Twitter!?!

Hey all!

For some reason, the "Follow me on Twitter" button has disappeared from the blog. Weird. Well, if you want to follow me, you can do so by going here: Potablog on Twitter!. My twitter account and facebook page (facebook.com/apieceoftheaction) are the best ways to keep up to date on any new postings on the site! Plus, it makes me happy when I see new "likes" and "followers". ;)

-James

Mego Spotlight- Klingon (3&3/4" 'The Motion Picture' Figure)

Figure Name: Klingon
Manufacturer: Mego Toys Corp.



The Klingon was released as part of the rare second series of 3&3/4" Mego Star Trek The Motion Picture figures. (Sorry, no carded pic for you...)

The Rundown: Hey... we are getting really close to finishing off all the spotlights for this often overlooked gem of a line! If I remember right (and I usually don't), all that's left after this one are Kirk, Ilia, and the Megarite. That kinda bums me out. I really liked getting these guys out of their case and giving them a second look. Well, at least today I get to show off one of the best (if not THE best) figures in the line- The Klingon!



The Klingon look introduced in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was drastically different from their appearance in the television series. Gone were the budget-constrained TOS versions, replaced by these new Klingons that featured odd head ridges and stylized leather-meets-metal uniforms. Now while I have always preferred the classic look, I do still appreciate the bumpy-head versions... and boy did Mego do a fine job of reproducing one in this figure!



The ornate armored vest of the Klingon is captured in great detail here. And while they could have skimped out on the intricacies from the back of the uniform...



...Mego even strove for accuracy there! That's pretty amazing work for a figure that's 30 years old! It really feels like no detail was overlooked on this guy! From forehead ridges that run all the way over his head-



To his holstered sidearm-



Everything is here! In fact, I'd go so far as to say that minus a paint wash and a few extra points of articulation, this is a figure that could go toe-to-toe with many of the current figures on the market today. He really was a step ahead of the other 3.75" figures sold during his time.



Accessories: None... and that's really my only complaint about the all the aliens in 3.75" TMP line.



I've debated back and forth as to which figure in the TMP 3.75" line is my fav... bouncing between the Betelgeusian, the Zaranite, and the Klingon. after looking at him again in closer detail, I gotta go with this Klingon. He's not only one of the best of this line, but easily one of the best Klingon figures ever made. Although all the aliens from this line are pretty scarce, the Klingon is at least one of the more affordable ones. He makes a great starting off point for folks interested in collecting this line. And you should collect this line.

-James

AA/ DST Spotlight- Battle-Scarred Kirk & Gorn Captain

Item Names: Battle-Scarred Kirk & Gorn Captain
Manufacturer: Diamond Select Toys



DST released this 2 pack as part of their Classic Star Trek line, with the "all-era-inclusive" style packaging.



The Rundown: Sorry for the delay on this one folks... This pack actually arrived at my local comic shop a couple weeks back, but a certain quality control issue (which we will address later) left me without a sample to open until Diamond could send out a replacement. It's here now though (thus why you are reading this), so let's jump right in!



Of the 3 "Dilithium Collection" action figure two-packs, this set offers the least when it comes to new stuff. The pack consists of a slightly repainted Kirk and an even slighter repaint of the Gorn (is slighter a word?...well, it is now). No new accessories, no new sculpts. We'll start with Kirk and see what's new-



While this isn't the only AA/ DST style "battle-ravaged" Kirk (the previous version is spotlighted HERE), it is the first time he's been done in the "DST" style. By that I mean that he has the incorrect, ill-fitting McCoy-style rubber shirt. I have no idea why all the Kirk figures under the DST banner have used this shirt mold, but I really wish that they wouldn't. The original Kirk shirt mold from Art Asylum was far superior. But I digress...



So Kirk here is pretty much your standard DST Kirk figure rolled around in some dirty paint. DST used the old head mold on this, as opposed the new head used on the Wave 5 Kirk. Bummer. To spice things up a little though, they added a few stray paint apps to simulate his tussled hair. While it's nice that they added a little detailing to differentiate the head, I would have much preferred to see the new head mold used here, if for no other reason than to just add SOMETHING new to this set.



Remember that quality control problem I mentioned earlier? Well here it is. There's something wonky going on with the Kirk's left elbow. My guess is that there was probably an error in the casting on this piece because 2 of the figures we received had the oddly off center molding seen above. Even worse, the third pack I inspected had a plastic piece that ran horizontally across the joint, preventing Kirk from bending his elbow. At the end of the day, I went with this pack as it seemed they weren't going to get any better. While it doesn't look all that noticeable, the elbow joint has very little resistance and is kinda floppy. I don't think I've ever had a loose-joint issue on an AA/ DST release until this figure, so keep your eyes peeled on that elbow if you see this pack in stores (and please post a comment if you experience similar or opposing issues with yours!).



Okay, so Kirk ain't all that hot... The Gorn however is pretty sharp, but that's only because he was great the first time around (his first release is spotlighted HERE). While there aren't any huge differences between the two, if you're a complete nutball like me and you must own every release, here are the slight changes you can expect to see-



This new version has some slight paint differences over the original, most notably his darker gloves and duller gold singlet. I think I may prefer the newer version's paint scheme, but again, it's not enough of a difference to really worry about if you are content with the first release.



The other differences are a bit tougher to spot. The original release of the Gorn featured a very soft rubber "skirt", while the 2 pack version uses a stiffer material. You can also see that they used a darker, shinier green material for the bulk of the figure on the reissue. Not something you'd really notice unless you're into lifting up Gorn skirts though (which, apparently, I am into).



Accessories: Here's the part that frustrates me most about this set. Had DST included the homemade cannon Kirk constructs from the episode, it would have made this an easy purchase for most and wouldn't have added too much production cost for them. But nope. All we get is the standard phaser & communicator for Kirk and the spike & recorder/ translator device for the Gorn. They could have at least included 2 of the recorders so that Kirk could have one too. *Grumble*



It's not often that I say this, but this set is an easy pass for most. I can only recommend it if you don't have the previous versions of these releases. Even then, "battle-ravaged" Kirk is pretty unnecessary for most folks, leaving only the Gorn as a "must-have". So if you don't have a Gorn yet, it may be worth grabbing, but there's absolutely nothing new here to entice long-time collectors. Wait... I guess it's also good for army-building Gorns... Hmmmmm.....

-James

I'm In A Star Trek Comic!!!!

It's been killing me keeping this quiet for so long... but now that it is on shelves, I can spill the beans! Issue 1 of "Star Trek: Khan- Ruling In Hell" hits comic shelves today, written by Scott & David Tipton with art by Fabio Mantovani. The series delves into Khan's years in exile on Ceti Alpha V following the events of "Space Seed" (and leading up to "Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan"). The storyline alone had me jonesing for the release of this book, but as an added bonus- I am in the book! Scott Tipton (to whom I am now eternally grateful) worked "Sawyer" in as one Khan's genetically engineered brethren, complete with my likeness (sans glasses since a genetically superior male wouldn't need). Check it out-



The book hits shelves today with a retail price of $3.99 and features 2 different covers (I will scan them in a bit here and add it to the post). There's also going to be a plush Khan incentive available to stores that ordered enough copies to qualify, but our shop didn't get theirs in yet, so you may want to call first...

-James

AA/ DST Spotlight- Captain James T. Kirk & Spock As Seen In "The Enterprise Incident"

Item Names: Captain James T. Kirk & Spock (from the episode "The Enterprise Incident")
Manufacturer: Diamond Select Toys



DST released this 2 pack as part of their Classic Star Trek line, with the "all-era-inclusive" style packaging.



The Rundown: After the breath of fresh air that the Romulan gave us in the last spotlight... we now return to our regularly scheduled "Kirk & Spock" show! As we near the probable end of the DST era of figures, we are treated to not one, not two, but THREE different 2 packs with some kind of variation on Kirk or Spock. In fact, only 1 of the 3 packs even features a non "Kirk or Spock" character- the Gorn (which of course comes with a Kirk). Although I will buy just about anything DST produces, it's still somewhat sad for me to watch the line go out like this. I still dream of Trek someday getting the same treatment as Star Wars does over at Hasbro, with the great multitude of aliens and guest stars all getting the plastic treatment. Alas, it is but a dream... which is why I'm looking at yet another variation of Kirk & Spock today! This set is supposed to recreate their looks from the episode "The Enterprise Incident". Since both figures are basically just new heads stuck on old bodies, I figured I would just tackle them together. One is awesome... one not so much. Let's start with Spock-



Body-wise, Spock is basically the same figure we've had since the first wave of Art Asylum Trek figures. Same articulation as always, which means you'll be able to strike a ton of poses with this guy. Mine has a slightly wonky left ankle though which prevents his foot from fully moving forward. Not sure if they are all like this, but be careful with yours if it is a common problem.



The paints used on this release of Spock are very similar to the 2 recent DST Spock re-releases (spotlighted HERE). And yep... he still has that same rubber shirt used across the line. Notice the fly-away warping and indentations on the shirt caused by those twist-ties? I hate that. Oh how I wish they would re-do all these with solid torsos... but I'm sure you're probably tired of me groaning about that by now. Oh, and he doesn't come with any extra hands, so Spock is perpetually stuck doing the "LL&P" salute unless you snag an extra hand from somebody else.



And here's the new addition to this release; the "fascinating" head sculpt. DST tried to capture Spock doing his infamous people's eyebrow... if you smell what the Spock is cooking (an old school wrestling reference to those scratching their heads right about now). Here's a pic from the package showing what they were trying to achieve:



Yeah, they didn't quite get that. The head looks a little off to me, like he's too old or something. Maybe I'll try popping it off and throwing it on a "Wrath Of Khan" style body to see if that helps. Bottom line, the Spock is definitely not the gem of this set. That spot goes to Kirk...



Like I said at the start of this, both figures are simply new heads on existing bodies. For Kirk, the body being reused is the recently released Romulan (spotlighted HERE). The DST Romulan is probably one of my favorite Trek figures ever, so I have no complaints about it's re-use here, especially since Kirk wears the exact same thing.



What's new here is the head sculpt... and boy what a head sculpt it is! It's not often that I can say a company nails a Shatner likeness, but DST knocked this one out of the park. I just can't get over how nice this head is. Maybe it's the fact that "Romulanizing" Kirk makes his face more distinctive and therefore easier to capture in a sculpt... I have no idea, but pictures really don't do this thing justice. It's a piece of plastic perfection.



And as nice as the sculpt is, I have to also give DST props on the choice of paints used here. Instead of the standard flat paint for the skin, they went with a slightly glossy look. Whether it was intentional or not, the slight sheen helps capture the caked-on makeup look that Kirk had when he was wearing his Romulan disguise. One very small complaint- The paint on mine had one slightly gloppy spot on the face, so make sure you keep a careful eye out for that if you find these in stores.



Speaking of finding these in stores- If you do happen across this set, I wouldn't debate too long about picking it up. All 3 of these final 2 packs are now part of DST's "Dilithium Collection", meaning only a limited number were produced. There are only 1701 of each pack, which may seem like a lot... but remember back when Playmates did Tapestry Picard? Yeah, there were only 1701 of those too. Now Trek isn't hot as it was back then (heck, no toys are as hot as they were back then), but how often do you see that figure in somebody's collection now? Any way you cut it, 1701 isn't that big of a number, regardless of how hot an item is or isn't.



Accessories: Spock includes the standard communicator, phaser, and tricorder while Kirk comes with his Romulan weapon and a starfleet sommunicator. Really wish Spock had an extra hand...



Out of the 3 new 2-packs, this was the one I looked forward to the most. While Spock kinda fell short of my hopes, Kirk rocks beyond belief. He makes the set worth the price of admission. I haven't snagged the "Where No Man Has Gone Before" pack yet, but it may edge this set out of the top spot just due to the new accessories included with it (a Pike era laser and communicator!?!). I actually have the Gorn Vs Kirk set already, but the quality control looks to be so poor on it that neither of the 2 sets I ordered are suitable for review and I am stuck awaiting a replacement. Whether or not it manages to keep the top place of the 3 packs, Romulan Kirk is a fantastic piece that no DST Trek fan should skip.

Although my trek toy website of choice (New Force Comics) is sold out on these, they are still available for preorder through Big Bad Toystore for $24.99. Just click HERE to check them out...

-James