Action Figure Review: Metaluna Mutant from Universal Monsters/ Classic Monsters by NECA

 

   2025 is almost over and while I will still be reviewing 2025 figures during January of 2026, I thought I'd wrap the year of with one last Universal Monsters release from NECA: The Metaluna Mutant from the 1955 film This Island Earth. This Island Earth, while the subject of a good riffing during Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie, is actually a pretty good film. It has quite a few twists and turns, the production values and special effects are very impressive for the time, and the movie just holds up quite well overall. It's a nice change from the standard alien invasion films of the era, though it can be a bit dull in spots. Interestingly, the Metaluna Mutant is what most people know of or remember from the film, and yet he only shows up briefly at the end. He's long been a favorite for the more robust Universal Monsters toylines since he mixes things up a bit by nicely adding some color to the crew and is just a recognizable pop culture alien.  NECA's version is a very well made figure with a completely unique sculpt who stands out in the Universal Monsters/ Classic Monsters toyline. Ready to check out the Metaluna Mutant? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Nosferatu (1922): Black & White Edition from Silent Screamers One:12 Collective by Mezco

 

 
  Merry belated Christmas!

   I'm not sure there's any direct connection between Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror or Dracula and Christmas, but there have been a few versions of the story that were released around Christmas (last year's Nosferatu was released on Christmas day) and it was quite common to tell and read spooky stories during Christmas in the Victorian era, so I think we've got a bit of a connection here. This version of Count Orlok is based on the F.W. Murnau's classic 1922 silent film and does come in a mostly black and white color scheme. It's the third version of Count Orlok that they've released in the One:12 Collective line with the other two being a version in color (called the Symphony of Horror Edition) and a sepia toned variant (called the Silent Screamers Edition). I missed out on the earlier ones, though this one is certainly a very ideal release as well with plenty of extra portraits and other goodies. I've loved Count Orlok since I was quite young and saw clips from Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror on television. He's still one of the most unnerving and disturbing characters in horror cinema, an impressive feat considering Max Schreck's performance is now over 100 years old! Ready to check out Mezco's most recent take on Count Orlok? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Dial-Tone from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   I've got another review lined up today; can you guess what line it's from? I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count. Wait? Did you guess Hasbro's G.I. Joe: Classified Series? Ding ding ding! Listen, this is my favorite ongoing series of action figures (probably one of my favorites of all time at this point) and Hasbro keeps cranking out good releases, so expect to keep seeing them around. Dial-Tone was originally released much earlier in 2025 but, oddly enough, a few Dial-Tones shipped out and then he pretty much disappeared until this fall. It turns out that his production was affected by a switch in factories. He's pretty available now, though, and I've had him in hand for at least a month or so. He's another part of the 1986 crew which is getting pretty close to complete as well (Sci-Fi is already out, Lifeline is coming, and Iceberg has been announced, which just leaves a few drivers and Claymore from the Special Missions: Brazil set). Someone at Hasbro loved Dial-Tone back in the 1980s and early 1990s as he had four figures in the vintage line. This one is based on the most memorable, original version, though. Ready to see how Dial-Tone has adapted to the 21 Century? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Kyle "Budo" Jesso from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   While 1986 and 1987 were my first years collecting G.I. Joe, 1988, 1989, and 1990 were probably the best. While there are fewer characters who became iconic to the brand, the design and engineering during that time was just incredible and those were the years during the vintage line when I was the most invested in picking out who I wanted during trips to the store. Budo was part of the 1988 line and was a very cool figure that offered something different; G.I. Joe had a few ninjas by that point so a Samurai was a cool change. Earlier this year I reviewed the Action Force Night Ops Senshi figure and I was pretty impressed by that guy, even mentioning that he felt like what a Classified Series Budo could be. At that point Budo hadn't been revealed, so I'm pleased to report that Budo does feel like he's been modernized, like Senshi, but he also has been given some very traditional armor and gear so he feels like a historical action figure, too. While the initial toyline for G.I. Joe: Retaliation wasn't that impressive, Hasbro eventually started releasing some incredibly impressive figures that had little to nothing to do with the film, including this very well made traditional take on Budo. I love that this Classified Series version of Budo captures all of these elements. He's one of the most impressive Classified Series figures of the year. Let's take a look at Kyle "Budo" Jesso after the break...

Action Figure Review: Cobra Desert Scorpion & SKRP10N-25 from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   More G.I. Joe: Classified Series figures? Yup. More G.I. Joe: Classified Series figures. I've been looking at a bunch of 2-packs lately and today we're getting another one: Cobra Desert Scorpion & SKRP10N-25. Desert Scorpion was originally a 1991 release in the vintage line and is a character I never owned as a kid. Heck, I've never owned any Desert Scorpion until now. I didn't have a lot of 1991 figures as a kid (only five of them) as I was pretty much just obsessed with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles during that time. I remember Desert Scorpion and always thought he was a cool looking figure so I'm very glad that this troop builder has shown up in the Classified Series. And the simple plastic scorpion the original figure came with? Well, it's been upsized into a massive mutant creation. This is pretty cool stuff and I'm glad to have some more desert troops. There were Desert Vipers in the G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra line, desert Cobra operatives in the 25th Anniversary Extreme Conditions set, and five different Sand Vipers in the Spy Troops and Valor Vs. Venom eras. The Desert Scorpion? He was the first Cobra desert specialist, though. Let's take a look at the Desert Scorpion and his bio-engineered pal, SKRP10N-25, after the break...

Action Figure Review: Kurnn Ray from Cosmic Legions by Four Horsemen Studios

 

   It's been well over a year since I last reviewed a Cosmic Legions figure from Four Horsemen Studios though, to be fair, there haven't been many released until this fall (just a few convention exclusives) when OxKrewe, Book One: Thraxxon dropped. Ever since these were first revealed well over a year ago (PowerCon 2023!), I knew that Kurnn Ray was going to be my first purchase. What can I say? I love the characters like this who appear like scavengers, bounty hunters, or just space drifters. There is a loose story in Cosmic Legions and the most recent series centers on the OxKrewe, a team of six survivors of the Qorgonox, a ship that has crashed on the planet Thraxxon. Kurnn Ray isn't a member of the OxKrewe, though; she's a member of the mysterious Scapehaven, apparently a crew of bandits and scavengers operating in the wastelands of Thraxxon. We know little about the group but it seems they're the villains of this series of releases. Ready to check out Kurnn Ray? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Sgt. Slaughter & Felix "Mercer" Stratton from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   Are you maggots ready for another G.I. Joe: Classified Series double feature? Then hop to it because we've got Sgt. Slaughter and one of his Renegades today! Yes, while Sgt. Slaughter commanded the Renegades in the 1987 G.I. Joe animated movie, Hasbro sold them (Red Dog, Taurus, and Mercer) in a 3-pack in 1987. In the Classified Series Mercer has been packaged alongside a new version of Sgt. Slaughter sporting a more combat worthy outfit that's oddly reminiscent of Slaughter's 1991 WWE (then WWF) heel turn where he became an Iraqi sympathizer, praised Saddam Hussein, and allied with General Adnan. I'm sure the Joe team kind of had that in mind, right? This version of Sgt. Slaughter never turns his back on the US of A, though. Now Mercer? Mercer is interesting because he's a former Viper who has defected from Cobra and now serves as part of the top secret Renegades, a group paid under a budget line for the Pentagon labeled "Pest Control." This is a really cool set and I was definitely anticipating it, though I figured we'd get the three Renegades as a set. I'm guessing Red Dog and Taurus will be packaged together in the future. For now, let's check out Sgt. Slaughter and Mercer after the break...

Action Figure Review: Bag of Heads from Dr. Malgam's Body Bags by ToadFrog

 

   I reviewed four of the regular bagged figures from this line in late October and early November and while I had a couple more, I decided to skip ahead to the Bag of Heads. Have you ever purchased a bag of heads? Well, what you order is what you get here: A body bag filled with heads that can swap onto the various figures in the line. Since I last reviewed one of these sets, ToadFrog has come out and announced that they are partnering with Thin Air Brands to get Dr. Malgam's Body bags to retail shelves sometime in 2026. That's great news and it's nice to see the line having a future. I really like these figures though I wish we had more fully complete figures in the first series. This bag doesn't fully solve that problem but it does allow you to complete the Skeleton. This was sold as an add on for $25 during the Kickstarter campaign or as part of the Full Moon Special pledge level. Ready to check out this crazy mix of noggins for your buildable monsters? Then join me after the break...


   

Action Figure Review: Jubilee from Marvel Legends Series: X-Men '97 by Hasbro

 

   I told you more X-Men '97 reviews were coming, didn't I? Today I'm looking at Jubilee from the latest series of Marvel Legends Series X-Men '97 releases and, interestingly, this isn't Jubilee's standard costume from the series. Sure, she's got the yellow jacket but this isn't her Jim Lee era and animated series standard blue denim shorts and pink shirt with blue gloves and boots. Instead, this is the costume that she wears during the series finale when every character gets a costume change! For most of the main crew, their costume changes are more classic costumes. Jubilee, however, wears this costume based on her 2011 Wolverine & Jubilee look from after she became a vampire and started wearing black leather. Interestingly, Hasbro has released a version of Jubilee in this costume before, though she was a Build a Figure from a 2014 Toys 'R Us exclusive series, so her price has been pretty high for a few years. Jubilee in her "classic" outfit from X-Men '97 have been been released at least twice in recent years (once in the Caliban BAF series and once in the Hasbro Pulse VHS series) so this is a more unique version for folks who missed out on the original. As a kid I was so frustrated that we never had Jubilee (or Jean Grey) in the Toy Biz line until long after I was actively collecting them, so the fact that we're getting plenty of versions of the core characters just thrills me these days. Ready to check out one of the only three characters name checked in the theme song for the original animated series? Then join me after the break...

Barbecue's Bonfire: Toys I Collected in 1992!- Livesttream on 8:30 PM EST 12/8/2025

Action Figure Review: Cobra Ninjas Slice & Dice from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   Ready for some Ninja Force action? I hope so because today I've got a giant sized review that's packed with so ninja goodness that you'll likely exclaim "Everybody was Kung Fu fighting!" G.I. Joe's Ninja Force was a subset of the A Real American Hero line that was began in 1992, a year when the G.I. Joe brand was still trying to find it's place in the early 1990s toy market that tended to feature figures that were brighter and bolder than the 1980s. Subsets galore tried to court popular themes, color schemes, and social issues and Ninja Force featured brightly colored ninjas with built-in action features (a new step for the G.I. Joe line) that sought to capitalize on the still growing popularity of ninjas (now of the Teenage Mutant Turtle variety). If I go back and look at my toy interests in 1992, this was a year that I didn't pay as much attention to G.I. Joe as I did in others. The only figure I originally has was Destro v3 (though 4 years later, in middle school, I obtained the DEF Shockwave v3 through a trade and that guy has since been one of my favorites) as I was more focused on Toy Biz's Marvel Superheroes and X-Men, Kenner's Terminator 2, Aliens, and Batman Returns, Tiger's Land of the Lost, Mattel's Key Force, Mighty Max, and King Arthur and the Knights of Justice, Galoob's Micro Machines, and Playmates' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Oh, and Snailiens from JPI. Yes, I'm shocked that I purchased more Snailiens in 1992 than I did G.I. Joe. Crazy! I'm making up for that with the Classified Series, though, aren't I? Slice and Dice were both released in the first series of Ninja Force figures and have been a popular Cobra duo ever since. Let's check out this pair of ninjas after the break...

Action Figure Review: Doom Slayer from Doom: The Dark Ages by McFarlane Toys

 

   I'm a pretty big fan of Doom but it's been around 6 years since I last reviewed anything related to Doom. I blame that on there just not being a lot of merchandise based on the games. This year Doom: The Dark Ages released and I absolutely loved it. With the mixture of the traditional Doom aesthetic with a world that felt like a swords and sorcery locale mixed with advanced technology (kind of like Eternia, now that I think about it), Doom: The Dark Ages really mixed things up in a fun way, resulting in a game that felt like you were inside of a heavy metal album cover. McFarlane has released a few Doom figures over the years but this is the first based on Doom: The Dark Ages (they've also released the giant mech suit, the Atlan) and it was the inaugural figure in McFarlane Toys' new Elite Edition line of figures. What's elite about them? They do come with a nice amount of accessories and they're touted as having "an incredibly detailed sculpt with premium paint applications." OK. What else does it mean that these are part of the Elite Edition series? They cost around $50 to $60 dollars. That seems a bit steep for a McFarlane Toys mass market release but this guy sold out crazy fast and is selling on the secondary market for two to three times the original price, so I guess there are plenty of Doom fans desperate for Doom Slayers in their collection. Ready to check out the Elite Edition of the Doom Slayer? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: The Donner Party from Operation: Monster Force by Big Bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction

 

   I'm really a fan of Big Bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction's Operation: Monster Force line and today I'm reviewing what is absolutely my favorite figure from them to date: The Donner Party. Yes, while it's one figure who definitely gives off Frankenstein's Monster-like vibes, the character still goes by the name The Donner Party. Why's that? Well, according to the comic included on his packaging and in the bios found online, he's actually a being made from the remains of some of the half-eaten corpses left behind from the ill-fated Donner Party from their disastrous winter of 1846-1847 in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Put back together by a mad scientist known only as The Devil's Caretaker, the Donner Party has spent the past two centuries following and keeping a protective watch over the descendants of the relatives of the folks who make up his body. After a descendant of the Donner family, a woman named Isola Donner who is one of the four women in the world with purple eyes, is taken by the Forgotten King, The Donner Party comes out of hiding and joins up with Operation: Monster Force to help them find the whereabouts of their greatest foe. 

   Wow! That's one heck of a story. I love how instead of just giving us a slightly different take on the Frankenstein Monster, Operation: Monster Force has instead transplanted the character into an American context, steeping him in elements of western and pioneer folklore. He's an incredible figure and one of the standouts of the line to date. Ready to see what Big Bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction have cooking here? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Courtney "Cover Girl" Krieger (Retro) from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Now that we're all stuffed, let's jump in again with some action figure reviews! I'm still way, way behind on reviewing G.I. Joe: Classified Series figures but I'm trying to catch up. Today I'm checking out another of the Retro series releases and this time it's a Retro series figure that actually adheres more to the Sunbow animated series rather than to the vintage A real American Hero action figure: Courtney "Cover Girl" Krieger. The first Classified Series Cover Girl was released in early 2023, right when Hasbro was starting to use the now infamous "plastic-free" packaging. Not only was this a radical departure from how action figures have traditionally been packaged but it also was a series of figures that had some weird issues with the faces. The Classified Series has always been really strong when it comes to the headsculpts and face printing but figures from this particular wave like Cover Girl, Falcon, and the standard Outback all had odd looking portraits and/or face printing. This one really isn't a redo of that figure, though. In fact, I'm pretty sure the only reused part is her torso. Everything else is either new or sourced from somewhere else. She's a pretty interesting figure as with her blonde hair with a different headsculpt and a fairly different outfit, she could easily pass for a new character instead of Cover Girl. I believe Cover Girl only appeared like this in the original Sunbow animated G.I. Joe miniseries and was later changed to a more toy accurate design (she was also blonde in the 2009 Rise of Cobra film, where she was portrayed by Karolína Kurková, so this is definitely a more obscure take on the character. Ready to check out Cover Girl? Then join me after the break...

Barbecue's Bonfire 12/1/2025 Livestream Tonight on YouTube at 8:30pm EST

 I'll post a link in a few hours. Be there or be square!

*Update* Here's the link!: https://youtube.com/live/CzDmVmBl9Cg?feature=share