Action Figure Review: Dhalsim from Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers by Jada Toys

 

   Jada Toys' Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers is the Street Fighter toyline I've always wanted. The figures are incredibly well articulated, come with great accessories, the character selection is wonderful, and they're quite affordable. I'm amazed that Jada Toys showed off the complete cast of 16 characters from the Street Fighter 2 era at SDCC 2024 and have started teasing some other characters, too. I mean, how companies would you expect to launch a series with 16 core characters and show them all ready for release in less than a year after the line has started. Usually companies like to drag their feet and not reveal the full main cast until later in the line. God bless you, Jada! You know what we want! Today I'm checking out another of the series 2 figures: Dhalsim, the Yoga mystic from India who can stretch his body beyond belief. Let's take a look at Dhalsim, a guy that loves meditation and curry, after the break...

Action Figure Review: The Penguin (DC Classic) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   Today I'm checking out another DC Multiverse figure from McFarlane Toys. I'm going to be reviewing quite a few of these in the days ahead because, oh my gosh, the Toddfather is dropping DC figures left and right. Specifically Batman stuff, which is mainly what I collect with DC. The Penguin is part of the same "McFarlane Collector Edition" subset as Starfire (who I reviewed a few weeks back), and thus he comes in at a higher price point. I'm still not sure how I feel about these "Collector Editions" since most of them don't really feel any more deluxe than a standard figure. Still, I like the character selection of many of them and have thus far picked up Abyss, Bat-Manga Batman, and the aforementioned Starfire, who was gifted to me by a kind reader. There's a Platinum edition of the Penguin available as well based on the classic Kenner Super Powers or Toy Biz DC Comics Super Heroes paint scheme (I had the Toy Biz figure as a kid), but I haven't found him yet. There have been any Penguin figures over the years and I own quite a few (though I haven't reviewed many for some reason). This guy strikes a nice middle ground between looking like a standard gangster (think Gotham or The Batman) and looking like a complete monster (think Batman Returns or Dark Victory). He really looks like a classic licensing art version of Oswald Cobblepot, just given some more realistic features. Ready for a stop at the Iceberg Lounge? Then join me after the break...

🔥Hot Toy Summer!🔥 Flareon from An Afternoon with Eevee & Friends by Funko

 

   

We've got another installment of 🔥Hot Toy Summer!🔥 today and this time we're checking out the hottest of them all: Flareon! Flareon is a fire type Pokémon with an average body temperature of between 1,300 to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit who can exhale fire at around 3,100 degrees Fahrenheit. Yikes! That's insane. If you're a regular reader, you probably know that my daughter Adora is obsessed with Eevee and all of the Eeveelutions, so this is a piece from her collection. Flareon is part of a Funko set of Eeveelutions called My Afternoon with Eevee & Friends. This figure was released in 2020 and is part of a set of nine mini-statues that can all be displayed next to each other to form one scene. Adora received a number of pieces from this set as Christmas presents last year and when I was looking for another toy to celebrate the heat of summer, Flareon jumped out at me. Since she's been quite little, my daughter has insisted that all of her Eevees and Eeveelutions are girls except for Umbreons (who are boys), so let's check out another lady who is out enjoying the summer heat after the break...

Action Figure Review: Zabu from Marvel Legends Series by Hasbro

 

   Has it really been over 2 months since I reviewed Ka-Zar from this series? Apparently. I haven't reviewed all of the figures in this series, only Ka-Zar and Wolfsbane, because three of them I sold off as soon as I could (Red Widow, Ikaris, and Black Winter) and Cable I just didn't get around to reviewing. I had to check out Zabu, though. I actually owned the 2008 Zabu from the SDCC 2008 Savage Land boxed set, but that was because the figure reused the body from the G.I. Joe Sigma 6/ Adventure Team Tiger that came with Storm Shadow. I sold him sometime last year, though, before this set was announced, as I had a strong inclination that Hasbro was going to revisit this guy soon. I was right! Zabu is the Build-a-Figure for the most recent series and a part of him came with each figure in the series except for Super Iron Man. This guy is the perfect companion to Ka-Zar (and hopefully we'll get Shanna the She-Devil soon, too), so let's check him out after the break...

🔥 Hot Toy Summer!🔥 Dreadnok Torch from G.I. Classified Series by Hasbro

   It's back to being incredibly hot and humid in southeastern US and that means it's time for another installment of 🔥Hot Toy Summer!🔥 This month I'm looking at some characters with fire based powers, fire based gimmicks, or characters who are literally on fire! Today I'm checking Torch, another member of the Dreadnoks and the guy most known for using fire as a weapon. In 1985 Zartan got three Dreadnoks to help him out, Buzzer, Ripper, and Torch, so these guys get a lot of love for being the first Dreadnok gang members. I've had this guy for well over a month now and I'm still not sure which of the Classified Series Dreadnoks from 1985 that I prefer; it's either Torch or Ripper. Ready to check out an Aussie with a penchant for fire? Then join me after the break...

🔥Hot Toy Summer!🔥 Starfire (McFarlane Collector Edition) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   While we're dealing with lots of rain in the Southeast United States right now due to Tropical Storm Debby, the rest of August has been sweltering. What better time to celebrate 🔥Hot Toy Summer🔥, right? So, what is 🔥Hot Toy Summer🔥? It's a time for the hottest toys to get together in the hottest weather and live their best lives now! We're going to have four special action figures celebrating 🔥Hot Toy Summer🔥 with us this August and first up is Starfire, also known as Koriand'r, from McFarlane's DC Multiverse line. She's part of the "deluxe" McFarlane Collector Edition subset and, let me tell you, this Tamaranean princess knows what it means to be hot. No, it's not because of her looks (though she is a looker); it's because her Tamaranean physiology allows her to generate heat and convert ultraviolet radiation into energy. Her hair even looks like a stream of fire. Wait... did you think 🔥Hot Toy Summer🔥 is just about characters who are incredibly attractive? How shallow of you! No, it's more than that. This is a celebration of characters who have fire based powers, fire themed gimmicks, or who are literally on fire. 

   I'm trying something new this month: A mini review series over the course of the month that's decided by you, the loyal readers who check this site out and leave excellent, though provoking comments and/or who spam the page with links to sketchy nutritional supplements. Every month (except October because that's already covered by 31 Days of Toy Terror) I'm going to give one luck commenter the chance to come up with a theme for 3-4 reviews for the next month. What's the theme? That's up to you. Want reviews about a specific character, toyline, or action figures with some random connection? You pick. Within reason, that is. I'm not going out to specifically by stuff, but if I have it I'll review it. More "official" rules will follow in the days head but for now let's check out Starfire. This figure was actually kindly gifted to me by a reader, Chris, who had a duplicate. Thanks, Chris! Now, let's get 🔥Hot Toy Summer🔥 rolling after the break...

Action Figure Review: Wolfsbane from Marvel Legends Series by Hasbro

 

   It's actually been a little over two months since I last reviewed a figure from this series! Hey, I was busy this summer and a lot of my time has been spent prepping for 31 Days of Toy Terror. Wolfsbane's not the only werewolf I've been hanging around with as of late. She's definitely the most heroic, though. Getting Wolfsbane, AKA Rahne Sinclair, in her X-Factor uniform is definitely a very welcome addition to my collection. Hasbro previously released a Wolfsbane headsculpt and hands as a pack in with the Walgreens' exclusive Dani Moonstar figure back in 2019 (Dani also came with a Karma headsculpt as well), but this is the first time she's gotten an action figure of her own since the Toy Bix pre-Marvel Legends days. This series was a bit of a mishmash with two absolutely X-Men/Mutant characters (Cable and Wolfsbane), two X-Men/ Mutant Adjacent characters (Ka-Zar and the Zabu Build-a-Figure), and four other figures (an Iron Man variant, Red Widow, Ikaris, and Black Winter) and I'm kind of wondering if there was ever a point where Hasbro was going to include some Deadpool figures in here to capitalize off of Deadpool and Wolverine but instead went with making them their own series (the Deadpool Legacy Collection). Anyways, Rahne is a fascinating and complex character who can transform into a wolf or something more akin to a werewolf and has been a member of multiple X-Men adjacent teams such as the New Mutants, Excalibur, X-Factor, and X-Force. Ready to check out Rahne? Then let's get stated after the break...

Action Figure Review: Mister Zsasz from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

   

   When it comes to collecting superhero action figures my two biggest loves are X-Men characters and Batman heroes and villains. With Marvel Legends being such an expansive line with a long history and a fairly unified style, I don't have to stray outside of that line to get the X-Men characters I need. With Batman heroes and villains, though, my collection is more of a hodgepodge. While I have multiples of many Batman villains (so many Harley Quinns and Jokers), I have a shelf with my favorite action figure incarnation of each Batman villain that really has a mixture of releases from different lines. There are DC Direct and DC Collectibles, Mattel's DC Universe Classics and its various spin off lines, and plenty of McFarlane Toys DC Universe releases. McFarlane is really digging deeper and they do surprise me quite often with some of their deep cuts. Speaking of deep cuts, here's Mister Zsasz. Victor Zsasz, or Mr. Zsasz (that's how it's usually written), is a psychopathic murderer who believes he's liberating their victims from a meaningless existence. He then keeps a tally of his victims by making cuts on his own body. Mr. Zsasz was created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle and first appeared in 1992, just in time to play a role in the events of Batman: Knightfall. That's the era this figure is based on, and it's the first time a truly comic take on Zsasz has been made (DC Direct made an Arkham Asylum videogame based Zsasz and Diamond Select Toys made one based on his appearance in Gotham). This guy was exclusive to the McFarlane Toys Store and went up for sale in early April. How is he? Ehhh... he's kind of a disappointment. Why? Well, let's take a closer look and find out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Gnawgahyde, Porkbelly, & Yobbo from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

  It's been at least a week since my last review, but I assure you that I'm fine! I'm reviewing a hunter of sorts today, but I've been spending my time with a hunter of a different sort, a predator who turns the hunters into prey. October is getting closer, you know...

   At SDCC this year Hasbro showed off lots of new G.I. Joe: Classified Series stuff. G.I. Joe was even mentioned as a brand that grew for Hasbro in their most recent earnings report, so it's clear the line is doing well. Today I'm checking out another of the figure and animal companion 2-packs, though this one actually includes two animals and is labeled as a 3-pack (even though one animal companion is a nonarticulated minifigure): Gnawgahyde, Porkbelly, and Yobbo. Gnawgahyde is a Dreadnok poacher and was part of the 1989 series of figures. He's a figure I absolutely remember picking out from store shelves at a fairly young age as 1989 was a great year for G.I. Joes and was one of the years that I had every standard figure (all 17 of the basic figures). The 1989 line had some of the best accessories in the vintage run and Gnawgahyde certainly impressed. Hasbro has really loaded up this figure, too, though many of the weapons are reused from previous releases. Making the vintage figure's unnamed boar companion into a fully articulated and named figure was a nice touch, too. Ready to check out Gnawgahyde, Porkbelly, and Yobbo? Then join me after the break...