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Batman& Robin Eternal #1 Review

Not pictured: The actual current Robin

It’s time to review Eternal 2, where Cassie debuts, does some badass kung-fu, and when things come unglued, shocking things ensue! It’s DC’s new weekly Batman saga, hot on the heels of Jim Gordon becoming Batman and Dick Grayson’s spy career’s growing complications. With Bruce Wayne out of action, Gotham’s streets are defended by a group of costumed teens and young adults that the new Caped Crusader has no patience for, and the first Robin uncovers a startling secret his mentor had kept for him for years. read more

Penguin Truthby Penguin Truth•
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Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Episode 2 – G-Chekketsu yourself before you G-Rekketsu yourself.

 

Solanum Lycopersicum Callipyge

Like the lumbering skeleton-framed Gundam Barbatos, the series begins its purposeful lurch forward. You can tell by its lurch (despite the exciting, electric, “Raise Your Flag” opening), in the way the battle between the Barbatos and Gjallarhorn squad quickly concludes and focuses on world building. The more interesting thing about this is that there’s no narrator this time around (it’s kindof a thing in Gundam) to get us going about the world. Every little story element that is shown and told is done by any and all characters present, thus allowing us maximum engagement in the world and its characters. Like the mobile suit, the story is piecing itself together into a more cohesive, dynamic, whole. read more

Juu-kuchiby Juu-kuchi•
Elyn Hobby 1/100 Kshatriya – Torso and Arms Complete
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Elyn Hobby 1/100 Kshatriya – Torso and Arms Complete

An overwhelming sense of doom.

That’s what I’m feeling right now. While I should be pleased that this build is now officially a third of the way complete and things turned out okay I can’t get past the fact that the kit’s LEDs are royally fucked.

So that’s a third of the project complete. Still gotta do the everything below the waist and the wing binders. If I can keep up the same schedule, which is a long shot, that’ll be in about five weeks. From prep to top coat completion took about two weeks with an estimated ten hours of assembly time. Why so long? Well a lot of pieces had to be glued into place and the super clear modeling glue I use takes its sweet time to dry. That and the LEDs were a pain in the ass to work with. read more

Falldogby Falldog••0
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Elyn Hobby 1/100 Kshatriya – Torso ready for top coat

After a couple weeks of prep and paint the torso is ready for top coat and final assembly.

I think I spent more time prepping the kit for paint than any other I’ve worked on up until this point. I feel like every piece on this kit has flashing issues. Some of the problem areas I didn’t notice until after the first coat of primer. Some I didn’t notice until after I had finished painting and started on detailing. Hopefully the ones I wasn’t able to fully clean won’t be too noticeable when all is said and done. read more

Falldogby Falldog••0
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Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Episode 01 – These Kids’re Alright…

…Except for all those things that have been done to them, never mind their place in a PMC that sees them as expendable. But let’s not dwell on that much, because there’s a lot to like in this very good first episode.

The greatest strength of this premiere is its handling of a universe that’s the result of a 300 year long reign of Mars by the Earth Sphere. The peace is frayed, calls for independence are beginning to rise, and there is an undercurrent of tension on every level. All of this is established without firing a shot given the series describing the Special Forces of Earth, Gjallarhorn, as very violent in their quelling of uprisings. The way a well-to-do Martian citizen wipes his sweating brow as he diplomatically grovels for his daughter’s independence seeking behavior, is well done and establishes how much fear can be generated if Earth is opposed. Heck, a shot won’t be fired from their elite units until near the end of the episode, and even then you can see tensions are frayed there too! I like these little touches, and hope it remains such throughout the course of the series, even if Gjallarhorn/Earth eventually goes full Titans (Zeta) or A-LAWS (00 Season 2). read more

Juu-kuchiby Juu-kuchi•
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A look at the ‘Art of Gundam’ box art

Within the past couple years Bandai has started releasing exclusive kits at various toy & model expos in Japan. They’re typically slightly modifications of existing kits using special coatings or clear parts. Generally their boxes are just the standard box art with a bit modification or a logo for differentiation. This year’s Art of Gundam expo releases featured several kits never released in a clear format with, what I believe to be, a stunning box design.

[flickr-photo:id=21725897571,size=n] read more

Falldogby Falldog••0