So there I was, innocently perusing my local comic shop (shoutout to Greg’s Comics in Mesa, AZ!) when all of a sudden I looked up and spotted the mother of all SDCC Exclusives: The Raft!
That’s right, the six-figure set that had eluded me since 2016! I was staring right at it! The tag said $225, but Greg’s Comics gives you 20% off of everything, all day everyday, so that brought the price down to a very manageable $180. I simply couldn’t resist, this was one of my grails, after all. So I pulled the trigger, and it was finally mine.
But I couldn’t do a mere unboxing video for this beauty, no way. So I decided to go the route of my Hellfire Club set and do a showcase for you True Believers! And just like that one, I included a little bit of a story, based on what was written on the box. So no need to dawdle any longer, watch the video below and enjoy!
In case you missed ’em in the vid, here’s some of the pics I took of the figures included in the set.
Spider-Man
Abomination
Enchantress
Dreadknight
Purple Man
Sandman
So that’s it for The Raft. I’m so happy to finally have this in my collection. And I’ll definitely be using that backdrop in future videos. What about you guys? And grails you’re hunting down? What’s your favorite SDCC exclusive? Sound off below! Face Front True Believers, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse!
As I’m sure is quite evident by now, I am an avid collector of Marvel Legends! I’ve been doing so for years, and my collection is quite sizable. I have a pretty good idea of how and where to find these figures, as well as the risks of collecting. One of these risks is swapping, when someone purchases a figure, swaps it out for another one (usually old or undesirable), and then returns it to the store. The employees often don’t know any better, especially if it’s similar enough, and they accept the return, thus the swapper gets brand new figures for free.
Recently, Jay Cochran of Marvelous News reached out to me about a story he’s doing on figure swapping (you can check that out right here). He’d seen a picture I posted on Reddit, and wanted to use it. I gave him permission to do so, and I feel like I should tell the full story. This is how it all went down, True Believers.
Over the years I’ve seen my fair share of swaps. Some of them were so close it almost fooled me, others it was painfully obvious (to me, at least, since I’ve been doing this for so long). However, I could always see it before I bought it, allowing me to turn it in and attempt to find the figure elsewhere. Well, not anymore. Hasbro, the guys that make Marvel Legends, have switched the way they package their figures to be completely plastic free. Where there once was a transparent plastic window allowing you to clearly see what was inside, has now been replaced with cold, hard cardboard.
They say it’s better for the environment, and I’m sure it is. But it’s also better for the group of lovely individuals I mentioned earlier: Swappers. And I fell victim to it. Hasbro has just released a Spider-Man 2-Pack that includes him and Spinneret inspired by the Renew Your Vows comic run. People in my circles were finding them in Target, so I decided to try my luck. Imagine my joy when I found one sitting on the shelf, first Target I went into! I was so excited! I preorder all of these figures online, but when I find them in the wild, I cancel my preorder and enjoy my new figure! So I rushed to the register, checked out, and began examining my new item in the car! That’s when I noticed the tape looked kind of weird, dirty, like it had been peeled and replaced. Not good, was my initial thought, so I decided to scrap a potential unboxing video just to make sure everything was on the up and up. I opened up the package, and…
Devastated. All of that joy and happiness from finding the brand new figure on the shelf was gone in an instant. I always got a sinking feeling in my heart when I thought I found the figure in a store only to notice that it was a swap. But this time, I had made the purchase. I spent my money, I made it into my vehicle. This time, it was personal. (I know, I’m dramatic).
I marched back into the Target, over to guest services, and explained to the woman. I told her how I’d just bought it, but something told me to check, and showed her what I found. I explained that this was the new packaging for Marvel Legends going forward, and that this was about to be a nightmare for collectors. She seemed to genuinely care (trust me, I’ve seen their reaction when they don’t) and suggested honestly that I check the box before I even leave the store. Of course, I still very much wanted the figures, you all know how much I love Spider-Man and Mary Jane (and if not, well, now you do!) So I asked if she had anymore. She said they didn’t, but gave me two Targets nearby that did, one closer to me that had one, and one a bit further that had four. So I thanked her, and set off.
I made my way to the closer Target, in the same city, and went straight to the toys. Sure enough, there was one sitting on the shelf. But on this one, the tape was completely missing. So I went to the nearest employee, explained my experience at the previous Target, and asked if I could check. He told me guest services had the final say, so I walked over there, explained what was up, and the girl said she could open it for me. She did, and then gasped in surprise. Same thing, WWE figures. So that tells me that it was the same loser. This time I wasn’t disappointed. I was angry! I swore I would destroy this guy! Target girl probably thought I was crazy, but it didn’t matter. This was no longer about right and wrong, this was about vengeance! (I know, I’m dramatic).
So I left that one there, having saved anther hapless collector from being duped, and made it to the further Target. There weren’t any on the shelf, but I saw the label. So I used the Target app and scanned it, got the DCPI, and asked a nice lady in the aisle if she could check for me. (Target app and DCPI numbers are very helpful! Use both to their full advantage!) She said that they had four in the back and went to get one for me. She emerged shortly and handed it to me, brand new, in tact, and beautiful! I thanked her gratuitously, and checked out! I did open it in the car (the new packaging also prevents inspecting the figures for quality control issues, so that’s a whole other problem) but finally, 3 Targets later, I had my figures!
Let this serve as a cautionary tale, True Believers. Hasbro seems dead set on this packaging, and as long as their only security option is a flimsy piece of scotch tape, we need to remain vigilant. So look out for each other. This is the fight of our lives. And we’re gonna win. Whatever it takes. (I know, I’m dramatic).
So that’s it, the full story behind the swap. Be careful out there fellow collectors! I’ll keep you updated if hopefully something changes in terms of Hasbro’s packaging. Until then, Face Front True Believers, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse!
Excelsior True Believers! August 1 was Spider-Man Day and boy did we celebrate over here at Face Front! And this year is special, because not only is it a celebration of everyone’s favorite Wall-Crawler, but it also just so happens be his 60th Anniversary!
So, to celebrate Spider-Man on Face Front’s 3rd Annual Spider-Man Day, I put up several videos on the YouTube channel. And in addition to that, I brought back the Face Front interactive experience, Secret Wars: Dark Dimension, from its year-long hiatus!
This page is a one-stop-shop for all of the events! If you get lost on the blog trying to find any of the Spider-Man Day stuff, just come back here.
And, as advertised, the return of of Secret Wars: Dark Dimension! Click Here for all of the details on Chapter 6: Ultimates, and figure out how you can change the future of the new Marvel Universe! Will you be Legendary and help Miles Morales, the Ultimate Spider-Man , save Brooklyn? Or will you be Predatory, and destroy the city with Venom? The choice, True Believers, is yours!
Alright, well I hope that was as fun for you as it was for me. How did you celebrate Spider-Man Day? Let me know below, and be sure to keep it on Face Front for more Spidey! I’ve got something pretty special planned for the Beyond Amazing 60th Anniversary of Spider-Man, so be on the lookout of that. Until then, Face Front True Believers, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse!
Hey there True Believers! Spider-Man Day is the best day of the year, because I just go all out on Spidey! I celebrated with several videos on Face Front’s YouTube channel, and the last one of the day features my Sphero Spidey!
Watch the video below, where Spider-Man tells a heroic and touching story from his past…
I’ve had this little guy since 2017, and he has quite a few stories to tell. Although out of all of them, I love this one the most. Especially the end. A fitting tale for Spider-Man Day and our favorite hero’s Beyond Amazing 60th Anniversary.
The thing that sucks is that Sphero ended support for the app that basically makes Spidey work, so now he only goes off of whatever voice commands I remember, and new users can just forget about it! Also, he has an alarm that he sets off a 6:30 am that can only be disabled from the app that no longer works, so… that’s great. Regardless, I’m just happy that I was at least able to get this story and immortalize it video form before he stops altogether.
Well, that was today’s story, let me know if you want me to upload more of them. Make sure to check out all of the rest of my Spider-Man Day activities from the Spider-Man Day 2022 Celebration page! That said, Face Front True Believers, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse!
Hey there True Believers! Spider-Man Day is the best day of the year, because I just go all out on Spidey! I celebrated with several videos on Face Front’s YouTube channel, and this second one is a new addition to my growing collection of poems!
In 2008 I wrote a book of Spider-Man poems for a class assignment. I’ve been uploading them to the blog, but I put this one in video form. It’s called an extended metaphor poem, titled “Spider-Wave”. Please, enjoy.
Here is the poem transcribed:
Spider-Man is a wave.
Very effective.
Washes up crime.
Spreads very quickly.
Covers lots of ground.
Supplies enjoyment for certain people.
Supplies agony and pain for others.
Great and mighty.
Impressive and strong.
Active by day, calm by night.
Soothing to stare at, a peaceful sight.
I’ve been enjoying trying my hand at poetry and I hope you all have been too. Once I get through my entire book, who knows? I might come up with some new ones. This one was pretty special though, and I decided it was worthy of a Spider-Man Day upload.
In case you want more poetry, Click Here for my Spider-Man Haiku. And Click Here for my Two-Voice Poem, “Without You”.
Until the next poem, that’s it for now. Make sure to check out all of the rest of my Spider-Man Day activities from the Spider-Man Day 2022 Celebration page! Face Front True Believers, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse!
Hey there True Believers! Spider-Man Day is the best day of the year, because I just go all out on Spidey! I celebrated with several videos on Face Front’s YouTube channel, and the first one revolves around this unique new addition to my collection.
I found a Walmart Exclusive collectible item! A resin Spider-Man bust based on the 90’s animated series! It’s the coolest thing ever and I’m unboxing it here! Check out the video below.
Here’s a few pictures of the glorious bust and the certificate of authenticity. As well as the box art.
As I said in the video, I am VERY happy with this new addition to my collection. As a Spider-Man fan and especially a 90’s Animated Series fan, this is a must have in any collection! It’s $50 at Walmart True Believers! Don’t wait! There are only 3200 in the world! (Mine is 0420 of 3200)
That’s it for this guy. Make sure to check out all of the rest of my Spider-Man Day activities from the Spider-Man Day 2022 Celebration page! Face Front True Believers, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse!
It’s been a while True Believers. A year, actually, but at last, Secret Wars Dark Dimension has returned! Nick Fury and Red Skull are duking it out with their allies Doctor Strange and Dormammu to reforge the Tesseract and use it to create a new world! I finally intend on wrapping up the Secret Wars, and I can’t wait for you all to see the epic conclusion! So enough of me talking, read below for all the details on Chapter 6: Ultimates!
The Story
The Secret War is over! There is only the Dark Dimension! In this new, narrative based version of Secret Wars, players will follow Nick Fury and Doctor Strange, or Red Skull and Dormammu, as they traverse the desolate Dark Dimension in hopes of changing reality to either save, or enslave, the Marvel Universe.
Chapter 6: Ultimates, reveals that S.H.I.E.L.D. has claimed the fifth shard of the Tesseract! This has been reflected in the progress bar on the Dark Dimension Homepage:
Fury and Skull are headed to Brooklyn this month! Season 8 of the original Secret Wars continues here, and this time we’ll get to see the epic battle between Miles Morales, the Ultimate Spider-Man, and Venom!
Playing Dark Dimension
Players need only view the story in both Multiverses, then decide who in the end will receive a shard of the Tesseract! The team with the most votes by August 26, 2022 will receive a shard, and bring the Tesseract closer to completion. You must Log In/Register in order to vote! This ensures everyone only votes once, and makes you eligible to win the Dark Dimension Prize Bundle! (More info below).
You can start right now! To check out S.H.I.E.L.D.’s story from Miles Morales Ultimate Spider-Man’s point of view, CLICK HERE!
To see HYDRA’s story from the Venom’s perspective, CLICK HERE!
To go to the Dark Dimension Homepage, a hub where you can choose S.H.I.E.L.D. or HYDRA, view the Tesseract status, read the Prequel Comic, and keep up on updates, CLICK HERE!
Side Quests
Don’t forget to do the Side Quests! The energies of the Dark Dimension have distorted the pages of the Book of Vishanti and the Darkhold! Play these side quests to unscramble the tales of Secret Wars past, and reveal new pages of these ancient tomes!
Page 5 has been revealed fully, so if you didn’t get a chance to decipher it, or the puzzle was just too hard, you can read it now! Page 6 is up to be decoded, and uses clues from Secret Wars Season 8!
CLICK HERE to play the Book of Vishanti Side Quest!
Alright, so I realize that it keeps being officially stated that Spider-Man: Freshman Year takes place in the MCU. I don’t usually like to speculate, but in order for this to be the case based on the clearly altered history we’ve been seeing, that only leaves one option.
The comic storyline where Peter’s history was altered via magic. Like in No Way Home! It’s called Spider-Man: One Moment in Time. After One More Day, when Mephisto exploded Peter and MJ’s marriage, they had to fill in the stretch of time that spanned, you know, decades where the two were a happy couple.
Now it’s been a few years since I read it but I remember Spider-Man getting into it with a thief, falling off of a roof and getting knocked out, causing him to miss the wedding. Then one thing led to another and Peter and MJ broke up. Thus, no one remembers anything about Peter and MJ ever being married, because they never were.
So, if no one in the MCU remembers Peter Parker, what do they remember in his place? What happened that altered the timeline and made it so that Peter was never a part of their lives? So that he never met the Avengers, or befriended Ned, or started dating MJ? Spider-Man: Freshman Year is probably telling that story. As Uatu says, one decision can shape an entire universe.
I hope this clears up all the confusion! I might be dead wrong, but it’s my best guess, and makes the most sense. Until next time, Face Front True Believers, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse!
So, for Pride Month, Crystal Dynamics put out a short story that takes place in the world of the Marvel’s Avengers video game. I’ve read the prequel novel and tie-in comics, so of course I was going to read this. I downloaded it and at first was disappointed to find that it was not a comic book, but rather an actual short story. That disappointment quickly faded.
True Believers, I am telling you that this story is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever read. I’m not going to spoil it because I want you all to read it for yourselves! But the basic premise is that Kamala is trying to help Ayo, a member of the Dora Milaje, express her true feelings for her captain, Aneka. The story primarily follows Ayo and her plan to confess her feelings, and I was truly touched at the dedication of this woman.
Everyone’s had a crush. Everyone has made a convoluted plan to tell that crush how they feel. And everyone has watched that plan burn down in fire. But as a member of the Dora Milaje, Ayo’s determination remained unmatched! I was rooting for her the entire time, and I’m sure you will be too!
Since this is an official tie-in, it’s canon to the Avengers universe! I’ll take any expansion of the story I can get while they try to hammer out more updates for the actual game. Expanding the world in this medium was a nice little surprise, and allowed for a slower, more emotional story that maybe you don’t have time for in a AAA action-adventure video game. I actually, honestly hope they do more of these. I’d love to write one my dang self! (Contact me Crystal Dynamics!)
The story was written by Leyla K., and features several variant covers (also why I thought it was a comic book) from Paulina Ganucheau, Kris Anka, and Derek Charm. Please, please, please read this story! Click Here to download the PDF and Click Here for more information on the story and comments from the artists! The webpage also has downloadable versions of the art for your backgrounds (Although the 16:9 version of the Paulina Ganucheau piece leads to a 404 error! Fix it Crystal Dynamics!)
One more thing True Believers! Make sure to put in the code SUNSETORCHID on your Marvel’s Avengers account to get a Pride-themed outfit bundle! The code is at the end of the story, and it has a lot more meaning if you read it. Please, for the love of Bast, read this story! You will not regret it! If you play the game, if you’re a fan of the characters, and if you enjoy Marvel stories, I promise you you’ll love this.
If you’ve read it, what did you think? Let me know below, and as always, Face Front True Believers, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse!
After months of being captured, Venom is finally unleashed! Spidey must work with Peni Parker and SP//dr to stop him before he destroys his one true nemesis: Spider-Man. All of them.
It took a while but it’s finally here! The long awaited next installment of Return to the Spider-Verse! And of course, I’ve packed it with references and Easter eggs to breakdown! So scroll down to get all the behind the scenes from the latest episode of your favorite show!
Emily Tatsumi
I would like to extend a very warm thank you to friend of Face Front Emily Tatsumi for bringing Peni to life in a real and authentic way! The first time I did Peni’s voice, I just recorded the automated woman speaking in Google Translate, and, well, I hated it. I didn’t want Peni to sound like a robot when she was speaking Japanese!
Then I met Emily, who not only speaks the language, but has a history of voice acting! She had a few lines back in Episode 6, but I was so glad to have her for this full episode starring Peni! She made it possible and I am forever grateful! Click Here to find her on Instagram!
Easter Eggs
Web of Shadows
Notice that the name of this episode is Web of Shadows. Longtime fans remember that was the same name of a 2008 video game where Spider-Man battled Venom, who took over New York with a Symbiote invasion! Heroes and villains from across the Marvel Universe were all taken over by Symbiotes, and Spidey had to save them! The plot of this episode was meant to pay homage to the storyline of that game. Listen close, I even have some music from the game in there!
Want it Here
Speaking of music, the song that plays at the beginning is called Want It Here by Xenia Pax. I used it because this was the song playing in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse when Peni was recreating the goober that Miles broke.
3000
In case you didn’t know, Peni is not just from another dimension. In the comics, she’s also from the future, the year 3000 to be exact. That’s where she got a mech as sophisticated as SP//dr!
Spidey in Reverse
You all saw Spider-Man: No Way Home, right? Of course you did. So you’ll recognize the black and gold suit, which is just his normal suit but flipped inside out! I had Gwen say its because they’re rewiring the circuitry, but really it was a clever way for me to give the MCU Spider-Man his own black suit, since he hasn’t had a Symbiote yet.
Cosmic Spider-Man
When Spidey discovers he can fire quantum energy from his hands, he says he needs a new superhero name like Cosmic Spider-Man or Captain Universe. This is in reference to the comics when Spider-Man actually gains cosmic powers via the Enigma Force and becomes the hero Captain Universe.
Another Eddie
As seen in Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six, Venom is still having memory flashes of another Eddie Brock. Particularly the one from Spider-Man 3, as heard in the dialogue from this episode, all lines from that movie! Why? Infinity Stones? Hive mind? We don’t know! (Well, I do, but you don’t). Either way, these memories are what’s driving this version of Venom to hate Spider-Man, even though they’ve never met.
Kill the Lights
Electro is back from the Sinister Six! And he’s not only dropping with that distinct and instantly recognizable Hans Zimmer theme, but he’s got a host of lines from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and also No Way Home. “I’m gonna kill the lights”, “Don’t make me a murderer Peter”. Did you catch any more?
Snatched from Above
Notice when Venom grabbed OG? That’s directly from Spider-Man 3, when Venom came down from the ceiling and grabbed Spider-Man by the head!
Black Spider-Man
Of course with Electro coming back and seeing Miles without his mask, I had to pay off the Black Spider-Man joke that was set up in No Way Home! Electro finally got his wish!
The Little Guy
When Spidey asks Peni if the “little guy inside is okay”, he’s referring to the spider inside of Peni’s mech, which she has a psychic link to. That’s why she pilots SP//dr in the comics, because with her father’s untimely death, no one else had that psychic link to the spider!
Black Suit Theme
Though it’s mostly heard nowadays only in memes, the Black Suit theme from Spider-Man 3 is instantly iconic, so I made sure that OG was the first hero revealed to be taken by a Symbiote. That reveal coupled with that iconic score was a no-brainer for me! Also, notice the pose he’s in? It’s that famous image of Spider-Man in the black suit against the wall!
Eat Ice
Notice how when Peni blasts Symbiote Spectacular with ice, he shakes it off. That’s because in the Spectacular Spider-Man TV show, Spider-Man tried to destroy the Symbiote with ice, but it didn’t work!
Gwenom
When Ghost-Spider is taken by a Symbiote, she becomes the fearsome Gwenom! Eileen Nestman, as always, brought her A-game, and made Gwenom sound creepier than even I imagined! Fun fact, at a point in the comics, Gwen lost her powers, so she relies on Cindy Moon’s Symbiote to get them back. So technically, she’s always Gwenom!
Spider-Sense
Peter informs Peni that he can’t detect any of the Symbiotes with his Peter Tingle- sorry- Spider-Sense. That’s because in the comics Venom is invisible to Spider-Man’s Spider-Sense! As Peni explains, since the Symbiote bonded with Peter first, it knows about his Spidey-Sense and how to avoid it!
Pork Grind
Traditionally, Pork Grind is a separate character that gives Spider-Ham a hard time. But for the sake of my video, I took a few liberties and made him a Symbiote-infused Spider-Ham! I also thought it’d be funny to see the drastic transformation of a tiny little pig into a hulking monster!
Cocoon of Origins
Spectacular mentions that the first time he tried to separate from the Symbiote, it trapped him in a cocoon and forced him to relive his origin story. That’s exactly what happened in an episode of Spectacular Spider-Man!
Last One Standing
This song was inspired by the movie Venom: Let there be Carnage, so I thought it’d be nice to throw it in the credits. Especially because of what comes next…
Cellmates
I hope you’ve learned by now to stay after the credits! If you did, you’d notice Doctor Kafka holding Eddie with none other than Cletus Kasady in the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane! In the 90’s series, this was their exact predicament, cellmates at Raventcroft overseen by Doctor Kafka. Even in the comics, Eddie and Kletus shared a cell. That’s how Cletus ended up getting a Symbiote of his own.
There’s gonna be Carnage
No need for an explanation. There’s gonna be Carnage.
That’s it True Believers! What’d you guys think? Will Peter and Miles be able to find Prowler? What is the Master Planner going to do with the Symbiote!? So many questions! Stay tuned! I promise, the next episode won’t take nearly as long! So until then, Face Front True Believers, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse!
