fairplaythings.com

I really didn’t know I had this much to say until I began to say it.

Anyway, just some of the highlights (and lowlights) from what I’ve seen out of Toyfair 2009. One of these days, maybe I’ll get to live the fanboy dream and be able to attend in person. Until that day, this is as good as it gets for me.

Transformers

Being in love with Diamond Direct’s statue line, I am psyched about the upcoming Galvatron, Ultra Magnus and Jetfire. Although I would prefer a more matted finish on Ultra Magnus. (And I am still insanely curious as to whether the exclusive Galvatron, Ultra Magnus, Jetfire and Ricochet will appear at www.xl-shop.com (located in Malaysia of all places), particularly given that they were expected back in July 2008 and no longer show up on their website.)

I am so sad to hear the ongoing rumours that Season Three will be the last season of Transformers: Animated. I cannot believe how hard I’ve fallen for this line. Here’s hoping that Arcee (and here), Soundblaster and Ratbat don’t end up left on the drawing board like their predecessors in the line Titanium. It’s not as if there isn’t a precedence for showing off a particular toy that you end up cancelling.

Like others though, I welcome the new Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen as a chance to take a reprieve from Transformer-madness. I suspect I’ll buy a few of the interesting figures, but overall I have no interest in retreads of key characters like Bumblebee and Optimus Prime. The first movie was enough for that. I do wonder though if Hasbro was close enough to the filming process this time to get toys that will be movie-accurate the first time around, or will they be encouraged to again reproduce a second version for the Christmas rush.

And this is probably not the ringing endorsement that parties involved want to hear but Devastator, oh, he could have been so much worse. I dislike the absence of a unifying colour for sure, but he much better than how I feared he would come out. Like on wheels or something…

That said, there are a few figures that look interesting. Like Volt. Hey look ma! Hooks for hands! (It helps that he’s a Fast Action Battler, the singularly best part of the first movie line in my opinion.) And sucker I am, I am totally going for the Bumblebee helmet and hand cannon accessories.

DC-Land

I should have known that … wouldn’t end with Batman and Superman. But I’m really surprised how quickly they moved onto Green Lantern. And strangely pleased. To feed my love of super-deformed heroes (and the Green Lantern shrine), these are pick-ups. That said, is it just me or does Hal look like he has a Guy Gardner collar going on?

Speaking of Hal, he is quickly becoming a mainstay of all things DC Direct. It’s like once they do a Superman and a Batman, they move to Hal… sometimes even before Wonder Woman… So where is the movie, guys? Not that you can keep track of lanterns these days since they keep showing up in different hues…

So happy that Mr. T is getting the Mattel DC Universe treatment. I can only hope that sometime soon the same will occur for Mr. Sloan and we can get our very first full-articulate Golden Age Mr. Terrific action figure. On that day, I pledge to buy TWO - one for home and one for office. There. That should be incentive enough.

And I fear that Jay will have to come home to join Hal (although not likely this Hal because of the price point and the fact I already have the very nice DC Direct figure). Could this mean an Alan Scott could be coming soon? Dare to dream!

Having declared the unlikelihood of acquiring the Tonner Hal Jordan, I should say that they really did wet my lips with Hawkgirl.

I was tempted already on the Giffen-era JLA. But I gotta say this little addition to wave two might just convince me.

G.I.Joe-ville

That’s a pretty neat transforming base, even if it looks like a weird SUV-aircraft carrier hybrid. And while the Motor Viper figure is kind of neat, I gotta say the SUV doesn’t compare to an old fashion H.I.S.S. tank. Really, is there anything as iconic in G.I.Joe-ville as the H.I.S.S.? So clearly it can’t be in the film…

Curiously how much RoC Scarlett (can we really begin to use acronyms to distinguish the movie from the RAH line?) bears more than a passing resemblance to Sigma Six Scarlett. (Editor’s note: now that’s a figure a certain club should be pushing to have remade for its members.)

Speaking of Sigma Six, this line of movie figures seemingly takes the worst of that line (the non-recognizable figures) and adds the worst elements of the bulky, non-articulate Extreme line (really, were there redeemable elements of that line 1)

While on the subject on non-articulation, I am generally a fan of the Robot Heroes and Combat Heroes lines. However, while I’ve caught all the Transformer Movie Heroes, in addition to their animated selves, I can safely take a pass on the RoC Combat Heroes. I hate to be a buzz kill, but there is no buzz there at all. Maybe it is the absence of recognizable attire. However, I am all about this H.I.S.S. tank - I can totally see a black version with a repainted driver to match his classic look.

All that aside, the 25th Anniversary line still rocks my socks! ZAP and LAMPREY! So cool!! Even RoC thinks so, what with their stealing Scrap-Iron and everything.

Others

A life-size Smile Time Angel? Who would have thunk it?

While I might not need a Master Chief, but, wow, I might just need a Sgt. Johnson.

That’s a pretty cool looking Deadpool figure. And who thought that after Iron Man recently got the Captain America treatment, he would then get the Punisher treatment. Does this mean Frank is armouring up for Dark Reign? Or that Marvel is becoming increasingly toy focussed now that the license for their toy properties is with Marvel? Hey, I just call it like I see it.

And Arno Stark? Total cuteness!

1. I shouldn’t be so hard on every element G.I. Joe Extreme. There was room to work with a character like Iron Klaw and I’m surprised he hasn’t been introduced into the 25th Anniversary line like Matt Tracker. But honestly, those figures represent the worst of the “lose-the-articulation-and-play-value-and-make-it-like-a-statue” look made famous by McFarlane Toys. The only interesting part of the line was Mayday, who irony of ironies, was the only figure not released.