Sunday, December 31, 2017

Action Figure Review: Wonder Woman (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns) from DC Comics Multiverse by Mattel

   Today's review for this final day of the year is Wonder Woman. Perhaps that's fitting because it's quite possible that Wonder Woman is the character whom had the best 2017 possible. Her movie was a success both critically and commercially and it helped a much wider audience to care about the character again on more than just a surface level. While I've reviewed quite a few action figures this year based on Gal Gadot's excellent portrayal of the character, that's not the version of the character I'm looking at today. Instead, I'm looking at Wonder Woman as portrayed by Frank Miller. We could talk for days about the merits and absolute utter craziness of the work of Frank Miller but, to be brief, I really do like the action figures released in the Dark Knight Returns subset that Mattel has been putting out little by little over the years. Of course, while the packaging says this is from "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns," it absolutely is not. It could either be from The Dark Knight Strikes Again or from The Dark Knight III: The Master Race. The packaging uses art from DKIII, but the figure could really be from either). The Dark Knight subset continues to grow and I do find myself loving these bulkier takes on the DC big guns. Let's take a look at this new version of Wonder Woman after the break...

Saturday, December 30, 2017

Action Figure Review: Wonder Girl (Teen Titans) from DC Comics Multiverse by Mattel

   Another smaller series of Mattel's DC Comics Multiverse figures have made their way out just before the end of the year. The series is supposed to include Wonder Girl, a Frank Miller styled Wonder Woman, and the Super Friends versions of Superman and Aquaman. At this point I haven't found the Super Friends figure from the series but I did find both Wonder Girl and Wonder Woman on Amazon. I believe that Wonder Girl and Wonder Woman were supposed to be a Wal-Mart exclusive mini series released earlier this year to tie in with the release of the Wonder Woman film but it seems that never materialized. At least they made it out, huh? Both Wonder Girl and Wonder Woman include pieces of a small Collect and Connect figure of Dr. Psycho whom I'll review soon as well. Today I'm looking at the Cassie Sandsmark version of Wonder Girl. Cassie is the third person to bear the Wonder Girl name and we get her here in her outfit from the Teen Titans run of the early/ mid 2000s. Since she was never released in the Young Justice series, I'm sure there will be plenty of folks wanting her to complete that roster (even though she's not wearing that outfit). More after the break...

Friday, December 29, 2017

Confirmed Epic Podcast #80: Top 10 Films of 2017

 




On episode #80 of the Confirmed Epic Podcast The Reel Brad Bell and AKA Andrew Stokes are back to end 2017 with a bang by counting down their top 10 films of 2017.  As always we get into the epic news items of the week, as well as what we have been checking out.

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell  

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Action Figure Review: Kylo Ren (Throne Room) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 Today, by reviewing the deluxe Wal-Mart exclusive Kylo Ren (Throne Room) figure, I will have reviewed every Star Wars: The Black Series figure that was revealed on Force Friday 2017 (DJ and Rey (Island Journey were revealed a bit later). This is the fourth of these deluxe releases to be put out for The Last Jedi. I like getting deluxe figures with more stuff and display pieces but I kind of wish Hasbro would plan these out a bit better to give us the characters in truly different outfits. Still, this version of Ben Solo is definitely an improvement over the standard figure (which was a pretty good figure already) so it's worth checking out. More after the break...

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Action Figure Review: Jaina Solo from Star Wars: The Black Series by Hasbro

 Today I'm reviewing Jaina Solo, the 2016 Fan's Choice winner for the Star Wars: The Black Series line. Mired in controversy (which I won't get into too much here), Jaina beat out the competition and has just recently started shipping. One of the few Legends characters (or characters from what was once the Expanded Universe) to be made in the line, it will be interesting to see Jaina's reception among fans. While I certainly didn't read everything from the Expanded Universe, I read enough for it to be a formative part of my Star Wars fandom. I didn't get into Star Wars until the mid 90s, when I was a pre-teen so, for most of my formative years, I accepted characters like the Solo kids, Mara Jade, Dash Rendar, Prince Xizor, Mara Jade, Kyp Durron, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors as just part of Star Wars like any other character. Prior to Episode I I largely stopped reading the EU and only kept up with it through friends, action figure releases, and some comic books. Currently I do read everything in the New Canon but I still have a soft spot for many of the EU/ Legends characters and stories, so Jaina's entry into the Black Series gives me hope that we'll continue to see this line expand, encompassing more film, TV, Legends, and New Canon characters. Let's take a look at the incredible Jaina Solo after the break...

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Minifigure Review: Packs A-F from M.U.S.C.L.E. Masters of the Universe by Super7

   Like yesterday I'm going to combine all six of the series 3 Masters of the Universe M.U.S.C.L.E. sets into one review. Rather than having to write six unique intros I get to write just one, so that saves me time. It also just feels right, particularly because two of the sets have shared figures. If you want to see all of Super7's Masters of the Universe M.U.S.C.L.E. offerings in one place then you are set! I really like this series. Super7 has gone back and forth on the style of these with series 1 having fairly realistic proportions, series 2 being far more stylized and overly cartoonish, and series 3 having a pretty solid grasp on the M.U.S.C.L.E. style. The roster keeps expanding and this time Super7 has given us some vehicles as well. Ready for a closer look at series 3? Then join me after the break...

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Minifigure Review: Packs A-E from M.U.S.C.L.E. Aliens by Super7

   I don't usually review more than one product release at a time but I'm going to be making an exception for the latest series of M.U.S.C.L.E. figures from Super7. I received a big package earlier this month that was filled with all five of the Aliens M.U.S.C.L.E. packs and all six of the Masters of the Universe M.U.S.C.L.E. packs. Since it would take so much time to review each set individually and I would largely be repeating myself in each intro, I decided to just combine Packs A, B, C, D, and E in one review. I hope you don 't mind! I really like Super7 and what they're doing. The M.U.S.C.L.E. revival is one of my favorite toy related things of the past few years. Super7 has a great thing going but I do hope they continue to focus on consistency in their minifigures. While this year's Street Fighter II series featured some of the best minifigures of the year with neat, clean, and crisp sculpts, the Mega Man series was atrocious. Fortunately, the Aliens series is closer to the Street Fighter II series with some decent sculpts and a less waxy appearance. Let's check out this whole series after the break...

Monday, December 25, 2017

Action Figure Review: Mario (2-6) from World of Nintendo by Jakks Pacific

  Merry Christmas! My guess is that quite a few of you out there got a Nintendo Switch today or that you have fond memories of getting an NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, GameCube, or a Wii for Christmas in the past, so I decided to review a Mario figure on this special morning! While you're celebrating this special day, thanks for taking some time out of your schedule to visit your old pal Barbecue as he talks about toys. It's been quite a few months since I last reviewed any of Jakks Pacific's World of Nintendo figures and those reviews were of figures technically released in 2016. Wave 2-5 and 2-6 have both been released in 2017 but I never saw them anywhere for retail price and there weren't any figures I absolutely had to track down so I skipped most of them (I already own the Lakitu from S.H. Figuarts so I didn't put much effort into tracking down Jakks' version). I really wanted this version of Mario Maker from the very fun Super Mario Maker game. It's a great, colorful variant that looks great on the shelf and represents another modern take on Mario. Let's take a closer look at Mario after the break...

Sunday, December 24, 2017

Action Figure Review: Resistance Tech Rose from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

  While I reviewed the Target exclusive Luke Skywalker the other day, I'm excited that I'm finally getting the chance to review a new character from The Last Jedi after having seen the film. Today I'm looking at Rose Tico, whom the packaging awkwardly refers to as Resistance Tech Rose for some reason. Why not just call her Rose Tico? Anyways, Rose is one of the new main characters introduced in Episode VIII. Played by Kelly Marie Tran, Rose joins Finn and BB-8 on a secret mission to the casino city of Canto Bight to track down a notorious slicer known only as the Master Codebreaker. While Rose and Finn's storyline is arguably the weakest of the three storylines that runs through the film, Rose is one of the most interesting and well developed characters in the film. It was nice to have such an optimistic Resistance who adds something different to the previously assembled new cast. A lot of internet chatter early on seemed to revolve around this figure being rather visually "boring" but having her in hand I'm finding her to be one of my favorites from the series. Read on and find out more...

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Action Figure Review: Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master) - Ahch-To Island from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

   Well..it's been over a week since I saw The Last Jedi and since you're someone intentionally tracking down Star Wars action figure reviews on a website, I'm assuming you've already seen it too. If for some strange reason you haven't, I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum. I mainly want to focus on the action figure anyway which is of Luke Skywalker in his Jedi Master robes. Luke was already released in this outfit back on Force Friday (as well as being part of a SDCC 2017 exclusive set with Rey) so there's nothing incredibly unique about this release. Like the deluxe version of Rey, this exclusive figure (it's a Target exclusive, by the way) includes a die-cast metal part, an environmental display base, more soft goods mixed in with the figure's sculpt, and an improved paint job. That also comes at an elevated price, though. I now have all four of the deluxe figures in hand (I've reviewed Rey and Snoke already and Kylo Ren's review will be coming soon) and I can safely say that Snoke and Luke are the two deluxe releases that you could purchase and feel like you were missing nothing from the single packed figures. Luke absolutely does feature some nice improvements that make him a better figure than the standard version though. Pull yourself up a bottle of green milk and let's check out this new version of Luke Skywalker after the break...

Friday, December 22, 2017

Confirmed Epic Podcast #79: Star Wars The Last Jedi


  


*In this episode we mention Gareth Edwards as the first pick to direct Star Wars Episode 9 before JJ Abrams stepped in, we actually meant Colin Trevorrow!

On episode #79 of the Confirmed Epic Podcast The Reel Brad Bell , AKA Andrew Stokes, and Kate Mcall are back to review a film they have eagerly anticipated for 2 years: Disney and Lucas Film's. The Last Jedi directed by Rian Johnson.  As always we get into the epic news items of the week, as well as what we have been checking out.

*Cover art provided by Dan Mumford.

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell  

Follow The Confirmed Epic Podcast on Instagram for your daily dose of geek imagery HERE!

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Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to us on itunes just search for: The Confirmed Epic Podcast or The GWW in the itunes store!

You can always email any questions, comments, and concerns about the show to thepicreview@gmail.com

Toy Review: Batmobile (1/5) from Hot Wheels by Mattel

   Last night I was out doing some last minute stocking and I stumbled upon another Batman vehicle from this little subset of five. I know Hot Wheels puts out quite a few high quality Batman vehicles in their higher end lines but I only bite when I find these little $1 wonders. Today I'm looking at the Batmobile from Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. This model was first released in the Hot Wheels line last year but this is the first time I've picked one up. Let's check it out after the break...

Toy Review: The Bat (3/5) from Hot Wheels by Mattel

   I'm definitely not a Hot Wheels collector but whenever I see one of the standard $1 or less Batman vehicles I have to pick it up. It seems that Hot Wheels has a small subset of five Batman vehicles in their standard roster of cars currently available and the first one I located was the Bat. Originally released in 2012 and hailing from The Dark Knight Rises, the Bat has seen release quite a few times (I have pictures of two previous releases in the body of the review). Let's check out this latest version of the Bat after the break...

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Action Figure Revew: Bombshells Katana from DC Designer Series: Ant Lucia by DC Collectibles

  Is this the last of the Bombshells action figures that I'll ever review? We'll see. I would love for DC Collectibles to continue this line but, given their track record over the past year or so I'm not hopeful. Still, let's be grateful for what we have at the moment and check out this very cool Katana figure from series 2. While she doesn't have the same number of accessories or points of articulation as any of the series 1 figures, she's still a pretty cool figure and possibly the highlight of the second series. Let's take a closer look at Katana after the break...

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Action Figure Review: Bombshells Hawkgirl from DC Designer Series: Ant Lucia by DC Collectibles

  My favorite Bombshells design is a tie between Batwoman and Hawkgirl. I'm a pretty big fan of all of the Bombshells designs  but there is just something simple but clever about those two. Today I'm looking at Hawkgirl, the third figure from the second series of the Ant Lucia inspired DC Designer. Hawkgirl is one of the seven Bombshells statues I own and I'm really excited to own her in action figure form, too. While DC Collectibles seems to be on the fence as to whether or not this line is truly cancelled (Bumblebee and Supergirl are officially cancelled while they claim Zatanna and Black Canary are still coming out) at least the second series left us with three out of my four favorite Bombshells (Batwoman, Katana, and Hawkgirl. Just missing Cheetah!). Let's check out the high flying Hawkgirl after the break...

Saturday, December 16, 2017

A New Batgirl Review: Bombshells Batgirl from DC Designer Series: Ant Lucia by DC Collectibles

   Every time I review a DC Collectibles product now I feel like I'm picking on them because I just have to mention how seemingly irrational their approach to action figure releases and cancellations has been this past year or so. Prior to the release of series 2 of the Bombshells figures (which are part of the larger DC Designer Series line) DC Collectibles went ahead and cancelled series 3. Before series 2 ever shipped. Way to build retailer and customer confidence, DC Collectibles. Now they've come back and said they've only cancelled two of the four figures, but still; what exactly is going on? It really feels like DC Collectibles wants to get out of the action figure business. Is this the case or did Mattel renegotiate a contract or something and that's putting pressure on DC Collectibles, forcing them to cancel certain releases. Who knows? All I know is that going into 2017 I had dozens of DC Collectibles releases preordered and about half of those were cancelled. Going into 2017 I have 6. That's pretty low. Anyways, today I'm here to talk about the Bombshells Batgirl. Bombshells Batgirl is definitely one of my least favorite Bombshells statues but I think this figure works better than the statue did. Let's check her out after the break...

Friday, December 15, 2017

Action Figure Review: Crow #488 from Mystery Science Theater 3000 from POP! Television by Funko

   Two of my favorite shows returned to TV this year: Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Twin Peaks. Twin Peaks was weird, oddly paced, and apparently loved by most David Lynch fans according to everything I've read. It left me almost completely cold, though. Mystery Science Theater 3000 however, was incredible and I've rewatched it multiple times. For a show that has never had a bad season MST3K: The Return kept things going along with a great new cast, excellent writing, some fantastic cameos, and some upgrades for our favorite robots. These POP! vinyls are actually based on the Netflix series and thus Crow shows off his upgraded design. Last month I looked at Funko's Tom Servo POP! vinyl and now I'm finally getting the chance to check out Crow. Apparently Tom and Crow didn't ship on the same day.  Now that they're both out, why not order them for the MST3K fan in your life who needs something special for Christmas? It's a much easier Christmas gift to give than letting them decide who lives and dies! Let's take a look at Crow T. Robot after the break...

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Contest: Identify as Many Toys in my California Job Case as you Can and Win a Prize Package!

 This contest is simple! All you have to do is identify as many of the 91 toys as possible in the display case. Here's the catch: It's also a race!

Step 1: Try to identify as many toys in the California Job Case as you can (there are one or two I'm not even sure about, so I feel like that adds to the challenge, right?) Try to be as specific as possible but don't feel like you have to ID them all. Do your best!

Step 2: Email your list to barbecue17 at actionfigurebarbecue.com with the headline California Job Case Contest! Please include your user name you post by in the email so I know who you are.

Detailed pictures and the rules are after the page break...

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Minifigure Review: Tactical Suit Batman (DC32) from DC Nano Metalfigs by Jada Toys

  Like in all things, Batman has definitely come out on top in the DC Nano Metalfigs line. With nine different versions of the Caped Crusader (including one that's actually Thomas Wayne!) Batman minifigures make up about one fourth of the line! Still, who am I to complain about more Batman? Well, I do hope that Jada Toys continues to diversify the line and release more characters and less variants but I'll take what I can get. Today I'm looking at the Tactical Suit Batman based on the suit Batman wears at the end of Justice League. Hey, that's another thing: What the heck is wrong with you people? Go see Justice League! It's incredible fun and is a dream come true for this DC fan! I know it has some weak parts but it's well worth watching. Anyways, let's check out this figure after the break...

Monday, December 11, 2017

Road to the Last Jedi: Darth Vader from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III Titanium Series by Hasbro

   While the 1/18th scale Titanium Series Black Series figures have been out for months due to being one of the product ranges specifically released for the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars, I just received Darth Vader this past week. He was a Christmas gift from a friend so, for that reason alone, I am ver appreciative of him. While I haven't really seen these pegwarming too much I think it is safe to say that they weren't received as well as Hasbro might have hoped. They're one of those products that I'm hard pressed to determine who the Target audience and where they'd fit into a collection. Obviously, they're smaller so they're not marketed towards collectors of the 6 inch Black Series. They're also a hair too large so it's tough to say that 1/18th scale collectors would be interested in these either. Vader is more like a statue, but he has some articulation and doesn't particularly stand up terribly well on his base. It's an odd product range that doesn't seem to complement any existing product range nor does it seem to really cater to a new audience. Let's check out die-cast Darth in a bit more detail after the break...

Sunday, December 10, 2017

My California Job Case Complete with Toys!


   Earlier this year I was reading Action Figures Adventures when I found a great project that Buzz Chuck had worked on: Turning a California Job Case into a display box for minifigures and other smaller toys! A California job case is a fascinating type of tray featuring 89 distinct compartments that was used to store movable type for letterpress printing. As soon as I watched Buzz Chuck's video I immediately had to locate one. I told my parents about this since they tend to travel to lots of flea markets and antique stores and they found one within a month or so. It's taken me a few months but last night I finally mounted this cool tray in our living room while my wife and daughter helped me fill in the compartments. Pretty cool, right? I have a contest based on my display case soon so stay tuned!

Minifigure Review: Superman (DC15) from DC Nano Metalfigs by Jada Toys

   Today I'm looking at the second Superman released in the DC Nano Metalfigs line. The first (DC3) was released both individually and in 5-pack B, the 10 pack, and the 20 pack while this one is available single packed and in the 20 pack as well. I picked up the single packed version a week or two ago and I'm checking him out today. He looks much more like the Rebirth Superman rather than the New 52 Supes represented by the DC3 figure. Let's check out this die-cast metal version of the Man of Steel after the break...

Minifigure Review: Harley Quinn (DC5) from DC Nano Metalfigs by Jada Toys

   Another day another Nano Metalfig from Jada Toys. Today I'm checking out the Suicide Squad version of Harley Quin, perfect to pose with the Suicide Squad Joker figure released earlier this year. I've reviewed lots of versions of this Harley Quinn but this is probably the smallest version of her I've reviewed so far. She's a fun little trinket and another cool addition to a Harley Quinn collection. Let's check out this little die-cast diva after the break...

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Road to the Last Jedi: Rey (Jedi Training)- Crait from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 Just a few weeks ago I received in the mail the latest Toys R Us Star Wars exclusive action figure from the Black Series: Rey in her Jedi Training outfit on the planet Crait. While Rey is quite similar to the previously released figure that appeared in both the SDCC 2017 exclusive two-pack and as a single packaged release, there are actually quite a few differences here that should make this figure appealing to you if you're a die-hard Black Series fan including a pretty awesome display base and some die-cast weapons. The figure is actually different as well, featuring improved paint and actual soft goods. Hasbro has released some of these "deluxe" variations of the popular characters for both Episode VII and Rogue One so they're just continuing the tradition here. Let's check out this new version of Rey after the break...

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Minifigure Review: The Joker (DC18) from DC Nano Metalfigs by Jada Toys

 I'm going to be blowing through these DC Nano Metalfigs because I definitely want to show them all off (they're just really cool and appeal to me for some reason) but there really isn't a whole lot to say about them. I mean, they're little die-cast metal painted DC minifigures; what you see is what you get. Today I'm looking at the Joker. I've already reviewed the Suicide Squad based Joker previously but this new one is a more standard comic based Joker. There's definitely some Batman: The Animated Series influence in here, too. Let's take a look at this diminutive version of the clown prince of crime after the break...

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Minifigure Review: The Flash (DC34) from DC Nano Metalfigs by Jada Toys

    I enjoyed Justice League immensely and Ezra Miller's portrayal of the Flash was one of the highlights. I found him to be quite funny and I loved the manic, nervous energy he gave the character. While the Flash is absolutely a metahuman, he also served as the approachable audience surrogate who projected on screen our excitement at seeing the Justice League united. The comic based Flash Nano Metalfig was one of the best releases in the first wave of figures and this Justice League inspired version is almost as good. Let's check this one out after the break...

Minifigure Review: Commissioner Gordon (DC20) from DC Nano Metalfigs by Jada Toys

   Time for another DC Nano Metalfigs review! Today it's the always vigilant Commissioner Gordon! Commissioner Gordon is a pretty cool inclusion in this line as he's definitely not one of those characters that typically sees a release in most DC lines. I'm very curious to see how deep Jada Toys will go with the DC Nano Metalfigs line and characters like Jim Gordon, Metamorpho, and Killer Croc give me hope that they'll continue to go deeper! This version of Commissioner Gordon clearly seems to be inspired by the Batman: The Animated Series version of the character as he's a bit older and is wearing that character's trademark outfit. Let's check this guy out a bit more closely after the break...

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Minifigure Review: Classic TV Series Batman (DC13) from DC Nano Metalfigs by Jada Toys

  Just last week I was at my local Wal-Mart and I found a bunch of new DC Nano Metalfigs from Jada Toys! I love this little line; while they're not the best sculpts for being 97 cent die-cast metal figures of DC heroes I'm all in. I grabbed every new figure they had and I'll be looking at them over the next week or two. Today is the Classic TV Series Batman based on Adam West's portrayal of the Caped Crusader. A few pictures and some words about a tiny metal Batman are yours to read after the break, chum!

Monday, December 4, 2017

Action Figure Review: Supergirl (Rebirth) from DC Comics Icons by DC Collectibles

  Often we exchange gifts with my wife's family around Thanksgiving due to our various schedules making it difficult to see each other closer to Christmas. We had an early Christmas this year and one of my gifts was the DC Comics Icons Supergirl. At the end of 2015 with the release of the first series of Icons figures it really seemed like DC Collectibles was going to create an incredible line of figures. Heck, earlier this year it seemed like things were going well too as figures like Deathstroke and Swamp Thing were incredible and upcoming releases like Deadshot, Catwoman, Etrigan, and the Blue Beetle/ Booster Gold two-pack looked amazing as well. Unfortunately, DC Collectibles started cancelling figures left and right and all of those upcoming releases were cancelled. The recent Superman versus Doomsday set was slated to be the final release in the line, so reviewing another excellent figure from this line is kind of bittersweet. This Supergirl figure is based on the DC Rebirth series which is quite good so far (I've only read the first trade; the second is sitting on my nightstand just waiting to be read once I finish the most recent volume of Justice League of America). Let's take a look at this very impressive version Kara Zor-El after the break...

Sunday, December 3, 2017

Road to the Last Jedi: Poe Dameron with X-Wing #227 from POP! Star Wars by Funko

    Today I'm checking out the the second toy item from the latest Smuggler's Bounty crate and it's a deluxe POP! vinyl: It's Poe Dameron with X-Wing #227! This is a huge win in my opinion because I really like Poe Dameron (if you're not reading the Marvel Comics series Poe Dameron you really need to!), I like X-Wing fighters, and I like POP! vinyls. Funko has been offering a nice mixture of POP! vinyls in these boxes and while I kind of wish we had received something a bit more specific to Episode VIII, this is still a cool figure/ vehicle combination. Let's check Poe out after the break!

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Road to the Last Jedi: Luke Skywalker (Jedi Exile) from Mystery Minis: Star Wars by Funko

    It's time to look at one of the toys included with the latest Smuggler's Bounty box and this month (well, technically last month) we received a Mystery Mini of Luke Skywalker. The box for Luke shows a figure with Luke dressed as we saw him at the end of The Force Awakens and in this outfit, so I'm guessing it's one of those releases that has a variant. I'm not sure if one is rarer than the other, though. This outfit is pretty cool, though. I'm calling it the "Jedi Exile" outfit since that's what the Hasbro release calls this figure. This crate's theme was "The Last Jedi" so we've received a plethora of goodies from the new film including a Rey keychain, a First Order bandanna, some Elite Praetorian Guard socks, and a Poe Dameron POP! that I'll be reviewing here soon, too! Oddly enough there is no pin or patch, making this the first Smuggler's Bounty crate to come without those pieces. Let's check out this new version of the now mysterious Luke Skywalker after the break...

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Action Figure Review: Hawk from DC Universe Classics by Mattel

 Want to see how lazy I can be? I'm pretty much going to reuse Dove's introduction for her partner, Hawk!

While DC Universe Classics really didn't die (it basically morphed into multiple other lines, including the DC Comic Multiverse line we have today), series 20 was the last numbered series of figures released under the name. For a "final series" it was an unusual series of figures to say the least including variants of Green Arrow, Sinestro, and the Flash, Red Arrow, Reverse Flash, Nekron, and the team of Hawk and Dove. Today I'm checking out Dove Hawk, the lone female figure another dude from series 20. As I mentioned in yesterday's my previous review of Bronze Tiger I picked up a few loose DC Universe Classics figures from someone a couple of weeks ago and both Dove and Hawk were included. I'm enjoying filling in holes in my collection so I figured I'd take the time to review them, starting with Dove and followed by Hawk.  Hawk and Dove are definitely not characters I'm super familiar with but being a fan of both DC Comics and of the DC Universe Classics aesthetic, I'm glad to finally add them to my collection. Let's take a closer look at this figure after the break...

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Action Figure Review: Dove from DC Universe Classics by Mattel

  While DC Universe Classics really didn't die (it basically morphed into multiple other lines, including the DC Comic Multiverse line we have today), series 20 was the last numbered series of figures released under the name. For a "final series" it was an unusual series of figures to say the least including variants of Green Arrow, Sinestro, and the Flash, Red Arrow, Reverse Flash, Nekron, and the team of Hawk and Dove. Today I'm checking out Dove, the lone female figure from series 20. As I mentioned in yesterday's review of Bronze Tiger I picked up a few loose DC Universe Classics figures from someone a couple of weeks ago and both Dove and Hawk were included. I'm enjoying filling in holes in my collection so I figured I'd take the time to review them, starting with Dove.  Hawk and Dove are definitely not characters I'm super familiar with but being a fan of both DC Comics and of the DC Universe Classics aesthetic, I'm glad to finally add them to my collection. Let's take a closer look at this figure after the break...

Monday, November 27, 2017

Action Figure Review: Bronze Tiger from DC Universe Classics by Mattel

 A couple of weeks ago I found someone selling some second-hand DC Universe Classics figures. DCUC is one of my favorite lines and I'm always on the lookout for figures I missed the first time around. The figure the seller was offering that caught my attention first was Bronze Tiger from Series 18. Released in 2011, Bronze Tiger became one of the most sought after figures in a series that was largely comprised of Super Friends characters (Apache Chief was the build-a-figure). Having risen to prominence as part of the League of Assassins and the Suicide Squad, Bronze Tiger has also made an appearance in Rebirth in the main Batman title and has been in Arrow. He's a character that it seems unlikely that we'll see again in plastic form anytime soon so I'm glad to finally add him to the collection. Let'c check him out after the break...

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Action Figure Review: Supergirl from DC Comics Multiverse: Supergirl TV Series by Mattel

  Last week while doing a little Christmas shopping with my daughter we stumbled upon a store called Bargain Hunt. It's a retailer that deals in closeout merchandise, kind of like an Essex, Ollie's, or Big Lots. They had a great selection of toys, however, and I ended up finding a DC Comics Multiverse Supergirl from the Supergirl TV series for $8 bucks. I readily admit that I'm terrible at keeping up with TV shows and thus I've never seen a single episode of the new Supergirl series starring Melissa Benoist. I think I'm going to have to change that as doing some research on the show in order to review this figure has me pretty intrigued. Supergirl was part of the Doomsday series of figures that were released last fall. I reviewed about half of that series at the time (Armored Batman, Robin, and the Mutant Leader) but I didn't pick up Supergirl, Superman: Doomed, or Lex Luthor in his prison duds. Now that I have Supergirl, let's check her out after the break...

Friday, November 24, 2017

Confirmed Epic Podcast #78: Justice League





On episode #78 of the Confirmed Epic Podcast The Reel Brad Bell & AKA Andrew Stokes are back to review a film they have waited their entire lives for: Warner Bros. Justice League directed by both Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon.  As always we get into the epic news items of the week, as well as what we have been checking out.

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell  

Follow The Confirmed Epic Podcast on Instagram for your daily dose of geek imagery HERE!

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Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to us on itunes just search for: The Confirmed Epic Podcast or The GWW in the itunes store!

You can always email any questions, comments, and concerns about the show to thepicreview@gmail.com

Toy Review: Rosalina from Amiibo: Super Mario by Nintendo

  As I mentioned earlier in the week I just recently bought a Nintendo Switch. Due both to wanting some more Amiibo figures to use in Super Mario Odyssey and wanting some more characters to pose alongside of my World of Nintendo collection I've been picking up some characters here and there. The first non Animal Crossing Amiibo I've picked up is Rosalina from the Super Mario series. Originally appearing in Super Mario Galaxy on the Nintendo Wii Rosalina has long been one of my most wanted characters in Jakks Pacific's World of Nintendo line. Rosalina is a great, unique character in the Super Mario Bros. series and she makes for a great looking Amiibo. This is the second Rosalina released in Amiibo form; the first was released in February 2015 as part of the Super Smash Bros. Series. Let's take a closer look at this updated Rosalina after the break...

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Road to the Last Jedi: First Order Stormtrooper (with Gear) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

  Today on Action Figure Barbecue I'm checking out the Amazon exclusive First Order Stormtrooper with a bunch of extra gear. Hasbro released plenty of variants of the First Order Stormtrooper in the Black Series when The Force Awakens was released but they did skip the Heavy Gunner Stormtrooper version. This set finally gives us the Heavy Gunner alongside of a bunch of other accessories. It's honestly the closest thing we've seen to an accessory pack in a Star Wars toyline since those sets that came out during the Attack of the Clones line. For $35 dollars you get a standard First Order Stormtrooper with the gear to outfit him as four different troop types. Pretty cool, really, and you can use the gear on your previous basic First Order Stormtroopers to outfit them, too. Let's see how this set turned out after the break...

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Road to the Last Jedi: Elite Praetorian Guard (with Heavy Blade) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III

 Like the First Order Stormtroopers for The Force Awakens and the Scarif Stormtroopers/ Shore Troopers for Rogue One, the Elite Praetorian Guards seem to be Hasbro's go to faceless minions for creating multiple variants for this year's Star Wars merchandising bonanza. Set to appear in The Last Jedi, we currently don't know much about the Elite Praetorian Guard other than there are eight of them, they use martial arts styled weapons, and they guard Supreme Leader Snoke while clad in red, just like the Emperor's Royal Guard.  The latest Elite Praetorian Guard variant is given the designation of coming with a heavy blade and is an Amazon exclusive. He just started shipping within the past week or two and you should still be able to pick him up. Let's take a closer look at what makes this guy unique after the break...

Monday, November 20, 2017

Toy Review: End Level Display from amiibo by Nintendo/ PowerA

   Recently I picked up a Nintendo Switch. I'm really enjoying it as it's a system with plenty of high quality games that I can play along with my four year old. Right now we're mostly playing Super Mario Odyssey and the game takes advantage of Nintendo's amiibo collection to allow you to obtain a bonus power-up, unlock special costumes early, or even obtain hints on where to find the games numerous hidden moons. I picked up a few of the Animal Crossing amiibo figures earlier this year both due to playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf and my desire to add them to my World of Nintendo collection, and now I've picked up a few more to add to the collection. Today I'm looking at a cool display base for the amiibo figures that is modeled after the flagpole and stairs that appeared at the end of the levels in the original Super Mario Bros. videogame. While it is branded as an officially licensed Nintendo amiibo product, it was actually produced by the company PowerA. Does that make this a second party item? I actually picked it up more to use with my World of Nintendo figures rather than to use with my amiibos, but it works great with both collections. Let's take a look at it after the break...

Saturday, November 18, 2017

Unite the League: Mera from DC Comics Multiverse: Justice League by Mattel

So, what did you think of Justice League? I liked it! In fact, I loved it! As a DC fan, getting the chance to watch the Justice League interact and just be heroic on screen was a magical experience. I was giddy and enthusiastic the whole way through! Now I can definitely understand why not everyone is going to appreciate this movie but I'm nuts about it (I'll probably be talking more about it on the Confirmed Epic Podcast next week). Now let's talk about one of my disappointments (which I really don't think is a spoiler, but your mileage may vary): Mera has a very, very small role in the movie. Maybe 5 minutes of screen time. I assumed she wasn't going to have a starring role but I did think she would play a bigger part throughout considering her prevalence in marketing materials. She'll definitely have a much larger role in next year's Aquaman so I guess we should consider her appearance in Justice League to be similar to the cameos of the Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman in BvS. This Mera figure is an Amazon exclusive and just started shipping in the past week or two. Let's take a closer look at her after the break...

Friday, November 17, 2017

Road to the Last Jedi: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Force Spirit) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

  We're now less than a month away from the release of Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi! I don't know about you but I'm insanely excited. I read all of the new canon books and having just recently finished The Legends of Luke Skywalker by Ken Liu, I'm even more excited to how the new film truly portrays the aged Jedi master. Today's toy review isn't about Luke, though; it's about his original mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi. For the past few years Walgreens has had an annual Star Wars: The Black Series exclusive figure and this year's figure is the Force Spirit version of Obi-Wan Kenobi. While this is largely a repaint of the previously released Obi-Wan Kenobi figure that first showed up at SDCC 2016, the paint work here really helps this one to stand out. I still remember receiving my Spirit of Obi-Wan action figure from Frito Lays in 1997, so this one feels a bit nostalgic to me. Hasbro has tried different methods of capturing the Force Spirit versions of Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Anakin over the years this might be their best attempt. More after the break...

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Confirmed Epic Podcast #77: Thor Ragnarok





On episode #77 of the Confirmed Epic Podcast The Reel Brad Bell & AKA Andrew Stokes are joined by a very special new co-host: Kate Mcall to review the latest installment in the MCU: Thor Ragnarok.  As always we get into the epic news items of the week, as well as what we have been checking out.

We also finally answer the question of who the hell is Hela?

*We apologize for the technical difficulties in our return during last week's Stranger Things 2 Review, but have taken steps to correct that, mainly by recording a live in person edition of The Confirmed Epic Podcast for the first time in quite sometime.

*Cover Art courtesy of Dan Mumford's epic print: 'The Bifrost Showdown'

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell  

Follow The Confirmed Epic Podcast on Instagram for your daily dose of geek imagery HERE!

Also follow us on Stardust just search for: Confirmed Epic

Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to us on itunes just search for: The Confirmed Epic Podcast or The GWW in the itunes store!

You can always email any questions, comments, and concerns about the show to thepicreview@gmail.com

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Unite the League: The Flash: From Page to Screen from DC Comics Multiverse by Mattel

 We're only a few days away from the release of Justice League and I, for one, am getting pretty excited. I think I have my expectations set at a reasonable level but I'm also getting pretty enthused that there is some good feedback coming from early showings of the film. Of course, whether the film is good or bad we're still getting toys and plenty of them. Overall Mattel's offerings for Justice League have been pretty bad but today I'm looking at a set they've released as a Target exclusive that is quite cool. It's called "The Flash: From Page to Screen" and it features both a comic version of the Flash and the film vision of the Flash. While this set features a good deal of reuse, there are also a few cool new parts, too. I've had this set since the end of October but I figured it might be a cool set to get us all pumped up for Justice Legaue. More fast fun coming after the break...

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Action Figure Review: Tom Servo #489 from Mystery Science Theater 3000 from POP! Television by Funko

Please play this in the background while reading this review ....

 Today I'm reviewing Funko's Tom Servo POP! vinyl from Mystery Science Theater and he's the wind, baby. Other than a few mini busts/ statues that came with some of the various DVD sets released over the years (which I unfortunately do not own) these are the first MST3K toys ever released.  MST3K was one of the first "fringe" things I ever fell in love with and I have very, very fond memories of watching it on Comedy Central and the Sci-Fi channel as well as renting the movies from Blockbuster back in the day. I remember when I was in middle school reading the earliest issues of ToyFare magazine and it always seemed like there were requests for Mystery Science Theater 3000 action figures (the show was on the air during that time in the Mike Nelson years) and yet it has taken all these years for these to materialize. While they're not traditional action figures or toys, I'm definitely appreciative of these Funko POP! vinyls. Currently Funko has only released Tom Servo, Crow T. Robot, and a chase variant Tom Serv.Crow that is selling for ridiculous amounts of money. I loathe Funko's chase variants, by the way. It's just.... Oh, no we've got a review incoming!!!

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Confirmed Epic Podcast #76: Stranger Things 2





On episode #76 of the Confirmed Epic Podcast The Reel Brad Bell & AKA Andrew Stokes triumphantly return to the pod to review one the most anticipated entertainment events of 2017: The Duffer Brothers Stranger Things 2.  As always we get into the epic news items of the week, as well as what we have been checking out.

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell  

Follow The Confirmed Epic Podcast on Instagram for your daily dose of geek imagery HERE!

Also follow us on Stardust just search for: Confirmed Epic

Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to us on itunes just search for: The Confirmed Epic Podcast or The GWW in the itunes store!

You can always email any questions, comments, and concerns about the show to thepicreview@gmail.com

Monday, November 6, 2017

Unite the League: Rookie from DC Comics Multiverse by Mattel

   The most recent series of DC Comics Multiverse figures only requires five figures to complete the Collect & Connect figure: The Rookie. Well, the Rookie is what the packaging calls the figure, anyways. This is the GCPD Batsuit/ Batbot from Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's run on Batman during the New 52. There are plenty of positive things to say about that series, one of them being that there was no shortage of unique ideas. Having James Gordon fill in as Batman during Bruce Wayne's absence was a pretty interesting concept and really helped to further the story while highlighting what makes Batman so unique. Anyways, while Mattel seems ready to move forward with lots of Rebirth themed action figures the release of the Rookie seems to be kind of a last hurrah for Mattel's involvement with the New 52. They started doing some New 52 stuff early on, largely ditched the 6 inch scale, and then for most of it, and only jumped back in just prior to Rebirth with a few Batman related releases. They released the GCPD Batman/ Gordon that goes along with this release in the King Shark series, which now seems kind of off. Why not release these two in the same series? This series is a pretty Bat-centric series (out of the figure figures, two are Bat-family members, one's a Batman villain, and one is Batman himself) so the inclusion makes sense here, too. Let's check this big guy out after the break...

Sunday, November 5, 2017

Unite the League: Harley Quinn- Dress Ver. No.042 from Suicide Squad MAFEX by Medicom

    I'm really loving Medicom's MAFEX offerings lately. Their quality has improved tremednously and both their BvS and Suicide Squad figures have been incredible. They've got some impressive looking stuff on the horizon from both the upcoming Justice League and the past Christopher Nolan Dark Knight trilogy, too. The prices seem to be going up a bit, however, which is definitely causing me to keep my eyes open. For now, though, they're some of the most impressive "higher end" action figures on the market for the money. Today I'm looking at the MAFEX Harley Quinn No.042, which is Harley in the gold dress from the beginning of Suicide Squad. So far as I can tell this seems to be the last Suicide Squad figure MAFEX is offering although depending on how well it sells I could always see them offering more Harley variants. She always sells, doesn't she? While she's not officially confirmed for Justice League, there are rumors that both Harley and the Joker might show up, so I figure she is deserving of a spot in my "Unite the League" banners to help get us pumped for the review of the film. Let's take a closer look at Harley after the break...

Saturday, November 4, 2017

Action Figure Review: Duke Thomas (We Are Robin) from DC Comics Multiverse by Mattel

   First appearing in issue #21 of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman in 2013, Duke Thomas has had a pretty crazy road to becoming a member of the Bat-family. He considered challenging the Riddler during Zero Year, rescued Bruce Wayne during Hurricane Rene, was kidnapped by the Joker during Endgame, had his parents turned into mindless maniacs by the Joker's toxins, got placed in foster care, ran into some legal troubles do to getting in fights, joined the Robins, began training with Batman, and eventually became the Signal. While hopefully Mattel will eventually release Duke Thomas as the Signal, today we're checking out Duke in his red leather jacket outfit from We Are Robin. Let's check out this nicely modern figure after the break...

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Action Figure Review: Batwing (DC Rebirth) from DC Comics: Multiverse by Mattel

    I have been anxiously anticipating this Batwing figure ever since Mattel announced it. I am still absolutely flummoxed by the fact that DC Collectibles was consistently releasing figures from the New 52 and yet they never got around to releasing Batwing. The dude is a member of the Batman family who had his own title. How could that not be a winning choice? It's possibly due to the fact that since Batwing's introduction two different individuals have worn the suit. David Zavimbe was the first Batwing who was part of Batman Incorporated. The second, and current, Batwing is Luke Fox. the son of Lucius Fox, Luke stepped into the Batwing role in issue #19 of the Batwing series and became a major player throughout the Bat-family stories. In Rebirth he has stepped into the Detective Comics team and continues to be a major player. Sadly, this isn't a very good figure. It's incredibly disappointing and has some truly strange manufacturing issues that have me worried for what Mattel might release in the future. Read on and learn more after the break...