The WrestleMania Match We Will Never Get. Spider-Man Vs Spider-Man

As Marvel gets ready to start shooting on Captain America: Civil War, most of us comic book geeks are wondering if the movies is going to have Black Panther take over the role that our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man had in the comics, as it's been rumored. That was before Marvel and Sony came to an agreement that will allow Spidey to cross over into the Marvel cinematic universe and have Marvel put out a new Spider-Man movie, with Sony distributing the film as well as having final say on matters, which could be disastrous. We all say The Amazing Spider-Man 2. I know, I did say it was the best Spider-Man movie ever made at the time I first saw it. However, I am allowed to change my mind.

Now, with each Dylan O'Brien rumor of his impending casting as the new Wallcrawler, I thought I would take an objective look at both Spider-Man franchises and see which one was truly better. Who played Peter Parker better? Who was a more comic book accurate Spider-Man? Could Andrew Garfield's hair actually fit under that mask? And yes, I know there are already tons of comparison articles out there. But here's another anyway.

I took a few days to watch all five Spider-Man movies. I started at the beginning with the first Sam Rami movie and ended with the Amazing Spider-Man 2. I tried to pay more attention to the acting, the costumes, the overall feel of the movie I was watching before I came up with a decision. I also broke down what I was watching for in categories which you will see as you read along.

I also want to stress that this is just MY opinion and my opinion only. I have been a massive fan of the character since I could read and I still remain a huge fan to this day. Spider-Man means so much to me and always will. So, I guess those are my only qualifications toward judging between the two.

Let's Get Started:

Which Origin Story Was Closer To The Comic?

When watching both movies, I realized the origins of both Spider-Men was similar, but different. Both were bitten by super spiders, although I don't think either were radioactive like in the comics. But that's where the similarities end.

In Sam Rami's Spider-Man, the origin story from the comics is followed almost faithfully. Peter Parker is bitten by the spider on a class trip, gains spider powers, tries to use the powers to gain money by getting into a wrestling match and gets gypped by the owner of the promotion. Owner gets robbed, Peter lets the robber get away when he could have stopped him, robber later shoots Uncle Ben leaving Peter to go after the killer and then finding out it was the same robber and he could have stopped him and prevented Uncle Ben's death does he realize he is to use his powers for the good of humanity.

In Marc Webb's Amazing Spider-Man, Peter Parker is trying to find out information about his father. He finds that his dad used to work with Dr. Curtis Connors, who works at Oscorp. Parker sneaks into Oscorp and accidentally walks into a room with a bunch of super enhanced spiders, one of which stows away in Parker's shirt and bites him on the neck as he's talking to Gwen Stacey. Parker later gets into an argument with his Uncle Ben, storms out of the house leaving Uncle Ben to follow after him. Parker then goes to buy himself some chocolate milk and is short a couple of pennies The clerk refuses to let him slide a couple cents. As Parker is leaving, he witnesses the store getting robbed and does nothing to stop it, even accepting the milk from the robber. As the robber is fleeing the scene and running into people, he drops his gun and Uncle Ben is there to try and stop the robber and gets shot in the process. Parker goes after the killer later on and is attacking every one who bore a resemblance to the killer, but never finds him. He only goes after the Lizard after he realizes that it's exsistance is partially his fault and he wants to go and stop it.

In Rami's Spider-Man, Parker becomes Spider-Man to make the world a better place. In Webb's Amazing Spider-Man, Peter becomes Spider-Man only to find the killer of his Uncle Ben. Not exactly heroic. In my opinion, This round goes to Rami's Spider-Man

Spider-Man 1,  Amazing Spider-Man 0

Who Was The Better Peter Parker?

In the comics, Peter was the ultimate nerd. Ignored by women, beaten up by jocks, made fun of by the cooler kids. Peter was always searching for acceptance and when he became Spider-Man, his confidence grew. We see this in Tobey McGuire's portrayal of the character. Tobey's Peter Parker is a nerd and is always looked down on by those around him except Mary Jane, Harry Osborne and Aunt May. Tobey's Peter Parker was Charlie Brown and that is what he was in the comics. Nothing ever goes right for him.

My main problem with McGuire's Parker is that while he was nerdy, he was also goofy, border lining on stupid. His goofy smile while "Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head"plays in the background in Spider-Man 2, his dancing in Spider-Man 3 just made my skin crawl. Then there was his crying. I mean, he cried wayyyyy too much. Parker was never this goofy or whiny in the comics.

Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker was more hipster than nerdy. Sure he was smart, bullied and barely had any friends, but this Parker had some balls to him. He stood up to Flash Thompson, rode his cool skateboard in the hallways and flirted with Gwen Stacey. This was not your father's Peter Parker. Hell, he wasn't even the Ultimate version of Peter Parker. He was almost too cool to be an outcast, brooding at times as well. He even talked back to adults, like when he offered to send Captain Stacey a link to the video of himself that went viral.  Don't get me wrong, I liked Garfield's performance, but if we are going by comic book standards, Garfield's Parker would have been perfect as Peter Parker, college student as he had a lot more confidence by this point.

Even with the crying and stupid dancing, McGuire wins this round.

Spider-Man 2, Amazing Spider-Man 0

Who Was The Better Spider-Man?

After watching the movies the past few days, I noticed that both actors portrayed Spider-Man differently. Tobey McGuire's Spider-Man was not the Spider-Man I wanted. Although his Spider-Man had the costume right, his portrayal missed the mark. He, in my opinion, played Spider-Man almost exactly as he played Peter Parker. There was a twinge of geek in there and some Charlie Brown in Spidey. If the Black Cat had been around, I bet she would have blew him off. Another thing that cheesed me about McGuire was his habit of removing his mask all the time. What the heck?? Spider-Man barely had his mask removed in the comics. If the reasoning behind this was to get Tobey's reactions then that is a piss poor excuse. There are other ways to express Spider-Man's reactions to what was going on around him than to see McGuire's facial expressions.

Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man was pretty much on the money, with the exception of the outfit, which really did not bother me as much as I thought. Garfield as Spider-Man was bold, smart, and had something that was really missing from McGuire's Spider-Man....one liners. That to me was something I loved about Spider-Man. No matter how dire the situation was, Spidey had a string of one liners ready to zing at his opponent during his battles. He threw them at the Lizard and called Electro "Sparkles", He was even sarcastic with the two bit thug he stopped from stealing a car in the first movie. To me, the fact that Spider-Man can make light of heavy situations is one of his trademarks and for McGuire's Spider-Man to be void of that is a major mark against his Spider-Man. Oh, and Garfield had web shooters, not organic webs (Thank you so much James Cameron for that idea.)

This round goes to our favorite hipster.

Spider-Man 2, Amazing Spider-Man 1

Overall Tone Of The Movie

I remember when I first saw the trailer for Spider-Man and feeling so excited. I had been waiting for Spider-Man to be made into a film and I was finally getting it. When I saw the movie I walked out feeling satisfied with what I got. Sam Rami was obviously a fan of the character because when I watched this movie I felt like I was reading an issue of Spider-Man from the 1960's. I could see John Romita Sr. Drawing these characters. Spider-Man looked almost exactly like he did in the comics, with the exception of the spider on his back and lack of web shooters (Thanks again James....you know what, forget it. Just forget it.). I still feel like this to this day when I pop in the movie, as well as Spider-Man 2 in the Blue Ray player. I could watch both movies over and over again and never get tired of them.

Plus, Rami had dead on portrayals of characters like Flash Thompson, J. Jonah Jameson, Robbie Robertson, Norman Osborne, Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Harry Osborne and Otto Octavius. His only failure was Mary Jane. No offense to Kirsten Dunst, but she wasn't glamorous enough to pull off Mary Jane. Plus, she became a self absorbed, selfish woman as the series went on. It got to a point where I almost didn't want Spider-Man to save her.

We won't even go into Venom.

In The Amazing Spider-Man, it seems to me like Marc Webb used the Ultimate Spider-Man and Batman Begins as his template. I don't mind that all too much. The essence of Spider-Man was in this film. But it wasn't like he jumped out of the comics like the Rami's Spidey did. They altered the costume a bit in the first one and then he was more closer to the Spider-Man we know in the second film. Webb's first film was a lot darker than it probably should have been. Spider-Man is not a dark, brooding character. It seems like Webb tried to bring out Spider-Man's inner Batman at times and that didn't work.

Webb didn't bring a lot of Spider-Man's secondary characters into his movies. Yes, we had Uncle Ben and Aunt May. We had Gwen Stacy and Captain Stacey as well as Flash Thompson. We got Harry Osborne in the second movie as well as Norman, but Norman was wasted in a five minute bit with Harry. We did get Felicity Hardy, who would become the Black Cat, a version of the Rhino, The Gentleman, Dr. Kafka (even if he was a woman in the comics) and Alister Smythe but we never saw these characters develop as there was too many characters in the second film. You would have thought that Sony would have learned from Spider-Man 3.

I genuinely enjoyed the first film and still do. I think it's on par with Rami's first Spider-Man. I may have it above that movie just slightly only because I liked Garfield as Spider-Man so much. But, we are trying to determine which movie felt like what a Spider-Man movie should feel like and as much as I liked Garfield, this movie doesn't have that tone.

Spider-Man 3, Amazing Spider-Man 1

Wow. I was pretty shocked with myself after I watched all the films. I have been on board with Andrew Garfield being a better Spider-Man. While I do believe that he is a better Spider-Man, McGuire's Parker is more on point and Rami's movies were more Spider-Man-ish, if that makes any sense. I do think if the Amazing Spider-Man would have been a better movie, Webb's series would have come out on top and we wouldn't be getting yet another reboot of Spider-Man in 2017.

So, as I eat my words, I will proclaim that Sam Rami's first two Spider-Man movies are the standard bearers for all Spider-Man movies to be judged by. Has the perfect Spider-Man movie been made? I do feel that Spider-Man 2 is as close to one as you can get. Maybe Marvel will make that perfect Spider-Man movie. It depends on who they cast to play Spider-Man Dylan O'Brien is rumored to be the lead for this role, but Logan Lerman is another top choice) and direct (Drew Goddard is being considered to write and direct) the movie. But with Marvel involved, I feel a lot better about the films chances to be Spectacular and maybe even Ultimate.

Sexy Geek? Maybe It Should Be Old, Picky Geek

Every New Years that passes, I think about another year that passes and how much closer to the grave I am. There's a lot I want to accomplish and still hope to in my life. I would like to see if my writing can take me anywhere aside from my blogs. I would also like to do a podcast with one of my very good friends. When the two of us are together, we crack each other up and I think we could have a great podcast. We have discussed it and hopefully it will come to fruition. It's really my fault for the delay as I don't have a microphone on my laptop and I would like to have a better laptop as well. Hopefully soon. Most of all, when I do think about things, I do think about my collection and what direction I'd like it to go.

I know I have discussed this topic in previous blog posts, but as of late, I have been really considering downsizing it and concentrating on what I really like to collect. I feel as of late I have been stagnate when it comes to my collection. I haven't really been adding to it, not because I'm out of work, although that does come into play. I just haven't found really anything I've wanted to add. A lot of the stuff that comes out these days are not things I have been quick to open my wallet for. In my opinion, the stuff that comes out is too expensive and your really not getting the best bang for your buck.

There have been stuff that I have been excited for on paper, yet when I saw the finished product I was like, ehhhhhhhhhh. Like the 1966 Batman figures. I only got the Batman and Surf's Up Batman in my collection and I'm fine with that. I wasn't really impressed with the quality of the figures and the likenesses of them. Plus, I was a bit ticked that Robin was only released in a box set and is supposed to be released in another box set with Batman and Batgirl. When that will be released, I don't know. Also, at $22 bucks, these were pretty expensive figures. I'm sure I will get the rest at some point, but not anytime soon.

Don't get me wrong, I know that stuff is expensive these days. It's part of the hobby and if I want to have a sweet collection, I will have to spend, spend spend. I'm just not going to spend anymore on every Spider-Man or Batman item that comes out. I think it's time to concentrate on specific characters or things or people I m passionate about.

1-Batman Pre 1989

I enjoy the Christopher Nolan movies. I really think those are the best Batman movies ever made, aside from the 1966 Batman movie, which I enjoy the hell out of. I will admit something though, I hate the all black Batman outfits. My Batman has grey in it. Blue and grey to be specific. I can't explain the joy I feel whenever I see a Batman figure in those colors. It takes me back to my childhood when I used to sit in my room, watching the Super Friends while noshing on a bowl of cereal or when I opened Christmas presents and got a Batman Mego with Batmobile. So I decided I will start focusing my collection on Batman before the Tim Burton movie. I love the 1966 TV show, so I will buy stuff that fits that part of my collection, vintage or modern releases. I love the Super Friends Batman and have the figure. I want that Hot Wheels Super Friends Batmobile and I also want the statue and will get them eventually. I can concentrate on just this period of the character and have a pretty kick ass collection.

2-Spider-Man

I don't see myself really changing in how I collect Spider-Man. I will probably continue to collect him as is.

3-Statues

One thing I want to do is add more statues to my collection. I figure if I don't spend money on newer releases at Toys R Us or Target, I can save up for some really cool pieces. I have been wanting to start collecting the Batman Black And Whites. I want to pick up the upcoming Adam West Batman statue. There are some really nice Spider-Man pieces I want also like the Origins piece and the half Peter Parker/Spider-Man bust that I drool over each time I see it on eBay.

4-Hot Toys

These are some of the most beautiful and expensive figures you will ever see. I see some of these figures in comic book shops or cons and I just start getting feverish and itchy and I start walking toward the figure like I'm looking for my next fix. I, unfortunately, do not own a Hot Toys figure. Part of it is I haven't had steady work in almost 2 years and part of it is because I spend, spend, spend. I couldn't save a dollar even if I knew I was getting thrown out tomorrow. I'll still be at Toy's R Us buying that cheap plastic Spider-Man that I really don't need. This year, I will try my best to save for at least 1 Hot Toys figure. I'm leaning toward 1966 Batman to be my first Hot Toys figure.

5-Luke Skywalker/Star Wars

I have been collecting anything and everything Luke Skywalker I can get my hands on. I just recently got a Luke Skywalker Titan figure that I love as a late Christmas gift. I will be reviewing it in the near future. I also want to pick up some vintage Star Wars figures and play sets. I still want the Death Star playset. I also need a vintage X Wing too.

6-Beatles

Some of the most expensive collectibles you will find are Beatles items from the 60's. Because of that, most of the Beatles things I will own will be modern Beatles releases. Right now, my Beatles holy grail is the set of Beatles cartoon figures that McFarlane put out. That box set goes for close to $200.00 bucks on eBay.

7- Back To The Future

I really don't go out of my way to pick up Back To The Future stuff, even if it's my favorite movie of all time. I haven't picked up the Funko POP's yet. I haven't thought about grabbing the Hover Board I've seen. If I come across it and feel like picking it up, I will.

So, I've managed to streamline my collecting habits to 7 categories, and that's not even mentioning my sports collectibles. I won't be collecting Kiss or Iron Man or anything else I was picking up before. The Simpsons are a category that I also don't normally collect, but I have picked up a piece here and there and will probably continue to do so. I can also see myself knocking off a category or two in the future. Why?

Well, I need room to walk around. My room is starting to become cluttered. I have no space to display my stuff and in the future, what if I don't have room for display then either? I have always hated collections that look so cluttered, unorganized and I never want mine to look like that. I will display in cabinets and shelves, but I want it to be a neat display. Also, money. I don't have a million dollars to spend on figures and collectibles. I barely have $50.00 at times. I need to pick and choose what to get. I want to pick up the best things for what I can afford.

When going shopping, my buddy and I don't buy just anything anymore. We look for the "Wow" factor. Something that I will not put back after holding it and walking around the store. If I have to think about it, it goes back. Maybe I'm trying to grow up a bit or maybe as I reach my 44th birthday in April, I am starting to realize I cannot own everything. That's not what collecting is all about. It's about picking up pieces that you will be proud to display and never, ever want to let go. I want to be able to look at my collection years from now through coke bottle glasses and smile as I sit n my rocking chair.

Some Random Thoughts

A lot has gone down since I was blogging regularly that I have not been able to post my opinions on at the time they were news worthy. I'm feeling like sharing those thoughts now.

Remember, these are my opinions and mine alone. If you don't agree with my thoughts, be nice about it or don't leave a comment. If you agree, that makes you smart. (I keed, I keed)

1-I'm Not So Sure About The Ant-Man Movie

Now, don't get me wrong. I do think that Ant Man should be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He was an original member of the Avengers in the comics. He was a part of the Ultimate Avengers straight to DVD movies and he was a part of the very awesome Avengers Assemble cartoon. Ant Man is an important character and he deserves his time in celluloid.

My issue is I am having a problem deciding if he is worthy of a stand alone film. I mean, unless your a big time comic book fan, chances are you may not even know who the character is. Which may be why his is getting a movie. To introduce the character to the movie going public and possibly set him up to join the Avengers for two part Avengers: The Infinity Gauntlet in 2018 and 2019. If that is the thought process, then it may be a smart move on Marvel's part.

If I was it was up to me, I would have had Hank Pym in the first Avengers movie. Even if he wasn't going to be a part of the alien invasion of New York at the end of the movie, at least have him as a scientist for S.H.I.E.L.D and make some sort of reference to the fact that he becomes Ant Man at some point. Maybe have him d
iscover his power to shrink and grow or even show the suit. Maybe the not so knowledgeable fan wouldn't get the reference, but the seed is planted for later use.

And another problem for me is they aren't even making Henry Pym the main character. Henry Pym is going to be an older character, played by Michael Douglas. Paul Rudd will be playing a totally different character. Why not have it Hank Pym? And will we see the Wasp in this movie? Which character is playing her if we do?

I like Paul Rudd and I've always been a Michael Douglas fan. I really hope this movie does well. After the success of Guardians Of The Galaxy, are you betting against Marvel? I'm not. But by the same token, I also wouldn't be surprised if this is Marvel's first disappointment.

2-What In The Uncle Ben Is Going On With The Spider-Man Franchise?

A lot has happened since the end of the Amazing Spider-Man 2's run in theaters. Rumors have been abound that Sony and Marvel would be meeting in a "Spider-Man Summit" in January 2015. The Sinister Six had been scrapped and it was on again and due to start filming. Andrew Garfield was fired as Peter Parker/Spider-Man for opening his mouth about Sony executives sticking their noses in during the filming of Amazing Spider-Man 2 and then not showing up for a very important Sony dinner, which insulted the executives. There have been so many rumors that I really don't know what to believe anymore.

Here's what I do believe. I do believe that Marvel and Sony were going to discuss a possible Spider-Man appearance in Captain America: Civil War. If you have read the story, you know that Spider-Man was one of the main characters in that story arch. In my opinion, you can't have a Civil War without him. I mean, he revealed his secret identity to the world because he sided with Tony Stark at first before realizing that he's heart was not in on Stark's beliefs and moved over to Captain America's side. Because nothing could be agreed upon, Spider-Man will not be in the picture and his role in the story has been, presumably, given to Black Panther.

I also believe with the departure of Amy Pascal as co-chair person of Sony Entertainment will open up negotiations to allow Marvel to eventually be able to use Spider-Man in future Marvel movies as well as start a franchise for Spidey. Pascal was championing Garfield as Spider-Man and when he was let go it might have been the beginning of the end for her. Do I think we may see a Spider-Man reference at the end of Avengers: Age Of Ultron? No, but we may see something at the end of Captain America: Civil War. I had heard he may appear in the upcoming Thor movie, but I really don't think it makes any sense for him to show up in that film.

Either way, would it really shock anyone reading this that an announcement be made during this summer's San Diego Comic Con? Can you imagine Kevin Feige on stage talking. The lights go down and a Spider-Man logo comes on the screen with Marvel's logo as well as a release date for a Spider-Man movie? I think the crowd reaction would be louder than the one that the 1 minute footage of Batman Vs Superman got.

3-So Marvel Is Now Copying DC Comics?

OK, admittedly, I have not read a comic book in a few months time. Not that I have lost interest in reading them. Because I have been out of work for most of 2014, I decided that I would give up buying single issues and just read the trades instead. Would save me money (kind of) to wait until the collected works of a particular story arch come together under one cover. Plus, it saves me storage room. But, I do try to keep up with the happenings in the comic book world.

Which is why when I heard the announcement for Secret Wars and how it would end the Marvel Universe as we know it made me go hmmmmmmm. 

I know most of you already know what's coming up in Secret Wars. But in case some of yo missed the memo on this, don't worry. The Sexy Geek's got you covered.

Basically, what will happen is by the time the first issue of Secret Wars hits the stands in May, every world in the Marvel Multiverse will be destroyed with pieces of each coming together and forming Battleworld, which is where the story will take place. 

After the Secret Wars story arch ends, there will be a whole new world combining elements of not only the Marvel Universe and Ultimate Universe, but maybe other worlds as well coming together to form the All New Marvel. Essentially, they are taking the best of each world and making one. They may actually bring back old characters in this new world, so if they wanted to bring back Uncle Ben or Gwen Stacey, they can. 

Is this a reboot? Sure as heck seems like it. 

This smells to me like what DC did with Flashpoint a few year back and restarting their universe and forming New 52. A lot of DC fans didn't like it then and some still don't to this day. Once can argue that only a few titles, like Batman, Justice League, Aquaman and Green Lantern are good reads under the New 52 banner. That may not be a fair statement, but I'm just going by what some of the regular comic book readers I know have told me. 

Now, is this what Marvel is going for with their "reboot"? I don't think so. I think that with the success of their movies they have gained a lot more people jumping aboard the Marvel bandwagon, people who may not have read a comic before or kids who seen the movies are are now just starting to read the books themselves. I see this as a way for Marvel to clean up their universes and make it into one tight universe so many readers can follow the stories of their favorite characters. Maybe even make the books in line with he movies, which may or may not be such a hot idea.

I think it could be a good thing as long as the stories are good. I am now more open to change when it comes to comics than I was before. Remember, I was pissing and bitching about how making Doc Ock switch bodies with Peter Parker and killing him off was a bad thing until I read Superior Spider-Man and realized it was a damn good read. I also think I felt better about it knowing with Amazing Spider-Man 2 coming out soon they would have to bring back Peter Parker, so I relaxed and enjoyed the story arch, knowing I'd have my Spider-Man back. What I'm saying is, let's not be so quick to dismiss what Marvel is trying to do. Let's read a few issues of the All New Marvel before we formulate an opinion. If there wasn't a New 52, do we get Court Of Owls, Throne Of Atlantis or Death Of The Family? As long as they don't change too may things, I think this could be a good thing. Now, if Marvel listens to some geniuses and make Milo Morales the only Spider-Man I may not be too pleased with that.

Again, these are just some of my own opinions on what's been going n the past couple of months. I may be wrong in some of what I said. I may be off base on some of my theories or just insane, which wouldn't be the first time I was accused of that. That's why I love talking comics and all things comic book related. There are so many different opinions and thoughts and some awesome conversations are sure to come up within the next few months over these subjects. Let's see what happens and if we, as fans accept what we are given.

I'm Baaaaaaack! And I Have A Figure To Show!

It's been a while. 4 months to be exact. 2014 was not the greatest year for this Sexy Geek. I lost a lot and one of the things I lost was the passion I had to blog about pop culture. It's not that I didn't love all the things I wrote about. I still love Batman and have been dying to get the '66 series on Blu-Ray. I still love comic books, even though I haven't really bought any in a long time and I am really lost. I went to buy all the Spider-Verse issues last weekend to catch up and was told there was another story line along with it to read. Way to confuse me Marvel! I've also been following the big announcement that Marvel made last week regarding Secret Wars and the impact it will have on the Marvel Universe after, which was what I was going to blog initially. But two things happened. I realized that I am out of the comic book flow, so I may not be the best person to state any opinions on this topic.

And I won a contest.

Let me explain, over on Facebook, I follow Funko and every Friday, they run a contest. I have entered a few, never winning any. Then during New Year's week, I get a notification from Funko on Facebook that I won the last contest I entered. I was beyond thrilled, to say the least. When the package arrived last Saturday, I was beside myself with joy.

Look what I won.

I won a Distressed Amazing Spider-Man 2 Funko Hikari. How freaking awesome is this thing? I had seen Hikari figures in Barnes N Noble before, but never picked any up because I really couldn't afford the 50.00 price tag these figures carry. But thanks to the kindness of the good folks over at Funko, I now have a Hikari of my very own. Let's take a look at the box.

I absolutely love the back light effect this box gives off. Spidey looks amazing (no pun intended) against the black of the box.

Now, against my better judgement, lets take Spidey out of the box and take a closer look at him.

Wow, this keeps getting better and better. This figure is numbered 1 of 750. I have the very first figure made. Even if it's not, I'm sticking to that story.

Right out of the box I can tell you this one awesome figure. The figure seems to be made of a heavy plastic. It feels heavier than a POP or one of their bobbleheads would. The fact that it's taller may have something to do with that as well. I also like how the colors pop out on this figure with some backwash on it as well. You can definitely see the Japanese influence in these figures.

The back of this figure looks great as well. If your wondering about articulation, There is very little, much like with a POP. The head does a full rotation and the arms will rotate as well, but that's pretty much it. Who cares? This figure is pretty damn sweet.

Just in case you wanted to see the tag on the figure.

And a close up of Spidey's mug. You can really see the fantastic work that went into this figure when you look at it up close. Ok, I'll stop drooling now.

For size comparison, I bought out my Spider-Man and Amazing Spider-Man 2 POP vinyl figures and you can see the Hikari Spider-Man towers over his smaller brothers. I wanted to have my Amazing Spider-Man POP join the others for this picture but it was too busy avoiding Sony executives.

Again, I cannot thank Funko enough for this awesome figure. It made this Spider-Man collector a very happy geek and it will have a prominent place in my Spider-Man Funko collection forever.

By the way, The Sexy Geek's House Of Swag is now on Facebook. Please swing by and like the page. I plan to add my blog posts from the House of Swag and The Sports Room on to the page as well as have conversations and post pictures of newsworthy items. You can check it out here:
https://www.facebook.com/TheSexyGeeksHouseOfSwag

I hope this is the beginning of my return to blogging. As long as I have something to say or a new item to show off, I will still continue to post blogs. It's one of the few things I feel I am good at and as long as I enjoy blogging (and I do), I will keep at it.

So I Walked Into A Bookstore The Other Day...

Don't you hate it when you go out some place, not looking to pick anything up, yet you walk out spending a some of your hard earned green backs? Neither do I.

I went to pick up some photos over by Union Square yesterday. Since I was in the area I decided to stop off in Barnes N Noble to use their facilities and see if there was anything interesting.While there, I stopped by the section that had POP figures. Unfortunately, I didn't see anything there so I moved along. While passing by this section where the Walking Dead stuff was, tucked between a couple of zombies I found this cool Spider-Man item:

Not sure where I would put this as I don't own a computer monitor, but it's going to look pretty sweet with the rest of my Spider-Man Funko collection.

So, I went to pay for the Spider-Man computer sitter when I noticed a huge display of POP figures right by the registers. Yeah, go ahead and put a huge collection of items that I'm going to want to purchase right by the register. Genius.

While standing on line, I peruse the Funko Pops on display when I saw them right next to each other. I knew it was fate that they would be coming home with me.

Anytime I can pick up a new Luke Skywalker item for my Skywalker collection, I am grabbing it. I had heard of a new Luke Skywalker POP in his Hoth gear paired up with a Wampa and I saw it at Barnes N Noble, but I decided to pass on it as it was a bit pricey. But I did find this Luke solo (No, not Han), so he came home with me.

But Luke was not alone. Right next to him was a POP I had been looking for:

Spider-Man, of course. Duh.

I had been looking for this Amazing Spider-Man 2 POP ever since the movie came out, yet I had trouble finding it. I was all set to order it from eBay like I did with the first Spidey POP, but lucky for me, he and Luke were chilling out, waiting for this sexy geek to grab them both and bring them home.

Since I'm here, Let's take a look at Spidey out of the box and check him out.

Right off the bat, I love the sculpt on this POP. unlike the last Spider-Man, the web lines are not colored in, but it doesn't take anything away from this figure. The Spider symbol is also larger on this POP then the last one as well.

Check out the eyes on him. Awesome job Funko.

Here's the back of Spidey. The paint on this figure is fantastic. There is nary a sploch, messed up line or anything negative to say about the paint application on this POP.

Heck, I even like the Spider on his back.

I always said two Spideys are better than one. I initially thought that the blue on the ASM 2 was lighter, but that isn't the case. The eyes are also wider on this POP. To tell you guys the truth, I can't decide which POP I like better. To me, both have great qualities that I love and because of that, I'm not going to even try to figure out which I like better, so NAHHHH!

What made this trip to Barnes N Noble even sweeter was that I had a 30 % off coupon, so this sweet shopping spree cost me less than $20.00. As Mel Brooks once said, "It's Good To Be The King".

I Want To Collect And Save Money

As of late, I've had to make a few tough decisions regarding my collection. As most collectors, I always want to add more goodies to my collection. I want to buy as much as I can. But, I recently had to come to the realization that I don't have the money I had a year ago. My new job doesn't pay me the same salary and after paying bills, my disposable income for my collecting habits has shrunk. So, I had a conversation with myself (Who doesn't have lengthy conversations with themselves?) and realized a few things.

I Can't Collect Everything

I never really considered myself to be a completest. I don't have to collect every figure in a particular line. But ever since I watched a couple of collection videos on YouTube, I've been trying to grab everything. If there was a Batman figure I wasn't crazy about, I grabbed it anyway. If I saw a small Spider-Man figure, I'd still pick it up, even though I'm not a fan of 3 1/4 figures. I was trying to get a collection as large as some of the collections I saw. That's no way to collect. I wasn't collecting. I was acquiring. I realized that no matter what, I'm not going to be able to get everything. I love the Hot Toys figures and I have been dying to pick up some, especially the Spider-Man, Batman and soon to be released Marty McFly figure. I can't afford them, so I am going to have to find a way to have an awesome collection without them.

Plus, I'm not really digging a lot of the stuff that has been released. I think for the price we are forced to pay for these figures at Toys R Us you would think they would be of better quality. Better likenesses. But as long as us collectors continue to buy these figures, the toy companies won't make the necessary adjustments us toy collectors deserve.

All I really want now is the 34 inch Spider-Man, the Marvel Mashers Spider-Man figures and the Spider-Man Titan figures. And the Luke Skywalker Bespin Star Wars Black Series 3 figure. That's it. The stuff I really want (statues, high price point figures) are too expensive for my wallet right now.

Good Bye Comic Books, Hello Trades

I love to read comic books. I have been doing so since I could read and never really stopped. Unfortunately, The time to stop buying comics has come. Why? I'm not really interested in some of the titles that have been released lately. Plus, some of the stories has been less than stellar.

So, for now, the only titles I will buy on a monthly basis will be the Spider-Man titles and Batman books. The rest I will pick up on trade. There a lot of stories I miss out on or want to re-read without paying the premium prices for the actual books.

Another reason is room. I hate boxes and I would rather buy a bookcase for the trade books I will be picking up and minimize the long and short boxes in my space. I still want to try and collect a run of Amazing Spider-Man and Peter Parker books. But that's it. Everything else, trade.

Save And Sacrifice

Like I had mentioned earlier, I would love, love, love to add a couple of Hot Toys to my collection. But really, I don't have $200.00 plus to shell out for one. I could live without them. I have no problem with having a collection sans Hot Toys. I could pick up a couple of Batman DC Direct 12 inch figures for the price of one Hot Toy . But if I really want a Hot Toy, then I will have to do what I did as a kid when I wanted a Star Wars action figure or CD.

Save for it.

Instead of buying that $30.00 Spider-Man Ipod case, put that money away. Instead of buying a 6 pack of Blue Moon, put that money away. In a couple of months, I could have the money for an Amazing Spider-Man Hot Toy or a Spidey statue. Or maybe save that money for a comic con and see if I can get a deal on some of the pricey stuff I covet.

Focus On What I Really Want To Collect

For the longest time, I was picking up whatever I liked. It didn't have to fit into my collection. If I thought it was cool, I was buying it. Now, I can't afford to do that anymore. If I want to be able to add new stuff to the House Of Swag, it's going to be something related to what I collect. As of late, I have been focusing on nothing but Spider-Man and I don't see that changing for a while. Everything I want is Spider-Man related, so it's going to be nothing but Spider-Man for a while.

It's not like I need anything new to review. I am woefully behind on my reviews and I need to start catching up. Here's a sneak peek at just some of the figures I will be reviewing soon.

I have been chomping at the bit to open up these and other figures I have been wanting to review for a while. I hope to have at least one review up this week.

After seriously considering all avenues and options, I think these are the best ways for me to still have a great collection and save a little bit of money in the process. It will be rough. There will be times when my instincts will be to grab that cheaply made figure for 20.00. But if I keep my eyes on the goals, then I will be able to add what I want in no time and still have a full pocket.

My Spider-Sense Tingles At The Latest Hake's Auction

Thanks to Brian at Cool And Collected for tipping us bloggers off to the newest Hake's Auction. I always look forward to Brian's challenge to "shop" at a Hake's Auction. Hake's always has some of the most drool worthy items to bid on and as usual, Hake's did not disappoint in their latest auction.

I drooled over their Beatles listings, made weird, unmanly noises over their vintage Batman and Superman goodies and I even went koo koo for the Yankee Stadium seats, but as soon as I saw this challenge, I knew just exactly what I would be looking at. If you don't know, then you haven't been paying attention to my last few months of blog posts.

Spider-Man goodies. Check that, vintage Spider-Man.

Ever since I started focusing on my Spider-Man collection, I have been dreaming of vintage Spidey items I'd love to add to it. When I started browsing Hake's, I found a few items that would fit very nicely in my Spider-Man collection. All the images from here on are used with permission from Hake's Auction.

One of the parts of my collection I want to expand on is my Spider-Man comics collection. There is hardly any vintage in it and I found some beautiful books that I would love to add.

This issue of Amazing Spider-Man #50 would be a great addition to any Spider-Man collection. In this issue, Peter Parker decides he's had enough with getting no respect from the people he saves and from the New York City Police so he gives up being Spider-Man and throws the suit in the trash. A kid finds the suit and gives it to J. Jonah Jameson. This issue also marks the first appearance of the Kingpin. The cover is one of the more iconic covers in comic book history and was one of the basis of Spider-Man 2.

No Spider-Man comic collection can be considered complete without two of the most powerful issues in the history of Spider-Man. Issue 121 is the issue that shocked readers and changed the life of the Web Head, the ramifications which is still being felt to this day. If you don't know why this issue is so special, it's the issue where Gwen Stacey dies. Still to this day, it's not known if she was dead already when Spidey found her or did he accidentally kill her when he caught her with his web, causing her neck to snap back. One of the most heartbreaking panels in all of comic book history is when Spider-Man realizes that despite his best efforts, he did not save Gwen and he is holding her in his arms.

Issue 122 is just as poignant to me because even though Spider-Man vowed to kill the Green Goblin and cam within a blow of finishing him off, Peter turns his back on the Goblin because he realizes that even though the love of his life is gone, he is no killer and refuses to cross that line. The Goblin, however, tries to use his glider to kill Spider-Man, but misses and impales himself, supposedly killing himself. Of course, The Goblin would be back many, many times over the years to torment Peter Parker, but these two issues were the stories that changed the life of Spider-Man forever. Also, Gwen is one of the few characters that has stayed dead and never came back to life.

One of my other hobbies is collecting cards. I usually collect sports cards, but when I saw this listing for a set of 1966 Donruss Marvel Super Heroes cards, I knew it would an awesome way to satisfy my Spider-Man and vintage card craving in one swoop. Plus, the display box it's self would look great on a shelf with the rest of the vintage Spider-Man goodies in my collection.

These cards are fantastic and would look so cool in a binder. I could flip through those pages filled with this beautiful artwork over and over again.

I love buttons and have always wanted to start a collection of vintage buttons. This lot would be a great way to start that collection. The only way to get these button were to order them from the 1969 Marvelmania catalog. These button all look to have been drawn by Jack Kirby which make these the more beautiful. Even if he didn't draw these, they look close enough for me and I'd want them. Especially that Spider-Man button.

Last, but not least, I wanted something I could frame and hang up on my wall and after looking through various lots, I think I found the perfect item.

This 1966 Aurora Model Kits retailer sign is perfect because not only does it feature Spider-Man on it, but there are also a few other characters that make the Sexy Geek go all ga ga for like Batman and Robin, The Man From U.N.C.L.E, Superman, The Hulk and Captain America. This piece would be framed and proudly be displayed in the House Of Swag because Lord knows I cannot put together a model kit to save my life.

There was so many other items I would love to pick up, but the ones I displayed here are the ones I would place bids on if I could afford to. It saddens me that I won't be able to place a bid as these are some of the more expensive items in the auction. Maybe one day when I hit lotto or my rich uncle leaves...wait a second, I don't have a rich uncle. OK, scratch that one out. My point was that even though I won't be able to afford any of these anytime soon, I can dream that one day they will belong to me. Until then, I will continue to live vicariously through those who can afford them.

If you want to try your hand at writing for the League Of Extraordinary Bloggers, visit this link and join the club: http://coolandcollected.com/this-weeks-assignment-from-the-league-hakes-auction/

While your there, check out the blogs of my fellow League members:

http://calvinscanadiancaveofcool.blogspot.com/2013/04/hakes-did-me-right.html

http://fortuneandglorydays.blogspot.com/2014/06/loeb-hakes-auction.html

http://aeiouwhy.blogspot.com/2014/07/league-post-hakes-auction-212.html

http://coolandcollected.com/hakes-auction-212-is-loaded-with-pop-culture-goodness/

Happy Independence Day From The House Of Swag!

OK, so this image is from a calendar that is 33 years old, but it's the closest I can find that celebrates our nation's birthday, geeky style.

Of course, when I think of patriotic superhero images, this is the image that always comes to mind.

The cover of Superman #14 from January 1942. This is one of those images that even if your not a Superman fan, your going to want this in your collection is someway shape or fashion. For me, I want the DC Direct statue from 2002.

So I would like to wish you all a Happy Independence Day. I hope you spend it with your families, eat a lot of BBQ, down a few adult beverages and kick back and relax with your favorite comics.

Excelsior!