Action Figure Review: Sorceress from Masterverse/ Masters of the Universe: Revelation by Mattel

 

   I love the fact that Mattel is still supporting Masters of the Universe: Revelation. While Masterverse keeps expanding and growing, it's just cool to see Mattel still support a pretty solid piece of Masters of the Universe media, and it looks like the support will continue as Mattel has shown off more Revelation figures like Horde Skeletor, Clamp Champ, and Prince Adam. It doesn't hurt that most of the Revelation designs were pretty faithful to the vintage looks, so this is also a fairly classic looking Sorceress figure. Her outfit is a bit different than previous versions simply because she is wearing a longer robe rather than a one-piece deal with exposed legs, but overall the colors and design are pretty in-line with what you'd expect from the Sorceress. Ready to see if this figure has the magic? Then keep reading after the break...

Action Figure Review: Earth -2 Batman (Batman: Arkham Knight) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   Last week I had one of those crazy toy runs that we often only dream about. I was alerted that a GameStop near me was getting in a bunch of new stuff and when I went in as the store opened I was greeted with a bunch of new DC Multiverse figures from McFarlane Toys. Not only did I have first dibs on most of the new releases but GameStop was running a 25% off of McFarlane Toys releases last week, too, so I got a heck of a nice deal. Today I'm going to check out the first of the new figures I picked up on that toy run: Earth-2 Batman from Batman: Arkham Knight. There have been many different incarnations of Earth-2/ Earth-Two/ Earth 2/ Earth Two over the years but this figure is based on the Flashpoint version where Dr. Thomas Wayne becomes Batman after the death of a young Bruce at the hands of Joe Chill. And this particular version of Thomas Wayne as Batman? It's based on one of the downloadable alternate costumes for Batman in the 2015 videogame Batman: Arkham Knight. As far as I'm aware, though, this is a unique sculpt; it's definitely not a repaint of the previous McFarlane Batman: Arkham Knight figure. I love Thomas Wayne's batsuit, particularly due to the red highlights that really stand out and give it a unique feel, and this is the version of it that hasn't appeared in the DC Multiverse line yet. Let's take a look at this take on Earth-2 Batman after the break...

Action Figure Review: Pandora from Action Force by Valaverse

 

     Today I'm checking out the third of the Series 3 Action Force figures I picked up and I think this is the one that was the most eagerly anticipated: Pandora. Pandora (real name Miranda Kelly) is a bloodthirsty Irish gangster who looks like she would fit in perfectly with the Dreadnoks. There have been some great villains in Action Force so far and Pandora adds nicely to the colorful roster of characters. There was a blood splattered variant available, too, but I believe that one is long since gone. I opted for the standard version as she just seemed more versatile. Let's take a look at Pandora after the break and see if she's worth adding to the roster...

Action Figure Review: Batman (Hush) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   No one can say that McFarlane hasn't released enough Batman figures in their DC Multiverse line, but they keep putting out awesome figures, people keep buying them, and I keep wanting to add to my collection, so who can blame them, right? Today I'm checking out a recent release in the DC Multiverse line: Batman from Batman: Hush. While one of the major selling points of this line is that most figures feature completely unique sculpts, this figure does borrow the body from last year's Batman Vs Hush 2-pack which used a black and gray suit instead of the blue and gray suit seen here. This one is much more iconic, though, and when I think of Batman: Hush this is this is the suit I think about. Hush is a great story (I'm rereading it right now with my daughter, who has never read it before) but besides that, it's amazing how much of an influence the Jim Lee artwork and the character designs have had on Batman's allies and villains in the years since. I loved DC Direct's Batman: Hush action figure line as it was one of the first times a DC line went so deep in such a short period of time, but those figures definitely are a product of their time and were intended for display rather than play. This version of Batman is absolutely intended for play and posing, though. He's fantastic and one of my favorite Batman action figures ever. Let's check him out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Longshot from Marvel Legends Retro Collection: X-Men by Hasbro

   It's St. Patrick's day, so how about a little luck for you?

   Would you believe that I haven't reviewed a Marvel Legends Series figure since last year? It's true! While Hasbro's Marvel Legends team showed off some cool upcoming things recently, there just hasn't been a lot out there lately that interests me. Pair that with the price increases that have kept me from picking up figures randomly and I've become much more selective with Marvel Legends. I love X-Men characters from the mid 1960 through the mid 1990s, though, and I'm thrilled that Longshot was released as part of the Marvel Legends X-Men Retro Collection. Packaged on a classic Toy Biz inspired card that actually lets you see the product you're buying, Longshot is a slight variant of the figure released last year in the Hasbro Pulse exclusive Mojoworld set. I didn't buy that set as I picked up Mojo separately, already have two versions of Dazzler, and I assumed that Longshot would get rereleased. Ta-da! I never owned the vintage Toy Biz Longshot as a kid, nor any other ones, so this is the first figure of the character I've owned. Let's take a look at Longshot after the break...

Action Figure Review: Grifter (Infinite Frontier) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   Today I'm checking out another DC Multiverse figure from last year, but it's one that I just picked up recently (and for a good price, too): Grifter. If you're kind of old, like me, you'll remember seeing Grifter in Wildstorm's WildC.A.T.S. series back in the early 1990s. I never read WildC.A.T.S. myself but Grifter was definitely an "it" character that showed up on lots of comic covers, promotional images, and in Wizard magazine all the time. While Jim Lee sold Wildstorm to DC Comics in 1999, Grifter didn't appear in the DC Universe until The New 52 reboot in 2011. I haven't ready many ongoing DC books lately and I haven't ready anything from the Infinite Frontier yet, which is where this figure of Grifter is sourced. He's now a bodyguard for Lucius Fox and a rival to Batman. Crazy, right? I haven't reviewed a ton of DC Multiverse figures yet but this is the first figure I've reviewed that shows a weakness of this line. What is it? Read on and find out after the break... 

Action Figure Review: Kill-Switch from Action Force by Valaverse

 

   Valaverse continues to put out some amazing stuff and it looks like they have many more cool releases on the way, including some character specific accessory packs and a vehicle. Today I'm looking Kill-Switch, one of the series 3 releases from earlier this year. Series 3 introduced female figures into the Action Force line, so now we can expect a better mix of men and women in future waves. Kill-Switch is a new character created for Valaverse's Action Force. Her real name is Layla Richardson, she's from Bay City, Michigan, and she's an EOD and BUD/S instructor. Well, she was a BUD/S Instructor; now she's member of Action Force. Ready for a look at Kill-Switch? Then join me after the break...