Happy Franksgiving! Frankenstein's Monster with Chair from Universal Monsters by NECA

 

   Is 1935's Bride of Frankenstein the first sequel to be better than the original in film history? I think so. The Wolf Man is my favorite Universal Monsters character and film as well as a character with a very solid storyline through multiple films (especially since he was always played by Lon Chaney Jr.) but the Frankenstein film series is a close second to me for best film series, and the Bride of Frankenstein is definitely a high point, perhaps the highest, in the series. Boris Karloff returns in the sequel and his take on the creature sees some tremendous character growth. NECA has previously released a figure of Frankenstein's Monster from the first film but the popularity of the second film definitely warrants another take on him. This was actually given to me as a birthday gift from my birthday back in September and was ordered by my parents in late August or early September, but he didn't show up until a few weeks ago. NECA's online store is really not very user friendly and their customer service is a bit rough, but, fortunately, they did deliver and I received my birthday gift in early November. Honestly, I had originally wanted this guy to be the crowning jewel of 31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe but I ended up creating Happy Franksgiving! to give the guy his own special month. Ready to check out Frankenstein's Monster from Bride of Frankenstein? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Scare Mare & Scare Glow #999 from POP! Rides: Funko Fusion by Funko

 

   I'm pretty excited about today's review as it fills a neat space in my collection. I really was impressed with the recent set of Scare Mare and Scare Glow that Mondo put up for preorder this past summer. Impressed looking at it online, that is. The set of a new Scare Glow and the all new Scare Mare in Mondo's 1/6th scale Masters of the Universe line was available as a pair for $775 dollars. Yikes! If I had really wanted it, I absolutely could have afforded it, but I've definitely reached a point where the prices of some action figures and collectibles really just cause me to balk. I'm also at a point where space is at a premium in my collection. The wingspan of Mondo's Scare Mare is 54" and I just couldn't even think where I'd put something like that. I've been scaling back my collection this year, selling off older pieces I didn't have on display or that I'd lost interest in. I love Scare Glow, but already having two Mondo Scare Glows, not having space for the Scare Mare, and reluctant to pay $775 for a preorder, I passed. That's why I was pretty excited that Funko added Scare Glow and Scare Mare to their Funko Fusion line based on the recently released videogame. I didn't even know what Funko Fusion was at first but it's since come out and doesn't seem to be lighting the world on fire. At least having a POP! Rides of care Mare & Scare Glow allows me to have a representation of the character in my collection at a fraction of the price of Mondo's. ready to check out Scare Mare & Scare Glow? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Vincent R. "Falcon" Falcone & Quarrel (Night Force) from G.I. Joe: Classified Series

 

   Hasbro's G.I. Joe: Classified Series has been a raging ball of burning hot fire since it released in 2020. At myself and everyone else was like, "What? A 6 inch Snake Eyes? Why?"

   And then it was full speed ahead. The line feels like a true behemoth, especially considering that the only active Joe media throughout the line are comic books and the fairly disappointing 2021 Snake Eyes movie. When I look at all the figures and vehicles I've collected in this line to date there's only one disappointment that really stands out in my mind: Falcon. The figure was just a disaster, particularly because of that goofy headsculpt that looked like one of the Thunderbirds marionettes. Fortunately, Hasbro has now released an updated Night Force version of Falcon along with Quarrel, one of the G.I. Joe repaints that were part of Palitoys' Action Force line. Quarrel was originally released in 1983 as a repaint of Scarlett and has shown up off and on in US Joe collectibles, including as "Undercover Scarlett" as a giveaway at the 1992 G.I. Joe Convention. I love Night Force and I'm really thrilled to get some new figures for the sub-team. Falcon was a true Night Force member from the original 1988 line and Quarrel is a cool International variant whose color scheme fits in perfectly with the Night Force. Both figures feature a nice mixture of parts, too, so the set feels like more than just a pair of repaints. This is a Walmart exclusive and it seems to have been limited to online sales. Ready to check out these new additions to the Night Force crew? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Michael Myers on Fire from Halloween II by Culture Fly

 

   I'm about month late on this review, huh? I actually received this Michael Myers vinyl figure as a birthday present a little over two months ago but, since I stuck to the theme of 2024's Universal Monsters theme and this figure is from Halloween 2 which was released by...Universal Pictures? So was Halloween 3, Halloween 2018, Halloween Kills, and Halloween Ends. Wait.... is Michael Myers a Universal Monster? Ha ha. I don't really count him in there as he didn't appear during the Universal Classic horror period of 1913 through 1960, but I'm sure someone could make an argument. He has appeared multiple times at Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. It's because of the different studios and licensing why we get Halloween figures and merchandise from sometimes random and very specific movies. Anyways, this is one of two Halloween 2 vinyl Michael Myers figures that have been released through Culture Fly at Five Below, a pretty cool store for finding minifigures and little vinyl figures. They also have lots of neat snacks. I decided to take a look at the Michael Myers on Fire figure. If I'd had him earlier he would have made a good candidate for Hot Toy Summer. Ready to check this guy out? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: The Invisible Man (Glow in the Dark) from Universal Monsters by NECA

 

   I love the Invisible Man. The original film is one of my favorite Universal Monsters films (probably my second favorite of the major movies) and I'm also a fan of many of the sequels, specifically The Invisible Man Returns and Invisible Agent. None of the sequels have the same character of Dr. Jack Griffin, the titular Invisible Man (played by Claude Rains), but they're quite a bit of fun. NECA released a figure of Dr. Griffin last year and they have another version of him in his classic smoking maroon smoking jacket set to release in the next few months. A year or two ago NECA began releasing "Glow in the Dark!" versions of the Universal Monsters that are based on the 1980 Remco Mini Monsters (also labeled as the Universal City Studio's Monsters) which had glow in the dark variants and could be "charged up" with the Monsterizer (NECA makes a Monsterizer for the 7inch figures, too). There was not an Invisible Man in that vintage line but NECA has gone far beyond what the original line offered now. The Invisible Man was offered as a NYCC 2024 exclusive and I managed to get mine from NECA's pre-sale. Ready to check out a version of the Invisible Man who might actually be easier to spot than normal, at least at night? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Hugo Strange as Batman (Batman: Transference) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   Today I'm checking out a Batman figure that isn't really a Batman figure. Who could it be? Why Dr. Hugo Strange dressed as Batman, of course. The packaging sources this figure to 2020s's Batman: Transference, but Hugo Strange has worn a Batman costume many times in the past. In fact, you could say he does it obsessively. I've actually owned a few Hugo Strange figures, including the DC Collectibles Arkham City version, the DC Direct Secret Files figure, and Diamond's Gotham version. A few years back I sold off quite a few of my DC Direct/ DC Collectibles figures as I was growing concerned about impending breakage (many of them used clear plastic for joints and seemed to crumble over time). There are quite a few I regret selling, like the Arkham City Hugo Strange, but this guy is a nice fill in for the Secret Files release who was dressed the same way. Interestingly, this is a Platinum release but it's not a variant. There's just not a standard counterpart for this figure. He fortunately wasn't too difficult to find and I've seen him on Walmart shelves quite a few over the past two months. Ready to check out Hugo Strange as Batman? Then join me after the break...


   

Action Figure Review: Count Dracula from Operation: Monster Force by Big Bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction

 

   It feels like it's been a good two years or more since this line was announced but Operation: Monster Force has finally arrived and I do have to say it's worth the wait. A collaboration between Big Bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction, Operation: Monster Force is an incredible mix of a military action toyline (think G.I. Joe: Classified Series and Action Force) with a horror theme. The first series of eight figures began shipping in October and while I originally hoped to review one or two of them for 31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe, that never came to pass. Today, though, I'm going to start checking out a few figures from the line, starting with Count Dracula. Let me say that, oddly enough, Dracula is the weakest figure in the first series due to a lack of accessories. Character wise, though, he's the most recognizable classic monster in series 1, so he caught my attention. Big Bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction have worked up a pretty cool storyline for this series and each figure has a minicomic strip inside the front flap. Count Dracula isn't the main villain of Operation: Monster Force, however; he's an uneasy ally of Declan Van Helsing in his campaign against the Forgotten King, a powerful Egyptian sorcerer. Released from his prison in Tomb 13, Dracula leads Delta Red, an army of soldiers temporarily inflicted with vampirism, against the Forgotten King. Ready to see how this take on Count Dracula turned out? Then join me after the break...

   

Action Figure Review: Wolverine from Marvel Legends Series: 85th Anniversary by Hasbro

 

   2024 is Marvel's 85th anniversary and Hasbro released a subset of some really impressive action figures to celebrate. I've actually picked up a few of these that I didn't get around to reviewing (Ghost Rider and Warbird/ Ms. Marvel) but I definitely wanted to review this The Astonishing X-Men Wolverine figure. Besides being a figure of Wolverine (who always sells), this was a solid choice on Hasbro's part as 2024 is also Wolverine's 50th anniversary, X-Men '97 was released and hit the right nostalgia buttons, and this figure features a yellow and blue suit that's quite similar to Hugh Jackman's suit in Deadpool & Wolverine. Sure, Hasbro couldn't get the MCU accurate figures out in time, but this guy probably caught the attention of quite a few fans just wanting a yellow suit Wolverine. This outfit is based on The Astonishing X-Men run from 2004 through 2013 (the third volume as other X projects used the title previously) which Hasbro has slowly been building the main cast of for a couple years (they've done Cyclops and Emma Frost but haven't got around to Kitty Pryde, Colossus, and Beast yet). I'm not terribly familiar with this run (my X-Book reading knowledge is mostly limited to pre-2000 stuff) but I do like this costume. Plus, I'm not one to often turn down a Wolverine figure. Ready to check out this Astonishing take on Wolverine? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: The Bone Collector V2 from Action Force by Valaverse

 

   Can you believe that Valaverse's Action Force line has already reach it's 100th figure? To mark that special occasion Valaverse released a second version of The Bone Collector, one of the most popular Action Force figures. I reviewed the original figure back in early 2022 and I believe he was the first of the Action Force figures that I reviewed. There is a random bloody variant of this guy that was offered but he was limited to 100 pieces, so pretty tough to get ahold of. I received this version of The Bone Collector for my birthday just a little under two months ago, so you can tell there's been a lot of cool stuff coming out that's distracted me. Ready to check out The Bone Collector V2? Then join me after the break...

Happy Franksgiving! Frankenstein #1630 from POP! Movies: Universal Monsters by Funko

 

   It's time for another Franksgiving review! Today I'm checking out another figure from Funko's newest series of Universal Monsters POP! vinyls featuring a unique aesthetic that reminds me of the look of comic book art from the 1970s. They're bright, bold, and feature some unique shading and colors that set them apart from the usual darker, often greyscale, palette of the Universal Monsters. I reviewed the Bride of Frankenstein from this set on Halloween for 2024's 31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe so now it's nice to have Frankenstein/ the Frankenstein Monster to go along with her. Ready to check out this eye-catching tribute to Boris Karloff's classic take on the character? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Dreadnok Road Pig & Rawkus from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

 Ready for more G.I. Joe: Classified Series goodness? Then let's check out Road Pig & Rawkus! Another deluxe human with animal companion set, Road Pig offers up another threatening Dreadnok as a deluxe release, this time with a new animal companion, Rawkus, Road Pig's pet pit bull. Road Pig is another 1988 release that has been wonderfully updated for the Classified Series. We really are getting a good team of Dreadnoks going, aren't we? I had Road Pig as a kid and liked him quite a bit. I never owned any of the earlier Dreadnoks (Torch, Buzzer, Ripper, and Zartan) until I was older in high school and collecting the vintage line around 1999-2001, so the 1987 through 1989 Dreadnoks were my main guys. Named Donald Deluca after a Hasbro design director, Road Pig had an interesting file card that listed his extensive arrest record and a split personality in the Larry Hama penned Marvel Comics series. Road Pig went back and forth between the more mild mannered Donald and the crazy aggressive Road Pig. This figure has gotten a bit of a negative reception due to some collectors perceiving him as looking larger and heavier than his vintage toy and having a more stylized appearance. I'm actually quite a fan for the most part, though I'm rarely in favor of the Classified Series figures being rigidly beholden to their vintage counterparts. Ready to check out a deluxe two pack with Road Pig and Rawkus? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Sergeant Rock (DC Classic) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   Interestingly, I actually had a couple of Remco's vintage Sgt. Rock figures as a kid. I'm not sure where I got them, though. Maybe from yard sales or from a neighbor giving stuff away? DC Direct released a Sgt. Rock figure in 1999 and Hasbro made some 12 inch Sgt. Rock figures back in  the early 2000s, so this isn't the first time there has been a toy of the Rock of Easy Company, but this one definitely is the first that's in scale with a wide range of other DC characters (DC Direct began changing their scale and style pretty quickly after those first couple years of product), so that's definitely a plus. I like some of the more unusual DC characters and I was pretty excited for Sgt. Rock, who was released as one of the McFarlane Collector Edition a few months back. Sgt. Rock was a staple of DC's World War 2 era comics and has continued to appear in the DC Universe from time to time, even though he is widely reported to have died in 1945, killed by the last enemy bullet fired on the last day of the war. Ready to check out Sgt. Rock? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Chip "Raptor" Talon & General Ledger from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   Two toylines have absolutely swamped me with cool releases lately: McFarlane's DC Multiverse and Hasbro's G.I. Joe: Classified Series. I actually don't buy everything from the Classified Series currently (I've skipped some of the Retro releases, didn't back the Rattler, and am holding off on the Stinger due to space at the moment), but I do pick up most of them, even some of the crazier characters. 1986 and 1987 were my first years collecting the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line as a kid, so some of those weirder characters from that era are some of my favorites. I love the earlier characters ('82 - '85) because of the comics and their prevalence in the franchise but they were mostly gone from toy shelves when I was a young lad. I'm way more nostalgic for '86 - '91 since those are figures I had. Raptor (who has now been give the real name Chip Talon) is an accountant who works wonders for Cobra financially. He's also a falconer who is obsessed with birds. The original figure is one of the most bizarre ever from the vintage line but he's been reworked quite a bit here. He's never been a major character (he only had one figure in the vintage line and a 2017 Collector's Club subscription service figure) but he did play a fairly large role in the comics for a bit during the storyline of Cobra Commander being assassinated, replaced, and then rediscovered. Raptor died in the Marvel Comics. How? Botulism. Yeah, that's pretty wild. What other comic book character can you think of who died of botulism? Let's check out Chip "Raptor" Talon & General Ledger after the break...

Action Figure Review: Two-Face (Batman Forever) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

I still have quite a few McFarlane DC Multiverse figures I'm wanting to review but today I'm looking at the last figure I plan to review from the Batman Forever subset: Two-Face, as played by Tommy Lee Jones. The Batman franchise has always attracted big names to it, from the celebrity mainstays and guests of the classic Batman TV Series to today's trend of villains like the Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, and Harley Quinn getting their own spinoffs, both movies and TV shows. When Batman Forever came out in 1995 the casting for the movie was definitely pretty heavily talked about with Jim Carrey as the Riddler and Jones as Two-Face. Go and read others who were considered for the main villains (Robin Williams, Michael Jackson, Kelsey Grammar, and John Malkovich for the Riddler; Al Pacino, Martin Sheen and Robert DeNiro) and you can see that these roles had some crazy serious competition. I loved Batman Forever as a kid but over the years I've come to dislike it quite a bit. There are parts I still like, but now watching it I'm disappointed at how silly and non-threatening the villains are in the film. Despite the fact that Jones apparently told co-star Carrey at one point, "I don't like you. I hate you, and I cannot sanction your buffoonery," Jones cackles and yuks his way through this film, almost being as big of a goof as the Riddler himself. Two-Face has an amazing look, but looking back I wish Billy Dee Williams had gotten the chance to play the character. Let's take a look at the figure after the break and see how it turned out...

Happy Franksgiving! Charlie Franken-Brown from Peanuts by Just Play

 

   I had so much fun with this year's 31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe and such a great response that I wanted to continue. I'm still making my way through the Universal Studios classic horror films and decided I'd try to keep up the theme of Universal Monsters for November for no other reason than that I'm enjoying it. Today I'm looking at a little 3-inch figure of Charlie Franken-Brown, which is Charlie Brown dressed up as Frankenstein. I received him for my birthday a month or two ago and tried to work him into the countdown but it just didn't happen. He's from Five Below and was available as a single packed figure along with Snoopy as a Jack O'Lantern and Lucy as a cowgirl. I've also seen a pack of the three figures in one container online, but I don't know where that available from. It was released in 2022. This figure seems to have been released previously in resin with better paint applications, too. Being a big fan of Peanuts and the Universal Monsters, I thought this was a big win and a nice surprise for my birthday. I have the Super7 Franken Snoopy, too, so he'll go nice with that figure. Let's check out Charlie Franken-Brown after the break...

Action Figure Review: No.77 from Frontline Chaos by JoyToy

 

   Most of the time my toy collecting is rather predictable. If you stop by here often you know I collect and review stuff like Marvel Legends, G.I.Joe: The Classified Series, Action Force, most Masters of the Universe stuff, McFarlane's DC Multiverse figures, Universal Monsters and NECA horror figures. Every now and then, though, I jump in and grab something random that I've seen online, perhaps in phots that someone has taken. Today I'm looking at a very unusual figure: No.77 from Joy Toy. Joy Toy is pretty popular right now because of their Warhammer action figures but they also have their own line of random characters called Frontline Chaos. Frontline Chaos is an eclectic mix of 1/12 scaled characters with little to no backstory and soft goods outfits. I saw this nurse figure (No.77 legitimately seems to be her name rather than a release number or anything as the other figures in Frontline Chaos have legit names and such) and though she looked pretty cool and just a bit creepy. I mean, she's attractive, yeah, but there's also something off about her, too. Initially I thought she'd make a good assistant to the Joker. For some reason she puts me in the mind of the "Love That Joker!" spoke model from 1989's Batman. The more I have her in hand, the more versatile I think she'll be. There's a lot of fluctuation in the pricing of this figure as I've seen her from from $65 dollars to over $100 retail. Depending on how much you pay might determine how much you like her. Ready for a visit from No.77? Then turn your head, cough, and join me after the break...

Happy Franksgiving! Frankenstein's Creature from Figura Obscura by Four Horsemen Studios

 

   Wait? What's this? Hasn't October's 31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe ended? Yes, it did. So welcome to Happy Franksgiving, a month long celebration of the Frankenstein Monster and the Bride of Frankenstein. How did this come about? Well, for one there are some pretty good Frankenstein action figures that came out a little too late for me to get them lined up for October. Also, not only have I finished watching through Universal's Frankenstein series of films as part of my classic Universal Horror watch through but I've also recently finished Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein. To kick off Franksgiving I'm first checking out Frankenstein's Creature from the Four Horsemen Studios' Figure Obscura line. We've received some excellent figures from classic horror literature in this line such as the Headless Horseman, the Masque of the Red Death, and the Ghost of Jacob Marley, and Frankenstein is a fine addition to the collection. It's pretty cool to have a version of the Creature based on the book's description rather than based on or inspired by Boris Karloff's iconic portrayal. This set went up for sale in late September and did arrive to me in early October, but I decided to hold back on it a bit. Not only does the set come with an excellent figure of Victor Frankenstein's Creature (or the Monster, or Adam Frankenstein, or call him Frankenstein, too, as that's perfectly acceptable, too) but you get a bunch of Victor's lab equipment. Ready for a look at the complex and complicated Creature from Mary Shelley original Victorian masterpiece? Then join me after the break...