Monday, November 30, 2015

Action Figure Review: Stephanie McMahon (Series 40) from WWE by Mattel



 Today I'm looking at a figure of the WWE's Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon! This figure is from Mattel's "Basic" WWE line which doesn't have a special title like the Elite Collection or the Defining Moments series. While I already own the SummerSlam 2014 Stephanie McMahon from Elite series 37, this version appealed to me because it definitely captures how Stephanie looks most of the time: Ready for business, not brawling. As a long term action figure collector, it's also interesting to me to see a mass market retailer action figure that is simply a female in a suit. How often do we see that? Most toy manufacturers and lines at retail do everything they can to avoid making females and here is the WWE line getting a Stephanie McMahon figure in a simple black pantsuit. I think that either shows the power of the WWE as a brand or the fact that no one wants to piss off an owner of the company. Ready for a quick look at the most powerful woman in the WWE? Then join me after the break...

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Action Figure Review: Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas by Diamond Select Toys

 Oogie Boogie is one of my favorite bad guys ever. He's the boogeyman portrayed as an old fashioned nightclub singer (voiced by singer and actor Ken Page) who's actually a giant sack full of bugs. What's not to like? The Nightmare Before Christmas is without a doubt one of the most toyetic films ever made and everyone knows it: I can name at least 10 companies who have released toy lines based on the movie right off of the top of my head. I had the original Hasbro Oogie Boogie as a kid but I somehow missed out on the cool Oogie Boogie versus Jack 2-pack from NECA that was released in the mid 2000s. Now that Diamond Select is taking a swing at The Nightmare Before Christmas I knew I was going to have to pick up Oogie Boogie to supplement my NECA collection. If you're at all familiar with Diamond Select's action figures, you know they typically run around $25, are usually a bit larger than your average action figure, come packaged in an elaborate blister card, and feature some very nice display bases. Over the past few years Diamond Select has been releasing some less elaborate versions of their figures at Toys 'R Us as exclusives for around $12-$15 dollars. Typically these figures feature a paint difference, different head sculpt, or are simply missing the elaborate bases and dioramas of the mainstream figures. That's the case for Jack and Sally, two of the figures in Diamond Select's first series of Nightmare Before Christmas figures, but it's not the case for Oogie Boogie. The $25 Oogie Boogie you might purchase at your local comic shop or offline is exactly the same as the $13 Oogie Boogie you'll find at Toys 'R Us. I have to admit that I've never seen an action figure company truly release the exact same figure at two different price points. How bizarre? Just note that when I'm reviewing this, I'm reviewing this as a $13 figure I bought at Toys 'R Us while on an epic toy run with my 2 year old last month. Ready for a closer look at Oogie Boogie? Then join me after the break....

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Action Figure Revew: Queen Grayskull from Masters of the Universe Classics by Mattel

 If Queen Grayskull were the last figure released in the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, I'd be just fine. She's a really cool character that has felt like a missing spot in the Powers of Grayskull era of the toyline for quite a few years now. While Mattel is calling her Queen Grayskull in Masters of the Universe Classics, her real name is listed as Veena and that's certainly the name that fans of the Mike Young Productions animated series know her by. A precursor to the Sorceress, Veena is a larger than life character who, like her husband King Grayskull, sets a number of things into motion that will set the stage for He-Man and She-Ra to rise up! Queen Grayskull is the November figure in the 2015 Club 200x mini sub and I imagine she's probably the most popular figure in that line. She's a major player who is finally getting her due. Ready for a closer look at Veena? Then join me after the break...

Friday, November 27, 2015

Action Figure Review: Terror Claws Skeletor & Flying Fists He-Man from Masters of the Universe Classics by Mattel

  As I said during my Perfuma review yesterday, this year Masters of the Universe Classics has been all about finishing the vintage Masters of the Universe lines. While Princess of Power is only getting the unique figures completed (no variants), Masters of the Universe is getting every figure redone, including all of the He-Man and Skeletor variants. Today I'm looking at the 2015 fourth quarter oversized set:The Terror Claws Skeletor and Flying Fists He-Man two-pack. Based on two variants released in the vintage line in 1986, this set gives us another version of He-Man and Skeletor. I'm going to say right up front that I'm not a big fan of this set. I've really liked most of the He-Man and Skeletor variants that have been released (they've been some of my favorite figures in the line) but this set really feels rather weak. Instead of doing anything to escalate the original designs and improve on them in anyway, this really feels like nothing more than a rehash of some vintage figures that just weren't that exciting. Read on and find out why this set really isn't worth your time after the break...

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Action Figure Review: Perfuma from Masters of the Universe Classics by Mattel

2015 has been the year that Masters of the Universe Classics has focused on wrapping up the vintage Masters of the Universe line and the vintage non-variant figures from the Princess of Power line. It seems like every month or two we have another faction completed and today we have Perfuma, the last member of both the vintage Great Rebellion and the last non-variant member of the vintage POP roster (I have a feeling that Mattel is never going to release Starburst She-Ra and the Catra variants). Perfuma was part of the second series of POP figures (originally released in 1986) and thus, like most of the POP ladies, has both a toy design and a Filmation design. Like with a few other POP figures, Mattel has gone for a blended look. How'd it turn out? Read on and learn more after the break...

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Action Figure Review: Ceratus from Masters of the Universe Classics by Mattel

 I've been a bit behind with all of my Halloween reviews from last month and my WWE reviews leading up to Survivor Series 2015 but I'm finally getting around to looking at the November 2015 Masters of the Universe Classics Figures. Today I'm looking at the fourth figure in the Club 200x subscription, Ceratus. A Caligar, Ceratus is the leader of his people and the brother of Skeletor's henchman Whiplash. While Ceratus didn't have a massive role in the Mike Young Productions He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series, he'd definitely a cool character visually. He has a perfect barbarian/ fantasy vibe and looks right at home among the other MOTU heroes and villains. Ready for a closer look at this guy? Then join me after the break...

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Action Figure Review: Fox McCloud from World of Nintendo by Jakks Pacific

   I still can't get over how cool of a concept Jakks Pacific's World of Nintendo line is. It's only been going for about a year and I now have all of the Mario crew on my shelf plus Link, Samus Aran, Donkey Kong, and now Fox McCloud! It's tough to say who is the most wanted figure from series 3 between Princess Peach and Fox McCloud, but there's no doubt that Fox has legions of fans. Today I'm looking at Fox McCloud. Ready for a closer look? Then join me after the break...

Monday, November 23, 2015

Action Figure Review: Goomba from World of Nintendo by Jakks Pacific

 A month or so ago I walked into my local Toys 'R Us and found the remainder of series 3 of Jakks Pacific's World of Nintendo line. While I managed to find a Princess Peach (my most wanted figure from this series) the Goomba and Star Fox were long gone. A couple of weeks later I walked back in the same store and, lo and behold, they had restocked and I was able to snag both the Goomba and Fox McCloud. Today I'm looking at the Goomba, one of Mario's oldest foes. Seriously, if you're around my age (early 30s) then the Goomba may have very well been the first enemy you killed in a videogame. It certainly was for me. Based on the appearance of a shitake mushroom, the Goomba is without a doubt one of the most iconic videogame villains of all time. Ready to jump in and smash this guy up? Then join me after the break...

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Action Figure Review: Roman Reigns (Series 38) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

I just got this Roman Reigns figure from the new WWE Elite Collection series 38 and, since I he's going to play a big part in tonight's Survivor Series 2015 event, I figured I'd jump in and review him quickly. What do you think is going to happen tonight? I think it's going to be Reigns versus Owens at Survivor Series for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship (although I'm pulling for Dean Ambrose). I don't think Roman Reigns is going to walk out of Sunday night holding the title, though. I think that either Kevin Owens will win at Survivor Series or that Reigns will win and Seamus will cash in his Money in the Bank contract as soon as Roman wins. We shall see, won't we? Enjoy the fight later tonight and enjoy this toy review of the series 38 Roman Reigns, based on his appearance at WrestleMania 31, after the break...

Action Figure Review: Seth Rollins (Seth Cashes In!) from WWE Elite Collection: WrestleMania 31 by Mattel

 While today is the day for Survivor Series 2015 (Yeah!!!) it sucks that as I'm writing this the tournament for determining who will fight for Seth's vacated title is ongoing. Yeah, Seth Rollin's injury at a house show in Dublin, Ireland that caused some pretty serious damage to his knee and required surgery is supposed to leave him out of action for up to 9 months. Here's a guy who had a successful run with the Shield, became Mr. Money in the Bank 2014, stole the show and the title at WrestleMania 31, beat John Cena for the US Championship, and has continued to successfully defend the World Heavyweight Championship on a number of occasions who has now had to vacate the title and will miss a number of major events for 2016. Seth is an awesome performer and a great wrestler who always stole the show every time he had the chance. Today I'm looking at a figure that honors one of his biggest accomplishments: Cashing in the 2014 Money in the Bank contract during the Reigns/ Lesnar title match at WrestleMania. This figure is a Toys 'R Us exclusive and didn't take me too many trips to find. I found it on my second trip to my nearest TRU and they had plenty on the shelves. Ready for a closer look at The Man himself? Then join me after the break...

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Action Figure Review: Stone Cold Steve Austin from WWE Elite Collection: Hall of Fame by Mattel

 I mostly pick up the newer WWE Superstars, but how could I not pick up a figure of Stone Cold Steve Austin? I've been playing WWE 2K16 on Xbox One and this year Stone Cold Steve Austin is the focus of the campaign mode. I was out on a toy run at Target when I stumbled across this figure from Mattel's Hall of Fame spin-off of their WWE Elite Collection. After picking him and looking at some pictures from previous Mattel releases, I've come to believe that a great deal of this figure is reused from the WWE Legends series 1 Stone Cold Steve Austin figure that was released a few years back. Ready for a closer look at the Texas Rattlesnake who pretty much defined the WWF Attitude Era of the 90s? Then join me after the break...

Friday, November 20, 2015

Action Figure Review: Sargent Slaughter from WWE Elite Collection: Hall of Fame by Mattel


I have two things I want to say before beginning this review. The first is that, yes, I know Sargent is spelled incorrectly in the title of this review. That's because Mattel actually spelled it like that on the packaging. It literally says "Sargent Slaughter." Bizarre, huh? Anyways, I'm calling him Sgt. Slaughter, because that's how the name is really spelled. Secondly, as you can tell from most of my reviews I'm definitely a modern wrestling fan who didn't pay much attention to wrestling when I was a kid. I grabbed the Sarge, though, because I love G.I. Joe. There's not a lack of G.I. Joe figures on this site because I don't love G.I. Joe; it's because Hasbro only wants to release exclusives and repaints of figures I already own. If we ever get the 6 inch G.I. Joe: Black Series figures that many fans are interested in seeing, it'll be cool to have a Sgt. Slaughter to boss them around. Anyways, now that I've said those two things, let's take a look at Sgt. Slaughter, AKA Robert Remus, from Mattel's WWE Elite Collection: Hall of Fame subset. This figure seems to be a Target exclusive and seems to borrow pretty heavily from the older WWE Legends Series 1 Sgt. Slaughter. Of course, this one is wearing camo, so I think it's automatically a cooler figure. Ready for a closer look? Then join me after the break...

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Action Figure Review: Daniel Bryan (Series 38) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

 Daniel Bryan, man. Who doesn't like this guy? Everyone friggin' loves Daniel Bryan. And why shouldn't they? He's a great wrestler and just seems like an all around good guy. He seems to be pretty popular with the collectors because Mattel also cranks out the Daniel Bryan figures left and right. Today I'm looking at the new Daniel Bryan from the 38th series of the WWE Elite Collection. He's the first figure from this series I've managed to find. Since I didn't have a Daniel Bryan yet and because this toy was new and shiny I added him to my cart. Ready for a closer look at this new version of Daniel Bryan? If your answer was "Yes!" then join me after the break...

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Action Figure Review: Mark Henry (Series 32) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

Who is ready for another WWE Elite Collection review! I promise you that I haven't become an all wrestling review site: I'm really catching up on a number of figures I picked up in October that I put off reviewing due to all of the Halloween and Re-Halloween reviews I did. Today I'm looking at a figure from a year or two pack: The series 32 Mark Henry. I like Mark Henry just fine and while he's not a major player these days in the WWE, the guy still manages to show up pretty often. What really sold me on this figure are the accessories. Besides being a large figure, Mark also comes with an electric razor, the bottom set of ring steps, and a break apart table. That's a crazy amount of accessories! I actually found Mark Henry on sale on Amazon for less than $20 (maybe around $15?) so I felt like I got a real steal. How's the figure, though? Well, join me after the break for a review of the World's Strongest Man...

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Action Figure Review: Goldust (Series 36) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

 I just reviewed Stardust, the younger of the Rhodes brothers, and today I'm looking the elder brother: Goldust. Goldust has been out with an injury for a few months but he's supposed to be coming back in December, possibly at the 12/26th event at Madison Square Gardens. I really enjoyed his tag-team and feud with Cody Rhodes in his Stardust persona last year and I definitely wanted to snatch this figure up. And yes, Goldust looks a lot like Savage Oppress here. I can see it and you can surely see it too. If you long for the days of the overly muscular Hasbro Power of the Force II figures, you could put Goldust into your Star Wars: The Black Series collection as a stand in for Darth Maul's brother. Or you could pose him as a tag team champion next to Stardust. The choice is yours. Of course, don't decide until after you've read the review...

Monday, November 16, 2015

Action Figure Review: Stardust (Series 36) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

  As you might be able to tell from my reviews of Mattel's various WWE figures I really love wrestling characters who have a gimmick of some kind. There's just something really appealing to me about that which kind of reminds me of old school wrestling. One of the most entertaining WWE Superstars to watch right now is without a doubt Stardust (AKA Cody Rhodes). His crazy cosmic  supervillain persona is over the top and has led to some fun stuff, particularly his feud with Arrow star Stephen Amell at SummerSlam 2015. This figure represents Stardust in his most common look throughout 2014 when he was paired with his brother, Goldust, and became tag team champions. Ready to embrace the strange and take a closer look at Stardust? Then join me after the break...

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Action Figure Review: Triple H (Series 35) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

 Ready for another WWE Elite review? This is a figure released earlier this that I just recently picked up at one of my local Walgreens. Man, how about Walgreens carrying lots of pretty good action figures and stuff now, huh? Over the past few months at Walgreens besides WWE figures, I've also seen Hasbro's Star Wars Black and Marvel Legends, Funko's Game of Thrones, POPs, and ReAction, McFarlane's The Walking Dead, Assassin's Creed, and Halo, Lego minifigures, Jakks Pacific's World of Nintendo, and even NECA's Terminator stuff. That's crazy! Walgreens a better variety of toylines than Wal-Mart, actually. How bizarre is that? Anyways, the figure I'm actually reviewing today, the Series 35 Triple H, represents Mr. Hunter Hearst Helmsley in his fight against Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania XXX. It's a cool look and a great chance to get a solid Triple H figure. Ready for a closer look? Then join me after the break...

Friday, November 13, 2015

Action Figure Review: Bo Dallas (Series 36) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

 Today it's time for a look at the Inspirational Superstar: Bo Dallas! Did you know that Bo Dallas (real name Taylor Michael Rotunda) is the son of I.R.S. and the brother of Bray Wyatt? Did you know that Bo Dallas is the youngest NXT champion in history? Did you know that Bo Dallas went on a 17 match streak, only to be finally beat by R-Truth? Cause Bo knows! Did you know that his favorite song is "Don't Stop Bo-lieving?" Did you know that he loves to eat Bo Rounds at Bojangles? Did you know his favorite Star Wars character is Bo-ba Fett? Well, I actually made those last three facts up. Want to know more about this figure, one of the six available in series 36 of Mattel's WWE Elite Collection? Then join me after the break...

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Action Figure Review: Big E & Kofi Kingston from WWE Battle Packs by Mattel

  Whether you chant "New Day Rocks!" or "New Day Sucks" I can almost guarantee that, if you watch wrestling you have an opinion on The New Day. While these guys are heels, I have to say that I find them heels that I sometimes root for just because of how awesomely crazy they can be. Today I'm looking at one of the new WWE Battlepacks from Mattel that features two of three members of The New Day: Kofi Kingston and Big E. While I have a decent number of figures from Mattel's WWE Elite Collection, these are the first basic figures I've picked up. What do I think about them? Read my thoughts after the break...

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Action Figure Review: Stephanie McMahon (Series 37) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

 You know what really bugs me? People who buy new action figures, put an older action figure in the package, and return it to the store. That really pisses me off and Mattel's WWE Elite line seems to get hit the hardest by the toy aisle trolls. When my local Wal-Mart got series 37 of the WWE Elite Collection in stock someone bought most of the figures, swapped them out (or stole parts) and returned them. Dean Malenko? They stole his vest. Seth Rollins? They replaced a standard Shield version in the set with some older, junky belts in place of his cement bricks. Brock Lesnar? They put an older, stanard Ryback figure in there. Stephanie McMahon? They put in an old Jakks figure of her in the package. How lame! I really thought my chance for getting a Stephanie McMahon at retail price was gone but fortunately Amazon has had her in stock on and off for a few weeks at the standard price. Pretty great, right? Hopefully made plenty of Stephanie McMahon in her very cool SummerSlam 2014 attire from when she fought (and beat) Brie Bella. Ready for a closer look? Then join me after the break...

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Action Figure Review: The Miz (Series 37) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

   Today I'm looking at another figure from series 37 of Mattel's WWE Elite Collection: The Miz! The Miz is the ultimate A-list celebrity, starring in Hollywood blockbusters such as The Marine 3: Homefront, The Marine 4: Moving Target, and the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens! Just kidding. He's actually going to be in the film Santa's Little Helper. While he's not really box office gold, Miz does have a great gimmick going on right now. This figure is supposed to represent his attire at Night of Champions 2014 shortly after he adopted the A-list celebrity persona. While he's definitely a heel, I've found Miz to be pretty entertaining over the past year, particularly when he's hosting Miz TV. Ready for a closer look at the Miz? Then join me after the break...

Monday, November 9, 2015

Action Figure Review: Arsenal from Red Hood and The Outlaws by DC Collectibles

 Today I'm taking a look at Roy Harper, AKA Arsenal. In pre-Flashpoint continuity, he's also been known as Speedy and Red Arrow. Man! Roy's got a ton of aliases! While everyone seemed to hate the book at first, I really feel like Red Hood and The Outlaws has grown into one of the better titles that emerged from the New 52 relaunch. While it still has ties to the Batman family of books, it also has its own feel. Tonally it can jump back and forth between sci-fi/ superhero action and adventure, comedy, and being a serious look at the relationships between three very broken characters. While Koriand'r is an immensely powerful alien and Jason is a resurrected former Robin, Roy's kind of the more normal guy. Well, normal in the sense that's he's a brilliant inventor, a recovering alcoholic with Killer Croc as his sponsor, and an ex-sidekick to Green Arrow. One of the things I like about the book is that none of the characters are perfect by any stretch of the imagination. They're also pretty fun to watch when they get down to the business of going after the bad guys. There are three figures in this line based on the comic: Red Hood, Arsenal, and Starfire. I bought Red Hood when he first came out and I picked up Starfire over the past summer on sale. I decided to complete the trio and was pleased to find that Arsenal is a pretty easy figure to find on sale now as well. Ready for a closer look at my favorite trucker hat wearing hero? (Sorry, Trump: It's not you!) Then join me after the break...

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Re-Halloween Special: Bray Wyatt (Series 36) from WWE Elite 36 by Mattel

Today is Re-Halloween! I started doing a bunch of horror movie reviews back in September, I did at least one horror themed toy review a day in October, and for the seven days of Re-Halloween in November I've been doing another bonus horror themed review. It's been fun but it's also been a ton of work! Today as I'm off celebrating Re-Halloween (the plans are to go see Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension and then to watch Halloween and Trick 'r Treat at some point) I'm leaving you in the company of my favorite WWE Superstar: Bray Wyatt. The New Face of Fear, Wyatt and his followers Erick Rowan, Luke Harper, and newcomer Braun Strowman always put on an interesting show. I'm not sure what will happen with the Wyatt Family's recent kidnapping of the Undertaker and Kane but I'm sure it will be interesting. This is actually the third Bray Wyatt figure I've reviewed and this one features his outfit from SummerSlam 2014 when he beat Chris Jericho. Ready for a closer look at Bray Wyatt? Then follow the buzzards and join me after the break...

Friday, November 6, 2015

Action Figure Review: The Joker No.005 from The Dark Knight Miracle Action Figure EX/ MAFEX by Medicom

 I without a doubt own more action figures of the Joker than any other Batman villain. It doesn't typically take much to convince me to buy an action figure of the Joker, particularly when it's based off of Heath Ledger's iconic portrayal of the character. I'd never heard of the Miracle Action Figure EX (or MAFEX) action figure range from Medicom but they seem to be on their way to becoming a significant line as they have characters available and and on preorder from a number of licenses, including: Star Wars, The Amazing Spider-Man, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the Christopher Nolan Batman films. While I own a few of the Joker figures from Mattel's The Dark Knight Movie Masters line, I was never completely happy with them. When I saw this figure on sale at Big Bad Toy Store I decided to jump on it. If you're curious about these, I'd compare them with other high end 6 inch scale lines such as Bandai's S.H. Figuarts line as they come in window boxed packaging with plenty of extras including hands, heads, accessories, and stands. Ready for a closer look at the Joker from The Dark Knight? Then join me after the break...

Re-Halloween Special: Kane (Series 31) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

 Today for my Re-Halloween special I'm bringing you a look at the Devil's Favorite Demon! It's the Big Red Monster, Kane! I really like Kane. While I did cheer for Seth Rollins at last month's Hell in a Cell event, I still like the guy. Kane just cracks me up and he usually puts on a pretty good show. This Kane is from right before he joined the Authority (probably from Hell in a Cell 2013) and features Kane with a removable mask to show off his normal side and his demon side. While as of my writing this I'm still waiting to see what will happen to Kane (I haven't yet watched the last Smackdown from October yet), in the meantime this Kane figure can keep me busy. Ready for a closer look at the World's Greatest Director of Operations? Then join me after the break...

Thursday, November 5, 2015

A New Batgirl Review: Batgirl from Vinyl Vixens by Vinyl Sugar

 He everyone! It's Barbecue17 and I'm back with another Batgirl review! This time I'm taking a look at Batgirl from the first series of Vinyl Vixens from Vinyl Sugar. If you're unfamiliar with them, Vinyl Vixens are a line of non-articulated vinyl figures based on female DC Superheroes and Villains. The first series, which consisted of Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy, have been out for a few months now, but Batgirl is a pretty new release. While there are lots of high end Batgirl collectibles out there from companies like Sideshow, Tonner, Tweeterhead, and Tonner, it's nice that companies like Kotobukiya and Vinyl Sugar are putting out some very cool stuff at a less expensive price point. Ready for a closer look at Babs in her classic blue and grey outfit? Then join me after the break...

Re-Halloween Special: Elvira (Witch Variant) from Elvira, Mistress of the Dark by Figures Toy Co.

 Today for the fourth day of my Re-Halloween special week I'm reviewing a figure that I saw on another blogger's Halloween coverage and purchased for myself: Elvira from Figures Toy Co.'s Elvira, Mistress of the Dark line! Near the beginning of October I saw Joshua Raymond review the basic version of this figure at Misfit Robot Daydream and I decided that I needed to pick one of these up. I love Elvira and I actually remember reading about this figure around the time it was released in 1998. ToyFare magazine did an interview with Cassandra Peterson about the toyline. The version I'm looking at is called the Witch Variant as it comes with a traditional pointed hat and a broom. Ready for a closer look at Elvira's figure? I mean at the Elvira figure? Then join me after the break...

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Action Figure Review: Mr. Freeze from DC Designer Series: Greg Capullo by DC Collectibles

While Mr. Freeze was once a simple, gimmick themed villain, he has since become a character reinvented a few different times with ever more heartbreaking backstories. In the New 52 continuity, Victor Fries' backstory includes his mother falling in a lake but being saved from death by being frozen, Victor performing a mercy killing for his mother after she has been forced to live in pain due to the accident, and Victor falling in love with Nora Fields, a 23 year old woman in cryo-stasis whose family had her cryogenically frozen in the 1960s due to an incurable disease. Honestly, I think Victor Fries' new origin story was one of the best re-imaginings in the New 52 experiment. Today I'm looking at the Mr. Freeze figure from the Greg Capullo inspired DC Designer Series of action figures from DC Collectibles. Freeze had a pretty radical redesign and while yes, I know his arms aren't covered, he has a pretty cool new outfit. Ready for a closer look at this series 2 figure released at the end of 2014? Then join me after the break...

Re-Halloween Special: Ultimate Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: 40th Anniversary by NECA

A few years ago I reviewed McFarlane Toys' Movie Maniacs Leatherface. I still love that figure but it's now 17 years old! Wow! One of the jokes that everyone seems to tell is that NECA is on a quest to make the figures Todd McFarlane said he could never make and to release better versions of the ones he did make. There seems to be some truth to that because here's a new Leatherface figure that nicely updates the older one. Released as one of their deluxe boxed Ultimate Editions, Leatherface comes in a 5 panel window box that celebrates the 40th Anniversary of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. By the way, have you ever noticed that the actual title card for the film is "Chain Saw" and not "Chainsaw" as you might expect. Bizarre, huh? This packaging saws "Chainsaw" which is what is on the actual movie poster. Anyways, let's cut to the chase and start checking out old Leatherface here. Join me after the break...

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Action Figure Review: Catwoman from DC Designer Series: Greg Capullo by DC Collectibles

 Today I'm going to look at another figure from the Greg Capullo DC Designer Series: Catwoman! Released as part of series 2, Catwoman came out at the end of last year. I picked her up on a clearance sale for around half price. I waited on her not because I don't like Catwoman, but because I didn't have an urgent need for a Greg Capullo Catwoman. Greg Capullo is an amazing artist and he and Scott Snyder's run on Batman has been incredible, but has Catwoman really been a character he has done much with? I could only find a few images, one of which was a convention sketch and none of which really looks like this figure. When I think of Catwoman in the New 52, I tend to think of Guillem March's depiction, not Capullo's. I guess that's the problem with an artist specific line, isn't it? Anyways, let's take a closer look at Ms. Selina Kyle's feline alter ego after the break...

Re-Halloween Special: Great White Shark from Jaws ReAction by Funko

The packaging calls him "Great White Shark" but we all know that this is Jaws. Or Bruce the Shark, if you so desire. Haven't I already reviewed this figure? Well, kind of: You see, I reviewed the SDCC 2015 Great White Shark and Quint Final Battle set last month as part of 31 Days of Toy Terror. While this figure is exactly the same mold as the shark in that set, the paint job is different. Oh, and there's a different accessory. Besides, can you ever have too many sharks? Grab yourself a bigger boat and come take a closer look at the Funko ReActon Jaws figure right after the break...

Monday, November 2, 2015

Action Figure Review: Ultimate John Matrix from Commando: 30th Anniversary by NECA


   Arnold Schwarzenegger pretty much defined the role of the big budget action movie star. Between 1982 and 1991, in a span of less than ten years, Arnold starred in a steady stream of box office hits that are stil revered in the upper echelon of the pantheon of action films. It's pretty awesome that over the past few years NECA has released action figures of Arnold as the iconic characeters from most of those films. Arnold's roles in Conan, The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Predator, and now Commando have now all been immortalized in plastic with action figures from NECA. Today I'm looking at the new Ultimate John Matrix figure from Commando. NECA has been doing a number of these cool Ultimate Editions over the past few years and they're definitely worth tracking down most of the time as they come in beautiful five panel boxes and are typically loaded with accessories. Is this version of John Matrix also worth your time to track down? Check out this review and find out, after the break...

Re-Halloween Special: Spirit of Grayskull from Masters of the Universe Classics by Mattel

    Today is the second day of Re-Halloween! Aren't you excited? Today I'm looking at the 2015 chase variant action figure from Masters of the Universe Classics: The Spirit of Grayskull! Representing the spectral form of King Grayskull, the Spirit of Grayskull is a glow in the dark warrior who should look amazing roaming the halls of your Castle Grayskull playset. Since he's a noble and heroic specter he's not too terrifying. What is frightening, however, is that Mattel actually has been selling him randomly as an online chase figure. You know, because that makes so much sense for an online toyline that relies on a subscription model. Anyways, the figure was good and he finally popped up in late September/ early October so I snapped him up. Ready for a closer look at Spirit of Grayskull? Then join me after the break...

Sunday, November 1, 2015

The Legend of Re-Halloween 2015: 6 Years Strong!


  
It's the 6th year of celebrating Re-Halloween for me! If you've never hear the tale, gather round and read about this magical, mystical, semi-ancient tradition. Pull up a chair, throw some sawdust on the fire, and listen as ol' Barbecue17 tells you about the legend of Re-Halloween...

  Despite all the planning, anticipation, and passion, Halloween doesn't always happen the way you planned. That's what Barbecue17 and his friend Andrew experienced in 2010 when Halloween sort of fizzled. Bad work schedules, minor illness, girl troubles, and other factors all combined to ensure that Barbecue17 and Andrew didn't have a great Halloween. Together, they decided to pretend to celebrate Halloween again one week later. That gave them another week to carve pumpkins, watch horror movies, wear costumes, and to enjoy the season. Re-Halloween was such a success that its been celebrated and referenced ever since. Candy and decorations go on sale, many Haunted Houses still operate, and there's never a bad time to watch Trick 'r Treat. Re-Halloween is sort of like a scarier version of the 12 Days of Christmas.


 I hope everyone had a wonderfully frightening and fun Halloween! I certainly did! Of course, sometimes things just don't work out as planned. Some years you just have a bad run. Other times, like this year, I was so busy with great Halloween activities all day long that I never got to do some stuff I intended to do such as watching Trick 'r Treat and Halloween. That's what Re-Halloween is for! You have one more week to squeeze in the things that really matter! Buy some candy on clearance! Wear you costume again with a group of friends (or buy one on clearance if you didn't participate yesterday)! Go to a corn maze! Enjoy one more week of freaky fall fun! I have plenty of Re-Halloween activities in store for you this week, so keep checking back!

Re-Halloween Special: Hazmat Zombies Mob from Call of Duty by Mega Blocks


   Happy Re-Halloween! While most other sites have give you 31 days filled with fright, Action Figure Barbecue goes one step further and gives you 7 extra days of terror! Today's review is a look at one more set of zombies from Mega Blocks Call of Duty line: The Hazmat Zombies Mob! This set features a variety of zombies either with charred bluish-black skin or wearing hazmat suits. Spoiler alert: The hazmat suits didn't work! Ready for a third dose of zombie terror this year? Then join me after the break...