Action Figure Review: Fisto from Masterverse: Masters of the Universe New Eternia by Mattel

 

   It's been a few months since I last reviewed a Masterverse figure, hasn't it? The last one I looked at was Leech back in July. Recently I found most of the newest series or two of figures and they've been pretty good. I haven't picked up all of them but I did grab the 1987 movie Beast Man, the New Eternia Evil-Lyn, and the Revolution Snake Sorceress Teela and Hordak. I've looked at so many variants of those characters, though, that I didn't get around to reviewing them. The New Eternia Fisto seemed to warrant a review, however. I'm a fan of the guy and he usually ends up being a strong figure no matter what line he's in. Mattel isn't at all flooding the market with releases from this line but they do  seem to consistently get new figures out and it's fun to see what they do with the characters. I've been getting a bit bored with MOTU Origins as of late but Masterverse is still a quality lined that feels designed to both to impress with their coolness and their pure toyeticness. These guys just have some neat "gimmicks" that make messing around with them fun. Ready to check out Fisto? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Jonah Hex & The General (All-Star Western) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   I'm not terribly knowledgeable on Jonah Hex but I do like the character, so I scooped this guy up when McFarlane put up the preorder over the summer. Not is this just a cool western cowboy figure, it's also one of the few DC figures to come with firearms since Warner Bros. "no firearms" mandate for all of their brands. It seems that Warner Bros. has loosed their regulations a bit in the past six months or so, allowing for figures to come with firearms if they're directly marketed to collectors (Jonah Hex and & The General have "17+" printed on the box) and are sold directly online. Since Jonah's release we've also seen a BvS Batman two-pack with weapons, a re-release of Thomas Wayne as Batman with pistols, and the upcoming (and ridiculously priced) 2-pack from the 2019 Joker film. Jonah Hex comes with his faithful steed, The General, and is available in this McFarlane Toys Store exclusive set or in another Gold Label set with blue clothes, a grey coat, and The General with white hair. Ready to set off on a reviewing journey with Jonah Hex and The General? Then ride along into the break...

Action Figure Review: Nemesis Immortal from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   Cobra-La is probably one of the most unusual concepts ever used in G.I. Joe since the beginning of the brand in 1982. Sure, we've had G.I. Joe as an adventurer, a cryo-frozen World War 2 soldier, and every sort of military/ ninja/ spy/ international super team that you can think of, and we've seen G.I. Joe in multiple scales and styles. Still, in 1987 G.I. Joe went hard into a sci-fi/ fantasy theme with the introduction of Cobra-La, an ancient snake themed civilization that once ruled the glove but who now hangs out deep underground in the Himalayas. This wasn't the first time the brand went in that direction (in 1976 the Adventure Team fought the Intruders, intelligent caveman like enemies from another world and in 1986 they met the Transformers), but Cobra-La really cemented the weird sci-fi, horror, and mystical elements into the brand in a major way. Some people love them and others hate them, but for decades now they've had an affect on the brand's identity. Cobra Commander (Once a Man) figure started things, but the appearance of Nemesis Immortal seems to show that the Classified Series is willing to embrace these elements, too. Based on the character from the 1987 animated film and the 1987 ARAH toyline who was originally named Nemesis Enforcer, Nemesis Immortal kind of dropped unexpectedly on October 28th and shipped out within a week. Crazy! No preorder or anything. Ready to check out one of the most fearsome adversaries for the Joe team in the Classified Series to date? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Huntress (The New 52) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   We are quickly approaching the end of the year and it's time to check out another McFarlane DC Multiverse figure. Personally, I think 2024 has been a pretty strong for this line as the amount of unique characters and Batman heroes and villains that has been added to the roster has been pretty impressive. I believe we're probably getting more figures per year than Mattel released at the height of their DC Universe Classics line and far more than DC Direct/ Collectibles ever released in a year. Furthermore, they're all compatible, unlike most DC Collectibles and DC Direct sets, which usually had their own scales, styles, and artist specific aesthetics. Huntress is new to DC Multiverse and is part of the McFarlane Collector Edition subset which costs a bit more, but usually comes with a few more extras as well. Huntress in her default look comes in her outfit from The New 52 while her Platinum release is based on her early/ mid 1990s look that was also utilized in the Total Justice toyline from Kenner. I've seen the Platinum version around quite a few times but I haven't been tempted to pick her up. This one was a huge want for me, though, and it's probably my second favorite Huntress costume (I love her Jim Lee/ Hush design best; I'm a sucker for that era). Ready to check out McFarlane's first attempt at Helena Wayne? Then let's check her out after the break...

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...