Batman, Red Skull, and a superVike

Hello True Believers,

I've been plodding along with my super hero miniatures, and have finished a couple to show off.

First, is the Knight Models cool 'Frank Miller' Batman.

I've always liked this version of Batman.  The Dark Knight Returns came out around 1986, and is probably one of the best Batman stories out there.  It represents an older Batman, coming out of retirement.  He's darker and much more brutal than previous versions of Bat's, and that dark tone still permeates in the character today.

The Ben Affleck Batman was heavily influenced by this version.  Anyhow, I just loved the model, and it was really fun to paint up.

I did do a few touchups to my existing Knight Models Batman as well, as I was in a Batmood.

And now, to move back to my slowly realized Invaders Project, here is the Commander of the Flaming Skull guy I posted last time.  The Red Skull.

Certainly one of Captain America's best villains.  This is another WhatThe? mini.

Now, lastly, not exactly a super Hero, he's definitely a Super Vike, so I wanted to post him here.

This is a Impact Miniatures fantasy football player that I converted into a Minnesota Viking.
I had lots of fun doing this one, hope you like it!

Greetings Citizens!

Some random-Comic book inspired things I've got my mind on lately.

First up for my Marvel Invaders project is this Weird War 2 bad guy.  While not ever in the Invaders as such, I thought he'd make a good henchman for the likes of the Red Skull.

From the now defunct WhatThe? minis.

And a big set of miniatures I just acquired, all for the Batman Miniature Game from Knight Models.

Lots of stuff packed in this box!

The Suicide Squad Game Box includes 13 miniatures directly from the Suicide Squad movie (which I have yet to actually see).  It also contains some very cool cardboard buildings, rules, dice, and a scenario booklet.  I bought it for the minis.  By pre-ordering, it also came with a Ben Affleck Batman.  I'll post pictures as I work them up.

With the same order, I decided to throw in the Knight Models Batmobile, inspired by the Batman Arkham video games.  Here's a very rough fitting of the parts.  The cast looks pretty good, but it will still require some cleanup.  I've never been a big fan of resin, despite it's incredible detail showing properties.  It's far too brittle and hard to work with, but we'll see how this one goes.

I hope Batman is a Triple A member, he's gonna need a tow.

Stay tuned!

Sidetracked. Batman, Thor and the Winter Soldier.

As often happens in my hobby life, I get easily sidetracked.

So, a small break from my Invaders Project (which is a small break from my MHI project), led me to finishing up the Knight Models Batman I'd been working on for quite some time.

Nana Nana Nana Nana Batman!

I've gotten a bunch of the Knight Models, and despite the high price, they are hands down the best Super Hero miniatures on the market.  The size is based on a 35mm scale as opposed to the 28-30mm scale most of my other miniatures are in.  However, that just makes them even more detailed and a bit easier to see that detail.

The real problem, for me anyhow, is that my hacky paint style just can't quite do the awesome sculpts justice.  After dithereing on this one for some time, I finally just plowed through.  It's rougher than I'd like, but there is no doubting who he is.

In addition to the DC stable of comics heroes (mostly Batman, but slowly expanding)  Knight Models also do a line of 35mm Marvel heroes.  I have stocked up on these as well.  Here is Thor, the first model for my Avengers set. I suppose I can shoehorn him into Invaders Project, as Thor did actually appear in the run.

The God Of Thunder

I think in that run, Hitler convinces a rather naive Thor that the Axis are the good guys, and Thor should really go and assassinate Stalin.  Luckily, our intrepid Invaders manage to stop and convince Thor that he's been duped.  He's not all that brilliant for being so Mighty...

Last up is a RAFM miniature I converted to represent the movie version of The Winter Soldier.

I sculpted on some hair, and a facemask, and then scraped off the sleeve and painted on the metal arm.  It's not perfect, but it was really fun to do.  I wish I had spent a little more time with the hair. but I think he's instantly recognizable.  I really couldn't have asked for a better basis to work from.  I would like to see Knight Models do The Winter Soldier justice though!

Here's the original sculpt from the RAFM site, Karl Unger Terrorist.




Until next time!!

Dum Dum Dugan and the Sub-mariner.

Continuing on with the INVADERS.

First up, is a character I can't seem to recall ever being in the Invaders comic series, but is essential none-the-less to the WW II effort of the Marvel Superheros.  Dum Dum Dugan is part of the Howling Commandos.  This mini was produced by White Knight to go with the Retro Cap I painted last time.

Pretty basic paint job on a fun little minis.  I love his cigar chompin no-nonsense look.

Next up is the Savage Sub-mariner.  The Sub-mariner was one of Marvels first super hero, and along with Captain America, and the original Human Torch, formed the basis the the Marvel superhero stable in the 1940's.

Capturing that essence is what led Roy Thomas, the writer of the Invaders in the 70's, to showcase the teams exploits during the War.

Anyhow, here's my start on Price Namor.  He's just a repainted Heroclix, and I'll be working more on a proper base to make him look as if hovering over the battlefield.

It's unfortunate that Heroclix are made with such rubbery material.  The sculpts are sometimes suprisingly good, and I'd love to be able to paint this in metal, or even resin.

I've got a couple of Human Torches to work on to help complete the main group.  See ya next time!

Captain and Bucky!

Finished a very cool Retro Captain America, and his sidekick Bucky for my latest addition to my Invaders Project.

 I plan on having multiple versions of Cap and really dig this one.  He's just a shade shorter than some of the other versions I have, but he still has that early Captain look that they captured in the movie.

I like the idea of Captain having many adventures in WW II, from solo missions, to small commando tactics with both the Howling Commandos and alternatively the Invaders.

Being a war hero is what eventually turned him into a Super hero and it's a rich area to explore.

James 'Bucky' Buchanan, Cap's stalwart sidekick had been with him since the early days.  I like to think of the 'Invaders era' comic version of him, with the 'gee golly whiz' writing to be War Time propaganda  to inspire young men back home.  In reality, he is a season soldier in his own right, both deadly and heroic.

 It's an idea they explore pretty well in the modern comics, and also in the movies.  The movie version skips the teenage Bucky altogether, and just makes him Cap's best friend from Brooklyn.  In fact it was Bucky who was always the strong one to the weakling (but incredibly brave) Steve Rogers.

 This mini, made by the What The...miniature company fits into that pretty well.  He's got the campy costume on, but the Thompson submachine gun isn't just for show.

The model was sold as a set with the Captain I've shown earlier, see pic below.

I've got several other miniatures ready to paint up, including the rest of the nucleus that makes up the Invaders, the Human Torch, Toro, and the Sub-mariner.

I'm also slowly working on the Howling Commandos, and the first I have for that is Dum Dum Dugan.

I also will be working on some of the bad guys, cuz having no one to fight would be rather boring.  I'm going to go similar to the movie line plot, with a Red Skull inspired Hydra division being as the main villians.  I also have plans for the Super Axis, a group of super powered Nazis that match up against the heroic Invaders.

Dum Dum Dugan, getting ready for Duty

A New Year! The Invaders have arrived.

2016!  I still can't get over how fast the last year flew by.   I'll kick of the New Year by sharing one of my resolutions.  I resolve to spend more time painting and modelling, shrinking that unpainted pile of lead and blogging about my efforts.

So, right to it.

Back in the 70's Marvel put out a series of comics called The Invaders.   It was based in the 1940's, during World War II, and featured Captain America, The Human Torch, and Submariner.

It was only a series for a couple of years, but I fondly remember it as one of my favorites from my youth.  Recently, they've been compiled in a two volume set by Marvel:

The art is wonderful, and the stories...well, comics have come a long way.  Don't get me wrong, there is a certain charm to the stories, but they are pretty cringy bad. Hacky writing, and a bit of stereotypical sexist and insensitive cultural awareness.   Regardless, the characters and situations are awesome, and inspiring enough for me to want to spend some time representing the characters in miniature form.

My first effort in this account was a couple of the World War Two Captain America's I've posted in earlier posts.

I've gathered a bunch of miniatures that will fit in well with these guys, and the first up is a figure from the very cool table top game INCURSION, by Grindhouse Games.  I used a character from the game, as the basis for my first Union Jack.  Union Jack is also known as Lord James Montgomery Falsworth, and we learn in his first comic appearance, that he is a retired English gentleman.  It is revealed that during World War I, in his guise as Union Jack, he fought for the British, and raised hope and spirits among his comrades.  Succeeded by his son, Brian, the second version of the character,  joins the formidable Invaders and vows to stop the Super Axis.

Although not a perfect facsimile for the character, I thought this model worked well, especially with that action pose and no nonsense gunwork.  I've got a few other miniatures lined up to represent different versions of Union Jack, and his sister Jacqueline, who becomes an Invader as well, known as Spitfire.

I think I'll also want to do a version of the Original Union Jack.

It should be a fun project to work on, and I'll keep it fresh by rotating between my Batman Miniature games minis, and my Monster Hunter International project.

Thanks for checking it out, and hope to see you again soon!

OK AXIS, HERE WE COME!