Friday, January 31, 2020

Wrapping Up 2019: Ultimate Warrior from Masters of the WWE Universe by Mattel

    Today I'm wrapping up the 2019 Masters of the WWE Universe releases with a look at Ultimate Warrior, the Heroic Champion of WWEternia. I like the fact that Mattel really mixed up the wrestlers appearing in the first series of figures as we got a classic guy (Ultimate Warrior), a 90's Attitude Era/ Monday Night Wars guy (Sting), some Ruthless Aggression era guys (Cena and Triple H), and a modern Superstar (Finn Balor). It's a good mix that works well with the craziness of Masters of the WWE Universe. Looking at the minicomic and the cardback, I really get the impression that Ultimate Warrior is the main hero of WWEternia. He definitely seems to be a hero very much in the vein of He-Man in the original "He-Man and the Power Sword" minicomic. Heck, he carries the same spear as Oo-Lar, so the connection seems crystal clear, actually. Let's take a look at the Ultimate Warrior after the break...

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Action Figure Review: Colonial Marines 'Vs' Aliens (Gold) from Alien Collection by Lanard Toys

    I just reviewed the Alien Queen from Lanard Toys' Alien Collection on Monday and now I;m checking out the first one of the sets including a standard Xenomorph. Most of these sets don't have actual names, which is kind of frustrating to me. Still, I can't help but like this line. I really only picked these up so I can mix in some of the pieces with my beloved Kenner Aliens and Predator collection, but they definitely have a charm of their own that I appreciate. These are very inexpensive, which I think is one of the first things you'll notice about these. This set with a 1/18th scale Xenomorph, a human figure, and an egg with a Facehugger is less than $10 bucks. Yeah, I know. That's crazy. There's obviously a lot of reuse between the sets and the humans are reused from previous Lanard lines like The Corps, so that probably helps keep the costs down. Anyways, let's check this set out and see what you get for $10 bucks, after the break...

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Christmas Haul 2019: Valkyrie from Fortnite: Legendary Series by Jazwares

    I'm down to only two reviews left until I've finished up reviewing the 2019 Fortnite:Legendary Series releases so let's knock one of them out today with a look at Valkyrie. Valkyrie is not only one of the coolest figures in Jazwares' Fortnite: Legendary Series but she also stands as the first female released in the line. Originally slated for series 2 in early Fall, Valkyrie ended up shipping out with series 3 in December. Valkyrie is a Legendary outfit in Fortnite and is loaded down with amazing details. She was another figure I received for Christmas and I've been really excited to review her. Ready to check out Valkyrie? Then join me after the break...

Monday, January 27, 2020

Wrapping Up 2019: Triple H from Masters of the WWE Universe by Mattel

    It's been a few weeks since I reviewed a figure from Mattel's Masters of the WWE Universe series but today I'm checking out the third of the four single packed figures in series one: Triple H. This is the second Triple H in the line, as the first was released in the Grayskull Mania set along with John Cena. These are Walmart exclusives and the first series of carded figures have been slowly trickling out over the past few weeks. It's interesting that of all of the WWE Superstars out there, Mattel doubled down on Triple H so early on. Maybe it's because he's a big fan of the barbarian fantasy aesthetic, or maybe it's because he's a bigwig over at WWE. Anyways, this Triple H is actually a very cool inclusion in the line as he seems like a true fantasy villain and should mesh well in the upcoming MOTU Origins line. Let's check out Triple H after the break...

Action Figure Review: Alien Queen from Alien Collection by Lanard Toys

   It's no secret that Kenner's vintage Alien and Predator toyline is one of my favorite toylines of all time, and in 2020 I'm hoping to go through and review every figure in the lines. Yes, every figure. We'll see how it goes but I've found that there aren't too many great resources out there for collectors of the line, so I'm going to help how I can. Plus, I love the line so much and I'm in the process of completing it. Of course, my love for that vintage toyline is the reason I'm checking out the subject of today's review: The Alien Queen from Lanard Toys' Alien Collection. Yes, Lanard Toys, the makers of The Corps. Over the past couple of years Lanard has been releasing a few movie based toylines covering properties like Rampage, Kong of Skull Island, and Jumangi. Now they've got the Alien license and they've released an unusual assortment of action figures loosely based on the property. These are all exclusive to Walmart (as is most Lanard product), so that's where you'll need to check to pick these up. My biggest interest in this line is finding pieces that will blend in well with Kenner's vintage Aliens line and I do believe the Alien Queen fits in quite well as sort of a "boss villain" version of the Queen. Let's check her out after the break and see if this is a line worth screaming about...

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Christmas Haul 2019: Skull Trooper from Fortnite: Legendary Series by Jazwares

    I'm back with yet another item I received for Christmas! I ended up with most of the latest series of Fortnite: Legendary Series figures under the Christmas tree for me, including this very cool Skull Trooper. The Purple Glow Skull Trooper was released in the first series of figures last summer and was actually the first of the Fortnite: Legendary Series figures I reviewed. The Skull Trooper is definitely one of the most recognizable characters from Fortnite and I've always found it interesting that Jazwares led off with the purple variant. This guy is really cool, though, and while he's a repaint he looks awesome, makes for a nice troop builder styled figure, and comes with a slightly different arsenal than the first release. Let's check out this wicked cool Series 3 Skull Trooper after the break...

Wrapping Up 2019: Early Bird Collector's Package Series 2 from Mythos by HH Toys

    It was exactly one year ago today that I reviewed the Early Bird Package of Series 1 of HH Toys' Mythos in My Pocket figures. My wife got them for me for Christmas and they ended up being one of my favorite releases of 2018. While the name has changed for Series 2 (they're just Mythos now), the figures are as great as ever. I picked up the Series 2 Early Bird Collector's Package on my own this year and I'm happy to say it's another stellar set of minifigures. While the Early Bird Package is long gone, you can still pick up the standard packs of figures. Let's take a look at the latest series of terrifying monstrosities...

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Action Figure Review: God Skeletor from Masters of the Universe Classics by Super7

    Today's my third review from Super7's final series if Masters of the Universe Classics figures and this time it's God Skeletor! Based on William Stout's design for the 1987 film, God Skeletor represents Skeletor's appearance at the finale of the movie one he is fully imbued with the power of the universe. This is an incredibly popular look for Skeletor that really depicts the character in a way that was never seen before the film or since in other media. It's way outside of Skeletor's normal depictions, but that's part of what makes it so unique and interesting. My guess is that for a lot of collectors, God Skeletor is going to be the hit of the series. Let's take a look and see how he fares as an action figure after the break...

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Christmas Haul 2019: Raven from Fortnite: Legendary Series by Jazwares

 I'm still, slowly but surely, going through some of the cool stuff I ended up with for Christmas 2019. I actually received the newest series of Fortnite figures (I've reviewed a few of them previously), one of which is Raven. Raven definitely has a very cool, very goth look to him. He kind of reminds me of a mixture between a Halloween costume and the Merchant from Resident Evil 4. I was really excited for this guy but I will say that I'm a bit disappointed here due to how Raven's face was handled. Anyways, let's take a look at the "Brooding Masters of Dark Skies" after the break and see how he turned out...

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Wrapping Up 2019: Sorceress from Masters of the Universe Action Vinyls by The Loyal Subjects

    Now that many Walmarts have placed a collector focused section in the electronics section containing a number of different lines from The Loyal Subjects' Action Vinyls range I've been having some luck finding a few of the less common Series 2 Masters of the Universe Action Vinyls. First I found Orko in early December and then, in late December, I stumbled upon the Sorceress. I ordered a case of these last Spring and wound up with the fairly rare Pink Sorceress variant but I really wanted this classic Sorceress for my collection. Well, here she is! Let's check her out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Dark Despot Skeletor from Masters of the Universe Classics by Mattel

    I can't even begin to discuss how excited I am to have a movie based Skeletor action figure in Masters of the Universe Classics. It's truly a great day!  While Super7 didn't release as many Masters of the Universe Classics figures during their time with the brand as I thought they would, they certainly did help to fill some gaps in the wish-lists of many fans and these movie based figures are certainly one of the biggest gaps Mattel left open. Well, I should say that these figures are actually based on the designs of William Stout who created the character and costume designs for the 1987 film. You might see some differences between the characters from the films and the figure but that's part of these figures being based on the concept designs, which is probably they only reason we're able to get them. While the 1987 film is often maligned (both fairly and unfairly, though I myself really like it) there are definitely two aspects of the film that are beyond reproach: The costume designs and Frank Langella's portrayal of Skeletor. With this figure, Dark Despot Skeletor, you get both of the best parts of the film all rolled into one. Let's check out Dark Despot Skeletor after the break...

Monday, January 20, 2020

Wrapping Up 2019: Scare Glow (Clear) from Masters of the Universe: ReAction by Super7

    Near the end of 2019 Super7 released a few more translucent variant figures in the Masters of the Universe: ReAction line and while I didn't pick up all of them, I did grab Anti-Eternia He-Man (Clear Smoke) and Scare Glow (Clear). Scare Glow is definitely one of those characters who went from having only one figure in the vintage line (and none in the 200x line, not even a staction), to being a go to figure for most new lines. Super7 released the basic glow-in-the dark Scare Glow in the ReAction line last spring but now we get a very ethereal translucent variant, too. Spooky, right! Let's check out the clear Scare Glow after the break...

Wrapping Up 2019: Chewbacca & C-3PO from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

  Well, unless I find the Mandalorian himself soon then this is the last Star Wars: The Black Series release I'll be reviewing from 2019. Released around early December, Chewbacca & C-3PO are an Amazon exclusive 2-pack featuring two of the Star Wars Galaxy's most recognizable heroes in a very scene specific look from the finale of The Empire Strikes Back. Chewbacca and Threepio are no strangers to the Black Series but this set definitely does something very different with them by allowing you to recreate Chewbacca toting C-3PO around Cloud City while escaping from the Empire's trap. And yes, I know that I positioned C-3PO incorrectly in my pictures, as he's supposed to be backwards. I finally got tired of him complaining that he couldn't see, OK? Let's check out this set after the break and see how it turned out...

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Action Figure Review: Commander Karg from Masters of the Universe Classics by Super7

 Just last week Super7 started shipping the four figures from their third and final series of Masters of the Universe Classics action figures, this time featuring figures based on the costume and character designs of William Stout that were used in the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie. I'm going to be checking all of these out in the coming week or two but first up I'm going to be reviewing Commander Karg. Karg was one of the trio of new villain introduced in the film but, oddly enough, he was not released as a figure in the vintage toyline (both Saurod and Blade were, however). Mattel also never released Karg during the main run of MOTUC figures (but they did release Saurod and Blade) but when Super7 took over they released Karg in the second series of MOTUC/ Collector's Choice figures. That figure was based on his appearance in a 1987 comic book, and it features green skin, yellow hair, and blue armor. This version, however, is quite movie accurate and has been give the designation of Commander Karg. Since the MOTUC philosophy has always been finding a way to fit all of the characters and their unique appearances together into one cohesive story/ universe, this version of Karg represents the character later in his life after he has been freed from Prison Starr after years in isolation, thus his skin has grown lighter and his hair has turned white. Whether you dig the MOTUC bio (I do) or just like that this is a movie based version of Karg, you should be happy with this figure. Let's check him out after the break...

Christmas Haul 2019: Pack A from M.U.S.C.L.E.: Street Sharks by Mattel

    One of the strangest surprises of 2019 were the Street Sharks M.U.S.C.L.E. figures that started showing up at bargain outlets like Ollie's and 5 Below. While Super7 has been cranking out M.U.S.C.L.E. branded figures since 2015, in 2019 it seems that Mattel wanted the brand back. Super7 begin labeling their figures Keshi Surprise and Mattel seems to be using the M.U.S.C.L.E. brand again. Well, maybe. These guys really just slipped out into discount retailers over the summer with no fanfare or acknowledgment whatsoever.  At first some folks thought they were even custom but it seems that ultimately these were a project that Mattel simply scrapped and sold off to discount stores. It turns out they're pretty cool, however. While Street Sharks may not have the following of many other 1990s toylines, I definitely remember them being on toy shelves. I only ever owned one, and it was because I found him abandoned at my neighborhood swimming pool. I always kind of wanted them but by the time they came out I imagine my interests were in different toylines. Still, I love M.U.S.C.L.E. and I definitely don't turn down cool (and cheap!) minifigures, so these guys were a real surprise to find stuffed in my stocking. I had been looking for them for months and my parents actually found them on a trip to an Ollie's. Pretty slick, huh? Let's take a look at Pack A, which contains Big Slammu, Slash, and Streex...

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Wrapping Up 2019: Heavy Infantry Mandalorian from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

    While I'd love to say it's simply a loving homage to the time when most background Star Wars characters didn't have names, that fact that the package simply calls this guy Heavy Infantry Mandalorian rather than his real name, Paz Vizla (he's voiced by Jon Favreau, who also voices Pre Viszla in The Clone Wars and Rio Durant in Solo). It's a small thing but, to me, it shows the current lack of cooperation and trust between Disney and Hasbro. With The Mandalorian, we've received one of the best things to come out of the Disney era of Star Wars, and Hasbro's currently on fire with the quality of what they're producing in the Black Series (sorry 1/18th scale fans, I know y'all are definitely getting left out in the cold and I do feel for you), so why not bring this stuff together? We should be swimming in product for The Mandalorian right now! Still, I'm grateful for anything we're getting from the series (even though I have yet to actually acquire a Mandalorian himself) and this guy was a surprise that kind of showed up out of nowhere as a Best Buy exclusive.  While he's a bit bulkier than some other figures, it's kind of odd that Hasbro felt the need to designate this guy as a Deluxe release (he's given the designation D2 on the side, following after General Grievous' D1 numbering). Is he really that deluxe and worth of a $8-$10 dollar price jump? Well, let's check Paz Vizla out after the break and see if he's deserving of a salute himself...

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Action Figure Review: Scareglow from Masters of the Universe by Mondo

  First things first: The vintage packaging lists the character's name as Scare Glow, while lots of more recent merchandise uses Scareglow. I'll probably mix it up and use both interchangeably, because that's how I roll. Now, secondly, man, does Scare Glow have a cult following or what? For being a figure that seemingly few fans had as a kid, now everyone loves Scare Glow. Considering he has hardly appeared in any media and we know next to nothing him, Scare Glow's fandom kind of reminds me of Boba Fett's fandom throughout the 1990s. I always find it off that I never had Scare Glow as a kid since I'm on the younger side of MOTU fandom (I wasn't born until 1983) and I owned so many of the 1986 figures: Gwildor, Saurod, King Randor, Mosquitor, Blast-Attak, Clamp Champ, Buzz-Saw Hordak, and even some of the Meteorbs. How the heck did Scare-Glow get by me? Anyways, the last few years have seen a bit of a Scare Glow renaissance and Mondo has managed to get Scare Glow into their 1/6th scale Masters of the Universe line as the fourth figure released. Scare Glow went on sale on Halloween of 2019, but he just started shipping during the first full week of 2020. Like his vintage counterpart, Scareglow is mostly composed of parts from other figures with a new head, cape, and weapons. He's an interesting figure but, I have to say, he definitely has disappointed me a bit. Let's take a look and see how Mondo's interpretation of Scareglow turned out after the break...

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Christmas Haul 2019: Molten Battle Hound from Fortnite: Legendary Series by Jazwares

    I ended up with quite a few of the Fortnite: Legendary Series figures fro Christmas this year and the next one I'm checking out is Molten Battle Hound.  I'm really only familiar with any of these characters from their appearance on advertising and stuff or if they've already had an action figure made, so I was aware of Battle Hound due to Jazwares including him in the 1/18th scaled line. I don't collect that line o anything, but I do keep up with it, and I dug his gladiator styled design. The Molten Battle Hound is even better, though, as his mask his on fire! Why is on fire? Who knows? It's crazy cool, though, right? This guy was actually only released as in-game costume at the end of March 2019 as part of the Lava Legends pack, so this is a pretty new outfit. Let's check out the figure and see how the Molten Battle Hound stacks up against his competitors after the break...

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Wrapping Up 2019: Neomorph Alien from Aliens/ Predator Classic by NECA

    NECA delivered lots of surprises last year, from the release of Toony Terrors to their decision to start producing more Halloween figures. Perhaps my favorite surprise, though, is NECA's decision to revisit the vintage Kenner Aliens and Predator lines by offering new toys in the retro Kenner style. I'm not talking about the vintage 1/18th "Star Wars" scale, either; I'm talking about the 4 1/2 inch scale Kenner used throughout the 1990s. For a few years now NECA has paid homage to the Kenner figures for both Aliens and Predator in their typical 7-inch scale, but these figures will fit right in with your vintage Kenner Aliens and Predator collection. I checked out the Berserker Predator from Predators a couple of weeks ago and now I'm checking out the Neomorph Alien from Alien: Covenant. Let's see how this ghost white Neomorph turned out after the break...

Friday, January 10, 2020

Christmas Haul 2019: Peely from Fortnite: Legendary Series by Jazwares

   Getting some fruit for Christmas is an old tradition that hearkens back to the gifts of St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra. I got some fruit for Christmas, too. A banana. And he's carrying a flipping 12 gauge. Rack it! Yes, I actually received Peely from Jazwares' Fortnite: Legendary series for Christmas and today I'm checking him out! He's crazy, as are so many of the Fortnite designs, but he's so darn loveable, too. Jazwares has released Peely in the smaller 1/18th scaled line while McFarlane Toys has released him in their 7-8 inch line, so there is a Peely no matter what size you prefer. The Fortnite: Legendary Series version is the only one to come with multiple faces, however, so that's a big point in his favor. Let's check out Peely after the break and see why he's the top banana.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Wrapping Up 2019: Stratos from Masters of the Universe: Mega Construx by Mattel

    Mattel's relaunch of the Masters of the Universe: Mega Construx line is just starting to hit stores (folks are finding them at Walmarts across the US and in Canada) but today I'm checking out the last MOTU figure from the previous Mega Construx line (which included characters from multiple different properties): Stratos, the winged warrior of Avion. Stratos is actually making an appearance in the first series of the new line as well, although that version has the blue wings and red jetpack while this guy has the red wings and blue jetpack. And yes, these things matter to Masters of the Universe fans. Stratos was released in the same series as Scare Glow, which ended up being notoriously difficult to find until a month or so ago when these guys started showing up at Bargain Hunt stores and other discount retailers. Ready to check out Stratos? Then join me after the break...

Monday, January 6, 2020

Christmas Haul 2019: Leatherface from Toony Terrors by NECA

    Part of wrapping up 2019 is showing off some of the cool action figures I received as gifts. Today I'm checking out Leatherface from Toony Terrors, who was most certainly sitting under my Christmas tree as a gift. I actually got Michael Myers a few weeks before Leatherface, but I figured I'd show off these guys pretty close together. I haven't picked up all of the Toony Terrors (I've skipped both Pennywises, Pinhead, and the Chuck/ Tiffany two pack) but I definitely wanted to display Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and Leatherface together. I'm not the biggest fan of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre but Leatherface is certainly one of the icons in horror/slasher cinema, and he definitely feels like he should be part of the core Toony Terrors team. Fun Fact! For a year or two I used Google Adsense but I was blocked from using it for refusing to take down my review of the McFarlane Movie Maniacs Leatherface, which was deemed to be violent content. Next time someone asks, you tell them that your old pal Barbecue17 keeps it real, folks. Let's check out NECA's Toony Terrors Leatherface, as he keeps it real, too...

Wrapping Up 2019: Michael Myers from Toony Terrors by NECA

   2019 was a year where a lot of different toylines popped up and surprised me, and one of those pleasant surprises was NECA's Toony Terrors. Imagine if classic cinematic slashers like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees had appeared in a 1980s Saturday morning cartoon! That's Toony Terrors! NECA has done a great job with the design and distribution of this line, and they've managed to keep the price very reasonable too. You can actually find these fellows at both Target and Walmart, which has gotta really help NECA to keep a line like this going. They seem to be a hit as series 2 showed up a month or so ago and NECA has more planned for series 3 (featuring Nosferatu, Ash from Army of Darkness, and the Nun from the Conjuring series). My most anticipated figure in this series was always Michael Myers and while I was really hoping he'd make it out in time for Halloween, he ended up showing up around Thanksgiving instead. Interestingly, the packaging denotes this as being Michael Myers from Halloween II, which is one of the three Halloween films NECA has based product off of in the last year or so (the others being Halloween III: Season of the Witch and Halloween 2018). I'm guessing NECA currently only has the rights to those films, for some reason. Mezco has released product based on the original film while Funko's have been based on Halloween: Ressurrection and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. Interesting, huh? Anyways, I'm sure you're far more interested in hearing me talk about this figure rather than about the weird licensing issues with the Halloween films. Let's check out the Toony Terrors Michael Myers after the break...

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Wrapping Up 2019: Anti-Eternia He-Man (Clear Smoke) from Masters of the Universe: ReAction by Super7

   Well, it's official folks: Super7 is currently finished releasing new Masters of the Universe product. Yeah, they'll still be completing the preorders for the William Stout based movie figures (which should begin shipping tomorrow), Club Grayskull series 4, and Snake Mountain, but nothing new is coming out after this for the near future. Mattel seems to want to hold the MOTU license fairly close to their chests at the moment and they're apparently being very selective about the licensees they're allowing to keep making stuff (apparently Mondo gets a pass as their items are definitely much higher end than anything Mattel plans to make). Prior to Christmas Super7 released a few new items in the ReAction series: A new series of five translucent variants (Mer-Man, Orko, Skeletor, Scare Glow, and Anti-Eternia He-Man) and then the 2-packs of Battle Cat and Panthor with He-Man and Skeletor, respectively. I'll be reviewing the cat packs shortly but I only picked up two of the translucent figures for the time being. One of those is Anti-Eternia He-Man, the evil He-Man of Anti-Eternia. Based on a character appearing in a 1985 German audio-play, Mattel released Anti-Eternia He-Man in the MOTUC line in 2016 as an online chase variant and in 2018 Super7 released a ReAction Anti-Eternia He-Man. Anti-Eternia He-Man is currently the prime antagonist in DC's current He-Man and the Masters of the Multiverse comic series, so Super7 is definitely striking while the iron is hot with this one. Let's check out this "Clear Smoke" variant of the evil black and red He-Man after the break...

Wrapping up 2019: Purge Stormtrooper from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

    While Hasbro released quite a few figures in Star Wars: The Black Series during the last few months of 2019, they really didn't release that many from The Rise of Skywalker: 8 were from Episode IX, 5 were from The Mandalorian, 6 were from the Original Trilogy, 2 were from Clone Wars, 1 was from the comics, and 3 were from Jedi: Fallen Order (I'm not counting the Carbonized variants, because those are just chase variants). For The Black Series releases from Triple Force Friday, only 32% were from the new film. That's pretty crazy, right? I liked The Rise of Skywalker but it definitely seems that Hasbro didn't have that much faith in it moving merchandise. They've got some cool stuff coming out in the next few months, although definitely not the amount of product you'd expect to show up based on a new film. Anyways, let's talk about today's figure: The Purge Trooper from Jedi: Fallen Order, the new single player Star Wars video game. I preordered to deluxe edition of the game which actually came with this figure, although GameStop did sell some of the figures by themselves (presumably figures from preorders that folks didn't pick up, as the figure wasn't packaged with the game). The Purge Stormtroopers first appeared in the Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith comic in 2018 and are a special group of troopers under the command of Vader and the Inquisitorious. Apparently these troopers are the last batch of Jango Fett based clones and they definitely dress in similar armor to the clones. There are multiple different types of these guys in Jedi: Fallen Order, but this guy is actually a Purge Stormtrooper Commander. Let's check him out after the break and see how this guy turned out after the break...

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Wrapping Up 2019: Sting from Masters of the WWE Universe by Mattel

   Today I'm checking out my second single carded figure from Mattel's new Masters of the WWE Universe line and this time it's the Mysterious Vigilante of Vengeance, Sting! While Finn Balor may be based on Beast Man, it's pretty clear that Sting is based on Clawful due to the presence of his giant scorpion claw. Yeah, it's a scorpion claw here, because Sting is all about Scorpions. Sting was a WCW guy for years but he finally made his way to the WWE at Survivor Series 2014, and while he didn't wrestle with WWE for long (he as injured in 2015 and retired shortly after) they've definitely been sure to merchandise the character. Sting has a great look and actually makes for a cool MOTU inspired warrior. Let's check out Sting after the break and see how he fares in the land of WWEternia...

Friday, January 3, 2020

Wrapping Up 2019: Sith Trooper from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

   I'm still wrapping up the Star Wars: The Black Series releases I picked up in 2019 and I've only got five to go (six if I ever manage to find the Mandalorian). Let's check out the last figure from Hasbro's releases based on The Rise of Skywalker: The Sith Trooper! The Sith Troopers have an incredible appearance but, sadly, they didn't get much screen time in the film. The Sith Trooper was first releases last summer as a SDCC 2019 exclusive with five accessories. For the standard release three of those accessories have been cut (the larger repeating blaster, a claw of some sort, and a bladed weapon) but the two standard blasters are still here. As part of the Final Order, these troopers bring to mind the red bladed lightsabers of the Sith and the red robed Royal Guards of Emperor Palpatine. Let's check out these Sith Troopers after the break and see how they compare with the standard First Order troopers...

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Wrapping Up 2019: Finn Balor from Masters of the WWE Universe by Mattel

    I was expecting more of a presence for Mattel's Masters of the WWE Universe during this Christmas shopping season but I never even saw the individual figures or the single boxed ring on shelves. The excellent Grayskull Mania set hit Walmart shelves pretty consistently, complete with its own bunker, but they often got stuck somewhere outside of the toy department as Walmart is just consistently at actually putting toys in places where they make sense. Walmart.com did have all of the single packed figures in stock on multiple occasions, though, and the first one I was able to get my hands on was Finn Balor, the Heroic Demon King. I actually haven't watched WWE for a few months but I always enjoy Balor and his Demon King persona makes for an excellent MOTU inspired look. I'm kind of getting a Beast Man vibe from him, possibly because his collar reminds me of Beast Man's furry collar. Anyone else see a figure that more directly inspires Finn Balor? Anyways, let's check this guy out in more depth after the break...

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Wrapping Up 2019: Rey & D-O from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

  Hasbro really didn't release all that much new product for The Rise of Skywalker, which is a real shame. The movie had lots of characters that seemed very "toyetic" and far more interesting visually than in the previous Sequel Trilogy installments. Of course, Hasbro definitely delivered a new Rey figure and I'm glad to say that she turned out great. It's crazy to look back at Hasbro's initial Rey & BB-8 offering from 2015; The Black Series really has improved drastically over the past few years, hasn't it? Anyways, this version of Rey is based on her appearance in The Rise of Skywalker. Like with the original release from The Force Awakens, Rey also comes with a droid companion. This time it's D-O, the unique wheeled droid who once belonged to the Sith assassin Ochi. Let's check out this set and see what all Hasbro packed it with, as there are a few surprises. Join me after the break...

Wrapping up 2019: Omega: Max Level (Purple) from Fortnite: Legendary Series by Jazwares

    Happy New Year! 2019 was actually a pretty solid year for action figures and one of my favorite new lines of 2019 was Jazwares' Fortnite: Legendary Series. These are some of the best 6 inch scaled action figures on the market with great character design and I'm going to be covering most of series 3 over the next few weeks as I'm wrapping up 2019 release in time for my annual best of the year awards. While the rest of the Fortnite: Legendary Series retails for around $20 dollars, Jazwares did release two deluxe versions of the Omega: Max Level figure. The Omega suit is an upgradeable suit from Fortnite's fourth season, and thus the Omega: Max Level figure features multiple pieces of armor. 24 pieces of armor, to be exact. Yeah, this guy comes with a bunch of armored pieces to put on. Remember Ronin Warriors and Power Force? For some reason he reminds me of those lines, although he's got even more armor. He's built the same as the rest of the Fortnite: Legendary Series figures, but his body is designed with lots of holes that allow the armored piece to plug onto the figure. I actually held off on buying this guy for a few months but I finally found him on sale and decided to pick him up. Let's check out the purple version of Omega: Max Level after the break...