Sky-rider of the Spaceways

Sacrificing himself for the good of planet Zenn-La, Norrin Radd became Galactus's herald to search for new worlds, in exchange for sparing his world from Galactus's consumption. Reborn from the power cosmic, he assumed a silvery form (patterned from his memories). He controls a surfboard from which he travels, out of the same cosmic material he's made of. It is telepathically connected to him. Thus, the Silver Surfer was born.

This is the interesting fiction he was born with, that I've read in a wiki page. I remember Silver Surfer hazily from childhood in a film/tv. But I remember him mostly from the Fantastic Four movie in 2007, where Captain America is still Human Torch (played by actor Chris Evans).

The most interesting fact, specially for Netflix fans waiting for Marvel's Defenders, is that Silver Surfer is one of its founding members.

While wandering the earth, Silver Surfer formed Titans Three with Namor and Hulk.  They were joined by Doctor Strange later on, forming the Defenders. None of them will appear (at least, principally; they may be guesting) in the series.

While surfing for Silver Surfer logo (pun not intended!), I found out that his battle with Thor in the comic series has avid followers. I'm saving the reading for later,  maybe in February.

My version of 1969 cover of The Silver Surfer comics, featuring Thor against the Sky-rider

Product
Brand/Model: Shengyuan 167
Condition: Bought without box in a clear plastic bag, inside a red emoji cannister
Price: ~0.50 USD

Character
Name: Norrin Radd
AKA: Silver Surfer
Comics: Marvel
Affiliation: Defenders, Titans Three, Heralds of Galactus
Superpowers: Holds Power Cosmic
Paraphernalia: Surfboard

One of my exciting finds in Shengyuan's a-dozen-a-box emoji cannisters - Silver Surfer! 

The yellow box containing the cannisters has pictures of various minifigures, from Marvel and DC Comics to Ninjago and Chima.  The effect is to give easter egg surprise to the customers. For collectors of knockoff bricks though, Shengyuan is employing a marketing strategy of cleaning up their closets with these blind packs. The minifigures are probably excess production which cannot be combined with standard models or sets.

You'll never be happy with all the cannisters as a few of the minifigures are duplicates or already in your collection.  Fortunately, Silver Surfer is in my "for acquisition" list.

Silver surfer minifigure consists of 25 pieces – 1 red head cannister with 1 red cover, 1 head, 1 leg connector, 2 legs, 1 torso, 2 arms, 3 hands, 1 surfboard, a surfboard holder with 7 various bricks, 4 individual studs, and 1 6x4 basic baseplate.

The baseplate has the Shengyuan logo with the words "WORLD MINIFIGURES Collect Them All".

The red-faced cannister has a weird, funny expression, looking like it's ready for a duck face selfie. 🐣

Duck-faced Red Hood? 

The head and torso (back and front) sport body and facial lines, owing to Silver Surfer's non-costumed entity. The head has no dual face printing, perhaps due to his singular emotionless expression.

Armless Surfer

There are no prints in the arms, legs, and waist.  The bluish dark gray is lacking the brilliance of silver, but I realized I wouldn't opt for a chrome-plated Silver Surfer. It will give him the quality of being metallic with facial and bodily lines like a mirror-man or a shiny tin-man. In my opinion, the chrome finish better suits Colossus or the arm of Bucky the Winter Soldier.

Silverado

There is no official Silver Surfer minifigure but most custom build of him has silver chrome finish. Shengyuan's non-chrome model is close to the video game version so I settle for this.

He's got smile and a surfboard booster! 

The surfboard is the piece that defines Silver Surfer. In Shengyuan's model, the board is of the same bluish dark gray color.  The only thing I don't like about it is the loose connection of the bottom section to other parts like the baseplate.

The extra parts for surfboard holder, though standard to most knockoff models to provide scenery parts, are unnecessary. The non-chrome golden studs are also unnecessary, appropriate for Iron Man models only.  Nonetheless, these extra parts are useful for scene set designs and moc's.

Gasoline stop

In the next review, perhaps I should take on Hulk or Doctor Strange to complete the original Defenders. 😹 (See previous post for Namor.)

Hall of Silver Surfer in Marvel Museum
No flash please. I mean no bike in the room, Flash,  please. 

Until the next issue!

The Sub-Mariner

One of the underrated Marvel superheroes, Namor, has a minifigure produced by Xinh. Hurrah to the bootlegger community! I'm fortunate to have bought one from my Divisoria brickhunting.

Unleash the Kragle! errr, Kraken! 

No official minifigure has ever been released (as far as wiki sites are concerned). I'm not also aware if Namor appears in any official video games.

I got re-acquainted with this character when I read Avengers versus X-men, where Namor turned into one of the Phoenix Five.  Yep, waterman on fire!

Rumor has it that the film rights were bought and returned to Marvel, but no film has ever been produced. It would be cool to see him in the big screen along with his fellow X-men.

The Atlantean

Product
Brand/Model: Xinh 285
Condition: Bought without box in a clear plastic bag
Price: ~0.75 USD

Character
Name: Namor McKenzie
AKA: Namor (the Sub-Mariner)
Comics: Marvel
Affiliation: X-men, Illuminati, Phoenix Five
Superpowers: Superhuman strength, aquatic adaptation, telepathic control over sea creatures, longevity
Weapon: Trident of Neptune

Namor minifigure consists of 13 pieces – 1 head, 1 hairpiece, 1 leg connector, 2 legs, 1 torso, 2 arms, 3 hands, 1 trident, and 1 basic baseplate with 4 studs.

Butchered Sea Creature

The printed face captures Namor's signature eyebrows. Unfortunately, he has the angered expression only. The head has no dual face.

As Namor constantly appears naked, as opposed to his DC Comics counterpart Aquaman, the front torso has printed chest and abs outlines only. The back torso has outlines of muscles only.

Oh! The brows! 

What to make of this? 

The waist has nice belt prints from front to back, with a shell detail as in the classic version. The only piece of apparel he wears (his swimming trunks) is printed nicely in its scaly green design.

The three scary printings are seen on the legs - one, the knees, which, in my opinion, present Namor with too much body lines from face to legs; two, the troll feet with four toes in each!; and three, the green underwear does not go all the way to the back, which makes Namor look like he's a stripper making money after saving the world!

Troll feet? 👿

@$$?!

The hairpiece is standard, making the face appear heart-shaped, similar to minifigure like Zod I think (at least in knockoff bricks).

Modeled after the classic and original version, I'm missing his pointed ears and wings on his feet. The wings I could do without, as I am not certain how it will be incorporated into the standard elements.

Overall, it is better to have this average minifigure rather than having none in your collection. Perhaps, the manufacturers have not seen any fine moc's online to copy.

Fish out of water

Classic Namor
(photo not mine) 

I'd love to see and have a Namor minifigure modeled after the Phoenix Five. It would be cool!

Namor as one of the Phoenix Five
(photo not mine) 

The final form of Namor minifigure and a photo with the Kraken.

Where's the knife? 

Attack the Kraken! 

Happy 2017!

Diana of Themyscira

Philippines has an interesting superhero counterpart of Wonder Woman, named Darna, which will be shown together, coincidentally in 2017. Israeli actor Gal Gadot will portray the well-loved DC heroine, while Angel Locsin was confirmed to play Darna – pretty actors who project strength in the world of men.

Wonder Woman -  June 2017

I decided then to unbox my Divisoria haul of mix Marvel and DC cycle set of six, beginning with Wonder Woman.

The other boxes contain Superman, Black Panther, Captain America, Batman, and Winter Soldier.  Unfortunately, I have to buy all of them; the vendor does not sell individually.

Biker Gang

Six Cycles

Product
Brand/Model: Decool 7013
Set: Wonder Woman Motorcycle
Condition: Bought with box, along with 5 others in bulk
Price: ~1.50 USD

Character
Name: Diana Prince
AKA: Wonder Woman
Comics: DC Comics
Affiliation: Justice League
Superpowers: Superhuman strength, flight, enhanced healing factor, empathy, enhanced senses
Weapon: Lasso of truth

The red box contains a clear plastic bag of small parts in red and gray color scheme with a printed instructions leaflet. Like most knockoff bricks, the box is way larger than its contents.

Unboxed! 

With 43 pieces in total - 12 for the minifigure including shield and sword, 31 for the bike including an extra piece of the beige cylinder connector.

Wheels and gears and stuff

As with all the other Decool releases, the parts are of good quality and the fitting is standard, no issues.

While building, I can't help but admire the main cycle body parts. With enough boost of other accessories or parts and decals, it might turn out to be a dope moc bike.

Another thought pass as I put the pieces together: does Wonder Woman really need a bike to travel? Maybe Wolverine, but the flying lasso superhero? Perhaps, on a real bad day.

Need a lift? 

While being of quality and customizable, the fourth wheel (well, just the mag really, no rubber tire), is unnecessary, along with, in my opinion, the shield and sword carrier in the back.

Perhaps because it would be inconvenient to drive and hold the weapons at the same time, even for superheroes. 😂

Another thought: if it has four wheels, what kind of a cycle is this?

Jump in! 

The motorcycle is quite heavy on unnecessary parts but will lose brilliance, should you take them out piece by boring piece. It is interesting for moc builds. My take on this build is average - not too brilliant, not too dispensable.

Going to the market

Coming through! 

The saving grace of this set is the minifigure, modeled after the movie version of Wonder Woman. The print details are on point - tiara, gold details in the chest and waist, leather strapping, the infamous bracelets/bangles, and the bird on the shield.

Slay the fire monster

POWER. GRACE. WISDOM. WONDER. 

Until the next blog.  Happy new year!

The Demon from Azarath

A random pick from my Divisoria stuff - DC Raven!

Raven is a sorceress born of a demon father, Trigon, and a mortal mother, Arella. Raised in the mystic realm of Azarath, the goddess Azar trained her to control her emotions. Her father harnesses her demonic powers to dominate the earth where she serves as a Teen Titans member.

An amateur edit of Raven with floating debris

Product
Brand/Model: Xinh 353
Condition: Bought without box, but sealed in a clear plastic bag
Price: Php 35 (0.78 USD)

 Character
Name: Rachel Roth
AKA: Raven
Comics: DC
Affiliations: Teen Titans, Justice League Dark
Superpowers: Soul-self, darkness manipulation, hypnosis, telekinesis, teleportation, empathy

The bag contained 15 parts - 1 head, 1 headpiece, 2 arms, 1 torso, 3 hands, 1 leg connector, 2 legs, 2 shield-like, transparent bricks, 1 cape, and 1 baseplate. The baseplate has 4 studs.

Raven deconstructed

The head is printed with black mask (which is actually the shadow of the hood) and a purple Aang-like triangle (an extension of the purple hood, to complete the hooded-form Raven look from the animated TV series). Sadly, this form does not give us the mortal form of Raven, where the chakra is embedded in her forehead.

The torso print is slightly misaligned, but is not as obvious as the prints on the legs.

Raven head and torso

The head has dual printing where her basic demonic form is manifested by the four red, angry eyes.

Raven 4 eyes

The prints on the legs are obviously misaligned. The color scheme in the legs prove that this Xinh version is from the animated TV series, Teen Titans. The comics version has gloved hand and shows the skin of the legs.

Dead legs walking

Behinds

The minifigure is not too bad, but I'm not too crazy for it. Fortunately, there is no official Lego release of Raven, so having a Xinh one is a must.

Raven looks like a host due for interrogation from Westworld

Powered-up Raven!

I have to let loose the hood so that the four eyes are shown; once I put the hood back in its fit, the top pair of eyes are not visible - what a shame!

What are you looking at?!

Having fun with shooting photos of Raven in a scene. The set up is in a ruined Azarath, with the time stopped.

Raven attacks!

The Lego minifigure from the comics version of Raven only appears in the video game, Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham.

Raven by Lego

I wish the Chinese brick brands produce a set of Raven emoticlones. That'd be fun!

Emoticlones

A minifigure of Queen of the Under-realm is a far-fetched idea, but we never know.

Queen of the Under-realm Raven

Until the next review! ;)

Logan's Archenemy

Recently, new brands of knockoff bricks have been making waves in the Asian market, flaunting pretty and unreleased characters of the superhero world. Two of which are Pogo and Xinh; both, Chinese brands.

Powered by my collector's thirst and economist's instincts, I scoured Divisoria (Manila's famed flea market) for these brands. It is difficult to hop from one mall to the other, with the throng of shoppers in pre-Christmas month. Luckily, I was able to spot one shop (yes, just one shop!) selling these babies.

Here goes my first post and first minifigure review - Victor Creed aka Sabretooth.

Product
Brand/Model: Xinh 290
Condition: Bought without box, but sealed in a clear plastic bag
Price: Php 35 (0.78 USD)

 Character
Name: Victor Creed
AKA: Sabretooth
Comics: Marvel
Affiliations: Marauders, Magneto's X-men, etc.
Superpowers: adamantium skeleton, superhuman strength, regenerative healing factor, psionic resistance, canine fangs and 20 retractable talons

Savage Sabretooth attacks in mid-air amidst thunderstorm

From the no-box bag, there are 15 parts - 1 head, 1 hairpiece, 2 arms, 1 torso, 4 hands, 1 leg connector, 2 legs, 2 claws, and 1 baseplate. The baseplate has 4 studs.

Dissected Sabretooth

The Sabretooth head has tan-colored bushy eyebrows and facial hair on both cheeks, open mouth that reveals fangs, white eyes, and reddish brown cover. The Sabretooth torso has tan-colored printed furs in the shoulders, reddish brown chest and abdomen, bordered by yellow, which make up the color scheme of the minifigure.


The second image has a more accurate representation of the product colors.

Armless, legless beast

The back of the Sabretooth head has no printing, while the torso has the extension of the tan-colored fur and reddish brown scheme.

A claypot over a stove?

The legs have the extension of the reddish brown scheme ending in the middle; small triangles are weirdly printed in the feet (but in my research, these details are actually from the comics version), which add personality to Sabretooth's rather pointy and sharp character. Otherwise, the legs are but yellow plain bricks.

Walking dead?

Sabretooth's side arms have reddish brown printing which look like thorns.The hands are brown, which complement the yellow and reddish brown scheme. The hair is of the spiky blonde type.

Got tattoo!?

The completed form with the same Wolverine minifigure claws, is the classic version of Sabretooth in the comics.

Sabretooth - all fangs and claws

Classic Sabertooth in Marvel comics

Overall, the fit of the parts are good, the printing is good, and the details are faithful to the original comics. As a bonus, I didn't think Lego has ever made a Sabretooth minifigure, which saves us from building our own from scratch. The closest thing we have for an official Sabretooth is the one found in Lego Marvel video game.

Lego Marvel game

The Lego Sabretooth claws are far more appropriate than the long, straight ones that are Wolverine's trademark. It would be cool to have these short, talon-like (or bear paws to my imagination) claws. Also, the detachable plastic shoulder fur is better than the printed one. The Lego Sabretooth version has the Wolverine V-hair, which in comics, Sabretooth is adorned with as well.

Sabretooth attacks straight out of the wall, as the set rains fire

Well, it's too much to wish for a perfect Sabretooth minifigure for such a cheap price.

Jubilee sparks distracting Sabretooth (at least that's how I imagined it when I shoot this)

Until the next post. ;)