SummerSwap 2015 Update 6: The Dark Prince of Bel Air

The most recent host for the SummerSwap box is one of my the people that inspired me to start blogging: Mr. Shawn Robare who runs the awesome Branded in the 80s.

The box has now traveled around 7500 miles!

Shawn did a post about one of the cool things he pulled out of the Swap Box, the MASK-inspired Laserpunks. You can check that post out here.

He also sent along a few photos of Drac around Bel Air.

It was a sunny day around town, and Shawn just happened to have a pair of Drac-sized sunglasses he could lend.

Drac sampling the local cuisine.

Drac at the local armory, which reminded him of home.

That's a wrap for this update! 

The remaining stops for the box are on the East coast, but it's heading West next....

August 2015 Loot Crate - Villains 2

It's no surprise that Loot Crate decided to follow up last months sequel, Heroes 2, with another sequel: Villains 2! As always, the mischievous minions at Loot Crate have supplied me with this box of geeky goodies in exchange for a review/promotion.

Let's see what's cookin, shall we?

There's not a lot of "content" in this months mag. Feels like there's more self promotion for LC than articles. There's a nifty little "Match the Quote to the Villain" game and a few pages on Batman baddies and how we all might have people like them in our lives.

I'm not the biggest DC comics fan but I am pretty into their shows and movies. This Joker figure is about 4" high and made entirely out of wood. He's got a surprising amount of articulation for something you'd expect to just be a desk tchotchke. His waist, wrists, shoulders, and head are all movable. He even comes with a swap-out head. If you look close at his "smile" you'll notice they say different things. Mistah J here is a Loot Crate exclusive but they also have Batman and Superman figures.

If you need a little crazy with your morning coffee, here's a 16 oz. Venom head mug. Some people got Venom, some got Carnage. You can't choose your crazy, it chooses you. Something about the face just doesn't look right to me, maybe because it looks like a normal head? But I do like how the tongue lashes around the back to form the handle.

My favorite item in the crate is this Hydra pin from eFX Collectibles. The packaging is a Loot Crate exclusive, the retail version will have a different box. This was created from the original digital files that were used to make the movie prop.

Also in the Crate was a Los Pollos Hermanos (Breaking Bad) apron. It was all nicely folded and in a plastic bag. Since I'll never use it, I figured I'd leave it that way so someone else can have the joy of opening it.

Here's a peek at the interior of the Crate. I really like what they've been doing with the insides of the boxes. I've seen other Looters mounting them on their walls to create a place to show off their collectibles, which is a pretty cool idea.

In terms of villainous plots, I'd call this month's Loot Crate "knocking over a bank and finding out most of what you grabbed was international currency." Some of it's good, but most of it isn't for you and would be better enjoyed somewhere else.

If you'd like to get a random box of geeky goodies dropped on your doorstep every month, head on over to Loot Crate and sign up! Use promo code AEIOUwhy for 10% off your subscription plan.

Marvel 500 Review

Now that my local Target has completed its toy aisle reset (except for the glaring hole where the new Star Wars merch will live on September 4th), there's actually some new stock.

Hasbro is taking Marvel into the mass market blind bag arena with Marvel 500. So called because they say they're planning on releasing 500 figures in the line. If I were a betting man, I would plunk down a roll of bills on "Maybe 100, if you're lucky."

You might recall the Handful of Heroes figures that warmed pegs for a number of years. Those monochromatic army-man type figures were actually not that bad. Marvel 500 figures are around 2", just a little taller than your average LEGO minifig.

Rock out with your Ock out!

For their size, the figures actually have a good amount of detail on them. The plastic seems like it will take a good amount of rough play. They really feel like they're pieces for some kind of board game to me.

At the price of $2.50 per figure, the paint apps are minimal. Although some of the ones I've seen photos of are pretty passable. At a proposed 500 figures, you may be wondering how deep they'll go into the Marvel Mythos. Will we get Howard the Duck? Angar the Screamer? Sleepwalker?

The answer lies in variants and repaints! Here you can see my ultra-rare translucent Amputee Hulk figure. He's missing both hands and his left foot!

A little disappointing to open the bag and find this guy inside, to say the least.

Series 1 has 24 figures to collect, of which half are variants and repaints.

3 Spider-Man
3 Hulks
2 Cap
2 Venom/Carnage
2 Green Goblin
2 Ultron
2 Ghost Rider
2 Ultron
2 Iron Man
2 Thor
1 Nick Fury
1 Punisher (one of the best looking figures!)

I probably won't be getting any more of these unless I'm trying to hunt down a particular favorite character of mine. I could see these being a good pacifier for the little ones crying in the toy aisles who want something and the surprise of not knowing what's inside might be fun for them. If you're someone that's into painting miniatures, I think these could be worth picking up to customize.