Alrighty... I'm back from a self imposed week or so break from the Internet and my life in general.

A lot to catch up on, sorta... so I guess I'll well and truly ramble now.

First... if you know me or if you've read my blog for a bit, you know that I like action figures. My mania for them has cooled somewhat over the past year or so. There's not that much out there that excites me, and that's not a bad thing. I still like DC Direct's superhero figures, but they're kinda pricy, so I don't buy them that often, catching up when I can. I used to spend inordinate amounts of time driving around to toy stores waiting for new lines of figures to come out.

Well, those days are back for a bit and will be back later this fall for sure. I have two lines of action figures that I adore the most... the Superman and Batman animated ones. I have 99% of everything that was put out in both of them. In the Batman line, the only things of consequence I'm missing are the 12" figures of Nightwing, Robin and Batgirl and Robin's Dragster. The 12" figures are no biggie. I can pick them up anytime for not that much cost. The Robin Dragster unfortunately is a big deal. Shortly after it was originally produced, the factory where they were made burned to the ground. The molds for the vehicle were destroyed. So, it was only made once and can never be recast, as many figures and vehicles are. They sell now for anywhere from $100 to $400. Bleh. I don't like plastic toys that much.

The Superman line was a short-lived one. The last couple of lines of figures were either released in small numbers and through somewhat difficult channels or not released in the US at all. I managed to find the rather hard to get villians, Darkseid, Metallo and Bizarro, when they were released. Two things elude me though. The Fortress of Solitude Superman, who just has a fucking cool name and also has a great Kryptonian inspired little number that he's wearing, and the Metropolis Bank playset. Both of these were released only in the UK. I have the bank from it's rerelease in the US as a Batman Gotham City Bank, so I'm not overly concerned about it. I want that Superman figure though. And again, it sells on eBay for $100 to $150.

BUT... suddenly on the West Coast, people on eBay are suddenly selling the Fortress of Solitude figure in larger numbers. And, on the action figure newsgroup, I read periodically, people report finding this holy grail of mine at KB toys for $5!!! The cards say 2001 on them which means that Hasbro, the maker of the line, is making more!! I'm gonna be going to KB toys almost every day until I find one of those damned figures! Hell... i want two... one to open and play with and one to hang on the wall.

AND... rumor has it that this fall, there's gonna be a Toys R Us Superman 4 pack that will include three older figures and a brand spanking new Lois Lane figure. Be still my heart...

AND... I just read for the first time this morning that Hasbro has the license to make toys for the new Justice League animated series that will be airing on the Cartoon Network this fall. If they make this line in the same style and size as the Batman and Superman ones, I will just die happy. I will fucking scream in the Toys R Us aisle the day I spot an animated Hawkgirl or Martian Manhunter or Flash figure. Seriously! SCREAM and jump over any child in my way... Fuck that, I'll prolly preorder a case of the little fuckers...

hmmm.... more later today...