Out of the Box: Kotobukiya ArtFX Star Wars Poe Dameron & BB-8

Up for today's unboxing is the two figurine set of Star Wars' Poe Dameron and BB-8 from Kotobukiya's ArtFX line.  I've had mixed experiences with Kotobukiya's figurines. I loved the single-piece figure of Tali from Mass Effect from their Bishoujo line but was disappointed by the assembly-required Hawkeye from their Marvel Now line which fell apart within hours of opening it.

I've been cautiously enthusiastic about the Star Wars line: the amount of detail on this figures is impressive, but the fact that they have the same multi-piece construction and magnetic base as my Hawkeye figure worried me.  But then a sale + a gift card overruled my caution and I brought this one home.

The PVC figures are 1/10 scale and are labelled as a "model kit" rather than as a statue or figurine, which I found interesting.  While the Poe figure does require assembly, BB-8's head and body are held together via magnet, which worries me (I can imagine it falling off and getting lost easily).

Out of the Box: Mass Effect's Tali'Zorah (Kotobukiya Bishoujo)

Tali'Zorah watches for Geth (or Cerberus, or Reapers)...

I've shared a number of Mass Effect figures from a variety of lines in the past, but one thing I've been on the fence about are the Kotobukiya's Bishoujo figures.  For those who aren't familiar with them, the Bishoujo line produces figures that the "sexy lady" version of a variety of female game and anime characters.  They have Kotobukiya's usual great level of detail, but the sexy poses always struck me as a little silly, so I passed on the earlier Mass Effect releases from the line (Liara and Jane Shepard) - but I've regretted not picking up the Liara figure since then (she is available on the secondary market, but at ridiculous mark-ups, and I'm just not willing to pay $250+USD for a figure that originally retailed for less than $80).  So when the Tali figure was announced I decided that silly or not, I'd probably pick her up.

And fortune smiled on me, because not only did I find her in stock recently, but also at a 20% discount!  She arrived on Sunday, so let's open the box and take a look at her.

Out of the Box: John Constantine (DC Collectibles)

I have a few of the Hellblazer-related collectibles from the late '90s in storage (you can see the DC Direct action figure in the background of the introductory photo from my first ever post on this blog), but not being a fan of the non-Vertigo/post New 52 version of the character (and I still haven't gotten around to checking out the full run of last year's TV series), I haven't picked up anything new for years.  But having recently reread Peter Milligan's run on the old series, I was weakened by nostalgia and when I saw a sale on the new John Constantine statue from DC Collectibles on Big Bay Toystore, I ended up ordering this statue.

Before I get into the review, can I just take a minute to complain about some of the box openings I watched while waiting for this statue to ship? Nearly all of them call John a Londoner (one even referred to him as a "Cockney magician") - but the character is supposed to be from Liverpool! 

*ahem* But never mind that, on with the figure!

Packing Tip #1: Start with the easy ones!

I always feel like the best way to get started on something is to tackle something easy - that way it looks  like something solid has been accomplished practically before you start.  And that's why I always start by packing my DC Comics/Vertigo Preacher statue: