ThreeA WWRp JEA Bertie MK 3

WWRp JEA Bertie MK 3 was part of the resident sale on Bambaland some time in August 2011. Basically unlike the usual drops, he was available for purchase over a couple of days. I took the opportunity to get this baby, having decided to give the huge WWR version of it a miss (a good decision, seeing how limited space is in my home). I have, however, seen the WWR version in my friend's house, and understand what he means when he tells me that the weathering's different, much darker to be precise, for the WWRp version. While the overall colour scheme still remains JEA, I would say that whether or not a darker tone is better is really subjective.

The Bertie MK 3 stands shorter than I thought, only slightly taller than the WWRp Martin. Compared to the Bertie MK 2, however, he is significantly taller. The MK 3 Mode A is equiped with a large shotgun, which the articulated fingers on the robot have no issues holding. I hope that one day the WWRp Deep Powder Mode B will see light of day. My WWRp collection is really centred around my 2 favourite colour ways: Deep Powder, and JEA. This helps to keep me focused and limits the collection size. More importantly, squads are cooler than a collection with a wide variety of colourways, imo...

Overall I think the figure is quite nice, though there are a couple of details that I thought could be improved on. If you have fooled around with the figure, I'm almost certain that the pouches have fallen off the robot unintentionally a couple of times, even if the figure has been kept upright. It is very irritating, and a problem that didn't really occur to me for all his predecessors. If you would take a closer look, the problem really lies with the design of the J-shaped hook that these pouches are so precariously hooked on. Comparing between the MK 2 and 3, as photographed below, the J hook on the latter is almost 1mm wider, giving the strap on the pouch plenty of room to move and fall off. MK 2 had a belt going through all the pouches before being hooked on to several hooks, which probably helped alot, but the J hooks aren't so wide as well. A better model of hooks might be the WWRp Bramble, which is wider, more squarish in shape. A wide and narrow J hook does hold the pouches better, and is something that 3A should consider using in future releases. If you ask me, the gap in the hook should be the same size as the thickness of the pouch strap, so there is some friction to help keep the pouch in place.

Another issue I had was how fragile the fingers seem to be on the MK 3. While I had no issues moving the fingers around to whatever positions I want 'em on the MK 2 (or the WWRp Brambles), and absolutely no worries about them breaking, I do feel like a bull in a china shop handling the MK 3 (and with AP Ascended for that matter). Granted, these figures aren't meant for kids and should be handled with extreme caution... but if they start to bother an adult so much that it simply makes a collector not want to touch it too often for fear of them breaking, it is a problem to be addressed.

I find that the ball-jointed 'stem', on which the double hinged fingers attach themselves to the palm of the hand, are almost too narrow and fragile. Furthermore, unlike the MK 2, which has sculpted sleeves to rest these stem portions snugly within the palm (as photographed below), these stems are exposed in a significant gap away from the palm of the MK 3. I think this increases the chance of them breaking. The thumb's ball joint is very tight, and takes quite some 'persuasion' for it to rotate. A tight ball joint and a fragile stem is really a mishap waiting to happen.

Another obvious difference between the MK 2 and MK 3 palm is the size of the screws. I'm so anal! I dunno... in this case, I like 'em screws as small as possible, despite it being a slightly bigger palm. Under scrutiny, you would also notice that the screws on the palm of the MK 3 are screwed in to differing depths in their pockets, whereas in the MK 2, all the screw depths are consistent. Perhaps this is a little too much to ask for, but small screws with consistent depths takes the cake for me, and MK 2 did come before MK 3...

I did mention at the beginning of this review that it is kinda subjective when it comes to weathering. But take a look at the left hand fingers of my MK 3 Bertie. The colour scheme is supposed to be white base fingers with black grime / rust weathering effect. So far, I have never seen huge blotches of black on the fingers, quite like what is happening here in the following photograph. For comparison sake, I would expect the weathering to be more refined with smaller spots, such as that in the forearm of the MK 2... To me, it is either a creative difference, or sloppy workmanship... and honestly, I'm inclined to think it was more the latter.

In conclusion, the WWRp JEA Bertie MK 3 leaves more to be desired for in several aspects:

With regards to articulation, the numerous joints in the fingers of these robots produced by 3A is one of its unique features and adds to the poseability of the figure. But, for the case of the Bertie MK 3, and AP Ascended, their fingers are really fragile. For the latter, I can understand, cause his hands are really tiny and it is a marvel in itself that it can actually be so well articulated. But for a palm the size of Bertie MK 3's, I think there is something wrong with the size of the stem used and the design of the palm.

With regards to accessories, the falling pouches are pretty darn irritating... though I do appreciate the huge ass, newly designed shotgun.

With regards to paint job, I think the weathering should be more refined, and especially for something smaller like the WWRp series. A darker colour scheme is totally acceptable for me, as long as it is not to the extent of being out of place amongst his brothers from the same colourway, which, in this case, isn't. I'm sure most, if not all JEA fans would agree that the Bertie MK 3 is a great addition to the WWRp JEA family.

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ThreeA EMGY Grunt

EMGY Grunt was a secret drop that came along with the release of the MK2 Squares, which was on 09 June 2011. I remember that very vividly, because I missed the Grunt a couple of times during the day, and when I reached home, I spent a little over 4 hours F5-ing on Bambaland and at the same time monitoring A.Wood's Twitter. The whole entire process was dreadful, I still remember the adrenaline rush when it finally appeared later in the night, I think it was 10pm Singapore time. The painful experience was only made bitter sweet when I managed to nab one and check out smoothly on Paypal, swearing to myself: Never again. Well, never say never, they always say...

So was that 4 hours worth it? Item in hand, I think it was rather worthwhile. But if your occupation can earn you 400-500USD within 4 hours, I suggest you don't go through what I did. Simply go on eBay and you'll see the figure flipped at roughly within that price range at the moment.

The EMGY colourway is arguably the most popular for all the repaints that ThreeA has to offer for each of their figures. I do like the contrast between the black pouches and prints against the bright yellow, which reminds me of a cab in NYC. EMGY Grunt comes equipped like a regular Grunt, except for a longer coat that ends mid-shin. Accessory-wise, he's equipped with an additional riot shield. The riot shield's rad... and I'm sure lucky owners of the EMGY Dropcloth are delighted that it's included. I've seen pictures online with them duo together and I think to myself... Please let there be an EMGY coloured Dropcloth version 1.5, equipped with a riot shield too!!! The shield's thicker and heavier than I thought, but the articulation of the figure's arm has absolutely no problem holding it up to various poses.

The inner lining of the helmet was, however, not included. Initially, I wasn't too bothered by this omission. Truth be told, I ripped it out of my Stealth Grunt's helmet, and would almost certainly do the same when I find time to open my Deep Powder Grunt too. But in a casual conversation with a fellow local ThreeA collector buddy of mine, he mentioned that the lining was actually quite crucial if you want to display the Grunt without the face mask on, but wearing the helmet. That's true, because the head of the Grunts is pretty small and, without the mask, would certainly not fill the helmet. Perhaps 3A would consider reintroducing it back for future Grunt releases, and give the collectors a choice whether or not to rip it out.

I don't have much complains about the figure, except for how the frayed edges and cuts in the coat was done. It isn't very realistic, and somewhat over done in my opinion. I'd be happy if some parts of the edges were nicely finished, and some subtly frayed, rather than having huge chunks of threads hanging around it, as though an amatuer seamstress was fooling around with a pair of blunt scissors...

The Grunt remains one of my favourite original design released by ThreeA in 2011, and the EMGY Grunt is, in my opinion, the best among all the Grunts released so far. It does have an uncanny resemblance to the Jinroh designs, but I would guess that it was because both figures were inspired by soldiers from WWII. Overall, I think the quality of this figure has met my expectations for ThreeA, and I hope they continue to upkeep their standards, cause I have an EMGY Caesar coming soon (paired with Deep Powder Caesar...) and I am looking forward to it (ie. already cleared some shelf space for them). Them being so nice, I think it is such a pity that the EMGY Grunts were not made available for order like the rest of 'em Grunts. Personally, I'd rather it be a mass release so that more folks out there can enjoy it, as long as mass-production doesn't mean that quality suffers...

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Hot Toys Captain America

How apt, that the review of Hot Toys' Captain America follows that of Christopher Reeve Superman, both American symbols of justice and freedom in their respective comic universes. While HT's headsculpt of Superman is spot on, it's clear that they did not concern themselves with creating a figure with the likeness of Chris Evans. The face beneath the helmet looks like a generic caucasian, possibly Evan's stuntman. Perhaps since half of his face is already covered by the helmet, which is not removable, it is not so important to pay tribute to the actor that played the character in The First Avenger movie.

If we were to compare Captain America to another Marvel Character by Hot Toys, say... Spider-man 3 New Goblin, one of the distinct difference would be in the inclusion of an unmasked head for the latter, which included the New Goblin masked head with visor, and an alternate head with the likeness of James Franco. Bear in mind that the costs for the two figures are similar. This pattern repeats itself with an upcoming release by HT, the Red Skull from the First Avenger franchise, where we have a Red Skull head, packed together with a Hugo Weaving head. Again, the price difference isn't significant. Another example would be Black Spider-man, which has both the Spidey and Tobey Maguire head included.

Why is that so? My guess is that Hot Toys, being the merchants that they are, judges the popularity of characters before deciding whether or not the alternate-unmasked head is included. If it is the main character of the movie and a very popular superhero, you can be sure that the alternate head will not be included. It will, however, be packed with a subsequent release, so as to entice the collector to purchase another separate figure just for the sake of having the unmasked head. This is what is happening for the Captain America, which I kinda despise. Obscure character who is not the protagonist in a movie? Let's include the human head so as to boost our sales a little. Of course, these are just speculations on my part, for how could a collector truly understand what goes into the calculation for the cost of an action figure by the manufacturer? They probably know best. But in short, I do feel that the cost of this figure should include a Chris Evans headsculpt to better increase the figure's playbility and value.

Captain America comes packed with his main weapon, the vibranium shield, as well as a rifle and a pistol. I like the fact that all these accessories can be holstered / hung on to the main figure, so that apart from the alternate hands, no other accessories need to be kept in the box. HT did include a small rectilinear S-hook to hang his shield on his back, much like how he carries the shield in the movies or in the comics.

The design of Captain America movie is very much akin to that of the Ultimates universe, with a World War II inspired helmet design complete with chin straps. Photographed below is a figure of the modern Captain America costume produced by Toybiz in their Marvel Legends Icons line. Comparing the two, the movie Cap's design has transformed what was cartoony and comic-ish into something almost believable, but at the same time paying tribute to the comic costume. For example, instead of painting red and white stripes across the abdomen padding, the armour is painted white with red coloured harness straps running across it. Instead of planting the Wings of Liberty above the character's ears, the wings have been spray painted on to the helmet. The star on the chest remains though. One complain that I have about the costume design is the shoulder armour, that hugely restrict the upward movement of the figure's arms. Some brute force is needed to extend the arm into a horizontal position, but take care not to stretch and tear the fabric.

I imagined that the figure would be somewhat taller, seeing how Chris Evans bulked himself up so much to play the character. Remember the scene with him running in a skin tight shirt down the street chasing down Docter Erskine's murderer? That hunky mass is lost in this figure as he appears to be somewhat short standing next to other 12" figures. Still, the attention to details is as high as Hot Toys have been delivering for all their other figures, and the weapons included are great additions. However (I've said it before and wish to re-emphasize), without the Chris Evans head, the package simply doesn't justify the high cost of this figure, bringing its playability and value down drastically...

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Hot Toys Superman

The Superman I know was introduced to me only through comics and animation. I've watched a couple of the old Superman movies before, but to me they are pretty forgetable. Still, if you were to ask me which actor played the definitive Superman on screen, I'll say it was Christopher Reeves. Hot Toys did a marvelous job sculpting his head for this 12" figure, which was the main reason why I bought it, even though my favourite superhero is Batman.

I didn't take a photograph of the box that Superman came in, because in my opinion, the box and diorama display base are a huge waste of cost and space. Well, more on the base later. The only thing I found interesting about the box design was how the Superman diamond shaped symbol can actually carved out of a square, by slicing a corner off. Haha... an minute intrigue in its geometry.

While the uncanny likeness Reeves' headsculpt forms the most impressionable feature of the figure, attention must also be paid to the body that lies hidden under the blue spendax. Overall, I think Supes figure has been captured just about right, without being overly muscle-packed, nor too skinny. The material used for his costume is also well chosen, being suitably elastic but never too creasy. The diamond shaped 'S' symbol is also well printed on his chest (and on his cape), to the right proportions.

The cape trimming has concealed wires that allows the cape to be poseable. It's good for flight poses, to simulate the scarlet fabric billowing in a constant wind. But if you want to pose Supes standing still in still air, with all the cloth falling straight under the effect of gravity, you're in trouble, for the hidden wires are almost impossible to straighten fully. Perhaps HT could've provided an alternative normal cape for such displays.

The figure's fine and darn near perfection in my opinion, but as if that is not enough, the manufacturer included a diorama display base that looks like an architectural element from the caped crusader's secret hideout in the Arctic, the Fortress of Solitude. It is a sizeable display, and I wonder which came first: the huge ass box or the huge ass base? Either way, I think they're both pretty redundant. The icicles stemming from the snow patch in the display don't attach well to the cut-outs in the base. Hell, even the snow patch doesn't sit perfectly flat on a horizontal surface. If HT offered collectors a choice on the figure-only or figure-with-base-and-extra-costs-for-its-elaborate-box-design-and-size, I think I would've opted for the former.

Superman and Batman, the strongest of their species. Supes being the unbeatable crazy powered omega level alien from outer space, Bats being the representation of the epitome of human abilities assisted by kick-ass technology. Between the two, Bats always had a stronger appeal to me. These two are quite the classic comic characters that have been emulated by comics publishers, such as Wildstorm's Apollo and Midnighter (gay-fied), or Marvel's Captain America and Iron Man. Still, none really tells a story quite like DC's Superman and Batman.

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ThreeA Tomorrow Queen Lolli

Tomorrow Queen Lolli was released on 01 December 2011 on Bambaland. Prior to the sales, various news sources from ThreeA warned of its limited amount, as it has been pre-made to a fixed quantity. While the exact edition size was never revealed, this led to a mad rush to seize a piece of her on the morning it was released. I was there and I was cartjacked three times and didn't manage to land one that day. Now, seeing that I have a piece in hand for this review I think it's natural you might guess that I got mine through the notorious secondary market.

Truth be told, I was rather tempted to. While it was sold for 85USD (with 3A discount), she was immediately priced at 180USD (with bidders) and more on eBay. This is where I find ThreeA's anti-flipper principals rather hypocritical. Bottom line, if you don't want people to flip your product, don't make them in such limited quantities. 'Nuf said.

Anyway, shortly after the drop, I managed to trade her with my GID Nabler on KR. I'm thankful for the fellow collector who agreed to trade her with me... I'm not sure if he'll decline to be named, but I guess a simple Thank You here would suffice.

I'm quite excited to get Lolli, mostly because she's boasted to have an upgrade on the basic body that was standard issue to all TQs released so far. Before her, there were minor changes made to the ankle ball joints of Princess and Vanilla, though I won't say was a significant improvement. For Lolli, the TQ released right after Princess and Vanilla, the body is totally new. But before I point out the differences, let's just enjoy the figure in its glory all by itself...

Lolli comes donning a tube dress with slanted pink lines on a white base. There's a pink theme going on for her, as she sports pink gloves, dress, heels, and even pink hair. I think the bright colours are rather apt for Christmas, being the XXX'mas 2011 TQ that she is. She comes with a holster strapped to her left leg, where the dress slants lower, sporting a pistol that actually belongs to AP Popbot. I always found something sensuous about the way the holster strap disappears into her skirt, which I like. But I als0 thought that the holster should be on the right leg where the skirt ends higher, rather than competing for space on an overcrowded right leg.

Comparing her pistol with AP Ascended revealed absolutely no difference. The weathering and base colours on the pistol are identical, well... at least to me. The gun is new to the TQs, apart from the shotgun that Yumiko's equipped with. However, Lolli's not able to hold the pistol properly. I find that rather irritating, cause that means the pistol is only included for the look of it. If you try to make Lolli grip her gun, you'll find that her index and middle fingers are sculpted together, and so they cannot separate to allow her index finger to fit into the trigger guard. Even if you whip out your exacto and separated the two fingers (like what most people did for de plumes), I doubt her thick index finger can fit into the tiny hole, which was meant to be held by articulated fingers that belonged to the AP Ascended. Well, let's just force her fingers apart and make her hold the darn pistol. Alas, even doing that, I haven't been able to align the pistol axis and Lolli's arm in one straight line. When I try to pose her as though she's about to shoot someone down, with her arm extended, it looks rather awkward.

So there, my pistol's going to remain holstered, likely forever. This being the result of a meaningless kitbash of accessories from a toy design that was previously released. I see it being done for the 10-finger gang and it kinda irks me (the only saving grace is their fingers are articulated, so holding the various weapons shouldn't be a problem). To me, that pistol belongs to the AP Ascended, whom it was designed for, and whom it can hold properly, and definitely not to a TQ. If a TQ is designed to hold a pistol, that pistol will surely look different from an AP Popbot's. And, food for thought, wouldn't it be weird when a 1/6 Lolli meets a 1/6 Popbot (and rightly so, since they're from the same universe), and the former's pistol is an exact duplicate, albeit miniature version of the latter's? It's how 1/6 Wasabi would feel when he meets a 1/6 RPG Bramble, cause their rocket would be exactly half / double of each other's. However, I give credit for the effort in modifying Wasabi's hand so that he can hold the rocket properly, something that is clearly lacking here for Lolli.

And now, let the comparison begin...

Standing side by side, it is apparent that the upgraded body (or V2, for the purpose of this review) is taller than its predecessor (V1). The curves are more pronounced. Just looking at the legs, you can tell that the calves to ankle difference is more significant for the V2. The thigh cut on the V1 is removed as well, so you won't be able to twist Lolli's leg a full turn like in V1. The length of the arms are somewhat similar, but the shape of the arm section of V2 is much more ovalular than that of V1, which is more circular. While these accentuate the curves on Lolli's limbs, the problem occurs when you twist the arm along the bicep cut right above her elbows, as illustrated in the photo below:

There's nothing natural about the twist in V2, as the ovular section means a drastic 2mm difference front and back of the arm at its worst case scenario. It's fine with robot joints (as WWRp Bromwich is happy to demonstrate) but for a human figure, I think that a more circular section like that of the V1 is more appropriate. Evidently, the function of the bicep cut has lost its importance to the form of the overall figure when viewed with the arms not twisted at all. This brings us to whether the bicep cut is that imporant. Well, it is to me... and I hope the photograph below, with the arms twisted and turned to its maximum for both figures, shows clearly how the V1 is somewhat more natural looking than V2, which looks like an anorexic contortionist at work.

Below, the knee joints turned to their maximum for the right leg on both figures. Articulation-wise, the V2 with its double hinge beats the V1 hands down. But take a look at the aesthetics of both legs, and tell me if you think the V2 looks better. It is the nature of the joint to have exposed hinges when turned to its maximum, and evidently, works better on robots than human figures. Personally, I feel that the V1 knee joint is a good balance between form and function, and if the frontal view does not convince you, I'm pretty sure the rear view of the ladies will.

Let's analyze what is seen on the legs of the ladies from the back, top down. Near to the skirt rim of V1, a working cut line is seen. A similar joint line is also seen above the hinges of the V2, however, they are not functioning (ie. the cut is visible, but it does not twist). Between the skirt line and this joint line on the V2 are 2 screw patches / plugs, as indicated in the following picture. Screw plugs are not new to ThreeA figures, but new to the TQ, and two in quick successions of one another, albeit concealed by the skirt for the case of Lolli, just kinda brings on a frown to say the least. The rear view of the double hinge joint is quite hideous to me, especially compared to that of the V1. What's more, the screw plugs are hard plastic (as compared to the TKs, which are soft rubber plugs) and not able to flush completely with the thigh surface, ie. the plug protrudes out slightly, making itself ever more pronounced.

Lines are inevitable where joints are present, but workmanship can help to mitigate this issue. The photographs above show that at the same angle, viewed from the same distance, V1 legs are more seamless than V2's. I'm not talking about the quantity of lines here, but rather, the quality. Both legs have been straightened to the max, and still, the gap of the joint line in the V2 is larger than that of the V1.

If you recall, Princess and Vanilla were released with QC issues that caused a medium-sized fiasco (medium, ie. not as big as 3AA 2011), due to its peeling finish coating on its limbs. Lolli didn't have this problem. Well, simply because the plastic presented is unfinished. I believe the finishing coat on Princess and Vanilla was an attempt by 3A to give the figures a matt finish. The absense of a final coat gives Lolli a plasticky-toyish look that the two photographs below hope to illustrate. I might sound like a difficult collector who, on one hand, complains about the peeling matt finish coat, and on the other hand, complains about the glossy sheen on the unfinished body. But let's face it, the problem of the glossy sheen remains. While in Princess and Vanilla, we see a failed attempt to address the issue, we don't see any effort to do so in Lolli... I really do hope that in future, clean bodies come with a matt coat to omit the glossy sheen. At least Queeny looks like she's gonna be weathered (think Yumiko) so there shouldn't be an issue with the gloss...

So... All in all, if you've read every single word of my lengthy rant above, it goes without saying that I prefer the V2 more than the V1... GOTCHA~! Seriously, V1 is the winner for me. New is not always better, though I do agree that with  the limbs all out straightened, V2 sports better proportions. And, quite importantly, the V2 stands much firmer than the V1. However, I think the proportions on the V2 can be adequately achieved with the V1 articulation. Now on out, I'll look forward to a V3, which, hopefully, is a work already in progress and a blend between its two predecessors, merging the best of both worlds. I will, however, see all future releases of V2 with a tint of regret, of what could have been better...

Care to share your thoughts on Lolli...?

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