The 3AA 2012 package came as a surprise this morning. I missed the mail man but was fortunate to be able to retrieve the parcel at the post office shortly afterwards. I had thought that the package contained replacement TQs (nope, not "reinforcements", but replacements... seriously!), but it turned out to be the 3AA package!
Almost without delay, I rushed home to open up the package. It is the 1st year that I have signed up as a 3AA member. 2011 was agonizing partly because I couldn't enjoy the discount or score the exclusives. I was glad to have a collector buddy of mine who got my back (when he could), and of course, I turned to the secondary market. 3AA is really an investment, and to date, I believe I have more than recouped the amount paid for the membership registration.
Traditionally, 3AA membership includes a figure, and it has always been 1/12. This year is the first year that the exclusive figure is 1/6 scale. Called the F-Legion figure, whatever that means... 3A fans on the forums have always been refered to as the "Legion", so perhaps that's where part of the name originated. But wtf... is with the "F"...? Some speculate that it has got to do with the notorious 3A BST on Facebook. Even the logo on the back of the jacket bears an uncanny resemblance to the social media network, though it doesn't really make any sense...
F-Legion's a character from the Adventure Kartel series, and related to the Robot Island story line. I'm quite interested to find out more, but alas, there isn't much that has been told, only that Cherry Bomb is probably the next figure from that story that will be released... He is a cyborg, which probably explains the metallic hues throughout his body, and the robot hands, identical to the WWRp Armstrong, Junglevet, and most likely the 10-Finger gang.
The figure didn't come in a box, but in a bag sealed by staples (think WWRp JDF Armstrong), and wrapped under a couple of layers of bubble wrap, then thrown inside the 3AA messenger bag. I can see why the toy manufacturing company is keen to have the 3AA messenger bags and caps delivered prior to SDCC, in a bid to encourage fans who're going to carry them for some free advertising / publicity. But I think they might've rushed the production a little bit too much since the paint on the head of my figure was still sticky when I opened him up (think Kyuuketsuki). This is quite a problem because the bald cyborg head, which is supposed to be smooth and shiny, now sports speckles of dust and cotton from the mask that he came wearing...
The cyborg wears jeans and a hooded jacket. Underneath the hood though, is an additional cotton mask, which zips right across the centre. I've always imagined that the mask was actually the hood of the jacket, and not separate layers. The mask, however, is sewn onto the back of the jacket. Initially I had some trouble trying to hide the opened mask under the jacket, which really bulked up the figure and made it look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Later, I discovered that things look better when I lined up the opened mask into the hood.
Another complaint that I have about the jacket is that the zip isn't designed to be able to split at its end (think APTK Yellow Hornets). I thought it would be cool if the jacket can be fully opened, as it offers an alternative way to display the figure. You will probably be able to force the zip through and split the jacket, but you will have a hard time getting both sides of the zips to go into the zipper later on... The jeans and sneakers look great though.
The cyborg's weapon of choice? A wooden baseball bat, which fits nicely into two rings that has been sewn into the back of the jacket. The bat is pretty well sculpted, as is the cyborg's head, which sports two lines that goes from each end of the upper lip of the mouth all the way up across the brows and the scalp to the rear of his neck. The lines across his forehead kinda reminds me of Freeza from Dragonball, and the curves on his upper lips were what caused fans to go thinking that he has a mustache when promo pics were revealed prior to 3AA sales. The eyes? Stone cold white circles, much like Rothchild's.
The cyborg's name and serial number are printed across his chest, the only decal that is found on him. Articulation wise, there isn't much to say. The joints are tight on the figure, all the fingers function well. Neck articulation is somewhat limited, but it is a common issue that comes with the narrow shoulder body that has been used.
Okay... now for the rantings. I'm really, really, really getting REALLY tired with QC issues of ThreeA figures. Dirt and dust and small little cotton balls on the figure's head due to wet paint, something I can keep an eye closed about. But a large gaping hole in the mask of the figure, right in his face between the zip and the left eye socket? I keep asking myself how can someone in the right state of mind approve such a defect to be shipped out of the factory... Could it have been overlooked because of the production of a huge order being rushed? Seriously, I can say that it ain't my problem. Sigh...
Just yesterday night I opened my Hot Toys Spider-man in black costume and wow... every single joint is tight underneath the costume, which is perfectly done. I didn't have to worry about accessing the joints below the costume to fix any loose joints by myself, cause it was so well done. One company has an impeccable QC, but lousy CS that is almost non-existant. The other has numerous QC issues, but great supporting CS. Honestly, I prefer to receive my figure in perfect condition, and end of story. Gotta go e-mail CS now and wait for their proposed solution. I hope it doesn't involve me sewing any parts on or off the jacket, cause god only knows how well I can handle a needle pulling thread.
Overall, F-Legion's a cool looking figure. I enjoy all the originality in the figure, from its new accessory (baseball bat), to the new jacket, and hood, and jeans, and sneakers (maybe the sneakers and jeans aren't new to veteran 3A collectors, but I don't own any Tommys so they are relatively new to me). Most impressive to me is the new headsculpt, which is simply bad ass. Alas, all the goodness are somewhat tainted by the QC issue, which is bugging me to no end now.
Forgive me if I left things hanging and totally ignore the presence of the 3A messenger bag and cap. Honestly, I don't give a shit about them... I just wish that I had a choice whether or not to buy them when I signed up for 3AA 2012. If it would mean that I pay $40 less for 3AA, hey, I'll be glad to take that deal up.
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