Archive for August, 2008:
Collector’s Guide to Iron Man
We’ve just finished the first (of likely many) Visual Collector’s Guides. The concept? Side-by-side comparisons of various repaints and resculpts of major characters in the Super Hero Squad line. First up is the Collector’s Guide to Iron Man, thanks to the repaint-heavy Genius of Tony Stark and Crimson Dynamo Attacks 4-packs.
Obviously, thumbnails link to larger shots, but please, don’t steal the photos. They took time to shoot, time to resize (and someday, when we have more webspace to use, we’ll use the higher-quality larger shots) and time to prepare for uploading. They’re not watermarked, but that could change with the next round. And besides, my camera skills are no better than (and possibly worse than) the next person’s, so you might have better luck simply taking your own photos. If you do want to use the pictures, asking is a good start. Giving a link to indicate where you took the photos from is a great follow-up. Besides, not only can you probably take better photos, but your figures might have fewer paint-application mishaps than these.
What’re you still reading this for? Why aren’t you checking out Iron Man (who looks better when not automatically resized by blogger)?
Custom Ideas 5 – Red Raven
Continuing our series of poor-man’s customs, and also our interest in the Marvel Universe’s 
more obscure characters, we present, Red Raven. Like always, the photoshopping is offensively bad, but it’s enough to get the idea across.
For those not in the know, Red Raven is one of Marvel’s oft-forgotten Golden Age characters, and that means… yup… a convoluted origin that gets worse every time a writer decides they like the design and want to make use of the character. Let’s see if we can sum it up: Inhumans with wings broke off from Attilan and eventually encountered a young human, the man that would become the Red Raven, and raised him. Seeing the despair and problems of World War II he joined the Liberty Legion. Eventually, some of his people wanted to conquer the world while it was still reeling from World War II, Red Raven stopped them, but soon enough, a robot double placed everyone into suspended animation. The robot Red Raven encountered the “modern” Marvel U, only to die in battle with Namor. Of course, soon enough Red Raven’s artificially created daughter and the Avian (the 
bird-race that found Red Raven) creation Bi-Beast had their own interactions with the Marvel Universe. Eventually, it’s discovered that the Avian race didn’t die from the suspended animation, they’re awakened, and everyone goes to live in the floating city Aerie where they only periodically waged war against mankind and were conquered by the Defenders who used the Aerie as their base when acting as the Order. Corrections and additions are welcome. With his 70th anniversary coming in 2010, maybe Marvel can try a Red Raven: Rebirth story to simplify and pretty-up his backstory.
Concept: Angel, plus red paint, and possibly some minor sculpting depending on which look you prefer. Classic hairnet style requires giving Warren a haircut and using sculpting material to round off the head and add the ear-bulges. If you’re going to go with the full-face version, you would be better off grabbing a head from a Punisher or the Spider-Man figure where Peter is showing his face and be-head Warren altogether. Once finished, you’re that much closer to a Golden Age Super Hero Squad.
And just as a reminder, this isn’t a real custom, but rather a custom suggestion… I barely have enough SHS to satisfy my addictions, let alone extras to ruin with my shoddy painting. If you take on a custom suggestion like this one, or any of the others, be sure to show it off and let us know so we can appreciate some real skills.
Hulk Gamma Lab
Hasbro Toy Shop has put the Gamma Lab up for sale officially on their site. After the SPRREQ8 coupon code, the price is $38.82.
Hasbro, while the playsets aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, at least give us new ones! You know what were the coolest things about the classic Masters of Universe? Playsets. Castle Grayskull, Snake Mountain, Eternia, The Slime Pit. You know what made them great? They made sense. The features were modest (the occasional trap door, a prison cell) but there was a reason for it.
Now, try it again, but give us Tony Stark’s labs, with little containers for his “spare” armors (re: the extra Iron Men we have) and a launch zone for him to take off and battle evil. And an X-Mansion, with a danger room of claws/spikes/booby traps. I bet with the right design and ooh factor you could even sell kids on a Sanctum Sanctorum with skylight entrance, mystical dimension trapdoor, and an exclusive Shuma Gorath to fight off.
New Guy! Let’s Have Fun!
Hi, everyone! My name’s Cris. I’m here to help Clever Name (and Seantified) post on the blog to bring you all sorts of fun and interesting information on the comics-related things we love. Anyway, seeing as this is my first post as the new guy, I figured I’d start off with something new (well, relatively anyway, haha) and exciting.
So, I went to Comic-Con this year and made sure that I went to the Hasbro panel so that I could share all the cool things there with all of you loyal readers of SHS Rumorbuster. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t go to the Hasbro panel simply to cover it for SHS Rumorbuster (I would’ve gone no matter what), but I did make sure to take pictures and video of the panel to share with you guys; that way even if you weren’t able to make it to Comic-Con this year, you can still experience the Hasbro panel! (Aren’t you all lucky?)
Well, Clever Name has already posted the pictures I took, so all that’s left for me to post is some information…and of course the video I took. Haha, but Comic-Con being the amazing spectacle that it is, unfortunately my camera’s battery died before the panel was completely over. Oh well, you learn from your mistakes every day, right?
So, before I get to the video, allow me to set it up a second. Ok, so upon entering the hall the panel was being held in I was given some awesome SHIELD swag promoting the FuryFiles.com website. After a few not altogether interesting introductions and announcements, the fine Hasbro people (each dressed in awesome SHIELD Agent shirts that admittedly made me daydream about how I could snatch a shirt from one of them, dash out the door, down the escalator, and be home free…yeah, they were that cool, but I digress) opened it up for questions. The very first question asked was about the rumored 3.75″ line, and this is when I started rolling. So, without further ado…I bring you the SDCC 08 Hasbro panel (more or less)!
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Original Video – More videos at TinyPic
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Original Video – More videos at TinyPic
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Original Video – More videos at TinyPic
So, as the promotional stuff for the 3.75″ line shows, they have the sculpts for 32 or 33 figures (depending on whether or not there will be Nick Fury and army builder SHIELD agents or just one or the other…not gonna lie, I’m hoping for both Nick and army builders). Here’s the complete list:
Iron Man
Spider-Man
Silver Surfer
Punisher
Black Panther
Bullseye
Daredevil
Johnny Storm
Human Torch
Stealth Armor Iron Man
X-Force Wolverine
Ultimate Captain America
Green Goblin
Hulk
Grey Hulk
Iron Fist
Ronin
Black-suit Spider-Man
Hand Ninja
Classic Iron Man (with/out horns)
Ms. Marvel
Classic Ms. Marvel
Punisher (all black)
Thing
Nick Fury/SHIELD Agent
Blade
Hobgoblin
Moonknight
Red Hulk
Union Jack
Colossus
Thor
Who else can hardly wait until “Spring 2009″?
Well, it seems that we technically don’t have to. If you’ve checked out FuryFiles.com recently, then you’ll no doubt have noticed the countdown clock that is counting down to roughly March 1st. Haha, the irony of me starting a rumor (by speculating about what that countdown’s actually for, since it doesn’t really say on the site) here on SHS Rumorbuster just hit me. Anyway, if I am right in speculating that the countdown is for the launch of the 3.75″ line, then that would mean that technically the line will be here just a little before “Spring 2009″ since Spring technically starts somewhere around March 21st.
No matter when the 3.75″ line actually ends up dropping, I can hardly wait to throw my money at Hasbro to get my hands on these marvelous action figures (shameless pun).
P.S.
Does anyone else think that it’s slightly wrong to put out a Danny Rand (Iron Fist) figure without a Luke Cage? I mean, come on…how are we gonna get some Heroes for Hire action without Luke?
P.P.S.
Seeing that Hasbro is willing to do some more off-beat costumes as variants for the figures…I can only hope that if they end up doing a Gambit they do a variant costume that isn’t his first appearance fuchsia costume. I’m hoping beyond hope that they’ll do something a little sleeker…like, say, his X-Treme X-Men costume? Admittedly, I won’t be holding my breath since even in the comics it seems like the only person willing to shed the fuchsia is creator Chris Claremont. Who knows? They might not even make a Gambit figure.
City in Crisis/Winter Soldier… one more time
Hasbro Toy Shop has sent out another delay notification for City in Crisis/Winter Soldier, and again requires people who have placed their order (months ago) to (once again) tell them that they still want it. The updated shipping date is 9/2, but we’ll see if they send another delay e-mail on 9/3.
ITEM(S) NOT YET SHIPPED
Item number: 78452
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – City in Crisis: Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Green Goblin and Sandman
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 9/2/2008Item number: 78453
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – Winter Soldier Saga: Captain America, Falcon, Winter Soldier and Crossbone
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 9/2/2008We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions regarding your order or would like to change your order, please call our Customer Service Center at 1-800-408-0052. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO WAIT UNTIL THE DATE(S) INDICATED ABOVE TO RECEIVE YOUR ORDER, YOU MUST CONTACT US TO CONFIRM THAT YOU STILL WANT THE ITEM(S). IF WE DO NOT HEAR FROM YOU, THE ITEM(S) WILL NOT BE SHIPPED, AND YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED FOR THEM.
Gamma Lab coming soon to Hasbro Toy Shop?
Hasbro Toy Shop has posted this little ditty for the Gamma Lab
Price: $29.99, Availability: Coming Soon, Ages: 3 & Up, Item #: 78565Take this store-and-go portable playset along for all of your Super Hero Squad adventures. “Blast” open the Gamma Lab door and catch super villains on the spinning ledge trap! Spider-Man can speed to the scene of a crime on his spider-swinging webline or in his crime-busting spider car! With lots of other movable features, you can create a whole new action scene every time you play. Pack everything up inside and you’re ready for a rescue anytime, anywhere.
Playset comes with vehicle and Spider-Man and Hulk figures.
No idea if this is something similar to how Spider-Man’s Sand Pit Standoff sets were showing up in Walmarts with the Toys R Us exclusive sticker on them before eventually being offered in Toys R Us and then eventually on Hasbro Toy Shop or what other crazy situation could be going on, but I bet it makes you feel good that you didn’t pay $76.70 for one of the first ones to sneak out. Remember, it IS just the Bank Heist Playset with new colors and yet another Spider-Man and Hulk repaint.
News Clips 8/26/08
For those not able to keep up with the couple dozen or so Marvel titles put out monthly, Marvel has put up a Marvel Universe Saga for a free read on their website. With one paragraph catch-up descriptions of most major events and characters, it brings you from Secret War through Secret Invasion.
And FOUR new 12 episode half hour anime series based on new versions of classic Marvel Comics characters? Good idea? Bad idea? Launching in Spring 2010, the press release talks of “a uniquely localized and cross-cultural adaptation of the Marvel Universe”, “creating in essence a whole new character base for Marvel” and “a completely new character base, which will eventually cross-over into the current Marvel Universe” (Note: snippets out of order.) Although the press release talks about how original this concept is, Marvel has dipped its toes into the concept before with Spider-Man J, Spider-Man India, the agreement for Marvel and Del Rey to produce manga series together, the Marvel Mangaverse titles, the 1970′s Hulk manga, and Spider-Man Manga, Marvel UK’s Captain Britain… all attempts by Marvel to create localized and cross cultural versions of Marvel Comics characters (with the exception of Marvel’s Mangaverse, which was made for and marketed to an American audience).
Maybe Marvel will take a cue from DC have have a Countdown Arena type series where the Ryoichi Ikegami Spider-Man, the Yamanaka Akira Spider-Man, the Sharad Devarajan and Jeevan J. Kang Spider-Man, Animated Spider-Men from the 60′s, 80′s, 90′s, BOTH animated Spider-Men from the 2000′s (MTV and the current Spectacular), the 70′s live action Tokusatsu-style robot-fighting Spider-Man, the 70′s “American” live action Spider-Man, the Mangaverse Spider-Man, and… what the heck, maybe even Ultimate Spider-Man can all fight to the death.
