Toy Review: TransFormers Reveal the Shield Special Ops Jazz (2011)

Last February, my dearest girlfriend Rita gave me a Transformers Reveal the Shield Special Ops Jazz for my birthday. It turned out to be one of my most beloved toys ever, not only because it was given to me by my beloved, but also because it is so well-made I would dare say that it fulfilled the Transformers G1 desires that I had when I was a kid.
 

Jazz: "What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"

Car Mode

I like the paint job of this figure. It is reminiscent of the G1 Jazz yet also have that modern feel to it. The red and blue stripes, the number 4, the translucent headlights, all beautifully made. And unlike the Transformers Universe Prowl whose paint application feels like it is still wet and sticky to the touch, Jazz's paint job is smooth and clean. On the down side, I was a little disappointed that Jazz isn't a Porsche in this incarnation. I've read somewhere that he is half Porsche (the back part) and half Pontiac Solstice (front part) from the movie. I suppose there is some sort of licensing thing going on, but the end result is nice enough.

CADRE Classified: the beginning of a saga

Two years ago, I was excited to learn that our old TOP SECRET/S.I. games back in college are going to see the light of day via comic books. My cousin, Dr. Emil Flores, has been toying around with the idea for the longest time. In 2009, he and our friend Ron Escultura released CADRE: Amerikanong Hilaw.

It was exciting to see how he envisioned the immediate origins of NBI agent Arturo Ganigan. Reading through that left me wanting more, more of the tales that we communally weaved as we talked and imagined and rolled dice. There was no mention of CADRE, what or who it was and how CADRE fit into all this running and driving around Metro Manila. But the good thing is I saw the characters of Arturo Ganigan, Barbie Benigno, Noel Galzote and Tony Santillan on the printed page, remembering how they once populated the world I created. Of course, there are hints thrown here and there in the story that those of us who once played the game could point out and that is a thrilling thing. For those reading the book who has just been introduced into the world of CADRE, they will have to wait for further stories to know how they tie into this story.

Holy caped crusaders, Batman! It's Batman!

My friend Robert once told me that when he was a kid, he would walk in New York City looking at the rooftops, hoping to see Spider-Man. Well, I saw someone that REALLY made the trip to NYC really worthwhile:



It's Batman! Batman's real! There he is on his...er...Bat-bicycle! (I guess the economy really hit everybody hard, even billionaire playboys/masked vigilantes.) I literally stopped on the street when I saw him! We were on 5th St. between St. Patrick's Cathedral and Rockefeller Plaza. That was way cool!

Now to look for Spider-Man...

Geek Expedition in New York

God was gracious to have my friend Paul and me to both be in New York at the same time for about two days so we planned to go on a "geek expedition." Divine Providence was at work when I forgot to give Paul our apartment number and, as he waited at the door of the building, my sister and mom were going out. They opened the door for him and even gave him directions to the apartment. God is good, even in seemingly frivolous things.

We were heading for Toys R Us to look for GI Joe action figures (me) and video games (Paul) when we saw, en route, Midtown Comics.



It was great there. Wish I had money to buy stuff.

Then we finally hit Toys R Us.

Update on the Iron Man 2 epilogue

WARNING: SPOILERS

As is typical with these Marvel movies, there's almost always something at the end of the credits, a kind of teaser for things to come. This time, in Iron Man 2, we have a huge crater and, at the edge, we see Mjolnir, the war hammer of the Mighty Thor! Oh yeah, that really got fans excited. Then a friend of mine sent me a link that really gave me a major geekgasm:

http://www.newsarama.com/film/Chris-Hemsworth-Thor-100430.html

Yes, folks, there is a Thor movie in the works!

I simply love living in this era!

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter -- Putting Vampires in Their Place

WARINING: POTENTIAL SPOILERS!

June 25 1828 -- So long as this country is cursed with slavery, so too will it be cursed with vampires.

Thus reads one line from one of Abraham Lincoln's supposedly secret journals. For Abraham Lincoln is a vampire hunter.

At least, he is in the novel Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith. It is a novel I find very hard to put down. It is a breath of fresh air from what vampires have become in our contemporary popular culture.

What has become of the vampire?

Deconstruction has made us view old things in new ways, but it has also made us question, even go against, the very truth of absolute good and evil so much so that everything is now blurred.

Such is what happened with vampires.

Up to the mid-twentieth century, vampires are considered evil, spawns of "an evil alchemy of the blood." The very concept of creatures feeding exclusively on blood is abominable biblically speaking (See Genesis 9:6; Leviticus 17:14; Deuteronomy 12:23. I'm guessing this is the basis for Bram Stoker's concept of "Dracula."). Then there came those who, bored by the status quo and enamored by the dark and seductive beauty of such gothic creatures, embraced a more gothic and vampiric lifestyle.

A review of the Macross VF1-S Battroid I got free from Jollibee

I was walking down EDSA near Boni Avenue when I saw the banner on Jollibee that made my heart skip a beat: Macross toys free with every Jollibee Kids Meal!

At first I was hesitant. Kids Meal toys ware rarely of good quality play-wise and durability-wise. The Voltron torso and legs that I got are testament to that. Still, I did text my buddies about it and the reaction was unanimous: they want them! I eventually warmed up to the idea so my friend Nix (with the blessing of his wife) and I decided to go out during our afternoon break to get them toys.

Fast forward to 1515 hours. As a gesture of good will, and since they were planning to order anyway, I asked my other colleagues if they wanted anything from Jollibee. They gave their orders and I ended up doing a mini workout carrying bags of food and drinks and toys. Here's an idea of what they ordered:



The things I do for toys. It's almost insane.

Anyway, I did manage to get me a VF1-S Battroid. As expected, it wasn't transformable. Here's a pic of it in the bag:



Taking it out of the bag, the VF1-S comes with 3 accessories: the rifle cannon, a booster, and a booster with twin cannons




Put them all together, it does make a pretty picture, even with limited articulation.



It's slightly taller than a GI Joe, maybe 3.80 inches.



By the way, the cannon features a trigger that makes a small yellow thing pop out of the barrel ever so slightly to simulate firing energy blasts according to the plastic package. I tried it and what I think it simulates I cannot say here as there may be kids reading this.

Overall, I think it's an ok toy, more suited for guys like me who grew up with this stuff. (First Transformers, then Voltron, now Macross. What's next, Voltes V?)I'm sure by now you will find this toy on display on some office desks, most likely occupied by 20- to 30-something guys and gals who aren't afraid to show off their geek side.