Azrak-Hamway Batmobile

It's the simple things in life that are always the best. And I know that I'm preaching to the choir when I say this, but there's nothing better than a cheap plastic Batmobile from the '70s.




As a kid, this was the kind of thing that I'd get as a gift for getting a good grade, or maybe as a treat when we were out shopping. My life was once full of these old rack toys, and I'd pretty much kill to have even a fraction of them now.

Batman from "Batman: Arkham Asylum" by DC Direct

Two things are true about my anticipation for the Batman: Arkham Asylum figure line. Firstly, I assumed that DC Direct would put out an excellent and memorable line of figures to commemorate this hugely successful video game. Secondly, I took it for granted that a company named "DC Direct" could make a simple Batman figure without any major flaws.

Nearly twenty dollars later, and I'm sorry to say that my expectations might have been a little high.



What's great about this figure, is that DC Direct decided to make it at all. I really loved the Batman: Arkham Asylum game, and though it seems like a no-brainer that they'd want to cash in on its success, I'm glad that DC Direct has made the effort.

The packaging is simple, but nice. Having the bubble shaped like Batman's head is enough to make it stand out from all the other various lines at my local comic shop. DC Direct's continued use of wire twist ties is a little annoying, but it's hardly a real problem.



The figure itself is thick and sturdy. It's made from good solid plastic, and comes free from the packaging with very little deformation. The sculpt is very good, and though the figure features a typically minimal amount of articulation, it captures the look of the character very well. It's pretty much exactly what I'd expect from a sculpt of this game's version of Batman.



On the downside, there's the sad truth that though the paint job tries to incorporate subtle artistic details, like glossy, metallic, or airbrushed shading, it fails stupidly, because the overall quality control let so many smears and smudges slip through. I picked over three different Batman figures, thinking that I was getting the best of the lot, only to find that the one I'd chosen still had significant paint flaws.



It's the kind of thing that makes you think twice when it comes to collecting the entire line, and though I'm still enthusiastic about Batman: Arkham Asylum figures, going forward, I'll more than likely be a bit more cautious.

...and before I forget, I've also got to say that the included figure stand is next to worthless. It doesn't match up with the positioning of the figure's feet, and I'm a little surprised that DC Direct couldn't come up with something more detailed or specific to this line of figures.

A German and Two Italians...

More from the world of tiny little versions of cars that I'll never be able to afford, comes this very blue Porsche, and two yellow Italian supercars.



This is the first Porsche 911 GT3 that I've seen anywhere, and seeing as how I'm a sucker for any 911, I'll even tolerate this somewhat lame, bright blue paint job. I'm also looking forward to the Hot Wheels version of this car from the 2011 line.

And speaking of Hot Wheels for 2011, they've given us a bright yellow Enzo Ferrari, and a slightly less bright yellow Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera, which are both very nice.



I really am a sucker for this stuff, and as much as I hate to admit it, it seems as though I'm actually collecting die-cast cars again... oh, the horror.

Alien -- The Movie Novel

I love just about anything to do with the first Alien film, so this movie novel, consisting of mostly photos with some text, is a huge treat.



I've actually never seen this thing before, which is why I was pretty thrilled to spot it at a local used book store. There's a bit of text and story from the novel adaptation inside, but the real fun is all of the stills from the movie. I've probably seen Alien over a hundred times, and yet I can't help but study these photos in order to get a better look at prop and set details.