22 November 2010

Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites

Earlier this year, Dark Horse Comics published a hardcover collection you wouldn't want to miss - Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson's Beasts of Burden which collect the first story from the pages of "The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings", other early stories as well as the hit four-issue comic series "Beasts of Burden".

Set in the average neighbourhood of Burden Hill (hence the title), filled with green lawns and white picket fences, a team of dogs and one cat are paranormal investigators determined to keep their community safe from witches, zombie dogs and even demonic cannibal frogs.

What endears me to the characters, beyond the fact that they are cute furry creatures, is the fact that at the end of it all, they are still pets who sniff each other's behind and rush back before their owners get home. Evan Dorkin's script is filled with equal parts mystery, adventure, horror and humour while Jill Thompson's beautiful paintings never fail to allow the animals to emote.

This comic captures the heart and haunts your dreams...highly recommended!



14 November 2010

Lego 10026 - Ultimate Collector Series Naboo N-1 Starfighter

Recreate the Galactic Empire with the Lego Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series (UCS). Featuring exclusive and hard-to-find Star Wars collectibles, this unique selection allows one to build some of the film’s most iconic structures in true mini-figure scale. Every piece in this amazing Star Wars collector series is designed with an eye toward quality and authenticity. I'm such a huge fan of this Lego line that I named this blog domain after it.

Released in 2002, this is to date the smallest of the Lego UCS line, coming up to 187 pieces. I purchased this from eBay as a loose complete set with a final price of US$30 which was below its original price of US$40. I was furious when the seller charged me the same amount for shipping it to Singapore. While that would have been a fair price if it was MISB, it was daylight robbery for a loose set as the postage indicated. My polite requests for a partial refund of the difference was rudely declined by the seller and I had no choice but to leave a neutral rating for him.

Once I had this set in my hands, I set about building it. The final product eased my displeasure with the seller in a quick instant. The Naboo N-1 Starfighter is sleek and shiny with lots of chrome bricks which are rare. It also came with a hinged display stand that allows one to modify the display angle. A technical specifications information plate (typical of UCS sets) completes the display stand. However, this set is not without its faults - there are stickers, instead of printed bricks which are starting to peel off. I had to protect the information plate but it would be a challenge to do the same for the other stickers on the starfighter. It only comes packaged with 1/3 of a mini-figure as the astromech droid is just a head brick.

I reproduce the characteristics of this beautiful starfighter taken off the Star Wars Wiki page:

"The Royal N-1 starfighter featured the best elements of Naboo design, being aesthetically sound and adhering to the Naboo's love for curves and aerodynamic shapes.

A chromium finish on the front of the vehicle would gleam in the sunlight during parades and celebratory fly-bys. This chromium was purely decorative and reserved for starships serving the Naboo Royal House. Once, the chromium was used to deflect rays from Naboo's sun, and all starships were fitted with it. The finish contrasted sharply with rest of the N-1, which was yellow in color.

The citizens of Naboo were dedicated to the defense of their ecologically sensitive world, and the N-1 was an example of this commitment. Its specialized engine system ensured that fuel would burn hotter in order to reduce harmful emissions.

The N-1's roles included reconnaissance/patrol missions, escort duty, system defense, and ceremonial functions. While its light, fast, and agile characteristics made it an ideal dogfighter, it was a poor ground-attack craft and it suffered in tight spaces, as these situations robbed it of all its advantages. However, it could still perform the tank-buster job in pinch, as Rhys Dallows found when he had to defend a Resistance base hidden in his old training canyon.

In order to accompany the Queen's starship to Coruscant or other distant planets, each N-1 was fitted with a Nubian Monarch C-4 hyperdrive with a range of 1,000 light years. When this was insufficient, the escort fighters could refuel in transit via the J-Type diplomatic barge's under-wing docking sockets.

The pilot was protected by advanced life-support systems and deflector shields, aided by an astromech droid that would help the pilot with repairs and adjustments.

The N-1 starfighter was also equipped with an advanced autopilot that could receive navigational information from hangar outlets or from Naboo flight control. In a crisis, the autopilot could bring the craft to the site of an emergency or pilot the ship home safely.

The N-1's weapons were twin laser cannons and a full complement of 10 proton torpedoes. These were powerful enough to allow the N-1 to engage even the superior numbers of Vulture droids of the Trade Federation Droid Control Ship as was required during the Battle of Naboo.



















Transformers Animated Deluxe Class Optimus Prime (Cybertronian mode)

Despite having washed out of the Autobot academy, Optimus Prime is a natural leader. Trained to lead the bravest of the brave into battle against overwhelming odds, he eagerly looked forward to his first assignment. It's just too bad the Decepticons were defeated ages ago, and the only crews left to lead are the maintenance squads that keep the Space Bridge network running. Since his assignment, he's lost track of his ambitions. The last thing he expects is the chance to test his leadership abilities in a battle to defend his home and fight for freedom.

With a double-handled Ion-axe weapon that converts to a giant war axe and a windshield that turns into a shield, this brave Optimus Prime figure is ready for battle. The toughest of trucks, Optimus Prime converts from robot mode to Cybertron truck mode to help the Autobots win the battle against the Decepticon forces.

This is a must have from the Animated Deluxe line. Very poseable figure with great articulation and the vehicle mode looks great too. The only gripe I have is that the axe head is a little loose fitting and pops off a little easily but all in all an excellent addition to the collection. This was purchased loose from Falcon's Hangar at a discounted price of $15, if I recall correctly.

Robot Mode:







Cybertronian truck mode:



06 November 2010

Lego 7678 - Droid Gunship

I had passed on getting this set when it was first released as I found it bug-ugly (it looks like a beetle) and the mini-figures were not unique. A decision that I would soon regret when I decided to be a Lego Star Wars completist. It was priced at S$59.90 and was impossible to find once it sold out at the retail outlets.

I had to turn to the usual option of eBay for all things unavailable in Singapore. Thankfully, I manage to win an auction for a complete set inclusive of box. Although shipping costs took it above the original retail price, it was satisfying to score one of these sets.

This heavily-armed vehicle straight out of the Clone Wars features wing-mounted laser cannons, movable nose-mounted blaster turrets, retractable landing gear, an opening cockpit, and bombs that automatically drop with the turn of a gear.

This set includes a droid pilot and 2 battle droid minifigures. There are many movable parts. The cockpit can be opened to put the droid pilot at the controls. Blaster turrets are also rotatable. The droid gunship measures 25cm long and 23cm wide.



Box (front and back)


Droid gunship (side view)


Droid gunship (top view)


Droid gunship (bottom view)


Droid gunship (front)




Cockpit



Droid mini-figures


Instruction booklet