Fifty Two 80’s: A Totally Awesome Shop!

This month we are not going to review a single item, but rather we will review an entire era: the 1980s – yes, we went there. You may ask how we accomplished this feat of time travel? Was it Police Box, Delorean or a hot tub? No, we stepped through the threshold of a magical emporium called Fifty Two 80’s: a totally awesome shop.

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Item/Place:

Fifty Two 80s a Totally awesome Shop!

 

What it is:

A store entirely dedicated to items right out the 80s and early 90s. These good people stock mostly toys, but also have some clothes and iconic posters from that era. Here’s just a short list of items I found of interest: Voltron with all the Lions, Garbage Pail Kids collector cards, GI-Joes from 84-89, a Captain America poster from the 80’s TV show, PeeWees Playhouse toys/videos, Plush Gizmo from Gremlins, WWF actions figures, and a full sized Chewbacca cardboard cutout. You can see many more of these items in the video above and the pictures below.

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How Much it Costs:

The cost is so affordable you can’t miss the opportunity to go to this store and step back in time. Items range in price from a few dollars to around a hundred dollars. Most items I saw were under twenty bucks. These items are not in perfect or A+ condition and might be missing a few parts. That’s what makes this store special. Everything is meant to be enjoyed without having to spend a fortune to relive your childhood. This isn’t a thrift store either! All the items are laid out and displayed with care. If you are looking for something specific and they have it, you will find it. You don’t have to dig through bins or shelves of random brick-a-brack to find that special item that will trigger those joyous memories of your childhood.

Is It Worth It?:

This store is beyond worth it – from the casual to the hardcore collector and everyone in-between. I’m a casual collector and have some nearly mint items that could go for hundreds of dollars. The down side is, neither myself nor my kids really get to enjoy my collectable toys anymore because I’m trying to retain their value. Fifty Two 80’s gives you and your kids a chance to enjoy toys from the 1980’s and 90’s. These vintage toys are very inexpensive and in a condition that begs to be played with. While I was at Fifty Two 80s my eight year old son ran around this store discovering a whole new world of toys he’s never seen. We ended up getting three GI-Joes and a couple of loose Star Wars Micromachines for fifteen bucks! These prices will blow away any bargain you find on ebay. They do have some better condition items that go for more and even those are set at amazingly low prices. If you happen to be in south Denver, stop by Fifty Two 80s a Totally awesome shop. Talk to Tony or DeDe, the co-owners, about any item you find. They are very knowledgeable and totally awesome people!

5280s a Totally Awesome 1980s shop:

1874 S. Broadway, Denver CO 80210

Store Hours:

Wednesday – Friday from noon to 6 p.m.

Saturday- noon to 5 p.m.

Sunday – noon to 4 p.m.

Shut Up and Take My Money: Hot Toys Hulk Action Figure

I recently attended the Toy and Doll Collectors Supershow locally in Thornton, Colorado.\. There were many treasures to be found, but one item really caught my eye.

Item:

Hot Toys Hulk 1/6th figure

What it is:

It is an amazingly detailed action figurine of The Hulk. As a character, The Hulk generally needs no introduction as he has made a huge “impact” in the Marvel Universe spanning many decades. The Hulk likes to be a loner, but he’s also a member of The Avengers. This particular action figure was created to scale along side the other Avengers in this line. Each of these Hot Toys figures was created with an incredible amount of detail and attention to match the movie versions of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

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A company named Hot Toys out of Hong Kong creates these figures. They are well known for creating very detailed and collectible action figures. I had the pleasure of speaking with Brandon, working the booth for BigTop Collectibles. He was able to give me some great information about this Hulk and the history of The Hulk in general. Brandon has a great deal of knowledge when it comes to collectibles, comics and general geeks subjects all around. It was a bit noisy at the convention so please forgive the background sounds but in this video you get some info from Brandon and a demonstration of how this Hulk moves.

 

How Much it Costs:

As you heard in the video, these action figures are made in a limited run. They are not serial numbered but Hot Toys does as much as they can to ensure price protection. Brandon even told me that BigTop received some damaged Hulks. Hot Toys asked that they destroy those Hulks and show proof of the destruction. They were sent replacements right away. Hot Toys does not want any poor quality products reaching the secondary market. The manufacturer generally does an announcement when they are going to do a run and you can pre-order these. The initial price for this Hulk was somewhere around $200-300. Now that the production run is over the price has gone up quite a bit. I have seen them being offered from $399-$499 around the net.

Is It Worth It?:

For any Avengers, or Hulk collector for that matter, this would be could be the prize of your collection. It’s an exceptional piece, very well made, and created exclusively to reflect the recent Avengers movie.

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I want to thank Brandon and BigTop Collectibles for the interview and time they spent with me to create this review. If you are interested in seeing this Hulk or any number of other collectibles like this, you can visit BigTop Collectibles in Arvada Colorado 12650 W. 64th Ave, Unit E or online at http://www.bigtopcollectibles1138.com .

*Hush Comics is not affiliated with nor receives any compensation from BigTop Collectibles. This article is intended for informational purposes only and not as an endorsement of any one company or business.

Batman Day – Best Collectibles

DC Comics has dubbed today Batman Day. The Dark Knight has been fighting crime and serving justice for his 75th year since the 1939 debut of Detective Comics #27. Batman has been a big part of our lives, and was responsible for making us into the comic book fanatics we are today, whether it be through comic books and toys or television and movies. To show our appreciation for the man, the myth and the legend, we have compiled a plethora of Bat-themed lists. We hope that we can inspire you to read more about Batman and his legacy, or even give us some feedback if you agree or disagree with the lists. Sound off below! And click on the picture below to take you to all of our Batman Day articles.

 

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Top 20 Collectibles

Not only does Batman have the best gadgets, but he also is the driving force behind the best collection of action figures, statues and replicas out. Whether it’s an affordable item that you add to your display case or just something to ogle at because nobody in their right mind would spend money on it, there are some great collectibles out there. There was absolutely no way to complete this list without missing a fair share of great items, so here are 20 of what I consider the coolest collectibles to add to your collection. Are there any toys, replicas or eye that I’m missing? Let me know in the comments below.

 

20.) The Dark Knight Rises Bane vs. Batman Statue

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19.) Tim Burton’s Batman Mime Joker

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18.) New52 Box Set of Court of Owls and Death of the Family

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17.) Sideshow Collectibles Harley Quinn statue

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16.) Batman Hush Action Figure – DC Artist Signature Series

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15.) Life-size Batman Statue

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14.) The Dark Knight Rises Cowl BD Set

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13.) Lifesize Bat-Signal

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12.) Capullo Designer Series Figures

 

 

11.) Harley Quinn-Joker Mad Love Two-Pack

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10.) Eagle Moss Batman Chess Set

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9.) Green Lantern Batman

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8.) Arkham City Riddler Trophy

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7.) Kotobukiya ART FX+ Statue

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6.) Batman vs. Killer Croc Statue

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5.) Nightwing Arsenal Set from Arkham City

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4.) Batman vs. Superman: The Dark Knight Returns statue

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3.) Batman: A Call to Arms from The Dark Knight Returns

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2.) Batman and Catwoman: Kissing the Knight Statue

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1.) Batman: Black and White Statues

Shut Up and Take My Money: Greg Capullo Court of Owls Action Figures

The money in our bank account is limited, so how unfair is it that there are endless gadgets, collectibles and toys out there that demand to be purchased? Let us help you sift through the crap, so you don’t can save that hard-earned cash for the things that deserve it. In other words, we give you the power to go to the counter and say, “Shut Up and Take My Money!”

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Item:

DC Comic Designer Series: Greg Capullo Series 1 Figures

What it is:

Today, the first four figures from the new Designer Series are released. The first to get the treatment is Greg Capullo’s Batman (written by Scott Snyder, and really just the best DC Comics book out for the last three years. The first set of four to be released are: Batman, Nightwing, Talon and Nygma (Riddler), the latter of which appearing in the Zero Year storyline (happening right now!), while Nightwing and Talon are brought to life from earlier storylines (Death of the Family and the already legendary Court of Owls). Each figure comes with appropriate props: Batman with Batarangs, Nightwing with escrima sticks, Nygma with his staff and Talon with daggers and a Court of Owls mask. I know these are supposed to be collectibles, but there’s nothing that can convince me that I’m not supposed to take Talon and Batman out of the box to make them duel each other. The design is pays homage to Capullo’s craft just as much as it does to the progress DC Collectibles has made over the years.

How Much it Costs:

These figures are a little pricier than normal, netting about $25 per figure – give or take a few depending on where you get it. Right now, you can find the figures at most any outlet, but with this being the first edition of the new Designer Series, I expect that these will become highly coveted collectibles in no time.

Is It Worth It?:

Collectors will not hesitate to pick these beauties up and fans of the comic book will instantly have a unique souvenir to remind them of this superb book that inspired them. That being said, they are on the expensive side – it seems to be the way figures are getting now. It will be hard to justify buying the whole series, especially with a second series on the way in October. That being said, the Talon figure is just so detailed, it would be hard to pass up getting, as there are no other DC Collectibles for The Court of Owls. I expect these will sell out soon, and prying them form the fingers of greedy fanboys could be much costlier.

 

Bottom Line:

Buy these. Buy two. One to play with and one to keep in the box to brag about to your friends. The Nightwing and Nygma figures are dope, but let’s be real; Batman and Talon are the real show-stoppers here. How cool would it be to buy a bunch of Talons and descend upon Gotham with only one Batman to stop them? …This is bad news for my wallet, guys.

So Far This Week… April 30th, 2014

Holy crap! Get ready to have your socks knocked off; this week brings in a lot of great news tidbits.

This Sunday is May the Fourth!  Hush Comics is lucky enough to be running a panel at StarFest to commemorate the holiday.  Come see us at 10 AM!

This Saturday, May 3rd, is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! Head to your local comic book store for free issues of some of the biggest (and smallest, in the case of Mouse Guard) stories in the industry. Many local shops are holding insane sales for books, so it’s an amazing opportunity for new fans to dive in head-first to the comic book world. Don’t believe me? Just take Levar Burton’s word for it.

For more information on which books are available, this is your one-stop shop (figuratively, I mean, you still have to go to the shop to get the books. duh.). Also, Denverites, visit the Mile High Comics’ Jason Street Mega-Store for some awesome festivities on  Saturday.

If you’re like us, you like to occasionally use the ComiXology to supplement the physical copies of comics you buy at your local stores… RIGHT?? Well, since the acquisition by Amazon, there have already been some swift changes to the storefront. If you’re as confused as we are, check out this informational article.

Today marks the return of the Amazing Spider-Man to the comic book world. After over a year of Otto Octavius as Spider-Man (it’s complicated), Peter is back in command and with a new lease on life! And just in time for the movie, Amazing Spider-Man 2, to hit theaters.

Gwen Stacy herself challenged Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon to a lip-sync battle, which is quickly becoming my favorite recurring bit on the show. Emma Stone destroys Fallon – all she does is win, win, win.

Before last week’s episode of Game of Thrones, “Oathkeeper,” a trailer for the upcoming series called Leftovers. I’m still not too sure what it’s about, but I’m interested enough to check it out when it airs June 29th.

Speaking of Game of Thrones, the upcoming video game by Telltale Games is getting some narrative assistance from the story creator’s right hand man, Ty Corey Franck as a story consultant. With games like The Walking Dead and Wolf Among Us, I’m sold with anything Telltale puts out.

Marvel is not just trending, but making it a priority for gender equality in their books. Our article on what Ms. Marvel means to us (and the world) is just the start. Now that Elektra, Black Widow, Captain Marvel, She-Hulk, X-Men (all female cast) and the aforementioned Ms. Marvel have solo titles, it’s time for another leading lady to get her own series; Storm debuts this summer, written by Greg Pak – an interview from C2E2 can be found here.

Not even a year after the series’ Felina, and we’re still mourning the legendary Breaking Bad. Fans should check out this 8 minute-long tribute (seriously, whoever made this should win a freakin’ award) to the Heisenberg; while you’re at it, read our Breaking Bad Week articles. You’re God Damn Right.

Image Comics (The Walking DeadSagaDeadly ClassBlack Science…..) is trying to get some much-deserved cred with Humble Bundle, a site that lets users choose how much they pay for these works (sorry, there is a minimum payment lol). Here are some more details on the deal.

2014 is the year of the Bat…man 75th Anniversary, and July 23rd has been officially dubbed Batman Day! To celebrate, go to your local shop and pick up a FREE issue of a reimagined Detective Comics #27; Batman Day also coincides with the release of Grayson #1 and Robin Rises: Omega #1. Ah, it’s a good time to be a Bat.

The DC New 52 run of Batman has been arguably the best comic out since it went to print in 2011. A line of Greg Capullo-inspired action figures will be released soon (Batman and Talon coming this month). I want to buy an army of Talons, but I will likely settle for two.

Saturday morning cartoons meets Sunday night slow jams! Check out this awesome rendition of the classic Ducktales theme song.

Spider-Man is definitely the topic of choice this week, but DC and Warner Bros. can’t let Marvel steal all the shine. Zack Synder has been announced as the director to a Justice League movie to be released after Batman vs Superman.

Classic Frank Miller graphic novel, Ronin, is getting picked up by the SyFy channel. Hell yes.

Just in time for Star Wars Day, the initial cast for Star Wars: Episode VII has been released. What do you think?

To continue to expand upon its appeal to fourteen year old boys (just a good ribbing from a PlayStation person), X-Box One has launched WWE Network on consoles.

The Disney-Marvel connection will be in full effect this fall when Disney Infinity brings the big guns to its platform for its second iteration, Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes. I haven’t gotten a chance to play the game, but it seems like a great game for kids.

DC’s adult alter-ego game, Injustice: Gods Among Us, is rumored to be getting a sequel out next year. I’m not too sure how a new installment will be justified, but I’m excited, nonetheless. We’ll have more news on that as it develops.

Village idiot Joe Dirt may be getting a sequel. Yeah, that’s where we’re at with comedies…

Todd McFarlane said what?!

Hush Comics got the amazing honor of meeting one our all-time heroes yesterday, Todd McFarlane.  Writer John Soweto will say more about that later, but here is what Todd had to say:

October Comics and Collectibles Preview

At Hush Comics, we will be starting a new monthly piece reflecting on Diamond Comics Distributors’ monthly PREVIEWS issue. For those not in the know, PREVIEWS is a monthly magazine (almanac-sized each month) that shows you all the ways that you could lose your money through comics, collectibles and games. With the thousands of items to throw money at, we figure we’d make it a little simpler and suggest five comics and five collectibles that will definitely be on our shelves when they are released.

Comics & Books

1.) Bounty Hunter Code: From the Files of Boba Fett is one of the coolest piece of Star Wars memorabilia I’ve seen in a while. At only $60 and releasing October 29th, Bounty Hunter Code is part collectible, part book, but all awesome. To unlock the goodies inside, you actually have to insert your bounty hunter data card into the slot, ensuing some sweet lighting and sound effects – I wish more books that I read gave me this level of presentation when I opened them. There are plenty of removable documents loaded with easter eggs and fun facts. Each book encased in the Files holds some significance to something in the Star Wars universe; for example, the Death Watch booklet inside, given to Boba by his father, features hand-written notes from Jango himself. I tell ya, when Star Wars does a specialty book like this, they never half-ass it, and I’m sure we can expect the same quality of thoroughness with Bounty Hunter Code.

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The case includes:

  • The Bounty Hunter Code
  • The 48-page memoirs of Cradossk, former head of the Bounty Hunters Guild, with an inscription from the author to Boba Fett
  • A Kamino saberdart
  • Boba Fett’s captain’s license
  • Boba Fett’s arms permit
  • Slave I’s official operating license
  • An Imperial wanted poster for Han Solo
  • An inventory slip from the Rebel Alliance forces who discovered and seized Boba’s property

2.) Batgirl #26 written by Gail Simone and drawn by Fernando Parasin and Johnathan Glapion is going to be a fun one. Although comics, DC specifically, have been trending towards a lot of crazy covers that don’t exactly depict what happens inside of them, Simone’s Batgirl has been a cut above the rest and I’m sure it will be epic either way. After recent events have led Commissioner Gordon vowing to personally take down Batgirl for committing murder (Yeah, you need to read that story, Batgirl #20), Barbara Gordon has retired as Batgirl, but she keeps finding a way to don the cowl when her dad is in trouble. Is this the moment we’ve been waiting for? Does Babs finally reveal herself as the Batgirl to her dad? I may have to wait until December 11, but I’m psyched to find out.

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3.) The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Kevin Eastman Cover Gallery collects some amazing work from the legendary TMNT creator, Kevin Eastman. In a single-issue priced book, you can ogle at the turtles in all their glory. This is a no brainer for any fan of the TMNT and, at only $3.99, you don’t need to be a baller to get it. You can find all Kevin Eastman’s cover art for the new series here. Hopefully this will suffice for you until the December 4th release date.

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4.) Wolverine: Origin II #1, written by Kieron Gillen and drawn by Andy Kubert, looks to pick up right where the original Origin left off, which I’m not going to tell you about because it’s an amazing book (and now a Marvel Knights DVD). It visits more of Wolverine’s primal back-story, and teases to even highlight another character’s secret origin. The main bad guy in the story seems to be Sinister as of now. I hate that asshole, but he makes for some interesting stories. I’m a sucker for Kubert art, and this looks to be visually striking, regardless of storyline. Look for Origin II #1 to be in stores this Christmas Eve.

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5.) Justice League 3000 could be something special. Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMattels , with art by Howard Porter, Justice League 3000 looks to be a pretty sweet futuristic look at the Justice League. With no connection to the Legion of Super-Heroes, a series that takes place in the time period, nor any connections to the current Justice Leaguers, it’s difficult to say what to expect with book. DC Comics has made a habit of putting out new series and themes for more of a cash grab than substance (ala “Villains Month” this month or even the new Batman “Zero Year set to drop next month). For now though, we can revel in the awesomeness that is Green Lantern and Flash’s character design. Expect mixed responses when 3000 hits stores on December 4, 2013.

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Collectibles

1.) Revoltech Yamaguchi Metal Gear Solid Snake and Raiden action figures

You may think you’re too old to play with action figures, but that is a bold-faced lie! At $55 a pop though, these beauties are not for children. They are some pretty nice collectibles, if you can allow yourself to keep it in the box. Unlike the norm for this kind of figure, this Reevoltech Yamaguchi figure is completely poseable, making for some really cool shots like the one below. It’s nice to know that sometimes you don’t need to keep everything in the box to get value out of it. With both Snake and Raiden having a release date of 11/15, this will make some nerd very happy come this holiday season.

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2.) Square Enix DC Comics  Variant Batman Statue – Red costume

On the other hand, there’s nothing wrong with admiring a well-sculpted statue still in the box. The Square Enix DC Variant line, the first pieces of which just recently released, are a sort of exaggerated Japanese superhero twist on the Justice League characters. While, of the original releases, Green Lantern was my favorite, the new red costume variant of Batman takes the cake. He has some weird kinda gun thing, he has this weird flowing cape with harpoons at the end… it’s like Flashpoint Batman had a love-child with Megazord. This bad boy won’t be out til February 2014, but its a pretty cool exclusive to add to the closet of other things you never take out of the box… Hard sell lol.

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3.) Batman Arkham Origins Firefly action figure

The Batman villain Firefly has been very seldom used  throughout video games, television and movies, despite having been created over sixty years ago. That all changed when Firefly made an appearance on the live-action Arrow series earlier this year. The character was now a demented pyromaniac with a revenge plan, instead of some guy with a flamethrower. In the new Batman videogame, Batman: Arkham Origins, the Dark Knight is set to take on Firefly head-to-head. Although Firefly is a more obscure villain, I have no doubt that comic book rookies will know his name after battling him in the game. He looks like he belongs in Killzone or Mass Effect, a testament to just how bad-ass this figure looks.  Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get your hands on it until next March, when the game is but a distant memory as a PS3/360 swan song.

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4.) The Walking Dead socks

Don’t judge me! Socks are awesome. A lot of women don’t understand what socks mean to a man. Socks are to men what lingerie is to women. You don’t wear cool socks with the intention of showing it off, but you need to be prepared for that moment that somebody special might get a glance at your feet. “Why yes,” you’ll croon. “These are  officially licensed socks from AMC’s The Walking Dead.  Yes, I suppose I can let you touch them.” Anyway, my imagination got away from me.  Releasing near the start of the mid-season premiere in January 2014 and at $8 per pair, which is pretty decent compared to any other pop-culture branded socks (yes, I’m an expert in that field), you won’t have to break the bank for some of the coolest designs they could choose from in both men’s and women’s sizes. You can find the other designs here. Just a bit of advice to everybody: don’t let your feet smell as bad as the dead things on them.

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5.) Firefly Captain Malcolm pistol replica

Bang, Bang!  Ok… It’s been out for a while, but who doesn’t want one of these?!  For one its cool.  For two, its Captain Mal’s freaking gun!  If the world goes the way that Joss envisions it in Firefly and Serenity then don’t you want to be prepared for that?  You won’t get very far without this beauty.  It should go on you coffee table.  It is the perfect art piece to discuss.  This does mean however, that I will need to get a coffee table to match my new pistol.

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written by Sherif Elkhatib and Adrian Puryear