It’s time once again to expand my little plastic army, friends! Today I’ll be introducing you to the newest batch of DC’s 3.75-inch action figures to come into my possession, a small batch of figures I like to refer to as “The Gotham Group.”

The Gotham Group

As I’ve mentioned in this blog before, I’ve made it my quest to try to get all of the new DC Universe Infinite Heroes action figures. I absolutely love the 3.75-inch size, the size of the G.I. Joe and Star Wars figures of my youth, and it makes me happy to browse a toy section and see that size gaining popularity again. I keep hearing rumors that Marvel Comics is planning a 3.75-inch line of figures as well — if anyone has any info about that, please let me know.

Batman and the Joker

But these first two figures aren’t, technically, from the Infinite Heroes line. These come from the DC Hero Zone: The Dark Knight line of toys based on the smash hit movie that you may have heard of. The figures from this line all come either in two-packs or packed with vehicles and playsets, and while the vehicles and playsets are cool, I’m more interested in the figures themselves. Back in my last post about these figures, I mentioned that I really wanted the Batman/Joker two-pack, which naturally was the hardest one to find. Fortunately, my buddy Walt Kneeland from Comixtreme managed to find some in his neck of the woods and he hooked me up. Thanks, Walt! I really dig these figures, even though the Joker sculpt really doesn’t resemble Heath Ledger all that much. They still look pretty good to me, and I’m especially happy that this Batman is in a uniform that’s true to the movie, as opposed to the “Stealth Batman” I got with the Scarecrow, who has some bright blue patches on his uniform. How, exactly, does that translate to “stealth”? Can anybody explain that one to me?

Commissioner Jim Gordon and the GCPD SWAT Team

Then yesterday, I also happened upon the three-pack that I wanted more than any other, Commissioner Gordon with two Gotham City PD SWAT officers. Jim Gordon, as I’ve often said, is my favorite Batman supporting character, and I was really happy to see him graced with his own Infinite Heroes action figure. I’m not sure why the sunglasses, though. I imagine it’s because it would be a bit too difficult to properly do his usual eyeglasses in the 3.75-inch scale.

The SWAT members are a bit of a disappointment, to be honest. Not that there’s anything wrong with either figure, but they’re identical. You’re basically buying two of the same figure. Look, Mattel, if you’re going to put two “minion” toys in the same package, can’t you at least differentiate them a little? Give them a different face, different skin tones, something? There’s a three-pack planned for later this year featuring Lex Luthor and two “Luthor Troopers,” and I rather suspect it’ll be the same thing when that set comes out.

The Flash and Gorilla Grodd

I also got a new Mini-Mate set, this time featuring the fastest toy alive! The Flash comes in a two-pack with his biggest, baddest foe, the super-simian called Gorilla Grodd. This is a toy that demonstrates some of the deficiencies in toymaking, though. Take a look at Mini-Flash’s boots. The feet are fine, but  on the ankles (part of the same piece as the legs) the red of the plastic shows right through the yellow paint for the boots. I can’t help but think it would have been more effective to cast the piece in yellow plastic and paint the tops red instead of the other way around. This set also came with an alternate head, a skull, which I initially thought was intended to use to recreate the skeletal end of the Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen. When I tried it, though, it didn’t fit the Flash’s body, it fits Grodd’s. Did Grodd ever walk around with a skeleton for a head? I must be missing a back issue somewhere.

What, Halloween already?

It’s not yet Halloween, friends, but it is only a few short weeks until October. That means it’s time for the Third Annual Evertime Realms Halloween Party!( Actually, the first two were called the “Think About It Central” Halloween Party, but with a new website, I’m officially renaming the event.) Those of you who have been with me for a few years now know that every October and December I like to cram my blog chock full of holiday-related content: book reviews, movie reviews, comics, columns, and anything else I can think of. So with October beginning in just three weeks, I’m going to try to start banking features to post once the month rolls around. I’ve got a stack of books to read, I’ve moved lots of horror movies to the front of my NetFlix queue, and I’m ready to get started.

So here’s what I want from you guys: requests! Got a movie you’d like to see featured in the Halloween Party? Just ask. A podcast or a website full of creepy content? Send me the link! I want to make the party bigger and better than ever! Oh, and this year, as in the last two years, the “main event” will be a complete rundown of a classic horror franchise. In 2006, I watched and reviewed all 11 Friday the 13th movies. Last year, I got together with the rest of the Showcase crew to brave seven separate Nightmare on Elm Street flicks. And this year, we’re going to come together again to try to survive ten horrifying Halloween films!

Here’s a list of everything I did in the last two Halloween Parties, just to get you an idea of what it’s all about. If you’ve got a request, now is the time to make it!

THE 2007 THINK ABOUT IT CENTRAL HALLOWEEN PARTY
New comic book reviews (Courtesy of Comixtreme.com):
*Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror #13
*Donald Duck: The Case of the Missing Mummy Special
*Franklin Richards: Monster Mash #1
*Jonah Hex #24
*Marvel Zombies 2 #1
*Tales From the Crypt Vol. 1: Ghouls Gone Wild
*Uncle Scrooge #370
*Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #685
*X-Men: First Class #5
*Comixtreme Done-In-One Reviews, Oct. 13, 2007 — Including Living With the Dead #1 and Friday the 13th: How I Spent My Summer Vacation #2
*Comixtreme Done-In-One Reviews, Oct. 27, 2007– Including Crawl Space: XXXombies #1; Gargoyles #6, Grimm Fairy Tales #17; Grimm Fairy Tales: Return to Wonderland #3, Proof #1 and The Walking Dead #43

New Comic Book Reviews (Courtesty of

Other Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reviews:
*War of the Undead (2007)
*Zombie Highway: Directionless #1

Think About It Columns:
*Is it Halloween Yet?
*The Costume Conundrum
*Why I Love Halloween

Comixtreme.com Columns:
*The Marvel Zombie Mini-Mates Present… Themselves!
*Trick or Geek!
*Scum and Villainy

Movie Reviews:
*28 Weeks Later (2007)
*Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)
*Dark Ride (2006)
*Dead and Deader (2006)
*Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane (2007)
*Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms (2006)
*Mad Monster Party (1969)
*Return of the Living Dead (1985)
*The Showcase Gang Has SEVEN Nasty Nightmares!

2 in 1 Showcase Podcasts:
*Episode 37: EC Comics and Tales From the Crypt
*Episode 38: Zombie Jamboree
*Episode 38.5: The Worst Part
*Episode 39: Monster Mash!
*Episode 40: Halloween Spooktacular

Book Reviews:
* Monster Island (2006) and Rise and Walk (2007)

Original Fiction:
*Short Story: “The Worst Part”

Other Features:
*Costume Party
*Muppets of the Macabre

THE 2006 THINK ABOUT IT CENTRAL HALLOWEEN PARTY
Columns:
*Be Kind to the Geeks of October (Classic Think About It)
*Murder Most Fouled Up (Think About It)
*Chilling on Friday the 13th (Think About It)
*This Halloween Show Your Geek Cred (Everything But Imaginary)
*Creepy Crawly Comics (Everything But Imaginary)
*Your 2006 Halloween Tips (Think About It)

Movie Reviews:
*Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948 )
*Round-Up: Reviews of Van Helsing (2004), Needful Things (1993), The Corpse Bride (2005) & Slither (2006)
*Trick or Treat With Garfield and the Peanuts Gang
*Blake Reviews All 11 Friday the 13ths Part One
*Blake Reviews All 11 Friday the 13ths Part Two

Book Reviews:
*World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (2006)

New Comic Book Reviews (From Comixtreme.com):
*Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror #12
*Betty and Veronica #221
*A Nightmare on Elm Street #1
*PS 238 #18
*PVP #28
*Uncle Scrooge #358
*Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #673
*Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #674

Back Issue Bin Reviews:
*52 #25
*Animaniacs #51
*Death: At Death’s Door TPB
*Little Gloomy’s Halloween Special #1
*Midnight, Mass.: Here There Be Monsters #1
*Sandman Presents Thessaly: Witch For Hire #1
*Sandman Presents Thessaly: Witch For Hire #2
*Sandman Presents Thessaly: Witch For Hire #3
*Sandman Presents Thessaly: Witch For Hire #4
*Saw: Rebirth #1

Blake’s Fiction:
*Storm Warnings
*Copper
*The Beginner — Chapter One

Other Articles:
*The Movies of October
*Superpail!
*Costumes From Carl’s
*A Double Dose of Disney Halloween Podcasts