Spider-Hulk, Spider-Hulk, smashes whatever a gamma irradiated spider smashes!

First, let me apologize for not posting for the whole of March. I appreciate the three of you who are still reading. That said, I'm baaaaack!

And not only am I back, but I bring you today some fun pics of one of my Holy Grails that I finally added to my collection: Spider-Hulk!

Back in 2006, Toy Biz was reaching the end of their Spider-Man Classics line. They may have also been close to the end of their license with Marvel, which ended up (and still is) with Hasbro. I'm no Marvel expert, so don't quote me on that. What I do know is that one of the last Spider-Man Classics figures Toy Biz released was Spider-Hulk. I'm pretty sure, as the story goes, Peter Parker somehow gained the powers of The incredible Hulk for a hot minute (and this is not Bruce Banner/Hulk in Spider-PJs). I've not read this specific story in the comics, but I love that Toy Biz made an action figure of this...well...incredible moment!

I saw this figure at retail back in '06 and somehow talked myself out of it. I've regretted that decision ever since, and as is always the case in such situations, Spider-Hulk became a very hard-to-get figure, and has since held a ridiculously high resale value. I've kept my eyes peeled for him for over ten years, hoping to find an economical example, but I've never seen him going for a sane and excusable price...until now!

For some reason beyond my mere human intellect to interpret,  a couple months ago a Chinese ebay seller suddenly began selling loose Spider-Hulks. The auction end prices vary, but have been hovering around an average of $25 bucks for as long as I've been monitoring. Buying loose toys from China can be a risky venture, so I had to ask myself: was it worth tempting fate to get either a) a cheap bootleg, b) a Spider-Hulk with two left feet or c) nothing at all, in an attempt to get Spider-Hulk for a fraction of what he's gone for on the secondary market for the past ten years?

Well the answer was obviously 'yes.'

I'm glad to report that I bid, I won, and lo-and-behold, a couple weeks later a beautiful loose but perfect example of Spider-Hulk arrived at my doorstep! HUZZAH!!!

Of course there are a lot of questions this figure's existence raises. Did Toy Biz have a warehouse full of these gentlemen, just sitting in crates for a decade, waiting for someone to buy them up and liquidate them on eBay? Or did toy Biz themselves, or whatever manufacturer they contracted, find a crate ala the Lost Ark of the Covenant, and after they busted them open and their faces melted off, they decided to offer them up on eBay for us True Believers who never stopped looking and hoping and praying?  Or is he coated in lead paint and was held back from retail sale for safety reasons and I'm going to die soon?

Who cares. I HAVE SPIDER-HULK!.

One last thing: You too could own a Spider-Hulk: As of press time, they are still popping up on eBay and auctions are ending between $20 and $30 with free shipping. I can't guarantee your experience will be the same as mine, but I can guarantee that this is a great price for an otherwise hard to find figure. Search for SpiderHulk and search under 'free shipping', and you should find the auctions easily enough. Good luck!

Incredible Hulk :: World War Hulk

I originally posted about my Marvel Universe World War Hulk figure waaay back in 2011. But you probably don't remember that far back so here he is again.

I just love this guy. As if Hulk weren't badass enough, give the guy a sword and a battle axe and you've got one bad mamma-jamma!

I don't really follow The Incredible Hulk, but somehow over the years I have amassed quite the 3 3/4" collection of figures related to the Hulk. World War Hulk here, as well as Red Hulk, Abomination and A-Bomb.

Ironically this is the only Banner/Hulk I own of the bunch. There have been some pretty good standard Hulks in the Marvel universe line, but somehow they have all eluded me to date.

Someday I'll have to pick one up, but until then World War Hulk is my 'go-to' traditional Hulk in this scale, and that's just fine by me!

Block Tech Super Heroes Hulk and Falcon Cap

Can these be considered BootLEGO? They are 'block toy' minifigs, but they are engineered in a completely different fashion - I consider BootLEGOs to be rip-offs of the LEGO minifigure design aesthetic primarily, and secondarily rip-offs of the subject matter.

However you categorize them, these two superheroes are different enough from LEGO minifigs to be considered mere cheap block toy figures, but they are still bootlegs due to their blatant yet unlicensed subject matter: The Incredible Hulk and Captain America.

And not just any Captain America, but Captain America when Falcon had assumed the role (maybe he still is Captain America, I don't follow Captain America closely enough to HAIL HYDRA be certain.)

FalCap really sells this set. I'm perpetually fascinated by the decisions bootleggers make when they release stuff like this. One would assume the iconic Captain America everyone all over the world recognizes would have been their go-to during the design process, but they went with a very up-to-the-minute version instead. That fact alone is worth the one dollar asking price!

This set was found at a Target I visited on an out of town trip. It was in their dollar section with a few other Block Tech minifigure two packs. The rest were pretty generic: soldiers and police and whatnot. This set was the only superhero set they had (and the only licensed character rip-off set for that matter.)

The engineering design of the minifigs is similar to LEGO with the same parts make-up: removable hairpiece, head, torso, and hands, with legs jointed at the hip. The quality isn't too shabby, for fifty cents each there's nothing for me to complain about, that's for sure. They aren't as cute and charming as LEGO minifigs but having a bootleg FalCap trumps cute charm any day of the week. I suppose having a bootleg Hulk is pretty ginchy too.

Here's a size comparison with a standard sized LEGO (well, in this case, a bootLEGO) minifig. As you can see the Block Tech minifig is a bit taller in the torso, which makes the legs look stumpy.  I'm pretty sure there have been more of these Notvengers released by Block Tech, I seem to recall seeing a four pack online a year ago, but this is the first set I've ever seen in stores or in person.

They're perfectly corny just like a good bootleg toy should be, so if you can find them they're worth the Washington you'll drop on them.

Bootleg LEGO Incredible Hulk, Red Hulk and Grey Hulk Minifigures

As mentioned in previous posts, I have lately been doing some research on the seemingly sudden influx of bootleg LEGO minifigures, both direct copies and unique releases, invading our shores from China.

My research led me to discover that not only are there Chinese bootleggers making the oversized Incredible Hulk, but they are also making Red Hulk and Grey Hulk variants! I'm pretty sure these are by Decool. There is also a Lele version of the oversized Hulk, and I think ShegYuan makes him too. Probably others as well. The bootleg LEGO biz is a crowded pool indeed!

I was able to get all three for a buck and a quarter each (shipped) off eBay, and about two weeks later they arrived!

All three Hulks are the same, except for their skin and pants colors. But all three variants are of course relevant to actual Incredible Hulk comic stories, so they're pretty great to have in minifigure form.

I don't have the official LEGO Incredible Hulk, but from what I can gather online, these three are pretty much direct copies, sculpt-wise.

They are constructed in the same manner as your typical oversized minifigure, with arms and hands being sepearate pieces, and the arms being held on by blue 'LEGO' 'pins'.

I have seen a version of Bootleg LEGO Hulk online that actually has a rotating head. I believe that version also is constructed differently, in that his arms are held on by a molded-on pin at his shoulders, and not the little blue piece.

Each of these guys came with a bootleg LEGO wrench accessory? Because...? Maybe because Grey Hulk has at times been known as 'Mr. Fixit'? That's the best I got.

These guys did not arrive boxed. It appears to get the boxes, most sellers will charge you a few bucks more in shipping. A few bucks more than 'free,' so you can decide if the box is something you need or not. I didn't, so for $1.25 each shipped this was a great buy and I've got three Hulks to terrorize (or help) my LEGO superhero minifigures.

As for quality - it's lower than LEGO obviously, but better than anything else you'll find for a dollar-ish. 

Post Script, I understand copyright laws etc. are tough to enforce with China, but I can imagine LEGO, Marvel, Warner Brothers etc. putting pressure on eBay, Amazon etc. for allowing these things to be sold on their sites. So I speculate these bootleg LEGO minifigures won't be easy/cheap to come by for long. If you want some, act with some haste...but not too much haste...if there's an eBay auction ending for $5 you can be sure another one will be ending in about 5 minutes and it's only at $3. Shop smart!

It looks like A-Bomb went off in here :: a Marvel Universe A-Bomb that is!

During the Red Hulk storyline, otherwise pointless teen sidekick to the Incredible Hulk Rick Jones was transformed into a Hulk/Abomination type character aptly dubbed A-Bomb. Which is a great name for a Gamma-irradiated beast with Abomination like powers. Rick Jones aka A-Bomb, like Abomination, was unable to transform back to his human counterpart but retained all of his original intelligence. Things may have changed since I last read a Hulk comic book, but that's at least how I remember it.

I thought the Red Hulk storyline was fun and of course Ed McGuinness' art is fantastic on these type of steroid infused characters, so after getting the Marvel Universe Abomination I knew I had to have the 50/50 variant A-Bomb figure too!

This Rick Jones aka A-Bomb action figure is officially Marvel Universe Series 23 figure #019. If these are still appearing at a retail location near you, keep your eyes peeled. I found mine at a local comic shop, but the 'must-have' fever has apparently passed for these; I was able to get him for a tiny bit over retail cost, and not the inflated eBay prices I had seen in the recent past.

Patience pays off, ladies and gentleman.

The most recent Marvel Universe Abomination, A-Bomb and Rhino all share the same body. The body was developed for Rhino, so it isn't the most perfect representation of A-Bomb or Abomination, but it works and it is very fun to have these guys in this scale to match wits...I mean 'fists'...with my Marvel Universe Red Hulk.

The head sculpts and the fist sculpts are unique to each Abomination/A-Bomb variant, and each has feet that are different from Rhino's. A-Bomb has the added feature of scalloped/armored wrists which also help him to stand out among his similarly sculpted counterparts.

I'm tempted to get Rhino as well, as he is an excellent looking figure. But my primary goal here was to gather together a handful of Hulk themed beasts for an epic battle to be photographed some time in the future (when I am able to track down my World War Hulk and Hulk Buster Iron-Man in the same scale!)

Until then, enjoy the card art of Abomination and A-Bomb duking it out.

One Abomination Under God

I have this Marvel Universe Abomination thanks to Boy Wonder of Super Duper Toy Box fame. I still have not seen this latest wave in any retail establishment near me, but when I heard Abomination was a part of it, I had to have him! And BW came through and found him for me. Thanks Boy Wonder!

This Emil Blonsky aka Abomination action figure is officially Marvel Universe Series 23 figure #019. He is one of two Abomination variants, the other being the Rick Jones A-Bomb modern version, whom I also really want but have not seen at retail yet.

But nothing beats the classics. And the original Abomination is a favorite of mine, so I couldn't not own this one! Unfortunately, he doesn't have any shorts. The body is from the Marvel Universe Rhino, so they didn't bother to give him a speedo like the original, which is a little weird but you get over it. And let's face it, a pantless Abomination is better than no Abomination at all!

Uh-Oh, here comes Red Hulk...

FIGHT!

SLAM!

PUMMEL!

CLOBBER!

DISCUSS WORLD POLITICS!

Upcoming Lego Themes!

I've already reported about the upcoming Lord of the Rings themed Lego sets, and we all know about the Avengers themed sets due for release this summer (when the big blockbuster hits I assume,) but I was quite pleasantly surprised to learn about Universal Monsters themed sets coming soon!

EDIT: Actually, it appears these will be part of a new series called 'Monster Fighters,' and sound like they will be a Monster themed Ninjago-esque series. Cool!

And here's your first look at the Fellowship of the Ring. These look like so much fun!

Finally here's The Incredible Hulk and Captain America from the Avengers releases coming this year. The thought of Marvel vs. DC battles that can be created and waged in Lego form has me all giddy!

Info from London's Toy Fair 2012 via That Figures via ComicBookMovie.com

Hulk Smash Puny Skeletor!

The other Marvel Universe figure I bought myself for Christmas is this World War Hulk:

I absolutely love this version of the Incredible Hulk. The comic story was cool of course, but just the general concept of a barbarian themed Incredible Hulk is something to behold. I can imagine this guy appearing in some sort of Masters of the Universe/Marvel crossover or something.

Not only did Hasbro go all out for this guy by making him an all new sculpt (instead of just adding some accessories to an existing Hulk mold), but they gave him a shoulder armor/sword scabbard, a shield, a sword...

...and a battle axe!

Unfortunately Hulk's hands are sculpted too wide opened to properly hold his weapons, but all things considered that's a pretty small issue for such an exceptional toy.

I like the Hulk, but there are only so many pairs of purple pants in the world, so it's pretty fun to have him in this get-up.

Aaaahhhh - Rulk Out!

He looks a little like Shwarzeneggar, doesn't he? "Budgets make Governor ANGRY!"

Red Hulk aka "Rulk" is a new release from the 3 3/4" Marvel Universe figure line made by Hasbro. I really don't collect this line; don't get me wrong, it's nice, but a) I'm more of a DC guy b) it's a little pricey and c) when it comes to articulation my preferences fall somewhere between McFarlane and Marvel. You can have too little, and you can have too much; Marvel figures tend to have too much.


Even Rulk here has more than you would ever need in a muscle-head like him. Arms for smashing, head, torso maybe, but the leg movement is pretty much useless. I'd be fine with him if his legs were immobile like the old Kenner Doomsday, another guy who won't be needing to do the splits anytime soon.

But he's still an excellently sculpted figure and one I could not pass up twice (yes, I passed on him once, then regretted it, so I am glad and lucky he turned up again in my toy aisle meanderings.)

Red Hulk is a very bulky figure, which makes up some for the price of the Marvel Universe. This much plastic almost seems worth it. Another bonus is that even though I collect mainly DC, Red Hulk's scale is ambiguous enough for me to combine him with DCIH or other smaller figures. Unfortunately most Marvel Universe figures are a slightly larger scale than DCIH, so they don't usually combine well. If they did, I'd probably buy more.

I was reading the Red Hulk comic for a while - I love Ed McGuinness' work and if there's anyone in the comic universe he should be drawing it's the Hulk (whatever the color.) But it became too much of a slugfest and not enough of a story so I dropped it. Who is Red Hulk's alter ego? Damned if I know.

The Marvel Universe Green (and variant Grey) Hulks are kind of cool, and share the same body sculpt as Reddy, but their head sculpt doesn't look nearly as good as Red Hulk's. I hear a two-pack is coming out with a new headed green Hulk that looks similar to this one. I might pick it up, because now that I have a Red Hulk smashing my DCIH they don't stand a chance without Green Hulk's assistance.

All in all I am very glad I got Red Hulk. A solid, well built figure and a great looking sculpt. Of the three MU I do have (Green Goblin and Classic Iron Man) he is far and away the best, and better than any of the others I've seen as well.

We Been Dancin' With Mr. BrownCostume

Brown Costume Wolverine
(sung to the tune Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison)

Hey where did you go,
days when new toys came,
back in the eighties?
To buy a new game.
Or maybe an action figure hey, hey
Secret Wars or somethin',
Oh yeah that toyline really
Got my heart a thumpin' with you,
My brown costumed Wolverine,
You my brown costumed Wolverine.

You know I never
Got a Magneto,
But that was okay
cuz Wolvie was neato!
Playing in the sunlight laughing,
Hiding behind a sandbox wall,
Snikt-ing and a slicin'
All them bad ol' guys would fall, with you,
My brown costumed Wolverine,
You my brown costumed Wolverine.

Do you remember when we used to sing,
SNIKT nik nik nik nik nik nik nik nik nik nik nik; claws ta dah!

So hard to find good toys,
Now that I'm growin' old.
I saw you listed on eBay,
My your price has grown,
Cast my memory back there, Lord
Sometime I'm overcome thinking 'bout
Secret wars in the green grass,
Behind my childhood home with you,
My brown costumed Wolverine,
You my brown costumed Wolverine.

Do you remember when we used to sing
SNIKT nik nik nik nik nik nik nik nik nik nik nik; claws ta dah!

The Secret Wars Wolverine is the greatest Wolverine action figure ever made. So much so that I have never been compelled to purchase or own another Wolverine action figure since.

Until now:

SNIKT Baby!

Booyah! This is the way Wolverine will always look in my heart and soul. Blue and yellow is for sissies!

This Wolverine is from the new X-Men Origins: Wolverine line of action figures, which mixes movie and comic book characterizations into one great toy-line. Seriously, why hasn't any other comic book movie toyline taken this approach? It seems so simple yet so brilliant - there's something in it for everyone.

Wolverine comes with a red Katana. I don't know if this is relevant to any specific comic storyline but it seems familiar. Anyways, it's sort of redundant, seeing as how Logan has six of these sticking out of his body...but kudos to the toymakers for at least adding something cool and not a big satellite-laser or jet pack (I'm looking at YOU Mattel!) EDIT: I found info on the comic relevance of the red sword HERE

Speaking of Mattel - here's a side by side with Wildcat of DC Infinite Heroes fame. While the DCIH figures lack the uber-articulation of the Marvel Universe and Wolverine movie figures, they are the same scale and there's nothing cooler than the potential for all the DC/Marvel team-ups that will be happening on nerd shelves everywhere!

"Nice duds, bub."

SNIKT again, baby!

Like I said earlier, I have never taken ownership of Wolverine's blue and yellow spandex. When I met Wolvie this is the costume he was wearing, and it was many years until I even read a Wolverine comic, so he is indellibly etched in brown in my brain.

Someday I will track down a decent Secret Wars Wolverine to replace my long lost favorite, but until then this guy is everything a Wolvie lover could ask for in an action figure.

*sniffsniff* "SHHH! I hear something comin'"


STOMP!!!!!!!!!


"Hulk SMASH puny Canadian."


"Whoa...did anyone get the license number of that big green truck?"


*Flip* "Ha! Whose got the advantage now, Jolly Green?"


"Hulk just want to give Wolvie fashion advice. Hulk hate earth tones...Hulk like sissy blue and yellow!"


"Hulk been watching new show: Queer Eye for Super-Guy. They say color is in this season! They say Wolvie look Faaaabuloooooos in yellow and blue! Hulk agree!"

"Oh boy."