April Comic Block Review

I've reviewed Nerd Block. Now it's time for...

As you can tell, over the past few months I've really enjoyed the Nerd Block experience. I've received a variety of fun and sometimes absolutely silly merchandise and eagerly await my new one each month. To stave off that wait, I decided to subscribe to a second box and the Comic Block seemed like a perfect choice.

Last month, the comic block changed its format. It used to be only filled with comics and graphic novels (and of course a t-shirt), but now they've changed to a more standard block. Like the rest of the Nerd Block collection, the Comic Block now comes with 4-6 pieces of merchandise and a t-shirt for $19.99 (plus shipping and exchange). I have to say, I'm really happy with what this box has in store. I'm even thinking of making this my default Block.

March Nerd Block Review

Time for another Nerd Block!

March's Nerd Block arrived this week and I couldn't be happier! While other subscription boxes celebrated the March release of Batman V Superman, Nerd Block went a different route.Was it a good choice? Let's take a look.

Game of Thrones, DC, Daredevil, The Karate Kid, and Arrested Development. What an array of stuff. To tell the truth, I was a little disappointed with the lack of Batman V Superman merchandise. I don't actually own a Batman action figure and I thought that maybe this box would start me on that path. The big toy was always going to be Game of Thrones but I had hoped for a DC blind box or a plushie. It was not to be, instead we got a couple surprises. This one is my absolute favourite.

February Nerd Block Review

After a surprisingly long break, Talking Tiny Toys is back! Hopefully this time around I can bring you a more consistent, wider variety of reviews. First up is my new foray into subscription boxes. Today I'm taking a look at the February Nerd Block!

We all know I'm a sucker for blind boxes, and subscription boxes are really just giant blind boxes, right? It took me awhile to decide which one to get but Nerd Block seemed to have the right amount of stuff for my particular brand of nerd. Each box comes with a toy, a t-shirt, and a bunch of other smaller surprises. This month, we were promised a Deadpool exclusive, something from Nintendo, and something the Dark Knight fans would enjoy. What did we get? Let's find out!

I'm renaming this box "Deadpool in the Kitchen"

I'd say that a pretty good haul. Subscriptions boxes are always a bit of a risk, especially with the Canadian dollar being worth a hand full of sand at this point. For me, a successful box comes with something I'm really excited about, something I wasn't expecting, or something bizarre that I'm surprisingly happy to have. This one checks all those boxes.

Throwback Thursday: The Beginning of the Minimate Problem

As you can tell by my blog, I adore minimates. They're ridiculous, unnecessary, and absolutely trivial but I love them. They don't take up much space and have more detail than any 2 inch toy ought to. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who still buys these things and they keep getting harder and harder to find. 

For #ThrowbackThursday we're going back to when the problem started: my first year of university (gulp) over ten years ago. My friends bought me 3 packages of minimates (for Christmas maybe?) and it was all down hill from there.

Vision (Avengers: Age of Ultron): Funko Mystery Minis

It has taken a few days but I've processed my feelings about Avengers: Age of Ultron (liked it, didn't love it) and am finally ready to talk about the newest addition to my Funko family. I present you with Vision the Mystery Mini. This toy review will contain spoilers for the film so read at you own risk. You have been warned!

Classic Captain America & Winter Soldier Minimates

Avengers Assemble!!!

Avengers: Age of Ultron opens this weekend and since I'm a Marvel geek I feel compelled to make a post in honour of its nerdy goodness. I even scoped out my local comic book store for the new batch of minimates so I could review something new and exciting. When I got there something strange happened. I realized I didn't want any of them.

As excited as I am about the movie, I just couldn't shell out the cash. I already have a pretty great Thor and since I'm in Canada I will probably never see the Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver exclusives. The only one I really considered was Black Window (sadly I missed her and Falcon in the Captain America 2 series) but she's packaged with Iron Man and that's the Avengers equivalent of being packaged with Wolverine.

Instead, I'm digging back into my Fanexpo loot and taking a look at the star-spangled Avenger and his eye-liner wearing pal from Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

I'm not quite sure when I became a fan of Captain America. I never found his comics all that interesting. To me, he had the same problems as Superman--he was just a little too perfect to hook me. Slowly, my attitude has been changing and I really loved Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Game of Thrones Pops!: Series 4 (Sansa Stark, Petyr Baelish, Samwell Tarly)

Rejoice fantasy fans! This Sunday marks the return of Game of Thrones on HBO. To celebrate Season 5 of the television show, I'm reviewing Series 4 of the Funko Pops! It's a 3 for 1!

Will Graham (Hannibal) Funko Pop

Poor Will. He just can't catch a break. In the show, Will Graham is played by the delightful Hugh Dancy and in the second season finds himself arrested for the cannibalistic murders committed by Hannibal Lecter. As a wonderful homage to Silence of the Lambs, Will is transported in a mask and straight-jacket, similarly to the iconic image of Anthony Hopkins.

Hannibal Lecter (Hannibal) Funko Pop!

I finally have him!

My wait is over. Yes friends, I've managed to find the Hannibal Funko Pops! It took me 3 stores and a little digging but Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham are mine. There was only 1 Hannibal left (stashed behind a box. Clearly someone else was hoping I wouldn't find him) and I still haven't seen the Wendigo in the flesh. So were they worth it?

Jaime Lannister (Game of Thrones) by Dark Horse

Welcome to my first review of the new year! I have a back log of things to talk about (Fan Expo swag, minimates, my ever growing Pop! problem) but I've decided to take a look at one of my favourite Christmas gifts. He's cocky, handsome, and has the bad habit of throwing children out windows. Today I'm reviewing Jaime Lannister by Dark Horse.

Top 5 Pop Lines That Will Break My Bank Account in 2015

Christmas is over and while I didn't actually receive that many toys (except for my gift exchange with Christina Articulates and her husband) I still have a ton of things to share with you in the upcoming weeks...but not today. With holiday craziness, family gathers, and visiting friends I haven't had much time to take pictures. Instead, I'm announcing my New Year's Resolution!

It's simple. My resolution is to make this blog bigger and better and actually update! I'm making a commitment. Done and done. And if I haven't posted in a while, feel free to yell at me over on Twitter.

It shouldn't be too hard to keep on track. By now, everyone is aware of my crippling Pop! problem and next year looks to be a disaster waiting to happen. As a New Year's treat, today I'm looking at... 

The Top 5 Pop! Lines that will break my bank account in 2015

Happy Holidays: Custom Family Bobble-heads!

Back in February, I mused about how the likelihood of having an action figure of myself was slim to none. Apparently I was wrong! This year my aunt and uncle decided to surprise my family with custom bobble-heads from Dolls2u.com They (quite suspiciously) had us each send them pictures of ourselves and although my brother figured out the surprise, the results were hilarious and amazing.

 Behold, the Nagel Family!

Join the Fan Expo Scavenger Hunt 2014!!

It's that time again. Fan Expo is nearly here and Christina Articulates  and I have decided create a little game...and we want everyone to play along. We've created a simple scavenger hunt to pass the time waiting in line an celebrate what makes a convention worthwhile.

We’d love to see people play along this weekend and post their own photos using #fanexpohunt (Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, whatever!) and we might use our favourites (credited of course!) on recaps posts on Christina Articulates and Talking Tiny Toys! Link us to your photos and follow us on social media to see what others post (Twitter & Tumblr). Be creative and join us!

Do you have a booth at Fan Expo this year? Drop either of us a line and we'll stop by to chat!

Rocket Raccoon (Guardians of the Galaxy) Funko Mystery Minis

As promised, today's review features a member of the rag-tag group of space rangers who took the summer by storm. Who says you can't make a successful blockbuster with a talking raccoon and a tree voiced by Vin Diesel? Guardians of the Galaxy proved that with a decent script, entertaining characters and a kick-ass soundtrack (and let's face it, the charisma of Chris Pratt) even the weirdest ideas can make a great movie. I almost cried over a tree! How is that possible? 

Of course, Funko is right on top of things and released a new line of Guardians of the Galaxy mystery minis that I was helpless to resist.  Who did I get?

*Insert epic 70s soundtrack here*

King Joffrey (Game of Thrones) Funko Mystery Minis

And the winner is King Joffrey!

Funko has taken my money yet again, this time with their Game of Thrones Mystery Minis. Edition 1 (and I can only hope there's an edition 2) brings us many of our favourite characters from the hit HBO show--Eddard Stark, Jon Snow, Dany, Drogo, dragons. But no hero for me. When I opened up my little red box, the bane of Westeros stared back at me...and I'm quite happy about it. Ladies and Gentleman, King Joffrey Lannister Baratheon!

What Should I Review Next?

Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @talkingtinytoys!

Dollar Buys: Avengers Grab Zags

It's time for another Dollar Buy (and another post...finally)! My second trip to Dollarama was just as productive as the last and I came home with a few great finds for under $3. Can't beat that! I'll save my Super Mario purchase for later. Today I'm opening up my Avengers: Grab Zags.

I've seen these blind bags in store before and although I'm a huge Marvel fan, I've been hesitant...and not because of the stupid name. The reason? Take a look at the list of available toys.

Do you see the problem? Sure, the Marvel Minis are super-cute, but what the heck am I going to do with a skateboard or a disc launcher? Since the bag is pretty thin, I did my best to feel out the toy inside and put back anything that felt flat. I found one that seemed to be the right shape. Should I press my luck? (Of course I did).

Thor (Reborn) & Lady Loki Minimate

I'm finally back! After a few months in a slump I've decided to dive back into blogging, and what's better to get me out of the dumps than taking a look at some great toys? He's the god of thunder. He's She's a trickster. What do they have in common? They're two of the most detailed minimates I've ever seen in my life. Today, I'm reviewing Thor (Reborn) & Lady Loki.

90s Beast & 90s Rogue Minimates

Today we're taking a trip back to the 90s, when comics where covered in foil and the X-men were all the rage. Yes my friends, I was a 90s kid (well...late 80s/90s kid) and I raced home every day after school to watch my favourite cartoon. X-men: The Animated Series wasn't my first foray into comics, but it did have a lasting impression. My love of these two character hasn't faded.

Nerds&Nails: Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones) Funko Pop!

The wait is finally over. Season 4 of Game of Thrones airs tonight on HBO! To celebrate, Talking Tiny Toys is teaming up with ProcrastiNails to bring you the first installment of Nerds&Nails. What is Nerds&Nails, you ask? Katherine from ProcrastiNails and I will be teaming up to bring you a little more. I'll be reviewing toys and Katherine will create a manicure look inspired by them. Think of it as a way to keep our creativity flowing. First up, the sometimes scheming and ever fabulous Cersei Lannister.