Marvel Toybox - Doctor Strange Figure

Here is the other Marvel Toybox figure that I had to get when I saw him. I had no idea they were making this so it was a nice surprise to find him on the shelf.

He was definitely a lot easier to free from his plastic prison than Star-Lord was.

He comes with a removable cloak which has got some interesting checkered texturing on the inside. As I mentioned with Star-Lord, the figures have a peg hole in the back and Strange's cloak has a peg to secure it to him.

 As excited as I was to find him, I got more disappointed with the figure after getting a good look at him. I don't know if it's the amulet hanging so low or his tabard being too long but he just looks stocky.

He looks like he has stubby legs and his arms are too long. I don't think the bulky foot wraps are helping either. He's got even less of a range of leg movement than Star-Lord due to his clothes. Not that he needs it really. And then there's the paint apps. Look at the opening in his tunic on the left, it's got a bit of red on it which is somewhat puzzling as the only red is on his cloak which isn't even molded on to him.

And then there's his shoulder which looks like it's had some wear even though he's fresh out of the package. I didn't see any paint issues with Star-Lord so I'm thinking I just got a bad paint figure.

I did mention how these are a bit taller and chunkier than your average 3.75" and here's a side by side. Every time I look at him, I'm thinking dwarf.

He does look pretty cool from the right angle though. They did a great job with the face, except for that tiny white spot on his goatee on the right. His hair has got a great sculpt to it. I also have to give them credit for his clothes. They could have just done smooth but they textured everything very well.

Overall, I could overlook the paint issues if he didn't look so stocky.

If you're wondering why I reference Star-Lord so much, it's because these two are my first venture into Toybox figures.I talked about Star-Lord on Tuesday.

Marvel Toybox - Star-Lord Figure

I hit the Disney store last weekend to see if they had any interesting Solo merch. While I wasn't let down at the amount of stuff they had, I was a little disappointed that a lot of it didn't appeal to me. But as I wandered around the store, I found some new Toybox figures!

I know some people aren't crazy about the cartoony design of the Toybox figures when it comes to Star Wars (I happen to like it) but with comic book characters it just seems natural. While I can appreciate giving the figure a dynamic pose in package, I am so not a fan of the tray that's molded to fit around the figure to the point where you have to cut parts of it to pop the figure out. It should not be this hard!

The figures are Disney Store exclusive and are priced at $12.99, but there was a sale going on where it you bought two or more, they were only $10 each. Who was the other figure? 

Stay tuned on Thursday!

The price is about the going rate for a 3.75" figure but these are chunkier than your average figure and a bit taller at 5.5". All the figures have a little hole in the back for accessories. For example, Cap can wear his shield. And they also have peg holes in their feet that will fit a modern 3.75" figure stand, something I was pretty excited to discover.

For a toy that looks more aimed at kids, they have articulation in just about every place you'd want including swivel wrists and rocker ankles. The only thing he can't really do is sit down. His legs just won't go out straight.

They also have a lot of detail where they could have skimped. He's got the boosters on the sides of his boots and there's some doodads on the jacket lapel that gives it a little something extra. The gloves are also a great touch.

One of my favorite little things is that they gave him a gun belt with pegs so you can "holster" the guns. The guns themselves are a little too bendy for my personal taste. You can see above, the gun pointing at you is a little bent.

Here's a better shot of the holstered guns and you can see how bent that one on the left is. And yes, Disney owns his ass. 

My only other minor complaint with the figure is the color they chose for the hair. I think it's a little too close to the jacket color. When I first saw it in the store I was wondering if he had some kind of weird thing on his head. Nope, just hair.

I'm really hoping they decide to do the other Guardians in this line because I'd love to get the whole team in this style. I can only imaging what Rocket and Groot might look like.

Mail Order Monday - Spy Pen (1971)

The mail order ads in comic books were always promising something amazing, something that seemed too good to be true. The Spy Pen was one of the few things that delivered on what it promised...sort of.

Click for larger view

Nowadays, if you're looking for a spy pen, you'll find them with an audio recorder, hidden camera, or even a USB drive built into them. This ad from 1971 promises the ability to see through walls!

You may wonder what miracle of modern 70s technology could perform this Superman-like feat. What could be so amazing to be the "greatest espionage device ever used by German intelligence during WWII and now used by Inter-Pol"?
The answer is: a drill.

Yep, a tiny drill built into the pen will make an "unnoticeable hole right through the toughest plaster or wood. Even someone standing near the wall will not hear the hole being drilled."

Once you drill the hole, you insert the pen into it to use its 172° wide angle lens to be able to view the entire room. And the best part? You can photograph through the lens!

This is the kind of thing that sounds awesome as a kid and pretty sketchy as an adult. I have to wonder how many annoyed parents had to patch holes in their walls because their kid got one of these.