Rumorbuster 2.0

Well after weeks of hard work, Rumorbuster 2.0 is ready for launch. It's only a sample of what's to come but we're still building. In the meantime, we've had a good run over here on Blogger, but it just isn't scalable for the plans we have in store. Galleries, space for comments and discussion, and more on the way.

Once again, Rumorbuster 2.0

More SHS animated information!

From the Omelete site comes this Google Translated page that doesn't say much (at least not much in translation) about the series, but does offer some handy promo art featuring... Ms. Marvel! First image, top corner, below Hulk and Thor.

Hulk: Brawl on sale

The Hulk SHS set Brawl that Shook the World is in Toys R Us's 2-day sale, marked down to $14.99, apparently with free shipping if you use their website. Not a bad deal for 4 figures and the "sonic tank" and those that have held off on buying a repaint set.

Infinite Heroes Defense of Oa

And Toy News International has posted shots of the Defense of Oa set. If only the Battle-Damaged Manhunters could have been differently damaged. John Stewart is listed as an exclusive figure, so apparently there's no plans of him being released individually, at least not for a while.

Some people just don't get it...

Wow.  There is just so much that this person just doesn't get.

Like, for instance... can someone describe how, exactly, the Super Hero Squad is "scary"?  And isn't suggesting that kids will just "grow up thinking that Earth's Mightiest Heroes is made up of midgets and little people" kind of silly?  A little like suggesting kids should never see the Sunday comic strips because Charlie Brown is a short, fat little kid with a huge head?  They should probably stay away from cartoons involving animals as, by that logic, kids will grow up thinking dogs, pandas and hedgehogs can talk.  And the shocks in store when they find out that plumbers don't grow after running into magic mushrooms.  Suggesting that kids are going to be in for a shock when discovering that "regular" comics (and what, tell me, is "regular"?  Only mainstream comic characters?  Only characters from the Big 2?  Only top-tier characters from the Big 2?) don't look like the Squad is an alright proposition, but honestly, not every representation in "regular" comics will look like a Simon Bianchi cover.  That's like suggesting Bill Sienkiewicz should never have been involved with such classic stories as Demon Bear-era New Mutants or Elektra: Assassin because it wouldn't look like most other interpretations.  Or, on a similar argument, suggesting that only artists with narrow ability to mimic the style guides should have employment.  Goodbye Chris Bachalo, until you learn to conform!  Zeb Wells you are on notice!

Anyway, I'm sorry Mr. McMillan thinks the Squad is Marvel's torpedo, diluting their strength, scary, and weird. 

Oh, and families... if you visit the article, be wary of the comments.  There are some people who just hate cute.

Super Hero Squad 7-pack

Hasbro seems to be trying to unload those Wave 1 sets sitting around the warehouse with a Value Pack of 7 sets from Wave 1 and 2. 

- Angel & Colossus 
- Cyclops & Magneto 
- Wolverine & Sabertooth 
- Daredevil and Elektra 
- Hawkeye & Captain America 
- Iron Man and Thor 
- Hulk and Wasp

Everyone but Ghost Rider and Punisher!  It's a great deal for people looking to catch up, looking for older figures or even customizers

New Posters

Well as posted earlier, Danger of Dreadknight and Iron Monger Attacks contain new posters featuring several of the new characters (Ronin, Shang-Chi, Electro, Green Goblin, Nick Fury and the Skrulls) so hopefully we'll get full scans up this week. In the meantime, gaze as Shang-Chi, Ronin, Spider-Man, Wolverine and generic SHIELD Agent (or perhaps, an easy way for semi-obscure character collectors to pretend they haveClay Quartermain?) as they take on a handful of Photoshop-cloned Hand Ninjas.

SHS animated first looks

And straight from the Incredible Hulk DVD... the Super Hero Squad screen caps.  Captain America,Wolverine, Iron Man, Thor and Colossus!  Also, the last three shots are the announced Marvel Anime series.  Not much was shown, but not much was expected, right?

New Fantastic Four and Defenders revealed!

Thanks to the awesome new posters in the new Iron Men sets, we now know that the New Fantastic Four four pack will be Storm, Black Panther, a translucent version of Johnny Storm and the Thing, while the Defenders will be Nighthawk, a Chrome Silver Surfer, Hulk (looks like the v1 Hulk though. Pity.) and Gargoyle!

Before you renew that license...

In what hopefully will NOT be a regular column, I present "Before you renew that license..." Spotlighting companies that ruin good product, hopefully there won't be many posts in this heading.

Marvel Masterpieces, the original Jusko ones, were great. While the art may or may not impress as many buyers in a post Alex Ross world, but at the time they blew the comicy Marvel Universe cards away. When the trading card market cooled considerably after the 90's boom, Marvel Masterpieces disappeared. I missed the 2007 revival, and apparently sketch card speculators have managed to soak up the limited run of boxes so when I saw a few packs of the new set I picked them up.

Never expecting to find an OHOTMU like history of the characters, I was struck by the inconsistencies. It's noted that Scorpion became Venom, but not that Jubilee is Wondra. Well, that's fine. Entries for Cyclops and Jean Grey discussing how they have a son together... ok, a mis-interpretation of events but ok. Sebastian Shaw artwork that looks closer to Donald Pierce? Perhaps an oversight, perhaps bad coloring. A re-colored Scarlet Witch as the Enchantress? Sounds like a great What If story. Punisher artwork being used as the Nick Fury artwork? That's just sloppy.

So while sketch card hunters are going to keep the sets sold out, hopefully Marvel will put in a quality control clause before renewing that license.

Not quite Super Hero Squad style...

but they're certainly stylized. Action Figure Insider has a bit about the new Batman Cosbaby figures (advanced solicited for July 09? That's like forever from now!) 3 inches, huge heads, funky style... could be fun.

Super Hero Squad: The Comic

So those promo images are, in fact, a one-shot. And there's a poster too.

$3.99, set in Super Hero City and... well... just read the press release:

Marvel is proud to announce that SUPER HERO SQUAD: HERO UP! One-Shot will be released in January 2009, based on the successful Hasbro action figure line featuring Marvel’s greatest heroes & villains. Written by fan favorite scribe Paul Tobin (Marvel Adventures: Super Heroes) and featuring art by the can’t-miss team of Marcelo DiChiara & Chris Sotomayor, this extra-sized one-shot features all your favorite Marvel characters. Experience the Marvel Universe like never before, as the heroes & villains of Super Hero City clash in epic confrontations! Take a stroll down to the Xavier Institute, past the FF’s Baxter Building…but don’t stray too far, because dastardly Doctor Doom’s domain is the next block over…! Plus, learn more about your favorite heroes with bios and more! This issue ships with two covers—one featuring the heroes of SSH and the other featuring the villains!

Also, don’t miss the SUPER HERO SQUAD POSTER, featuring all the heroes and villains of Super Hero City!

In 2009, comic book fans everywhere will be asking “Are You Ready To Hero Up?” and there’s only one place to find the answers— SUPER HERO SQUAD: HERO UP! One-Shot!



SUPER HERO SQUAD: HERO UP! ONE-SHOT
Written by PAUL TOBIN
Art & 50/50 Covers by MARCELO DiCHIARA & CHRIS SOTOMAYOR
All Ages …$3.99
FOC—12/18/08, On-Sale—1/7/09


SUPER HERO SQUAD POSTER
Poster by MARCELLO DiCHIARA & CHRIS SOTOMAYOR
24 x 36... $8.99
FOC—12/11/08, On-Sale—1/7/09

Found at Retail!: Iron Monger Attacks and Danger of Dreadknight

A quick weekend update, Targets are now stocking Iron Monger Attacks and Danger of Dreadknight4 packs.

They are all great figures, but I was impressed by Hasbro's gall to release two repaints of the same figure in one pack. The movie set includes a new Iron Man sculpt that comes paired with his repainted Don Cheadle War Machine counterpart.

So the Hunt is on! Check your Targets and lets hope this is the end to the current squad drought.

location found: Target

(972) 490-3951
1313 Montfort Dr, Dallas, TX 75201

Newsclips 10/16/08

Before heading out of town for the weekend I figured we should post some news, even if it's been a bit of a slow-news-week (although lots of cool stuff is happening behind the scenes) so here we go...


Pilot of the new Witchblade series is on iTunes... check out the free iTunes offerings here.

Hasbro Customer service gets another knock from its handling of the Cloverfield Monster sales (remind me some day to tell you all about the half hour I spent on the phone with a Hasbro rep who e-mailed me to say that not only did they cancel my order for taking too long (2 hours to respond to an e-mail sent at nearly midnight on a Friday night! Thank insomnia I was even up!) they couldn't uncancel it only for them to realize that the part that they were canceling was the part they had previously shipped to me. A month prior. And I had just wasted my time talking to them.).

While Marvel's online comic reading format is hard to navigate, they're going on with several new online only comic projects... many of which actually sound good to an obscure and older character lover like myself. A Frontline-esque take on Galactus, good old fashioned western fun with Kid Colt, Frankenstein and the Werewolf-by-Night? Sounds great!

And while the old news on eBay is the gentleperson still selling pre-orders for Super Hero Squad Wave 9 ("arrives late sept!" they proudly exclaim. In mid-October. I wonder if they're going to have the stock to fulfill their orders or if unsuspecting marks... I mean dupes... I mean buyers will have time to get their money back thanks to various time-limits eBay has in place on complaints. Personal experience folks: eBay pre-orders can be scary...) the fun news is...

Custom Super Hero Squad soap.

Ok, it's just putting SHS figures in handmade soap as it hardens, but who would have thought of it? Other than the person that thought of it of course. Anyone else spot some creative uses for these guys? Cake toppers? Chess pieces with Spider-Man and Hulk or Iron Man being pawns?

Infinite Heroes Battle For Metropolis

Forgot to post this earlier but apparently the Battle For Metropolis Infinite Heroes set is up for pre-order at Toys R Us. $50, plus shipping and handling for Superman (of Earth II... that's the gray haired one for those that only know him from Infinite Crisis), Captain Atom, Captain Marvel, Lex Luthor in battle suit, and 4 Luthor Troops. 8 figures, including the huge Luthor and the instant army is great, but 3 3-packs will only set you back $33 to $39 depending on where you get them. While Lex is huge, shouldn't the mass-production factor of just shoving a bunch of generic soldiers requiring no additional tooling bring down the cost?

Iron Monger and Dreadknight on Hasbrotoyshop.com

Like the title says, you may now buy the Iron Monger Attacks and Danger of Dreadknight sets at Hasbro Toy Shop. The only coupon code I could get to work was disc10 which gets you a 10% discount (which means the two sets are still going to set you back $30.) On the plus side? You can finally act out unofficial Iron Man movie scenes using Ultimate Nick Fury and the movie figures.

Go forth and enjoy! Given the number of sites claiming that Sentry, Ronin and Marvel Girl waves are all shipping between now and November, the Collector's Pack appearing here and there and these guys we're looking at a serious infusion of Super Hero Squad figures.

Chutes and Ladders!

Marvel Super Hero Squad Chutes and Ladders! Come on! Captain America, Iron Man, Wolverine and Spider-Man taking part in America's favorite game (runner up: no limit Texas Hold'em. Second runner up: Pogs.) After Operation: Hulk, this is the second SHS themed board game, but is there anyone else out there that would love to see an official board game? With actual figures as the tokens?

Mitch Schauer, SHS Producer

As a follow-up to the Mitch Schauer post yesterday, here's his website with samples of his work and his IMDB portfolio.

Long story short, the guy's got some comic/cartoon history! Most importantly, he was a producer for Freakazoid which, although a little dated now, was the greatest superhero parody of its time, he was a story editor for Super Powers Galactic Guardians, and Super Friends the Legendary Super Powers Show, and most recently character designer for the Next Avengers direct-to-DVD film.

Dreadknight and Iron Monger on Hasbro Toy Shop

Danger of Dreadknight and Iron Monger Attacks are on Hasbro Toy Shop. Listed as Coming Soon and with the 10.99 price tag.

One reason to buy the Incredible Hulk on DVD...

Well, Marvel Animation Age has a little article about all the cool previews coming with the upcoming Incredible Hulk DVD release and best among them? Super Hero Squad!

In related news, the upcoming DVD release of the live-action The Incredible Hulk feature film contains a trailer for Marvel Animation Studios. The trailer contains new footage from Iron Man: Armored Adventures, as well as new footage from Wolverine and The X-Men, Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, Hulk Versus, Black Panther Animated, Marvel Anime, and a look at designs from Marvel Super Hero Squad.

Ok, so it's a look at designs and not full footage but still, cool enough. Footage of Marvel Anime sounds interesting too... presumably it's going to show off at least one of the Anime initiatives talked about way back when

Winter Soldier and City in Crisis/Spider-Man Saves the Day in production?

Rick and Alex e-mailed to let everyone know that Winter Soldier Saga and City in Crisis (listed as Spider-Man Saves the Day) have hit eBay thanks to a seller in China. In all likelihood, these are the run-of-the-mill stolen from the assembly line figures, so while stealing is bad, the plus side is that there were figures on an assembly line to steal!

There's also reports on the Super Hero Squad forum that a few Toys R Us's have put out, and sold, the long awaited Collector's Pack 2 so all signs point to some happy Super Hero Squad hunting in the coming weeks.

Prof. X and Shadowcat (at long last), Winter Soldier, Crossbones, Falcon, Mary Jane, Green Goblin, Mandarin, Dreadknight, Iron Man (Movie), Iron Monger... it seems like it's been a while since we've had so many new characters!

The Super Hero Squad producer

Comics Continuum has a piece up talking about the upcoming Hulk vs. DVD, along with a bit about the Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoon and they follow it up with a brief piece on the Super Hero Squad cartoon:

"Mitch Schauer, who created Nickelodeon's Angry Beavers, is producing the Marvel Super Hero Squad series. Look for a more humorous approach than other Marvel shows."

Another Superhero Squad image.... Cartoon or Comic?

Yesterday we got an anonymous image depicting the good guys of the Marvel Universe in the traditional Superhero Squad style. Today it's the bad guys.

Whether these are teasers for the upcoming comic or the cartoon, it appears a concrete announcement is forthcoming.

Stay tuned for more on this developing story.

2009's Infinite Heroes

Urban Collector has placed up pre-orders for the first Infinite Heroes Assortments of 2009. 3-packs and singles even! So for new figures, looks like we've got Two Face, Wonder Woman, Alex Luthor, Sinestro, Deadshot, Scarecrow, Mary Marvel, Harbinger, Shadow Demons, Robin and Nightwing.

Between Batman, Batwoman, Robin, Nightwing, Two Face, Commissioner Gordon, Scarecrow and Hush, Gotham is filling up nicely. Alex Luthor and Harbinger show that the line is true to its word with the more obscure characters. And of course, Wonder Woman fills out the Trinity.

Dc Universe Infinite Heroes Af Asst 200901


Dc Universe Infinite Heroes Af Asst 200901 is an Urban Collector pre-order. The greatest heroes of DC Comics invade your toy collection with the DC Universe: Infinite Heroes 3 3/4' action figures! Featuring sculpts based on the characters' appearances in the comics, plus comics-authentic accessories, these action figures will let every comics fan recreate their favorite comics adventures! Characters like Two-Face, Wonder Woman, Alex Luthor, Flash III, Supergirl, Wildcat, The Question, Batman, Sinestro, and more can be yours! Blister card packaging.

Dc Universe Infinite Heroes 3-Pk Af Asst 200901 is an Urban Collector pre-order. The heroes and villains of the DC Universe enter a new realm - Mattel's 3 3/4' DC Universe: Infinite Heroes action figure line! These action figure 3-packs contain figures based on themes like Green Lantern (Hal Jordan/Star Sapphire/Black Hand), Gotham City (Batman/Deadshot/Scarecrow), the Marvel Family (Black Adam/Shazam!/Mary Marvel), Crisis (Harbinger/Shadow Demon 1/Shadow Demon 2), the Batman Family (Batwoman/Robin/Nightwing), and more!

Could this be our first glimpse of the Super Hero Squad cartoon?

Hi I'm Seantified, and with my first post I bring you this curious image of "Super Hero Squad-esque" characters.

Could this be the fabled toon versions? The comic? Or something else entirely? discuss......

Danger of Dreadknight and Iron Monger Attacks packs up...

but not for sale yet. Rick and Alex let us know that the links to Iron Monger Attacks and Danger of Dreadknight sets have gone up, pictures, details and all. I guess they're the first people to get two no-prizes? Well, they've earned them.

Oh, and notice the $10.99 price tag. It could always be worse though. Hopefully they'll show up on Hasbro Toy Shop soon

Danger of Dreadknight:

The mystical master known as Zhang Tong and the technological terror of the Dreadknight have teamed up to take the Iron Avenger down! Against the magical power of Zhang Tong, the only hope Iron Man has is the sneakiness of his stealth armor, while the power of the Dreadknight can only be matched by the high-flying might of his traditional armor!

These fun, collectible figures are ready for to stage an imaginative battle! Four-pack includes Dreadknight, Zhang Tong, Stealth Armor Iron Man and Iron Man figures.

Item #: 78633
Approx. Retail: $ 10.99
Ages: 3 & Up

And Iron Monger Attacks:



Every piece of technology in the Iron Monger battle suit is stolen from Iron Man, and it looks like the armored villain wants to upgrade! He's smashed into Tony Stark's lab, intent on stealing the original armor. Luckily, Iron Man and War Machine are on the scene, and they're armed and ready to blast Iron Monger into scrap!

These fun, collectible figures are ready for to stage an imaginative battle! Four-pack includes 1st appearance Iron Man, Iron Monger, War Machine and Iron Man figures.
Item #: 78632
Approx. Retail: $ 10.99
Ages: 3 & Up

Updated Infinite Heroes Checklist

I just updated the Infinite Heroes checklist to reflect the recent number reveals (thanks to Cool Toy Review's recent reviews of Wildcat, Batwoman, Batman, Star Sapphire, Question and Power Girl, as well as the Superman and Titans 3-packs showing up on eBay. So far: 16 characters in singles, 11 characters in 3-packs for 27 total, and another 18 that have been shown. 4 more are rumored (Nightwing, Scarecrow and Joker were "late additions according to Action Figure.com, while Batgirl is quite possibly a listing error.

In the meantime, I heard a rumor that Adam Strange, Zoom, Guy Gardner and Shazam are secretly made of gold. Quick... rush out and purchase them, as many as you can, so the shelves will be cleared for the new figures!

Cool Toy Review reviews Infinite Heroes

Well, they've at least got some good photos of various Infinite Heroes. Most important? They've got Batwoman, who is apparently Series 1, Figure 13 and Batman, Series 1, Figure 11.

Personally, I'd be interested in a number scheme for Super Hero Squad figures, but at this point I'd just be interested in actually having the figures show up for sale.

Newsclips 10/01/08

Well 6 months in and still going (although I wish I had more time to do some of the features I'd like), it's been a slow newsweek so here's a few odds and ends.

Impulse Creations has the Batwoman Infinite Hero in stock. Earlier in the week they had Question and Wildcat. It appears that the figures are coming and going in stock, so someone must be buying the figures. Too bad all I've seen on shelves are Wave 1 Zoom, Adam Strange, etc.

The CW is apparently going to give the stories of a young Dick Grayson a chance. How many seasons before our young gymnast meets a bizarrely tanned teen Starfire, or references to millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne start showing up? Is anyone else more interested in how this plays out than on the concept itself?

And Marvel's own storefront has gone live, including calendars, mugs and costumes including this wonderful photo of the Punisher. That's... that's just great. On the downside... Crimson Dynamo Attacks for $16? Okay now.