This Week in Geek: 4/24

A Super-size helping of news, this week, in geek!

DC Launching Super Hero Girls Initiative- This is definitely a sound idea and a step toward creating a gender equality in comics. I do not object to the basic idea behind this campaign of product or the animation. I do feel like Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are terrible choices for the simple fact they're villains, not heroes, and this would have been a perfect place for DC to rep their lesser known female heroes like Mary Marvel, Amethyst, or Iris West as Impulse.

Frank Miller writing Dark Knight Returns sequel - Now this is a DC decision I just cannot fathom. Frank Miller at this point has run the character into the ground once that got published as a sequel, again in a spin-off that's unrelated, and in another comic so terrible, he had to rewrite it with a new 'original' character. I have no idea what DC thinks is going to come out of this but if it's anything good, I will be immensely surprised.

TMNT 2 has Cast Baxter Stockman - Baxter Stockman shows that the new Ninja Turtles movies are not afraid at all to go deeper than films have gone before. Stockman was a throwaway character in the original comics- an inventor turned terrorist, whose pest-extermination robots nearly proved deadly to Master Splinter in the original comics. He was a serious figure. The good news is, Hollywood hasn't decided to white-wash him. The bad news is, he's being played by Tyler Perry. I intend to do my best to refrain from making a judgment call until I see the movie.

Sony reveals Spider-plans... Getting deja vu? Now that Marvel's gotten its word out, Sony has announced that it is creating, separate from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and prospective live-action Spider-Man movies that would intersect, they have hired Chris Miller and Phil Lord, the brains behind the Lego Movie, to work on an animated Spider-Man picture. This is brilliant and allows a truly unique angle on the character to be explored while not being confused with the MCU character. I'm going to call this movie a winner on Sony's part.

It Figures: Weird Al Yankovic

Today on It Figures, something a little unusual, which is itself a bit strange to say when this column usually features things like dismembered Statue of Liberty heads, muscleman Stan Lee and the Ninja Turtles cosplaying. Today's subject is an action figure of the sort I would barely qualify as an action figure. Today's subject is Weird Al Yankovic, from NECA's recent Simpsons 25th Anniversary line, which focuses on pop culture celebrities as they appeared on the famous television show.

I have very little knowledge or interest in The Simpsons. I know the general characters and the setup, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the early 90's arcade adaptation, but otherwise I could care less. The reason I felt the need to shine a light on this figure is the simple fact that there is now an action figure of Weird Al Yankovic. As a big fan, I have to say, it's a long time coming. It's interesting that the first and, thus far, only figure of him would happen in this series. A very possible explanation for this would be that his popularity was on a wane during the music action figures trend of the early 2000s. This toy itself just barely hits enough points of articulation for me to consider it a true action figure- it has swivels in the arms, neck, and waist. These just barely allow for some posing variation, and even then, the arms are clearly intended to do one thing- hold his accordion. It's a well-detailed accessory. The likeness is quite recognizably Al, even with the filter of the Simpsons art style.

Overall, this one is much more a matter of taste above all else. I can't really recommend this toy on its merits as such- it all depends on if you like Weird Al Yankovic enough to want a toy of him- and can tolerate the Simpsons enough to settle for this. It's a good toy for what it is- but what it is is very, very niche.

This Week in Geek- 4/17/15

It's heavy on the Galaxy Far, Far Away, this week, in Geek!

The Force Awakens- Teaser 2 First off, the elephant in the room. Star Wars Episode VII had a new trailer released this week- and it looks awesome. It shows off the new villain ,the new Stormtroopers, and an AMAZING set piece that looks to be a highlight of the film. So what're you doing here, if you haven't seen it, click through!

First non-film Black Series figure revealed!  Yes, Hasbro's 6" offerings are finally expanding beyond the screen, with Anakin's favorite padawan, Ahsoka Tano. I love the look of the sculpt- the people at  Hasbro did a great job making her realistic enough to blend next to their authentic likenesses in the other figures of the line.

Marvel announces Spider plans - Marvel has said though Kevin Feige that the new Spider-Man of the Marvel universe will be introduced already active, without an origina story, and will be in high school. I am personally  VERY much behind this plan and glad to not sit through a third telling of the Spider-Man origin.

Rocky Horror Picture Show to be Remade for TV.  As much as I love the idea of new Rocky Horror, I can't say I'm behind this. Glee had enough trouble with the FCC. I can't believe any form of faithful production of the show itself would be remotely possible on network television. Still, at least it could be fun, hopefully.

It Figures Special: Lady Liberty Playset

Ah, the playset. A classic part of any action figure line in the past, we are seeing less and less of them now. And as time marches on, the more iconic seem to be rising steadily in value. However, I seem to have found one that has sank to obscurity over time- the Lady Liberty playset from the 1999 X-Men action figure line. And while the reasons are understandable, I believe now is a perfect time to shine a light on it.

The interior is filled with gimmickry designed to emulate the climax of the first  X-Men film, and particularly the powers of Magneto- it has a springing trap of the statue's internal frame as well as a section of warping rubber girders. But the real star of the show is the facade- a perfectly sculpted and detailed replication of the famous lady of New York's harbors. It looks great, with the only real toyish aspect being the nameplate that adorns the front of the piece.

The main issue of this playset is that, in the line it was designed for, it was grossly out of scale. It was designed for a line of 6" figures and barely hits a foot tall without the crown.  However- 6" is no longer the dominant scale of the action figure market. Most lines now work in a 3 3/4" scale. And while still a good degree undersized  in terms of true scale, it makes for a much very fun piece for them, as there is much more to be done with the facade, which is close enough to  be taken as minor artistic license. The top of the lady is level enough to decently stand a figure on, and with figures that have modern level articulation, it's no trouble to pose a team of heroes standing all over it!

Perhaps the best part is, this is a rare playset that won't break your budget in the finding! Lady Liberty averages $10 to $15 on the aftermarket, and is definitely well worth the money if you're a Marvel fan- almost any Marvel hero you can think of is based in New York, and it makes a very nice display piece with any 3 3/4"  superhero figures.

Hot Imports: Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger

Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger (非公認戦隊アキバレンジャー) is a love-letter to nerds, straight from Japan. The show is the official parody of the long-running tokusatsu series Super Sentai.  You may not immediately recognize the words tokusatsu or Super Sentai, but the odds are you know them. Tokusatsu is a term for a genre of Japanese movies and television- the term most analogously translates to 'special effects' movie, but largely is applied to series with giant monsters, giant robots, and men in spandex. Super Sentai specifically is a franchise of tokusatsu television series. Its hallmarks include a team of color-coded heroes with martial arts skill, fighting the forces of evil using giant combining robots. If this sounds familiar to you, this is because it's precisely the hallmarks of Power Rangers, and with good reason- Power Rangers is the official United States localization of Super Sentai. Heavily cut, and with much new footage, but the core is there.

So with that explanation out of the way, Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger is a comedic deconstruction and reconstruction of Super Sentai for adults. Our lead, Nobuo Akagi, is a hopeless otaku and Super Sentai fanatic. Approached with the chance to become a Sentai leader, of course he is champing at the bit- but this is both more and less real than it seems. Nobuo has been recruited by  Hiroyo Hakase to be AkibaRed and lead the Akibarangers- a team that fights battles entirely in their minds, to protect the real world from being invaded by the Delusion World- the world of illusion and fantasy. His teammates, like Nobuo himself, reflect the typical fans of any media. Yumeria Moegi, AkibaYellow, is a cosplayer and incorrigible slash fangirl. Counterbalancing her is Mitsuki Aoyagi, the most grounded of the team. Mitsuki is the archetypical closeted fan, more cynical and worldly, with a professed interest in Super Sentai only so far as its use of martial arts.

Where do things go from there? Well, I don't intend to spoil the series- which can be easily found on licensed subtitled DVD on eBay- but as the show progresses, the bounds between the Delusion World and the real world become blurred, and it becomes increasingly metafictional, with an unexpected degree of depth for a Japanese comedy show. It's rather telling that while most normal Super Sentai get only one season, Akibaranger became beloved enough to receive a second-  and at a short 13 episodes per season, watching it is no heavy task. Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger is something we are increasingly lacking- a parody with heart and a love of what it's making fun of. And that is enough to carry the humor, by and large. If you have any investment in any internet fandom, or Power Rangers, Akibaranger is definitely worth looking at.

This Week in Geek- 4/10/15

All the News that's Fit to Blog- This Week in Geek


Play-Doh, the movie.   Yes, this is a real thing, not an April Fools' prank. I have no words to describe how absolutely creatively bankrupt this idea is. Commercial as Lego and Transformers were, they at least had toys that, to some extent, had inherent story potential. Play-doh is clay. I have no idea how this will work, but I would bet dollars to donuts 'well' is not in any version of this scenario.

Winnie The Pooh, in live-action. Again in the category of 'very bad ideas', Disney has announced a live-action adaptation of Winnie the Pooh, featuring an adult Christopher Robin revisiting the Hundred Acre Wood. This I can at least muster the will to wait to pass judgment on, since there is at least a kernel of original thought put into it.

Sesame Street- Game of Chairs  Usually, I don't link comedy skits, but I've made an exception here, for the simple fact that Game of Thrones is now mainstream enough to be the target of a Sesame Street skit. We have officially become mainstream, nerds. Rejoice!

NECA reveals Terminator: Genisys figures These are some pretty nice looking stuff, though I think it's interesting how much they look like  NECA's T2 offerings. Still, worth it for the improved legs on Arnie and hopefully, the new T-1000 will have similar updates when it reaches retail.

This Week in Geek- 4/7/15

All the news fit to nerd- this week, in Geek.

Adam West and Burt Ward to return as Batman and Robin- in animation! - At a convention appearance this weekend, the pair announced that one- and possibly more- animated films were in production in which they would reprise the parts that made them famous in the 1966 television show. I am cautiously optimistic, as the odds are these are direct-to video features, and the DC  Direct-to-video movies have been relatively spotty in the past.

Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool costume revealed!- After much on again, off-again about the production, the long-delayed Deadpool solo film is underway. Reynolds tweeted this photo of the costume- which looks, well, exactly like the comics. Even the expression is classic comics Deadpool- leading me to believe they will likely animate his mask's eyes with CGI to achieve a range of emotion from it like the comics.

Tron 3 is GO - I'm as surprised as anyone to learn that Tron 3 is happening, with the same director, and two principle cast members returning. I only hope we get a little more of, well, the main man himself, Tron in this one. He was kind of wasted in Legacy.

Stan Lee, by GoHero - GoHero is making an action figure of the most inescapable presence in the Marvel Cinematic universe- Stan Lee. The figure is high-end and looks amazing, with two headsculpts- a modern Stan as well as one based on photos of him at the time he wrote the classic silver age Marvel comics.

It Figures: Marvel Legends Infinite Series Spider-Man

Spider-Man has been made into an action figure many times over the years. He's up there with Batman, Superman, and Wolverine in stature and with multiple movies and cartoons over the years, it's no wonder that Spidey has been made into a toy hundreds of times. If you collect toys and have any fondness for him, odds are you own at least one Spider-Man. And while there are many great ones over the years, I'd say Hasbro has finally released what I would call a definitive  Spider-Man figure with their 'Infinite Series' Spider-Man in the Marvel Legends line.

The 'Infinite Series' Spider-Man at first glance seems to be just another super-articulated Spider-Man in the modern aesthetic. However, the figure delivers more in almost every area than any prior Spider-Man figure. First of note is the articulation. This is one of the most articulated Spider-Man figures to grace six-inch scale, with specially designed shoulders that allow forward-backward pivots as well as traditional swivel-hinge shoulder motion, bicep swivels, double-hinge elbows, swivel-hinge wrists, ab crunch, waist swivel, swivel-hinge hips, thigh swivels, double-hinge knees, and swivel 'rocker' ankle joints. This allows for an amazing range of movement, allowing even acrobatic poses like the one above to be accomplished without the aid of trick photography or leans.

Complementing his immense articulation are a number of interchangeable options for display- including three sets of hands. He comes packaged with the basic fists in place, but options for left and right hands in splayed 'wall crawling' stance and web-shooting pose. Also included is an alternate, halfway unmasked head- for when Spidey runs into his lady friends, of course. Alternatively, this head is perfect for when he's hungry- the last accessory that
this Spider-Man comes with is a slice of pizza that fits perfectly into one of the open-grip hands.

After years of toys that were very similar in essence, Hasbro has managed to bring something new to the table of a classic comics-inspired Spider-Man figure. As a result, I have to recommend the 'Infinite Series' Spider-Man for both new collectors looking for a first Spider-Man, and longtime collectors who've been with the line since Spider-Man Classics.