SDCC Thomas the Tank

I was going to write something about my anger at comic convention exclusives when I saw one that I had to talk about individually.  Mattel and DC comics have decided to cross DC’s superheroes with Thomas the Tank Engine.  Once you see the pictures you’ll wonder why they decided to do this because the results are terrifying.  The five piece set includes Superman, Batman, Joker, Harley Quinn, and Cyborg. 

As the father of a 3 year old there are a lot of trains on my television.  Dinosaur Train and Chugginton are the ones we usually watch.  My son has seen Thomas, but thankfully he’s bored by it.  I say thankfully because the show is like watching paint dry and those trains are creepy looking.  The DC mash up somehow makes them look even scarier.  I thought Joker was the scariest looking until I really focused on Batman.  It looks like someone put a bloated Michael Keaton into a trash compactor and then glued him to the front of a train.  If you’re interested in these nightmares on wheels you can check out mattycollector.com for details.

Flash Friday: Mopeez

It’s Flash Friday!  I know it’s been forever since we’ve had a Flash Friday.  There will be more of these coming.  I think things are going to become very interesting for Flash collectors pretty soon.  The success of the TV show hasn’t gone unnoticed and I have a feeling the merchandise machines are spinning.  We’ve already seen solicits for replica rings, replica badges, Funko Pop, and Funko Reaction figures based just on the TV show.  Today’s Flash Friday is about a Funko product, but not the ones I just mentioned.  Instead we’re looking at the Mopeez.

Ridiculous spelling aside, the Mopeez is a new plush line from Funko.  Retailing for around nine dollars the Mopeez sit at four and a half inches tall and are weighted on the bottom so that they retain their sitting position.  The slouched posture and frown are the calling cards of the line, hence the Mopeez name.  I like the little guy a lot though.  They design pushes all the right “cute” buttons and the small size keeps the price point down.  They are currently estimated to show up around August.

Flash isn’t the only Mopeez in the line.  You also get Superman and a host of Bat-Family characters.  There is Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Joker, and Harley Quinn.  The Batman is a standout because he doesn’t look any different than he normally does.  Moping is kind of his thing.  I’m sorry I meant brooding.  Darkness.  No Parents. 

It is interesting that Flash and Superman are the only non Bat characters in the lineup.  Superman is a given, every DC branded line has a Superman in it.  The Flash only gets invited to play sometimes, which in the past has made collecting easy.  I really feel that we’re on the brink of Flash being included in every big product which means that Flash fans will have to start getting more selective in their collecting or take out a second mortgage.  

Scribblenauts Unmasked Reveal Part 1

Last week I spent two days naming the first 1o characters that I was going to look up in the video game Scribblenauts Unmasked.  I think you’re going to be surprised by some of the characters that made it into the game.  I know I was surprised by some of the things that were left out.  The character reveals will run Wednesday and Thursday.  As far as the game goes, it is a good deal of fun.  I haven’t played a Scribblenauts game since the first one.  At one point last night I tamed a bear.  Since it was tame I decided to ride it.  Then I pulled up my note pad and suddenly it was a rocket powered plaid bear wearing a red football helmet.  Enough of that though, let’s get to the list.

Walter West

Walter West is not in the game, not even as the Dark Flash.  I’m not going to lie; this surprised the hell out of me.  I figured it would be one of the easiest things on my list.  There are a lot of Flash characters though; heroes, villians, and supporting characters.  I will most likely be taking a look at the Flash content of this game on Friday.  There is a lot to it and I want to make sure I’m not missing anything. 

Comet the Super-Horse

Comet is in the game!  Not just as his horse form either; there is also the humanoid version from the Peter David Supergirl stories.  I’m not going into that version’s history, I wasn’t reading Supergirl and trying to understand it makes my head hurt. 

Jack O’Lantern

Jack O’Lantern is in the game!  Okay, the costume isn’t the same one I posted a picture of, but that’s because I used a picture of my favorite version and not the most recent.  On top of just being able to create Jack, you can also create his lantern.  Seriously, it has its own entry in the game.  That’s pretty impressive.

Haunted Tank

Haunted Tank is not in the game.  This one is a little disappointing.  You can create tanks.  Vehicles like the Bat-Tank are in the game.  War characters like the Losers and Blackhawk are in the game.  You can create a tank and then create a ghost to drive it.  It’s not the same but it is as close as you can get.

Tallulah Black

Tallulah Black is not in the game.  Although I figured she was a bit obscure she is a pretty recent character.  When the game didn’t find her I figured it might be because she was a western character and this is a game about superheroes.  There are some western characters in the game though; Jonah Hex, Bat Lash, El Diablo, Nighthawk, and two versions of Cinnamon are all included.  Also, I had to include a picture of Jonah Hex because he’s adorable.

That’s the first five!  Only two members of our list were actually included.  Check back tomorrow to see who else made it into the game.

Scribblenauts Unmasked Part 1

Scribblenauts is an inventive puzzle game where you control Maxwell and his magical notepad.  Anything you write out pops into existence and can be used to help Maxwell solve his puzzles.  Later this month a DC comics themed version of the game is coming to 3DS, WiiU, and the PC.  One of the things they are boasting about is just how many characters are in the game.  The numbers thrown around are crazy.  There are supposed to be something like 130 Green Lanterns.   If they’ve been in DC comics then they are supposed to be in the game. 

Because I’m such a fan of DC’s C and D listers I’m incredibly excited for this.  I already have some credit lined up and will be getting this when it comes out.  I know there will be puzzles to solve but at soon as I get the game I’m going to be throwing names at it to see if they are included.  Because we’ve been doing Top 10 lists lately I’m going to list the 10 characters I want to see in the game.  These get a little long so I’m splitting the list up into two parts, so check back tomorrow for the next 5.  There will be a follow up when I get the game including screen shots of the characters that make the cut. 

I’m starting my list with the characters that I think have the best chances to make it into Scribblenauts.  As the list goes on the chances of the character showing up gets slimmer and slimmer.

Walter West

Deep down he is my favorite Flash character.  And let’s be honest here, the first hero name I type into the game is going to be the Flash just to see how many versions are available.  Walter was an alternate universe version of Wally who was driven mad when his version of Linda was killed.  His actual identity was a huge mystery when he first appeared but even without that mystery I really enjoy the character.  The “Dark Flash” suit is such a great look that I think this character has the best chance of being in the game.  It was also used in the game Justice League Heroes, I remember using it over all the other suits because I liked the look of it so much.

Comet the Super-Horse

I’ve really been meaning to write about Comet the Super-Horse because his story is so absurd that I’m in love with every second of it.  Comet first appeared in a 1962 Superboy story that was published in Adventure Comics.   After that he became more of a Supergirl character.  Comet was originally a centaur who was turned into a horse by Circe.  Circe actually wanted to turn him human so because she messed up she also gave him superpowers.  Another spell allowed him to turn human “while a comet passes through the solar system he is in.”  During these times he went by the name Bill Starr and dated Supergirl.  Despite that crazy story, Comet is attached to the Superman family so I’m guessing his chances of making it into the game are pretty good. 

Jack O’Lantern

There have been three different Jack O’Lanterns and he’s been on the Global Guardians, Primal Force, and the Ultramarine Corps.  That’s a lot of changes and affiliations for a character that really doesn’t show up very often.  The first two versions of Jack O’Lantern carried a mystic lantern that gave a huge list of different powers from creating fog to shooting fire.  The last version of the character was able to internalize his powers.  There isn’t much to the Jack costume and he’s been in the background of some pretty big events so he has a pretty good chance of showing up.

Haunted Tank

First appearing in G.I. Combat back in 1961 the Haunted Tank is exactly what the name suggests.  The ghost of Confederate general J.E.B Stuart watches over Lieutenant Jeb Stuart and his Light Tank M3 Stuart.  G.I Combat ran for over 20 years, so the Haunted Tank is pretty well known.  I don’t think the game will have any problems creating the tank or the ghost, but we probably won’t see it flying a Confederate flag.

Tallulah Black

Tallulah first appeared in a 2007 issue of Jonah Hex.  A female bounty hunter with a tragic past Tallulah ran across Jonah Hex a few times and eventually the two became lovers.  I have no idea if Scribblenauts will be including DC’s western characters, they may just be sticking to the spandex bunch.  Tallulah’s chances may or may not have been helped by being included in the Jonah Hex movie.

That’s our first five!  Come back tomorrow and see our list get even weirder than a girl dating her horse!

Flash Friday: Target’s Justice League

Happy Flash Friday everyone!  It seems DC Comics and Target have teamed up for some pretty spectacular summer merchandise.  That of course means there is a bunch of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman things on the shelves, but I was happy to see the Flash snuck in there too.  Today’s Flash Friday is aimed more at things for kids, but even if I didn’t have a one year old I probably would have bought one or two of the items we’re about to go over.

 First up is a Justice League shirt and a Flash towel!  I know the towel is exciting but look at the shirt for just one moment.  Flash got the spot right under Batman and Superman.  That’s pretty amazing.  Considering that the shirt only have four characters on it I was surprised that Flash was even included.  I don’t believe this offered in adult sizes, this one is sized for 18 months. 

The Flash towel is amazing.  It’s hooded and has cloth wings on the side of the hood.  The hood doesn’t come down far enough for them to add eye holes.  Be warned, this one is not made for adults.  I can fit my head inside the hood, but when wearing it the towel portion just barely made it all the way down my back.  This is something to wrap your kid up in after a day in the pool or something similar.  I may have bought more than one.

There is also a line of kids plates, sippy cups, placemats, and plastic tumblers.  Most of these things are Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman themed.  Because I do have a child at home who could use divided plates I grabbed a Batman and Superman.  The Wonder Woman ones were already sold out at the Target I went to.  I bought the plastic tumbler because I wanted it for myself.

I didn’t just buy it because Target had it labeled as a Flash Tumbler.  Really I didn’t.  The black tumbler with the yellow lightning bolt looks cool.   Technically it looks more like a Black Adam glass.  Target also has a bunch of smaller items.  Things like stickers, temporary tattoos, etc.  All of these things are dominated by DC’s big 3, but I did see the Flash included in some of these packages.

Flash Friday: Flash Chess

Happy Flash Friday everyone!  Flash Friday is the semi-regular feature here at That F’ing Monkey that looks at upcoming merchandise or otherwise shines a spotlight on my favorite superhero.  Today we have a couple of items that you should be able to find for pre-order at your favorite online retailer or in Previews at your friendly local shop.

If you look through the Flash Friday archives it will become obvious that I was a big fan of the Eaglemoss line of DC lead figures.  They weren’t expensive, they looked good, and they didn’t take up much space.  For me, they were the perfect collectable.  Well they’ve decided the pieces work better in chess sets.  In September they will be releasing their first Flash themed chess pieces. The pieces below are part of the Justice League chess set.  Eaglemoss started their chess sets with a Batman one but it must have been popular enough that they are doing it again with a less batty theme.

 We’ve gotten an Eaglemoss Flash before but this one is definitely representing the New 52 version of the costume.  So it has all the required extra lines the costume needs sculpted into the piece.  While I might not be a fan of the new costume, I love the pose of this one.  The last pose had his arms crossed and looked pretty cocky; this new one is practically taunting his foes to come attack him.

Available that same month is the Captain Cold chess piece.  I won't go into the old Captain Cold vs. new Captain Cold argument  I figure we've probably done that enough here.  The Flash piece counts as a Bishop but Captain Cold only ranks as a Pawn.  I would have thought in the Justice League chess set that each hero and their villain would hold the same rank.  Maybe we’ll see a new Reverse Flash as a Bishop later in the line. 

While not related to Eaglemoss or chess I did want to point out that there are sets of 4 inch pvc figures coming out soon too.  I only saw two sets currently listed.  The first set is all bat related with Batman, Robin, and Bane.  The second set is a little stranger; it contains Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Reverse Flash.  I don’t normally question Flash merchandise when we get it, but I do think it’s an odd villain choice considering the heroes in the pack.

Gifted Volume 1

While I didn’t really mention it on That F’ing Monkey I recently ran into a bit of trouble with my truck.  It wasn’t just one little thing either, it was a combination of things that worked in unison to create a perfect storm of mechanical problems.  I was very lucky that Uncle Sam had recently given me my money back and I was somehow responsible enough that I didn’t instantly run out and spend it on new toys and video games.  Yale Stewart isn’t as lucky as I was, he actually needs a new car.

 Yale Stewart is the creator of the JL8 web comic that puts the Justice League in elementary school.  I’ve spoken about the comic before because at the moment it is my favorite iteration of the DC Universe.  I’ve been quite vocal saying the New 52 isn’t doing it for me.  JL8 gets the characters so much better than the comics currently in shops.  If you haven’t read the strip you can do so by clicking HERE. 

Well it’s pretty hard to make money off of characters you don’t own and Yale has stated that he is in some financial difficulties.  So how do you help someone who twice a week produces a fantastic web comic?  Luckily JL8 isn’t the first thing Yale has done.  There is also a 32 page comic called Gifted.  You can purchase the PDF of the comic by clicking HERE.  You pay what you want for the comic and Yale gets to build up a new car fund.  Check it out.

Flash Friday: DC Super Friends Busy Book

Happy Flash Friday everyone!  I picked up the subject of this week’s Flash Friday a little while ago but every time I went to write about it something else exciting came up.  As a lifelong Flash fan I realize that Flash items are few and far between when compared to Superman and Batman.  Because of that I’m keeping an extra close eye on Flash merchandise aimed at children.  I want my son to be able to have his own Flash stuff.  I’m sure it won’t stop him from wanting to play with the things in dad’s glass display cases, but it can’t hurt.

With this strategy in mind I realize I’ll be buying things when they are available even if they aren’t age appropriate.  I can’t chance seeing something on the shelf and hoping it will still be there in two or three years when my son is finally ready for it.  So I’ll buy them early, stash them away, and just surprise him with them when he’s old enough.  The first of these is the DC Super Friends Busy Book.

I ran into these and Barnes and Nobles.  It was on one of their center tables and marked down for 10 dollars.  There were Busy Books for all sorts of different licensed characters.  I picked up the Super Friend set and flipped through it to make sure the Flash was in.  Once I had seen that I knew it was coming home with us. 

The Busy Book is a large book with about 10 pages.  They’re made of the thick cardboard type material used in kid books.  It’s glossy and has bright illustrations.  It also has a large box at the end of the book that contains a fold out play area and little figures.  What figures are included?  Of course it comes with Batman, Superman, and Robin.  To round out the Super Friends there is Flash, John Stewart Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Hawkman.  .  It’s surprising that Wonder Woman got left out here.  Instead of Wonder Woman we get an adorable little Krypto.  Of course you need villains so Lex Luthor, Joker, Penguin, and Riddler are thrown in

I can’t wait to see the play mat laid across the floor.  As I stated before, it’s too early for this set at the moment.  If I gave it to him now he’d enjoy turning the book’s pages.  The action figures would quickly go into his mouth.  Superman is tough, but I’m pretty sure he’d come out with some bite marks.  One day the Flash and Hawkman will defeat the Joker and Penguin at the abandoned carnival but for now the Busy Book will be up on the shelf until the time is right.    

Superman Family Adventures Canceled

DC Comic’s new April solicitation came out yesterday. Buried under all the re-launches and crossovers is the solicit for Superman Family Adventures. No big deal, the All Ages section of these releases are always at the bottom. Unfortunately that listing contains the words, “FINAL ISSUE”. That’s right, after 12 issues Superman Family Adventures is ending. That’s sad news in and of itself. Art Baltazar and Franco brought the same charm to the Superman Family that they brought to their Eisner winning Tiny Titans. It’s a loss to an industry that needs to keep kids reading. That listing was also a shitty, cowardly thing to do.

Let’s say you’re DC. You have a writer and illustrator team that has created 60+ books for you. Popular books. Award winning books. Maybe, the sales have slipped. For whatever reason, you decided to cancel their book. Do you do it over email? That’s not the best way of course, but it works. Do you show that you’re a decent human being and call these people who’ve been working for you since 2008? Or do you not say anything and break the news to these two men through the April sales solicitations? Guess which one DC did? Fuck DC. I read somewhere last night defending DC, that is how things are sometimes done in the comic business. An industry that is hemorrhaging fans can’t afford to treat its talent like that.

If you loved Tiny Titans or Superman Family Adventures, you really need to be following Aw Yeah Comic’s twitter account @AYCPublishing. There will be new Art and Franco comics and the Twitter account has already teased some covers.

Flash Friday: Superhero Sexy Time

Happy Flash Friday everyone! I have to explain a little before we can jump into today’s topic of superhero sexy time. When I wake up in the morning the wife and baby are usually still asleep. I get myself cleaned up and make something to eat. Then I usually have about an hour of a quiet house to myself before I have to head off for work. I usually spend that time that time on the Xbox.

The other day I turned the Xbox off and went to brush my teeth. A few minutes later I’m walking past the living room I hear the local news channel talking about Superman and Wonder Woman becoming an item. It was not what I was expecting to hear on television. Of course they had no idea about the New 52 reboot and spent the whole time questioning how Superman could leave Lois Lane.

The super shack up got me thinking about the other long term relationship the New 52 broke up, Barry and Iris. Could it be time for the Flash to get into someone else’s tights? I am not saying I want to see these match ups, but I’ve come to terms with the New 52 Flash being a different character than the one I grew up with. So that being said, what super hero could the Flash start chasing?

Mark Waid did have Black Canary and the Flash share a kiss in his story Year One. In that story Barry went back with Iris. But everything is new and edgy now, so maybe it’s time to hook up with Canary. Barry and Oliver arguing is always fun to read, imagine the arguments this relationship could create.

It seems like Barry likes fishnets. There was also this very, very brief flirtation with Zatanna. This one was over so quickly that if you blinked you missed it. Still Barry must have really liked her to flirt with her during the time she was wearing her “sorceress” costume. And she called his mask ridiculous looking.

So Black Canary and Zatanna aren’t doing anything for you. How about Batgirl?

Too soon?

Flash Friday: 5 Inch Flash

Happy Flash Friday everyone! This week I ran across an interesting DC line that I hadn’t seen mentioned anywhere else. I was at the local Target wandering the isles again when I found the Batman end-cap. There were all sorts of ridiculous versions of Batman, but sitting under all of that were two boxes of superhero plush that I had never seen before.

There were piles of these oddly shaped little guys. Odd shaped heads, tiny legs, and crazy sized chests. They almost look like they were supposed to be some kind of DC crossover with M&Ms, like the chocolates did with Star Wars a few years ago. They almost all look constipated too.

As usual, when I saw anything DC related I started looking to see if the Flash is included. To my surprise he is. The tag opens up and shows the entire 5 inch line; Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, and Flash. My Target had two boxes of these things and the only character sold out was the Flash. In hindsight I’m glad they were out of him. It would have been an instant buy, now I’m pretty sure I can live without this one.

The other thing I find interesting is that both the tags and the box on these guys sport the New 52 character designs. I think it is the first time I’ve seen them used outside something that was meant for a comic book store. From the way DC talked when the New 52 launched I thought we'd be seeing this look everywhere.

Flash Friday: Flash Cereal

Happy Flash Friday everyone! Recently I started thinking about 80s cereals for some reason. I don’t really know why; it wasn’t morning, I wasn’t eating cereal at the time. During the 80s it seemed like every cartoon and big kids property ended up with its own cereal. C3POs is a pretty well known one. I still miss the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cereal. It was then that I thought to myself there should have been a Flash cereal.

It will come as no surprise to anyone that Batman has had multiple cereals. The first cereal based on his movie was absolutely bland. Tiny, mostly flavorless bat shapes the consistence of Cap’n Crunch. Batman Returns was marshmallows and chex-type squares. The last Batman cereal I know about was based on The Batman cartoon; cocoa cereal with marshmallows. At least it started looking dark near the end.

Batman wasn’t alone thought. Superman even got his own limited edition of Cap’n Crunch with Superman Crunch. They had the superpower of turning the milk blue. I’ve never really thought of that as a selling point, I had two bowls of Boo Berry this morning that did the exact same thing. Yes, I’ve hoarded so much Boo Berry that I still have a couple boxes left.

So what would Flash cereal be? You certainly can’t turn milk red; that would be a very bad thing. At first I was thinking you could have cereal lightning bolts and marshmallows to represent the Rogues weapons. That doesn’t really work. Weather Wizard’s wand would just like a long thin marshmallow and all the guns would probably just look like blobs. That and I doubt any parent is going to be buying cereal full of marshmallow guns. I think the best would be cinnamon flavored circles and marshmallow lightning bolts.  Every spoonfull would form little Flash symbols.

I have no idea why I just spent all morning (badly) photoshopping a fake cereal box. There may be something seriously wrong with me.  Anyway, have a great weekend everyone!