If only ...

This came out this week in the US. A Target Exclusive. A couple of people has also got their hands on it judging by a search through yahoo auction. The die-cast Optimus Prime in vehicle form. How sweet is that!

Review : Allegiance

The premise of 5 rogue stormtroopers sounds great at first but it was not to be. That's what Allegiance is all about, a story of the 5 rogue troopers intertwining with three sub plots, first of which being the story of Mara Jade (the Emperor's Hand) on a trail of treason, second of Han/Luke/Chewie on a pirate hunt and lastly, Leia on a recruiting mission for the blossoming rebellion. The troopers story stitching all plots together and closes them nicely on a little planet called Shelkonwa. That's Star Wars tale for you... After one of the stormtroopers accidently killed an ISB officer due to a clashing ideologies of what the Empire was to be and has become. La Rone and 4 other stormtrooper witnesses ended up being fugitives. While making their escape, they stole a freighter, chockful of ISB armament and what nots. What I didn't like was the voice of reasoning that was batted to and fro amongst them, in whether to hide or become vigilantes for the Original Empire doctrines that they signed up for. On some situation, they debated in earnest of running away and disappearing in some backwater planet. However on most times, they ended up gallivanting across the galaxy going on a crusade of sorts to right things from wrongs and even naming themselves the Hand of Judgment. To me everything was too neatly put into place. I mean for all military training that the 5 troopers had, all of them closed a blind eye to Han and Luke even though they knew they were rebel sympathizers and trying to rescue another rebel in Shelkonwa. Not a peep to inform other stormie outfit, Mara Jade or even Vader. What? You telling me that just because of the episode of civilian massacre, they opted to hunt down the person who ordered it and just couldn't care a hoot ass on the rebellion. And showing Mara in having a sympathetic heart was also quite off. I mean she is the Emperor's Hand. She should be ruthless and sorts. I give this 3.5 out of 5. It's the allegiance I have for Timothy Zahn.

Last of 2007 wave

Another round of questions and answers from Hasbro. I kind of like, feel deflated when I read the answer to this question. Like there's no bang! or crescendo for the last wave of 2007. Q: Since Hasbro ran out of time making it unable to plan and bring a full presentation for Titanium Series at Celebration IV, might we get some info on what's coming in the line, especially beyond the small handful of new pieces that were there? A: Beyond what we have shown, there is only one more wave. It's a pretty cool wave, with one new retool based on a McQuarrie painting - a concept Snowtrooper on Snowspeeder. Beyond that, there is a Hoth deco AT-ST, a new AAT, a revised V-Wing, and a black chrome AT-AT. That'll be it for 2007, but 2008 will be chock full of goodness Titanium 3" vehicle front, so stay tuned! This would be wave 6, I think. To me, its one new amd the rest repaints. I thought Hasbro was like going to wow us with new vehicles and stuff, and they are saving the best for last, double duhhhh!!! Silly me for doubting Hasbro's marketing team. Above is the concept snowspeeder. It is the start of introducing concept based vehicles into the titanium series. This vehicle was previously done for the Action Fleet Series Alpha. An okay looking vehicle. But the rest of the wave reads like a dejavu. Hoth deco AT-ST!!!! this is like the lazy clone turbo tank and attack cruiser in plain vanilla. Absolutely lazy. New AAT??? I bet it will have a green based deco. Revised V-wing??? just call it repaint okay. Hmmm ... best guess, red deco. Chrome AT-AT!!! Colour me jet black. This AT-AT methinks goes out only at night and carrying only the shadow troopers. Which leaves us with the unanswered and unseen Rouge Shadow fighter? Hmmm ...

Rings are Right!

Better! Much better! Kingsmodel has sent me the replacement jedifighters with hyperspace ring that was mangled up previously. So now I can show you guys proudly the gaggle of hyperspace ringed jedifighters. Nice aren't they? After a detailed prognosis of how plastics get warped under constant pressure, they delivered the replacement order using a box. Previously, I got a powdered milk tin. The rings are inside a larger plastic and held its shape by quaint cardboard cutouts of semicircular shape to prevent accidental warping. See what can happen if they put a bit of care in preparing the vehicles can accomplish. And here's the wave 4 vehicles. The AT-PT looks better up-close but the clonie on top looks really badly painted. And then the 2 repaints of the A-wing and the blockaderunner. Now I don't need to go out of my way to hunt for the wave 4 anymore. I also bought the red y-wing fighter and finally I have the AT-AT Endor repaint.

Path of Enlightenment?

I've been holding on to put up this news. Sources have confirmed that another Darth Bane novel is going to be publish and soon, like this Dec 2007. Here's a blurb by Sue Rostoni herself; Is it really happening or a mistake on Random House's part? Was this some super-fast and super-stealthy effort to surprise the hell out of us? It surprised the hell out of me too. Shelly (Shapiro, Del Rey Editorial Director - Mike) called me late last week to propose an additional hardcover this fall. THIS fall. Yep. Del Rey figured the market could bear one more, and since the Darth Bane novel was a hit, a follow-up, written by Drew, seemed the best idea. So the untitled Feb. 09 hardcover (previously the "Plagueis" novel) has been moved up, and Drew agreed to continue Bane's story. So we're off and running. And here I am in the middle of a hunting mission for the paperback version of Path of Destruction.

Transformers movie titaniums

You know what I would love to add to my fledgling collection of 3" titanium transformers, these babies. They looked good, good enough for me to hunt for them when they arrive on our shores...hahahaha. The back 3 are Optimus, Bumblebee and Blackout; whilst the front 3 are Megatron, Jazz and Ironhide.

Rings or wrongs?

Totally disappointing order. I would have wanted to showcase hyperspace rings galore in this entry but what I got was a letdown. I've ordered a few more loose jedifighters with hyperspace ring from Kingsmodel, an avenue that some specilized shop are not doing anymore (ie bring loose titaniums in). As fast as I've got wave 3 from the bird shop, Kingsmodel brought in loose pieces from wave 4. I couldn't believe my luck, and to top it off, they eventually brought in the jedifighter with ring too. So with a great anticipation in my heart, I ordered 2 pieces of each of the hyperspace jedifighter model and the 3 pieces from wave 4. But what I got really boiled me, just look at the condition of the rings ... duhhh!!! ... utterly disappointing mannn!!! At least after 1 email shot back, Kingsmodel has agreed to replaced these warped ring vehicles with new ones. Kudos to them for being good businessmen, but it still doesn't remove the pit of frustration I had when I saw the rings.

Wave 3 docking

After a dormant state, my collection is growing exponentially. It's time now to announce to you guys that I've got the Titanium series wave 3. I bought these like 2 weeks ago from TFH. Good old Roy for bringing it in, cause waiting for retail would be a nightmare gone worst. Here's the booty (must be the pirates in me talking). See the v-wing ... niceeeee! But the piece de resistance is this. The hyperspace ring vehicle, ... my first. This brings a tear in my eye. I have not ravage the bubble pack yet ... trying to savour the delight a little bit longer ... hehehehe. I'll give more news later on new vehicles that I will be getting from Yahoo! auction. Watch for it ... hahahaha

Review : Exile

I've finished Exile written this review but plain forgotten to publish it. IMO, this was not a good continuation to the Legacy series. There was no impactful event to carry on into the next book. There are 2 big storylines in this, first was the hunt for Alema Rar and second was the trial of Ben Skywalker. Although both featured saber fights, but there was no … oomph! … in both. It was lackluster the very least. Even the space battle scenes was a letdown. The first one was over by the time you turn over the next page ... duhhh!!! The hunt was fairly weak, it happened in Booster's RED star destroyer which is now a casino/entertainment vessel. With 5 jedis that includes 3 masters and a handful ex-smugglers that shoot from the hip, Alema still manages to escape. Double duhhh!!! Ben's trial was even worst. Jacen, under the Sith Lady's insistence, puts Ben on a bogus mission to test him for sith apprentice material. Ben eventually gets marooned on a deserted sith planet called Xiost. He kills a man following his mission parameters and ends up with an orphaned girl. Here, alone and weak due to hunger and exhaustion, the dark powers around him cajoles him to kill the girl and even asks him to eat her to gain enough strength to find the enemies hunting him down. Awww man ... what a stupid idea to put through. He ends up with a sith vehicle (controlled by dark powers) which was described just like the roving planet, Zonama Sekot. Ben, now clearly bad material for a sith, returns to Jacen after completing his bogus mission. This is definitely a 3 of 5.

Book News 2

More news from the Legacy of the Force series. It's the book cover for the 7th book of the series, Fury. Slated to be published in the month of November, Jacen's destiny is now fulfilled and nothing can stop his determination to bring peace with a glorious Galactic Alliance victory -- whatever the price. Jacen's face full of determination and a lighted saber. What could be more menacing than that? Oh, and another thing, the last title of the Legacy novel series is also provided. Invincible, out in June 2008.

Book News

The official site has announced the book cover for Inferno. This novel being the 6th book of the Legacy of the Force series. The face of an ageing Luke with a flaming inferno in the backdrop. This paperback is due to come out in August 07. Will Jacen ultimately sacrifices his parents to become the next sith lord? I can't wait.