{"id":16131,"date":"2012-01-06T02:52:56","date_gmt":"2012-01-06T08:52:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=16131"},"modified":"2012-01-09T01:25:30","modified_gmt":"2012-01-09T07:25:30","slug":"2011-retrospective-surprises-disappointments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=16131","title":{"rendered":"2011 Retrospective:
Highlights & Disappointments"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Our 2nd installment in the IAT 2011 Retrospective is here: Highlights & Disappointments. Instead of doing separate lists, Vault and I tried a more back-and-forth round table article about what we liked and what we didn\u2019t. It was an interesting effort, even though there wasn\u2019t much disagreement. <\/p>\n

Noisy:<\/strong> Since this article constitutes the opinions of two people, we’ve color-coded the responses for clarity. Black text is yours truly while blue text is Vault. <\/p>\n

Vault:<\/strong> Hey.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a> Noisy:<\/strong> So, when I think back to 2011, the first thing that springs to mind is how different my collecting habits changed over the course of the year. The staples are still there \u2013 DC & Marvel figures and my MOTU subscription namely, but I found myself spending a lot more cash on the \u201c7th Market\u201d, the independent companies that sell their wares primarily online \u2013 Onell, Spy Monkey, the Four Horsemen, etc.. While mu childhood favorite licensed characters will always be near and dear to me, the high-quality and innovative toys coming from the smaller toy companies called to me beyond nostalgia and grabbed a good chunk of my collecting budget. <\/p>\n

<\/a> I think that has to be on the list for one of the better things about 2012. Onell Designs really outdid themselves with the Glyan \u2013 not just in the fun design of the little guy, but the tremendously useful parts that are part of his makeup. He\u2019s kind of counter-intuitive in that you want to collect him, but you also really want to poach him for pieces, more so than even the Buildman form year\u2019s past. <\/p>\n

<\/a> Vault:<\/strong> I definitely agree. There were a lot of interesting Glyos releases this year, including the Outer Space Men figures from the Horsemen. I was also personally impressed with a new Chinese company named Ori Toy. Their original Ori-Fig body system has the fun stylized look of a vinyl figure with the super articulation that we\u2019ve come to expect from action figures. And then there\u2019s the bar Scarabus set.<\/span><\/p>\n

N:<\/strong> Yeah, Scarabus. That guy\u2019s topping Top 5 lists<\/a> for a reason\u2026<\/p>\n

V:<\/strong> Nothing wrong with coming in second to an awesome skeleton figure<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

N:<\/strong> Scarabus really showcased what the Four Horsemen can do when they\u2019re on their own. I love my MOTU & DC figures, but Scarabus is basically the Four Horsemen unleashed \u2013 and the alternate heads to incorporate customizability? <\/p>\n

<\/a> V:<\/strong> I mentioned this a bit in our last article, but I feel it needs to be said again. Scarabus is a perfect example of what a real \u201cAdult Collector\u201d toy line looks like. He\u2019s got a detailed sculpt and super articulation, multiple hands, heads, faces, weapons, and energy effects. They only problem might be that they\u2019ve set a high bar to live up to for future releases, but just given the prototype pictures of the Raven figure, I\u2019m sure they\u2019ll clear it easily.<\/span><\/p>\n

N:<\/strong> Shhh\u2026 we\u2019ve got a 2012 & Beyond article in the pipeline here to talk about Raven. But, yeah, I\u2019ve never wanted an anthropomorphic figure in my life. <\/p>\n

V:<\/strong> That\u2019s the power of the Four Horsemen.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a> N:<\/strong> A big surprise for me in 2011 was just how huge a line Masters of the Universe Classics became. <\/p>\n

V:<\/strong> Yeah, I was pretty happy with how much the MOTU line grew. I\u2019m glad to see it\u2019s so healthy, I just hope it doesn\u2019t get much bigger on a yearly basis. I\u2019d rather have it around for ten more years than it burn out my wallet with too many releases in one year. Matty needs to remember we all buy other lines, including some they produce.<\/span><\/p>\n

N:<\/strong> Let\u2019s see\u2026 Two dozen figures, four beasts, the weapons rack, and a Wind Raider (on a pear tree!). Mattel clearly isn\u2019t worried about the average MOTU\u2019s fan wallet and\/or marriage. <\/p>\n

For the most part, I was pretty happy with MOTU in 2011. Vikor & the Wind Raider were great bookend pieces. My only complaint might be that there\u2019s a real deficit between characters that the folks behind the line have affection for and the ones they don\u2019t. Some figures could\u2019ve used a little more love. <\/p>\n

V:<\/strong> Agreed. A few figures could\u2019ve used a little more of a personal touch than just vintage releases.<\/span> <\/p>\n

<\/a> N:<\/strong> Another line that really got my attention back this year was the POC\/30th Joes! I mentioned this in my Low-Light blurb, but I clearly remember being so happy with 25th at the time and was sad to see it go. Now, though, Hasbro has me wanting redos of some of the figures I bought just a few years ago. The learning curve on Joes these last couple years has been great. My (awesome) wife got me the 2011 Wave three\/four mixed case for Christmas and there\u2019s not a bad figure in there (though I\u2019m still not a fan of the plain Renegades weapons). <\/p>\n

<\/a> V:<\/strong> Hasbro really impressed me this year too, but with the Transformers Prime line. The Prime cartoon itself is just ok, but it spawned one of the most spectacularly sculpted and engineered Transformers lines I\u2019ve ever seen. I\u2019m amazed every time I see how much larger their robot modes are compared to their alt modes. And those face sculpts perfectly capture the character\u2019s personality. I\u2019m just a casual Transformers fan, but this is one of my favorite lines.<\/span><\/p>\n

N:<\/strong> My first love is going to be the G1-inspired toys, but the Prime figures are definitely getting some purchases out of me in 2012, yeah. <\/p>\n

Hmm. I think that’s good stopping point for the bright side of things. A lot of our favorite lines had good or decent years. There does seem to be one missing from the Surprises page. Maybe it’ll show up on the Disappointment side of things on Page 2<\/a>…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Okay, so the not so bright side thing of 2011? There were some little annoyances this year. The cancellation of Club Ecto-1 was a bummer. The Thundercats 6\u201d\/8\u201d nonsense. <\/p>\n

V:<\/strong> For me, the Mattel SDCC exclusives really blew. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a> N:<\/strong> Oh, yeah! It seemed like all the big ones had some drawback. Marlena was prolly the best even though we ended up with baby Cringer and a green astronaut suit to accommodate her regular clothes. Marlena was fine for me. I didn\u2019t even mind her green suit or her noticeable lack of newly sculpted pieces. <\/p>\n

V:<\/strong> It\u2019s Cringer who was the big disappointment for me. The damn falcons got more articulation than he did!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a> N:<\/strong> Stay Puft & Swamp Thing though, classic case of over-thinking it. I applaud Mattel trying to do something cool, but I think it failed in both instances. I love Stay-Puft\u2019s size, but he\u2019s so fragile. He had the impression from the cardboard on his belly right out of the box and then any little thing that presses up against him leaves some damage. <\/p>\n

V:<\/strong> Swamp Thing really bothered me. I\u2019d been waiting since the beginning of the line to see the Four Horsemen work their magic on Swampy. And that sculpt could have made me overlook the squishy skin and bad articulation, but his size was just too much. I don\u2019t care if he can change his height in the comic book, Swamp Thing does not normally walk around at an elevation that\u2019s greater than the Anti-Monitor. <\/span><\/p>\n

N:<\/strong> Ugh. If we start talking about C&C scale, we\u2019ll never stop. I just got charged for Nekron today and he has no business even being a C&C! And the scythe\u2026 Moving on\u2026 <\/p>\n

<\/a> V:<\/strong> I imagine we both agree on the biggest annoyance of 2011?<\/span><\/p>\n

N:<\/strong> DC Comics? I could fill pages ranting about the folks in charge at Warner Brothers & DC Comics and how they\u2019ve basically destroyed my interest in comic reading \u2013 and this is from a guy that\u2019s tried to like it. I\u2019ve read most of the line for the last four months, but very little caught my attention as something I want to read regularly. <\/p>\n

V:<\/strong> One of the things I\u2019ve always loved about DC was the fact that they recognized and embraced their long history. There was respect for your grandpa\u2019s Flash, while at the same time allowing you to read brand new adventures with a Flash that you could relate to. It made me love comics; it made me want to be a writer, and now it depresses me that it\u2019s gone. I barely want to read the comics and…<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a> N:<\/strong> …barely want to collect the toys? Even if Mattel\u2019s DC line didn\u2019t basically implode after the relaunch. Easily the worst moment of my 2011 toy collecting was when I read this quote on Twitter: \u201cWave 20 will be the last wave at retail\u201d. <\/p>\n

I still can’t believe they announced that at the SDCC DC Panel. You don\u2019t save those bombs for the positive, promotional pep really atmosphere of Comic-con. It\u2019s like announcing that you\u2019re moving your football team at half-time during the Super Bowl. That was a stupid move for Mattel\u2019s PR team. <\/p>\n

V:<\/strong> (Laughs!) And it was right after DCD stopped making new solicits, so it was really bleak looking for us DC fans. But, c\u2019mon, it\u2019s not like the 2011 DC Classics lineup was that great. The line was going places few wanted it to go already…<\/span> <\/p>\n

<\/a> N:<\/strong> There were some gems: the CSA 5pk, the Legion 12pk, and, this will annoy some readers out there \u2013 the Super Friends wave. And, this is more about 2012, but there is Club Infinite Earths too. <\/p>\n

V:<\/strong> There were some nice pieces, but I was getting weary of Geoff Johns influence in the line. It started to feel like we we\u2019re getting entire Johns-centric waves now, or at least Johns version of characters over the more appropriate \u201cclassic\u201d version.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is kind of sad, but it\u2019s also what\u2019s allowed me to free up some money and get some really nice import toys this year. And I think we\u2019ll need the Mattel monies for 7th Market purchases in 2012. Their creativity and innovation is so much higher that I find myself a lot happier playing around with my Indie toys than the sixth Hal Jordan that\u2019s just sitting on my shelf, or the other five that are in a box.<\/span><\/p>\n

N:<\/strong> Did you just loop us back around to the beginning? <\/p>\n

V:<\/strong> I did.<\/span><\/p>\n

N:<\/strong> Then, we’ll leave this there and take a quick poll of our IAT readers. What were your big surprises and disappointments from 2011? Let us know in the comments below! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our 2nd installment in the IAT 2011 Retrospective is here: Highlights & Disappointments. Instead of doing separate lists, Vault and I tried a more back-and-forth round table article about what we liked and what we didn\u2019t. It was an interesting effort, even though there wasn\u2019t much disagreement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[34],"tags":[1289,2593,2557,2562,2561,33,2588,16,639,1252,1247,848,683,2570],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pObc6-4cb","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16101,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=16101","url_meta":{"origin":16131,"position":0},"title":"2011 Retrospective: Our Five Favorite Figures","date":"January 4, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This week, Vault & I will be looking back at the figures of 2011, what we enjoyed, and what we didn\u2019t. Today, we\u2019re kicking things off with a simple top ten. Vault and I have split the duties, each crafting a list of our five favorite figures released in 2011.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25792,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=25792","url_meta":{"origin":16131,"position":1},"title":"Top Ten: Transformers MP Figures We Couldn’t Resist","date":"November 15, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "Top Ten"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":26064,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=26064","url_meta":{"origin":16131,"position":2},"title":"Top Ten: Figures We Hope Are on NECA’s Radar","date":"December 12, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "Top Ten"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":26326,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=26326","url_meta":{"origin":16131,"position":3},"title":"It’sAllTrue.net’s Top Ten Action Figures of 2013!","date":"January 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25582,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=25582","url_meta":{"origin":16131,"position":4},"title":"Top Ten: MOTU Classics We’ll STILL Want To See!","date":"November 11, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "MOTUClassics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25694,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=25694","url_meta":{"origin":16131,"position":5},"title":"Top Ten: DC Universe Classics We’re Crushed They Skipped!","date":"November 13, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "DCClassics.Com"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16131"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16131"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16174,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16131\/revisions\/16174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}