costumes back on and got back into the fight).

Scott Pilgrim vs The World

Fun. Fun. Fun. That’s my fast review. I didn’t read the comic but the movie was fantastic and so much fun to watch. Get it. Get it. Get it today on blu ray. It’s awesome. Did I mention it’s awesome?

The A-Team
Yes, I love mentioning films I already reviewed (back in June), but it’s still awesome. And the extended version has almost 20 minutes of new material. Some reviewer said something like, ‘the director ignored plausibility to deliver big time thrills’ and I agreed wholeheartedly. I hope I have many sequels to look forward to.

Action figures

Galactus (photo from offmybirdchest.blogspot.com)

The figure is proportional to the figures meaning you can recreate the cover to Fantastic Four #243 if you want. It’s enormous, has light up features, and is fully capable of stomping a mud hole in your 3 ¾” figures (it menaces Star Wars, Tron, A-Team, and Star Trek figures too).

A-Team (and Van)

My favorite show from the 80s gets the big screen treatment and some nice 3 ¾” figures to go with them. The figures are great for displaying with GI Joe, Star Wars, and Marvel Universe figures and the Van is icing on the cake. Not to mention the van recognizes which A-Team member is in the front seat and plays sound clips appropriate to that character. Unfortunately after one wave, the line was over and done. I wanted a Jessica Biel figure – maybe there’s hope if there’s a sequel.

Star Wars AT-AT

Description from starwars.com: Measuring more than 24 inches tall, nearly 28 inches long, and 12 inches wide, this colossal vehicle holds up to 20 Star Wars figures — 6 of which can fit in its head alone! — and includes so many play and electronic features true to its on-screen counterpart that it’s hard to believe! From the zip-line in its body and articulated legs for superb poseability, to its LED lights and authentic movie sounds and phrases, this is the must-have addition for Star Wars fans of all ages. Includes a 3.75 inch AT-AT driver action figure and a pop-out speeder bike.

That should say it all, but I’ve also got this to say – I’ve wanted an AT-AT since it first came out (back in 1980). I passed on other AT-ATs because I was kind of over it. But this is the biggest AT-AT they’ve ever put out and with all the super-cool things it does, I broke down and bought it.

Star Wars vintage figures, and send-away Boba Fett

I don’t collect Star Wars figures except R2-D2 figures (I have a display case with at least 50 different versions of the figure) but along with the AT-AT, Hasbro released a ton of Empire Strikes Back figures in vintage packaging. I had to get a gang of them (gang = 6) and then I had to send in the coupon for the Rocket-Firing Boba Fett figure (the mold sucks in comparison to the one released in the vintage line but the Trio had one on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Spike threatened to break the toy of the Trio didn’t help them)).

Megan Fox’s Jonah Hex figure

It’s a Megan Fox action figure. It’s a good likeness from a movie based on a comic book and it’s a gorgeous figure – it looks like something McFarlane Toys would have put out. I saw the figure at Toys R Us and thought that if I didn’t pick it up, I would never see it again. I picked up the figure and haven’t seen it on the shelves since.

Marvel Universe figures
This year I got hold of all the figures in the series (except for some of the two packs that had repaints of previously released figures). Kitty Pryde came complete with Lockheed (the coolest accessory ever) and though I would have preferred her in the blue costume from the 80s, she’s one of my favorite characters. Ghost Rider and Mystique are just awesome. The Sentry/Spider-Man two pack contained my favorite version of the red and blue Spider-Man figure because the lines where dark and distinct and the eyes were big. I don’t usually find any of the variant figures but this year I picked up Iron Patriot without his helmet. My only complaint about the line this year is that new figures were a complete pain to find (NOTE TO HASBRO: WHEN YOU RELEASE A NEW SERIES, DON’T PACK THE BOX WITH NEW FIGURES AND OLD FIGURES THAT NO ONE WANTS – I’M SICK OF 800 IRON MAN AND SUB-MARINER FIGURES CLOGGING THE SHELVES WHEN ALL I WANT IS A HAVOK FIGURE AND I’M SICK OF RESELLING ALL THOSE USELESS FIGURES BECAUSE I HAD TO BUY THE CASE THROUGH ENTERTAINMENT EARTH).

GI Joe Resolute figures
While I thought the cartoon movie, GI Joe: Resolute, was lame (especially the Duke-Scarlett-Snake Eyes love triangle resolution), I thought the figures were great. This year I haven’t been big on ‘stylized’ or ‘kid-like’ figures (Superhero Squad, Galactic Heroes, whatever the Batman version is called, etc.) but making these figures look like they were straight out of the cartoon

GI Joe Pursuit of Cobra figures

Great new sculpts and weapons for some of the team. Snake Eyes (all except the Tornado Kick version) rocks. Beachhead, Firefly, Snow Job, Jungle Viper, and the HISS tank are all bad ass. I can’t wait to get my hands on Low Light next year.

Iron Man 2 figures

The movie versions of all the Iron Man armors rocked. And how cool was War Machine?

As for the comic version of the figures, the Guardsman were great as army builders (you need a bunch to guard the Vault). The Iron Man from the late 80s/early 90s was the armor being worn when I was reading the title regularly.

From the concept series, I only really liked the Vibranium Armor Iron Man (aka The Captain America armor, a Kmart exclusive) and the Deep Dive armor.

TV

Chuck

After three seasons of sexual tension and near misses – Chuck and Sarah are together. I’ve watched every episode so far this year and no matter what happens, Chuck and Sarah are rock solid. Hopefully this will be the way things stay for the rest of the series. I really enjoy the series and the characters and how

Nikita

At first look, this series isn’t anything I haven’t seen before – agent escapes a secret agency (Division) and tries to bring it down from the outside. The thing that separates Nikita from the other shows is Alex, a young girl who is looking for revenge and is Nikita’s eyes and ears within Division. Alex emerges as the star of this reimagining and in the mid-season finale is finally forced to kill someone. Unfortunately it’s Thom, a fellow trainee who she cares deeply for. That makes one more person to avenge so it will be interesting to see how Alex gets her revenge throughout the rest of the series.

No Ordinary Family

What if your family got superpowers? This series features two fantastic character actors (Michael Chiklis and Julie Benz) who aren’t strangers to sci-fi or to making characters believable and sympathetic. Their gifts aren’t wasted here as they and their two children are dealing with newfound powers. They do everything you would do with powers: use them to make life easier, test their limits, and decide on the moral implications of what they can do. A lot of great family stuff here with interesting uses of the powers. It’s a fun show and a great superhero show. I can’t wait for new episodes.

Undercovers

Another great JJ Abrams series, Undercovers features a married team of spies, the Blooms, who retired from the CIA years ago only to find themselves back in action when one of their friends needs rescuing. The Blooms are happily married so there’s no weird sexual tension where two partners are getting to know each other – they’re already a solid team. They’re great together on screen and the shows are always fun. They have a tech guy named Bill. Now despite the fact it’s a JJ Abrams show, no repeat of the Marshall character from Alias (the super-nervous guy who did the tech and stayed at the headquarters), Bill hacks, gets the information, and can kill an enemy combatant as though he’s done it before – but he’s got a bromance going with Steven Bloom where he admires everything the guy does. Like I said, the show is a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the last episode aired right before the new year because the show’s been canceled. It’s the second show I’ve dug this year that got the axe. The next one is Mercy.

Mercy

Veronica is a nurse who has just gotten back from Iraq and is getting back into the swing of things. The problem is that while she was in Iraq, she cheated on her husband with a doctor who followed her home and now works with her at the hospital. To make matters worse, she’s a borderline alcoholic with post traumatic stress disorder. Oh, and Michelle Tractenberg is in it and she’s fantastic in everything. This engrossing series focuses on the lives of Veronica and her two friends, Chloe and Sonia. Some of the most interesting television I’ve watched this year with the most compelling stories but, unfortunately, the series ends on a cliffhanger and wasn’t renewed for the 2010-2011 season. I don’t recommend getting into it because there isn’t an ending but I was glued to this show for its run and plan to add it to my collection when it’s released in blu ray (right now you can only get it on DVD).

Jennifer Love Hewitt on Law & Order SVU

Description from tvsquad.com: Hewitt guest stars as rape victim Vicki Sayers, who has been attacked and violated by the same man over a 15-year period, and fear of her assailant has turned her into a virtual recluse. Now, she must come face-to-face with her attacker, and overcome her greatest fear.

I saw the episode advertised and didn’t have anything else to watch. I like Jennifer Love Hewitt even if I don’t think much of her acting (keep in mind I’ve only seen a few of her movies and never watched Party of Five) but she blew me away in this episode. She reduced me to tears, made me feel her horror, and made me cheer at the end. In short – if you’re a fan of Jennifer Love Hewitt and haven’t seen this episode, or if you’re a fan of really amazing performances in general – watch it.

Nicholas Brendon on Private Practice

I happened to be flipping channels when I happened on this. I said, “Oh, cool. Xander.” It was the episode where his character, Lee, rapes Charlotte. I’ve never seen the show but Nicholas’ performance was terrifying. He’s a great actor and I hope he winds up on the cast of a television show soon.

Joss Whedon directs Glee

Joss Whedon and Neil Patrick Harris were the draw for this episode of a series I’d never seen. It was a lot of fun to see Neil singing and the episode was really good. The standout performance was Artie daydreaming that he’s singing a song while being able to dance (the character is confined to a wheelchair) with his girlfriend. I’ve seen a few random episodes since and I can see why people like it.

Conventions

Creation Salutes Firefly/Serenity, Buffy/Angel, and Dollhouse

I already talked about my experience back in November but I plan to do this convention every year – next year I’m going Gold.

Wizard World Anaheim

I already talked about my experience back in April but I plan to do this convention every year – but next year I’m only going for one day (it’s pretty tiny).

Video Games

Halo: Reach

Halo continues to be my favorite game franchise. I love driving the Warthog around, sticking a plasma grenade to a baddie, and cutting through bad guys with their own laser sword.

Tron: Evolution

The game looks great, plays great, and the PlayStation Move makes it twice as fun. Running, jumping, defying gravity, derezzing programs – this game is awesome.