Author Archives: John Harmon

News – Mint Condition Customs is Going to Botcon!

Posted on by
Reply

Transformers Botcon 2012 Hasbro Optimus Prime Megatron BumblebeeYes that’s right, this Saturday, April 28th 2012, I will be at Botcon, taking pictures of all the stuff they let me and then reporting it to you here on my site.

Botcon is in Dallas, TX this year, at the Hyatt Regency Dallas, which gives me the perfect opportunity to go.

I’ll be wearing this shirt for those going who want to spot me and chat me up about, well…anything! I love meeting new people so talk away. Ask me about customs, figures, whatever you want.

I’ll be meeting up with Sean Long from Big Kids, Big News, and I’ll be finding Dave Willis from Shortpacked! to talk with him.

All around, it should be a very fun, very busy day. I hope to make new friends, meet new people, and take pictures of lots and lots of toys!

So will you be going to Botcon this year?

News – Toy Traveler, New Toy Based Reality Show Coming to SyFy

Posted on by
Reply

The other day, the SyFy channel announced a slew of new shows that will be launching in 2013, one of which is a new show based around toy hunting. The show is called Toy Traveler. Many may remember when the Travel Channel gave a sneak peek of their show based on toy hunting, called Toy Hunters, back in January of this year, and which will be debuting in full on later this year. Toy Traveler is obviously a different show, but it’s not hard to imagine why after the success of the pilot for Toy Hunters, that other networks would want their own toy based reality shows. Geek culture is mainstream now. It’s an odd feeling, isn’t it?

Anyway, here is some information about the show released by the network:

Continue reading →

Ask Mattel – Answers for April 16th, 2012

Posted on by
3

Mattel Mattycollector Logo

This session we’re bringing you 6 questions instead of the usual 5, since one of the questions last time was never answered. Enjoy!

 

1.) Ismail Kaddoum asks: 2 words, Mattel: Super excited!
At Toy Fair 2012, we saw the new Dark Knight Rises Movie Masters. They were incredible!
Then, you released 2 more on Mattycollector.com, even more awesome!
Now, to finish the Bat Signal, there’s 6 figures, but, only 5 have been revealed.
So, my question is: What is the last figure?
Ra’s Al Ghul, possibly?

You remember the teaser? The scene where Batman and Bane are fighting and you can see this person in white in the background? Who was that? Was that our next movie master? Frankly, we don’t know but if you do, let us know! =)

Editor’s Note: This the person they’re talking about. Nobody knows who this is yet, but it looks like it could be a random thug. I hope it isn’t the last Movie Master, as it doesn’t look like Ra’s Al Ghul, and we need a Ra’s Al Ghul Movie Masters figure.

 

 

 

2.) Joe Martin asks: i had asked a question last time about when the winner of the character contest will be announced.i meant to ask will they be informed ahead of time if the winner doesn’t live in california and will they be flown out to the comic con ?

Continue reading →

Review – Batman / Catwoman 2 Pack (Arkham City) – Batman Legacy, Mattel

Posted on by
Reply

 Mattel Batman Legacy Arkham City Asylum 2 Pack Batman Catwoman 6" Action Figure

This Batman Week concludes today with a look at the Mattel Batman Legacy 2 pack of Arkham City Batman and Catwoman.

Catwoman seems to be one of those characters fans are always wanting. She’s been around since the very first issue of Batman’s own title in 1940, and has maintained popularity ever since.

She’s gone through many outfit changes over the years, some that seemed to be more practical than others, but they always maintained some sort of sex appeal. Not surprising, considering Catwoman is a character who loves to use her sex appeal to get what she wants and to distract her enemies as she pummels them.

Catwoman represents that side of femininity that often makes men uncomfortable. She’s strong, independent, and she knows what she wants and how to get it. She’s not afraid to use anyone or anything to get what she wants. She challenges every conception men may have about women and the “damsel in distress”. These days, this character type is not very original. We see the strong female characters all the time in T.V. and movies, and in comic books. However, back in the 40’s this was unheard of, and for a character like this to persist for more than 60 years in a male dominated industry I think is a testament to her character.

The choice to not only include Catwoman in Arkham City, but to make her a playable character was certainly a good call on the part of Rocksteady. Their design for Catwoman is more or less just a more realistic looking and textured version of her modern look in the comics.

How did Mattel do on this set? This mold for Batman has been used before, but Catowoman is entirely new. Is she alone worth buying the 2 pack for? Read on and find out!

Continue reading →

News – DC Direct No More, Now Welcome DC Collectibles

Posted on by
Reply

DC Direct Collectibles LogoThat’s right, DC Direct is done for. Well, actually it’s just the name that’s going away. DC Direct is being relaunched as DC Collectibles.

Read the full press release, and check out some photos of the Flashpoint Action Figure Box Set and the Blackest Night Sinestro Bust after the jump!

 

Continue reading →

Review – Harley Quinn (Arkham City) – Batman Legacy, Mattel

Posted on by
Reply

Mattel Batman Legacy Arkham City Harley Quinn 6" Action Figure

We’re continuing Batman Arkham City week by taking a look at the Arkham City Harley Quinn figure by Mattel.

Harley is the Yin to the Joker’s Yang. Or possibly, they’re both Yang which is why they almost never get along (also they’re not very nice people).

Harley was created for the Batman Animated Series back in 1992 by Paul Dini. They wanted a female henchman to give to the Joker, and she was only ever meant to be in one episode, but she was so well received they made her a recurring character and eventually Joker’s girlfriend. She’s now considered an integral part of the Batman rogues gallery, and has firmly planted herself into the DC Comics mythos.

She’s usually depicted in a red and black patterned body suit, with a harlequin hat and white face makeup. In the Arkham City video game, they um…they changed that. Here, she still sports the white face paint, but instead of a harlequin hat she has two pigtails, the ends of which are died black and red, and she’s dressed like any random girl found at a goth club.

The Arkham City designs were meant to be grittier, and if possible more realistic. You wouldn’t see someone running around in a body suit all day, but with this outfit you just might. Regardless it was a bold move on Rocksteady’s part to design her like this.

I think the design is great myself, but did Mattel do a good job of translating that design to plastic? Read on to find out!

Continue reading →

Got Any Questions for Mattel?

Posted on by
6

Mattel Mattycollector LogoIf you have any questions for Mattel, submit them by 11:59 PM CST on April 14th, 2012. This is for the April 15th round of questions and the answers will be posted then. To submit a question, just leave a comment on this post asking your question. It can be about any of Mattel’s brands. So don’t be shy, ask anything. I’m sure in lieu of recent announcements, you have plenty of questions you’d like to ask Mattel. So go ahead, ask away!

I’ll be leaving this as a sticky post until after the 31st so anybody who wants to ask a question won’t miss it. For newer posts, just scroll down.

Review – Nightwing (Arkham City) – Batman Legacy, Mattel

Posted on by
2

Mattel Batman Legacy Arkham City Asylum Nighwing 6" Action Figure

This week, I’m going to have a theme for the reviews here at Mint Condition Customs. I’m going to have 3 reviews this week, all pertaining to Mattel Arkham City figures. The first one is today (obviously), the next one is tomorrow, and the last one is on Friday. That’s right folks, it’s Batman week! And not just Batman, but Arkham City! Arguably the greatest Batman game ever made (and one of the best action games ever made), it’s no surprise that it spawned several action figures. DC Direct did a line of figures based on the first game Arkham Asylum in 2010, and Mattel is jumping on the bandwagon by producing several figures based on the more recent Arkham City game.

Today we’ll be looking at Arkham City Nightwing, from the Batman Legacy line. How does it hold up? Is he a worthwhile figure? Keep reading to find out!

 

Continue reading →

News – Mattel Cancels Young Justice Lines and Issues Statement on DCU All Stars

Posted on by
4

Mattel Young Justice Batman 6" ScaleMattel has posted a response to a question on their Mattycollector message boards last week that they have canceled their 4″ & 6″ Young Justice lines due to lack of demand. It  seems that Mattel just can’t keep a DC Comics based toy line going strong.

It was also recently announced the 6″ DC Universe Classics All-Star line was also getting cancelled and that only one wave with a new lineup was going to be released at retail. Mattel has also released an statement via their Mattycollector forums in regards to that line:

Read the full statement after the jump!

Continue reading →

News – DC Comics Launches New ‘Masters of The Universe’ Comic Book!

Posted on by
Reply

He-Man Masters of the Universe Comic Book DC Comics James RobinsonYou heard that right, apparently DC Comics is launching a brand new 6 issue Masters of the Universe comic book this July! It will be written by James Robinson, with pencils by Phillip Tan and inks from Ruy Jose. For He-Man fans, this is very exciting news. DC Comics was the comic book company that published the original ongoing series in the 80’s and it seems they are ready to bring He-Man back!

Courtesy of MTV Geek we get a sneak peek at the new series as well as an interview with writer James Robinson.

The full story and the interview, as well as a full sized version of the teaser image after the jump!

Continue reading →