Kool Kollectibles content

27 Nov 2016

Collection pics since July 2016

It's almost time for me to do another YouTube channel trailer with pics of my collection over the past few months. Here are some of the pics of the hauls I've had since July this year that will be included in the trailer :)





















11 Nov 2016

Transformers Masterpiece MP-11NT Thrust

It's been a while since MP-11NR Ramjet was released, and there was the major assembly issues with the shoulders that tainted many figures received by collectors. Luckily mine was OK, but I definitely hoped the new MP-11NT Thrust would have no issues.

Overall, it's another solid release by Takara, with no major QC issues on mine either. There are a couple of nitpicks after playing around with it a bit more though. But click through the link below to watch my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.



The packaging is the standard TF Masterpiece style, which I still love. There aren't too many accessories though, but it's been like that with these MP-11 variants now. The price is certainly high, but we can only put that against the supposed "exclusive" nature of the release. I'm not totally convinced of its exclusivity, and it wouldn't really affect my purchase anyway. I had to have these official coneheads in my MP collection, and I believe they look the best compared to the other 3rd party options out there.



If you watch the video, you'll see the alt mode too, which is great (I forgot to take some alt mode photos!). People have complained about the looseness of the torso section that slides down to the waist. Mine was loose out of the box, but I simply pushed harder on the shoulders and the slide mechanism clicked into place and it's as stable as the other MP-11 variants (not the original MP-11 that has a very loose torso that does not click into place).

The main issue for me really is that I think the maroon coloured plastic seems to be a softer type of plastic that scratches and marks very easily. After I transformed into alt mode, sliding the torso section back down was rather difficult, and I ended up scratching the sides of the cockpit. It's not visible in bot mode luckily, but still annoying.

I actually prefer Ramjet, and since mine had no assembly issues, I actually think it's overall a better quality product than Thrust! It would be nice if both figures had more paint app for that extra premium feel, but I think most of the MP-11 figures lack paint apps in general.



Despite the plastic quality, I think the overall aesthetic of Thrust is just perfect from the G1 cartoon. And it fits in beautifully with the other Decepticon MP figures, just as you'd expect any of the MPs to all look like they're from a consistent series.

The 3rd party offerings are decent stand-alone figures, but just don't have that cartoon MP aesthetic. I think they're mostly too thin, with small heads and lanky proportions. With Thrust, I think the proportions actually look more natural in scale with the body. He does have the large kneepads, white face, and yellow eyes, but they're the reason he simply looks like he's stepped out of the TV screen! I love it!

And I love the little smirk he has on the face sculpt. I like those little differences rather than all the MP-11 figures have the same expression!


In the end, all I need now is MP Dirge to be released to complete my G1 cartoon Seekers, and of course the upcoming MP-36 Megatron release! The update to the photo above with those two will pretty much make me happy enough that I could stop collecting MP Decepticons! But hopefully they continue to make more characters from the cartoon through 2017 - should be an interesting year for sure!

10 Nov 2016

BigBoysToys Street Fighter T.N.C-05 Blanka

I've loved the previous four Street Fighter sets in this awesome series by BigBoysToys. The super-deformed style of the sculpting and homages back to the original Street Fighter 2 arcade game make this a must-have for fans who stood for hours back in the day in the arcades!

Click the link below to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.



The artwork is the same awesome style and quality of the previous 4 releases in Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and Guile. Love the design!




The extra pieces to attach to the electric storm are a little fiddly to get in place, but once all set up it's bloody awesome! Love the original sound effects from the game, and the lightup effect is very effective. The base, extra plastic pieces, Blanka's hair and eyes all light up nicely (see my video above that show's it).

The sculpting and paint app of the statue itself is every bit as nice as the previous releases. There's no bleeding in the paint app, and it really accentuates the molded detail in the pants and musculature.

Overall, this is one of their best releases in the line so far.  Really looking forward to Dhalsim and Akuma coming up next!


5 Nov 2016

Sideshow Masters of the Universe He-Man exclusive

When I first saw the teaser pics of Sideshow's new Masters of the Universe statue line, I loved the style. But I was trying to stay away from larger collectibles at the time due to space and funds. But after seeing more pics, and then the details of the Skeletor and Evil-Lyn statues, I just couldn't resist! I ended up using the free reward points that Sideshow was giving out during their recent Spooktacular to essentially give me free international shipping to Australia on this one, so can't complain at all!

Click the link below to check out my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. This thing is just beautiful!



The day it arrived I also received the new BigBoysToys TNC-05 Blanka set. It's always a good day when great things arrive in the mail lol :)



Everything is packaged fairly well within the usual foam protection, and all wrapped in plastic with desiccant. I have heard some reports that people may have received some with moisture inside that resulted in some paint defects, so definitely check over it carefully! Luckily mine didn't have any major issues that I was concerned about.



The exclusive version that comes with the Battle Axe has an edition size of 1250, of which I received 0776. I'm not too fussed with the numbering or edition size, but like PCS it would've been nice to have a certificate of authenticity or something to accompany the statue.



As I said, the exclusive comes with the Battle Axe, and it is an essential purchase with this statue! If it hasn't sold out already, head over to Sideshow and get the exclusive one!! The Battle Axe (and standard Power Sword) are both full made of metal, with some extremely nice sculpted detail. The heft is quite pleasing to the touch I have to say!



The base itself looks great, and is also quite heavy. Not sure exactly what it's made of, but it weighs quite a bit so make sure your shelves can handle it! The statue fits into the base with a metal rod in the left foot, and goes in fairly smoothly. Normally I actually prefer standard black bases, but on this statue the design works very well.



The sculpted details on the body, armour and costume are all well done for this. Luckily the head sculpt is not meant to resemble anyone, and the stylised look works well here. I don't think accurate likenesses are Sideshow's forte, so going with this style was a good decision!

The statue comes with a red cape, but I still haven't figured out how to put it on properly lol! And when I did try, the leather like straps actually left brown streaks on the statue which initially scared the crap out of me. But with that, there's no way I'd leave that on for any length of time in case it permanently stains the statue!



Despite the Battle Axe and Power Sword being metal, it's a shame the shield is only plastic. It is still painted very nicely, with a leather like strap over the forearm piece. Unfortunately on mine, one end of the strap that attaches to the shield was not glued properly. I'm waiting on Sideshow's response for a replacement, but they should be able to help me out like they have in the past.



The separate sheathed Power Sword is plastic, and attaches to He-Man's back with a magnet. Together with the Battle Axe, it makes for an amazing looking statue on display! Note that it does also come with an unsheathed accessory for when he is holding the Power Sword.



Together with the other statues, I think this new series from Sideshow look amazing. I really hope that they continue on and make all the core characters, unlike Pop Culture Shock that stopped their line without completing them. If they do that, this series could truly become legendary for Sideshow!


4 Nov 2016

Sideshow Collectibles Darth Maul - Duel on Naboo exclusive

I was pretty pissed when I saw the asking price for the new Sideshow Darth Maul, particularly when it comes with next to nothing! In summary, I think the figure itself is OK, but for the price it should come with far more!

Click the link below to watch my full video review up on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.



For $240, the contents are pretty barebones, with just a few hands and the double bladed lightsaber. I got the exclusive version, which gives the extra severed lightsaber. So the folks unlucky enough to get the regular version will get even less for the same price!

It baffles me why they could not even include a cloak or an alternate snarling head sculpt for this price. I think Sideshow really had a great opportunity to make this perhaps the definitive Darth Maul figure, but have definitely fallen short on that mark.



The biggest improvement is of course the head sculpt. I think overall it is a pretty good likeness, and the paint app is decent. The tattoos are cleanly done, although the head sculpt itself has some seam marks that appear worse on some than others. Luckily the seams on mine on the side of the head aren't too noticeable.

The eyes are also nicely done, with realistic glassiness and the orange and yellow tinge around the iris. The horns are also sharp and have a good paint app to them. So if there's only one thing worth upgrading for, it's definitely the head sculpt.



The costume itself is also nicely done, with good materials and tailoring. All the pleats have thin wires along the edges so you can get some pretty good flowing poses out of the costume. It's a shame that the underlying body is still a bit too loose in the joints. This is a problem with the base Sideshow bodies that they seem incapable, or unwilling, to fix! The Hot Toys bodies feel much sturdier in comparison.

It's also a shame that with decent overall articulation, the boots do not feature any real ankle pivot or rocking ability! The top of the boot and the foot area are actually separate pieces held together by the main strap piece along the front. But despite this, there is very limited movement, so getting his feel flat on the ground in wide leg poses is impossible. I think they could have, and should have, done much better in this area.

In the end, I think the figure does display very well. But for the price, they should've included much more to justify that, or at least price the figure much lower. Prequel fans will love this, but I'd recommend waiting for a sale price or use a discount code.


Kotobukiya Horror Bishoujo Edward Scissorhands

I loved the previous Kotobukiya Horror Bishoujo Jason and Freddy statues. I think the new Edward Scissorhands is even better than those! This is pretty much an instant classic by Kotobukiya!

Click the link below to check out my video review up on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.



I was disappointed with their recent Bishoujo Harley Quinn statue, but this new Scissorhands redeems them for me. The sculpted detail and paint application on this one is just about perfect! I love the sculpting on the tousled hair. The pearlescent skin, eyes, and lips are all done extremely well. I also love the sculpted hands!



The corset and skirt look great too, especially the transparent aspects of the skirt. She also has her striped black and white undies for some fan service lol! The stockings and boots complete the look along with a great snow themed base.



Together, these Horror Bishoujos are absolutely fantastic! Kotobukiya have released the Chucky statue for preorder for an early 2017 release. With the new bloody head sculpt on that, that looks to be another winning addition to this unique horror line. Can't wait! :)


3 Nov 2016

Hot Toys MMS342 BvS Dawn of Justice Batman exclusive

After I got the Dawn of Justice Superman, ordering the Batman and Wonder Woman figures was a no-brainer! I didn't get the special exclusive from Sideshow that came with the tech cowl if your ordered both figures together. But I did manage to get the separate exclusive versions for both (kryptonite for Superman and sniper rifle for Batman).

Click the link below to watch my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. It's a great figure!



This is another recent Hot Toys release that comes with a great set of accessories. And for the price, it's actually decent value for money this time I think, especially compared against some Sideshow figures that cost more and come with far less!



The cowl looks nice, but I think the swap out eye mechanism is far too fiddly for its own good. I much prefer the old PERS mechanism in the DX line or the independent eyes in Hulk. Taking the eyes out wasn't too bad, but aligning them and putting them back in with the little included tool was frustrating to do.

The other main complaint I have with the figure is the cape and it's very cheap material. For a figure like Batman, they should never go cheap on the cape. After such an awesome cape on the Superman, with really nice heavy material, the Batman cape just feels like thick paper. It doesn't drape well and is hard to pose.



The suit itself, and the underlying body, I think is pretty damn awesome though. The whole torso areas seems to be some new type of body where the musculature is a soft foamy type material, unlike the hard plastic of the Superman. This means when the body moves, the suit and muscles move in a very realistic manner too.

The suit seems quite flexible, and pretty durable, but I'd be careful anyway since I have seen photos where the patterning has been stripped from the suit. The articulation, especially in the shoulders, is quite impressive.


On display, it looks fantastic with Superman. I really can't wait to see how the Wonder Woman turns out. Apparently it may be delayed to early 2017, but I'd rather they take the time and get it right rather than rush it out. Looking forward to adding to the DC ranks to even up the battle against Marvel in my collection :)

Hot Toys MMS337 Rey and BB-8

Out of all the Hot Toys Force Awakens figures, Rey and BB-8 were the two I was anticipating the most. And they do not disappoint!

Click the link below to watch my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.



The packaging is the usual Hot Toys classy style, and the great set of accessories and the figures themselves make this a great overall package to get!



The tailoring on Rey I think is very good. The instructions warn against leaving the hood and scarf etc on too long because it may stain the head sculpt. It's also very difficult and fiddly to get on, so I didn't even bother trying.

I love her minimalist look that she had for most of the movie, so have gone with that on display. Using the sand base and having BB-8 peer out from behind just looks fantastic in the cabinet.



The head sculpt isn't their best. I think the Princess Leia had a much better likeness, but the usual paint app and detailing is of the high Hot Toys standard. If they had tweaked it a little, it could've been better.



Together with Finn, they both look awesome. I did the ankle mod on Finn to make him shorter, and the overall scale between them is much more movie accurate now. I think Hot Toys have done a great job with these two, and I just wish they would announce a Poe Dameron!



Here's how they look in my display cabinet now with the First Order bad guys. I think the overall quality of the TFA Hot Toys figures has been pretty good. Still deciding if I'll get the Han/Chewie pack and Luke as well, but I think I'll cave soon, especially if there's a discount code to use lol! :)


Transformers Masterpiece MP-31 Delta Magnus

Sorry, catching up on the website updates again! Here's my review of the MP-31 Delta Magnus release from a month ago! Click through below for the full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel :)



Loving the Diaclone colours! It really pops in bot mode that's for sure!



I'd even say the colours are better than the original MP-22 Ultra Magnus colours in bot mode. I love that they fixed the sprue mark issues on the forearms.




Still looks unfortunate from the rear, but I've minimised the weird look of the butt flap by folding it up lol. Luckily I never display my MPs from the rear! ;)



Looks pretty damn good in alt mode too!




And even better when loaded up with the other Diaclone MPs!



If you're a fan of Transformers history and understand why these homages to the original Diaclone figures exist, then you're going to love this release! I hope they continue the trend and give us more great repaints! :)