The Last Son of Krypton

Good day fellow Toyconstruct Readers!

It has been really great to see you all so involved in our posts. Good to see many enjoying Josh's Philly Comic Con event. You cannot imagine the amount of envy I have for the dude. However, I will make it a point to join him for NY Comic Con! That would be a for sure thing! (Still thinking of who to dress up as)

That aside, as the title states, this will be a post in conjunction with the next Epic Blockbuster hero to hit the movie scene in a few days! The Man of Steel!

 New 52 Superman

Sculpted by Goutaro Takeuchi (Atlier Bamboo), this Kotobukiya Figure brings to life the New 52 Version of Superman, the last Son of Krypton. Dressed in his Iconic Superhero costume (with some new touches), this Kotobukiya figure really brings out a great new glow for Kar-El. Kotobukiya has been owning the Action Figure scene with their Bishouju Heroes. That being said, it seems like they are giving a slight "animeish" touch to the Justice Leaguers, in which Superman is also included. However, I feel that this isn't a negative aspect as the slight animeish look makes Superman look more cooler than he already is.

Superman in front of our Solar System

On the other hand, being animeish does no great service for the other figures that can be seen on Joshua's Comic Con Post. Perhaps it is my own personal opinion, but I have seen the rest of The New 52s by Kotobukiya and none seems to strike me as much as Superman. Sad to say that even Batman wasn't as great a figure by Kotobukiya compared to this one. The only other hero that I might consider is Wonder Woman as her sculpt seems to be interesting as compared to the many other Wonder Woman sculpts that I have seen before.

The Son of Krypton in his Fortress of Solitude

The irony is that while I might be keen on getting her, the illustration of the New 52 Wonder Woman is not to my liking. Back to Mr. Clarke Kent, I really like the new look of his uniform. Doing away with the red undies makes him look much cooler. (Not saying that he can't pull off the classic version of his uniform.) I got to say, he is one of the few heroes who makes wearing the red undies look real slick and cool.

Badass Cape with the Black "S"

In addition to no red underpants, the New 52 Superman has a really cool Black "S" on his cape which is a fine touch to the already splendid new design. It seems to me that the upcoming "Man of Steel" film is also using a similar Superman suit design that is doing away the red underpants.

Guardian and Protector of Earth

All in all, the figure is reasonably priced at $60 SGD and it is a great buy for such quality. Looking at the figure makes me more psyched on seeing the Man of Steel this Friday.Zack Snyder has been pretty spot on for most if not all of his "comic book" movies. So with him on the helm of Man of Steel, I have no doubt that all fan boys of the red cape crusader would be hitting the roofs in anticipation to the movie screening.

 Superman and his box-art.

Kar-El, Son of Jor-El and Lara.

 I always like to end of on saying how Iconic this hero/character/machine is for many of my posts. However, I got to add that this one definitely take icon-ism to a whole new level. While there are many great and famous heroes. Superman is undoubtedly the icon and epitome of the Comic Superhero.

While there are many instances where we cannot relate to such an all powerful being like him, there is almost an instant connection to the Son of Krypton in every boy and girl's mind when the word "superhero" is asked to be defined.

The Last Trailer from the Man of Steel

Superman has evolved through the many years of his existence in our society. And while there was a point of time in which people could not associate with Kar-El, it was this dissociation that DC has harnessed to deepen his story and make it more compelling than before. And I guess the Trailers for the Man of Steel has emphasize on this.

How, if you were the last Son of Krypton, in a world not of your own, gifted with such immense powers, fit in to their society? How do you associate with its people? How do you inspire them? On top of these profound questions, how is it with such abilities does one become good? What really motivates the Son of Kar-El?

Tell me about it?

Till the next post, Enjoy Man of Steel. Be you a Marvel or DC Fan, I am sure this is going to be a great one to enjoy for both comic fans and the general populace! For me, It is going to be an epic time as Iw ill be watching it with my Buddies. And it would be a great time as I will be seeing Josh for the first time in two years. (Man... it has been long.)

On a side note, I apologize for not updating much on Modern Military Stuff, its been tough trying to juggle work, studies and doing my hobbies. I will get on it soon!

Cheers!

Wizard World Comic Con Philadelphia 2013

Hail Fellow Nerds,

After the past weekend, I can safely cross one more off the bucklet list: to attend a Comic Con! In spite of impending exams, I decided that nerd life comes before studying (for once), and went with a friend to the Philadelphia Comic Con...and boy was it an experience. Being a comic con 'virigin,' I had no idea what to expect from attending a comic con, and quickly learned how awesome it is to dwell in nerdom with fellow fans, and get to meet to people involved in the industry.

You can check in, but you can never leave...(with a full wallet).

Shinnies on sale. Expensive shinnies.

The Comic Con was held in the PA Convention Center, which is right in Center City of Philadelphia and next door to Chinatown. I highly recommend going early to Comic Cons, as they will get packed when lunchtime sets in. This ensures you won't be in a cramped environment, you can easily take pictures of cosplayers, you can freely talk to the vendors, which is especially helpful with comic book artist commissions done on the site.

Nananananananana....BATMAN!

Sometimes I think the plate describes my life. Outtatime!

Unlike the STGCC (which JQ reviewed here), the Comic Con did not have a strong presence from toy companies. Only Kotobukiya (USA) had a display and shop set up, while the majority of the collectibles on sale were set up by stores around the area. I managed to snap some shots from the Kotobukiya display. When buying collectibles, you'll need to have done extensive research and have a good grip on prices, as some items on sale were overcharged IMO.

Collectibles on sale!

Superman and his 3 useful friends (I don't want to tempt Aquaman)

Darth Vader and a Royal Guard. Badasses of the Universe.

The nefarious Joker who never fails to amaze with his penchant for chaos...

The coolest part for me was to meet the comic book artists themselves, to see their work in close up, and ask for commissions on the spot (I'm a sucker for art). I've got to meet Andrew Griffith (Transformers), GW Fisher (Marvel), and Mike S Miller (Game of Thrones, Injustice). I admit I am not very knowledgeable about comic book artists, and one thing I wished I had done was to read up extensively on their backgrounds and connect with them on a more personal level. Maybe next time, but at least they have gained a fan!

Andrew Griffith of Transformers fame.

GW Fisher, he's quite a funny guy.

Mike S Miller, famous for his work on Games of Thrones and Injustice.

It's a wonder how much talent there is...

What's especially cool about Comic Cons are the cosplayers. There is no doubt about that. These guys and girls really add flavor to the event, and I felt 'naked' not being in costume! I've crossed paths with superheroes, khalessis, and even an Astartes, and how awesome is that?! For now, I plan on saving up money to cosplay/dress up the next comic con I would be going to :)

FOR MANDALORE!!!

Khalessis on show, haven't seen a Khal Drogo around yet.

Who am I gonna call???

COOOOOBBBBBRRRRRAAAAAA! A dad who dresses up is super cool by my count.

Orcs and humans shall never find peace...at least in front of the camera.

I AM THE LAW!!!!

Managed to catch Sonic before he ran off!

FOR THE EMPEROR!!!

Comic Cons are also awesome for giving you the chance to meet, get autographs, and take photos with celebrities. Being a cheapskate, I skipped on buying VIP tickets to them but felt boat-loads of disappointment when I saw the list of celebrities present at the Comic Con. Just to name a few: they had Ray Park (Darth Maul), Kevin Sorbo (Hercules), Jason David Frank (Green/White Ranger), Norman Reedus (Walking Dead), and even the legend Stan Lee (caught a glimpse of him)! Man, I want to purchase a VIP ticket next time, but I wonder if I am falling prey to capitalism...

Oh yeah...the beginnings of being enslaved to heartless capitalism?

At the end of the day, my legs were falling off but my spirits soared. As mentioned earlier, I am a sucker for art and collected 3 pieces to start off my "art collection" of sorts. It was an awesome experience just being immersed in nerdom for a day, and I will surely attend another Comic Con in the future, better prepared and hopefully with my best pal JQ!!!

Well, that leaves me having some notes for the next Comic Con:

Keep a close watch on VIP appearances/panels.
Research comic book artists.
Have to dress up next time!
JQ get your ass to a Comic Con!

I love being a geek.

PS: This page contains most of my shots, and the rest can be seen at this FB photo album.