Monday, December 31, 2018

Toy Review: Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6 from Matchbox: Jurassic World by Mattel

    Here's another somewhat obscure from Jurassic World and Fallen Kingdom released in Mattel's Matchbox: Jurassic World series: The Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6. This is another of those vehicles that I couldn't recall from the film but, after checking out the incredibly informative Jurassic Park Wiki, my memory was jogged. The InGen security team drives one of these in Jurassic World during and apparently one shows up at the creepy old Lockwood Estate in Fallen Kingdom. It's definitely another vehicle that doesn't scream Jurassic Park to me but I'm still digging the line, so why not, right? Let's check it out after the break...

Christmas Haul 2018: Chewbacca from Star Wars: Micro Force by Hasbro

    In my stocking this year I received a couple packs of the Star Wars: Micro Force figures. I reviewed quite a few of these earlier this year but after Series 1 they became kind of tough to find. I did find Series 2 once or twice but like most other Hasbro offerings lately, Series 1 seemed over ordered. Still, there are a few figures I was missing from Series 1 and Chewbacca was one of them. Guess what? I now have Chewbacca! Let's check out this miniature Wookie after the break!

Toy Review: Kawasaki Brute Force 750 from Matchbox: Jurassic World by Mattel

    Today I'm back with another review from Mattel's ever expanding line of Jurassic Park Matchbox vehicles and this time I'm checking out the Kawasaki Brute Force 750 from Jurassic World. The Kawasaki Brute Force 750 shows up a few times during Jurassic World both as the vehicle driven by Barry Sembene during the pursuit of the Indominus Rex and later driven by Owen and Claire through the streets of the main plaza of Jurassic World. It's a cool little vehicle and while it's not something that screams "Jurassic Park" to me, I'm definitely intrigued by how deep Mattel is going with this series! My buddy Kooshmeister has even let me know that more of these are coming soon, so we'll see how the line continues to grow in 2019. Who ever though we'd have so many of these, right? Let's check out the Kawasaki Brute Force 750 after the break...

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Christmas Haul 2018: Batman, Jade Wilson, Beast Boy, Superman, and Raven from Teen Titans Go! To The Movies by Mattel

    Today I'm showing off another cool toy that appeared under my Christmas Tree: The first of two 5-packs from this summer's film Teen Titans Go! To The Movies. I've watched quite a bit of the show with my daughter and I really dig it so I was excited to see the film. Man, not only is it hilarious but it truly is a love letter to DC Comics. There are far more references to obscure characters and events in Teen Titans Go! To The Movies than in the entire DCEU combined. I mean, the Challengers of the Unknown make an appearance. Multiples, actually. And Stan Lee! Multiple times! This movie is worth watching, folks. Mattel put out these five packs of minifigures for the film's release but I don't think they really ever hit shelves until stores like 5 Below started getting them. Toys R Us was pretty much the only store that carried the Teen Titans stuff and since they went out over the summer these really didn't get a retail outlet. I dig anything DC Comics and minfigures, so I figured these would be a hit for me. I'm kind of mixed on them, to be honest, but let's check them our more closely after the break to get a better idea of why I'm kind of mixed on them.

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Christmas Haul 2018: Ash from Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn: One:12 Collective by Mezco

     Today I'm going to begin slowly making my way through my Christmas haul and first up I'm checking out a gift I got to open on Christmas Eve: The One:12 Collective Ash from Mezco. Based on Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, this version of Ash features a ripped up and blood stained outfit, a chainsaw hand, and a sawed off boomstick. While Mezco has tended to favor Marvel and DC Comics in the One:12 Collective range this year has seen quite a few releases of one-off characters from other properties, including the excellent Michael Myers from this Fall. I've kind of backed off from many Mezco's due to the ever increasing price and some quality control problems but there are so few action figures of Ash out there that I'm glad I ended up with this one. Of course, one thing that's gotta be discussed is that NECA has also released an Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn two-pack this year including an updated version of their Hero Ash figure along with an Evil Ed figure and lots of accessories. For that reason alone I'm going to be comparing Mezco's Ash to NECA's Ash quite a bit as my guess is that some fans are going to opt for one over the other. Let's check this one out after the break...

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Toy Review: '15 Triumph Scrambler from Matchbox: Jurassic World by Mattel

   The Matchbox Jurassic World line has been crazy expansive this year! It's one of those lines that I figured would be a one off thing but it keeps going and going and going! Today I'm checking out one of three new vehicles I found a couple of weeks ago at my local Wal-Mart while out grabbing some Christmas presents. It's Owen Grady's '15 Triumph Scrambler, the motorcycle Owen uses to pursue the Indominus Rex and lead Blue and the raptor pack into battle. I had heard this one was coming out but I was still surprised to see it on a store shelf. Let's check it out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Tung Lashor from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Super7

    Today I'm writing my first review of one of the figures from the Filmation inspired He-Man and the Masters of the Universe line. Mattel began this sub-line of Masters of the Universe Classics in 2016 as Club Grayskull and Super7 picked it back up and continues to release new figures. Tung Lashor is from the recently released second series of figures under Super7 and I picked him up because, unlike most of the figures which are more simply styled versions of already existing figures, Tung Lashor looks incredibly different from his vintage and MOTUC counterparts. I do own a few figures from Mattel's offerings but this is my first of Super7's Filmation based entries. Being that it's my first, I will say I'm not too thrilled. This figure has some real problems. I've largely been happy with Super7's MOTUC offerings, as figures like Karg, Wrap Trap, and Quakke have been fantastic, though there have been some weaker offerings (Granita and Hawke come to mind). I did want to give Tung Lashor a chance since he looks so unique, though, plus this version of Tung Lashor is affiliated with the Horde rather than the Snake Men like the vintage figure, so he can be displayed with a completely different faction, too! Let's get the full scoop after the break...

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

The 12 Days of Christmas: Bounty Hunters from Micro Machines: Star Wars by Galoob

   Merry Christmas!

   For today's installment of the 12 Days of Christmas I'm checking the last of my 12 favorite toylines of all time and this time we're looking at Micro Machines: Star Wars! Galoob (and later Hasbro's) Star Wars line of Micro Machines is absolutely one of my favorite toylines of all time. We're talking top three here. I've never lost my love for these and I'm always working to add in figures, vehicles, and playsets that I'm missing from the line. Today I'm checking out one of the cool figure packs from later in the line: Bounty Hunters. The Bounty Hunters have always been one of the coolest parts of Star Wars and Galoob delivered by giving us a nice 9-pack of microfigures featuring The Empire Strikes Back 6, Greedo, Princess Leia disguised as Boushh, and Chewbacca in his Snoova disguise from Shadows of the Empire. Let's check these cool guys out after the break...

Monday, December 24, 2018

The 12 Days of Christmas: Video Game Superstars Presents: Capcom's Resident Evil by Toy Biz





   Merry Christmas Eve! Today's toyline on the list of my 12 favorite toylines of all time is Video Game Superstars Presents: Capcom's Resident Evil by Toy Biz. Released by Toy Biz in 1998, the line had three series of figures that covered characters from Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2. It might sound kind of odd but I have really strong, nostalgic memories of this line. At the time when these were released video game based action figures were actually somewhat of a rarity, so these were a very big deal at the time. There have been many Resident Evil toys made by different companies but few have ever been as expansive as the Toy Biz line. For as massive of an entertainment property as Resident Evil is, no company seems able to sustain a toyline for very long. I've actually reviewed the entire line previously, so rather than offer a review I'm going to post links to all of the previous reviews and then share my wish list for a hypothetical fourth series.

Video Game Superstars Presents: Capcom's Resident Evil by Toy Biz (1998)
Chris Redfield & Cerberus
Forest Speyer & Maggot Zombie
Hunter & Chimera
Jill Valentine & Web Spinner
Tyrant

Video Game Superstars Presents: Capcom's Resident Evil 2 by Toy Biz
Ada Wong & Ivy
Claire Redfield & Zombie Cop
Hunk & Zombie
Leon S. Kennedy & Licker
Tyrant/ Mr. X
William Birkin & Sherry
William G3/ William G4


Sunday, December 23, 2018

Action Figure Review: Bounsweet vs Pikachu from Pokemon by Tomy

 It's been a couple of weeks since I showed off the Alolan Sandshrew  vs Jangmo-o set that I picked up on crazy clearance from Gamestop but I wanted to show off one more of the newer sets  picked up: Bounsweet vs Pikachu. It doesn't look like much of a fight is going on here, though, as Pikachu is sleeping and Bounsweet just looks too cute and helpless. While Pikachu is one of the most recognizable characters in the world, Bounsweet is a Pokemon that I wasn't familiar with before picking up the set. Bounsweet is a Generation VII Grass type Fruit Pokemon that apparently is supposed to look like a mangosteen. I've never heard of one of those, either. Interesting, huh? Let's check this set out after the break...

The 12 Days of Christmas: Sunshine [A] from M.U.S.C.L.E. by Mattel

 Merry Christmas Eve Eve! We're almost at the big day but that doesn't mean we need a big toy to have some fun! Today's entry on this list of my 12 favorite toylines of all time is Sunshine [A] from Mattel's M.U.S.C.L.E. line. In Kinnikuman, Sunshine is one of the Akuma Chojin and hails from Nazca, Peru. I believe he is meant to be made out of sand and thus is a shape shifter of sorts, meaning there are multiple different version of him in the line. I remember catching on to this as a kid and finding it very cool that this guy had different forms. I assumed he was a robot or made of blocks but being a sand construct makes sense, too. A lot of his different forms, such as an arch and a top, are related to his various wrestling moves. Maybe I'll get around to reviewing those figures someday as well. For today, though, we'll just check out the standard Sunshine after the break...

Saturday, December 22, 2018

The 12 Days of Christmas: Dracula Playset from McFarlane's Monsters by McFarlane Toys

    Back in the mid-late 1990s McFarlane Toys was one of the hottest companies around. McFarlane was synonymous with detailed sculpting, an unprecedented level of detail, and crazy designs and they helped to inspire other companies to up their games, too. In 1997 McFarlane Toys released the first four sets in their McFarlane's Monsters series, a series of miniature playsets with smaller sized action figures that evoked the Aurora model kits of the 1960s. I've reviewed a couple of these in the past as they've long been one of my favorite toylines. They just display so darn well that I've always made sure I've had space to display them in my collection. Today I'm checking out the Dracula Playset, one of the four series one playsets. I remember receiving this guy for my 14th birthday back in 1997 and I still love having him around. Let's check this guy out after the break...

Toy Review: Leonardo from Eekeez: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by FOCO

  Recently FOCO reached out to me and asked if they could send me some toys to check out and review. There are two things I never turn down and one of them is free toys (the other is smoked salmon) so I definitely let FOCO know they could ship some stuff to the top secret lair/ studio of Action Figure Barbecue Worldwide Limited.  FOCO sent me a few of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Eekeez figures and first up I'm checking out Leonardo. Leonardo was released as part of the first series of TMNT Eekeez which I believe released in January of this year. Alongside Raphael and the Shredder, Leonardo introduced FOCO's line of tiki inspired resin mini-statues to the masses. Let's check out Leonardo a bit more closely after the break...

Friday, December 21, 2018

The 12 Days of Christmas: Zuckuss from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

    I have collected many different Star Wars lines since 1995 but Star Wars: The Black Series has absolutely become my favorite Star Wars action figure line. While it's probably the newest entry on this list (the first figures arrived in 2013) it has become my favorite to the quality of the figures and the way Hasbro continues to improve the line. Originally I planned on being highly selective with the line but over time (probably sometime during the the release of the figures from The Force Awakens) I decided I was all in on it. Throughout my time collecting the line, however, there was one group I have always longed to complete: The Empire Strikes Back bounty hunters. Finally that goal is complete! With the release of Zuckuss, originally intended to be a Toys R Us exclusive but now moved to a Disney Store exclusive, I have completed that incredibly awesome sextet of bounty hunting coolness. Let's be honest: They're probably one of the most iconic teams in Star Wars and probably one of the collecting goals of a lot of folks, right? Let's check out Zuckuss after the break...

Thursday, December 20, 2018

The 12 Days of Christmas: Lodar from Masters of the Universe Classics by Super7

   I'm a bit late on today's entry but for this installment of The 12 Days of Christmas, celebrating my 12 favorite toylines of all time, I'm checking out a figure from Masters of the Universe Classics: Lodar! If you're really going to nail me down on my favorite action figure line of all time, it's Masters of the Universe Classics. It's fun, diverse, colorful, well made, nostalgic, and it just keeps going! What was originally intended to be a small nostalgia based line with just a handful of characters expanded into a crazy huge line with prototype figures, dragons, horses, vehicles, and even playsets! Heck, even after Mattel decided to "end" the line Super7 picked it up and has continued releasing figures for it. Today I'm checking out Lodar, a minicomic based figure from the second series of Collector's Choice figures released by Super7. Lodar was just released this fall and I only obtained him recently, so he's getting the review treatment. Let's check out Lodar after the break...

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

The 12 Days of Christmas: Prince Theodred from The Lord of The Rings Trilogy: The Two Towers by Toy Biz

   To make today's review a little bit more Christmasy, I'll paraphrase Mr. Charles Dickens: "Theodred was dead, to begin with." Yup...this is pretty much a figure of a dead guy. As I'm going through and checking out one review of my 12 favorite toylines of all time I'm using different criteria to make my selections as to who I should review. Sometimes I'm selecting a favorite figure. Other times I'm selecting the newest figure in the line I've acquired. Today, while writing a review for Toy Biz's The Lord of the Rings line based on the Peter Jackson films, I'm going with the strangest: Theodred. Theodred, the son of King Theoden is the Prince of Rohan who dies pretty much as soon as he appears. I mean, he spends more time onscreen being dead than being alive, which wasn't much time at all. To be honest, the thing I remember most about Theodred is Theoden's quote: "No parent should have to bury their child."
   Toy Biz began releasing figures when The Fellowship of the Rings opened in theaters in 2001 and continued releasing them through 2006. All in all they released over 200 releases for three films. That's insanely impressive for a film that isn't a Star Wars film, isn't it? While Toy Biz released a line of figures for each film, after the release of The Return of the King in 2003 they began releasing figures from all of the films in smaller packages, dubbed the Trilogy figures and later Epic Trilogy figures. Theodred was released in the fourth series of The Two Towers: Trilogy figures in 2005, which was pretty far into the line's lifespan and thus Toy Biz was really having to dig pretty deep in the line for characters and thus Theoden's dead son was released. Toy Biz, you truly were awesome toy makers. Let's check out Theodred after the break...

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

The 12 Days of Christmas: Indiana Jones with Ark from Indiana Jones by Hasbro

   For today's installment of the 12 Days of Christmas, which this year is comprised of a review each day from one of my 12 favorite toy lines of all time, I'm checking out the deluxe Indiana Jones with Ark from Hasbro's 2008 Indiana Jones toyline. Raiders of the Lost Ark is tied with Ghostbusters as my favorite film of all time and I've always been a huge Indiana Jones fan for nearly as far back as I can remember. Heck, for years I used my General Hawk v2 action figure as Indiana Jones as the only figure I ever owned as a kid from Kenner's The Adventures of Indiana Jones line was Toht. In 2008, in conjunction with the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Hasbro released a new series of 1/18th scaled action figures that covered all of the films in the series. In addition to the standard figures, Hasbro also released a number of deluxe two packs. Today I'm checking out the set of Indiana Jones in the robes he wears while looking for the ark and entering the map room in the ruins of Tanis. It's a pretty cool set although, to be honest, Indy wears this outfit while looking for the ark but he discards the robe before finding the robe. Still, it's a great set so let's check it out after the break...

Monday, December 17, 2018

The 12 Days of Christmas: Jungle Fighters from Guts! by Mattel

    For today's review from one of my twelve favorite toylines of all time, I'm checking out the Jungle Fighters from Mattel's 1986 minifigure line Guts! Most of these guys are my original childhood figures as I've owned most of the line since I was pretty young. While plastic army men are one of the toys that nearly everyone has owned at some point, Guts! went a step further by giving us really unique sculpts with painted details. These are some of my favorite minifigures of all time and they've always been a toy that I've never had any intention of getting of. Today I'm checking out the Jungle Fighters set, one of the six sets in the Guts line. Available in 2-packs, 5-packs, and a 10 pack, the Jungle Fighters definitely had a bit of a Missing in Action/ 80s action movie vibe to them. To be honest, I always used most of them as bad guys as they kind of reminded me of some sort of guerilla faction. They're definitely the faction with the most character, so that's why I'm showing them off. I've talked about my love for Guts! many times over the years but I'm finally getting the chance to show them off! More after the break...

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Minifigure Review: Krampus (Blood Red) from Kaiju Kaos: Smackdown by Acheson Creations

   While we're definitely late for Krampusnacht I still want to show off a cool new Krampus minfigure I picked up from Bailey Records. Krampus is a new addition to the Kaiju Kaos: Smackdown line, a line of hand cast resin minfigures that can be used as pieces for a board game. Krampus is available in multiple colors and I picked mine up in Blood Red, a fitting color for this old Christmas demon, don't you think? Let's check out Krampus after the break...

The 12 Days of Christmas: Firefly from G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 by Hasbro

  I know I'm doing these alphabetically but, if we were going by order of merit, Hasbro's G.I. Joe Sigma 6 line would easily be in my top 5 toylines of all time. Not only do I love these figures, which are much larger than your standard A Real American Hero G.I. Joe figures (but smaller than the classic 12 inch Joes) but I had a blast collecting them and interacting with the small yet passionate Joe community who dug these guys. I wrote a lot of guest and co-reviews for these guys but I do believe that Firefly is the first figure I've ever reviewed specifically for Action Figure Barbecue. The Sigma 6 line was divided up into Soldier and Commando class figures. Commando class figures sold for around $15 dollars and came with larger accessories and packaging that converted into a footlocker while the Soldier class figures retailed for around $10 bucks and came with fewer accessories on a standard blister card. Firefly was a Soldier class figure, part of the third series of Soldier figures, and I think you're going to be wowed with how many accessories he comes with. These figures were loaded with play value! Let's take a look at Firefly more closely after the break...

Saturday, December 15, 2018

The 12 Days of Christmas! Wonder Woman from DC Universe Classics by Mattel

  For the second day in this Christmas countdown where I'm reviewing one figure each from my 12 favorite toylines of all time, I'm checking out a Wonder Woman figure from Mattel's DC Universe Classics from 2008. Now, to be fair, I'm not just counting DC Universe Classics by itself when factoring it in as one of my favorite toylines of all time: I'm also counting Batman Unlimited, the DC Universe Signature Collection, DC Comics Multiverse, and multiple other smaller lines that used this same scale and style. DC Universe Classics lasted the longest, however, and it delivered dozens of unique DC characters rarely (if ever) seen in action figure form. I was trying to decide who to review so I asked my daughter, who is fascinated by my DCUC collection. She first suggested Superman but then decided that Wonder Woman would be a better choice. I agreed and thus we're reviewing the DC Universe Classics Wonder Woman. Originally released in the fourth series in 2008, this version of Wonder Woman is honestly one of my favorites. The DCUC line was expansive, fun, and incredibly diverse over the first few years of the line's lifespan. Let's take a look back at this incredible version of Princess Diana that is now over a decade old...

Friday, December 14, 2018

The 12 Days of Christmas! A.T.A.X. from Aliens by Kenner

    This year in the lead up to Christmas I've decided to take a step back and show off 12 toys from what I believe are my 12 favorite toylines of all time! Since narrowing the list down to 12 was difficult enough as is, I've decided to present these in alphabetical order for the sake of simplicity. Today we're jumping back to 1992 to check out a figure from Kenner's Alien/ Predator line: A.T.A.X. from series 2 of the Alien line. I reviewed all of the first series figures quite a few years ago back during my The Epic Review days and I have't really reviewed any more of Kenner's offerings from the series since. Aliens was one of those toylines that introduced me to an entertainment property, in this case the Alien franchise. I was only nine when these came out and they blew me away. A neighbor who was a year or two older than me (remember Freddy and my K-Mart bag wrapped Gorilla Alien?) introduced me to these and for at least a year or two they were the subject of many playtimes. I didn't see Aliens for years (probably not until I was in late middle school or early high school) but my friend Freddy had and so he was obsessed with ensuring that all of the marines from the film were represented. This meant Ninja Turtles and Batman figures with paper armbands taped on that had the characters' names written on them (I'm pretty sure Midshipman Mike was Lt. Gorman). When A.T.A.X was released, however, it was a big surprise. He just seemed to appear out of nowhere. Fortunately, the comics included helped to flesh out his character a bit as a highly skilled special operative who wore a disguise to sneak into Xenomorph hives and eliminate alien queens. Pretty cool, right? Let's check out A.T.A.X. after the break...

Monday, December 10, 2018

Action Figure Review: Alolan Sandshrew vs Jangmo-o from Pokemon by Tomy

 A couple of years ago I discovered that Tomy was making Pokemon action figures and I picked up an Ash Ketchum and Pikachu set to go along with my World of Nintendo figures. I haven't purchased any since then but I have been tempted a time or two. On Friday I stopped by a GameStop to pick up a controller for my Switch to better play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and I found all of GameStop's Pokemon figures on clearance for half price with an additional 50% off the clearance price, meaning I paid a little under $2 for this set. Anyways, I'm not the biggest fan of the games but I really do like Pokemon and I love minifigures, so these are cool little minifigures. The Alolan Sandshrew vs Jangmo-o set features two more recent Pokemon that I wasn't entirely familiar with but I always love the designs, so who cares, right? Let's check out this set after the break...

Sunday, December 9, 2018

Action Figure Review: Val (Vandor) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

   Today I'm checking out the last figure in the newest series of Star Wars: The Black Series figures and whether she's the best or not may just very well be a matter of personal opinion. Val is absolutely another star of the Black Series this year and is another figure likely to end up in the top 10. I really like Thandie Newton's role in Solo but, sadly, it was very short. Like with Rio Durant, Val really didn't get that much screen time to be fleshed out fully as a character. It's possible that this was done to not allow us to get attached to the characters and then have our hearts broken, like in Rogue One, but it still would have been great to have more time with Val. Hasbro certainly didn't skimp on the figure, though, so let's check her out more closely after the break...

Saturday, December 8, 2018

Minifigure Review: Alien from Playtive Junior: Series 1 by Lidl

    Last month while grocery shopping for Thanksgiving at Lidl my daughter and I stumbled upon a series of blindbagged minifigures from Playtive Junior, a product range of kids toys that seems to be solely distributed by Lidl. They have lots of wooden food items, toy cars, games, and such, but the little blindbagged minifigures definitely were what caught my attention. Most of the minifigures were pretty standard things (traffic cop, doctor, Sherlock Holmes styled detective) but the Alien stood out t me. Thanks to his domed helmet he was easy to find and I picked him up for the somewhat steep price of.... $1! Yup! These little guys retail for $1. I'm not that into the rest of them (I do dig the Sherlock Holmes, I guess) but the Alien was a must have, especially for the price. He's a very traditional looking space alien design and seems like something out of a 50s or 60s low-budget sci-fi film. Let's take a look at him a bit more closely after the break...

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Action Figure Review: Rio Durant from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 I'm getting ready to chastise Hasbro two times, but for completely different reasons. First: Darn it, Hasbro! Why in the world was Rio Durant not released as part of the initial line up of toys for the Solo product debut? Seriously, Hasbro: You should have had characters like Rio, L3-37, Tobias Beckett, Dryden Vos, and Qi'ra in the outfit she actually wears for most of the film ready for the film's release. What the heck? Now, for the second chastisement: Darn it, Hasbro! How am I supposed to make a list of the ten best Star Wars figures of 2018 when you keep putting out better and better figures? Rio Durant is another figure could easily be one of the best of the year. Discover why this Ardennian is one of the best Black Series figures yet released after the break...

Monday, December 3, 2018

Action Figure Review: Rey (Jakku) from Star Wars: The Vintage Collection by Hasbro

 I've only bought a handful of 1/18th scaled Star Wars figures in the past five years or so but every now and then I'll snap up a new one. A week or so ago I was at a Bargain Hunt close-out store and found this Vintage Collection version of Rey in her Jakku outfit for around $4 dollars. At that price I decided to pick her up just because I really do like Rey's role in The Force Awakens and I love her costume. This version of Rey is really just a repack of the Wal-Mart exclusive 1/18th scaled Black Series Rey from the end of 2015/ early 2016 but I never owned that figure so it was new to me. Let's check Rey out a bit more closely after the break...

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Action Figure Review: Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

   Today I'm checking out another figure from the most recent series of Star Wars: The Black Series figures and it's another one I've been really looking forward to: Princess Leia Organa in her Hoth gear. I've always liked this costume and it really ranks pretty high up there as one of my favorite looks for Leia ever (my favorite Leia costume ever is actually the Terry Dodson design from the Mark Waid penned Leia comic. This Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson Leia image is possibly my favorite piece of Leia art ever), plus it's from The Empire Strikes Back, so that automatically makes it vital for a respectable Star Wars: The Black Series collection. Let's check out this new version of Princess Leia Organa after the break...

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Action Figure Review: Hero Ash & Evil Ed from Evil Dead II by NECA

    While the had released a handful of figures from Army of Darkness over the years, in 2012 NECA finally released some action figures from Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn. It's been a few years since then but NECA did release a deluxe Ultimate Ash in 2016 that largely reused pieces from the previous sets with improved leg articulation. NECA has teased this set for a few years, however, and it finally made it out this year. This set includes the "Hero" Ash figure, which features Ash Williams in his standard outfit with a ripped, bloody shirt, and "Evil" Ed Getley, Professor Knowby's assistant who becomes a deadite. It's a good concept for a two-pack as we get one tweaked Ash with lots of accessories and a brand new deadite figure. I like it and I hope that we see a few more Evil Dead figures at some point (NECA needs to take a swing at the Pit Witch from Army of Darkness, Evil Ash, and some characters from the original film). I recently received this set as a gift and I'm eager to take a look at it. Let's check it out after the break...