Old School MOTU: Sorceress from Pint Size Heroes: Masters of the Universe by Funko

  I realized that I didn't have the Sorceress from Funko's Pint Size Heroes: Masters of the Universe line, so I picked her up. I like these cute little figures and I'm always a fan of the Sorceress. She's one of the main characters whose vintage toy I never owned as a kid and, in fact, I still don't own a vintage version of her yet. She's quite pricey! I love when she shows up in any toyline, though, as she's a main character but not one guaranteed to get made. Funko actually hasn't released her in the POP! vinlys line yet, either, though she is scheduled for release later this year. She did make it into the short-lived VYNL line where she was paired with Beast Man but sadly that line never seemed to catch on. Isn't it odd sometimes what catches on and what doesn't? I loved the VYNL figures and felt they had so much character and personality.  I think the Pint Size Heroes range of product has ceased, too, as the only product released last year under the banner were the Fortnite figures from an advent calendar. I really think blind bagged stuff aimed at adult collectors is on the way out (though it's still immensely popular with kids). Let's take a look at the Sorceress and see if she has an answer for us after the break...

Masters of the Universe Day 2020: Castle Grayskull from Masters of the Universe Minis by Mattel

    How could I ever devote a day to looking at toys inspired by the original 1982 Masters of the Universe toyline without taking a look at Castle Grayskull? Castle Grayskull has appeared in some shape or fashion in most MOTU toylines which is a testament to the popularity of the playset. Honestly, I think you could make a strong argument that Castle Grayskull is the most iconic action figure playset of all time. I mean, who doesn't recognize Castle Grayskull? While the greatest Castle Grayskull of them all is the Masters of the Universe Classics Castle Grayskull, today I'm looking at one of the smaller Castle Grayskulls of them all: The buildable Castle Grayskull from Masters of the Universe Minis by Mattel. The MOTU Minis line was released by Mattel through MattyCollector in 2013 and 2104 and each release during the second year included a piece to build a Castle Grayskull facade for minifigures to battle around. Let's take a look at this miniature Castle Grayskull after the break...

Masters of the Universe Day 2020: Battle Ram from Masters of the Universe by Mattel

   Guess what? I'm actually reviewing a vintage Masters of the Universe toy today! How about that? Yes, the theme of the rest of the reviews today was looking at various toys based on the original series of figures from 1982 but the Battle Ram has thus far only been remade one time, and that was in Masters of the Universe Classics in 2014 (there is an upcoming Mega Construx set, too). While Castle Grayskull, Battle Cat, and the Wind Raider have been recreated and reimagined multiple times, the Battle Ram seems like it has largely been left behind. Why's that, I wonder? It's such an iconic vehicle for the MOTU line. I never owned the Battle Ram as a kid but, then again, I wasn't collecting MOTU until around 1985 or 1986 as I wasn't born until 1983 so maybe it wasn't on shelves any longer. I didn't get this Battle Ram until around 2009 or 2010 when I picked it up second hand to display with my MOTUC figures. Let's check out one of the original 1982 vehicles after the break and see if it stands the test of time!

Masters of the Universe Day 2020: Wind Raider with He-Man & Roton with Skeletor (Orange) from M.U.S.C.L.E. Masters of the Universe by Super7

    What is the most iconic Masters of the Universe vehicle? While I'm a bigger fan of the Roton and the Land Shark I think you can make a strong case that the Wind Raider is the most instantly recognizable MOTU vehicle as it appeared in so much licensing art and was a regular fixture in the Filmation series. Today I'm checking out a more recent take on the Wind Raider that pays homage to the vintage 1980s M.U.S.C.L.E. line: Super7's SDCC 2017 exclusive Wind Raider with He-Man & Roton with Skeletor set cast in orange plastic. Released at Skeletor's Lair during SDCC 2017 there was both a purple and an orange variant of this set. I'm checking out the orange set today since it seemed more fitting for the Wind Raider. While Super7's M.U.S.C.L.E. releases were hit or miss, overall the MOTU releases were quite nice. While the Wind Raider and Roton were originally released in the third series of minfigures the He-Man and Skeletor are from the second series. Super7 was mixing it up a little bit, huh? Let's check out this fun little convention set after the break...

Masters of the Universe Day 2020: Battle Cat from Pint Size Heroes: Masters of the Universe by Funko

    Yes, the original eight action figures from the 1982 Masters of the Universe line are iconic characters who have helped fuel our imaginations for years to come, but there were a few other amazing things introduced in the original series of toys as well. One of my personal favorites is the mighty Battle Cat! I've owned my original Battle Cat for as long as I can remember but since today we're celebrating the various toy incarnations of these characters that have been released over the past 38 years I'm checking out a tiny version of Battle Cat from Funko's Pint Size Heroes series. These little guys were sold blind bagged in small foil pouches back in 2018 and are kind of like the miniature versions of Dorbz. When I first found these I was really excited that Battle Cat was part of the first set of packs I opened! He looks so cool and fierce despite the fact that he's less than 2 inches. Let's check out Battle Cat after the break...

Masters of the Universe Day 2020: Zodac from Masters of the Universe Action Vinyls by The Loyal Subjects

    Zodac is probably the most unusual of the original eight figures from 1982's Masters of the Universe line. He's not a Heroic Warrior, nor is he an Evil Warrior; he's neutral! A later addition to the original lineup, Zodac complemented the original series of 4 heroes and 3 heroes by being a mysterious Cosmic Enforcer. Originally the first series was to include two female figures (Teela and the Sorceress/ Goddess) but eventually they were combined to make room for another male, thus Zodac entered into the line. While he was designed to be a Heroic Warrior, the fact that he used parts from the Evil Warriors (the finned arms and webbed feet) and evened out the sides seemed to cause perceptions of the character to sway towards being a villain. In Mattel's 1981 licensing kit Zodac was even portrayed as a bounty hunter! This guy has been all over the place, hasn't he? Since the early days (the Filmation series was pretty influential I imagine), Zodac has typically been portrayed as a cosmic guardian, sort of like a mix between Metron from Jack Kirby's New Gods and a Green Lantern. Today I'm checking out Zodac from The Loyal Subject's Masters of the Universe Action Vinyls line. Released last year, Zodac was one of the chase figures in the series along with Zodak, the Cosmic Enforcer from the 200x MOTU series. Let's check out  Zodac after the break...

Masters of the Universe Day 2020: Stratos (Blue Wings) from Masters of the Universe: ReAction by Super7

    I hate to pick on the guy but if I have a least favorite figure from the original 1982 series of Masters of the Universe figures it's definitely Stratos. Maybe it's because he didn't come with a weapon or maybe it's just that I never owned Stratos as a kid. Who knows? Anyways, I've certainly made up for not having Stratos as a kid as I now have a pretty sizeable collection of Stratos toys. Since my contribution to the Masters of the Universe Day celebration this year is to show off the wide range of toys inspired by the original 1982 series of MOTU figures let's take a look at one of the more unusual MOTU lines out there: Super7's Masters of the Universe ReAction. The ReAction line has been around since 2013 and was originally a joint venture between Funko and Super7 to put out figures of the developed but never released 1979 Kenner Alien toyline. Over the years Super7 took over the line completely and they've been doing a great job with it. The idea behind the ReAction line is to create action figures in the style of the vintage Kenner Star Wars line. It's strange to see Masters of the Universe in the style since it was a toyline created to rival Star Wars and to be bigger and brawnier than Kenner's toys, but there's also a peculiar "alternate history" kind of appeal. Stratos was originally released in the second series of figures with his red wings/ blue jetpack color scheme but today I'm checking out the blue winged Stratos, one of the three Power-Con 2018 exclusive Stratos figures (the other two were minicomic Stratos and the blue bearded Stratos). Let's check out the ReAction Stratos after the break and see if he flies high!

Masters of the Universe Day 2020: Mer-Man Collectible Eraser from Masters of the Universe by Panosh Place

  Today I'm really going off the deep end for Masters of the Universe Day 2020! I'm getting ready to review a 36 year old eraser! Yes, for Mer-Man's installment in Masters of the Universe Day 2020 I'm checking out the 1984 collectible eraser from Panosh Place. You know something is wildly popular when every company under the sun wants to make product based on your property! Panosh Place was a company mostly known for producing Voltron toys but apparently they made lots of MOTU school supplies as well including erasers, rulers, and pencil sharpeners. A few months back I picked up a loose set of unused erasers and today seems like the perfect chance to show one off. Mer-Man is one of the most classic MOTU villains and the third Evil Warrior from the original 1982 toyline. Usually he's making mistakes but this version of Mer-Man is hear to help you fix them! Let's take a quick look at the Mer-Man Collectible Eraser from Panosh Place after the break...

Masters of the Universe Day 2020: Teela from Masters of the Universe by Tweeterhead

   While most Masters of the Universe stuff has traditionally been toys aimed at kids (or toys aimed at collectors), there definitely has been some high end product as well. In 2015 Tweeterhead entered Eternia and Etheria with a very limited series of quarter scale busts of the A-list MOTU cast. Teela was the fourth bust in the series and was released in late 2016. Unlike the rest of the heroic warriors (other than He-Man, of course), Teela has appeared in every incarnation of Masters of the Universe. yes, even The New Adventures of He-Man! Teela was one of the most interesting figures from the 1982 series as her figure was essentially two figures combined together. According to Scott "ToyGuru" Neitlich, the idea behind the accessories included with the vintage Teela figure was that she was essentially two figures in one: The Sorceress/ Goddess and Teela! Teela has had many different origins and appearances but I think Tweeterhead did an excellent job of capturing the essence of Teela in this statue. It's very classic and very "vintage" MOTU! Let's check out this incredible rendition of the Warrior Goddess Teela after the break...

Masters of the Universe Day 2020: Beast Man from Masters of the Classics by Mattel

    Since we're checking out the toy successors of the original 8 Masters of the Universe figures from 1982 we gotta check out Beast Man, right? And what better version of Beast Man to check out than the Masters of the Universe Classics Beast Man from 2008. Yes, Beast Man was the technically the third figure in MOTUC after the SDCC King Grayskull and He-Man himself and he was released during the first year of that line. For everything you could ever want to know about the production of this figure you need to check out Scott "ToyGuru" Neitlich's video on the MOTUC Beast Man. On my end, I'm going to keep things short and simply remind you that MOTUC is my favorite toyline of all time and while it's nearly done (we're just waiting for Snake Mountain!) I still have hopes that we'll get a figure or two here and there in the future. I've reviewed lots of MOTUC figures over the years but I didn't start doing reviews on my site until 2013 (and originally on The Epic Review) so there are many of the early figures I never reviewed. Beast Man was an excellent example of what MOTUC intended to do with the franchise: Take those vintage figures and designs and realize them with the Four Horsemen's modern sculpting and design. Unlike the 200x line, the original intent of MOTUC was to be faithful to the original design elements rather than reinterpreting them. Beast Man is a pretty good example of a pure MOTUC figure, so let's check him out after the break...

Masters of the Universe Day 2020: Man-At-Arms from Masters of the Universe by Mattel

    How can we talk about the original 1982 lineup of Masters of the Universe toys without bringing up Man-At-Arms? And how can we talk about how those original eight characters have been reinterpreted over the years without bringing up Mattel's 2002 (200x) relaunch of the brand? Let's address both of those points by taking a look at Man-At-Arms from the 200x line! Bolstered by the design and sculpting talents of the Four Horsemen Mattel's 2002 MOTU line seemed like it had some real legs. Unfortunately, poor marketing decisions, bad case ratios, and the Mike Young Productions cartoon series having a constantly shifting time slot led to the line having an early demise. That's still a real shame, too, because the 200x line offers up some of the best pure toys you'll ever find. Man-At-Arms was an incredible redesign of the vintage figure, plus he actually had a mustache. Let's check out the 200x version of Man-At-Arms after the break...

Masters of the Universe Day 2020: Skeletor (Black Hood) (Metallic) from Dorbz: Masters of the Universe by Funko

    As part of today's tribute to the first series of Masters of the Universe figures in 1982, let's take a look at an alternate incarnation of the Evil Lord of Destruction, Skeletor! Skeletor has been around in one form or another since far before Masters of the Universe was a thing, existing in the concept sketches and creative drawings of Mark Taylor. (If you're a fan of MOTU and interested in learning more about the art and history of the line you need to check out the Power and Honor Foundation and the amazing Battle Ram Blog!) Skeletor has become a pop culture icon and still seems to generate as much, and possibly even more, merchandise than He-Man. I own a ton of Skeletor stuff (and that's just what I've reviewed, not all I own) but this cutesy little Dorbz Skeletor caught my eye today. It's such a far cry from the vintage Skeletor and yet it kind of somehow represents the love that fans have for this villain. I've reviewed quite a few MOTU Dorbz lately and I've even reviewed another version of this figure. Based on the infamous "Disco" Skeletor from the 200x era this Dorbz release was a metallic painted exclusive to Big Apple Collectibles. Actually, last time I checked he's still available! Let's take a look at the oddly titled Dorbz Skeletor (Black Hood) (Metallic) after the break...

Masters of the Universe Day 2020: He-Man from He-Man by Mattel

    Let's start with a review of the man who started it all: He-Man! To kick off Masters of the Universe Day 2020 I'm going to be checking out the New Adventures He-Man figure from 1989! Why? Because today I'm going to pay tribute to the cast of the original vintage 1982 line of Masters of the Universe figures by looking at how those characters were reinterpreted as toys in different lines over the years and the most unique re-imagining of He-Man I can think of is the 1989 sci-fi/ fantasy He-Man. Released only a couple of years after the vintage line ended, Mattel's He-Man line (usually referred to as New Adventures by fans due to the Jetlag Productions animated series) offered a new take on the character. Rather than continuing to defend Eternia the New Adventures of He-Man sent the titular character into space to defend the planet Primus from the Evil Space Mutants. Of course, Skeletor went along for the ride as well! The "He-Man" figures were a radical departure from the classic MOTU style as they're slimmer, articulated different, and are far more science fiction than barbarian fantasy. I remember getting many of these as a kid as I would have been in the prime age (I would have been 5 or 6 in 1989) but they always did feel very different and not quite "He-Man" enough for me. Looking back years later I find them quite fascinating (though I love the Masters of the Universe Classics versions of the NA characters the best) and enjoy collecting them when I can. Let's take a look at Mattel's first attempt to relaunch He-Man after the break...

Old School MOTU: Hordak from Masters of the Universe by NECA

     After reviewing the NECA Masters of the Universe "staction" of Rio Blast on Friday I decided to review another one today. Why not Hordak? Hordak is absolutely one of the most popular of the NECA stactions and for a good reason: This is probably the coolest rendition of Hordak ever! Hordak did appear in the Mike Young Productions cartoon series and was intended to eventually be released in the 200x toyline but the show and the toyline were cancelled before that could ever happen. Apparently Hordak would have escaped Despondos in season 3 to conquer Eternia. It still breaks my heart that the MYP series ended after only two seasons and without ever getting to that full story line. Heck, imagine if we would have finally gotten She-Ra and the Great Rebellion in that series as well? That would have been epic! NECA included the Four Horsemen's rendition of Hordak in the first series of the staction mini statues in 2005 so at last fans can have a Hordak on their shelf to augment the 200x series. Let's check out Hordak after the break and see how this Ruthless Leader of the Evil Horde turned out...

Old School MOTU: Beast Man from Pint Size Heroes: Masters of the Universe by Funko

    Just a heads up: April 28th is Masters of the Universe Day and I've got some big plans! I'm not going to spill the beans just yet but I'm pretty excited about what's in store. Today as a little precursor to whet your appetite I've got a review of Beast Man from Funko's Pint Size Heroes line. These little guys were sold in blind bags back in 2018 and they kind of remind me of miniature Dorbz figures. Beast Man was part of the series which makes perfect sense as he's one of the A-list MOTU characters who appears in nearly every MOTU thing out there. Honestly, the only major MOTU thing I don't think he appeared in was the New Adventures of He-Man. Otherwise, this orange ruffian is always hanging around at Skeletor's right hand. Let's check out this Pint Size Heroes Beast Man after the break...

Old School MOTU: Rio Blast from Masters of the Universe by NECA

    Masters of the Universe Day 2020 is coming up next week (Tuesday, April 28th 2020) and in anticipation I'm having fun showing off some MOTU figures from lines I haven't covered before. Today I'm checking out Rio Blast, a static action figure, or "staction," from the fifth series of NECA's Masters of the Universe line. Yes, NECA. Vaults of Grayskull has a great write up on the history of the line but the basic facts of the matter is that NECA continued the 200x Masters of the Universe line after Mattel ended it, albeit with a twist: The figures could not have articulation. Yeah, this was Mattel's weird licensing stipulation with NECA, but they did allow the figures to be made. Most folks call these mini statues or stactions as there really isn't an official name for the line other than simply Masters of the Universe. Combining NECA's facilities and the incredible designs of the Four Horsemen, this line really brought out some of the greatest redesigns ever seen in MOTU. Rio Blast is a cybernetic cowboy from later in the MOTU line (I remember getting him as a kid and he's still one of my favorite vintage MOTU figures) who really gets an awesome redesign in this line. Let's check out Rio Blast after the break...

Old School MOTU: Spikor from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Super7

    While I haven't reviewed all of them on here, I recently completed my collection of Super7's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe/ Club Grayskull releases by acquiring Spikor! Super7 released some nice figures in the line and I'm sure in time I'll get around to reviewing them all, but I sure wish they had focused on getting out more main characters like Cringer, Leech, Catra, and Ram Man in the Filmation style. Spikor here only appeared in three episodes of the show and yet he gets a figure instead of those guys. It is what it is though, right? Spikor turned out to be a really cool figure. He was released as one of the 2018 Power-Con exclusives along with Chopper/ Jitsu and the 2-pack of of Uncle Montork and Dree Elle. Ready for a look at another animated version of one of Skeletor's fearsome Evil Warriors? Then join me after the break as we check out Spikor!

Action Figure Review: Roman Reigns from Masters of the WWE Universe by Mattel

    Ready for the Heroic Big Dog of WWEternia? Ok, stop booing, stop booing! We get it already! Yes, Roman Reigns has entered the Masters of the WWE Universe line and here he's paying homage to Fisto. Roman Reigns is one of those wrestlers that WWE has really tried to push and while I like him just fine, sometimes he's a bit dull. He seems like a really cool person, though, plus he was part of The Shield. Giving him a Fisto motif here is a great idea since he's famous for using the Superman punch all the time and, when you think of someone who punches from Masters of the Universe, who do you think of other than Fisto? Well, He-Man did famously punch stuff a lot in the Filmation cartoon, but Fisto was the better choice for Reigns. Let's take a look at Roman Reigns after the break and see if this Undisputed Guardian of the Yard has what it takes to make it in WWEternia!

Old School MOTU: Artilla/ Weaponstronic from He-Man by Mattel

    You know what? I haven't reviewed any items from the 1989 He-Man (AKA New Adventures) toyline. Let's change that! I actually had quite a few of the toys as a kid and I have a small collection of the figures now, so I was excited to add a figure to my collection that I never owned: Artilla! Released in the third series of figures as one of the heroic Galactic Guardians, Artilla (called Weaponstronic in the European releases) is billed as a Walking Weapons System. Artilla did appear in the Jetlag Productions "New Adventures of He-Man" series, but I don't remember him (I've only seen a handful of the earlier episodes). He's a really unusual looking figure with a rather cool action feature that makes me think more of a M.A.S.K. vehicle than a He-Man figure. Let's check him out after the break...

Help! Where have all my pictures gone? (Updated: Apparently it's a Blogger issue right now)

Hey fellow bloggers! Late last night I was checking something on the site and realized most of my April and a few of my March reviews have all of their pictures missing, replaced with the grey minus sign box. What's going on? Anyone have any suggestions? Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi! You're my only hope!

Update: Apparently this is a Blogger issue and they are aware of it. Hopefully it'll be fixed soon! 

Action Figure Review: Rey Mysterio from Masters of the WWE Universe by Mattel

    Ready to check out the third figure in series 2 of Mattel's Masters of the WWE Universe? Then let's get ready to do some high flying with Rey Mysterio! Rey Mysterio is inspired by Stratos in MOTWWEU and he actually uses parts from the Masters of the Universe Classics Stratos figure, something that a lot of figures in the line are also doing. In the story of WWEternia, Rey Mysterio is the Heroic High Flyer from the mountains of the 619 district who defends the Booyaka Tribe. With the powers of flight and super speed, Rey Mysterio helps battle the evil Skull King's forces alongside the other Heroic Superstars. He's one of the most "Masters of the Universe" looking figures released in the line and almost feels like a Stratos variant. Let's check out Rey Mysterio after the break and see if he's got the moves to succeed!

Old School MOTU: Zodak from Masters of the Universe Action Vinyls by The Loyal Subjects

   I recently stumbled upon a Zodak figure from The Loyal Subjects' Masters of the Universe Action Vinyls line and I decided to pick him up.  I wasn't a huge fan of Zodac as a kid but when Zodak came out in the 200x line and in Masters of the Universe Classics, it caused me to go back and reevaluate the original Zodac. While it might certainly be borrowing from Green Lantern, I really like the MOTUC take on the Cosmic Enforcers as a peace-keeping faction removed from the day to day goings on of the galaxy that only intervenes when absolutely necessary. Former brand manager Scott Neitlich has been posting some pretty in depth videos about MOTUC lately, and one of the recent ones was about the making of Zodak in that line. While Zodak was originally just the 200x line's take on the vintage Zodac with a darker skin color to add some more racial diversity to the line, during the MOTUC era he became his own unique character. Why the name change? In the video Neitlich seems to not know a definitive reason (the 200x era was before his time at Mattel) but I wonder if Mattel went with a spelling at the time to avoid another trademarked name? A few of the 200x characters were renamed (Battle Fist/ Fisto, The General/ Rattlor, and King Hssss/ King Hiss all come to mind), so maybe Zodak was done to use a similar but legally different name for trademark purposes? Anyways, let's check out Zodak, who is the student of the original Zodac, after the break...

Confirmed Epic Podcast #108: Our Favorite Star Wars Films

The Confirmed Epic Podcast returns for your entertainment once again as the global pandemic continues we turn to a Galaxy Far Far Away to countdown our favorite Star Wars films.

We also get into what we have been checking out. (Peter Tomasi's recent run on Detective Comics, finishing the recent Resident Evil 3 remake on Xbox One, Full Throttle by: Joe Hill, and SNL's Teenage Mutant Middle Aged Turtles.)

For the first time in a long time we also delve into Epic News as we discuss the recent reveal of Timothee Chalamet in the upcoming Dune big screen adaptation from Director: Denis Villeneuve, as well as our hopes for the franchise.  

You can always contact the show directly via email at thepicreview@gmail.com or on twitter @thereelbradbell

Toy Review: Orko from Masters of the Universe: Figural Bag Clips by Monogram International

   It feels like it's been a few months since I began reviewing the Masters of the Universe Figural Bag Clips from Monogram International, but it's actually only been a month. March and April have been pretty crazy so far, huh? Today I'm checking out the 11th and final figure in this first series of figures and it's Orko, the Heroic Court Magician! I love Orko and this little Orko bag clip is definitely one of the coolest in the series. Orko fits the semi-cutesy style of this line really well and looks fantastic. Let's check out Orko after the break and see if his Trollan magic translates into a fun little trinket!

Old School MOTU: Skeletor with Panthor from Dorbz Ridez by Funko

    OK, I'm not done showing off my Dorbz yet! Today I'm going to take a quick look at the Dorbz Ridez Skeletor with Panthor. Released in 2017, this set was a SDCC and Toy Tokyo exclusive that was also given a release through the Funko Shop. Despite having an incredibly cool selection of vehicles from different properties, the Dorbz Ridez seems to be another line that Funko has ceased to produce (the last release seems to have been in 2018 and was a Pirates of the Caribbean Jolly Roger ship with a skeletal pirate based on the ride). There were only two releases for Masters of the Universe in Dorbz Rides and knowing that one is Skeletor with Panthor why don't you try to guess who the other release is? No, it's not Crackers the Clown on an Attak Trak! It's He-Man on Battle Cat! Of course, we're checking out Skeletor with Panthor, so let's get right to it after the break...

Old School MOTU: Man-At-Arms #538 from POP! Television: Masters of the Universe by Funko

    Since I just reviewed so many of the Masters of the Universe big guns in POP! vinyl form, let's check out another: Duncan, AKA the Man-At-Arms to the Eternian Royal Family. Man-At-Arms is about as A-list as you get in MOTU without being He-Man, Skeletor, or She-Ra. He's been in every incarnation of MOTU (except for The New Adventures of He-Man) and was fantastically played by Jon Cypher in the 1987 movie. Seriously, Cypher's Man-At-Arms was incredible! This Funko POP! version is based on the Filmation version, however, which is definitely the version of the character that all others are judged by. Man-At-Arms was a Funko Specialty Series release in September 2017, meaning he was sent out to comic shops, some e-tailers, and smaller retailers. Let's check out Man-At-Arms after the break...

Confirmed Epic Podcast #107: The Rise of Skywalker

The Confirmed Epic Podcast returns during the midst of a global pandemic with episode #107 to review the finale of the
Skywalker Saga: Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker directed by J.J Abrams in honor of the film's recent blu-ray release. 

 We also get into what we have been checking out.

You can always contact the show directly via email at thepicreview@gmail.com or on twitter @thereelbradbell

*Jerry had a brief audio issue at the end of the podcast due to the internet being pushed to max because of Covid-19 in his rural area.

Old School MOTU: Prince Adam from Masters of the Universe by Mattel

    Now that my collecting is now quite heavily focused on Masters of the Universe I've been looking at a lot of older MOTU product, giving those reviews the heading "Old School MOTU." Some of you don't think my Old School MOTU reviews are old school enough, however, so today I'm checking out the most recent vintage figure I've acquired: Prince Adam! Unlike many other vintage MOTU figures, I don't have a strong recollection of when or where I received my original Prince Adam as a kid (he was one of a handful of vintage MOTU figures I no longer have from childhood) but I do have strong memories of having him. Prince Adam was released as part of the third series of figures in 1984, while the Filmation series was running. While Prince Adam was largely popularized by the Filmation series, he did predate that show: Mark Taylor originally conceived of him as a foppishly dressed nobleman whose loyalties shifted between He-Man and Skeletor but a Prince Adam more similar to what we think of (He-Man's alter ego) appeared in the July 1982 DC Comics Presents special "From Eternia- With Death!" In DC' early stories, He-Man transforms in the Cavern of Power, but that was dropped by the time the Filmation series bible was completed in December 1982, leading the way for Filmation's depiction of the mild mannered Prince Adam, draped in velvet clad in maroon and lavender. Let's take a look at Prince Adam after the break...

Toy Review: Skeletor from Vinyl SODA by Funko

   My review of Funko's Vinyl SODA He-Man last week turned out to be quite popular, so here's a look at Skeletor, the Evil Lord of Desctruction! What would Skeletor soda taste like, anyways? I imagine it would be berry flavored. Kind of exotic. Or maybe grape and citrus, like Mountain Dew's Pitch Black. Remember that? I don't drink a lot of regular soda these days (I like unsweetened carbonated water or unsweet tea) but I used to go nuts for crazy sodas. On occasion I'll still pick up something that strikes my fancy, though. Of course, this isn't actually soda: It's a durable soda-like can with a vinyl Skeletor figure inside. It's a cool concept and Funko seems to be using it for multiple different licenses such as Thundercats, DC Comics, Hanna Barbera, Scott Pilgrim, and even the General Mills Cereal Monsters! Of course, the only ones I'm interested in are the Masters of the Universe ones, which means so far my collection consists of He-Man and Skeletor. Let's check out the Vinyl SODA Skeletor after the break and see if he's a sparkly delight or falls flat.

Action Figure Review: "Macho Man" Randy Savage from Masters of the WWE Universe by Mattel

    If there is any reason at all needed to justify the Masters of the WWE Universe line, it's the presence of a Masters of the Universe styled "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Ooooh yeahh!!! Seriously, this guy is just too cool. In WWEternia, the Macho Man is the heroic Master of Macho Madness who fights against the Skull King and his evil minions while remaining the Tower of Power, too sweet to be sour! Seriously, he's crazy cool, just as you'd expect from someone who's been in the danger zone and the Fright Zone. Macho Man actually combines elements from two MOTU sources: He-Man's Battle Armor and Man-At-Arms, giving him a bunch of incredible features and accessories. Ready to run with the Macho Man? Then let's check this guy out after the break...

Old School MOTU: Skeletor (Black Hood) from Dorbz: Masters of the Universe by Funko

   Ready for another Masters of the Universe Dorbz review? Today we're checking out the "chase" variant of Skeletor which official sources seem to refer to as Skeletor (Black Hood). And don't get me wrong, that's true! This Skeletor does have a Black Hood. He typically goes by another moniker in the fan community, however, and that moniker is Disco Skeletor. Yeah, baby! This is Disco Skeletor! So, what the heck is a Disco Skeletor? Let me tell you that tale throughout this review. It starts back with the 200x Masters of the Universe toyline which released in the United States in early 2002. In 2003, Mattel released a bizarre repaint of the standard Skeletor figure with a black hood, black limbs, gold armor, and a vac-metal, shiny purplish blue torso. At the time he seemed like a bizarre repaint and nothing more, but over the years his legend has grown. Let us ruminate on the mystery of Disco Skeletor as we check out this Funko Dorbz Skeletor chase variant...

Action Figure Review: Faker John Cena from Masters of the WWE Universe by Mattel

    Guess what? It's time to start checking out series 2 of Mattel's Masters of the WWE Universe toyline! These have been showing up at Walmart for a month or so but, let's be honest, almost no one is going out and hunting them down right now. Some kind soul from a Masters of the Universe Facebook page I'm on picked these up for me, so now I've got something new to play with and you've got some new review to read! Nice, huh? The first figure I'm checking out is Faker John Cena, the Evil Robot of the Skull King! While the Masters of the WWE Universe figures have definitely given  WWE Superstars the gimmicks of various MOTU characters, Faker John Cena is the first figure to actually have a MOTU name. Is this Faker as John Cena or John Cena as Faker? In the story (set in WWEternia) Faker John Cena is an evil robotic version of the heroic John Cena created by the Skull King Triple H. Let's check out this cool, translucent Faker John Cena after the break and see if his time is truly now...

Old School MOTU: She-Ra from Dorbz: Masters of the Universe by Funko

    She-Ra: Princess of Power has an interesting relationship with He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. While they are set in the same universe (but not in the same dimension!), they clearly have two different identities, particularly when it comes to licensing. While the vintage toyline Masters of the Universe contained the Evil Horde, the She-Ra: Princess of Power toyline was a completely separate line. Filmation really joined the two properties, though, with lots of great crossovers. Other things like the Power Tour and the epic 1985 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade further gave us glimpses of the connections between worlds of Eternia and Etheria, but the 1980s She-Ra was relegated only to memories for more than a decade. When she finally returned it wasn't in the 200x/ MYP cartoon series but as a SDCC 2004 exclusive figure for the 200x MOTU line. Maybe that reignited fan interest because She-Ra was a massive part of Mattel's Masters of the Universe Classics, AKA the greatest toyline of all time. Something crazy has happened since then, though: She-Ra often only appears in toylines as an exclusive. Take the Dorbz She-Ra here: She was actually the first figure released in the Masters of the Universe range of Dorbz figures as she was part of the 2016 12 Days of Funko releases. Limited to 3,000 units, She-Ra is one of the more difficult figures to track down in the line, although she's not that tough as Dorbz aren't crazy pricey. Still, it's a testament to She-Ra's popularity that even in a largely unpopular line she's still one of the most desired figures. Anyways, let's check out this Funko Shop exclusive She-Ra after the break...

Toy Review: Battle Armor Skeletor from Masters of the Universe: Figural Bag Clips by Monogram International

    Monogram International's new series of Masters of the Universe figural bag clips has two "chase" variants (which are super frustrating in a blind bagged line) and, as you may remember from a day or so ago, they are the Battle Armor variant of He-Man and Skeletor. I've already looked at Battle Armor He-Man so now it's time to look at Battle Armor Skeletor. While the standard Skeletor bag clip is clearly based on the Filmation depiction of Skeletor, this one is definitely based on the vintage toy design. Let's check out Battle Armor Skeletor after the break...

Old School MOTU: He-Man from Dorbz: Masters of the Universe by Funko

   It's time for another review of....He-Man! Ok, yeah, I review a heck of a lot of He-Man stuff, but hey, who cares, right? I'm going to be doing a mini review series on Funko's Masters of the Universe Dorbz line. I've reviewed another MOTU Dorbz figure before (Man-At-Arms) and I'm guessing most of you probably aren't unfamiliar with the line. Funko is always trying new stuff and Dorbz was an attempt to get another line going to supplement their successful POP! vinyls. Dorbz haven't been seen at retail for over a year (there haven't been any 2020 releases and all of the 2019 releases were Funko Shop exclusives) and most of the MOTU releases all came out in 2017 (She-Ra was a late 2016 exclusive for 12 Days of Funko while the metallic Black Hood Skeletor/ Disco Skeletor was a 2018 exclusive for Big Apple Collectibles), meaning that this line seems pretty much dead at this point. I'm still not sure why Funko released Dorbz rather than focusing on more characters in the POP! vinyls lines? I know they want to releases different product ranges, but Dorbz and POP! seem too similar, you know? Anyways, let's check out the Dorbz He-Man after the break to see yet another take on the most powerful man in the universe...

Toy Review: Battle Armor He-Man from Masters of the Universe: Figural Bag Clips from Monogram International

    Monogram's new series of Masters of the Universe: Figural Bag Clips has two chase variant figures which are obscured on the back of the package (it just calls them Exclusive A and Exclusive B) but I'm going to tell you who those exclusives are: Battle Armor He-Man and Battle Armor Skeletor! I've always loved the Battle Armor variants in MOTU and I was really looking forward to these figures. I ended up ordering them individually as I never pulled them from the packs I ordered and, ultimately, this seemed like the less expensive option. Today I'm going to check out Battle Armor He-Man, who is definitely my favorite of the two. I've always loved this outfit and while I'm not sure if it was my first He-Man figure ( I really can't remember if I got the original He-Man or Battle Armor first)n I feel like I've had him about as long as I can remember. This guy captures the spirit of the original figure (although he is toting a shield with Battle Armor He-Man didn't include) and you can take him wherever you want now! Let's check out Battle Armor He-Man after the break...