Review - Sideshow Star Wars 12″ Mace Windu

 ”He is the traitor!”

Those were the last words of the coolest human Jedi in Star Wars. Played by one of my favourite actors, Samuel L Jackson, Jedi Master Mace Windu was the one Jedi I would not want to mess around with. Deadly serious and intense, Master Windu was also a master of the seventh form of lightsaber swordplay - vapaad. He created it.

I’ve always felt that Master Windu was the one Jedi who looked the most arrogant in those Jedi robes. Strangely though, he was also elegant in them. It was this air of strength about him that made him a great leader within the Jedi Order. With him around, even movie-goers felt safe in their seats!

If one is new to this Jedi, they can check out Wookiepedia’s description of him. Recorded there is the history and exploits that exude commitment to the ways of the Jedi and loyalty to the Order . It was therefore a great shame that one of such stature should fall to his little luxury of trust in someone named Anakin Skywalker.

TIMRAM - Inauguration of TIMRAM

I’ve been contemplating on putting this matter into action for sometime. Something happened yesterday that sealed my resolve to form this personal vendetta called TIMRAM.

TIMRAM stands for ‘Taskforce for Initiating Mercy Rescue of Abandoned Marmits’. I will write about yesterday’s matter in a separate post later. This post is to officially kick off this ’secret’ initiative.

So what is TIMRAM all about? Well, as the wonderful abbreviation has spelled out above, it is an initiative or identity to rescue as many Marmits being put on sale out there. TIMRAM is also dedicated for the care and restoration of Marmits. These beautiful figures can be mistreated by their former masters. It is TIMRAM’s mission to give them shelter as well as treating them with the respect they deserve.

I will be posting the case file of the each Marmit I possess. Each of them so far is special in their own way as I have come to notice. I absolutely love them for their quality and accuracy!

Now I need a logo…

Incoming - Hot Toys 14″ Elder Predator and Chopper Predator

 Several months after the release of Hot Toy’s first 2 predators , the Scar and Celtic predators, they are now giving us the Elder and Chopper predators! Hot Toy’s predators are the best in the market so far in terms of details and proportions. Standing at a magnificient 14″, they tower over the rest of a collector’s 12″ figures. Way cool man!

Anyway, these guys are also rather pricey. That was why I told myself that I would get the Elder predator only… and that would close the door for me to Hot Toy’s AVP line. Alas, that was not to be so! As I rejected Chopper(it was not because of its name), I was haunted by the images of it on Hot Toy’s website! Those pictures were very well shot and all predators looked so cool! I actually turned on the bed at night deciding if I should get it. I mean I do not want to spend the money just for a difference in the mask of the predator! And Chopper was the first predator to be killed in the movie…

The next morning I decided to get both. Today, I picked them up. And they are heavy!

Now I can’t wait to put all four of them together for a family potrait! Till then, I would have to find a place to keep them away from alerting my wife!

Comics - Star Wars Clone Wars Vol 2

Clone Wars Vol 2 - Victories & Sacrifices Collects #51 - #53 of Star Wars: Republic and Star Wars: Jedi - Shaak Ti

After the excellent Clone Wars Vol 1, I gave in to the dark side and bought Clone Wars Vol 2. Subtitled as ‘Victories and Sacrifices’, it brought together the stories of the continuing struggle to turn the tide of the war and how some Jedis fell.

The first story titled ‘The New Face of War’ probably referred to the introduction of Durge. Well, this is the issue that introduced this machine of a brute. I was disappointed with the pencils of this story. It turned me off because the resemblance of Obi Wan and Anakin was not there. Obi Wan looked like traditional drawings of Jesus in some pages. Asajj Ventress looked like a nun. Nuff said.

Another irk was how the action was drawn. I was reading about how this Jedi was warning a Padawan of the enemy they were fighting and in the next frame… I mean the immediate next frame… it showed the enemy with hand over his face. And I am wondering if I had missed something in between. Well, if it was meant to convey the swiftness of the enemy, it did not. I thought the bad guy was saying, “Tell that to the hand” or something. Or maybe he was helping to stop a nose bleed he supposedly had caused.

Review - Sideshow Star Wars 12″ Obi Wan Kenobi

“For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire.”

These classic and memorable Star Wars words were mouthed from one of the greatest Jedi Masters portrayed in the Star Wars movies. A warrior of integrity, courage and utmost dedication to the Jedi Order, he was the epitome of a Jedi’s conduct. He was a  former master and brother to the man Darth Vader was. Masterfully played by Sir Alec Guinness in 1977’s Star Wars and Ewan McGregor in the Prequels, this Jedi Master went by the name of Obi Wan Kenobi.

Star Wars fans could never forget the memorable Mos Eisley cantina scene where Obi Wan ignited his lightsaber and hacked off Ponda Baba’s arm and cut into Dr Evazan in defense of the young Luke. Shortly after, the musicians re-started their music and the bustling activities of the cantina resumed. Talk about a wretched hive of scum and villainy!

Comics - Batman: Hush Vol 1 & 2

Hush Vol 1: Collects Batman #608 - #612 

Hush Vol 2: Collects Batman #613 - #619 

  

I have to confess that I picked these 2 trades up because of Jim Lee. He is probably my favourite penciller since I saw his work on the first few issues of X-Men. If someone could draw Wolverine in that brown costume so menacingly, it was Jim Lee! So with a knockout combo of Batman and Jim Lee, it was a no-brainer to pick this up!

Being out of touch with comics for many years, I had forgotten how Catwoman looked like in the comics. The only Catwoman I remembered was Michelle Pfeiffer’s. Seeing Catwoman in the opening pages of volume 1 made me understand why Takara’s CG Catwoman had those goggles! Now it made me want to get that figure!

Hush is a conspiracy story that has a mysterious villain manipulating many characters in an elaborate scheme of revenge. I mean, you have Ra’s, Superman, Joker, Poison Ivy, Huntress, Riddler, Killer Croc, Catwoman, Scarecrow and Robin all mixed into this story. It was good to see the Gotham detective solving mysteries again.

Review - CM Corp’s Genesic Gaogaigar

I finally got down to opening up the Genesic Gaogaigar(GGGG) box that had been sitting quietly in my study for months. Unbeknownst to most of the visitors to my home, in that box is found the King of the Braves!

Comics - Star Wars Clone Wars Vol 1

“General Kenobi: Years ago, you served my father in the Clone Wars; now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. ”

This line from A New Hope a.k.a Star Wars Episode IV had kept millions of fans in suspense for decades. Everyone wondered what the ‘Clone Wars’ was about. It sure sounded big but it was never unravelled in the original trilogy…. That was before the prequels came along as we all now know. 

Lately, I have taken an interest in the resurrection of one of my past hobbies - collecting comics. It’s largely due to the compilation of many excellent comics of the past into nifty trade paperbags(TPBs).

I would think that my comics collection was pretty large considering my limited resources as a kid then. Well, a chain of events led to me giving my entire collection up. It was my decision. A decision I sometimes looked back and have a tinge of regret. A small tinge that is…