Ubernerd, Beyond Loserdome

Out of all the vehicles, playsets, and accessories Toy Biz ever produced for the Marvel Superheroes line, the Punisher Van was the most realistic and comic accurate. And to think, it might not have been made if it wasn't for the fact that they were just reusing the mold from their Joker Van from the Batman line!  The grill lowers to reveal two swivel guns. Side profile with guns out... And with them back in their hiding place. I love all of the stickers for this thing. Very campy but they look great. Back of the van hides more of the Punisher's goodies. Gun arsenal... I'm missing one of the guns at the moment. And a massive machine gun trailer that hitches up to the van. The top hatch pops open to reveal a rooftop machine gun. I wish there was a chair because the posing becomes a little awkward. Still, it's a cool feature. You'd smile too if your van was this ready to paint the town red. And of c...

I picked up 3 more from the DC Superheroes line this week: Batman, Mr. Freeze, and Lex Luthor. I had all of these figures as a kid but they all broke in time. It was great to find these again. I know a lot people prefer the Kenner version of the 89 Batman but I've always preferred this face. It reminds me more of the Filmation and Superfriends Batman face. As a kid, I foolishly decided to cut the rope on my Batman's belt. Fate has a sense of humor because, when I tested the action feature on this new figure I found that it no longer worked. The rope would not retract. The only solution was to, again, cut the rope. Such is life. I tied a knot to the other end of the rope so that it could still be useful. For some reason, a speargun seems more deadly than an actual gun but Batman assures us that it is completely non lethal. I'm pretty sure he gets his hardware from Dr. Heller. The Dynamic Duo. My childhood Lex Luth...

I think I can go out on a limb and say, that in 1990, every kid had at least one Toy Biz Marvel Super Hero figure. Most likely, it was Spider-Man. And just like every kid had one figure, every kid also had that picture of a playset on the back of their toy's card. You know what I'm referring to, the Training Center. It was the playset that everyone saw but few of us actually knew someone who owned it. Now, to be completely honest, there is nothing super impressive about it. Seriously. It wasn't based on anything that we had read about in the comics or previously seen in a cartoon so it has no in-universe connection. The actual set itself doesn't really assist in "the adventures" you play out with your toys. All it really does, and honestly was intended to do, is let you utilize a lot of your toy's action features. There were pillars that Hulk could knock down, a wall that worked well with Spidey's suction cups and a hook that Daredevil could ...