Benn
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Posts posted by Benn
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On 10/27/2023 at 9:57 AM, Typhis said:
It's funny that they aren't showing off the Skrull head.... Figured they would want to show it off and take a pop shot at the fact that backing didn't go as they planned... So after this made it to funded status my ADHD brain has a question, and yes I know how backing a funded project works but this just keeps getting to me because it's different than others because figures were not offered .. Weren't all the face sculpts figured into the cost of the Haslab and so if I/we were to buy this in stores then everything would be in the box..right, so by this not reaching what ever total backing level we aren't getting everything...so isn't this kinda a rip off just because 14000 people didn't want it the thousands that did and paid for it are not getting everything they paid for...the figures that are sold in stores everything that comes with it is figured in to the cost so why is this any different... I/we paid $200+ for everything that we saw that came with Giant man and we're not getting a complete figure...Feels kinda like a rip off....But that's how backing a funded project works..you don't always get everything that shown that comes with it ..even though it's all ready figured into the cost.,,, Is it to late get my money back???
People keep saying this, and it just isn't true. The whole idea behind Haslab is that it allows them to make niche products that they don't think would have widespread mainstream support, without having to take any major risks. Any time Hasbro makes a toy, one of the biggest expenses is the molds necessary for any new parts. These are major expenses, but they're also fixed costs, irrespective of units produced. If they produce 100 figures or 100,000 the cost of that mold stays the same, but it obviously breaks down differently on a per-figure basis. A $10,000 mold costs $100/figure if they only produce 100, but only $0.10 per figure if they produce 100,000. For huge projects like those featured on Haslab, the material costs are already going to be significant enough per figure that there's a finite number of units they can reasonably expect to sell, so they can't just order up 100,000 of everything and assume that the lowered per-figure cost of the mold will make the figure profitable by itself. So, when they say they need to sell 10,000 units to move into production, they mean 10,000 units is the minimum threshold necessary to give them a sufficient profit margin to make the base figure worth producing. If they have stretch goals at 12,000 and 14,000 units, then they have done the math and they know that the additional molds necessary to include those extra parts will pay for themselves at those respective sales levels, but not before. Those extra face-plates/heads/whatever aren't "figured into the cost" because the cost varies wildly based on the number of units sold.
There's perhaps more to be said about what constitutes a "sufficient profit margin", but usually business calculations to that end are comparative. Are there other similar things they could be investing money into that would yield more return? If so, they'll do those instead. My shop sells a lot of Magic: the Gathering, and anytime there's a fancy expensive set, people grumble about the price of boxes, and say things like "$50 should be enough profit", to which I have to respond "it is... on a product that I'm selling for $100, but the profit has to scale with the cost." Why would I pay $300 to buy a product that I can only sell for $350 if I can pay $50 for a product that I can sell for $100? They both generate the same profit, but one was a much lower investment. In other words, if I spend $300 to buy six of the $50 product, I'll have made $300 profit for the same investment as the more expensive product that only yielded $50. It's always going to be a better use of my dollars to buy the cheaper product. That's how Hasbro determines their prices.
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On 10/24/2023 at 10:43 AM, tarot said:
alot of incels (yes I'm using that term) got upset that She-Hulk was essentially making fun of them near the end.
Yeah, I get that, and I know fringe groups like that can be quite loud on the internet, but it doesn’t just seem to be incels (and others who feel threatened by feminism) who really hate the show. I think a lot of people just weren’t expecting the tone, maybe? Either way, my investment in that character (and basically all other MCU characters so far) is quite low, but I thought it was one of the most entertaining MCU shows yet.
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I don’t even understand when people get upset with She-Hulk. That show was fantastic. Now, Moon Knight? Hawkeye? Those were boring shows. And I reallllly wanted to like Moon Knight.
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Hey! Look at that. You have a 50% hit rate here so far.
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I don’t get it, if that helps.
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I’m hoping for Outback Psylocke, as usual. They’re getting close on the Outback team!
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On 9/8/2023 at 11:52 AM, since83 said:
I think part of the faceplates, beside keeping costs down, is a reaction to the "hostage figure" backlash from last year.
Yeah, these things always feel a little no-win. People who already want to back them are always excited for exclusive figures, and they can really help move a project forward, but people who don't want the main figure always feel a little held hostage. Should Hasbro disappoint their target audience with the product, or disappoint other people who are invested in the overall line but not the specific product?
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Wolverine is an interesting take, but looks to be almost as tall as Thor. Is that true in the game?
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Well, looks like it's a West Coast Avengers five-pack. Destiny will have to wait for another day.
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On 5/23/2023 at 7:44 PM, JayC said:
Hasbro's Dan Yun has also said their will be a new Marvel Legends pre-order coming tomorrow (5/24). We don't know what it will be but Dan suggested it will be something for people who who might have missed out previously along with something a little new. So basically it sounds like some kind of re-issues. My guess it will also be something that will be offered as a store exclusive. When more details become available we will be sure to update you.
I have no advance knowledge, but I choose to believe it’s a Mystique and Destiny two-pack, because I want Destiny badly enough to pay the additional Mystique tax.
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The rumoured listing for the wave was Bishop, Gambit, Magneto, Rogue, Storm, and Wolverine. Gambit and Rogue feel like weird inclusions, since they got those Target rereleases already, unless they’re cel-shaded, and helping to fill in that collection for people. A non cel-shaded version of the VHS Cyclops seems like it would’ve been a slam-dunk. I wouldn’t mind a version of Jim Lee Rogue on a better body, I guess. On the other hand, Storm and Wolverine seem like weird inclusions if they are cel-shaded. Either way, Bishop and Magneto feel like good calls, and I’d put even odds on Magneto being in the classic red and purple versus the 80s ‘M’ costume. Xavier doesn’t seem to be in the cards (especially since I don’t think he’s even in the show, at least not initially), unless maybe there’s a tie-in exclusive.
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I haven’t read any of the Daredevil with Elektra taking the mantle, but this figure kinda makes me want to. It’s such a good look for her.
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Hey! We still have a storage problem and need to thin down inventory, so my shop is once again doing a big sale on Hasbro action figures, including free shipping on all orders $60+. Tons of figures are as low as $10 and some even lower, and the sale runs today through Wednesday (Eastern time). Sale prices are individually listed on each figure, free shipping auto-calculates once you hit the threshold, and there's no sales tax outside Pennsylvania! Quantities are actually pretty limited on a lot of this stuff individually, so I would act fast if you see a deal you want.
G.I.Joe Classified: https://www.redcapscorner.com/product-category/g-i-joe-classified-series/
Marvel Legends: https://www.redcapscorner.com/product-category/marvel-legends/
Star Wars: Black Series: https://www.redcapscorner.com/product-category/star-wars-black-series/0 -
Beast’s descent into villainy has been thirty years in the making, and one of the most organic character arcs I’ve ever seen, despite having been penned by a huge roster of unconnected writers. He gave Threnody to Sinister in 1993, for crying out loud. This all began with him making occasional ethical concessions in the name of science, or advancement, or the greater good, but has really seamlessly evolved into a paranoia and trauma-fueled god complex over the course of many, many years of extremely dubious choices and actions. I actually think it’s a real testament to several decades of writers that it took him doing mad scientist nazi experiments on prisoners of war and punishing dissent among his teammates by lobotomizing and enslaving them for many readers to realize how villainous he is. He’s been on this path for half his existence as a character, under the penmanship of Nicieza, Claremont, Morrison, Whedon, Bendis, etc. I haven’t found much to like in Percy’s runs on X-Force or Wolverine, and honestly I think his writing of Beast is a little heavy-handed, but it’s definitely not coming out of left field.
On 4/11/2023 at 10:41 PM, Hogun said:In fact, in the latest issue of Wolverine, it is revealed that he has CARTE BLANCHE. Isn't Xavier constantly downloading the minds of the inhabitants of Krakoa? Why did he not notice something was fishy with Hank?
Xavier knows exactly what’s going on, and he knew exactly what he was doing when he put Hank in that role. Xavier’s no Mother Teresa himself, and putting Beast in position to get his hands dirty to preserve [i]his[/i] mutant utopia, while also retaining the benefit of plausible deniability, is absolutely his MO.
On 4/13/2023 at 7:01 PM, McHogan said:I get the disappointment that Marvel has taken another beloved hero down a dark path. I'm sure you recall how they allowed Bendis to warp the a Scarlet Witch into a villain for a couple of years. It was a dumb heel turn that was done for shock value and with hindsight being what it is, today I can say it was completely unnecessary as she is back on the side of the angels and the events leading up to amd following her turn are rarely if at all mentioned.
Maybe it doesn’t get mentioned in Avengers books, but it’s still brought up in X-titles. She was grief-stricken and mentally manipulated, though, right? That’s a long way from the stairway of moral compromises that led to Hank hitting ethical bottom. The fact that the X-Men, for years, largely held that against her, despite knowing the circumstances involved, is actually surprisingly emotionally sophisticated writing for Marvel. It would have all been pointless if everyone was understanding and forgave her right away, but her actions had real consequences. Despite her lack of agency, many mutants held that against her for [i]years[/i] after the damage had even been somewhat undone. That’s storytelling with some actual depth.
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Destiny
Psylocke (Outback)
Senyaka
Exodus
Deathbird
Magik (current)
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That comparison picture is like night and day. The new figure's face is such a huge improvement, as is the basic bodysculpt. It's a bummer the costume details aren't sculpted on, but it's overall still a much better likeness.
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Hey everyone! My shop is once again doing a big sale on Hasbro action figures, including free shipping on all orders $60+. Many, many figures are as low as $10, some are as low as $5, General Lando is $2.50. Almost all in-stock Hasbro 6" action figures are on sale, and most of those that aren't are getting pretty hard to find elsewhere for their original price (see Captain America 1st series, symbiote Spider-Man, Beskar Mando, etc.). Sale prices are individually listed on each figure, free shipping auto-calculates once you hit the threshold, and there's no sales tax outside Pennsylvania! The sale runs through Thursday (the 30th)!
G.I.Joe Classified: https://www.redcapscorner.com/product-category/g-i-joe-classified-series/
Marvel Legends: https://www.redcapscorner.com/product-category/marvel-legends/
Star Wars: Black Series: https://www.redcapscorner.com/product-category/star-wars-black-series/0 -
That was sort of the point, though. They were called the Unity Squad because Captain America wanted to show the world that mutants could be heroes too, by pairing them with more socially accepted heroes, but they had literally just come out of a war with one another. They didn’t trust each other, and their “unity” was a (well intentioned) PR stunt. Hell, Cap even made Havok the leader as a symbolic gesture, but then couldn’t help himself from second-guessing and/or overruling every decision Alex made. It came across as very realistic and poignant take on what happens when you try to force unity for the sake of progress. It’s always ugly, even if it’s necessary.
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On 3/17/2023 at 12:39 PM, leokearon said:
The Uncanny Avengers was a good idea badly implemented
I feel exactly the opposite. That series was incredible, despite featuring a bunch of Avengers I didn’t care about and revolving around a relatively lazy premise. I can imagine it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to people who didn’t previously read Uncanny X-Force, but I loved it.
On 3/17/2023 at 2:23 PM, McHogan said:Whoo boy do I agree there. I picked up the trades of the original series or two ( was there 3 runs?) and they were tough to read through.
And were the stories canonical? I've not heard anything about the child that Janet Van Dyne and Havok had since. Did that reality get wiped? Or disregarded? in the end the stories were forgettable anyway
Yes, it was canonical, but the resolution to the story meant that Alex and Wasp’s kid was only ever born in a timeline that never came to be. They still remember her, though.
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The Colossus up in the top left is in his 90s look, whereas the one in the bottom right is in his 70s look. Is it hugely different? Nah, not really, but I’m sure that’s what they were going for.
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On 2/27/2023 at 2:57 AM, Sidewinder said:
Hasbro actually completed the team for this era/story.
Additional characters from this story that could (should) be made (but are not in X-Men uniforms) include: Lilandra, Deathbird, Lila Cheney, Hepzibah, Raza, and Professor X/Skrull Prime.
The only other people I remember wearing these uniforms was the team on Muir Island in Uncanny X-Men 254. Those included Moria, Polaris, Legion, and Strong Guy. The first three would be easy to make with head-swaps (although the hairstyles might not be a perfect match to the issue). Strong Guy would be the only one that would be difficult.
It was actually Sunder, not Strong Guy! And, like Storm, he and Legion didn’t actually wear the uniform except on the cover of that one issue. Amanda Sefton did, though, as did Sharon Friedlander and Tom Corsi.
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On 2/24/2023 at 5:36 PM, Psychosomatic said:
Can we get Hasbro on this one too, please?! This is my favorite version of Bishop and I am surprised we haven't seen this version yet.
Legends may not have done it yet, but Mezco just released one that looks pretty incredible! Actually, that custom looks like it’s using the Mezco armour, belt, etc.
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On 2/25/2023 at 12:24 AM, enzosaurusrex said:
Didn't get to catch this when it was happening. Is this posted anywhere?
It hasn’t happened yet. It’s March 16th!
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Not sure what to expect out of this, but I have my reservation.
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Marvel Wanted To Replace Jonathan Majors' Kang With Doctor Doom
in Marvelous News's General Area
Posted
Isn’t Mads already Kaecilius in the first Doctor Strange movie?