That cover's from 1993, but I'd swear he still looks like John Cena.

Lots still in the dollar bins, Peacemaker speculators--I mean, 'fans.' From 1993, Eclipso #11, "A Call To Arms" Written by Robert Loren Fleming, pencils by Audwynn Jermaine Newman, inks by Ray Kryssing. (I should apologize to Newman; I think I always thought this was Bart Sears!)

"Somebody's been sleeping in my bed," says Peacemaker; there's an intruder in his hanger. Kind of a Mark Twain-looking cat, who also happens to be bulletproof: Commander Steel! The original one? The older one? By using the right tone of voice, as Amanda Waller suggested, Peacemaker falls right in line for his mission: a little trip to Parador, where Eclipso is holding a little girl hostage, because she may know where three billion American is buried. (That would be about 30,000 kilograms, looking it up!) Eclipso does seem interested in getting the money (and tormenting the girl) but it's not clear why, save that he could probably do a lot of damage with it.

Bruce and Mona Gordon surprise the Creeper, in their bathroom, in the shower, using all the towels (a Dallas reference?) and tell him about Waller putting together a team; as Sarge Steel tells her he can't go, but has a sub: Major Victory. The Creeper then picks up Mark Shaw, my favorite Manhunter (except maybe he doesn't!) while Mona gathers Infinity, Inc.'s Wildcat and Dr. Mid-Nite. (So this issue is for fans of Peacemaker's show and Stargirl's!) Later, Amanda Waller gives the mission briefing, saying they couldn't wait for Bruce to get Nemesis, when Bruce arrives, saying he couldn't find him. Of course, 'Bruce' was Nemesis, who peels off his mask after "the stupidest plan I've ever heard," and stomps out, refusing to join "this kamikaze circus!" This would've been four years after he had quit--and quit hard--Waller's Suicide Squad; I'm surprised he would even hear her out.

Waller may not be as dumb as that, though: taking one of Professor Bennet and Chunk's solar weapons for a test, she shoots an Eclipso-possessed bat that had been listening in. Now she can tell them the real plan...which might work about as well, if not worse. I don't think I had been reading Suicide Squad regularly at the time, so I may have given Waller the benefit of the doubt; but reading it now I wonder if they were set up to fail all along, maybe in the hopes of getting proper A-list heroes to go after Eclipso. Read more!

If these had been closer in the quarter bin, I probably would've bought them ages ago.

I still haven't finished reading all of the Revolutionary War event, but I did manage to get both issues of this one: from 1993, Warheads: Black Dawn #1, "Innocent Blood, part 1" Written by Craig Houston, pencils by Charlie Adlard, inks by James Hodgkins.

This issue seems to assume you've read Warheads before, which I had not; but I think they were your squad of badass soldier types, kind of like the Colonial Marines from Aliens, warping through alternate realities on different missions. Of course, Aliens didn't end too well for the Marines, did it? They've seemingly randomly landed in a deserted-looking Manhattan, and have to wait for the next wormhole out, when they are attacked by vampires. A lot of vampires. The Warheads lose a guy, before getting an assist from local badass, Shrike.

At his hideout in a church, Shrike tells the squad about the vampire plague, but doesn't have all the answers: he admits he had been bit multiple times, and didn't know why he hadn't turned. Then, we check in with vampire upper management: fresh blood appeared to be in short supply, and the "lower class vampires" were little better than animals and couldn't be trusted not to immediately drain a victim.

The vampires try to burn out Shrike and the Warheads, and in the ensuing fight the vamps capture one of the female squad members, Leona; while the Warheads' leader Liger seems to recognize one of the vamps. Although the rest of the team thinks Leona is probably bitten already (and they're right!) Liger still leads them into the vampires' stronghold, in search of "the truth..." Liger doesn't seem like the best leader, yeah. 

This one's mostly notable not for its embossed-foil cover, but was early work from Charlie Adlard; who would go on to the X-Files and about a million issues of the Walking Dead.

Read more!

"Bar Rescue."

I never watched "Bar Rescue," but I've seen the ads about six million times. Is it actually tough to keep a bar afloat? People like booze...

Our new pirate friend is Blackheart, from Jazware's Fortnite line: I don't think he was the very last of their figures with the license, but he was towards the tail end of it. For little reason, his opening dialog was going to be Rita Repulsa's from the first episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but he hadn't been in hell that long.

I'm not the biggest Daft Punk fan, but maybe Darkhawk is. Actually, he's also from the 90's, maybe his set is more old-school than that...

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Blogging this issue would be inappropriate.

I have to wonder how many races of Green Lanterns are just utter dicks. Besides humans, I mean. But today's make Salaak seem like a charmer. From 2018, Green Lanterns Annual #1, "The Lost Lantern" Written by Andy Diggle, art by Mike Perkins.

Newbies Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz are meeting Hal and John in sector 0004, home of the Vaikeans. Or former home: their sun had exploded, but they had spread out into space enough that many survived. They had been one of the first races to join the GLC...maybe. Or maybe that was a myth, since records of a mostly-lost empire were sparse. Still, it's a ceremony to honor the Lost Lantern, and Simon and Jessica were invited as speakers. They are greeted by the Vaikean Lantern, Yli'Laatua; who is both somewhat creepy looking, and officious and protocol-obsessed. There may be a mis-wording in one panel as Jess discusses the Vaikeans, where she says humanity has "been sentient for a couple million years" but I think that should have been the Vaikeans.

Simon kind of wings his speech, with a hokey joke; seemingly not really caring if Yli'Laatua considers it appropriate or not. His disapproval shakes Jess, though, who gives a trainwreck of a speech; then ditches the reception to clear her head, which gets another call from Yli'Laatua about how inappropriate that was. Smashing a rock, Jess is then attacked by ring constructs, that don't seem to recognize her as an "inducted corps species." Worse, while Jess can manage 96% willpower, the constructs are at 255%. Since fighting wasn't working, Jess decides to try listening. Shortly thereafter, Hal, John, and Simon go looking for her; and are also captured, with the constructs at 1,487%!

In a cell, Jess talks through the answer with her power ring, remembering how updating her OS bricked her old phone: she had to re-install the old system, or cough up to Queen Industries for a new phone! She talks her ring into running an older system, so the constructs recognize it as a fellow ring. In a massive cavern, she finds millions, maybe billions, of Vaikeans, in stasis fields; kept there by the colossal willpower of the Lost Lantern. He's in a seeming feedback loop, which Jess interfaces with her ring: the Lost Lantern was put in a bind by his planet's leaders. They held order more dear than individuality or democracy; so while all good rule-obeying Vaikeans went out into space, the Lantern was tasked with imprisoning the rule-breakers and iconoclasts. He didn't really want to, but couldn't disobey; so he kept them all in stasis, even after the sun when nova and compressed most of the planet around his shame. Jess says imprisoning all those people wasn't okay; but he had at least kept them safe, and could let them go now. (How he maintained a charge all that time--especially since in continuity we've seen the green power go out seemingly entirely more than once--is a mystery, especially since I didn't even see his battery.)

The Lost Lantern is put on trial, but let off with time served. Jess and Simon are going to take care of him, and his people, the more open and free-willed Vaikean outcasts. Which they may or may not; and I don't know how well they would get along with the stick-up-their-collective-asses mainstream ones. You occasionally see Green Lanterns that might be a little abrasive--I don't think I warmed to Kilowog immediately, and he's frelling Kilowog--but I don't see the Vaikeans winning anyone over anytime soon. Read more!

The Sixteenth Annual, Random Happenstance, Year in Toys!

The last couple of these I've done, the start of the year always seems so far away from the end. As I go back through the list, I think "This figure couldn't have been from this year, that was forever ago..." Well, things move pretty quickly now. This last year had some surprises for me, but even some of the troubling ones turned out pretty good, and I hope they did for all of you as well.

For new readers: For years now, I have been keeping a running total of every action figure or toy I buy. Hopefully, each entry has the figure's name, the line, the price, and where I bought it; and possibly a link to a cartoon or strip that toy was used in. (Unless that figure's unloved or unphotogenic, I guess. Or I'm lazy...) Totals will usually include postage and tax. Usually. Any prices or totals listed in parentheses were purchased with store credit or points instead of paying money, and aren't counted towards the actual total spent. This is by no means a "Best of" list or anything, just what I bought. For reference, here's links for 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, and 2006.

1-2 Marvel Legends Venomized Captain America, $21.61, Mystique, $11.00, total $32.61, Wal-Mart.

1-15 ML Luke Cage and Claire Temple, ($16.20); Figures Toy Store two Breakable Window/Wall sets, ($18.00); Amazon.

ML Domino, $6.45; Apex Legends Bloodhound, $14.20; total $20.65, Wal-Mart.

1-16 Two Alien Queens, $8.45 each, total $16.90, Wal-Mart.

1-18 Batgirl, $6.50, Star Wars Black Maz Kanata, $6.89; total $13.39, EntertainMart; ML Storm and Thunderbird, $16.49, Target.

2-3 Fortnite Slushy Soldier, $17.88; ML Falcon, $19.99; total $41.01, Wal-Mart.

2-6 Alien, $9.99, Wal-Mart.

2-11 ML Firestar, ($20.99) Entertainment Earth.

2-10ish? Somewhere in here, ML Gamerverse Iron Man, Stealth Captain America, and Hand Ninja. I'm going to say $19.99 each at Wal-Mart, total $64.94. 2-17 ML Silver Surfer (with Mjolnir), $21.77, Walgreens; Fortnite 8-Ball, $19.99, Target.

3-12 ML Toxin, $29.99, Spider-Gwen with Spider-Ham, $22.99; total $57.37, GameStop.

3-14 ML Moira MacTaggert, $21.61, Target.

4-1 GameStop order: SWB Jar-Jar Binks, $29.88, Jaxxon, $24.99; My Pet Monster (flocked) $23.99; ML Gamerverse Hulk, $19.97, She-Hulk, $24.99, MODOK, $49.99,  Xemnu bundle (Dr. Doom, Red Skull, Dormammu, Hood, AIM Supreme Scientist, Arcade, Lady Deathstrike) $149.99; total $364.73.

4-2 ML Crossbones, $21.17, Frog-Man, $17.24; Apex Legends Pathfinder (crash test), Wraith (voidwalker) $14.99 each; total $76.51; GameStop.

4-7 ML Black Widow Belova, $17.00, GameStop.

4-25 ML Shang-Chi, Wenwu, A.I. Tony Stark, Civil Warrior, $19.99 each; Katy, $22.99; NECA Defenders of the Earth Phantom, $29.99; total $144.77, Target.

5-1 Jurassic Park John Raymond Arnold, $21.61, Target.

5-3 ML Death Dealer, Xialing, $19.99 each, total $43.22, Amazon; Fwoosh purple ninja, $17.80 shipped.

5-10 Bandai Gashapon Fitness Equipment, $28.00 shipped, eBay.

5-12 ML Stilt-Man pieces, $26.14 shipped, Mercari. ML Hellfire Club set, $87.17, Hasbro Toy Shop.

5-14 ML Stilt-Man piece, $17.04 shipped, Mercari.

5-15 2 Fortnite Dark Voyagers, $19.99; pre-ordered ML Web-Man, $22.99; total $75.19 shipped, GameStop.  FigmaPlus Sega Console set, $54.99; pre-order Marvel Select Watcher, $24.99; total $79.98, Big Bad Toy Store. ML Rogue, Build-a-Figure pieces, $25.00, toy show.

5-16 (ML MODOK arrived.)

5-24 (ML She-Hulk arrived.)

5-30 Marvel Select Thor (loose, incomplete) $2.67, EntertainMart; ML Crimson Dynamo Red Guardian, $15.12, GameStop. (I know that's the joke, but I did accidentally log him as the Dynamo!)

6-4 ML Black Widow, ($23.63), Amazon.

6-16 (ML Xemnu wave arrives) Technics Gashapon set, $57.48 shipped; ML Demogoblin legs, $28.19 shipped; eBay.

6-23 ML Xavier, Peter Parker, $14.99 each, (total $29.98) Amazon.

7-2 SWB Holiday Snowtrooper, $16.20, Wal-Mart.

7-7 ML Loki, ($19.99), Amazon.

7-8 ML Captain America, Scarlet Witch, $13.99 each, total $30.30, Target.

7-15 SWB Bo-Katan Kryce, $19.85, Wal-Mart.

7-17 ML Katy, $6.89, Target; ML Black Cat, Iron Man Titanium Man, $35 shipped, @camzilla51.

7-27 to 8-8 Post-vacation catch-up! ML Jean Grey, Cyclops, Omega Sentinel, $12 each; ML Magneto, $19.99; Mandarin Spawn (for Toys for Tots!) $7.00; total $62.99, Wal-Mart. Super 7 Godzilla ReAction Shogun, $29.20 shipped, Super 7. SWB Chopper, $9.99, EntertainMart; ML Hologram Iron Man, Modular Iron Man, Stealth Iron Man; $19.99 each, total $63.57, Target. ML Vault Guardsman, Ironheart, $19.99 each, 2 Power Rangers Lightning Collection Mighty Morphin King Sphinx, $8.99 each, total $63.17, another Target.

8-17 ML Squirrel Girl, $19.99, Hasbro Toy Shop/eBay.

8-20 ML Vision, pre-order Composite Hulk, total $39.00, Wal-Mart.

8-21 ML Darkstar, (pending) Ultron, $22.99 each; Winter Soldier, $19.99; total $75.17, GameStop. Godzilla Jet Jaguar, $12.99, Target.

8-26 ML Nova, $21.61, Walgreens. Re-Ment Miniature Petit Sample Series Playback Youth Day No.8 (bar phone, juice, beeper) $11.66 shipped, eBay.

8-31 ML Legion, $22.99, Target.

9-2 X-Men Evolution picnic table, garbage can, $13.90 shipped, eBay.

9-8 (ML Ultron arrives)

9-18 Fortnite Blackheart, $21.61, Wal-Mart.

9-23 Marvel Select Titanium Man, ($29.99) Amazon.

9-28 ML Captain Carter, Tigra, $17.99 each, total $39.22, GameStop.

10-1 ML Zombie Cap, T'Challa Star-Lord, Zombie Hunter Spidey,  $22.99 each; total $69.73, GameStop.

10-2 Lilac City Comicon: ML (?) Vision, $10; four ML Sentry Build-a-Figure pieces, $10; Sabretooth Danger Room dummy, $2; total $22.00.

10-3 ML Mobius, $22.99, Target.

10-5 ML Doctor Strange Supreme, $22.99, GameStop.

10-16 ML Shriek, $22.64, Wal-Mart.

10-22 ML Ajax, $22.69, Wal-Mart.

10-23 G.I. Joe Lady Jaye, $12.49, Fred Meyers.

10-27 SWB Q9-0, ($19.99) Fortnite arcade machine, $11.99; total $14.42, Amazon; ML Sylvie, $22.99; G.I. Joe Flint, $19.99; DC Multiverse Demon, $19.99; total $68.64; GameStop.

10-30 ML Sentinel (1 of 2) $349.99 each, total $762.28, Hasbro Pulse.

11-1 ML Kingo, $10.00, Wal-Mart.

11-5 (Second ML Sentinel arrives)

11-6 (ML Composite Hulk arrives)

11-20 ML Heist Nebula, $19.99, GameStop; ML Sprite, Druig, Phastos, Sersi, Ikaris, $10.00 each, total $54.15, Wal-Mart.

11-26 ML Psycho-Man, ($22.99) Morlun, $18.79, Amazon.

11-28 SWB Knight of Ren, $8.99, Ross.

11-29 Clan of the Midnight Whisper ninja, $18.10 shipped, Fwoosh.

12-5 ML High Evolutionary, ($20.99) Amazon. Fortnite orange arcade machine, $11.89, Wal-Mart.

12-9 ML Spider-Man Miles Morales, Dr. Strange, $22.99 each, (pending) J.Jonah Jameson, $19.99; total $59.02, Target.

12-10 ML Excalibur set (Captain Britain, Meggan, and Shadowcat), $62.99; pre-ordered two Skrull Troopers, $15.99 each; total $103.51, Hasbro Pulse.

12-16 (J.Jonah Jameson arrives.)

12-20 ML Hand Ninja, ($20.99); Fortnite arcade machine, $11.59; Fortnite Upgrade Shark, $17.99; total $44.27, Amazon.

12-21 ML Black and gold Spider-Man, $18.79, Amazon.

ML John Walker Captain America, $9.44; Odin, $7.68, Surtur, $19.83, total $17.12, Wal-Mart. (Chiselers cancelled my Surtur from that order: they didn't wanna give me a sixty-dollar figure for twenty bucks! Surely they concede I deserve it...)

Total: $3449.00. 2020: $2345.67. 2019: $2472.30. 2018: $1752.31. 2017: $1968.71. 2016: $1753.72. 2015: $1895.35. 2014: $1523.25. 2013: $1101.93. 2012: $706.32. 2011: $564.71. 2010: $966.10. 2009: $558.16. 2008: $555.16. 2007: $426.00. 2006: $620.00.

This has been happening more often in recent years, but my record-keeping has been slipping. Possibly because I'm buying too much? Or because I order something and then it doesn't show up until months later? Let's blame the latter...For example, I've pre-ordered the Doctor Strange Rintrah wave, but they won't be here for a month or three; same with Galactus, that'll probably be October 2022 maybe. And I picked up two Sentinels, but one was specifically for resale later. We'll recoup some of that total! Then again, my total is doubtless higher than that: that's a cash number, discounting figures bought with gift cards, points, and the like. Should I count everything? When I add it up, it already feels like a crackhead trying to take a cold hard look at what their crack budget looks like...

And here is usually where I mention the Build-a-Figures I managed to finish over the course of the year: a spare Sentry and Demogoblin from past years, then Stilt-Man, Tri-Sentinel, Xemnu, Mr. Hyde, Ursa Major, the Watcher--and I got additional leg pieces for Stilt-Man and completed Armadillo after I'd already taken the picture! Not a lot of spare BaF parts left in the drawer this year, although as I type this, I'm only missing Makkari to complete the Gilgamesh figure from Eternals. (I'm really sure I can get Makkari cheap here soon enough.) 

I was going to take a moment, because there were a few figures that were Build-a-Figure sized, but sold separately; like MODOK and Toxin. Titanium Man was Marvel Select, and good sized!  Still waiting on that Watcher reissue from them, though: I preordered it before the Legends BaF was even announced, yet the Legends arrived first! The Hulks there were both cheaper than the average, normal-sized Legend; but I freely admit neither was 100% must-have necessities, either. MODOK, I did see him for under $20 late in the year, long after I had bought him, but I don't know if I would've counted on a discount for him.

This year was (without doing any math...) more than 95% Marvel Legends, though, wasn't it? No Mezco, not quite as many Fortnite, no oddballs like Sam & Max or anything. That's mildly disappointing: I like a bit of variety; but I suppose at this point I shouldn't be "oh darn, I didn't get to buy pricier figures." 

I had that hologram Iron Man out for a few pictures, but it was one of the few figures I had any sort of quality control problems with: one of his feet popped off, and I may have to dip the leg in hot water later to try and squeeze it back on. He was also one of...probably too many figures purchased primarily for the Build-a-Figure piece; but sometimes we end up liking the actual figure too.

What does the next year hold? I never know! There were some figures I sprung full price for, that I probably could've held out on: offhand, I feel like I could've got the Xemnu wave on the cheap later. But, there's others like that most recent Miles Morales figure, where if you missed the boat you're probably going to pay through the nose later; even if you just want the Build-a-Figure piece. It's a crapshoot. (Just for example, I would've bet on Legion being a pegwarmer, but Target New Year's Eve was clogged with AoA Magneto and Cyclops.)

Anyway, I hope you get all the figures you want in the year to come!

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