My Lost Series Rewatch Is Back On Track

Back before the start of Lost's final season, I was on schedule with my Lost Series Rewatch. I had all of the episodes on DVD from S1 to S5 lined up so that the S5 finale would be watched just prior to the S6 premiere. I got as far as "Jughead", just a week's worth of episode watching, before I was distracted with a thing called YouTube.

Since being "derailed", I have DVR'ed every S6 Lost special and episode, and have not seen a single one. I've tried to avoid any kind of episode detail or spoiler (which has been a major feat to accomplish!), and now the series finale (it's weird saying "series finale" instead of "season finale") is upon us in just a couple of days (ZombieSat, stay away!).

Knowing that this event is coming ever closer, I've put off a chunk of my time on YouTube (I recorded a larger than normal bunch of vids in advance, hehe), and reignited my Lost Series rewatch a couple of days ago. I definitely didn't start from S1 (Although, I always love watching "Walkabout", the BEST episode ever!), that would be a bit too much (I will do entire series rerewatch when the S6 DVD comes out!). I just started where I left off, and I'm currently on "Whatever Happened, Happened". Damn, I forgot how good this show is!

Even with my rewatch back on track, I'm doubting there's any way for me to catch up and be able to watch the finale live. To do that, I'll have to watch 24 episodes in 3 days. I'll give it a shot, so here's hoping I'll be watching the event with you all!

Goody Haul Report: Taking A Chance Online

I'm always a bit uncomfortable making action figure purchases online, especially from a site I've never been to, because I don't have the ability to look over the figure before buying it. But last week I was on Puzzle Zoo, and they had quite a few figs at some really nice prices. I hemmed and hawwed for a bit, but decided to try them out. I planned to get a few of the really inexpensive stuff first, just in case I get burned.

Well, my purchases came in yesterday (delivery came in only a few days, not including the weekend), and I'm impressed so far. Here are the figs I got:

ML Baron Zemo: This one was on sale for only $7. It's part of the Mojo Build A Figure series, which is nice since I really like the Longshot universe from the original miniseries back in the 80's.

ML Beta Ray Bill: I was really looking forward to this figure, and saw one at a LCS on Free Comic Book Day for $19, but just couldn't pull the trigger. I'm glad I didn't, since the one at Puzzle Zoo was on sale for only $8!

SOTA SF Guile: I'm continuing my hunt for SOTA Street Fighter figs, and there are quite few on Puzzle Zoo. Lots of variants, but I'm really looking for the base versions first. They had a base Guile for only $10.

SOTA SF Birdie: I honestly don't even remember from what series of SF this guy is in, but at only $6, I'm not really going to complain. This fig has a nice switchblade comb!

I liked my experience with Puzzle Zoo so far, and plan to make more purchases, but I still haven't decided if I should make a more expensive buy. I'll probably stick to stuff below $12 for now.

I also found a couple more goodies at a Big Lots earlier this week, and they happen to coincide with my revived interest in LOTR. These finds aren't figs, but are two books:

The Lord Of The Rings Complete Visual Companion: This is a nice book of photos of all the stuff from the LOTR film trilogy. It's basically a photgraphic tour of the film universe (also with brief descriiptions), covering all the main characters, races, geography, and storyline. Pretty nice at $5.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Making Of The Movie Trilogy: Much like the previous book, but this hardcover goes behind the camera lens and covers the production of the trilogy. Very interesting reading and nice photos. This book also cost only $5.

Nice Goodies this time around. Until next time, keep it casual!

What A Depressing Start To The Weekend....

It's a Friday night, and I'm chowing down on some tacos, and cruising the Yahoo! news blurbs. Then it hits me. "Heroes officially cancelled". Daaaaammmmmn. Well this sucks.

So I hit the 9th Wonders boards to catch up on the sad news. Yup, all the expected excuses: too expensive, low viewership (although I'm willing to bet they don't count the DVR and online viewers), meandering story (I have to give them that). All is not hopefully bad, since NBC is considering a wrap-up special or movie to "reward" the fans. Uhhh, gee thanks.

While reading the rants and cryfests on the boards, someone had posted that Flashforward got the nix too. Whaaa?!? I can understand one of my favorite shows being cancelled (you could see it on the Heroes' wall...), but two?!? Fuuuuuck.... My weekend is now in the shitter.

So I go over to the ABC.com discussion boards to see what's up (or should I say six feet under?). Yup, ranters and cryfester here too. Although it's not really official (we have to wait until the 17th for that), it doesn't look good.

I can't fucking believe this. All of my favorite shows are ending. Lost, 24, Heroes, Flashforward. Even Law & Order (I haven't watched this in a while though).

Well my tacos are sitting in my tummy now, and I feel an upset stomach coming on. Damn you, NBC and ABC. Well, at least Fringe is still going. Or is it....

Maybe They Should Rethink Their Faction Name?!?

I abhor the act of taking the life of another, a practice which should remain in fiction, and I try to not make light of any situation where it occurs, but I couldn't help myself chuckle when I read a news blurb from the Yahoo! website.

Earlier today, an anti-goverment security chief in Thailand was killed from a possible sniper shot to the head. The news blurb that made me chuckle?

Aide: Thai Red Shirt security chief shot in head

No joke. The name of their anti-government group is indeed named "The Red Shirts"! And the one who was killed really was their security chief. Uhhhh, maybe these folks should watch a little more TOS Trek and have their group renamed?

UPDATE: The latest news is that the renegade general is currently in a coma, and is expected to survive. Let's hope he escapes the fates which Captain Kirk's security officers had suffered on the show....

Goody Haul Report: The Calm After The Storm

There's not much to report this time around, but with the sheer size of the last haul, I didn't expect the next few hauls to be that big. Here's what I've gotten since the last goody run:

DCUIH Powergirl: I found this fig at a Factory 2 U (the closeout store of closeout stores, hehe) for only $0.50! She's OK (the other Powergirls not much so).

DCUIH Star Sapphire: Another F2U find for $0.50. The face on this fig looks very flat, but oh well, it less than a dollar.

Indiana Jones: Cairo Henchman and Marion Ravenwood 2-Pack: A third figure set found at F2U, but this one cost $1, but if you break it down, it's still $0.50 a figure!

Superman: Doomsday DVD: I found this for only $5 at a DD Discounts. I never saw this direct to video movie, so it'll be an interesting watch.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Shipwreck: A neat find at DD Discounts for only $4.

Well, that's it for this haul. Until next time, keep it casual!

ZombieSat May Ruin My Lost Finale!

OK, you may or may not heard of ZombieSat, the out-of-control Galaxy 15 communications satellite which has deviated from its programmed orbit in space due to a solar flare. Because of its shifted orbit, ZombieSat (which is still functioning) can steal or interrupt signals from other communication satellites within its new orbital range!

The latest news is that ZombieSat is on track to interrupt the communications signal of a satellite which processes the digital signals from a cable TV company. Officials won't name the cable TV company or which areas of the world will be affected, but they have estimated the date on which ZombieSat may "eat the brains" of the other satellite: MAY 23rd. Yup, that's right, the same day (Sunday) of Lost's series finale!!!! Oh, the horror!

Ok, ok, the world won't end if the Lost finale broadcast happens to be affected (although there may be rioting in the streets...). IF the finale does get interrupted, there's always the ability to watch it on ABC.com. Heck, I watched the entirety of S4 online when I got into the show late! Don't panic yet!

Lost Finale Has Been Extended!

I just read on Yahoo! that the Lost Finale has been extended by half an hour! According to the site, the airing will extended beyond the 11pm hour, so set your recorders to compensate! I have my DVR set to record by show title (with 5 minutes extra slotted before and after the show) instead of by date/time, so hopefully my cable company will have the updated end time. I'll be checking just in case...

It was weird reading this news, because being the Lost fanatic that I am, I have NOT seen a single episode of the final season! Yup, not a single one! Please, let me explain before you come to my door with torches and pitchforks!

I was on track with my Lost series rewatch back in January. I even had the episodes lined up and timed to the Season 6 premiere! But then I was distracted with the return of my action figure itch and my new interest in YouTube videos. Alas, my Lost rewatch schedule was eventually screwed! One week later, the premiere had passed by, then another. Finally, I decided to just keep my DVR recordings until the last episode aired.

I've been also "covering" my eyes and ears to any Lost related news to prevent from being spoiled, which hasn't been easy, with friends and family who are also Lost fans. Just today, Munchkin No. 1, who has an Entertainment Weekly subscription from Grandpa, showed me an issue with Locke on the cover! Noooooo! I think she was teasing me... It was also a pain to read the Yahoo! new snippet, covering my monitor with my hands to slowly read line by line without having to reveal details! Arrrrgh!

Anyways, make sure your recorders are at the ready when the big night arrives! I'm sure it will be an event in the making!

Goody Haul Report Part 3: The Rest Of The Stuff

OK, I went through all of the neat stuff from Free Comic Book Day, now it's on to the rest of the goodies I was able to find:

On Friday, I was able to go to Toys R Us to do a little checking. I found out they were having a "Buy One Get the Other 50% Off Sale" on a few toy lines, such as Star Wars, Transformers, G.I. Joe, and other lines. I saw nothing of interest in the Joes or TFs (still looking for an Arcee for a friend, but no luck). I did find some Star Wars stuff which had interested me however.

- Hoth Patrol Battle Pack: I think this is from an older series (30th Anniversary), because this was discounted to $12.98. I still thought it was cool because of the tauntan, wampa, and Luke.
- Legacy Collection Luke Skywalker: This is the figure where Luke turns himself in to Darth Vader on Endor. I saw this figure on YouTube before, and I always wanted to get him for the interchangeable tunic plate and scale (well, he is supposed to be a little too short to be a stormtrooper!).
- Jacen Solo: I don't know much about the Star Wars EU, but I read this line was just coming out, and this was a figure to look out for, so I got him when I saw him.
- Jaina Solo: To see one of the twins was nice, to see the other twin at the same time was nicer! I picked her up too.

In addition to the BOGO50%, Star Wars single carded figs were also reduced to $4.99. Even better, it appeared that the 50% off price on the second SW purchase was based off of the original price. I also had a $5 Rewards coupon, so in a sense, I got the Solo twins for only $1.07 each! Neat!

Well, that's it for my Goody Haul. It certainly was enough, and will probably last me for the next month or two! Until then, keep it casual!

Goody Haul Report Part 2: The Action Figures

Yeah, it wasn't Free Action Figure Day (although it would have been nice!), but on Free Comic Book Day, I was able to score a few figs at good deals. Also, in-between trips to the LCS, I was able to drop by the Targets, Walmarts, and Toys R Us stores along the way to check out what was available. Here's my Free Comic Book Day action figure haul:

Target
- DCUC Green Parademon: I found a second parademon to add to the (tiny) ranks of my Apokoliptic(?) army. This one cost the normal(eek!) $15.
- Public Enemies Superman (wave 1): I was worried I would not be able to find this guy, since Target seems to be clearing out the PE line now in my area. He was clearanced down to around $9.
- Public Enemies Icicle: Not really interested in this one, except for the Brimstone leg. $9.
- Public Enemies Silver Banshee: Another fig purchased for the CnC part, although it is nice to get this and Icicle to fill my villain ranks. $9.
- DCUC Green Lantern: I found this WGSH version at another Target. I foresaw no chance of picking up the wave 3 version any time soon (at a cheap price!), so I had to pick this one up. $15.

Toys R Us
- DCUC Steppenwolf (Super Powers): I came back to pick up this guy after my wave 11 find almost a month ago. No Kirby version, but the SP version was still here. I have to admit, this SP version looks waaaaay better in person than what I've seen in the pics. $15.

Walmart
I didn't pick up anything at Walmart, but I did see a beat up box of one of the DCUC exclusive 2-packs, the Aquaman and Black (Blue?) Manta. The repaint on these guys just didn't look good (at least to me). Aquaman had this pasty tan going on (almost matching his hair color!), and was decked out in a gold tunic with verrry glossy, christmas green leggings. Black Manta wasn't black, but a flat, purpleish blue. Sorry, I just had to pass on this, really disappointing.

World's Best Comics And Toys
- Marvel Legends Bullseye (Variant): As far as I could tell, the action figures weren't discounted for Free Comic Book Day (the fill-in guy couldn't tell me), but the figs I bought here were reduced in price. This one was marked down to $7.
- Marvel Legends Professor X: This guy looks like he's wearing lipstick, but for $7, I'm not gonna complain too much, especially when I never expected to get one step closer to actually building Galactus (only half way now).
- Marvel Legends Scarlet Witch: What's up with action figure designers and female figures? SW looks like she needs to eat a burger, something, anything! Meh, still a steal for only $5.

A-1 Comics
- DCUC Kid Flash: I can finally complete my Atom Smasher! I've been hesitant to pick up KF mainly because of the two right forearms and the higher price he goes for now. But since he was discounted 20% for Free Comic Book Day (and I need that AS arm!), I picked him up. $13.

Empire's Comics
- Marvel Legends Longshot: I remember Lucky Mullet-Head from the great Art Adams mini-series, and at a 35% discount, picked him up cheap! $7.
- DCUC Green Arrow: Since he came with only a stand for wave 9, I didn't really care if I picked up the wave 9 or WGSH version. They had the WGSH here, so I picked him up. $13.
- SOTA Street Fighter Gen: With the lack of news from NECA on SFIV, I decided to stick to just collecting SOTA SF figs instead. I saw this purple-clad Gen at a great price (compared to what I've seen online!). $9.
- DCUC Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond): This is another fig where I didn't expect much hope in getting the original version, so I picked up the WGSH version. $11.

Okee Dokes, that's it for the figs I got on Free Comic Book Day, but I'm still not done with my Goody Haul Report (Yup, there's more!). Stay tuned for Part 3...

Goody Haul Report: Free Comic Book Day and a Huuuuge Haul!

Alright, the previous Goody Haul Report was a bit small, and I think it may have been the calm before the storm. Maybe the reason I didn't get so much was because, in the back of my mind, I knew Free Comic Book Day was coming. Besides the free comics, most LCS also have discounts on their stuff they want to sell to you!

Today, I went to the following three(four) comic shops:

A-1 Comics (two locations)

World's Best Comics and Toys

Empire's Comics

One shop (I won't name which) only let me pick two free books, another had no more books to give, and the third (they deserve mentioning), Empire's Comics, let me pick one copy of each free book I wanted (cool beans!). Not only that, EC also included other books for free that were not a part of the Free Comic Book Day package (probably their excess inventory)! Here's my Free Comic Book Day haul:

Archie's Summer Splash #1 - Free Comic Book Day
Continuum #1
Countdown Special: The Flash #1
DC Kids - Free Comic Book Day
Doctor Solar/Magnus - Free Comic Book Day
Fantastic 4 #563
Green Lantern Corps #35
Mouse Guard/Fraggle Rock - Free Comic Book Day
Freakshow #1
G.I. Joe (IDW) #155.5 - Free Comic Book Day
Iron Man/Nova - Free Comic Book Day
Secret Invasion: Requiem #1
Shrek/The Penguins Of Madagascar - Free Comic Book Day
Sonic The Hedgehog - Free Comic Book Day
Toy Story - Free Comic Book Day
Ultimates 2 #13
War Of The Supermen #0 - Free Comic Book Day
Wednesday Comics #1
Astonishing X-Men #10
Yow! - Free Comic Book Day

Whew! Those were just the free comics! Like I said earlier, the LCS also discounted the stuff in their store. New issues were 20% off (A-1 and Empire's) and back issues were either 50% off (A-1 and World's) or 75% off (Empire's again! Too cool!). This discount meant that alot of the new and back issues I bought (to fill holes in my collection) were less than a dollar! Here's my paid comic book haul:

Batman And The Outsiders (original): 24, 26
Booster Gold (original): 6, 7
Booster Gold (current): 2-6, 27-31
Guardians Of The Galaxy: 1-6, 11
JSA All-Stars (current): 4
Justice Society Of America (current): 9, 17-22, 24-26, 33, 36, 38 (25 and below were all the Ross covers)
Justice Society Of America Annual: 1
Nightwing: 2
Outsiders (current): 29
X-Factor (original): 4, 8, 9, 11-16
X-Force (current): 26
X-Men: Second Coming: 1
Uncanny X-Men (original): 198, 207

I guess I'll end it here for now, and let you know about my action figure haul (yeah, I have more to my Goody Haul Report!) on my next post. Until then, keep it casual!