Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Action Figure Review: Offworld Jawa from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

  Despite the number of movies we've had lately, The Mandalorian really feels like the first Star Wars thing since The Force Awakens to really make an impact on pop culture and it's a real shame that Hasbro didn't seem to be prepared for it. I haven't even been able to track down the Mandalorian himself yet! Hasbro really offered about the minimum of what they could for The Mandalorian, which feels like another instance of Hasbro not having the opportunity to see much of the show in advance and thus having to stick to limited publicity stills and such to craft the toyline. For the Black Series we only have four figures: Cara Dune, who is excellent, The Mandalorian, who is impossible to find and outdated by the second episode, IG-11, who is a repaint with a new bandolier, and the Offworld Jawa, who is a repaint of the 40th Anniversary Jawa with a new cloak. Does that seem to be a lineup that gives the impression Hasbro had enough time or the confidence to craft a full lineup for The Mandalorian? Today I'm checking out the Offworld Jawa, one of the transplants from Tatooine who now dwells on Arvala-7. The Offworld Jawas appeared in Episode 2: The Child (one of my favorites of the season) and were part of one of the best action sequences on the show. Let's check out the Offworld Jawa after the break...

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Action Figure Review: Orko from Masters of the Universe Action Vinyls by The Loyal Subjects

    Merry Christmas! Who is going to be watching He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special today? I can almost guarantee we will, as my 6 year old loves it. Orko plays a major role in the show as he travels to Earth and learns about Christmas. This Orko Action Vinyl isn't specifically from that special, but he certainly has that Filmation flair, doesn't he? Lately Walmart has been stocking cases of series 2 of these figures and I was fortunate to walk in one that had a fresh case. Orko is packaged 1/24, so one in every two cases, making him a little more difficult to find (I still have never seen King Randor nor Zodack and Zodac, who are both much rarer. Still, Orko was a huge want for me as I love the little guy. Let's see how Orko stacks up to the rest after the break...

Action Figure Review: C-3PO & Babu Frik from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

    The Rise of Skywalker definitely hasn't had nearly the amount of merchandise released as the previous two saga installments, although the figures we've gotten definitely are of a much higher quality than we've seen before. Today I'm checking out Target's exclusive The Black Series release: C-3PO & Babu Frik. Warning! Once we get into the review, there are going to be some spoilers for The Rise of Skywalker as I want to talk about C-3PO's role in the film, which I really liked. Seriously, C-3PO had one of the best roles for a legacy character in the sequel trilogy in TROS. Ever since we saw the trailer showing C-3PO with those crazy red eyes I've been curious about his role in the film. When this guy was revealed, I had even more questions. Was C-3PO going to be reprogrammed to fight? Why does he have Chewbacca's stuff? Is something going to happen to Chewbacca? Who is Babu Frik? This guy was a perfect release to get me excited for the film and he turned out to be a darn fine figure, too. Let's check this pair out after the break...

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Action Figure Review: Yoda (Force Spirit) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 Near the end of 2017, just prior to the release of The Last Jedi, Walgreens offered up an exclusive action figure of Obi-Wan Kenobi as a Force Spirit. This year, prior to the release of The Rise of Skywalker, Walmart offered up an exclusive version of Yoda as a Force Spirit. I wonder when we'll get Anakin? This version of Yoda is based on the Phase II figure with new paint applications and new robes. Hasbro has attempted many different ways of creating Force Spirit figures but as far as I can recall, the only version of Yoda they've attempted was the translucent version from 1998. This guy definitely shows a lot more effort at creating the ghostly appearance seen in the Original Trilogy. Let's check out Force Spirit Yoda after the break and see how he turned out!

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Action Figure Review: Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 So... what did you think of The Rise of Skywalker? Don't worry, I'm not going to get into spoilers her; I'll simply say that I liked it, although it felt like it included two movies worth of content to make up for The Last Jedi. That's not why we're here today, though. We're really here to check out Hasbro's Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight). Back in Phase II of he Black Series Hasbro released another figure of Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight), but that figure was based on Luke's appearance during his encounter with Darth Vader and the Emperor during the end of Return of the Jedi. This version is based on Luke's appearance when he goes to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt. This has always been one of my favorite Luke Skywalker costumes (something I say about nearly every Luke Skywalker outfit, it seems) so it's nice to finally have it in the Black Series. Luke Skywalker is a Walmart exclusive and I've been seeing him fairly regularly, so hopefully you'll have good luck tracking him down, too. Let's check out Luke Skywalker after the break...

Action Figure Review: Crackshot from Fortnite: Legendary Series by Jazwares

 We're so, so close to Christmas, so how about a Christmas themed action figure review from one of my favorite toylines of 2019? Today I'm checking out Crackshot from Jazwares' excellent Fortnite: Legendary Series line. I believe that Crackshot is a Walmart exclusive, so check your nearest Walmart as he seems to be rather plentiful. I've seen plenty in stores over the past few weeks although I ordered mine site to store and picked him up a few weeks back. Crackshot is a costume from Fortnite that is modeled after a traditional decorative nutcracker and was available for purchase in the Item Shop in December 2017 and December 2018. Fortnite sure has some crazy designs, don't they? I love the randomness of the sources of inspiration for the character designs. Let's check out this cool nutcracker themed figure after the break...

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Action Figure Review: Berserker Predator from Aliens/ Predator Classic Series by NECA

    NECA has brought back one of my favorite toylines of all time and I'm absolutely thrilled: They have resurrected Kenner's Aliens and Predator line! Ever since Funko and Super7 started releasing their faux-retro Kenner inspired ReAction figures 5 or 6 years ago I've always wondered who would be the first company to release action figures in the 90s Kenner style, similar to lines like Jurassic Park, Congo, multiple Batman lines, Swamp Thing, Beetlejuice, and more. It turns out it's NECA and they've hit a line I still actively collect. Well, two lines, really, but I'm counting them as one: Aliens and Predator were two different lines, although they crossed over so often that hardly anyone separates them. Ready to see how NECA did with a 1990's Kenner styled Predator? Then let's check out the Berserker Predator after the break...

Friday, December 20, 2019

Action Figure Review: Ludwig from Super Mario by Jakks Pacific

 It's been the better part of a year since I last reviewed anything from Jakks Pacific's Super Mario line but when I stumbled upon the new Ludwig figure, I had to pick it up. One of the Koopa kids (who aren't considered to be Bowser's actual children anymore), Ludwig von Koopa is the eldest of the group definitely the one with the funkiest hair. I remember these guys first appearing in Super Mario Bros. 3 back in the day. It was pretty fun to see the roster of Bowser's minions expand so heavily at the time. This guy is definitely based more on his more recent appearances in games like the New Super Mario Bros. titles, though he hasn't changed that much over the years. Ludwig is the first of the Koopalings to appear in the Super Mario Bros. line, although Iggy was released in the World of Nintendo line (though I never found one). Let's check him out after the break...

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Action Figure Review: Charizard from Pokemon by Wicked Cool Toys

    Wicked Cool Toys has definitely been putting out some interesting larger Pokemon figures that go along quite well with Jakks Pacific's World of Nintendo and Super Mario lines and today I'm checking out another Pokemon who's one of the original 150: Charizard! As the final evolved form of one of the original starter Pokemon, Charmander, Charizard definitely is one of the most recognizable Pokemon of all time. He's pretty boss and it's great to have an easily obtainable and reasonably priced action figure of him. In the Super Smash Bros. series, Charizard could pop out of the Poke Ball but didn't appear as a playable character until Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii, where he was one of the three Pokemon uses by the Pokemon Trainer.  Charizard was a standalone character in Super Smash Bros. 4 but returned to the Pokemon Trainer's stable in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.  I didn't have Pokemon Red (I had Blue) but I imagine that those folks who did have Red probably prefer Charizard to the other starter Pokemon. Let's check this guy out after the break and see if he's a worthwhile addition to your team...

Monday, December 16, 2019

Minifigure Review: Scareglow from Masters of the Universe: Mega Construx by Mattel

    It's a Christmas miracle! Scareglow has been showing up at bargain outlets stores! Over the past year Mattel has really ramped up their dedication to the Masters of the Universe: Mega Construx line with the release of the Wind Raider, the SDCC exclusive Battle Bones, and even Castle Grayskull. The figures, however, were still sold as part of the Mega Construx Heroes brand, meaning that alongside the MOTU cast were also characters from Hellboy, Aliens, Star Trek, TMNT, the X-Files, Terminator, and more. While the MOTU figures seemed to sell well, it seems that Mattel wants to sell them under their own brand, so next year we're getting a specific Masters of the Universe range of figures. Anyways, what does this have to do with Scareglow? Well, Scareglow was part of the fifth series of figures (along with Stratos, Donatello, a grey alien and Mulder from the X-Files, and a blue Xenomorph) which showed up briefly in some Walmart stores and then disappeared. Walmart stopped carrying the Mega Construx Heroes figures, making Scareglow a victim of Phantom Series syndrome!  He's been showing up lately at places like Bargain Hunt and Essex, however, so get out and track down one of the coolest mini MOTU figures yet. Let's check out Scareglow after the break...

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Action Figure Review: Transforming He-Man from Masters of the Universe by Super7

   Well, this is it: The last figure in Super7's neo-vintage Masters of the Universe line. Due to the release of Mattel's upcoming Masters of the Universe Origins line it seems that Super7 is no longer able to keep releasing figures in the vintage style. Between their first releases in 2017 to the latest series inspired by the Filmation cartoons, Super7 did release quite a few figures. Still, there were so many more that fans wanted. Super7 did release quite a few He-Man variants and the last one out is Transforming He-Man. This glow in the dark figure is a simple "repaint" of the standard He-Man figure based on the transformation sequence from every episode of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. It's an interesting concept, although I do think the execution is a bit lacking. Let's check out Transforming He-Man after the break...

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Action Figure Review: Grayskull Mania from Masters of the WWE Universe by Mattel

    While Mattel's Masters of the Universe Origins line doesn't hit retail shelves until next fall, that doesn't mean that you can't get your hands on some of the figures and accessories early, and I'm not talking about the SDCC 2019 exclusive 2-pack of He-Man and Prince Adam, either! To either help get new kids and old fans hyped for that line (and possibly to defray tooling costs as well) Mattel has launched their Masters of the WWE Universe line. Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like: A WWE influenced Masters of the Universe line. Or a Masters of the Universe influenced WWE line. Take your pick! While I do like wrestling, y'all know that I absolutely love Masters of the Universe, so I'd be picking these up regardless. Some folks hate this concept, though, and see it as yet another installment in WWE's recent trend of crossing over with every property they can, such as Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I think this is more than a one time thing, though, and is actually part of a very smart, very planned effort on Mattel's part. I'll share more thoughts on that at the end but, for now, let's check out the Grayskull Mania set from Masters of the WWE Universe. While the single carded figures don't seem to have hit yet, the wrestling by itself has been out for a month or so. This set includes the same ring, I believe, but also includes John Cena and Triple H, giving you some figures to display with it. This line is a Wal-Mart exclusive and Wal-Mart seems to have been fairly consistent in putting these on display end caps where they're easy to find. Let's check out the Grayskull Mania set after the break...

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Action Figure Review: Stratos from Masters of the Universe by Super7

    I'm almost finished with my reviews of series 4 of Super7's neo-vintage Masters of the Universe line and, sadly, it doesn't seem there will be a series 5 (for the time being, anyways). Super7 is having to out the brakes on things do to the upcoming Masters of the Universe Origins line from Mattel. Now don't get me wrong, I'm very excited for MOTU Origins, but I really like what Super7 has been doing with these Filmation inspired vintage styled figures. Things started off a bit rough, particularly with the He-Man/ Skeletor/ She-Ra/ Hordak series, but Super7 has really improved these. Interestingly, when I first received this set in the mail Stratos was kind of a treat as I had never owned a vintage Stratos. Between getting this figure in the mail and writing this review I did manage to find a vintage Stratos at Retro-Toy Con in Greenville, SC (I also met Pixel Dan there, too). Stratos has never been one of my favorites. I guess it's possible it's simply because I never owned him as a kid, but I tend to think that he's less interesting because he doesn't have a unique weapon of his own. Fortunately, Super7 fixed this by giving him two accessories he can interact with so he's not just standing around with empty hands. Let's check Stratos out a bit more closely after the break...

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Minifigure Review: Series 1 (Flesh) from Run-A-Mucks by Last Resort Toys

    Ready for another group of crazy little minifigures? Then check out series 1 of Run-A-Mucks from Last Resort Toys. Run-A-Mucks was a Kickstarter funded project from earlier this year that arrived in my mailbox a week or two ago. Like so many other great minfigure lines in recent memory, particularly O.M.F.G., Run-A-Mucks uses designs from multiple different sources all sculpted in a somewhat uniform aesthetic. They're all very unique, but they "feel" like they belong together. Most of the figures in the set also seem more elaborate than many other M.U.S.C.L.E. styled lines out there, making these some incredibly impressive minis to look at. Let's check out the first series of Run-A-Mucks after the break...

Monday, December 9, 2019

Action Figure Review: Shadow Orko from Masters of the Universe by Super7

    I've now covered all of the uniquely sculpted figures from Super7's most recent series of neo-vintage Masters of the Universe action figures but that doesn't mean there aren't a couple of variant left. Today I'm checking out the first of the two color variants from series 4: Shadow Orko! In episode #73 of She-Ra: Princess of Power, Shadow Weaver ends up stealing Orko's shadow, along with his magic. It turns out, though, that Orko's shadow ends up acting on its own! This really isn't Shadow Orko; it's Orko's shadow! I love Orko and I'm not sure I could get sick of Orko variants. Well, I'm sure at some point but for now I think this turned out to be a pretty cool variant of Orko, which Super7 released in series 3. Let's check out Shadow Orko after the break...

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Road to the Rise of Skywalker: Luke Skywalker (Yavin Ceremony) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 Two days ago I reviewed the exclusive Luke Skywalker (Skywalker Strikes) figure which features Luke in his snazzy yellow jacket and comes loaded with accessories. That figure was based on Luke's appearance in the first six issues of Marvel's Star Wars comic series that started in 2015. Today I'm checking out the standard release of this figure which is called Luke Skywalker (Yavin Ceremony). OK, actually it's called Luke Skywalkwer. Yes, Skywalkwer. With a typo. This is the 100th numbered standard figure in Phase III of the Black Series and Hasbro misspelled Luke's name. That's pretty crazy, right? Anyways, this figure is nearly identical to the exclusive/ deluxe release although the accessories are different: The Skywalker Strikes version comes with all kinds of cool stuff while this version only comes with Luke's Defender blaster pistol and Luke's medal from blowing up the Death Star. Let's check this guy out and see out he fares after the break...

Action Figure Review: Xenomorph (Ice Blue Metallic) from Aliens Action Vinyls by The Loyal Subjects

 Ready for yet another look at a mighty cool stocking stuffer? Today I'm checking out another impressive paint variant of the Xenomorph Action Vinyl from The Loyal Subjects! This one is Ice Blue Metallic, baby! Recently The Loyal Subjects sent me some Action Vinyls and I've had a great time reviewing them. I reviewed lots of the Masters of the Universe Action Vinyls earlier this year, but now I'm getting the chance to check out a few of their other properties, such as Game of Thrones and Aliens. There's a list of retailers for these little guys but I've also been seeing them at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has recently added a collector section to many of their stores in electronic where they are carrying many figures from NECA, McFarlane, Funko, and now the Loyal Subjects. I was in a Wal-Mart yesterday that had just gotten a brand new case of the Aliens and Masters of the Universe Action Vinyls. These guys are getting easier to find, hopefully, so make sure to keep an eye out for them when you're out doing your shopping! Let's check out the Ice Blue Metallic Xenomorph after the break...

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Action Figure Review: Shadow Weaver from Masters of the Universe by Super7

    Today I'm checking out one of the most exciting releases in Super7's Filmation inspired continuation of the vintage Masters of the Universe line: Shadow Weaver. I'm willing to bet if you calculated which He-Man or She-Ra character had the most screen time in the cartoons while still not having an action figure in the vintage toyline, it'd probably be Shadow Weaver (Madame Razz and Broom would be my second and third guesses, respectively, followed by Queen Marlena and Scorpia). Shadow Weaver was such a major part of the Evil Horde in She-Ra: Princess of Power that it's baffling as to why she never had a toy in either the MOTU or Princess of Power lines. Having an official release in this scale and style definitely feels like a major victory for fans of the vintage line. While it was fun getting Filmation inspired versions of vintage characters in the line, Shadow Weaver feels like the kind of figure this line was made more. I'm quite happy with her! 2019 has been a big year for Shadow Weaver, so let's check out another cool toy based on the Evil Mistress of Dark Magic after the break...

Friday, December 6, 2019

Road to The Rise of Skywalker: Luke Skywalker (Skywalker Strikes) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

    Does anyone feel like having an opinion on Star Wars one way or the other is like wading into a minefield these days? Sheesh!
   That being said, despite not liking The Last Jedi very much, there's still quite a bit to like about the Disney era of Star Wars with one of the best things being the steady stream of quality comic books from Marvel. I really love the ongoing Star Wars series from Marvel set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back (which is getting ready to reset its numbering since it will not cover time between Empire and Return of the Jedi) as they absolutely remind me of the stories I imagined as a kid playing with my Kenner POTF2 figures. When Kenner finally released Luke Skywalker in his slick yellow jacket, he became my go to Luke. I was thrilled that Marvel used this outfit for Luke's default look in the new comic series, too. Hasbro has released two versions of this figure in the Black Series and today I'm checking out the deluxe version that is based on the comic appearances (the other version is referred to as Yavin Ceremony). This guy is referred to as "Skywalker Strikes" and he comes in a cool display box that is loaded with accessories from the comic series. Let's check this version of Luke out after the break...

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Action Figure Review: Xenomorph (Black Battle Damage) from Aliens Action Vinyls by The Loyal Subjects

   Ready for another look at a mighty cool stocking stuffer? Let's check out a really cool Xenomorph Action Vinyl from The Loyal Subjects! Recently The Loyal Subjects sent me some Action Vinyls so I'm having a fun time reviewing them. I reviewed lots of the Masters of the Universe Action Vinyls earlier this year, but now I'm getting the chance to check out a few of their other properties, such as Game of Thrones and Aliens. I'm definitely an Aliens fan and getting a Xenomorph covered in green, acidic, alien blood is definitely a reason to celebrate. The Aliens series has quite a few figures in it with plenty of Xenomorph variants. Let's take a peak at this one after the break...

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Action Figure Review: Evil Seed from Masters of the Universe by Super7

    It's been a few weeks since I last reviewed one of the figures from Super7's latest series of Masters of the Universe figures but I'm back and today I'm checking out Evil Seed! Evil Seed is one of the most memorable of the "villain of the week" characters from the Filmation animated series although he was never granted a toy in the vintage toyline. That wasn't unusual, though, as very few of the Filmation created characters made their way into the vintage MOTU toyline. Evil Seed also appeared in the 200x/ MYP cartoon series, but again he was never turned into a toy there, either. It wasn't until 2015 in Masters of the Universe classics that Evil Seed got a toy made. That one was based on his 200x appearance but shortly afterwards he got a figure based on his Filmation appearance in the Club Grayskull/ He-Man and the Masters of the Universe toyline. What about fans of the vintage toyline, though? When would they get their Evil Seed. Now. Now they have one. Super7 has mostly remade vintage figures in a Filmation style but the newest series does offer up a couple of characters with no toy counterpart in the vintage line which are pretty exciting. Let's check out this vintage styled Evil Seed after the break...