Category Archives: Toys General

An AWESOME & Personal Experience With Comic Illustrator Steve Scott!

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For those out there who know me, they can confirm that 2012 was my breaking point with Mattel and their continuous quality control issues, not to mention their inability to finish any toy line they start! So from that point on I committed to downsizing my collections considerably and concentrate on a couple DC Collectible lines, Marvel Selects from movies and ART from local and professional comic illustrators! I was somehow intrigued with the idea of having something either unique or even created just for myself as a new way to express my collecting interest. Enter: Comic Illustrator Steve Scott!

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I met Steve through my buddy Jason Q on Facebook. Of course, as a comic fan, when you actually meet the artist known for his work on the infamous Batman #713 (The issue that led into the DC52 revamp), it is quite a cool and exciting feeling. Besides that famous cover, he is also known for his work on X-Men Forever, Batman Confidential, Hulk, She-Hulk, The Avengers, Fantastic Four and JLA. Check this pic out and below you will see why it is so special!

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Steve has the distinct honor of being the only artist to do comic tie-ins for the “Batman: The Dark Knight ” movie. A very cool fact is that he is one of the select artists whose work hangs in the personal gallery of director George Lucas! So as you can see, this guy is very respected in the comic and art world.

So, on with my awesome and personal experience with this great artist! 🙂

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The cover you see is a one of a kind and in my personal collection. It was a comic dream of mine to hopefully see one day a Marvel and DC Crossover like the old days where Batman and The Punisher somehow became one in the same. Well after Jason informed Mr Scott of my request, he finally was able to get on it and completed during the Free Comic Day last year at 3 Alarm Comics in Mississippi. The CTP you see on the cover represents Collector’s Trading Post on FaceBook. A group I had created awhile back, with the sole purpose of having a place where collectors can help collectors without the gouged and obnoxious pricing of other groups or even Ebay. I have since turned CTP over to two of my very good friends, Bill and Rick. To this day, they still carry on the tradition and I still assist in articles and news as time permits.

There is a very funny twist to the above cover though! Once Steve completed it, Jason had called me since he works part-time at the comic shop, with the news that someone had already offered $60 for it and they decided to put it up for auction (mistakenly of course)! LOL, I was like, “Oh Hells No!” So I immediately dropped $100 to deter anyone else from claiming what I had already considered mine! One thing you should know is that Steve is one of the most giving and friendliest people I have had the pleasure to speak and/or deal with. All proceeds from all of his auctions go to local charities and not in his pocket! That is something that speaks miles for a person!

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But my story does not end there! Since there was a major communication error, I asked if he wouldn’t mind hooking a brother up and signing my copy of one of his most famous comic illustrations to date: BATMAN #713! He informed me that it would be his pleasure and here is that very same issue that is displayed in my “Man-Cave”!

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Let me add some more visual brain food and show you the picture that Jason sent me as Steve signed this iconic piece of comic history:

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Yes, I must say that an experience like this is something a comic fan or collector will always remember and be thankful for! As a father of 2 small boys, I look forward to telling this very same story to them when they are older. When that time comes to turn what was once mine over to them, they will have 2 very special pieces of comic art and history from a great and talented man, Steve Scott! I leave you with a close up of his signature from above! So, THANK YOU STEVE and thanks as always to everyone for your support! Please check out Steve’s other work  and find out what he is up to on the following links:

http://stevescott.deviantart.com/

http://www.comicvine.com/steve-scott/26-19013/

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~Joey~

Superman: Man Of Steel Will Decide The Fate Of The Justice League Movie!

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June 14th cannot seem to get here fast enough for many people, including myself, as it pertains to Warner Brothers and Zack Snyder’s revamp of the Superman franchise. So much is riding on this project with how DC Comics will be brought to life on the Big Screen! The most recent attempt to generate a fan base resulted in an Epic Fail known to many as Green Lantern! For a movie that cost $200 million to make, the $220 million it actually brought in was a severe blow to the movie studio. This is why Superman: Man of Steel must succeed above all expectations to pave the road for future movie projects like The Justice League, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Batman and so on. But, I have hope and that hope rides in Henry Cavill!

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Take a good look at the above picture! This guy, for the first time in the history of Superman media, has fully embraced the role! We finally have an actor with not only the physical build but the height and determination to portray The Big Blue Boy Scout! Cavill went into this head first and crushed a workout routine that was complimented by a 5000 calorie diet per day to put the muscle mass on to give true life to this iconic character. No one else has ever shown this type of determination before now! For that, it has awoken that inner child of mine and has me on edge in anticipation!

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Yet, so much rides on the success of this movie, it is quite nerve wracking  to say the least! Warner Brothers has shown true determination and preparation when it comes to gearing up for the Justice League movie. Then again, they have made it known, that if this movie does not do well then we will not see the greatest super hero team up come to life anytime soon! Their statement made me laugh since every pic, trailer and reviews from industry gurus has been nothing but amazing thus far! Take this following statement from Mark Millar (propietor of Millarworld and best known for Superman: Red Son):

“It’s hard to put a finger on it, but sometimes it just feels right. Curt Swan and Alex Ross have captured Superman better than any other artist. Cary Bates, Elliot Maggin, Mark Waid, Gerry Conway and Alan Moore have nailed it more than any other writer. There have been some brilliant creators on Superman over the years telling wonderful stories, but my radar is attuned and I can spot an impersonation. Jose Luis Garcia Lopez draws a guy I believe is Superman just like Alex Ross can. But others can’t regardless of how brilliant they may be. It’s just an X-factor or an understanding of the character. 

Anyway, it’s the same with casting. So many people been pored over all the years and so many of them close, but wrong. Brandon Routh is actually brilliant and you only have to see Scott Pilgrim to see how impeccable his timing is. But he looked more like Christopher Reeve than Superman. Dean Cain, Tom Welling and all the others were completely wrong for the part and the big names mooted were never right either. But I completely buy Cavill in this role. That instinctive gut feeling that I’m looking at a pic of Superman. 

I don’t even mind the costume. Losing the trunks was pointless, throws the balance of the design off and looks truly, truly HORRIBLE in the comics. But the muted colours work really well, those dark blues and reds really making the pics look very rich and regal. I love how this is looking. Cavill was a great choice, but then Snyder has a great eye. Cracking team behind this so I have high hopes.”

BOOM! That right there is gold my friends! This is only one of a plethora of comments that have been tossed out there for us to drool over!

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Everything about this movie so far has been given nothing but extremely positive praise! Oops, my bad! I forgot about the morons over at yahoo.com! They deemed Superman: Man Of Steel one of the “Biggest Movie Disappointments of 2012” based off of a 3000+ vote because his new suit did not include the “Red Underoos”! Needless to say, I have stopped visiting that site since they show the intelligence of a single cell organism from the primordial soup of life! Yes, I am harsh, but I do loathe ignorance. Opinions, good or bad, are fine. That poll though was down right stupid!

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All I know is that Superman: Man Of Steel MUST and WILL succeed! There is so much I could go into about the plot, villians, possible cameos and so on because of my excitement level! That though, is another article completely in itself! So, for everyone who is a DC Comics and Movie fan, keep your fingers crossed because come June 14th, The Justice League Movie’s fate will be decided! Thanks for reading and your continued support of The Toy Nation! Have a great week! 🙂

Here is the YouTube link for the #2 Trailer if you have yet to see it! AMAZING!

You can also join the discussion in progress on our forums here.

Lego Super Heroes Arctic Batman vs Mr Freeze: Aquaman on Ice! An Inside Look!

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Lego is coming on strong already in 2013 and wasted no time releasing their newest sets when the ball dropped in Times Square on January 1st! Of all 4 sets released in Wave 2 so far, ARCTIC BATMAN VS MR FREEZE: AQUAMAN ON ICE was so far the most exciting for myself. Lets look at the specs before I delve into my review:

Set: 76000

Released” January 2013

Pieces: 198

Figures Included: Arctic Batman / Aquaman / Mr Freeze

Price: $19.99

Perks: 3 New figures and Comic Book

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This was the first set I picked up from Walmart out of the 4 latest releases. The fact that both Aquaman and Mr Freeze were included made it a “No Brainer” for myself! Besides the 3 awesome figures, this Batman fan was super psyched about the addition of another tool in Batman’s arsenal: THE BATBOAT!! This thing is “Loaded For Bear”! Two discs you can fire, places to hold two Batarangs, Batbombs strategically placed in the rear to deter pursuers, a 3D screen for Batman to view and just an overall amazing piece of Batman Lego craftmanship! The detail inside the cockpit, as well as the outside is one of the best they have released to date!

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The old saying, “big things come in small packages” is so true when it pertains to the ice prison Mr Freeze captures Aquaman in. Designed with a lever on the side, Aquaman can break free when Batman comes to the rescue!

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Of course I saved the best for last! What I do like the most is the figures! Lego figures usually sell by themselves for $10+. That being said, at a retail price of $19.99, I see it as great deal! The figures alone on Ebay would run you $30+! Aquaman was my “Golden Egg” since I am on a personal quest to assemble The Lego Justice League! Mr Freeze’s new design is great and gives me a Arkham City feel. Even though simplistic, the designers over at Lego Corp did one Hell of a job with Freeze’s gun as well! Artic Batman is a new variant that you can alongside of the ever growing Batman suits.

In closing, The Batcave is looking even better with this new set and I highly recommend you picking this up if you haven’t already! Now I must go and count my pennies in preparation for the soon to be released Arkham Asylum set ($169.99 OUCH!)!!

Joey

Let us know what you think of the product, or the review in our forums here.

Lego Castlevania

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I almost want to see him die, so i can see him break up into pieces

I almost want to see him die, so i can see him break up into pieces

Sadly there is no lego tie in with Castlevania on the horizon but over at the Retro Gaming Blog there is an excellent image of a physical lego set up. The stage style would be great for recreating  plenty of classic video game looks.

as always, you can share your thoughts by hitting the forums.

-revsears

Django Unchained toys pulled due to insensitivity and depication of slavery, now worth lots of money

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filmreel The recently released Tarantino film had already caused a stir when there was talk of “shooting white people.” Now due to the connection with slavery in the film the Weinstein company has ordered all the action figures pulled.

This of course have already affected the prices on Ebay. As these were already connected with the controversial Tarantino, and aimed at adult collectors, I’m not sure what the problem.

Discuss it on our forums.

-revsears

Legandary Monsters, a 3 3/4 scale kickestarter announcement

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The Legendary creatures

The Legendary creatures

Nevermore toys has announced a new line of the 3 3/4 monster action figures that they hope to fund via Kickstarter. This looks like a great potential line to set along side a G.I.Joe Zombie-viper and have your Joes hunt  them down.

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as you can see each monster has a base and a victim, this one is the chupachabra, my fave of the bunch.

Hit up their home page to find out more, or check them out on facebook.

to talk about the monsters on our forum, go here: