Action Figure Review: Ninjor #1036 from POP! Televison: Masters of the Universe by Funko

 

   Now that we've covered the giant Beast Man and King Hiss let's move on to the third of the NYCC 2020 exclusive POP! vinyls: Ninjor! Ninjor was one of the 1987 MOTU releases that were part of a series of figures designed to take advantage of existing tooling with only new heads and a few new accessories. The others in the line were Clamp Champ, King Randor, and Scareglow. It's kind of ironic that some figures designed with minimal resources have become some of the most sought after vintage Masters of the Universe figures, isn't it? Because both ninjas and MOTU are awesome, Ninjor is doubly awesome. It's also nice that Funko can call him Ninjor as Mattel wasn't able to in Masters of the Universe Classics, where he was simply referred to as Ninja Warrior. Maybe the trademark issue or whatever it was has been resolved? Anyways, let's check out Ninjor after the break...

This is the Way: Scout Trooper from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 

   GameStop and Hasbro have been rolling out the Star Wars: The Black Series Gaming Greats releases this year and I recently stumbled upon another figure from the very cool subset: The Scout Trooper from Jedi: Fallen Order. Jedi: Fallen Order focused on melee combat quite heavily and gave many of the popular Imperial troopers melee weapons to combat Cal Kestis and his lightsaber skills. I've always been a fan of Imperial Scout Troopers (for years everyone just called them Biker Scouts) and when I saw this guy at GameStop I was pretty excited. At first you might just think this is a simple repaint/ re-release of the Scout Trooper released in Phase II or in the Archive collection but it turns out that this guy has quite a few new parts and a new accessory. These guys could be a bit of a challenge if they caught you off guard in Jedi: Fallen Order and it's nice to be able to add one to the Black Series collection. Let's take a look at the Scout Trooper after the break...

Action Figure Review: King Hiss #1038 from POP! Television: Masters of the Universe by Funko

 

   It's been a couple weeks since I reviewed one of the Masters of the Universe Funko POP! exclusives that were intended for NYCC 2020 so let's work to finish that set up, starting with King Hiss #1038 today. I'm really liking that Funko is offering up some MOTU characters we don't see in every licensed line and King Hiss and the Snake Men definitely are a faction that hasn't received much attention from anyone other than Mattel in their main MOTU lines and NECA's 200x stactions. Soon Funko is going to be switching the MOTU brand from their POP! Television line to the POP! Retro Toys line, which makes more sense; most of the MOTU releases lately have been absolutely based on their vintage toy counterparts and many of these characters never appeared in the Filmation animated series. I distinctly remember picking out the vintage King Hiss toy from a store as a child and I've always had an affinity for the character. Let's check out this disguised serpentine villain after the break...  

Barbecue's Bonfire 11/27/2020: A Black Friday to Stay Home and Stream Edition

 

   Happy belated Thanksgiving, everyone! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday and that you're either being extremely careful, shopping online, or just avoiding Black Friday this year. Besides, there is lots of good stuff to stream this year so staying home isn't so bad. With a new episode of The Mandalorian today, another tree to decorate (we're doing two trees this year), and some Lego Harry Potter to play on the Nintendo Switch we're going to be plenty occupied. I've also been watching lots of other stuff.

  Did you check out any of the MST3K Turkey Day marathon? We didn't get to watch the whole thing but we watched parts of Pod People along with Night of the Blood Beast and Cry Wilderness. My daughter legitimately loves Cry Wilderness, by the way, so that was a nice surprise. I missed Emily Crenshaw's riffing segment so I'm going to have to track that down. More stuff, including Star Wars and Kurt Russell as Santa Claus after the break...

Toy Review: She-Ra from Vinyl SODA by Funko

 

   Now that I've reviewed all of the Funko POP! exclusives for NYCC 2020 let's take a look at the Masters of the Universe Vinyl SODA offerings. The Vinyl SODA line has been one of my favorite new toylines of 2020 and I've been collecting all of the MOTU releases (well, except for the obnoxiously rare and overly expensive chase variants). Today I'm very excited to be able to check out She-Ra who is kind of an outlier in MOTU these days. The licensing rights for She-Ra in relation to MOTU are kind of odd so we don't see her as often as we should and we rarely see any members of the Great Rebellion. She-Ra is part of a limited run of 3,000 (2,500 standard She-Ras and 500 chase variants). Ready for a look at the most powerful woman in the universe? Then join me after the break...

This is the Way: Jango Fett (Star Wars: Bounty Hunter) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

   The Mandalorian Madness continues with a look at Jango Fett who is, according to the rulers of Mandalore, not actually a Mandalorian. He's allegedly from Concord Dawn, a planet in the Mandalore Sector of the Outer Rim, but not from Mandalore itself. Anyways, whether or not he's a Mandalorian it's pretty clear that Jango Fett was renowned as the greatest bounty hunter of his era. Hasbro released a Jango Fett in the Black Series back in early 2016 that was based on his appearance from Attack of the Clones, a film that's simultaneously one of the best and one of the worst Star Wars movies. This version of Jango Fett is one of GameStop exclusive Gaming Greats and is actually based on the 2002 GameCube and Playstation 2 game Star Wars: Bounty Hunter. That's pretty cool, right? It wasn't the best game but I do have some good memories of playing Star Wars: Bounty Hunter on my GameCube back in 2003 or so. The biggest weakness of the previous Jango Fett figure was the paint on the face so Hasbro has totally rectified that issue here with an incredible face print. To further differentiate the figure, though, you also get Jango's earlier Z-6 jetpack and a purple bodysuit. I thought it was worth a buy, especially with the great sales and the nice rewards GameStop has been running lately. Let's take a look at the Gaming Greats Jango Fett after the break...

Action Figure Review: Red Ninja from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

   Ready to finish up the second series of the G.I. Joe: Classified Series? Then let's take a look at the mysterious Red Ninja! The Red Ninja first appeared in 1984 in Marvel's G.I. Joe #21 Silent Interlude, the renowned story which features lots of ninja action but no dialogue. Over the years they've become a regular staple in the G.I. Joe universe and a popular army builder. I didn't expect to see them in the line this early, especially not before we received a standard Storm Shadow, but here they are. The Red Ninja seem to be the toughest of the series 2 figures to find, probably because of they're army builder status. Of course, Red Ninja is also a pretty cool figure who is loaded with weapons. Seriously, he has more weapons than any other standard figure in the line. Let's take a look at the Red Ninja after the break for some hardcore ninja action...

This is the Way: Cad Bane from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

   He's not a Mandalorian but he is a bounty hunter and some say he was the best bounty hunter in the galaxy after the untimely death of Jango Fett at the hands of Mace Windu. Who are we talking about? Why Cad Bane, of course. Cad Bane appeared in the second season of The Clone Wars and I remember there being a lot of excitement about him. Cad Bane was a fixture on the Clone Wars between the second and fourth seasons and while there was work done on a later episode of The Clone Wars where Bane and Boba Fett had a duel that resulted in the dent in Fett's helmet and Bane's death, it was never finished. Maybe that story could be resurrected or maybe we'll get more stories about how Cad Bane is still around. Based on some early images from concept work for the Original Trilogy, Cad Bane is a Western styled gunslinger who would fit perfectly into The Mandalorian, wouldn't he? He's pretty old, though, and would be well into his 70s in that era, but maybe he could still be around as a crusty old professional still doing his thing. Hasbro has been slow about filling in the roster of The Clone Wars but Cad Bane was an excellent choice and he's another stellar figure. He's part of the newest series of Phase IV Black Series figures but he was also offered earlier this year as an exclusive figure along with his droid companion, Todo-360. That figure was tough to acquire, though, so I settled for the standard release. Let's take a look at Cad Bane after the break...

Minifigure Review: Teela from Masters of the Universe by Mega Construx

 

   Today I'm checking out the last figure in the second series of the single carded Masters of the Universe Mega Construx figures and it's Teela. Yes, another Teela. How many Teelas have there been in Mega Construx? There was the original Teela which was released back when the line was called Mega Construx Heroes and who was then repackaged in the Battle for Eternia Collection, followed by the more vintage toy/ cross sell art accurate Teela that came with the SDCC 2019 exclusive Battle Bones. Well, now we have another one and she's actually nearly identical to the the Teela that came with Battle Bones. She's got a few differences but she's mostly a repack. Of course, since this line is sold on cards, you can simply skip this one. If you don't have the older figure or didn't get your hands on the SDCC 2019 exclusive, however, this one gives you a Teela for your collection. Not the most exciting release for longtime collectors but surely a vital piece for newer collectors. Let's take a look at this single carded Teela after the break...

This is the Way: The Armorer from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   Since season 2 of The Mandalorian is in full swing I'm on a roll, continuing to check out lots of cool new Star Wars: The Black Series figures. Today we're checking out the mysterious leader of the Mandalorian enclave known as the Tribe who is known only as the Armorer! Hasbro released a Pulse exclusive version of the Armorer a month or two back but she disappeared rather quickly, so I had to settle for the standard version. I'm super excited to get the Armorer in The Black Series although she feels like a figure we should have gotten last year. Unfortunately, it feels like Hasbro is currently working a year behind when it comes to The Mandalorian so it's doubtful we'll see any figures from season 2 until sometime later in 2021. That's not a knock on the quality of the figures nor on the quality of the show, but it definitely makes me wish that Hasbro and Disney could work together more closely. Anyways, let's take a look at the Armorer after the break...

Barbecue's Bonfire 11/19/2020: Snake Mountain Arrives Edition!

 

   What's up everyone? This has been a pretty good week. We've been decorating trees, I've started to play The Last of Us: Part 2 (which I got for my birthday back in September), and Christmas movies have been a regular staple in the house. And... Snake Mountain from Masters of the Universe Classics finally arrived! How about that? It showed up on Wednesday in a massive box that weighed about 50 pounds.

Yes, my long awaited Snake Mountain from Super7 arrived in the mail yesterday. I'm definitely going to do a full review in the coming weeks but I have to say that the size and overall presentation of Snake Mountain is amazing. I love it and I'm so, so glad to finally have it in my collection. I've had a spot worked out for it for quite a few months and it's really cool to see it there. The quality of the playset is really nice and it seems quite durable. It does seem a bit lacking feature wise, with oddities like the monster mouth on the front only moving manually (there's no lever) and the bridge being really short. Still, the accessories like Skeletor's throne and the monsters coming out of the green water are incredible and feel like substantial additions to the MOTUC line. Of course, continue after the break for more thoughts on a potpourri of things...

This is the Way: The Mandalorian from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   Last year I couldn't find the Phase III figure of The Mandalorian that launched on Triple Force Friday at all. In fact, I didn't finally get one until the end of October when a preorder I had arrived from Big Bad Toy Store. On the same day that I received that figure I also received the newest version of The Mandalorian from The Black Series: Phase IV. This version of Din Djarin, the titular Mandalorian, is clad in his Beskar armor that he wears later on in the first season of the show. I'm pretty excited to have both versions of Din Dharin thus far and I imagine I'll be picking up any future releases, too. Let's take a look at The Mandalorian after the break...

Minifigure Review: Stinkor from Masters of the Universe by Mega Construx

Today I'm checking out another figure from the newest series of Masters of the Universe mega Construx minifigures and this time it's the evil master of odors: Stinkor! Besdies being a popular character this guy was almost guaranteed as Mer-Man also came out recently and these two share a headsculpt. They probably were worked on concurrently. Stinkor is always a fun figure and usually manages to make his way into most MOTU lines. Unlike some versions of the character, this figure doesn't have a patchouli aroma to him. I'm always a bit disappointed when Stinkor loses his stench but I doubt it would work on a figure this small or made from harder plastic like thi guy is. Let's take a look at Stinkor after the break...

Minifigure Review: Fisto from Masters of the Universe by Mega Construx

 

   Thus far we've only looked at repaints and variants from the second series of single carded Mega Construx Masters of the Universe figures but today we're checking out a character new to the line: Fisto! Maybe it's because of his more significant role in the 200x cartoon series, maybe it's because of his mighty steed, Stridor, or maybe it's because of his awesomely outrageous name and his giant metal fist, but Fisto is an extremely popular character! It's great that Mega Construx has finally put him in the line as we needed some more Heroic Warriors in the line. He's probably a bit easier to make than many of the other later Heroic Warriors since he's uses a standard body with just a new hand but he's still a very welcome addition to he line. Let's check out Fisto after the break and see if this little guy packs as much punch as his big brothers...

This is the Way: Boba Fett (Carbonized) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 

   Last year on Triple Force Friday 2019 Hasbro debuted a number of "Carbonized" exclusive variant figures which largely became quite popular among collectors. I didn't pick any up as my Star Wars: The Black Series collection tends to mostly be "in universe" figures but when I stumbled upon the recently released Carbonized Boba Fett I couldn't resist. I'm typically always down for Boba Fett and he's a figure that looks pretty impressive with the Carbonized Graphite ink process Hasbro is advertising here. While there is a new Return of the Jedi styled Boba Fett coming out next year in the Black Series Phase IV collection this Boba Fett is 97% a repaint of the Boba Fett figure originally released in 2013 as both an SDCC exclusive and as part of the Black Series Phase I collection. This version of Fett is a Hasbro Fan Channel exclusive, meaning you'll find him available through e-tailers and stores like GameStop, which is where I picked him up. We'll check him out after the break but first I want to draw attention to the heading for this review series. Since the second season of The Mandalorian is in full swing I wanted to pay tribute to it so, for the duration of the season, all of my Star Wars reviews will have the "This is the Way" heading. I've done similar events for all of the Sequel Trilogy and spin-off films as well as for other movies such as Justice League. It's just a fun way to tie all of the reviews together to celebrate a big event. Anyways, on to Boba Fett (Carbonized)...

Minifigure Review: Faker from Masters of the Universe by Mega Construx

 

   It's time to continue to looking at the second series of Masters of the universe minifigures from Mega Construx and today I'm checking out Faker. I really wish Mega Construx would have called this Battle Armor Faker because that's exactly what he is: Faker in his Battle Armor. While he was a popular fan custom for years Mattel finally made an official Battle Armor Faker in 2011 in the DC Universe Classics vs Masters of the Universe Classics line. Faker was paired with Bizarro and was released as a Toys R Us exclusive during SDCC 2011 but was only ever sold online. He never hit stores and has ended up being a pretty pricy figure to obtain on the aftermarket. What's the moral of the story? People love Faker and battle armor, I guess. Since two of the most recent Mega Construx sets included the battle armor variants of He-Man and Skeletor it makes sense for Battle Armor Faker to show up as well. Ready for a look at this guy? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Harley Quinn: Deluxe Edition from One:12 Collective DC Universe by Mezco

 

   It's been well over a year since I last reviewed a Mezco One:12 Collective figure and over two years since I last reviewed a Harley Quinn figure! That's crazy! I've definitely been less interested in collecting DC stuff since Mattel lost the DC license and DC Collectibles stopped caring (though now they've gone away as well). McFarlane's stuff is quite cool but it's in a different scale and just hasn't roped me in. My DC purchases are far and few between these days but a One:12 Harley Quinn definitely appealed to me. I loved the One:12 Collective line when it first came out but over time I began to grow disenchanted with it. Some figures are amazing while others seem pretty by the numbers and less impressive than what Hasbro and NECA are doing in the same scale at around a quarter of the cost. I have a weakness for Harley, though, so I preordered both of the Harley Quinns they planned. I haven't received my "Playing for Keeps" Harley Quinn yet but I did receive this Harley on Halloween. Released as Harley Quinn: Deluxe Edition, she definitely comes loaded with enough extras that seem to allow her to live up to the name. Ready to see if this is a worthwhile Harley for the collection? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Snake Eyes Deluxe from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   Today I'm checking the Hasbro Pulse exclusive Snake Eyes deluxe figure from 2020's hit G.I. Joe: Classified Series. Snake Eyes is listed as release 00 in the line and was released shortly after Toy Fair 2020 earlier this year. I passed on him at the time and after his prices skyrocketed I just assumed I'd never own him. Fortunately, Hasbro put up a number of these figures on Hasbro Pulse after their HasCon event a month or so ago so that gave me a chance to pick one up for a normal price (I'm still waiting for my Snake Supreme Cobra Commander to ship, though). I was content with not owning this guy but now that I have him in hand I'm very impressed with him. Not only is he a solid figure but he comes with a ton of accessories and one heck of a nice box. This guy is pretty incredible! Let's check out Snake Eyes Deluxe after the break and see what all the buzz is about...

Action Figure Review: Ghoul Trooper from Fortnite: Legendary Series by Jazwares

   I love how the Fortnite: Legendary Series figures just seemingly drop out of nowhere! I actually received the Ghoul Trooper in the mail on October 30th from Amazon, which made for a cool Halloween surprise. I had preordered her back before NY Toy Fair 2020 so it was nice to finally have her arrive. While the 1/18th scale lines has been filled with both male and female characters the 6-inch Legendary Series has really been mostly men with the only other woman released being Valkyrie, who was released last year. The Ghoul Trooper uses the standard female character model (I think she's referred to as Ramirez) which makes me hopeful we'll start to see more female characters in the line. The Ghoul Trooper skin has a few different looks but this one is considered the default one and it's clearly a zombie-like design. Are you up for a combat ready zombie? Then join me after the break...

Minifigure Review: Hermione Granger from Harry Potter Collectible Minifigures Series 2 by Lego

 

   Well, this is new, isn't it? It's been over 5 years since I last reviewed a Lego set and I've never reviewed a Harry Potter item that I'm aware of. Back in August I started reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to my daughter and now she is absolutely nuts about Harry Potter. We're in the middle of the fifth book, she dressed up like Hermione Granger for Halloween, and she's building up a small  collection of Lego Harry Potter sets. For one day last month we both picked out one of the blind bagged sets from Lego's Harry Potter Collectible Minifigures Series 2. I was hoping to get Moaning Myrtle and my daughter was hoping to get a different figure but, oddly enough, we both ended up with Hermione. Weird, huh? I have no problem with having a minature Hermione hanging around. She's in an outfit she wears at the Three Broomsticks in the film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince which my daughter hasn't watched yet (we're watching each film as we finish the respective book). Honestly, I'm not sure I ever saw the sixth film, either, so I'll be watching it with fresh eyes when we inevitably watch it in the coming months. Let's take a look at Hermione Granger after the break and see if she's worth adding to your collection...

Toy Review: Franken Berry from Vinyl SODA by Funko

 

   Yeah, it's no longer the Halloween season but I still want to show off another monster from the Vinyl SODA line and this time it's Franken Berry. Introduced in 1971, Franken Berry is a strawberry flavored cereal and the titular mascot is a pink, steampunk version of Frankenstein's monster. I've actually reviewed the cereal before, way back in 2013, and I'd say that it's my third favorite of the cereals with Franken Berry being my fourth favorite mascot. All of the monsters are cool, but he's definitely not Boo Berry or Fruit Brute cool. Funko released this guy in a limited run of 7,500 and I got my hands on him. Let's check out Franken Berry after the break...

Barbecue's Bonfire 11/13/2020: Cuffs and Riffs Edition

 

   Welcome back to another weekly installment of Barbecue's Bonfire! Since this past Saturday was Re-Halloween we celebrated by watching some Tree House of Horror, playing Zombicide, and checking out what was left at our nearest Party City. On Sunday afternoon we reorganized the closet where we keep our various holiday decorations and began putting up Christmas decorations. It's taking a bit but it's beginning to feel like that special, festive time of the year. I hope you're all doing well and starting to get into the holiday spirit! What have I been up to this week? Well first up, we're going to have to talk about The Mandalorian...

  The Mandalorian Chapter 10: "The Passenger" is a more self contained story than many previous episodes but I'm completely OK with that. It's definitely more of a horror episode with some terrifying ice spiders and the threat of Mando and his passengers freezing to death. Despite being a more standalone story, we're still seeing elements from other episodes carry over into this one. Din Djarin and the Child are still being hunted, leading to an incredible ambush scene. I love how the Mandaoliran fights! Seriously, his use of a jetpack in this episode would definitely be a move worthy of an Inspiration Point in D&D 5th edition. There's also a scene specifically referencing the events of Chapter 6: "The Prisoner" which is pretty cool. It's nice to have "standalone" episodes while still having the actions of previous episodes affect what happens. This one wasn't as hard hitting as the season premiere, Chapter 9: "The Marshal" and I definitely wanted to see Boba Fett appear, but it was still a good episode. Plus, Baby Yoda eating the eggs was hilarious and horrifying. More after the break...

Action Figure Review: Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimates by Super7

 

   Today I'm checking out the last figure from series 1 of Super7's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimates and it is the turtles' beloved sensei, Splinter. Is there a cooler father figure character than Splinter? Whether you prefer him as Hamato Yoshi mutated into the form of a rat, the pet rat of Hamato Yoshi, or the reincarnation of Hamato Yoshi in the body of a rat, Splinter is always a noble, heroic, loving father to the turtles and a ninja master you don't want to mess around with. Like the rest of the line, this version of master Splinter is based on the design of the vintage toy with a few new accessories that make him even more exciting. Series 1 of this line seems to have sold quite well and Super7 has announced everything through wave 4, so at the very least we'll get the original 10 figures plus some other assorted heroes and villains for Splinter to mentor or defeat. Let's check out Splinter after the break...

Action Figure Review: Beast Man #1039 from POP! Television: Masters of the Universe by Funko

 

   Funko continues to roll out an impressive array of Masters of the Universe product in their POP! vinyls line and today I'm going to start making my way through their New York Comic Con 2020 offerings. Yeah, NYCC 2020 didn't happen in person but Funko still sold their exclusives all the same. I found the NYCC process to be much easier than the SDCC 2020 sale, which was a pain. The first figure I'm going to be checking out is the 10-inch Beast Man #1039. Funko has released two other 10-inch MOTU POP! vinyls this year (Skeletor and Disco Skeletor) and it would seem that they're mighty popular as we've gotten a third one with a fourth (Battle Armor He-Man) on the way. Beast Man was available directly through Funko and is also a shared exclusive with GameStop where he has been fairly easy to find from my experience. Ready for Beast Man? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Foot Soldier from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimates by Super7

 

Now that I've reviewed Raphael how about some nameless, faceless minions for him to knock around? Today I'm checking out theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimates Foot Soldier, Shredder's Right Hand Mummy. Wait, mummy? Yeah, that's how the vintage toy packaging and bio card referred to the Foot Soldier, also referring to their movements as "mummified." In the cartoon and toyline the Foot Soldiers were clearly robots though referring to them as mummies still seems a bit odd. Today I'd imagine we'd call them zombie-like, though zombies were clearly not as well known to kids as they are today. While I've always preferred my Foot Soldiers to be actual humans, like in the films, I've also always loved the distinctive uniform of the vintage Foot Soldiers. They are rather creepy looking and off-putting for sure. Seriously, I wouldn't even want to know how many of these guys I've destroyed while playing the various TMNT video games over the years. Super7 included the Foot Soldier as part of the first series of figures as the second villain in the set. I wonder how many folks are trying to army build these guys? Let's take a look at the Foot Soldier after the break...

Action Figure Review: Baroness with Cobra C.O.I.L. from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   Today I'm finally getting around to the final figure in the Target exclusive Special Missions: Cobra Island subset of the G.I. Joe: Classified Series and it's the Baroness with the Cobra C.O.I.L. motorcycle. Not only are the Target figures ludicrously difficult to get but the Baroness is one of the most popular G.I. Joe characters out there. While you can be almost assured that Hasbro will re-release her down the line in a different color scheme Target's exclusive version of the Baroness is incredibly faithful to her vintage look and includes the first vehicle in the series. There seems to be a lot of disappointment with the Cobra C.O.I.L. cycle and now might be a really good time to determine how interested collectors of this line actually are in vehicles. I know the A Real American Hero line was basically built on cool vehicles and playsets but that's pretty improbable with the 6 inch scaled line. I'd be completely OK if Hasbro just came out and said we wouldn't see any vehicles in the line but perhaps this is Hasbro's effort to gauge collector interest? Things are probably pretty skewed, here, as I imagine most collectors would buy the Baroness if she came packaged with a box of oatmeal. Anyways, I've had her in hand for a few weeks now and the Baroness is a very impressive figure. How's that cycle working out for her, though? Find out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Raphael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimates by Super7

 

   Way back near the end of September I received the entire first series of Super7's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimates. I've I reviewed Baxter Stockman a few weeks ago but now I'm getting read to make my way through the rest of the first series figures, starting with Raphael. Raphael has been my favorite turtle for as long as I can remember. My grandmothers bought me the first series of figures way back in 1988 and I've loved the TMNT ever since, so seeing these figures based on the vintage toys is extremely nostalgic for me, as I'm sure they are for nearly everyone else around my age (I'm in my late 30s). While we've seen turtles based on nearly every piece of media including the movies, original cartoon, comics, and video games, this is the first new product specifically based on recreating the vintage toyline Masters of the Universe Classics style. While Super7 has only released one of the four turtles in the first series they have already announced the other four, so you know you're going to complete the foursome along with the first vintage series of figures. Ready for a look at Raphael? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: DJ R-3X from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 

   Today I'm excited to look at my first Star Wars: The Black Series review from the Target Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Trading Outpost subset. When Galaxy's Edge opened last year Hasbro released a few sets of Black Series figures available at the park. One of those sets was the Droid Depot set which included a re-released R2-D2, re-released C-3PO, re-released BB-8, and a brand new DJ R-3X. Yeah, with most of the sets you had to buy a couple figures you already owned to get someone new. I'm sure it was a hit with visitors to the park who were casual fans or Star Wars fans who just didn't collect the Black Series but for those of us collecting the line since the beginning it was frustrating and not worth a purchase. Fortunately, Hasbro partnered with Target and we're getting most of those exclusive figures available in single packages. Today I'm looking at the only Galaxy's Edge figure I have so far: DJ R-3X. Who is DJ R-3X? Originally R-3X was RX-24, the pilot for the 1987 ride Star Tours. Referred to as Captain Rex (but not this Captain Rex), he was voiced by Paul Reubens (who voiced the character again the Rebels episode "Droids in Distress." In the books and comics released surrounding Galaxy's Edge, RX-24 is reprogrammed as a DJ, now called DJ R-3X, who manages the beats at Oga's Cantina at  Blackspire outpost. It's a cool way to fit the character in with Disney's newest Star Wars attraction and offers up a unique character for the line. Let's check out DJ R-3X after the break...

Action Figure Review: Legendary Loadout #2 from Fortnite: Legendary Series by Jazwares

 

   A few weeks ago I reviewed the first of the Fortnite: Legendary Series Legendary Loadout sets. While the set was a cool idea most of the weapons were oversized, meaning the 6 inch figures couldn't hold them, and too many of the weapons were copies of weapons we already had in the line. The second set is a bit better as it features four all new weapons and the size of the weapons fits the figures better. Interestingly, Jazwares also gave two of the weapons unique wraps, something I don't quite remember seeing in the line yet. I like the standard, more realistic looking weapons best but the wraps do add a nice pop of color to the set. Thus far these have only been available in the UK and Canada and there has been little to no information about there availability in the United States. Let's take a look at the Legendary Loadout #2 set after the break...

Happy Re-Halloween! Count Chocula from Vinyl SODA by Funko

 

      Happy Re-Halloween! I hope you've spent the past week doing everything you missed out on during the hustle and bustle of Halloween last week. Did you catch up on some favorite movies you missed? How about carving a pumpkin you didn't get around to converting into a Jack o' lantern? Today I'm checking out a "horror" themed figure that just didn't make it into The Dawn of 31 Days of Toy Terror: Count Chocula from Funko's Vinyl SODA line! Next year is the 50th anniversary of Count Chocula and Franken Berry cereal so I'm hoping General Mills has big plans to celebrate as well as bring back some old favorites (like Fruit Brute and Fruity Yummy Mummy). Heck, I'd love to see them introduce a new character, too. We could really use a female monster. Maybe a witch or a mer-girl? Oh, how about a banshee? Banshees are the best! Anyways, Count Chocula is clearly the leader of the Cereal Monsters and while his cereal is probably my least favorite of the bunch you can't deny the character's coolness. Let's check out Count Chocula after the break....

Barbecue's Bonfire 11/6/2020: Halloween Wrap Up Edition!

 

Hey everyone! 

   It's the week after Halloween (tomorrow is Re-Halloween!) and it's time to catch up on all of the great stuff that I've been up to. Earlier this week you saw my story of losing power in the hurricane last weekend. This week is much better, though, with more crazy happenings. First up: Trick 'r Treating!

 We did do a bit of Trick 'r Treating this year. We wore masks and only went to about 10 houses and a drive through trunk 'r treat (who all had cool ways to get candy to us in a socially distanced and safe way, including driving it to my daughter in a remote controlled Barbie car). We also quarantined the candy for a bit, just to be extra safe. I was Sam from Trick 'r Treat, my daughter was Hermione, and my wife was the Marauders Map. She's always cold, though, so her jacket is covering most of the dress. More Tricks and Treats from the week after the break...

Action Figure Review: Wayne "Beach Head" Sneeden from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   Let's dive back in to the G.I. Joe: Classified Series with a look at the third Target Exclusive figure from the Special Missions: Cobra Island subset: Wayne "Beach Head" Sneeden. Multiple times since the relaunch of G.I. Joe in 1998 Hasbro has released figures under their original file card names, probably to get around an issue with the character's regular name being trademarked or in use by another company or something. It's better than renaming the figures (remember when General Hawk was General Tomahawk for a few years?) and does pay tribute to the vintage file cards which were such a huge part of the vintage toyline. Between the Larry Hama penned file cards and the excellent Marvel comics series, G.I. Joe really had most of its cast fully fleshed out, far more so than most toylines. Beach Head is one of my favorite figures in the vintage G.I. Joe line and was part of the 1986 series of figures, which was the year when I began getting into getting into G.I. Joe. Dang, 1986 was a great year for G.I. Joe and some of my favorite figures like General Hawk v2, Low-Light, Lifeline, Viper, and Roadblock v2 come from that year. Anyways, I have to think my friend Matt from The Toy Box for picking up Beach Head for me. These Target figures have been a beast to find! Let's check out Wayne "Beach Head" Sneeden after the break. He's one of the best figures in this line so far and I'm really excited to show him off...

Minifigure Review: Evil-Lyn from Masters of the Universe by Mega Construx

 

   The second series of the Mega Construx individually packaged figures started showing up in stores last month and I managed to find the whole set at the same time while at a Walmart. I'm going to start making my way through them in the next week or two but I figured I'd kick things off with Evil-Lyn. Evil-Lyn is no stranger to the Mega Construx line as this is her third single carded release. Each release has been quite different, though, and thus far both were worth picking up. What about this Evil-Lyn, though? If you ask me, this version is an homage to the 200x version of the character which was a pretty popular look for the villainess. Of course, she's also wearing more black here than she did there which kind of makes this a new interpretation, too. Interested? Then let's check this one out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Teela from Masters of the Universe Origins by Mattel

 

   Today we're checking out the last figure from series 1 of Mattel's Masters of the Universe Origins line and it's Teela, the heroic Warrior Goddess! Series 1 has been all A-list MOTU characters with nearly every figure being from the original series of figures and Teela is absolutely one of the MOTU A-listers. Considering that she even showed up in The New Adventures of He-Man, it's safe to say that Teela has shown up in as many incarnations of MOTU as He-Man himself. That's some star power! Teela was the last figure I got my hands on as I actually ordered her from Walmart.com but something weird happened with my order and it bounced around for a bit before being delivered. Let's take a look at Teela after the break and see if she's a worthy successor to the vintage toy...

Barbecue's Bonfire 10/30/2020: Belated Because I Lost Power Edition

 

   Sorry this one is late everyone! I've got a great excuse, though: Hurricane Zeta blew a few trees down across from my house, one of which knocked over some powerlines. We lost power on Thursday morning and didn't get it back until late Sunday evening. Fortunately, my parents live close by so we headed to their house where they still had power (though there internet was out until Friday night). Halloween wasn't a bust, though, and we still had plenty of Halloween adventures and fun. I'll detail those on Friday, though, as this is a catch-up post from last Thursday. So, what was I up to the week before Halloween? Let's check it out...

* We carved jack o'lanterns on Wednesday night and I had one that was so large that I was able to fit it on my head! I took a ton of pictures, so you'll probably see them pop up over the next few months for various reasons. Here's one that I thought turned out pretty well. Pumpkin selfie! More belated Halloween Hijinks after the break...

Toy Review: Panthor at Point Dread from Masters of the Universe by Mega Construx

 

   While it's not as large as last year's Castle Grayskull 2020's largest set, Panthor at Point Dread, is still pretty substantial. With 557 pieces the set includes three figures, Panthor, the Talon Fighter, and Point Dread. Just like in the vintage line and in Masters of the Universe Classics Point Dread can attach onto the top of Castle Grayskull, making an already quite large playset even bigger! There haven't been too many new Mega Construx releases this year so far (there were some new minifigures back in January/ February) but in the last month or so there have been a few more to capture collector attention again. I found this set at a Walmart earlier this month and just got around to building it over the past week. It's quite cool with a neat mixture of included items, most of which have their roots in the vintage MOTU line. Let's take a look at Panthor at Point Dread after the break....