Toy Review: Power Sword from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

   There have been quite a few new figures showing up in stores lately from Mattel's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe line based on the new Netflix CG animated series and I'm hoping to check out quite a few of them this week since the second season shows up this week. Today I'm checking out the Power Sword role play toy, a rather cool electronic Power Sword that ought to make you think back to past versions of these you might have had as a kid. I still have a picture of myself from September of 1987 with the classic yellow plastic Power Sword and a black pot lid, so Power Swords have long been a part of my life.  Let's check this one out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Stratos (Minicomic) from Masters of the Universe Origins by Mattel

 

   Today I'm wrapping up series 7 of Mattel's Masters of the Universe Origins and it's time to take a look at the figure I was the least excited about in this series: Stratos in his minicomic colors. I'm not the biggest Stratos fan (though I love his Sean Conneryesque voice in the Mike Young Productions series) and I was kind of disappointed that we were getting another Stratos already as he just came out in series 4 last spring, but in hand the colors on this figure are really pretty cool. Based on the early minicomic appearances and Mark Taylor's early color schemes for the character, this version of Stratos has a tan body. It's an unusual look but it does have a historical basis and it was how Stratos appeared in his lone appearance as one of the Evil Warriors in the minicomic "He-Man and the Power Sword." Super7 also released this variant (a more accurate version, too) in Masters of the Universe Classics, but this is Mattel's first crack at the guy if I'm correct. Let's soar with Stratos after the break...

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

 

      Today I'm checking out the third figure from series of Mattel's Masters of the Universe Origins line and it's a figure I've been looking forward to for quite some time: Sorceress! Mattel released the Temple of Darkness variant of the Sorceress with Castle Grayskull last year but this version is her standard, classic look. The vintage Sorceress figure was released in 1987, the last year the vintage line appeared on store shelves in the united States, and she was only one of four Heroic Warriors released that year. She's a fairly difficult figure to come by and rather pricey. That's probably due to a mixture of her rarity, her popularity, and her being a tough figure to find in good shape due to her action feature and the paint applications on her outfit. This is a great way to get a vintage looking Sorceress at a fraction of the price. Yeah, I still want to pick up a vintage Sorceress for my collection but probably not anytime soon. Let's take a look at this retro styled version of the Sorceress after the break...

Action Figure Review: Battle Cat from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

   Guess what? I've got quite a few new He-Man and the Masters of the Universe figures to review. I really like the Netflix animated series and while I've been sort of lukewarm on the toyline based on it, some of the newer releases really have me quite excited. Today I'm checking out Battle Cat, a deluxe release (like the figure and vehicle sets) and I have to say that he's probably my favorite toy in this line to date. I love Cringer/ Battle Cat and I'm always excited to see him in toy form. This one has the look of the 200x series (sharp, angular armor) with the brightness of the Netflix CGI He-Man show. I love Battle Cat's backstory and his voice in the new cartoon and I'm excited for more of him in the second season, which premieres on March 3rd. Let's take a look at Battle Cat after the break...

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

 

   The second figure in Masters of the Universe Origins series 7 is another figure from the vintage line finally getting his spot in Origins: It's Jitsu, the Evil Master of Martial Arts. The evil counterpart of Fisto, Jitsu is a master warrior with a golden right hand posed in a knifehand strike or karate chop. While Jitsu only showed up one time in the Filmation animated series in 1983 because Filmation feared that the character might be perceived negatively as a racial stereotype, Jitsu is a well known and loved vintage MOTU character. In Masters of he Universe Classics Jitsu even took over the rule of Snake Mountain after Skeletor took off into space. Let's take a look at one of he deadliest and most skilled Evil Warriors after the break...

Action Figure Review: 20 Years of Master Chief from Halo: The Spartan Collection by Jazwares/ Wicked Cool Toys

 

   

   Earlier this month when I released the list of my Top 10 Toylines of 2021 I included Halo: The Spartan Collection from Jazwares/ Wicked Cool Toys despite neglecting to review any of them last year. I picked them up near the end of the year and while they were very cool and look great on display, by the time I had most of them in hand there were too many newer things to review so I skipped them. Today, though, I'm checking out a set that was just released: The GameStop exclusive 20 Years of Master Chief set. Including a figure of Master Chief from 2001's Halo: Combat Evolved and a figure of Master Chief from 2022's Halo Infinite, this set definitely seems pretty desirable to fans of Halo and the Chief. The Halo: CE Chief is scheduled to come out in an upcoming series of figures and the Infinite version of Chief has appeared quite a few times in the line already, but they're available right now as a GameStop exclusive. Before Christmas I started playing through all of the Halo games and now I'm currently in the middle of Halo Infinite. I had a lot of great memories of replaying through most of them (I somehow skipped Reach and Halo 5: Guardians the first time around) and it's been fun to see how the series has evolved. I've never been a big Halo collector but I did have the Joyride studios Master Chief, camouflaged Master Chief, and a Warthhog back in the day and I also had a McFarlane Cortana. The Spartan Collection has been quite fun so far and I like the scale and the style so this set really appealed to me, especially due to the Halo: Combat Evolved Master Chief figure. Let's jump in and check out the good and the bad after the break...

Missing in Action: Toylines That Didn't Make the Cut in 2021

 

  Since 2015 I've supplemented my best of the year awards with a list called Missing in Action. This is kind of a reflective list where I look back at the previous Top 10 Toylines list and determine why some of the lines from that year failed to return for the current year's list.  2021's top 10 list only had four toylines returning from the 2020 list, the same as the year before, which means quite a few lines went missing in action!  I find it interesting to look at the lines that failed to show up again in order to diagnose why they went missing. There are a few reasons why a toyline makes this list:

Missing in Action: This is a toyline that gets cancelled, ends, or just didn't have any releases during the year. It happens a lot, unfortunately, and often to some of my favorites it seems.

Demoted: Sometimes a toyline just gets outdone by others. This isn't specifically related to the quality of the demoted line and more reflective of the quality of the lines that supplanted it or of my interest shifting to other things.

Drop in Quality: This is when a toyline has a severe drop in quality that causes it to fall from grace. While most toylines get better as they go, some do indeed get worse and worse due to cost cutting, mismanagement, and quality control issues. Sometimes the price just gets higher, too, making a once impressive toyline now seem less so, and that can cause it to end up here as well.

Let's jump in and check out who went missing in action in 2021 after the break...

Accessory Review: Weapons Pack Bravo from Action Force by Valaverse

   Last year I reviewed the Action Force Prototype Armaments set which really got me excited for this line, especially the versatile accessory packs planned for it. When I ordered from Valaverse's early January sale I was able to get a Weapons Pack Bravo set and it seems like the right time to review it. This set is $13 dollars and comes with 10 weapons plus some extra magazines, a marine cover, and some firing effects. That's not too bad, especially considering the price hike we see with most action figure lines when a deluxe figure jumps up $10 dollars or so due to the presence of an extra accessory or two. There's enough goodies here to nicely equip a good five or six figures, whether they're from Action Force, Marvel Legends, G.I. Joe: The Classified Series, or some other 1/12th scale line. Let's take a look at Weapons Pack Bravo after the break...

Action Figure Review: Buzz-Off from Masters of the Universe Origins by Mattel

 

   Ready for another series of Masters of the Universe Origins figures? Well here it comes and this series contains three more vintage characters and one variant (Buzz-Off, The Sorceress, Jitsu, and a minicomic "naked" Stratos). Today I'm checking out Buzz-Off and, wow, does he look fantastic. I never owned the vintage Buzz-Off as a kid. In fact, I believe my first ever Buzz-Off figure was the Masters of the Universe Classics release. I still remember tracking the shipment and being overly thrilled to get home and check him out. The Origins version is definitely based on the original figure but that's not a bad thing at all. Let's check out this buzzworthy Andreenid warrior after the break...

Accessory Review: Urban Gear Set from Action Force by Valavere

   A couple days ago I reviewed the Urban Combat Republic Guard from Action Force. Referred to as a "basic" figure, the Republic Guard is a pretty bare bones release with no armor, weapons, or gear. Designed for troop building or customizing, the idea is that you'll pick up other accessory sets to build those figures up. Today I'm going to check out one of those accessory sets: The Urban Gear Set. Arriving in a simple cardboard box with an artist's rendering of the contents on the front, the Urban Gear Set can be used to equip one of the basic Action Force figures, change the gear for one of the "Core" figures (the named characters in the line), or you can use it with some other 1/12 scale action figure lines. It's a cool concept and something that you really just don't see in retail lines these days (except for Final Faction, because that $1.25 line somehow manages to get things right that most other companies don't) but since Valaverse is running a collector focused line catering to customizers and army builders, they're aware of what those demographics want. Let's take a look at the Urban Gear Set after the break...

Action Figure Review: Wong from Marvel Legends Series: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness by Hasbro

 

   Like most folks I am incredibly excited about the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and while I don't usually pick up MCU based figures, I decided that I really needed Wong. Wong has been around in the Marvel comic since 1963 but I don't think we're going to get a comic based Marvel Legends figure of him anytime soon. Fortunately his portrayal by Benedict Wong in the MCU is excellent and I'm way more familiar with the film Wong than I am with the comic Wong, so I'm more than happy to have this version on my shelf. Wong's been a fixture in the last few MCU films so it's about time he got a figure, right? This version is based on his look in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness where he's the new Sorcerer Supreme. Let's take a look at Wong after the break and see how he turned out...

Action Figure Review: Urban Combat Republic Guard from Action Force by Valaverse

 

   Valaverse's Action Force line has some great characters but they're also offering lots of base bodies and accessory kits that are designed for army building and customizing. I picked up the Urban Combat Republic Guard from Valaverse during their sale in early January so let's take a look at this basic figure. There is an accessory set for him as well, which I'll be reviewing in the next day or so, but for now I'm just checking out the figure. These guys come packaged in a standard cardboard box without the window of the standard releases. The Republic Guard are supposed to be the basic troops of the states that are part of the Republic Territories and this version is outfitted for operating in urban areas. Let's take a look at the Urban Combat Republic Guard and see what you get after the break...

Action Figure Review: Hobgoblin from Marvel Legends Retro Collection: Spider-Man by Hasbro

 

 

It's been a few months since I reviewed any Marvel Legends figures though I did find quite a few before Christmas and even got the Wolverine 5-pack for Christmas. A week or two ago I was in a Walmart one evening and my daughter and I found a case of the new Marvel Legends Spider-Man retro Collection figures sitting out. I picked up the Ben Reilly Spider-Man for a friend and grabbed a few of the other figures for myself. Let's start by taking a look at Hobgoblin, a character who has had at least eight different identities. Listen, I'm not that big of a Spider-Man fan so I can't tell you who this is specifically under the mask, but I do like his classic villains and Hobgoblin is one I just wanted to have on the shelf. The Retro Collection version seems to be based on the 1990s Spider-Man animated series which is the Spider-Man I grew up with and knew best until the films. He's a bright, colorful Marvel villain and definitely caught my attention. Let's take a look at Hobgoblin after the break...

 

The Best of the Rest: My 10 Favorite Individual Toys of 2021

 

   

   While the list of my 10 favorite toylines from the past year is always the main event for my yearly awards, I do like to recognize that not every great toy is part of a larger toyline or a toyline that I fully collected. It seems kind of unfair to never acknowledge figures from smaller or one off lines. Heck, sometimes I purchase a spectacular action figure from a line that I have no intention of buying anything else from. What to do? That's where the list of my Top 10 Favorite Individual Toys for the year comes in. Who is eligible? Most any toy released in 2021. Who isn't eligible? Any toy from a line I picked in my 10 Favorite Toylines of 2021 list. Remember that these are listed alphabetically, not in order of merit. In 2021 most of the stuff that I picked up were one-off horror themed items or Masters of the Universe items from lines I enjoyed but that didn't make my best of the year list. There were some cool items that I liked but didn't include here since they just didn't technically count as toys. Think stuff like the Masters of the Universe Geeki Tikis mugs or the Hallmark Castle Grayskull ornament. Everything else I included here qualifies and is all over the board in terms of price. I'm going to go through these alphabetically, as usual, so let's take a look at the best of the rest after the break...

Action Figure Review: Steel Brigade from Action Force by Valaverse

 

   Today I'm checking out he fourth and final of the standard figures I ordered from Valaverse back in early January and this time it's the Steel Brigade. This guy is an army builder and, yes, he totally shares a name with the Steel Brigade figure that was a mail away promotion for the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line back in 1987. Apparently the trademark/ name/ etc. was available and so Valaverse snatched it up. That's a major flex on Hasbro, right? Pretty cool, though. This guy is a great army builder figure and with the additional weapon and gear packs available through Valaverse you could kit this guy out in multiple different ways. In Valaverse's Action Force universe the Steel Brigade are a support squadron within Action Force. There are 80 of them, so I guess you army builders have a nice set number of how many of these guys you'll need to procure to have a complete team of your own. Let's take a look at the Steel Brigade Trooper and see how he turned out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Alley Viper from G.I. Joe Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   The best action figures of the vintage G.I. Joe line were released between 1988 and 1990. The characters may not be as memorable as those characters from the early to mid 1980s but the figures themselves were amazing with superior sculpts and some of the best accessory kits you could imagine. Ever since I was a kid one of my favorite vintage figures from that era was the Alley Viper, the Cobra urban assault trooper. With a distinctive orange and blue color scheme and lots of gear the Alley Viper definitely stood out as an eye-catching yet intimidating figure. Why orange and blue? Considering the vintage file card stated that the Alley Vipers were Cobra's equivalent to a SWAT unit or the British SAS, I always assumed that these guys were meant to be seen. They hit hard, hit fast, and capture the attention of defending forces while the other Cobra troops do their work in a more subtle manner. The Classified Series Alley Viper is a fantastic update of the vintage figure and he is absolutely loaded with fantastic gear. Let's take a look at this incredibly cool figure after the break...

Action Figure Review: Sgt Slaughter from Action Force by Valaverse

 

   Sgt. Slaughter's appearance in Action Force caught my attention long before anything else about the line did. Obviously I was aware that Sgt. Slaughter has showed up in both G.I.Joe and WWF/ WWE lines, but seeing him appear in Action Force seemed pretty impressive. I mean, how crazy that a line competing with the G.I. Joe Classified Series has managed to get Sgt. Slaughter out there before Hasbro? That's pretty cool and definitely a big flex for Action Force. Sgt. Slaughter definitely has a history with the G.I. Joe brand and it was for that reason that I originally preordered this figure quite some time ago to go along with my Classified figures. Slaughter had four figures in the vintage G.I. Joe line but his last appearance in the line was in 2010 with a very tough to obtain exclusive that I missed out on. Getting this guy was much easier! In the Action Force story Sgt. Slaughter is an advisor to Action Force, a team made up of members of the US resistance against New Colonia and the Swarm and concerned international operatives. Valaverse has already put up a second version of Sgt. Slaughter for preorder so check that one out if you're only planning to purchase one. Let's take a look at this version of Sgt. Slaughter after the break and see if he's got what it takes....

Action Figure Review: Dr. Evazan from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   Ready for another Star Wars: The Black Series review? Today we return to the original film with a look at one of the many dangerous patrons of Chalmun's Caninta: Dr. Evazan. Dr. Cornelius Evazan certainly doesn't have much screen time in A New Hope but, my gosh, does he make the most of it. He has some of the most memorable lines in the movie and both he and Ponda Baba com off as a truly threatening duo until they get their butts handed to them by Obi-Wan Kenobi. Since appearing in the original film Dr. Evazan have appeared in plenty of books and comics, both set before and after A New Hope, even netting a cameo in Rogue One. Dr. Evazan's an evil son of a gun who tortures and performs unlicenses (and unwanted) surgery across the galaxy. The cantina patrons from Star Wars haven't gotten much love in the Black Series so it's nice to finally have a couple more to keep Greedo company. Dr. Evazan was released last year in the Cantina Showdown set that was a Hasbro PulseCon exclusive inspired by the 1997 Power of the Force 2 Cantina Showdown set, but as far as I'm aware this is the exact same figure. Let's check out Dr. Evazan after the break and see how he fares in the Black Series...

Action Figure Review: Kerak from Action Force by Valaverse

 

   Last week I reviewed one of the first Valaverse Action Force figures I picked up in January, the Bone Collector, and now I'm getting ready to check out the leader of The Garrison. It's Kerak, the ruthless Colonel of New Colonia who runs his troops like a medieval army. Kerak reminds me of someone you'd see in a series like The Walking Dead or in the Fallout games; someone who has just been waiting for the civilized world to end so their ruthlessness and aggression can go unchecked. While Action Force is named after the vintage 1980s Palitoy series, based on Action Man, which brought the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero characters, it doesn't seem to directly tie in with the vintage line and mythology. It's a new story set in the United States after the fall of the federal government and the rise of states as individual Republics. There is an SAS trooper as a major character, though, and perhaps more elements from the 1980s series will appear in time. For now, though, you could say that this incarnation of Action Force also draws inspiration from earliest Action Force figures that were simply realistic military action figures. These guys are bigger, though, and Kerak is a pretty tough dude who can command your Garrison troops or fit in with Cobra. Let's check out Kerak after the break...

My Top 10 Toylines of 2021

 

  It's that time of the year again!

    2021 was another interesting year for toys and action figures. While the Covid-19 pandemic continued to effect everything and supply chain issues and inflation were at the forefront of the discussion about almost any topic, there were still plenty of toys and action figures hitting shelves. Timing product was still a bit of an issue as some companies as seemed to have trouble getting out product in the ideal time for entertainment based launches wile other companies ran like clockwork. Popular lines from Hasbro, Mattel, Funko, McFarlane, NECA, Diamond and other companies mostly continued on as usual but there were some exciting changes. I find it interesting and inspiring that we're starting to see more product and action figure lines from companies like Jazwares, Jakks Pacific, Jada Toys, Super7, and other smaller companies showing up at mainstream retail, often with a focus on video game based toys that do appeal to a younger demographic. There were some real surprises at retail this year. While prices jumped on quite a few lines, Dollar Tree's Greenbrier International kept the Final Faction line going for around $1, creating a fun budget line that kids and collectors could go nuts over without breaking the bank. Smaller companies like Boss Fight Studios, Valaverse, and Lone Coconut, among many others, continue to really expand what's available for collectors outside of retail offerings. We're definitely seeing some incredible product marketed directly to collectors. As a diehard Masters of the Universe fan I'm still amazed by how much MOTU product hit retail last year. Of course, there was also the resurgence of Spawn, the toyline that, along with Kenner's Star Wars: The Power of the Force, essentially created modern action figure collecting as a hobby. The 90s are really starting to get the nostalgic focus that the 1980s have gotten for so long.

   Creating my "Top 10" lists is always one of my favorite things to do at Action Figure Barbecue and I always spend plenty of time pouring over my notes from the previous year to determine which toylines I thought were the coolest and most fun to collect. This is the tenth year I've created a list (the earliest ones were posted at The Epic Review) and it's always interesting too see how my lists change from year to year, often reflecting my changing interests and collecting trends. 2021's list was a little more difficult than last year as there were definitely more lines that caught my attention. Also, with Mattel putting out multiple MOTU lines, I had to really pick and choose. I'll still say that a majority of my collecting focuses on Masters of the Universe and I pick up a wide array of stuff, while with other properties I love I might stick to a single line (The Black Series for Star Wars, Classified Series for G.I.Joe, etc.)  I've realized that besides MOTU stuff I'm far more prone to pick up items that I can really sit around and mess with versus items that just display well. It's not always the case but more often than not that seems to be a theme of my purchases this year. I also jumped back into Marvel Legends, which kind of cycles on and off for me.

    A few years back I divided my Top 10 list into two separate categories: My Top 10 Toylines and My Top 10 Individual Releases. Today I'm starting with My Top 10 Toylines as it's my standard best of list. These are the 10 toylines (action figures, statues, minifigures, etc.) of the past year that I most enjoyed collecting. They may not always be the best or the most expansive lines, but they're my favorites for one reason or another. As I reiterate every year, the two key word for this list are "my" and "favorite." My list isn't really based on a toyline's true merits and I don't typically go outside of what interests me. This is really a snapshot of the ten toylines I had the most fun collecting last year. As always, these are listed alphabetically rather than by any order of merit. And now, for My Top 10 Toylines of 2021...

Action Figure Review: Bib Fortuna from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   It's been a few months since a new series of Star Wars: The Black Series figures hit shelves and today I'm checking out the first of four figures I was able to get my hands on: Bib Fortuna. I picked these up when Hasbro put them on sale at the beginning of January and while I didn't purchase everyone (there were a couple I skipped and a couple I missed) I did manage to grab all of the Original Trilogy figures. Bib Fortuna is definitely another of those figures that I'm shocked it took us 8 1/2 years to get. Isn't it crazy that the Black Series has now been around longer than the vintage Kenner line lasted in stores? Anyways, it's funny that we just got Bib Fortuna considering he was killed off pretty quickly in the teaser for the Book of Boba Fett during the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian. Bib Fortuna hasn't played a huge role in the Book of Boba Fett, either, even in the flashbacks, so this guy is sold on the strength of his OT appearance, though he did appear in Episode I and the Clone Wars. Let's take a look at the infinitely quotable Bib Fortuna (is there ever a time when it's not utterly fitting to say "die wanna wanga?") after the break...

Statue Review: Hordak's Minion from Masters of the Universe Legends by Tweeterhead

 

  I really liked Tweeterhead's Hordak 1/5th scale statue that came out last year and I'm pretty excited to now have this cool little sculpture of Hordak's Minion to go with it. A few months after Hordak went up for sale Tweeterhead also solicited a preorder for the little red bat/ demon creature that has often appeared in artwork and which was included with the Masters of the Universe Classics Hordak figure. This isn't Imp, just in care you're wondering. Imp is blue. This guy is red and seems to be a living version of the shield-like accessory the vintage Hordak came with. It's kind of neat to get a little companion piece for a statue and I was excited to order it. He was sold exclusively through Tweeterhead. Mine arrived in early January and it's finally time to take a look at Hordak's Minion. Join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: B.A.T. From G.I. Joe Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   I do believe a few of the B.A.T.s and Alley Vipers snuck out at the end of 2021 but since Hasbro Pulse and other E-tailers didn't even start selling these guys until 2022 I'm counting them as new releases for this year. I'm starting things off with a look at the B.A.T., a Cobra battle android trooper who was originally part of the 1986 lineup. That was the year I got into G.I. as a kid so I definitely have fond memories of the bat. I still have most of my original vintage figures, too, so I have the B.A.T. somewhere. For the B.A.T. Hasbro has largely just updated the vintage figure which works really well for the B.A.T. as it's a pretty iconic design and it's not outdated or anything since it was already a little bit futuristic. I'm sure that, even with almost 40 years of technological advances, these things still cost Cobra a pretty penny. Let's take a look at the B.A.T. after the break and see if he has any upgrades for the Classified Series....

Action Figure Review: The Bone Collector from Action Force by Valaverse

 

   It's time for the first new review of a 2022 product and I'm kicking things off with a look at the Bone Collector from Valaverse's Action Force line. I do think some folks got their Kickstarter orders in late December but since Valaverse didn't officially put these figures up for sale until early January 2022 and most e-tailers haven't gotten their orders yet, I'm counting them for this year. Action Force is a 6 -7 inch scaled military line that is obviously going to draw comparisons with Hasbro's G.I.Joe: Classified Series. That's not a bad comparison and I honestly started picking these up to supplement my Classified collection. This is an ambitious line, especially for a new company, and it seems that so far they've been quite a hit with collectors. Action Force is centered around the aftermath of a possibly engineered second American Civil War where individual state are now their own Republics who must contest with a growing threat called New Colonia, a growing collective violently protected by an army called the Garrison, led by Kerak. The Bone Collector works for Kerak but seems to be an independent operator who has his own small faction, the Brothers of Bones. He's a chilling figure that works within the fiction of Action Force but could also serve great as a supplement to the forces of Cobra or as a Dreadnok operator. He's part of the first series of figures in Action Force and is one of the standard releases in the line. Let's check him out after the break...