Released pictures of Kotobukiya X-23 statue

Straight from Marvel.com Kotobukiya releases the 1st of what seems to be a line of the X-Force members.

X-23 in her X-Force outfit. The piece will have a base that seems like a rooftop, which means the base might be interlocked with the upcoming X-Force Wolverine one. X-23 will also have a change-o-head between a masked and unmasked one. I'm not sure whether or not her eyes are green but if they are, I'm going to display it together with the X-23 1 Del 'Otto variant. This beautiful piece will be released sometime around May 2011 and here's hoping I have money around that time since it's going to be retailed at $160.00.

Initial thoughts? I like how she's sexy but she doesn't look overly think or have very big breasts. She seems like a sexy teenager, and the pose is something that looks very much like something she would do. I also like how the black part of her outfit is shiny, it sort of has a leather-y feel to it. I'm not yet sold on the base though, especially since the color is very different from the actual statue.

Here's hoping I'll be able to get my hands on this one.

click HERE for the direct link to the article.

X-23 #1 Review

THE KILLING DREAM
Story By: Marjorie Liu
Art: Will Conrad

The story definitely takes place before the events of Wolverine #1. This seems to have taken place a few days after X-Men Second Coming. If we look at this issue, it seems that X-23's book will be about her finding a way to fit in with others and also trying to find proof that she can do something else other than just kill. Marjorie Liu will make you feel bad for X-23 just by reading about how the other Young X-Men react to her. She also sets up Laura as someone who doubts herself, she's being portrayed as an "emo teen" who thinks that no one can relate to what she's going through but in her case it just might be true. Conrad's art is nice, he uses just the right amount of dark so that it's in touch with the tone and the mood of the story but it isn't overdone. The book had some great moments like Laura having a nice, albeit one sided, conversation with Ororo about how both of them having a very difficult childhood. It's nice how she's getting or at least the older X-Men are trying to guide her now. The chess bit was also nice, it shows that even though Laura's uneducated, she's very smart. Kind of like how Wolverine is I guess. Other older figures also appear here, Wolverine is still portrayed here as someone who cares for her but he wants her to make her own decisions. Emma Frost shows a rare moment of caring emotion as she shows compassion to Laura, and saying that she has proven herself already. Keeping up with the Heroic Age theme, Cyclops finally has finally found the sense to actually help Laura try to be a regular kid, though Laura herself admits that it isn't likely to happen. Lastly, it's unclear right now as to how Wolverine being in hell is affecting her, maybe the demon who possesses Wolverine is the one who caused what happened to her in the last pages of the book? Overall, it's a pretty good opening book but hopefully it'll pick up in the next few issues. X-23 fans will not be disappointed about this one and comic book fans will like how this book sort of makes you sympathize for what has happened to her.
OVERALL: 3.75/5

How bout you? What do you think? Let me know.:D

Review: Wolverine Road To Hell One-Shot

I know it's a week late..but ehh.

Around a week before this one-shot was released, I tried to ask around if this one would have sort of a prologue to the 4 "Wolverine" books (Wolverine, X-23, Daken, Uncanny X-Force) or it would just contain previews of what will be inside those books. Most told me to stay away from the book since it'll just contain previews, i went with my gut feeling and ordered it anyway. I'm happy to say that these are actually separate prologues..There are a total of FIVE different stories so i'll review them separately..

FALLING
Writer: Jason Aaraon
Art: Renato Guedes
The art is going to be different from the one in the regular Wolverine book. But it fits in nicely with the dark tone of the story. I also give props to whoever drew Wolverine without the adamantium claws, this sends the message that his actual body isn't really the one that is falling. We get to find out here that Wolverine has NO IDEA how he started to fall. We also see some flashbacks of him doing the thing he does best. The dialogue is minimal though the monologue is plenty. There's also an appearance of two characters from his past: a major wolverine baddie and someone who might or might not be his relative. This prologue does the job done of making you want to read and get the Wolverine book. As a bonus, we also get some sketches of Wolverine and other characters in the end of this chapter.
Score: 4.5/5

BRACE FOR IMPACT:
Writer: Dan Way/Marjorie Liu
Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli/Onofrio Catacchio
There are two writers here since the prologue is a combination of Daken's and Laura's. The artwork for both parts are also different, which isn't really that noticeable until you get to the last page. I think that one was a nice touch. In the story, both Daken and Laura are going after the same person but for very different reasons. The plan for both of them goes down the drain. I'm not sure if this chapter sets up the first storyarc of the same book since the previews for both of them don't really seem to be related to this one. I think the main point of this chapter was to entice those who plan to get Daken to also check out Laura and vice versa. It certainly got me thinking if I should add Daken to my regular list. Daken sketches were also found after the story, Daken's new look really looks bad. Dan Way is contradicting himself here, he said around a year ago that Daken doesn't need a costume since he never really shows himself. Ehh..
Score: 4/5

THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Leonardo Manco
Hmm, I was so used to Kyle/Yost's action packed X-Force that I'm a bit surprised that not a lot happened here. Sure, there was a short action sequence on the end but it was mostly filled with them talking. Not really a bad thing since the dialogue is nice. It also got me curious about the Archangel/Psylocke dynamic. The prologue also shows how they plan to use Deadpool, though I don't think it'll work if we found out that Deadpool found out about Apocalypse unintentionally or that it wasn't supposed to happen but it might be the case. It's probably the least exciting among the three prologues but it's good enough, it'll get you curious but not as much as the other two.
SCORE: 3/5


As a bonus, we also get actual previews of Namor's book and the Generation of Hope book. They're pretty much the first few pages of the actual 1st issue. The GoH part isn't colored yet, it did get me curious about the book though but because of a limited budget, I won't be getting it anytime soon. the Namor part is already colored since it's coming out sooner, it's a tie-in with the Curse of the Mutants event. I'm not a fan of that current story so I'm going to pass on Namor too.

Overall, the three main stories are pretty good. This is a nice introduction and filler if you're still waiting for those books to arrive. Plus the added bonus of having two more previews wouldn't hurt since it's basically priced as an average comic. I suggest to go get this one if you're on the fence about whether or not you want to get one of the four books included so you'll have a good feel as to how it'll be.

Review: DST Marvel Universe X-23 Mini-bust

Here's my third statue review already, four if you count the X-23 CMF. If you want to read the others, here are the links to the Bowen Logan MB, Kotobukiya SDCC exclusive X-Force Wolverine, and the CMF X-23.

Packaging and CoA:The packaging of the bust is similar to the other Marvel Universe busts produced by DST. It shows the promo pictures of the bust up front, on the sides and at the back, with the necessary character blurb written so it can introduce the character. On top are the words "Marvel Universe" while at the bottom is the number of the bust, mine is 1188/2500. The packaging seems pretty plain to me, it doesn't have the simple flair that's similar with the Kotobukiya pieces but it also doesn't have that real distinct look that Bowen has. The packaging is good enough but doesn't really grab attention.
Inside the box is a huge styrofoam layer so that it can protect the bust properly in case it isn't handled well. The X-23 bust itself is neatly placed in the middle, mine came with a plastic wrapper so that the styro wouldn't stick to it, and maybe protection from dust too. The condition of the box isn't really as important to me as long as it's still presentable but you should expect some storage wear especially since this is a pretty old bust, almost 5 years have passed since it was first produced. The one thing I like the most about the DST statues and busts are the CoA that comes with it, it just seems to add to the authenticity of the product you are buying. From what I know, Sideshow is the only current Marvel Statue producer who also gives CoAs, but I might be wrong.
Base:
The base could have been better the only thing that makes it an X-23 base is the number "23" written on it, simple improvements could have been done such as making the marks look like her claw marks, it's pretty simple really, they could've just used a mix of a pair of claw marks and a single claw slash instead of those four marks up front and three at the back.
Once again, it looks real simple, nothing eye catching about it. This is probably one of the worst bases I've seen. Very unimaginative in my opinion. Could have been a lot better, maybe even use a thick "X" as a base with 23 written in the upper right side, kind of like how her logo looks.


Figure:
As for the figure itself, this is where I'm truly impressed by the bust. It makes up for the dullness of the base. It really captures how X-23 looks like when she first appeared together with the X-Men, just look at the cover of Uncanny X-Men 451:I know DST has made some hits and misses during their run with marvel busts and stats but i do believe that this piece is one of the better ones since it captures the early X-Men appearances of X-23. She is actually sculpted to look like an actual teenager, and the pose she has might be feminine but it doesn't give away too much. Sort of like X-23's personality. X-23 is the type of character that keeps her emotion underneath, that often times she would appear almost like a machine. Though that doesn't mean that she has no emotions. It's nice that the pose they chose for this bust isn't a seductive kind of pose, since she is a teenager and that would be out of character. In terms of sculpt, this bust is great. The hair and the bones on the costume are really detailed, plus an additional perk for me is that the claws are actually sturdy. The paint is also solid, i know that busts are SUPPOSED to be painted well but I still have to commend them on that.
But i have to admit that I am not all praises for this piece. One of my biggest complaints is that the costume she wears here is already obscure, it's not like it's a first appearance look. It's sort of just a forgotten look, DST could've waited a couple of months more before doing this..It would have been a lot better if she was wearing something else. I also think that her breasts are a bit big here, since the bust is actually portraying a character that's around 14 years old. I'm not sure how SKINTIGHT the costume is but the belly button is actually sculpted in.
In terms of scale, this is actually a pretty big bust, it's bigger than my Bowens and my other DST Wolverines. It would be a good thing if you were to display it alone or together with other X-23 stuff but if you decide to display it with other X-Men characters, she'd look like she's the same height as She-Hulk.
Compare the two busts, they're pretty much the same distance away from the camera. I know Wolverine's supposed to be shorter than her (5'6"-5'3") but I don't think it's supposed to be by this much. I guess for those planning to display her with other statues, be wary of the sizing.

Overall, I think that this is pretty much a good buy if you're a fan of X-23 and you're into this thing. It's pretty much sold lower than it's original price on ebay so if you like it, go ahead and check it out. But if you want to have just one X-23 piece, i suggest you go ahead and wait for the upcoming Bowen statue.

Might STOP toy collecting

I'm actually considering stopping action figure collecting now. Why? Because I'm thinking of just moving on to something more expensive but comes out less often that the action figures...

Those STONE thinggies. I'm liking way too much of them now, especially with the Kotobukiya X-Force Wolverine and the Bowen X-Force Wolverine on my want list. And now something else was added to it..This was the first thing I saw in my e-mail the moment I woke up. I might stop toy collecting since I can't collect comics, action figures, and the occational statue/bust since that "occasional" might get more and more frequent. I sure as hell won't give up comics.

Here's my initial thoughts on the statue:
- It's better compared to the X-23 that was part of the SS X-Force Diorama. The pose is very similar but the Sideshow one overdid the strut and the thiness.
- Hair and face should be improved (Which will be)
- She actually has a teenagers body here, people usually forget that and make her look as busty as possible.
- I know it's trying to stay accurate to the reference art but I'm hoping it'll be both hands closed with claws out or at least both have claws out.
- I'm hoping they'll use a base similar to the other X-Men or maybe an X-base.
- Randy Bowen said an X-Force piece will also come out, I'll probably get that but I'm having second thoughts since it looks like this costume is good too. This is the one worn by the Eaglemoss X-23.

I'm hoping I'll be able to find the money for this, good thing it's probably still a year before this one comes out. I can save up for it little by little instead of suddenly releasing a boatload of money.

Eaglemoss CMF X-23 review

This will be my first non-Wolverine review and also my first CMF review.

looks good even inside the box.

The CMF collection made by Eaglemoss is a small figurine that's painted/cast with lead, which makes it dangerous gor anyone who still likes to put everything they touch into their mouths. It's around $14 each and it's around 3 inches. this is called by a friend of mine as a rich man's PVC or the poor man's Statue. The Marvel line's already up to around 160 i think, X-23 being #117. This thing comes with a book that kinda gets you up to speed with what's currently happening with the character. As always, i don't intend to collect every single one of these things..just the following..

- #002 Wolverine (my lcs has this but it's $20.00 already since this was ordered online instead of diamond)
- #035 Gambit (maybe? always thinking bout starting Gambit but never really pushed through with it)
that's pretty much it, unless of course they release x-force versions of the other characters. What's nice about this line is it really has a very wide range, as far as i know only Spider-Man has been released more than once and very rarely does a variant come along. What i don't like bout this is the sloppy paint apps, i know it's in three inch but they can do better. Remember the Bandai Wolverine figure i reviewed a while back? Now that one has real nice paint apps. This figure i have was pretty much the best painted of the four that was available.

Part One: THE MAGAZINE
Basically, the main part of the magazine called "Histoty of a...TEST TUBE TERROR!" sumarizes X-23's short history in the Marvel universe, this is a good read for those who haven't read comics with X-23 for a while or for those who only know her from her current X-Force role. There's also this nice part on the bottom wherein they show certain key issues for X-23 such as her first appearance and her first encounter with the X-Men but since her history is short, it felt like some of the issues were being pushed such as "first encounter with Wolverine retold." and "X-23 aquires Legacy virus, tries to kill herself". The middle part of the magazine named "Artistic Lisence" (which is probably the generic name for the entire line) shows different artist sketches of the character, nothing special here as most of these made the different comic books anyway, no rejected idea for her looks. 3rd part is entitled "Daddy's Girl" is a more in depth summary of how she was created and raised and then there's a basic comparison between him and Wolverine, her genetic progenitor (new word for me). "Department X..." then deals with her life together with Wolverine and the rest of the X-Men, now this is the part that gave me a lot of new knowledge since i only read about X-23 in X-Force then read scans of X-23 and X-23: Target X. I never had a lot of knowledge about her earlier X-Men days until the start of Messiah Complex other than those that are still talked about until now. Tidbits about how she attacked Bishop after a heated training session with Wolverine was nice to know. The only problem is that it felt like almost all the storylines she was in was written here in order to have more to talk about. "To Clone a Legend.." for me is the best part of the book, it talks about how she was conceptualized by Craig Kyle and Cristopher Yost and how she has grown as a character.

Overall, the book's a good read that would add a lot of knowledge to the casual fan of X-23 and might even get them interested in her, though if you already know a lot about X-23 this wouldn't really add anything. My only problem with this book is that the summary of her story ends in X-Force #19, the issue wherein Kimura cuts of her arm. They end the summary with X-23 having no arm, so that means someone who doesn't read X-Force and any X-book for that matter would think that she's actually handicapped right now (she regrew her arm and reattached the adamantium). Other than that, i good read that's actually nice to have as a freebie (or is the figurine the freebie?).

THE FIGURINE:

nicely simple pose.

Sculpt:

I have no problem at all with the sculpt of this thing, it's not really very detailed but you can see that it's not that bad either. There are some nice details such as the lines on her top, the pendant she's wearing but the best part is the detail on her boots, with the straps and everything. As for the pose of the figurine, I'd imagine that X-23 would actually stand up like this. She's they type of person who wouldn't walk like THIS or pose like THIS. Yes Sideshow, i don't like those poses, do it better next time. She would never do that unless her mission is to be a catwalk model or to seduce someone. Some might say that the pose is pretty plain but it's the only way i can actually see her standing up, ready to fight but not in an action pose kinda way since it won't be uniformed with the others. This is actually the only problem i have with the sculpt:

stupid insects getting in the shot.

The claw is bent. I know it's probably not a problem with all the figures but still, they could've taken better care of it. I know it's not going to be straightened with the hot-cold method and i sure as hell won't try to bend it. If that thing breaks i'm throwing $14 out the window. Other than that the figure is pretty good.

who's a good photographer? not me.

PAINT:
This is the part where i have issues with the figure, it's a bit too sloppy and this one's already the best one of the lot. I know this is a 3 inch statue but they could still have done better. This is probably machine painted instead of hand painted that's why it's a bit sloppy. Good thing though the slops are very minimal, almost non detectable unless you actually try to examine it. It's pretty much acceptable othher than one big out of place paint.

this one.

There's black paint where there's no black paint near that part at all. Other than that it's pretty good other than that tiny speck of flesh you can see on the glove. you could see in the pictures below that the black spot is very disturbing once you take note of it.

Other than that, there's not really anything else wrong other than the usual smudging of the colors. It's a good thing i got one that has pretty good paint apps, you can actually see that the eyes look straight instead of being lazy eyed. some figurines that were brought to the comic book shop actually had half an eyebrow missing, unpainted eyes, etc. Knowing that, having that little smudge doesn't seem that bad now, does it?

I believe this was worth the money i shelled out. It's a nice addition to my growing X-23 collection. I think that if you're a character themed collector, you wouldn't go wrong with getting one, just be careful about the paint apps. It's better if you buy this in person instead of online since you have to be real picky about the paint apps, though if you're talented you can actually repaint it yourself. I actually thought about repainting it into the X-Force version since it's actually the most current uniform and it's the one she's wearing at the current age they're portraying her as. If i get a chance to buy X-23 for around P400 ($8), i would definately consider repainting whichever has the worse paint apps into the X-Force version.

X-Force Stat: Bowen or Sideshow?

I'm a huge huge fan of X-Force, and especially Wolverine. So when i heard (and saw the WIPs) that Bowen will come out with a X-Force Wolverine Museum Pose Statue, i quickly decided to start saving up some money in order to get it once it comes out. From what most statue collectors told me; Bowen Statues, especially Wolverines, go for around P10,000 ($200) more or less as long as they're not the faux bronze, chrome paint, etc. editions. With all other expenses for food, dates, toys, comics, and other things i spend money on i think i could save up that much money in around 5 months time so. Then i heard that Sideshow will come out with a X-Force Diorama consisting of Wolverine, X-23, Warpath and Wolfsbane. It'll come out around late 3rd or early 4th quarter of 2010. Since i'm not rich, i'll only be able to get just one of two statues, either the Bowen or the Sideshow. This post will help me decide on which to get.

As of now, i have no statues at all, i only have a few busts around. Three of them are Bowen and i pre-ordered one more and i'm also currently looking for another. I don't really have any favorites among the companies, it's just that Bowen is more accessible to me.
Right of the bat, if you already have the other Bowen Wolverines, you'll notice that the pose is similar to the Unmasked Museum Wolverine released a few years ago. This might be a problem for some of you but it's not for me since i don't own that one (plus, there are more than just minor tweaks between the two). Since this is a WIP shot, i'll forgive Bowen for not fixing the pants. It's visible that it was designed to have the briefs on the outside instead of solid pants that are grey and black.Sideshow meanwhile has already produced promotion pictures, the ones you see on pre-orders and stuff. It's currently around P12,500 ($25o) so it's more expensive than Bowen. The advantage here is that this diorama includes the entire team from the 1st issue of X-Force. It MIGHT also be possible, though highly unlikely, that a second diorama including Domino, Elixir, Archangel, and Vanisher will come out. Both sculpts are probably just from the imagination of the sculptors or whoever since unlike DST, they don't have those comicbook scenes or those straight from the comic sculpts.

Case for Bowen:
- This statue will look good either as a stand alone or together with the other Museum Pose Bowen Wolverines.
- Bowen's known for their relistic approach to sculptic, so Wolverine here looks realistic. The claws aren't too long and his body isn't out of proportion.
- The detail put on the gloves and boots are just wonderful, you could even make out the ridges. The fact that it's only a WIP means more improvements might be ahead.

Case against Bowen:
- The pants, no one will touch this statue (i think) if they don't fix it.
- IF you're looking to complete the team, it might not happen.

Case for Sideshow:
- It's a team diorama which means we'll get more than just one character in a statue, in this case it's four.
- Interchangabel heads for Wolverine (masked or unmasked) plus if you're getting the exclusive, an interchangable Wolfsbane! (either human or wolf form)
- It's right there, you'll get something very similar to what you see in the picture.

Case against Sideshow:
- Design: Wolverine and Warpath's arms looks more fat than muscular. X-23's pose isn't right, she doesn't walk like that.
- Price: a bit more expensive than what i anticipated.

that's it for my pros and cons. As for my decision? i'd love to get both but then i only have to choose one. As of tonight, i'm leaning more towards Bowen. I just think that the way X-23 is sculpted ruins the entire statue. The arms i could stand, but X-23 is doing the model walk on Sideshow's dio. Plus i think it would've been better if they just stuck with Action pose or Museum pose, not mix it together in one diorama. Thousgh i MIGHT be forced to get it if Bowen doesn't do anything about the pants problem. I'm not saying you should follow my decision, it's up to you if you prefer one over the other. This is just my opinion i'm trying to share. But i'll be ahppier if i found a way to secure both stats that's for sure.

Hunt for Mr. Sinister! Marvel Superhero Squad Pack.

When Wolverine's movie came out May last year, a whole slew of Wolverine movie related toys came out. I only started August last year so i missed their releases, most of them didn't sell or maybe they just ordered a LOT that's why up until now a lot of them are still in the pegs. I saw a lot of them being sold on ebay and in the local forum going around P450-P600 at first, didn't really bite on any of them since i felt that they were going to go on sale anyway. I only bought a three of them (the 3.75" brown wolverine, tigerstripe wolverine, and the weapon x w/ chamber) when they were sold on a real low price, P300($6) for the single carded ones and P450 ($9) for the ones with the huge accessories. I also bought the the TRU exclusives Wolverine w/ Motor (came with sabretooth) and Unmasked Astonishing (came w/ Collossus) as loose ones when they were sold for P300 each. Then just a few weeks ago Toys R' Us finally put all the Wolverine movie items for sale, 50% at that! I bought all the 3.75" ones i can find. The premium series didn't go on sale so i still don't have that and the final wave didn't reach our shores. But those 3.75" Wolverines won't be the topic for this post.

I've said before that when it comes to Super Hero Squad and Minimates figs, i won't really get the Wolverines unless i find them below SRP. I also said i'll do my best to geth the X-Force from that line. One of the Wolverine Movie Super Hero Squad sets that was released was a pack called "Hunt for Mr. Sinister" it included X-Force Wolverine, X-Force X-23, Cable, and Mr. Sinister. It was weird that Mr. Sinister came with them since they didn't interact at all in the comics, there was never a story line like this. It would have been better if it was "Hunt for Bishop" or something.

grabbed from the net.

Anyway, the reason why i didn't buy this immediately when i found out about the sale was because i already had the X-Force Wolverine and i thought that i would've had a hard time looking for buyers of Mr. Sinister and Cable. Then one day i found out that someone wanted to get Cable and Mr. Sinister from the set, so i went and bought it! I put Wolverine up for sale and w/in 24 hours i already have a buyer! NICE! so now i pretty much bought the set for X-23.
Let me put up first the first guy from the set that i got. X-Force Wolverine, i don't really know how many times this body has been used already, i don't like the fact that they just change the paint more often than not. They didn't even put an effort to changing the boots (same with MU X-force, he's not supposed to wear the pointy boots) paint apps for the 2 that i have are decent enough, no real smudges or anything. though this is probably the least detailed fig. The only real detailed part of him is the sheath of his claws, but i don't think the X-Force uniform doesn't sport those. I was also surprised to find out that he has 3 points of articulation (left and right arm, hip) since i was under the impression that he only had 2. Overall, he's good for a SHS fig.
Up next is a guy i'll be disposing, Mr. Sinister. He's quite big so i'm thinking this is actually one of the better SHS figs out there. Nice enough detail with good enough paint apps. He sports articulation on both arms, his cape is made of a softer plastic so he doesn't really fall over, he can stand on his own two feet. This is probably the best figure out of the four.

The Cable fig is pretty goood too, he's also quite big for a minimate. No real paint apps problem for this one also. He has a pretty nice gun but the problem is he doesn't point it straight. Another bad point here is that only the arm with the gun can move. I don't know why they didn't try to make the other one moveable too. Since there aren't really any overlapping details between the chest and arm areas. If they made the arm movable, it migh give the Sinister fig a run for it's money.
Finally, X-23. The sole reason i bought the set for. You can see that there are minor paint problems around the neck but other than that the paint is alright. Details are nice too, you can see the sculpt on the boots. My only real problem with this one is that it sports no articulation at all. The only consolation i get is the fact that there are the feet claws. Something the minimates figure failed to add. She's pretty small too, though it is appropriate since she's slender and not so tall. One good thing about her is that she has a pretty good action pose, and it's not really a problem when it comes to making her stand. Overall, i'm content with it, couldv'e had one or two points of articulation but who am i to complain? it's not like i'll be moving her around often.

There, i reviewed the whole set. These are the first SHS figs i got right out of the box, not as tempting to collect as the others but they're not to shabby either. I bet this would make good toys for little kids since they're made of pretty solid plastic and they don't have any small stuff to choke on. Just watch out for the pointy stuff.

If anyone's wondering what the book is, it's Wolverine: Inside the World of the Living Weapon. It's a nice read and a good buy if you want to catch up to Wolverine's history.

Marvel Minimates X-Force Wolverine and X-23

Before X-Force Wolverine came out, i never really paid attention to this line, it seemed to LEGO-ey for me. The fact that a lot of Wolverines came out in this line already (type "Wolverine" in the search bar and you'll get what i'm saying) made things even worse. Then pictures of Wave 31 popped up, i saw an X-Force Wolverine packed together with a Hydra Agent. Seeing that picture made me check out the marvel minimates thread in ptk and ask comic oddysey if they already had it. Had to wait a few months before i found one. Then a week later Wave 32 arrived here in the Philippines and it had a Retro X-Force Cable/Modern X-Force X-23 pack. I knew i had to get that one too. Now i pretty much have the same policy in Minimates as i do with the Super Hero Squad line, which is complete X-Force and buy Wolverine only when below SRP. I'm currently trying to dispose Cable since i already found a Hydra Agent buyer, i'm selling those off for half the price. Packaging is simple but it actually looks nice, there's a small window to see the figures (took them out already) the leaflet serves as a background and the box of the art looks good. At the side you see a portrait of the character which is contained, the back has the pictures of the entire wave and a very small description of the two characters.
That's Wolverine straight out of the box and bubbles, he comes with alternate clawless hands and a hair piece. This means that the mask of Wolverine is actually removable, but the head won't have any hair other than his facial hair.

The unmasked version looks nice when you put on the hair, my only real problem with this one is an issue with the entire Minimate line. I don't like them having no nose at all. That's the only part of the face which was not touched on, but then again it's not much of a problem for me since i plan on keeping him masked.

X-23 on the other hand came with a masked head without hair on it and a pair of hands that didn't have claws. Again, it seems to bother me that they don't have any noses but overall it still looks good. Hair is nice too, it limits the range of movement of the head. Since X-23's body is still just a rectangle, i guess they just painted on the curves to give her that sexy look. I'm guessing this is the norm for female minimates.
Once again i prefer the masked version more. You rarely see X-23 without her mask while she's wearing that uniform and the shape of the mask actually gives an illusion of a nose. the wrinkles on her forehead also adds a nice touch.
Overall, if these two figs are good representations of the minimates line, then that means i understand why a lot of collectors are getting into these. They look like their comic counterparts and yet they look cute. They have very nice paint apps, non existent or at most minimal smudges. The joints don't have real problems, if they do it's actually that they are a bit tight. They have ample articulation too, head can move up and down a little, 360 degree rotation for Wolverine while X-23 has very limited left and right because of the hair. elbow, wrist, knee, hip. Not 30+ points like the old ToyBiz but it's still adequate enough to put them in nice poses. The claws are very malleable so it's not hard to fix them when bent. They're not scaled and i think most of them come in similar sizes other than the real big ones. But i think that adds to the appeal.
Another perk of this line is the easy kitbashing. You can use spare parts lying around to form new characters and what not. Though this makes it possible for overrun parts to be kitbashed whil still in the factory then sold later on. here's an example:

i'll call her, Jaime Howlett.