Onell Design: Glyaxia Command II

The Glyaxia Command II wave from Onell arrived today. Between this and some other packages, expect the next few weeks to have a lot of toy related posts. Anyhow despite loving the color scheme and it being a decently sized drop, these were really the only figures that appealed to me. I'd meant to pick up a matching pair of Glyans, but it manage to slip my mind when ordering, so I guess I'm s.o.l. till I get some more cash. My favorites? Easily the Glyaxia Commanders.

Usually the Armorvor is the pick of the litter, but Zerennic Sarvos & Akurriax Sarvos are just too fucking rad. Speaking of the Armorvor, I found myself a little disappointed this time around...

Although it's a little hard to see from my photo, the yellow paint is rather thin in some places. Blue can be seen through the paint on the thighs, forearms, cod piece, phaser, and in the groves of fur on the head. It's a shame too, because that golden yellow wolf head atop the Armorvor looks boss. Also frustrating is that the price of the figure went up slightly, which I'd be more than willing to pay if the quality reflected the increase.

Glyaxia Command II is a decent enough drop, but it feels like it could have been better. Maybe it's just me...

As you may have noticed, it's been a little quiet around here. My new work schedule has been hectic and I've found myself being less & less interested in writing blurbs each week for comics. So, I stopped. That's doesn't mean I won't be reviewing comics; just I won't be doing it each week for individual issues. I'll probably review a series when it ends or it's released in trade paperback, which I think will provide a more comprehensive review of the comic. This will hopefully free up more time for me to write about video games and pen & paper rpgs, which have been sorely lacking from the blog.

The Bunker #3, Conan: The Avenger #1, The Eltingville Club #1, The Fuse #3, The Midas Flesh #5, Sovereign #2, Undertow #3, and The White Suits #3

Maybe it was just me, but this issue of The Bunker seemed to drag like crazy. There's a pivotal moment that sets future events into motion and the whole time it's just like, c'mon, get on with it. A single lackluster issue isn't a deal breaker, but it's still kind of a bummer.

A new Conan title? Fuck yea. Word is that Shadows Over Kush is from an outline Howard wrote before his death, so that's pretty rad. The arts a little different from what I was expecting, not as gritty as most Conan books, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Can't wait for the next issue.

Do you even need me to tell you how ridiculously good The Eltingville Club is? A must read, for sure.

If it weren't for the art, this book would be freaking fantastic. The art isn't even really that bad, it's just not on par with how solid everything else is in The Fuse. Anyhow, the plot thickens as this sci-fi detective story unfolds, as they usual tend to do. You into Law & Order? You into space? Then you'll be into The Fuse.

Last issue of the Midas Flesh I'd said it felt like the comic had hit it's stride, but I may have spoken too soon. This issue fell short. The writing was flat and the plot predictable. Meeeh.

I'm not sure how I feel about Sovereign's blatant re-appropriation of Indian culture for the comic. It wasn't done with malicious intent, but something about it doesn't sit right. Another thing that bugs me is the cartoonish art style. A shame, too because otherwise I'm enjoying this.

An amphibious Atlantean mutant leading a group of early prehistoric humans? Undertow continues to rack up points in the "weird science" field and I'm digging it. Between that and the books unusual art, this is probably one of those books you'll love or hate.

I managed to miss this last week, so here it is now. A hyper-violent gangster noir tale, you pretty much know what you're going to get with this book. There is a surprise or two, but nothing really big. The final issue is going to make or break this miniseries.

The Auteur #2, Ghost #3, Shotgun Wedding #3, Stray Bullets #2, & Translucid #1

A younger me might have been into The Auteur. Transgressive and darkly satirical, it seems aimed an audience trying to be edgy. The first issue was amusing enough, but this one falls short. The surrealism in the earlier issue I dug, but this one goes more toward absurdism, which I could have done with out. Still on the fence.
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Another issue of Ghost and another review of me saying "Yea, it's ok...", which it is. Probably the most interesting aspect of the book so far, the alliance with the demon Beleth, was cut short with the predictable ending of him getting a new body, that of the White City Butcher, which gets him arrested. Yea, it's ok...

I'm not quite sure why I keep picking up Shotgun Wedding. It's not bad or anything, but there's just nothing about it that really stands out. I will admit the weekly release schedule is something I'm enjoying. I'm three issues in on a five issue miniseries, so I might as well see this to the end. Funny how that works. 

Only two issues and Stray Bullets: Killers is proving to be a hell of a book. Loosely connected to the first issue, this is another tale of middle-American dysfunction. Damn if it isn't depressing, but a good read.

  

I feel like this has been done before; a kid and the comic book world he creates, but so far I'm liking Translucid. The writing's good, the art well done, and the issue focuses on the imagined world with only brief segues into real life. I can't wait for the next issue.

481 Universe: Spectre Leyden & Hades Force Midur

Part II of my 481 Universe loot. First up is the Spectre Leyden. Dude's rad as hell, but there are two things that bug me a little. The first is that the head, unlike the Gendrone Rebellion Leyden, lacks the back and side secondary color highlights. Those seafoam green cranial accents would really push the Spectre Leyden over the top. The second issue is that the green accents are juuuuust slightly off the Onell Spectre Force stuff. You don't notice it till you see them side-by-side, but then you can see it

Next up is the Hades Force Midur, who's also pretty sweet, but has a thing or two that irks me. The ankle extenders are glow in the dark, which is random and looks kind of weird. The GITD head and Celetroop helmet are sweet, but why are his ankles glowing? There are also some color issues. The seafoam green highlights on the Midur are also slightly off from the other Hades Force stuff. The black primary color also differs a little, but in this instance it's a good thing.  My picks don't show it, but it's a matte metalic black swirl that actually looks way better than the rest of the Hades Force colorways, so I guess that cancels out the earlier color variance.

Despite my minor complaints, these two are fuckin' awesome. There's a reason they sold out the day after being posted. I was critical of 481 Universe after my first purchase, but they've won me back with this latest release. Their sculpts have some issues, but they are attempting to address them. The new hips and ankle extenders make a world of difference for the figures ability to stand. And, aside from the Ultra Corps Outlander, these are badass.

481 Universe: Ultra Corps and Gendrone Rebellion Outlanders & accessory packs

So, I know a while back I said I wasn't going to buy anymore Outlanders from 481 Universe, but when I saw this latest blast of releases in some familiar colorways, I figured I'd give them a second chance. I actually bought four of them and two accessory packs. I'm going to break this down into two posts, with this first one reviewing the Ultra Corps silver and Gendrone Rebellion metallic red.

First off, I cant stand the Outlander's helmet; it's stupid, bulky, and looks especially terrible on the Gendrone Rebellion colorway. Helmets off, and the heads are pretty ok, not as mashed up looking as the Zeta Force one I have. The black highlights on the Gendrone Rebellion Outlander pop and it's easily the sweeter of the two.

As soon as I saw the Leyden head in the accessory pack, I knew that was the one I was going with. It's fucking gnarly. I also popped in the ankle extenders but, surprisingly, kept the standard hips. The accessory pack also included 2 more heads, a helmet, and two Anomaly figures.

The Ancient Astronaut looks cool in the pearlescent red, but the Adaman is pretty blah. Anyhow, the Gendrone Rebellion Outlander is a solid buy on it's own, but I'd recommend getting the accessory pack as well. Even if you don't have anything else from Gendrone Rebellion colorway, it's still just a rad figure to have.

Not quite as rad is the Ultra Corps silver Outlander. It's legs are wobbly as fuck and getting it to stand is a bitch. You basically have to have the new hips and ankle extenders to get the damn thing up. The additional heads and helmet in the Ultra Corps accessory pack lack black highlights like the Gendrone Rebellion and are fairly unimpressive. The Celetroop helmet you see on mine is probably the most exciting. Both of the Anomalies look decent enough in the silver, so that's something. A rather disappointing figure. The only real value of it is to complete your collection of the Ultra Corps colorway.

Shotgun Wedding #2, Shutter #1, & Twilight Zone #4

Things seem to pick up a little with the 2nd issue or maybe I was just distracted by the all the cleavage, but Shotgun Wedding still manages to leave me underwhelmed. There's nothing bad about the book, but nothing that stands out either. I guess if you dig espionage and military black ops stuff, this will be right up your alley. The Tom Clancy stuff doesn't do much for me, but I'll stick around just to see where this goes.

If you were into The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, you'll probably find yourself liking Shutter. While definitely not as cerebral as LoEG, it has a similar vibe. I was enjoying the book right up till the end, when the pink ghost ninjas and robot barbershop quartet villain showed up. Ummm?

The first chapter of the Twilight Zone concludes in this issue and damn if it isn't good. I won't drop any spoilers, but it's one of those endings that leaves your feeling satisfied. The art has picked up from the first issue; it's still not outstanding, but it's noticeably less jangly. One of the subplots weaved into the first four issue will take over as the next chapter and I can't wait.