Black Panther Teaser Trailer

What would really be more impressive than this trailer is if they somehow managed to make Klaw look badass and intimidating. 

I'm already impressed and excited though.

ML Dormamu BAF: Dr. Strange (cinematic version)

Marvel is introducing Magic into their Cinematic Universe and of course, it's Stephen Strange that is going to be opening the doors for it! With the movie coming out next month, Marvel Legends came in with their Dormamu BAF! First in the set for me to review is the Benedict version of Dr. Strange; it's how we are going to see him in the movie, folks! How does he fare?!

New wave and character settings means new color scheme for the box! The art on the side featuring Benedict Cumberbatch looks amazing. Or is it a photo? It's an artwork.

The Doctor Strange movie symbol; I think it might be the symbol of Dr. Strange's house, I'm not sure. I only know of Strange's lore through his interactions with the mainstays of Marvel(comic book wise). It looks cool in some aspect though but it also looks like a warped out basketball.

I usually show the figure first before the accessories, but this time, it makes more sense to go this route. Dr. Strange comes with a mediocre set when talking about his accessories. He comes with an extra pair of hands, a mystic arts affect, his cloak, and the eye of Agamotto. Of course, he is equipped with Dormamu's leg. Wish they had more mystic arts effect since this first one is kind of a letdown. Looks cool, but it fails to really capture Dr. Strange's magic aura. His standard effect is the most prominent one; a mystic symbol that has been shown in a lot of his promotional art. Not bad looking; comes off as a shield than a mystical aura. Now it's a neat touch to have the Eye and his cloak be separate from the mold. They didn't have to go that route of detail but they did.

This particular special effect was borrowed from another Dr. Strange in this set; the same effect recycled from Scarlet Witch! I knew they were going to rehash this more than once! And suffice to say, I had more fun using this than the movie official one.

The cinematic universe Dr. Strange has a 'monk' feel to him but the colors and some of his 'styling' truly pay homage to the comic book Strange. The amulet, which I truly assume is the Eye of Agamotto, isn't as fancy as the comic book version.  The cloak itself is a far cry from its fancier comic counterpart, but then again, this might be the plastic impediment unable to capture what the movie version is able to do. All in all, the separation of some of his clothing attire from the figure is a nice little touch. 

This is what the figure looks like without the cloak and the amulet. Lots of sculpting details put into him, which is really appreciated. Hasbro definitely put a lot of effort into this one; I don't think this is a recycled mold. The face is a new one as well. 

Paint is also decent. There are some variations in the coloring and they made some effort to ensure that this is a pretty film accurate/friendly figure. I really have to give it to Hasbro for the details and the fine tuning to try and make sure that they set up Marvel's new Cinematic entity with success in his plastic presence.

The articulation section didn't seem to impress me as much. Some of the movements didn't quite agree with the mold. Because of the details in the figure, there are a lot of hindering. I mean, make a figure as accurate to its movie counterpart, and the movie version happens to have a ton of clothing... then we have plastic, stiff clothing... yeah. That about sums it up. The biggest thing that will deter some of the movements are his cloak and his sash/loincloth, but if it's not for those, he would have the basic movements of course that we all have to recognize with Hasbro's Marvel Legends. I didn't have that much fun posing him around, but the parts I did get with the magic effects were pretty cool. 

Having borrowed another figure's accessory is already a red flag. I could have borrowed Scarlet Witch's and Encantress', but that would be a bit too much color variation for the same looking effects. Dr. Strange has a ton of mystical auras that appears in the comics and it would be a bit too much for Hasbro to try and copy a few of them. But he does need a stand. He is a flier in the comics and I'm sure he'll do some flying in the movie... he needs a stand. 

In the end, this figure to me is just a good looking one and not really something I can find myself posing a lot. A good intro to the wave, most definitely, and I guess we'll see just how awesome the movie is for me to like this figure more. All in all, it's a good addition to my collection. Dr. Strange is an iconic character in the Marvel Lore and he is the Sorcerer Supreme of Marvel(he lost the title once or twice, but I think he retains it even now; but I think there is something wacky going on with the magic. I don't know. I don't read comic books anymore). Good enough fiure. Honestly, it wouldn't have been a complete wave if he isn't around! 

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Geek Moment: Power Rangers and.... A MOMENT OF CIVIL WAR

Entertainment Weekly

Huh. I grew up watching Power Rangers and I expected this reboot to be radical and a bit more in line with what is popular these days.... well. Here we are. I don't have a very strong opinion on the suits just with this still image. I have to say that I'm not surprised they went the route with the "Iron Man"/Guyver look since it just makes sense. Lycra and/or spandex won't do. I have to say that some discretion would have been nice, but the over all vivid and outlandish platings and stuff could be appreciated. Just have to see them in action.

And this is what our originals look like now. Modern and hip, I suppose. The gals are cute and the guys aren't as 'obvious' in their color spectrum. Let's give them a chance.

"Magic wand, make my monster.... glow!"

Now as for Rita Repulsa..... I can't say much. The look doesn't bother me since we are trying to go modern here. Though the speculation with the colors obviously ties in with the Green Ranger. LOL. She'll be making Anacondas grow with that Nikki Minnaj get up! HA!

----------In OTHER NEWS-----------

I'm going to try and let the dust settle before I really talk about this movie. One thing is certain, I TRULY enjoyed it! It was great! Definitely not the comic book version of the Civil War, but still a good take for a Cinematic Universe. Though I have to say, I'm not that impressed with the Spider-Man. He isn't worth all the hooting and hollering. And Aunt May? Really? Regardless, good job Marvel! Now I have to see Dawn of Justice for a good comparison! 

S.H. Figuarts: Iron Man Mark XLV

It's been some time since I've jumped into a review, so here I am! What a better figure to get acclimated back into the groove than a brand new Iron Man figure form the AoU line up! Iron Man Mark XLV from Figuarts! I have to admit, the moment I saw this armor, I knew I was going to like it so I had to get a figure of it, glad Figuarts delivered! So, let's check him out!

The box is pretty familiar since one of my last few reviews involved S.H. Figuarts as well. Imports always have that nice box that shows off the figure and the capabilities of it. It's a nice box, suffice to say.

And of course! One of imports' most well known perk for their price: accessories, variant hands, and effects. Iron Man does not fall short of these and he gets 4 set of hands, two pairs of repulsor blast effects, and then some jet boots effects. Could have used a flight stand, but you know, that probably would have elevated the price to my disliking(this wasn't a bad price for what it is, honestly). And it would definitely have increased the rate if they had a Tony Stark/Robert Downey Jr alternate head.

Now the details of the figure is of course astounding. Now my main qualms with the Iron Man suit in the movies is that they all look almost identical. The changes are so miniscule that one can hardly tell the difference. One thing that Iron Man did do was always make his changes known; if anything else if they didn't want to go that route, at least they could have changed the helmets in all his different armors; okay in IM3 he had different armors and helmet, but still. Mark XLV is the first armor that showcases a far more comic recognizable design and a different helmet(small change, but bigger than the last few they have given). So as far as the figure goes, this one definitely captured the fine details of all the red, the touch of silver, and the subtle but very elegant gold all over his armor. The paint is of course very well done as I would expect. Partner that in with the details in the nooks and cranny of the armor, it's definitely an astounding piece of import.

Just studying underneath his armpit, there are little details in there that is definitely appreciated. The mold itself is always a unique feeling since I either don't buy enough Figuarts to know a recycled mold or it's just a completely new mold every time(which I'm willing to gamble it is). It is kind of hard to reuse the same parts for this particular armor since it is the most unique out of all of the main armors Stark has worn. It has a very durable feel to it to, diecast metal legs and all. If I was to make my complaints on the figure's aesthetics is that the hand guard is a bit too large; makes an awkward poses at certain angles(as this Type V3 Review pointed out). The arc ray and the repulsor hands don't have much paint details making them a bit bland for my taste. Small little mishaps, but still a greatly detailed figure with plenty of things to appreciate.

Articulation is of course highly in depth. An import usually has high standards when it comes to this department as well and I'm glad Mark XLV does not really disappoint. As you can see, if an Iron Man figure can do the Cinematic Universe signature pose, it's going to have a few good points of articulation! And him performing this said pose doesn't look awkward like some of the MLs either! He can vary with his poses and copy some of Iron Man's known figures like flight, repulsor blasts, and just simple posture that is all Iron Man like.

The joints are well covered enough so that it truly does give it a more 'realistic' look. Again some of imports' trademark signature is hiding joints so that posing the figure about is as flawless and aesthetic as it can be. Again going back on details, certain part of the joints are highly detailed that it truly does keep pegs and such as discreet as it can be. Speaking of joints and movability, Iron Man's head moves up and down decently; some neck pivoting and such. Ab crunch and swivel is ab it limited and I'm afraid that it might hurt the figure's paint to truly force certain things. Arm and hands are supported with hinges on his shoulder pads and ball joints that allow a great range of movements. The legs have the standard S.H. Figuarts signature; one can pull down Iron Man's leg so that the hip armor design does not get in the way. Feet have decent ankle pivot and some slight toe articulation. Oh yes, die-cast legs which I think I mentioned already.

All in all, I think this is a great package and a decent price. There are some slight things I wish they could have added like more varied repulsor affects and that opened helmet would make for a fantastic addition to fun factor. Oh and flight stand!

Would have been great if Iron man came with a flight stand of his own and I didn't have to borrow a sigma flight stand.

Mark III, Mark XLII, Mark XLIII, Mark VI, and Mark V

Here's Mark XLV with some of the other movie based Iron Man figures that I own. The Marvel Legends somewhat blend in and obviously the Revoltechs are a good comparison to Mark XLV.

And this is my new Iron Man in the "Red and Gold" Iron Man shelf. He just... blends right in doesn't he? He gets drowned out with all the Red and Golds, thus why he is front and center. Can you spot him?

In conclusion, I think this is my favorite import Iron Man figure thus far. Though not perfect, missing some key points to make it closer to perfect figure, I do believe the price point would have been raised if we received more detailed fire power, RDJr head, and flight stand... Though with great paint details, awesome articulation, and the fact that it's Iron Man's best Cinematic Universe armor so far, I think it's a great figure! One can't not enjoy AoU without this guy in your shelf!

ML Legends BAF: Groot

Starlord, Nova, Gamora, Rocket, Iron Man, Drax

This is most likely going to be the last BAF catch of 2014 and I must say, Groot and the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise surely surprised me this year! What I mean to say is both the movie and this BAF are just amazing pieces added in to the already growing Marvel Universe! So with that said, let's going ahead and dive right in to Groot and the amazing quality this figure provides!

The face may not be my favorite part of this BAF because it's so one dimensional and so stoic that when trying to do an action pose, he just seems bored. Though that's not saying I don't like it because if we are to say that it looks like Groot from the movie, there is hardly anything to say to refute that statement. It looks like Vin Diesel's Groot and despite it being forever bored looking, one can truly remember the movie when looking at his face. The big black and 'ignorant' eyes, the tree/ent looking head, then I'm not even going into detail with what is shown with the shoulders and chest... it's an amazing testament that Hasbro has the capability to make a truly detailed figure. So speaking of details, let's just to that now.

So Jubilee was the last BAF I acquired and while I don't completely dislike the mutant turned Vampire young lady, I do say  that she was a poor choice for a BAF. Now to put aside the idea of size and choice of character, Groot has far more to offer in terms of details. Yes he towers over Jubilee as he should and yes he has more details, but to truly scrutinize the details...

The sculpt on Groot is new and every carved rivets, makeshift tree, twigs, and even the paint(while minor, still appreciated) details given are something new that Hasbro has to offer! This is a brand new mold from what I can tell and as it should be. Groot is a unique and peculiar character as it is so to bring him on the Legends scale with a brand new body mold is a prudent! Honestly, highly appreciated!

Articulation wise, I don't have any real major complaints since he does move pretty well for someone with a peculiar body mold. He has the abdominal swivel that is surprisingly intact despite the sculpting job. The arms are pretty articulated despite the branches sticking out of the shoulders; folds right in the gap between the shoulder joints! The legs have a bit of a -joint that actually works really well and I have no gripes over it. Ankle pivots remains to be the same complaint I have, which again, all well and good since in the end, he stands as he should and posing isn't difficult. At some angles, the stoic facial expression actually does quite well now that I look at it closely. Though the open hands does lack some things... fists and such would be nice. Perhaps alternate hands would do well.

As always, the lack of accessories does hinder the credibility of this BAF. Groot did a myriad of things that would definitely require some accessories like some long variant arm, perhaps some sharp twigs coming out of is back, close fists, and some variant faces. Again, Hasbro's major flaw is providing some extra paraphernalia to make things a bit more... fun.

I have a Marvel Cinematic Universe shelf that ... might stay or might not. In the mean time, Groot stays there. All in all, it's a great figure. Definitely one of the most innovative BAF Hasbro pulled off this year. As for the whole set, it's not my favorite, but definitely not the worse. With the movie being as cool as it was, the addition of the whole team in my collection is definitely got me hooked on a feeling!