OneAngryDwrf

Greetings all! Excuse me if I name anyone that has already been announced to be made. I haven't kept up with Hasbro's wave assortments for a while. To be honest, I can only really think of 2 figures I really want made. 1. Dash Rendar - Shadows of the Empire. For a main character that was featured in what was at one time a big event in the Star Wars franchise, it surprises me that this figure never got remade. 2. Hoth Luke (fully articulated) - Empire Strikes Back. I am certain they will get around to this since they've already announced Luke's taun taun in the vintage line. I haven't seen Dash on anyone's list so far, so maybe he'll get an update someday. Regards, OAD

Greetings All, This is a very fascinating thread to me. It is interesting seeing all the varied opinions and positions regarding this latest iteration of an iconic comic hero. I must admit that when I saw the first photo released from the new production a few months ago, I was relieved and taken aback all at once. At first glance it looks like a proper live action version of Superman. But then you look at it again, more closely, and there are differences... He had silver bracelets, and it was difficult to make out if he had the red briefs and yellow belt or not. Then, the newer batch of pictures made their way around the net, and it turned out the costume was much more a departure than any of us originally realized. Now, granted, I am no Superman expert. I've always had an appreciation for the character, but he was never my favorite. That will always go to Batman. But, growing up, a child of the 80s, Richard Donner's Superman was a staple, and a benchmark for superheroes on film. Christopher Reeve was Superman, even though with each film released, things got sillier and sillier. Regardless, it was Superman, and it was comforting seeing him on the big screen. Those films were like a gateway of sorts to other greater things. You start with Superman when your young and you graduate to Batman, or any other hero of your liking. It was a start. I've always liked the idea of Superman. A hero so strong and pure, who stands alone protecting us. A hero who literally carries the weight of the world on his shoulders in a never ending battle against evil. This is great heroic imagery. The reveal of the full costume for the Man of Steel bothered me. I found myself getting gradually more and more upset over it and making my friends listen to my rants about it, much in the vein of the comments in this thread. They had altered a figure from the memory of my childhood. The look of Superman is iconic, and has endured over 70 years with little alteration beyond his haircut. You can even look back through DC's history, and all the times they did revamp the character, and altered his look in an effort to boost sales. The death of Superman, and all of the other Supermen that sprouted up from that, when his powers became too great and he became pure energy, i.e. Superman Red & Blue comes to mind. Fiddling with his costume is nothing new, but they always reverted back to his regular costume. At the heart of things, It is really a marketing ploy, just like when your favorite football team reinvents themselves with new uniforms. It's all about making money, which is sad, really, because it dilutes and de-emphasizes the importance of history and tradition. There is something to be said about the history and the heritage of an icon. It's good to know that the Superman we grew up with - the Superman our parents and grandparents grew up with will still be the same hero our children will care about. Superman transcends generations. He, like all the comic book greats are the folklore of modern times. At least I like the thought of that. And changing the suit simply to differentiate itself from previous franchises and/or to sell new product is depressing for sure. Then it dawned on me that the changes that we are seeing may not be entirely due to corporate strategies. Well, in many respects, it could be very corporate thinking behind every aspect of this film. I remembered a few years back that there was some big lawsuits involving the ownership and copyrights of Superman between Siegel and Schuster and DC Comics. They were fighting for control over the very lucrative franchise, and decisions were being tendered by the courts. Here's a excerpt from the Variety article titled "Superman co-creator's family given rights" and what it has to say on the matter (its an interesting read) In an ongoing California court battle over Superman, Judge Stephen Larson issued a ruling Wednesday that awards the family of the superhero’s co-creator, Jerry Siegel, rights to additional works, including the first two weeks of the daily Superman newspaper comicstrips, as well as portions of early Action Comics and Superman comicbooks. This means the Siegels now control depictions of Superman’s origins from the planet Krypton, his parents Jor-L and Lora, Superman as the infant Kal-L, the launching of the infant Superman into space by his parents as Krypton explodes and his landing on Earth in a fiery crash. After a court order reverted rights to the Siegels in 2008, they owned the basis of the Superman character, including his costume, his alter-ego as reporter Clark Kent, the feisty reporter Lois Lane, their jobs at the Daily Planet newspaper working for a gruff editor, and the love triangle among Clark/Superman and Lois. But that didn’t give them the full Superman copyright because DC owns other important elements like Superman’s ability to fly, the term kryptonite, the Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White characters, Superman’s vision powers and expanded origins. The confusion exists because Superman first appeared in 1938 in Action Comics No. 1, which was sold by Siegel and co-creator Joel Schuster to DC. Everything after that was a work-for-hire, owned by DC. However, copyright law dictates that full ownership of Superman goes back to the Siegels in 2013. That will give them the chance to set up Superman pics, TV shows and other projects at another studio. If you want to read the whole article, go here: Supemans Rights The parts that I find most interesting is the fact that the ownership of Superman's origin, likeness, and basic character belong to the Siegels per court order. Its also interesting that per the court order, DC & Warner Bros have to rush a film into production by 2011 and release before 2013, otherwise the remaining rights default back to the original creators, meaning any future Superman related projects would have to be licensed from them first. When was this movie going to be released again? Now all of this seems to make sense as to why the costume has changed along with some of the staples of his likeness (the supercurl comes to mind) and it may not just be because Snyder and Nolan want it to be different for different's sake. Perhaps, they are doing this all because of the litigation that has already transpired? Come to think of it, the film is called "Man of Steel" and not "Superman-Man of Steel", is it not? Interesting stuff to think about. Sorry for the lengthy post. I guess I had a lot to say on the matter. OAD

Greetings, So I found these yesterday at my local TRU (Salinas, CA)and ended up getting Jail Cell Joker, Two-Face and Night Vision Batman. Sadly I did not see any Harvey Dents. I must say that while its sad that we had to wait this long for these figures, I am ultimately very happy with all of them. While the headsculpt on the Joker is not perfect, I like it much better than the original release. One nifty surprise was the coin that ol Harvey Two Face came with. I was expecting a plastic coin, judging how it looked in the package, but upon inspection, it turns out it is indeed metal! Gotta admit I was not expecting that. All in all, I've been having pretty good luck with TRU lately. Last week I found the DC Universe Classics Question. Sweet find! TKO the OAD

"At lasssssst... The COBRA Thanksgiving Day Parade Terror-Balloon issss complete!"

Your hat is looking great! Really nice job on the blocking. As far as fedoras go, I don't think you can get a finer hat for the price. I absolutely love my Akubra Fed. I did the Indy thing for Halloween this year, and just about every year. I've been collecting my gear for a couple of years now. What can I say? I'm a big Indy nut. I'd post some pics from Halloween, but I seem to be having issues posting pics now... Did anyone else dress up? TKO the OAD

The Akubra Fed is the finest hat you can get for the money. It is truly the best value, and a high quality hat for sure. Most Indy fans agree this is the one to get. I purchased my Fed IV early this year, and I could not be happier with it. It puts every Dorfman Pacific offering to shame. Great choice! How do you intend to block it? I went with more of a Raider's block instead of the Crystal Skull look. I like a hard pinch in the front. I'll try to post some pics, but alas, my camera died a few months back. TKO the OAD

Thats a good point. Perhaps Indy product will see new life someday as a specialty line aimed at collectors. Does anyone know if Hasbro holds the license indefinitely? It would be nice if someone like Mezco or Neca made some 7 inch figures. As long they are well sculpted and fully articulated I'll be happy. I kind of dig the Disney exclusive, but it could be a heck of a lot better. TKO the OAD

I totally understand that Star Wars is a bigger & ultimately more broad reaching license and franchise. And believe me, that I meant so disrespect whatsoever to any Star Wars loyalists. Truth be told I like the comic packs very much, and I also welcome more characters that are rarely seen to be immortalized in plastic. My issue is that it is frustrating that all of these rather obscure figures can see life, but the main characters from 3 iconic films have no chance of finding its audience. I agree it probably futile and useless to debate and theorize the reasons why this is or what could have been better. Ultimately, it will probably just come down to numbers and dollar signs. It just seems to me that Hasbro won't even entertain that idea of making any of this product available through any other avenues. I mean, we are talking about the same company that made GIJOE a direct to consumer product when Valor vs. Venom ran out of steam and they wanted to go in the Sigma Six direction. From the looks of it, it kept the 3 3/4 line alive for collector's and then gave them the opportunity to tool up and take many of us by storm with the 25th anniversary line. Who knows? Maybe the DTC experiment didn't work out as well as it seems, and there were lessons learned. I do know this, though. Mattel's Masters of the Universe line ultimately died at retail, yet the line is being relaunched as an online exclusive through their collector oriented website. Maybe it's apples and oranges, but it is a solution that seems to have no backing. Again, sorry Star Wars fans. I got a little worked up when I wrote my original post. Personally, I do really like the Star Wars toys. I just hate that Indy can't seem to get the same treatment... What will be, will be I guess. TKO the OAD

I have to say, I agree with just about everything listed above. I cannot and will not believe that there are is not enough interest in this line for it to continue. The reason there are still so many Raiders wave 1 figures on shelves is because they, for one, over saturated the market with them, and two, had the worst quality control & paint issues of any toyline launch I can think of in recent times. Both of these issues were caused by Hasbro, not the fans. Now, as far as the Crystal Skull line, I'm sure the polarizing nature of the film had to do with these not flying off the shelves. Hasbro was banking on the character of Mutt to be a relatable character for youngsters. Unfortunately, the end result was an addition to the franchise whom most of us can either take or leave. I suppose my issue with Hasbro is that they will invest a ton of time and money into a property when they feel like it. Someone mentioned above the GIJOE line. It's true they are making some really obscure characters via repaints that only the hardcore fans would truly appreciate or even recognize. But the worst is the Star Wars line. I cannot believe that there is enough fan interest to create every single droid or character that ever appeared on screen even for a split second, but there is no way to get the fans any more Indy stuff. Look at the comic packs for goodness sake. I think its great to have more characters than just Han, Luke or Vader, but some of these guys I've never heard of. Does anyone even read Star Wars comics? It's really frustrating because many of us have been waiting for these for so long, and there are so much potential for great playsets and vehicles. Heck, they could easily make the Motorcycle & Side car and have it play double duty for the GIJOE line. The same is true for almost any vehicle from the Indy-verse. I'm sure eventually we'll find out that there is more going on behind the scenes that Hasbro hasn't divulged to us, but it just makes this all the more disappointing. I love the Indiana Jones line... It just seems like Hasbro is the one that doesn't. TKO the OAD

There seems to be a lot of evidence that the Indiana Jones line will not be continuing. Should the line come to a close will the license be open to other toymakers to produce any Indiana Jones product? While I absolutely love the toys Hasbro has produced so far, if they are not going to continue, then I want someone else to carry on. Many of us fans have been waiting several decades for a fully realized and enduring toyline for Indiana Jones. Its a shame that it seems that it won't last long enough to finish out the prototypes you've already shown us. TKO the OAD

For me, nothing can compare with Raiders of the Lost Ark. I think it is a perfect film. However, I do have a soft spot in my heart for Last Crusade. It is the only Indy film I got to see in theaters, with the exception of Crystal Skull, but it is a close second for me. While I love all of the Indy films in their own rights, I guess if I had to order them for me it would be 1. Raiders 2. Last Crusade 3. Crystal Skull (maybe I'm a minority, but I do really like this movie) 4. Temple of Doom It's strange, I liked Temple so much more as a child, and I have a hard time with it now. I think it really depends on who you are watching it with, but the last few times I've tried to watch Temple, I had to really force myself to keep watching. I don't know what it is, but the movie just doesn't quite jive with me these days. I think it's Willie Scott... I can't stand her... So.... Long story short... Raiders is my fav. TKO the OAD

I too found some of the TF Animated toys at Walmart. (Store in question is in Salinas, Ca.) I bought Prowl and Cybertron Prime for myself, and Bumblebee and Blackarachnia for my girlfriend. What can I say? We're TF & Toy geeks! (Find someone who can share your insanity...I mean hobbies with... It's awsome...) Anyhoo, I have to say that I am quite pleased with these toys. I like Prime more than I thought I would. Not a big fan of the mouth, but it matches the look from the pilot epiode very well. Prowl is an excellent toy. The transformation is a perfect blend of simplicity and complexity. I LOVE the spinning blade weapons hidden in his wheels. He's a great toy overall. I'm slightly disappointed in Bumblebee though. I think they did an admirable job in translating his animated look into a practical toy form, but I think there could have been more done on his feet. They just seem a bit too clunky to me. Still, great toy. Others that I saw on the shelves were Rachet, Lockdown in the deluxe line, and Starscream, Bulkhead, and Cybertron Megatron in the Voyager class. I really want Starscream, but I am trying to pace myself here because $9-$20 a pop for toys can add up real quick. Overall, I'm very pleased with the line and I am quite happy that they are finally hitting shelves! If I can get my camera working, I'll try to post some pics... Not that I necessarily have too, these figures have been covered quite well by TNI and Tformers already... Happy hunting! TKO the OAD

I'm with Pit Viper on this one. I think they work fine with either line. I've always felt that the 25th Anniversary Joes are slightly scaled up when you stand them side by side with their RAH originals. Personally, I would have loved it if the Indy line was done in the same style as the 25th Joes. But it does make perfect sense to have them share qualities with the Star Wars line, considering their ties in real life. TKO the OAD

Personally, I like the headsculpt on the Crystal Skull Indy. The main problem with the figures overall has been the paint applications. The most recent refresher wave seem to have really improved on the paint especially on the eyes. I've seen several CS Indy's that look pretty decent of late. However, because these figures have the removable hat which is a bit oversized they still look a little funny. I know it may not be the most cost effective solution, but what I did was get a Crystal Skull Indy (with jacket) and swap heads, Jacket body, and gloved hands from the Deluxe Raiders Indy with Horse, and viola', instant Raiders Indy in either the truck chase or Raven Bar scene. Should you choose to do this though, you may need to put a small piece of tape or paper towel in the base of Indy's head, for the ball post is slightly smaller on the figure and the head fits loosely without aide. So, to make a long story short, my vote goes for the jacketed CS Indy. So far, he's the best in my book. Though I like all of the Indy figures in their own way... They all just need a little help to look their best. TKO the OAD

I've been a fan of Dr. Jones as long as I can remember and have actually been collecting and assembling my Indy gear for several years. I currently own 2 Wested Leather Indy Jackets, one in the Raiders style and one from Last Crusade. I also have a US Wings Indy jacket, which is nice, but the pedigree and the craftsmanship on the Westeds make the US Wings no comparison. I have a What Price Glory Indy Shirt as well as a real Mk VII gas mask bag with leather strap. I have yet to procure the correct type pants and a quality whip. I own an Akubra Adventurer hat, but I'm holding out for the new offerings Adventurebilt has coming up. (They're the guys who made the hats for Crystal Skull) Basically, I only have one Halloween costume... Dr. Jones every year! Yeah, I'm a little Indy obsessed... TKO the OAD