Wonder Woman in theaters NOW!

I saw Wonder Woman last night and loved it. I really believe that if the WW film franchise carries on (and there's no reason to believe it won't) then Gal Gadot will be the Christopher Reeve of this generation. The whole movie was great, but a stand-out for me was seeing the Golden Age villain Dr. Poison, played by actress Elena Anaya. She didn't have a ton of movie time but every moment with her on screen was mesmerizing. I hope the action figure lines are successful enough to get a second wave so I can get me a Dr. Poison action figure!

All the Amazon stuff was great, (I'd watch a whole movie about kid Diana, played by little actress Lilly Aspell), all the WWI stuff was great, it was just a great movie. Go see it!

In the meantime, here's a handful of Wonder Woman toys that belong to me and my daughters. Viva la Wonder Woman!

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July from DC's Trinity, Imaginext and Toyriffic!

Epic Lego Super Hero Battle Royale!

This epic Lego Super Hero Battle has been a waging work in progress since I acquired the Lex Luthor Mech Suit set for Christmas in 2012. Every time I get (or customize) a Lego Super Hero I add it to the battle. I have yet to add any villains - it's more fun to imagine Lex, in his hubris, thinking he can take them all down on his own.

Currently in battle with Lex are the Superman and Wonder Woman minifigures that came with this set, as well as Batman (from the Catwoman Catcycle City Chase set) Iron Man and Thor each from individual poly-bag releases, a modified Robin from a poly-bag set, Aquaman from the Batboat set, and my custom JSA Sandman and JSA Flash to round out the mix.

DC Direct Pocket Super Heroes JSA/JLA

These DC Direct Pocket Super Heroes were release way back in 2002. My daughter and I found them at the flea market about four years ago. A nice JSA meets JLA line-up - we were able to find Wonder Woman, The Spectre, Dr. Fate and Martian Manhunter.

Martian Manhunter originally came with the JLA round-table and chairs, but we only found the figure itself.

The Spectre and Dr. Fate are my personal favorites!

There were actually a few versions of Wonder Woman released in this Pocket Super Heroes line. This one was part of a JLA box set, I believe.

These are all pretty fun figures - very basic but charming. I suppose they would be considered minifigures nowadays, or they would get the blind-bagged treatment. They are about the size of a Playmobil figure. I do wish I had paid closer attention to them when they were being released!

Wonder Woman Has Been Cast :: My Thoughts, Because You Care!

The BIG news this week was the casting of Wonder Woman for the tentatively titled upcoming Batman vs. Superman movie.

Gal Gadot has been cast to play Wonder Woman. Who is Gal Gadot? I don't know, and I don't care. DC, WB, Zack Snyder...none of them asked me my top five. My opinion on the matter means nothing to them. But my opinion is this: honestly, who plays her is, at this point in history, secondary to the fact that she will be played on the big screen. Wonder Woman, the First lady of supreheroedom, will be on the big screen in my (and more importantly, my daughters') lifetime! THAT is amazing and worth celebrating.

Not only that, but the BIG THREE will all be on the big screen at the same time. That is almost cooler than a Wonder Woman solo movie, because you KNOW if there was a Wonder Woman solo movie first EVERYONE would be clamoring for the big three to meet. And we're getting that nerdgasm first!

Why is Wonder Woman on the big screen so important? Sure, we've seen female superheroes on the big screen before, like Storm and Invisible Woman and Black Widow, but let's face it, even to this day most lay people would say 'who?!?!' And we've seen Catwoman and Poison Ivy too, who are arguably more well known by the general populace than the previously mentioned heroes, but Selina and Pamela are villains.

Wonder Woman is almost inarguably the most recognizable female superhero the world over. She will be appearing next to the two  most recognizable superheroes the world over: Batman and Superman.

Which will only serve to make Wonder Woman MORE recognizable and, if the film is well done, more loved. Big red boots to fill for sure.

Will the movie be good? I'm not a psychic, but I'm no the mood to be Debbie Downer either. I have enjoyed every Batman film since Batman Begins and I really enjoyed Man of Steel, so I am hopeful.

Can Gal Gadot act? I don't know. I hope she can, and I really really hope she is given good material. She is beautiful, and does have an exotic look I feel necessary to portray the princess of the Amazons, but she doesn't immediately look like Wonder Woman to my eye.

That's ok. People forget how svelt Lynda Carter was, and she, like Christopher Reeve did for Superman (who was also a different heroic body type from a different time), defined her character for generations, even though her canvas never expanded beyond the small screen.

I'm excited that there will be a 'Batman meets Superman' movie, but I am beyond giddy that Wonder Woman will be part of the mix. I wish Gal Gadot all the luck in the world that the stars align for her and that she hits it out of the park. Because that means that she will get a solo movie (or three) and that Wonder Woman's popularity will finally reach the heights it has always deserved.

Wonder Woman Invisible Jet by Imaginext Coming Soon!

The moment we've all been waiting and hoping for has finally arrived - Imaginext will soon be releasing an Invisible Jet (along with a repaint of their Wonder Woman figure)!

And they didn't even re-cast an earlier Imaginext model, this is an original design and all new and specific to Wonder Woman herself! Found at Target.com the set is listed at $15.99 and is currently unavailable online, but expect to see this in stores soon!

More Brave and the Bold style action figures...for 2013?!?!

What the...?

This small image was just brought to my attention by a twitter friend. It's of a Target exclusive seven figure set of the Justice League called simply "Batman Legacy Justice League Figures"

This seven pack of figures appears to all be in the long ago canceled Brave and the Bold action figure style but includes a never before seen Cyborg, Hal Jordan Green Lantern, a beardless Aquaman and omg - WONDER WOMAN (in a line that Mattel stated emphatically would not include any female characters).

This news really came out of left field! The set is unavailable online as of writing this post but will retail for $49.99, so I probably won't own it until it hits clearance (which it probably will.) I will also have to see it in person to make a final judgement.

BUT WAIT - THERE'S MORE! Apparently Target has Superman, Batman, Flash and Green Lantern figures available as singles, and while these are clearly the Brave and the Bold style figures, you can see the much maligned hex holes are no longer a part of the figures' sculpts (a change I said would happen way back in my first B and the B toy review in 2009 - but even I never expected it to be so late in coming!)

(pic borrowed from eBay. Don't be stupid enough to buy them there now. They'll be plentiful and cheaper soon, I promise.)

Depending on the price of these, I'll probably get that Batman. Sadly it appears Wonder Woman is not part of a single figure release, and if past Target multi-pack exclusives are any indication, I doubt she ever will be.

Has anyone seen these at retail yet?

Imaginext Wonder Woman and Superman have landed!

My (daughter's) Imaginext DC Super Friends Wonder Woman and Superman arrived this week!

Thank Hera too! I was worried about my order after a few hiccups (which I won't bore you with again) and as of this writing this specific set is listed as 'sold out' on the Fisher-Price webstore!

I was worried I wouldn't get this set in time for it to fill a much needed slot in my littlest daughter's Christmas presents cornucopia. She has already amassed a good collection of Imaginext figures (thanks to her dear old dad) and has more playsets in store for her Christmastime fun, but she absolutely needs Wonder Woman to head up her little superhero army!

And here's the Princess of the Amazons herself in all her Imaginext glory! I still can't believe how easily Fisher-Price was able to slip this (and Harley Quinn) under our radars until it was already available online, (no leaked pre-prodcution pics, no Toy Fair previews...nothing!) and I can't thank Chunky B enough for letting me know about it in time to get the set before they sold out!

Wonder Woman is a beautiful little figure. Not a single part of her is designed with future kit-bash character re-use in mind. Ok, maybe the hands aren't unique, but that's it. Her tiara makes her head sculpt WW specific, her bracelets have stars sculpted on them, and the torso could be no one else. In a world of parts re-use action figures, it's nice to see so much attention to detail and specificity go into a toy aimed at the pre-school set. Let's face it, this is exactly the type of toy one expects a toy company to scrimp on. And to FP's credit, they didn't. And that's important, because these toys literally have the power to forge a geek's path for the rest of their lives, and I can't thank Fisher-Price enough for helping me to raise my daughter right!

Plus, the mere fact that Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn exist in Imaginext form now means you can't count out any female character in the future of this line. Because 1) these characters' inclusion proves that Fisher-Price is listening to fans and 2) their unquestionable success (see Catwoman - the first female Imaginext figure and a huge sucess) will further prove the value of female characters in toylines like Imaginext which appeal to both boys and girls (and let's face it, nutty adult collectors too!) who all want both boy and girl figures in their collections! Boy oh boy do I hope we get a Batgirl and a Poison Ivy next!

But back to 'now.' In addition to Wonder Woman's lasso accessory, the set comes with a brand new Superman in his DCnU costume!

Nice, value-wise, that Fisher-Price included an all new Superman for anyone who already has the previous version (which is still worth tracking down because he comes with Krypto!) This new Superman also has a 'painted' face as opposed to the previous version's sculpted face. Painted-on faces seems to be an across-the-board style change as Imaginext moves forward, with most new figures coming this way as opposed to previous fully sculpted faces being the norm (at least in the DC Super Friends branch of Imaginext.)

When I first got Aquaman I felt the 'painted' face cheapened the figure a bit, but the more I look at the stylistically the more I like them. They allow for more cartoony expressions and it would be nice to see the expressions changed for future/new pack-in releases (like an angry face Wonder Woman packed in with the inevitable Invisible Jet playset!) I also like how the head/hair for guys like Aquaman and Superman are sculpted specific to character, which also leads me to believe the painted faces are more a style choice then an attempt to cheapen the product.

A fan demanded figure since day 1, Wonder Woman doesn't fail to delight, and the all new Superman at least means you don't get something you already have to get her. Either way, at around $6.99 retail you can't go wrong with this set at all!

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Harley Qwednesday...

...to bring you THIS!!!!!

Imaginext DC Superfriends HARLEY QUINN and The Joker

AAAAAAHHHHHHRRRRGGGGHHHHH they are SO ADORABLE!!!!

They are currently available at the Fisher-Price Store linked above (I bought two!) but you better move fast...

...and...oh yeah...THERE'S ALSO THIS:

Imaginext DC Superfriends WONDER WOMAN and Superman

That's right I said WONDER WOMAN!!!!

Also available at the link above and also I bought two because HOLY HANNA-BARBERA FISHER-PRICE FINALLY MADE NOT ONLY MORE FEMALE IMAGINEXT FIGURES BUT HARLEY FLIPPIN QUINN RIGHT OUT THE GATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod. I'm hyperventilating over here.

Oh and a huge thanks to the Phantom of the Dolly Aisles Chunky B who sent me this info from his secluded dolly dungeon located somewhere deepinahearta Texas.

Thanks Chunky B! This is the best Harley Qwednesday news ever!

And massive thanks to Fisher-Price who have just proven unequivocally that they indeed have been listening to their fans and customers!

Cutesy Invisible Jet!

Toyriffic Facebook fan David B. alerted me to this unbelievably awesome Wonder Woman Invisible Jet by Fisher-Price that he just found at his local Target.

Wonder Woman's Invisible Jet literally flew under my radar and this is the first I am hearing about this gem. Finally, an Invisible Jet toy! It is perfection!

The Little People DC Superfriends Wonder Woman Invisible Jet is available now at Fisher-Price.com and according to the Fisher-Price website, exclusively at Target. Although the Wonder Woman/Batgirl two pack started out as a Target exclusive and has since been seen at Toys R Us, so who knows what the future holds.

Regardless, I...I mean 'my daughter'...must have it!

Oh, and I'll again take this opportunity to remind the world how much we need Wonder Woman (and other girls) in the Imaginext toyline! An Imaginext Wonder Woman and her Invisible Jet would be legendary!

Themyscira Defended!

Because jboy demanded it! The Ruins of Athena are safe once again, thanks to the surgical precision of Wonder Woman's blade!

Defend Themyscira!

I received the Lego Lex Luthor Power Suit set for Christmas and have yet to blog about it. It's an excellent set with an awesome Mech-suit for the Lex minifigure, and comes with a Superman and Wonder Woman mini-figure!

Lots of folks are finding it and blogging about it, so I may or may not get around to a Toyriffic review myself.

What I will do is show you what my Lego Wonder Woman has been up to after single-handedly serving Lex his walking papers (Superman was all but useless, considering the amount of Kryptonite firepower Lex's suit was packing.)

Wonder Woman is defending The Ruins of Athena from a Minotaur attack!

WW is armed with a shield from the Lego Knights set of many years ago, a sword from the Series 6 Highlander, and a helmet I have that I don't know where it came from. The Minotaur has his axe and doesn't stand a chance against the Amazonian Princess.

Danica Patrick ain't got nothin' on these two

I mentioned Wonder Woman's race car in my post about Batgirl's convertible; I had purchased the WWmobile for my daughter a few months ago and thought I had already posted it. Apparently not.

Wonder Woman is cruisin' in an F-1 type racer. It's a shame it isn't 'invisible,' but it is a nice patriotic livery, so we'll forgive Fisher-Price...this time!

...and they're off!

It's a GIRL!

My new baby girl is finally here! (And born on a Qwednesday to boot!)

Please join me in welcoming sweet little Darla Clementine to the world!

*not an actual picture of Darla

In honor of this momentous occasion,check out little Darla's first a) Batgirl and Wonder Woman action figures b) Exclusive action figures c) Action figure two-pack!

These DC Super Friends Little People by Fisher Price are a Target (and Fisher Price online store) exclusive, so your ability to find them at retail or in stock online may vary.

I was lucky to see this set on the shelves at Target a couple weeks ago, having been searching since I heard about them, and snatched them right up for baby Darla.

SO CUTE! I sure hope both these characters make it into the Imaginext line-up!

Regardless, one must applaud Fisher-Price for bringing them into the Little People line, which already includes Robin (as part of the Batcave set), Batman, Joker, Green Lantern, and Superman.

Wonder Woman and Batgirl are friends. Awww.

Not much else to say about these two cuties, except I'm glad I found the set and I am sure Darla will be chewing on them in no time.

Comic Book Zen :: Along came a spider...

From DC and Marvel Present: Superman and Spider-Man; July 1981.

My few of DCnU's 'New 52' Review

The internet is full-to-bursting with talk of DC Comics' New 52. There has been a lot of talk about this and that and what makes fans happy or more often disgruntled. Which is good. And the experiment seems to be a success, with sales records being set with each new release. There has been some outrage as well. I admit, my handful of choices had already been pretty well pre-filtered before anything was released, and therefore complaints about certain titles (the art of Leifeld on Hawk and Dove, the softcore porn of Catwoman and the misogyny of Red Hood and the Outlaws for example) do not affect me because I was clearly not the target for those comics, having decided long before they were published that I wasn't on board with them.

Now that I have read all the titles I had held for me at my local comic shop, here is what I dipped into, and some thoughts about what I got out of each title.

Action Comics #1:
Why did I want to read it?
Because it's written by Grant Morrison first and foremost, and because it appears to be taking Superman back to his 'champion of the oppressed' roots.

Does it succeed?
Beautifully. Great art, great Superman, Great Clark Kent. I like that Clark is young, he's got a crap apartment, he's working freelance etc. My daughter even looked over my shoulder at one point while I was reading it and asked 'Is that Peter Parker?' which is a compliment when you are trying to take a young Clark back to basics.

Favorite Moment:
Superman is jumping and not flying. He bleeds. His powers are still developing/he's not at 'full strength.'

Will I keep buying and reading?
Yes.

Most curious about...
A phone booth. Will he change in a phone booth, at least once? I hope so.

Wonder Woman #1:
Why did I want to read it? 
Because Wonder Woman deserves a good comic and I deserve to to read a good Wonder Woman comic. I am willing to give this title a shot in hopes that DC can deliver.

Does it succeed? 
In spades. I really love the art in this one, and the story is well written and suspenseful. It's the comic book Wonder Woman deserves. She's majestic, beautiful, strong, smart, everything she should be. I loved this one!

Favorite Moment:
Wonder Woman coming up off the ground by gripping a Centaur with her legs and then flipping up into a head-butt.

Will I keep buying and reading?
Hell yes!

Most curious about...
Zeus as Jesus-like man-God. That should be fun.

Suicide Squad #1:
Why did I want to read it? 
Because the team includes Harley Quinn.

Does it deliver the goods?
Surprisingly so. I didn't think I'd like this one, and only got it as Harley Qwednesday fodder. But surprisingly I really liked issue one and I enjoyed Harley Quinn's characterization. Her costume is a huge departure from her iconic look but a) I don't hate it and b) her iconic look would NOT work in this storyline. It's just too...cartoony (which isn't a bad thing, but counter to the themes represented in this comic.) The art is really good and the story is exciting with a little twist at the end as the action amps up for issue two! I won't let this Harley Quinn look replace her iconic look as THE Harley Quinn in my mind, but I'll get over it for this comic and enjoy it all for what it is.


Favorite Moment: 
Harley Quinn: "...I've seen scary, and you ain't got his smile."


Will I keep buying and reading?
Yes. This one ends with a bang and a promise of a very exciting issue #2. I'll tread with caution, but I do look forward to more of this title.
  
Most curious about...
Sportsmaster. Was he a 'plant?' I think so.

Detective Comics #1:
Why did I want to read it? 
Because I need a Batman title in my life at all times, and since Batman began his life in Detective Comics it is only fitting I choose this title to stay on board with.

Does it deliver the goods?
Indeed.

Favorite Moment:

The last two pages. Holy heck I didn't see THAT coming!

Will I keep buying and reading?
Yes siree.

Most curious about...
What's gonna happen next!

Batgirl #1:
Why did I want to read it? 
Because it is Barbara Gordon as Batgirl again.

Does it deliver the goods? Other than reminding us on (too) many occasions that yes, Babs did get shot by the Joker and was crippled for a time (but no, she never became Oracle) I do enjoy the fact that she is now healed physically but still has many emotional scars and the dynamics those bring to her character.

Favorite Moment: 
Any moment between Barbara and Jim Gordon. I can't help it, it's the dad in me.

Will I keep buying and reading?
Yes. I have high hopes for this title.

Most curious about...
Conflict/confusion between Batgirl and Batwoman and the dynamics of both existing in the same Batverse.

Supergirl #1:
Why did I want to read it? 
 Because my daughter told me to get it.

Does it deliver the goods?
It's a good first issue. The art is great, and it takes a small new spin on Kara's arrival on Earth that we've all seen about a thousand times. It's a fun title, Kara is strong in mind and body, and it isn't too graphic or sexed up for my daughter to read. It's a Supergirl comic, plain and simple.

Favorite Moment:

Kara's super-hearing kicks in, and she hears 'lines' from other comics/superheroes across the globe.

Will I keep buying and reading? 
Yes. For my daughter. honest ;)

Most curious about...
More character development and how it will be handled. This issue was just a 'hit the Earth and smash things' issue. 

Swamp Thing #1:
Why did I want to read it?
Because I like Swamp Thing.

Does it deliver the goods?
It feels like it is getting there. It delivers Alec Holland, and that's cool. Alec mentions Abby. I feel like this is less of a reboot and more a continuation of the Swamp Thing I remember. Anyways, I'd rather have too much story than too little, and unlike Justice League, this one has more to say than it can fit in one issue and isn't just padding the pages with big punches.

Favorite Moment:

Holland talking about how vicious plantlife really is.

Will I keep buying and reading?
Yes.

Most curious about...
Superman mentions 'coming back.' Did Superman die in the DCnU? Is the whole 'Death of Superman' bit still part of his history? I doubt it will be touched on in this comic, but it is an interesting thing to bring up after the whole reboot thing.

Batwoman #1:
Why did I want to read it?
Because J.H. Williams III delivered some of the most beautiful comic book pages of all time with his Batwoman run in Detective Comics.

Does it deliver the goods?
It's like the Detective run never ended. That's a damn good thing.

Favorite Moment:

The whole damn thing.

Will I keep buying and reading?
Yes!

Most curious about...
Will the recent repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' be addressed in regards to Kate's military career? When the character of Batwoman was created and her history expanded upon, that policy was in place and had an effect on her and who she is now. It's gone now, and as comics time stays relatively stagnant yet real time marches on away from DADT, will it remain relevant, or even a part of the character's history? Interesting to think about.

 Justice League #1:
Why did I want to read it? 
Because it's 'Where it all begins.' I figured it wouldn't hurt to be in on the ground floor like all the other lemmings.

Does it deliver the goods? It was well drawn with a great bunch of action, but a little too thin storywise to hold my interest.

Favorite Moment: Batman taking GL's ring.

Will I keep buying and reading?
No. And I admit, this one was an impulse buy. It's good, don't get me wrong, it's just not what I look for in my comic books lately.

Most curious about...
Will this just be a big blockbuster bang-up title, or will it carry story weight in the new DCnU?

Justice League Dark #1:
Oops, I forgot this is on my pull list and doesn't come out until this week. Guess I'll have to do a follow up for that one!

In conclusion, I am very excited about the DCnU and really enjoyed the titles I sought out. I look forward to following them all into the future to see what is in store, and to find out what's up with that hooded girl who shows up in every title (except...I can't for the life of me find her in Wonder Woman. Is she there? If not, why not?)

Catwoman Purrrsday :: When is a Catwoman not a Catwoman?

When it's the Cheetah -- really, Priscilla Rich!

This bevy of beauties is from Wonder Woman #28, March/April 1948.

Wonder Whew, man...that was close!

"Nobody panics when things go "according to plan." Even if the plan is horrifying! If, tomorrow, I tell the press that, like, a gang banger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it's all "part of the plan." 

But when I say that Wonder Woman's boots aren't red and her pants will be shiny, well then everyone loses their minds!"

Almost two weeks ago a promo image for the upcoming Wonder Woman tv show was released online, and it was as if millions of nerd voices suddenly cried out in terror and were unfortunately not as suddenly silenced.

Anyways, it appears as though (feign surprise) the nerd rage was all for naught. Because MOST LIKELY, going with the costume we see here was already the plan. LESS LIKELY is that someone somewhere cared what the nerds had to say about the preliminary costume and changes were made, because that never happens.

Either way, here's a pic of Adrianne Palicki in action for a scene in the upcoming Wonder Woman tv show. And as far as I'm concerned, the most super powered thing about this costume has got to be the tape keeping her boobs inside that corset when she runs. Amiright?