The AFB Podcast Episode 159: Palisades Muppets Super Beaker / Sideshow Catwoman Premium Format

Episode 159 of the AFB Podcast is live at iTunes and is now available for direct download! Download and subscribe to the podcast at iTunes now! 

This week, join Ben, Scott and John for all of the latest news and reviews!

This week, our Toy of the Week is the Palisades Muppets Super Beaker and then we break down the Sideshow Collectibles Catwoman Premium Format Statue.

If you don't use iTunes, you can download Episode 159 here now! Click on the link to listen, or right click to save the file! The podcast will always be available from the “Podcast” tab here - but if you can subscribe and give us positive ratings at iTunes, that will help us greatly! 

The AFB Podcast is also on Stitcher Radio!

Have a listen, and please give us some feedback at podcast@actionfigureblues.com - we might even read out your feedback on the next show!

Happy listening!


News Covered in this Episode

1. DCC Icons Articulation Breakdown - submitted by Mainman804 at Reddit
2. Funko Game of Thrones Mystery Minis Series 2
3. Sherlock Blind Box Toys from Titan - submitted by timtamtommy2 at Reddit
4. Mythic Legions New Stretch Goals - submitted by filistyne at Reddit
5. Sideshow Collectibles Darth Vader P/F Statue
6. Sideshow Collectibles preview “Classic” Catwoman P/F statue
7. Sideshow Collectibles Gipsy Danger statue
8. Hot Toys Hulkbuster Iron Man ⅙ action figure
9. Sneak peek at Three Zero’s TMNT ⅙ action figures.
10. S.H.Figuarts Super Sailor Moon
11. Enterbay Jean-Claude Van Damme ⅙ action figure.
12. Gentle Giant The Walking Dead - Glenn Rhee mini-bust
13. Toynami 1:18 Acid Rain action figures
14. Bandai Snowspeeder pre-order

The AFB Podcast Episode 125: Funko Domo Batman, Bowen Frankenstein, Earth Two Wonder Woman, Sideshow Catwoman

Episode 125 of the AFB Podcast is live at iTunes and is now available for direct download! Download and subscribe to the podcast at iTunes now! 

Join Eli, Tom, Ben and Scott for this week's toy news and reviews as we turn 125 Episodes Old! Be prepared - it's  BIG show!

This week we check out four great items - there's something for everyone!

Funko Domo Batman

Bowen Designs Frankenstein Statue

DC Collectibles Earth Two Wonder Woman

Sideshow Collectibles Catwoman 1/6 Scale Figure

If you don't use iTunes, you can download Episode 125 here now! Click on the link to listen, or right click to save the file! The podcast will always be available from the “Podcast” tab here - but if you can subscribe and give us positive ratings at iTunes, that will help us greatly! 

The AFB Podcast is also on Stitcher Radio!

Have a listen, and please give us some feedback at podcast@actionfigureblues.com - we might even read out your feedback on the next show!

Happy listening!

Beauty in Black and White

I am not a completist collector of DC Direct's Batman Black & White Statue line, but there have been the occasional pieces that have caught my eye, and two of these have been released relatively recently: the Steve Rude Catwoman and Frank Quietly Batman statues.

The Steve Rude Catwoman statue captures my favourite Catwoman look. I doubt she'll be taken out of her leather gear anytime soon, and it's a look I've grown used to, but this cape and skirt combo is much more iconic Catwoman to me and it's great to see it captured here. Better yet, this is a fantastically dynamic pose - the raised arm, wide stance and flowing skirt and cape must have been a sculptor's delight, and it's been very well executed with a suitably fierce facial expression to match.

I am quite fascinated by the incorporation of softer materials within a sculpt, and the whip here is nicely done. Firmly held in place and shape, but not easily breakable. It's a great accent for a near-perfect piece.

I'm aware that Frank Quietly's Batman design isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I am very fond of it, and this statue captures the look brilliantly. There are a number of things I like about Quietly's Batman: the wrinkles in the boots and briefs, the understated, straight-hanging cape, and the fact that his Bats isn't an overly muscled goon. One of the things that makes Batman who he is is the idea that he's a bit of an everyman who has become The Dark Knight - definitely superiorly fit and athletic, but not a massively steroided physique.

The best part of this statue, however, is the headsculpt. It captures Quitley's Batman perfectly. Quite often I find that there is a degree of subtletly or detail that fails to translate from sketches to some of DCD's busts and statues (particularly their artist specific bust lines), but the Batman Black & White line seems to be fairly consistent in nailing these exactly, and this is a perfect example of that.

These are statues I'm very happy to have amongst my Batman display. The smallish size of this line makes it an easy one to cherry pick as they don't have huge bases and can easily be placed on a smaller action figure shelf as well as a larger statue shelf. I'm waiting for a more classic version of the Joker to compliment these than the one that's already been released, and a Silver / Bronze Age Robin certainly wouldn't go astray as well!

You can see more pics at Facebook, discuss this at the AFB Forum, and comment on this post to enter the October AFB Comment of the Month Contest - and remember it's my birthday this month so one AFB Facebook fan will also get a prize this month!

Until next time!

A Cat worth waiting for!

DC Direct has been very delay prone this year, although mostly in the 6” figure department. Statues have been a bit more on time, but the Cover Girls of the DC Universe: Catwoman statue ended up arriving very late for some reason that will most likely never be known, giving DCD’s chronic lack of communication with us wee fans.

The numerous delays had me wondering if there was going to be some kind of killer flaw in the final product, but happily this is not the case. I love the Black Canary and Zatanna statues in this line and like the Wonder Woman, but the Catwoman statue has gone straight to the top of the class for me, which says alot because I am not a huge fan of the character.

Of all of the statues so far, this one most brings the original Adam Hughes art to life – the face and eyes are especially is very well done – she looks stunning. The effect used to make the leather “look” is excellent. The pose is excellent, and I like the use of flexible plastic for bits that might otherwise break, like Catwoman’s “tail”.

Interestingly, while the Black Canary statue was packed with its base detached to minimise the size of the box, this is not the case here. This may because Catwoman was actually supposed to come out before Black Canary and it’s a running change to the line. I hope that’s the case, as I like the smaller boxes both from environmental and storage perspectives.

This is a great line, and I’m looking forward to the upcoming Power Girl, the announced Poison Ivy and hopefully a long life for this line. Vixen, Huntress and Big Barda would be the top of my list for future releases.

You can see more pics at Facebook, discuss this at the AFB Forum, and enter the December AFB Comment of the Month Contest by commenting on this post.

Until next time!