Toy Aisle Trolls > One Cyborg is as Good as Another

September 7, 2011 | Poe

Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items.

Submitted by: Lovable-Bill

What It’s Supposed to Look Like: This

Lovable-Bill writes: “I went to one of my local K-Marts in Peoria, Illinois, trying to hunt down the exclusive Batman Legacy: Batman and Batmite. To my shock I found this sitting on one of the shelves under the other DCUC figures. Looks like someone returned a ML Deathlok in place of a Cyborg Superman, the card back was also very loose and sticky.”

Odds ‘n Ends > September 6, 2011

September 6, 2011 | Poe

  • Without going too much into it, my reviews on PGPoA are going to be a little different from now on. I’ve come to recognize, like the man who invented Mr. Phipps Pretzel Chips (I think it was Mr. Phipps) that my favorite part of the pretzel, er, the review, is the part where I discuss the character or history of the toy or toyline rather than the paint & sculpt stuff. The photos tell most of that story, and I’ll point out the articulation. For those who want a true breakdown, you can find more traditionally-formatted reviews on other sites–there is no shortage of toy reviews these days. While some of you may be a bit disappointed, trust me when I say it was either this or no more PGPoA at all. (Seriously–it was this close |–|.) I have over seventy unopened toys at the moment, going back to before Christmas, and the thought of having to do a standard review of each one makes me want to quit the blog and never look back.
  • So, in essence, moving forward I’m writing what I want to write about, not what I feel obligated to write about. This blog has felt way too much like work lately. It’s odd how that can creep up on you.
  • You’ve probably all seen Mattel announced that Club Infinite Earths (CIE) is indeed moving forward. I’m happy I get my Poison Ivy, but as a Bat-fan I do hope I get at least one more Bat-character, preferably an oversized Killer Croc. Also, Metron unsurprisingly won the fan vote contest. They’re also considering briefly re-opening the subscription window, which of course led to a round of MOTU fans wondering the MOTUC sub should also be re-opened. I suspect this has to do with the opt-in option that will be offered for the anniversary figures–since that’s already in the works, maybe they’ll just re-open CIE at the same time.
  • Diamond Select will be expanding the Minimates world even more with a new line, Maximum Zombie. The first figures will be a NYCC exclusive set featuring a Biker Zombie & Surgeon Zombie. I’ll be at NYCC this year, so you’re damned right I’m getting these.

Toy Aisle Trolls > Laserweak

September 6, 2011 | Poe

Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items. If you find a ruined package, a stolen figure, a swapped-out figure, or any other such acts, take a photo (cell phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry) and email them to poe AT poeghostal.com.

Submitted by: JF

What It’s Supposed to Look Like: This

JF writes: “Here’s a Transformers 3 Laserbeak with a junker G1 Shockwave instead. Oh Target!”

Toy Aisle Trolls > Skids Mark

September 5, 2011 | Poe

Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items. If you find a ruined package, a stolen figure, a swapped-out figure, or any other such acts, take a photo (cell phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry) and email them to poe AT poeghostal.com.

Submitted by: JW

JW writes:

So I’ve recently started collecting Transformers, including the Human Alliance stuff from the movies (quality of the films aside, the HA figures are wonderful toys). I’ve managed to track down every figure released so far except the original screen-accurate releases of the twins–until this morning. At my local Walmart (where else?) I found Skids just sitting on a shelf. Box is a little damaged but he’s clearanced down to $25 from $30 AND he’s two years old AND I want him real bad…so who cares about a crushed box? I’m excited.

I get to work, pull him out of the package to size up my new prize–aaaaaaaaaaand it’s not a crushed box. It’s a STABBED box. And the Megan Fox driver figure has been ripped out.

God. Damn. It.

(Yes the human figures are ass, but I did at least want the two main characters.)

If I may? Since he obviously has such an (understandable) aversion to the twins, may the blighter be tied to a chair and forced to rewatch all of the Skids / Mudflap scenes from Revenge of the Fallen. On a loop. For a month.

Or be crushed when his Decepticon car spontaneously transformers with him it.

Either / Or.

Bat-Week | Review > Bane (Arkham Asylum, DC Direct)

September 1, 2011 | Poe

Bat-foe Bane has had an interesting history. Though many fans forgot this for a long time, as he was originally conceived he was extremely intelligent–so intelligent, in fact, that not only did he identify Bruce Wayne as Batman simply by watching Bruce Wayne at a party, but he concocted an incredibly intricate plan to wear down Batman’s strength and will before infamously delivering the coup de grace of a broken back.

Bane was meant as a “dark mirror” to Doc Savage, the 1930s pulp hero whose only “superpower” was that he had been raised to become a paragon of human development–strong, athletic, brilliant, and wise, with an iron will. Bane likewise had an iron will, but his intelligence was deviant, his wisdom corrupted by a lifetime of pain, and his strength augmented by the steroid-like drug Venom, fed to him via tubes implanted in his head. (more…)