Toy Review: Wheeljack (Transformers Generations)

I always wanted a G1 Wheeljack as a kid, but for some reason I never got one. Maybe I was concentrating so hard on collecting the blindingly awesome Dinobots, Insecticons, and Triple-Changers that I just didn't have enough room in my Transformer life for much else. I did end up checking out a G1 Wheeljack first hand some years later, but I remember being disappointed with its weird gorilla arms. So when I heard about this Generations Wheeljack, I hoped I'd finally be able to fill that Wheeljack void in my life with a sweet modern update. Let's find out!

Movie Review: Green Lantern

Although I first started reading Green Lantern comics in 2005 when Hal Jordan made his return, I've been catching up on GL history recently by reading the Showcase Presents phonebook that includes Hal's first 20 comics. The early stories successfully blend the superhero genre with 60's-style science fiction into a unique and fun amalgamation. At first, the comics were based on Earth, with Green Lantern fighting normal criminal shmoes by himself. But the writers quickly (and correctly) realized Green Lantern's sci-fi coolness potential, and the comic became more about Hal teaming up with other alien Green Lanterns on intergalactic, cross-dimensional, and futuristic adventures.

Chris' Toy Collection

Chris of TheBeastIsBack.com fame sent along these pics of his incredible action figure collection to showcase here! I was happy to oblige, considering how jealous I am of his display. Let's check it out!

Dork Dimension Version 4.0

As you've likely noticed, I've implemented a new design for the Dork Dimension! It's been almost two years since the last redesign, and for a person who really digs web design like me, that's an eternity. The inspiration came from a logo that I created for the Dork Dimension: Year Two article. I really liked the three-dimensionality of that logo, so I made a similar one for this redesign. The theme is a computerized one, with blocky computer terminal text and scan lines. I'll likely be tweaking the design a bit over the next few weeks, so don't be surprised if you notice a slight adjustment here and there. And if you're feeling nostalgic, take a look at Dork Dimension designs of yesteryear!

If you notice anything awry, please let me know!

Toy Tribute: Q and El-Aurians

For this tribute, I grouped Q together with the El-Aurians (Guinan and Dr. Soran) for a couple of reasons. First, they're all aliens that are physically identical to humans. And second, Guinan and Q had an antagonistic relationship with a history of conflict with each other. Q has always been a favorite character of mine, acting as the Mister Mxyzptlk of the TNG Universe. I've also been very fond of Guinan. As I stated previously in the Troi tribute, she fits the "character who senses something wrong" shoes really well by not being a real empath and giving everything away prematurely. She also has a really interesting implied history (as alluded to in episodes like Time's Arrow) that makes her character mysterious and fun to conjecture about. Dr. Soran? He was okay in Generations, I suppose. He had kind of interesting motivations but ultimately he was just a cliched villain. Anyway, let's check out their respective action figures!