Fall 2023 Hauls

[Shockwave]

Some non TF hauls I neglected to share: Skyrim for PS4. I've been playing through it lately and really enjoying it. A lot of similarities to Dark Souls in terms of gameplay and environment, but different enough that I'm enjoying it.

A soldering gun. I have TNG Tricorder modification project that I've been "working on" for over 5 years. I bought the upgrade kit right before my wife and I started dating and... yeah, it's been sitting in the garage since. Nice to finally have some forward momentum on that project.

A new bed. My old one was pretty high, like 3 1/2 feet and I had to hop into it. The new one is considerably shorter.

And back to TF hauls: Core class Snarl. Did I mention this one yet? Cause I got it and now have the complete Volcanicus. Sigh.... Ok. I like having the individual Dinobots in core scale. Dear Hasbro: The Dinobots DO NO NEED TO COMBINE!!! Stop making them combine!!! I like the idea, but the execution leaves us with Dinobots with a LOT of sacrifices made in service of a combined mode that isn't worth the sacrifices. I would have preferred better individual bots that don't combine instead of what we got. Still, I appreciate that they're trying something new and I do hope this leads to other core class combiners like Devastator. Most of them actually do look pretty good in both modes, with the exception of Sludge. His robot mode legs took a hit that is... yikes. Anyway... are they great? No. Are they good for what they're meant to be? Yes, and it's better than nothing. But I expect better ones in the future.

The "not sure if I mentioned these already, apologies if I have" list:
Transmetal II Blackarachnia: Got this a while back but don't remember if I posted it. It's my favorite of the TF spiders.
Legacy Transmetal II Megatron: I love this one almost as much as the original. I'd love it as much if it had the same amount of vacuum metalized color on it.
Armada Universe Megatron: It's smaller and doesn't have the features of it's larger original inspiration. Which just feels cheap. I don't hate it, and it does a good job of representing the original figure well, but I can't help feeling you'd be better off just buying an original. Then you get the fun of all the features. Also, the bit that on the original would slide up to hide the face, is instead a pieces that folds into the chest. Even though the detail is there for the piece that you would use to slid it up and down. I seriously messed with that for about 10 minutes before figuring out that it doesn't slide

Legacy Evolution leader class Nova Prime: Got this yesterday and I love it!! Yes, it reuses a lot from Ultra Magnus and presumably Cybertron universe Optimus Prime, but it's different enough that he's definitely his own thing. Complete with White Optimus, which I love. My only complaint is that when he's not holding the big guns in robot mode, they flip up behind the back and you can see how hollow they are. Hasbro really should have made those more solid. But other than that, I love it.

[andersonh1]

Today's haul: Golden Age Batman omnibus vol. 10, completing the run and filling in that last gap between vol. 9 and the first Silver Age volume. I have the first 19 years of Batman reprinted and on my bookshelf, and if we get a Silver Age volume 2, that will be all of the 1940s and 1950s reprinted, which is pretty impressive. I'm looking forward to getting started on this volume later today.

[andersonh1]

Interesting haul today at Ollie's discount: a replica edition of what was essentially the first DC comic, New Fun Comics #1. This book is huge, much larger than modern comics. It's mostly one page black and white strips that end on cliffhangers. No superheroes yet, just adventure characters, westerns, spies, etc. The features and ads are reprinted as well. Interesting reading to see how it all began.

[Ursus mellifera]

I have a haul! It's not a Transformer, but it kind of looks like one:

[andersonh1]

I have a haul! It's not a Transformer, but it kind of looks like one:

Nice!!!!

[Shockwave]

I have a haul! It's not a Transformer, but it kind of looks like one:

Congratulations!!

[andersonh1]

Arrived today: the Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner compendium. It's pretty much a big trade paperback at 700 pages. It looks tiny compared to the two Starman compendiums, both of which are around 1500 pages each! There are two eras of Green Lantern that I've only partially read: the Bronze Age in the 70s and first half of the 80s, and the decade where Kyle was GL, from 94 to 2004. I've got some issues from both, but I'd enjoy a line of compendiums that collect the whole Kyle run now that I'm interested in reading it all and seeing what I skipped at the time. So hopefully this book will sell well enough for a second book, always assuming I like the material.

[andersonh1]

Finally got the final IDW2 Transformers volume "War's End", so I have that entire continuity in hardcover. Looking at the contents, it collects Transformers #37–43, Transformers: War’s End #1–4, and Transformers: Fate of Cybertron which wraps it all up. I still hate that this continuity ended so quickly, but what we got is easily my favorite Transformers since Dreamwave.

[Sparky Prime]

Lightning Collection Remastered MMPR Red and Green Rangers

I'd gotten the standard releases some time ago, which were disappointing. The standard Red Ranger has a wonky helmet, and Hasbro forgot the white diamonds under the dragon shield on the Green Ranger. So I was pretty happy when they announced the Remastered figures. I mean, it kinda sucked to rebuy these figures, but the Remastered figures fix the problems the earlier figures had, plus gives them more paint apps and accessories, making them the best versions of the MMPR team Hasbro has made to celebrate the 30th anniversary.

Unfortunately, these figures still have some controversies... For some reason, Hasbro decided not to give the Remastered Green Ranger his iconic dragon shield. Instead, that comes with the Remastered Red Ranger. At least it has been designed to be easily removed so any of the Remastered figures can wear it. Green Ranger comes with the Green Candle, so I guess Hasbro is going with the narrative of the Green Ranger loosing his powers and transferred them to the Red Ranger, but that's an odd choice for this series which is meant to represent the best versions of these characters. Green Ranger also comes with the blade blaster in three configurations, which wasn't necessary. He didn't have a blade blaster in the show, save for the rare times American footage gave him the wrong holster. And Red Ranger is the only Remastered figure not to come with a civilian head.

Controversies aside, these are great versions of the MMPR characters. They certainly are an improvement over the previous versions Hasbro has released. It's a shame it took them so long to get them right with so many quality control problems and rumors the Lightning Collection line is going on hiatus.