Thursday, September 30, 2021

Toy Review: Prince Adam from Vinyl SODA by Funko

 

   Funko's FunKon 2021, their summer convention branding for another year where almost no major conventions were held, had a few Masters of the Universe exclusive items and the first one I've managed to get my hands on is Prince Adam from Vinyl SODA which was shared with GameStop (my Toy Tokyo order is finally shipping as I type this as well). I love how colorful the Vinyl SODA figures are and Prince Adam looks incredible in this style. He's such a fun character! Do you prefer your Prince Adam to basically be He-Man in fancy clothes or do you prefer Adam to look younger and scrawnier than He-Man? It's one of the eternal MOTU questions that fans wrestle with. I've always loved Prince Adam's characterization in the Filmation series but I really liked how the Mike Young Productions series and MOTU: Revelation handled the character, too. I thought it was quite cool how Adam chose to retain his regular appearance in Preternia rather than his He-Man appearance in Revelation. While He-Man has the Power, Adam's heroic character and humility are what really define the character. Let's take a look at the Vinyl SODA Prince Adam after the break...

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Action Figure Review: Evil-Lyn #86 from POP! Retro Toys: Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

   Funko has put out a staggering amount of Masters of the Universe merchandise over the past two years. So much so that they're even revisiting characters who aren't He-Man, She-Ra, and Skeletor! Today I'm checking out Evil-Lyn #86, the second Evil-Lyn POP! vinyl released by Funko. The first Evil-Lyn POP! vinyl was part of the POP! Television line and was based on the Filmation version of the character but now that MOTU released fall under the POP! Retro Toys banner we have a straight vintage version. This is a really sharp looking POP! vinyl who can work with your Masters of the Universe collection or your Simpsons POP! collection. Haha. OK, I kid. Anyways, let's take a look at Evil-Lyn after the break...

Action Figure Review: Battlefield Warriors from Masters of the Universe Origins by Mattel

 

   Target has another Masters of the Universe Origins exclusive set on shelves right now (well, theoretically) and it's a monster of a set! The Battlefield Warriors set includes battle-damaged variants of Battle Armor He-Man and Battle Cat, two figures we've seen previously, and a cool new display base with some little gargoyle creatures hanging around. Drawing inspiration from the beloved open boxed "gift sets" of the 1980s, Battlefield Warriors definitely makes for an impressive set. Let's take a look at this set after the break to see what's new with Battle Armor He-Man and Battle Cat...

Sunday, September 26, 2021

Minifigure Review: Whiplash from Masters of the Universe: Revelation Eternia Minis by Mattel

 

   In reviewed the Metallic Whiplash figure a couple of weeks back but I suppose I should get around to reviewing the standard Whiplash from the Masters of the Universe Revelation: Eternia Minis, huh? MOTU: Revelation gave us two designs for most characters (one from before the deaths of He-Man and Skeletor and one from after) and the designs for the members of Tri-Klops' techno cult, Motherboard, are some of the most unique. Transformed into a cyborg by the waters of Motherboard, Whiplash now has an augmented left eye and a spiked tail with an electrified orb on the end. Let's take a look at Whiplash after the break...

Saturday, September 25, 2021

Action Figure Review: Vault Guardsman from Marvel Legends Series: Iron Man by Hasbro

 

   It's time for the fourth figure in my series of reviews of the new Iron Man focused Marvel Legends Series collection with the Ursa Major build-a-figure and today we're checking out the Vault Guardsman. This is kind of a unique figure because it can either be one of two Iron Man villains, Kevin O'Brien or his brother Michael O'Brien, or it can be one of the armored guardians who guard the Vault, a prison for supervillains. How many of these guys dos Hasbro want you to buy? While completing Ursa Major may have been the most prominent factor driving me to pick up the Vault Guardsman I did have interest in this guy as the character was an unreleased figure from Toy Biz's 1990s Iron Man toyline. I loved that line as a kid and while the Vault Guardsman figure never came out in the Iron Man line he did get released in the Spider-Man: Techno Wars series. I'm a sucker for Marvel Legends updates of figures Toy Biz released in the Iron Man line which is why I want a green skinned Mandarin, Blacklash, and Century. Let's take a look at the Vault Guardsman after the break...

Friday, September 24, 2021

Action Figure Review: Heavy Artillery Roadblock from G.I. Joe Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   It's been a little over a year now since the G.I. Joe Classified Series launched and while the Snake Eyes movie just kind of came and went it seems that Hasbro still has a hit on their hands with the action figures. While the earliest figures seemed to have some modern videogame inspired designs (many collectors compared them to the Fortnite characters) the more recent offerings definitely seem to draw more inspiration from the vintage G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline. The best evidence to show Hasbro's evolution with this line is the subject of today's review, Heavy Artillery Roadblock. Released as an Amazon.com excusive, Heavy Artillery Roadblock is based on the character's v1 action figure from 1984 and, interestingly, he doesn't even look like the same person as last year's series 1 Roadblock or the Cobra Island Roadblock. Usually I'm not a fan of action figure lines making the same character look like two different people but here I'm going to give it a pass as Heavy Artillery Roadblock is a major improvement over those previous figures. While I'm a bigger Masters of the Universe fan, G.I. Joes were some of my first action figures as a kid (probably my first). Collecting vintage G.I. Joes helped me through some tough times as a middle schooler, G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 got me back into toy collecting as an adult, and during my Covid-19 isolation last month when I was quarantined away from my house and family guess what I managed to have with me? My G.I. Joe Classified Series collection! Seriously, I have an emotional attachment to these figures at this point due to the long 10 days we spent together. I had a lot of time to mess around with these so listen to my expert opinions on Heavy Artillery Roadblock after the break...

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Action Figure Review: Darkstar from Marvel Legends Series by Hasbro

 

   Today I'm checking out another figure from the recent Iron Man themed Marvel Legends Series with the Ursa Major build-a-figure series and this time it's Darkstar. I'm going to flat out admit that I have no idea who Darkstar is. Apparently she's been part of the Winter Guard, the Soviet Super-Soldiers, the KGB, and the Champions of Los Angeles. I'm familiar with a couple of those groups but I'm just not familiar with Darkstar. No disrespect to the character (who has been around since 1976) but I only bought this figure to complete Ursa Major. This is one of the very few Marvel Legends figures I've ever purchased to complete a build-a-figure but at the time I picked her up it was more expensive to purchase Ursa Major's torso by itself than it was to just buy the figure. Still is, too. Let's check out Darkstar after the break...

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Action Figure Review: Trap Jaw #90 from POP! Retro Toys: Masters of the Universe by Funko

 


   Sometimes you pick up a new garden variety POP! vinyl. You know, one of those little 4-inch pop culture vinyl toys that stand neatly in ever-growing clusters on your bookshelves, TV stands, and mantles. Somedays, however, you pick up a massive POP! vinyl that would win a ribbon at the county fair. The new 10-inch scaled Trap Jaw #90 from Funko's POP! Retro Toys: Masters of the Universe range is one of those giants who you'll have to dedicate some serious space too. He's quite cool, though, and part of the newest wave of Funko MOTU releases. He's been out for a month or two at this point but you can still find him. Trap Jaw was released previously when Masters of the Universe stuff was released under the POP! Television banner (Trap Jaw #487) but this new oversized POP! has an updated sculpt that's quite a bit more expressive. Ready to check out the 10-inch Trap Jaw? Then join me after the break...

Monday, September 20, 2021

Toy Review: He-Man and Wind Raider & Skeletor and Land Shark from Hot Wheels Premium: Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

   On July 22nd, 2021 Mattel put two items on its Mattel Creations website that were probably intended as SDCC 2021 exclusives: The Masteverse Scare Glow from Masters of the Universe: Revelations and the Hot Wheels Premium 2-pack of He-Man and the Wind Raider and Skeletor and the Land Shark. My Hot Wheels set arrived back in August (while my Scare Glow only arrived on Saturday!) and I've had it sitting here for a moment. So, what's the big deal with this set? Honestly, it's a repack of the previously released Wind Raider and Land Shark Hot Wheels Premium vehicles in new packaging with a die-cast He-Man and Skeletor in the respective vehicles. Honestly, it's not that big of a deal but since I was grabbing Scare Glow I went ahead and grabbed this set too. Let's take a look at this one after the break...

Saturday, September 18, 2021

Action Figure Review: Harley Quinn (The Suicide Squad) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 


   I haven't seen The Suicide Squad yet but I'm a sucker for almost any 6-7 inch scaled Harley Quinn figure so I picked this up a couple of months ago at GameStop. I think the last time I picked up a DC based action figure was last year when I grabbed both the standard and the Playing for Keeps One:12 Collective Harley Quinns from Mezco. I haven't purchased anything from Mcfarlane Toys' DC Multiverse line up to this point so it was interesting to get my hands on something from that line. I'm impressed by the overall quality of the figure and I can definitely see why the line has a following although it's not a DC line I have much interest in. This seemed like a a cool look for Harley Quinn and I figures at the least I could see off the massive build-a-figure piece for the King Shark figure (which I did). Let's take a look at Harley Quinn after the break...

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Action Figure Review: Hologram Iron Man from Marvel Legends Series: Iron Man by Hasbro

 

   I've got another Marvel Legends Series review for today and this time it's Hologram Iron Man. This isn't an armor but a holographic avatar for Iron Man. I mean, I assume there's some electronics and machinery in here but it's not a traditional suit. I'll just come right out and say that I picked this figure up because I wanted to build Ursa Major and it seemed like it would be easier and less expensive to sell the figure if I really didn't end up wanting it than it would be to buy Ursa Major's head by itself. Back when Toy Biz released the Iron Man line from the 1994 animated series I had quite a few of those figures, one of which was called Hologram Armor Iron Man. I'm not sure why, though, because it was the Silver Centurion armor from the comics. This version seems to possibly be a bit of a Hasbro creation based on the A.I. Tony Stark from the comics, the new Hologram Iron Man skin from the Avengers video game, and the 1/18th scaled Iron Man mark VI Holographic from the Iron Man 2 series K-Mart exclusive Proving Ground set. This is a weird figure as it's sold as a comic figure but the body is from the Civil War version of Iron Man (mark 46?). That's unusual. Anyways, let's check this variant out after the break...

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Action Figure Review: Ironheart from Marvel Legends Series: Ironheart by Hasbro

 

   While my preferences in Marvel Legends collecting is classic (1960s-1980s) characters or comic versions of characters who have appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I'm still usually interested in a character with a cool design or new characters who have really landed in the Marvel Universe. I'm excited that Riri Williams, AKA Ironheart, has finally been released in Marvel Legends as she's been a rather popular new character since her debut in mid-2016. So popular, in fact, that Riri Williams will be making her MCU debut in next year's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (played by Dominique Thorne) with her own Disney+ series, Ironheart, to follow. While I'm sure we'll see some MCU based Ironheart figures next year Hasbro doesn't release comic versions of most characters as often as you would think (I think the last comic based Captain Marvel figure was from 2015) so this version of Riri could end up being even more desirable down the road. She's a great figure of a new character who is part of the new Iron Man themed series with a build-a-figure of Ursa Major. Let's check her out after the break...

Sunday, September 12, 2021

Action Figure Review: Dragstor #85 from POP! Retro Toys: Masters of the Universe by Funko

 
   It's time for another MOTU POP! vinyl review and today it's a character who doesn't get nearly the love and attention he deserves: Dragstor! While characters like Beast Man, Man-At-Arms, and Trap Jaw tend to show up in every line of Masters of the Universe toys and collectibles, some characters didn't even make it into the 200x series. Dragstor is one of those characters who is most often neglected and it's pretty thrilling to see Funko hit some of these deep cuts. Dragstor's a member of the Evil Horde who can plop down on his stomach and take off like a car. MOTU didn't leave any gimmick out, did they? The vintage Dragstor was was released as part of the fifth series in 1986 and I definitely remember picking him out from a store at some point. I still have him, too. Of course, this is an all new Dragstor and while he's not a traditional action figure he's a pretty fun toy. Let's check him out after the break...

Saturday, September 11, 2021

Minifigure Review: Metallic Whiplash from Masters of the Universe Revelation: Eternia Minis by Mattel

 

   Ready for another review from the recent Masters of the Universe: Revelation themed series of Eternia Minis? Then let's check out Whiplash. But not just regular Whiplash: This time it's Metallic Whiplash! Back when the Eternia Minis were semi-blind packaged packed there were some "chase" variants like Horde Zombie He-Man and Golden Armor Skeletor so I'm wondering if Metallic Whiplash is Mattel's way of continuing that tradition. Whiplash does appear in MOTU: Revelation in the second episode, "Poisoned Chalice," both in his classic look and in his cybernetically augmented look after he joins Tri-Klops' Motherboard techno cult, but he never appears as just a solid green character. This is simply a random colorway but because these guys are so inexpensive and you don't seen Whiplash stuff too often I picked him up. Want to see Metallic Whiplash in action? Then join me after the break...

Friday, September 10, 2021

Action Figure Review: Moss Man from Masterverse: Masters of the Universe: Revelation by Mattel

 


   There's some MOTU mania happening up in here! Seriously, I am absolutely overwhelmed by the sheer volume  of Masters of the Universe product that's coming out right now and I find myself having to skip some stuff these days. Action figures are the heart and soul of my collecting, though, and I'm absolutely enjoying Mattel's Masterverse line. I was thrilled when it was revealed last year that Moss Man was going to be one of the first figures released. Y'all know that Moss Man is one of my absolute favorites (my dad even made me a Moss Man birthday cake flocked with coconut flakes in 2019) so not only was I excited about a new Moss Man figure but I was eagerly anticipating Moss Man having a major role in Masters of the Universe: Revelation and being voiced by Alan Oppenheimer. Well, so far his role was pretty small. Yeah, Moss Man gets killed by Skeletor in the first episode and appears later in "The Forge at the Forest of Forever" in Preternia, which in MOTU: Revelation is an Eternian afterlife. Will Moss Man return? Who knows. I'm bummed they killed him off so quickly but Revelation is a different series and Moss Man's scenes with Adam in Preternia were pretty cool. And we still got a pretty cool new action figure out of it, right? Let's take a look at the Masterverse Moss Man after the break...

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Collectible Review: He-Man (Plastic) from Geeki Tikis by Beeline Creative Inc.

 
   The weather might be cooling down just a bit but that doesn't mean there's not room for a cold drink, right? Today I'm checking out the plastic He-Man Tiki mug from Beeline Creative's Inc's Geeki Tikis which I found at Walmart back in July. Yeah, it's been a bit but better late than never, right? I reviewed the ceramic Masters of the Universe Geeki Tikis earlier this year and I loved them! This He-Man mug is very similar to the ceramic version though the sculpt is sharper, the color looks more like natural wood, and it's plastic so you won't break it. They have both He-Man and Skeletor in this more affordable range and today I'm checking out He-Man. Ready for this review? Then join me after the break...

Monday, September 6, 2021

Minifigure Review: Fisto from Masters of the Universe Revelation: Eternia Minis by Mattel

 
   It's time for another Masters of the Universe Revelation: Eternia Minis review and this time it's Fisto! Remember Fisto from MOTU Revelation? Well, he has a brief cameo in the battle scene in the first episode, "The Power of Grayskull." He doesn't even talk. Fisto's a pretty popular character, though, so I guess Mattel really wanted to get a toy of him out there. There was never a Fisto in the MOTU Minis line from 2014 nor was there one in the standard Eternia Minis line so since Fisto looks pretty much the same in Revelation as he looks in most other MOTU media, this guy could really just be a repurposed Fisto planned from an upcoming Eternia Minis line rebranded as a Revelation Fisto. He's cool and very classic looking so he should please everyone. Let's check out Fisto after the break...

Minifigure Review: Beast Man from Masters of the Universe Revelation: Eternia Minis by Mattel

 

   In early August I stopped at a Target and found the full series of the Masters of the Universe Revelation: Eternia Minis. Like the previous Eternia Minis these little guys are just a bit over 2 inches and come single packaged on small blister cards. In Masters of the Universe Revelation the characters typically have two different looks: Their classic look from the first episode and the flashbacks and their "current" look from after the death of He-Man and Skeletor and the departure of magic from Eternia. This version of Beast Man is based on his second look where he's wearing no armor, has his beard braided, and is covered in scars. It's a pretty cool look for Beast Man and definitely makes him seem pretty terrifying and more independent. Ready to check out Beast Man? Then join me after the break...

Sunday, September 5, 2021

Action Figure Review: Xemnu from Marvel Legends Series: Super Villains by Hasbro

 

   The last Marvel Legends build-a-figure that I legitimately assembled by collecting the parts from a complete series was Caliban from 2019. Since I realized fairly early on that I had plans to purchase most figures in the 2021 Super Villains series I decided I was going to go ahead and build Xemnu even though I wasn't at all familiar with him. My daughter did like Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. when she was younger so it's possible I saw him on there at some point but otherwise I don't have any attachment to this Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created extraterrestrial monster. Still, a cool build-a-figure is a cool build-a-figure and I'm not saying know to a giant furry monster with red eyes. No way, now how. Let's take a look at the big ol' brute who has been terrorizing the Marvel Universe since 1960 after the break...

Saturday, September 4, 2021

Action Figure Review: Baroness (Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins) from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   I'm back, baby! Seriously, have you missed me? August was a crazy month for me. In early August we went out of town to visit my wife's family. Right after we came home we found out we had been exposed to Covid and both me and my wife ended up with Covid. Fortunately we had both been vaccinated so symptoms were fairly mild. My daughter fortunately missed it though she had to be separated from us for our isolation periods. Since we first showed symptoms at different times we were isolated separately as well. My daughter's birthday also was this month and unfortunately it wasn't the best for her. We've been working to make it up to her as we're having re-birthday festivities all weekend. Currently she's spending some time with my parents making preparations for her re-birthday party tonight (just her, us, and my parents) but we're expecting a fun time. After that it's off to see Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings at the drive in. I haven't been to the drive in since the late 1990s so I'm looking forward to it. My daughter has never been! Anyways, what does this all have to do with today's review? Well, not much....

   Today I'm checking out the Baroness from the movie based subset of the G.I. Joe: Classified Series. I actually haven't even seen the movie yet (I haven't been hearing good things about it) and while I've been planning on skipping most of the movie based figures I really did like the look of the Baroness. Despite being based on Úrsula Corberó's version of the character she still fits in with the rest of the line. Honestly, I'm using her as Chameleon since I like the previously released Baroness quite a bit. This movie version of the Baroness surprised me quite a bit as she has some fantastic accessories. Let's check her out after the break...