Thursday, March 31, 2022

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

 


   Grab your Old Bay and some drawn butter; today we're taking a look at Clawful! Clawful is known as the warrior with the grip of evil and he's one of the 1984 additions to the Evil Warriors. I'm pretty sure I got Clawful for Christmas as a kid, maybe in 1986 or 1987, and while he wasn't one of my absolute favorites as a kid I always did like his oversized claw. This guy looks like he's ready to throw down with Fisto and Jitsu with that massive right claw. Clawful is part of the newest series of Masters of the Universe Origins figures and he's another figure that I really think is an improvement over the vintage toy. Let's check out this take on Clawful after the break and see if he packs some serious pinch...

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Minifigure Review: Sorceress from Masters of the Universe Eternia Minis: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

   Today I'm taking a look at Sorceress, the third single carded figure in the Netflix He-Man and the Masters of the Universe themed series of Masters of the Universe Eternia Minis. I reviewed the standard figure earlier this month, so check that one out for a full rundown of the character. Long story short, this Sorceress is actually Teela in her powered up form; not the Sorceress, Teela-Na. There is a different, more traditional Sorceress character in the show named Eldress, whose relationship with Teela (if any) hasn't been revealed yet. Well, not as of the third episode of season 2. Hey, I'm a slow TV watcher! Let's check out this cool minifigure of Teela as Sorceress after the break...

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Action Figure Review: Anti-Eternia He-Man from Masters of the Universe Origins by Mattel



    I received half of the newest series of Masters of the Universe Origins figures over the weekend and I'm going to try to review them as quickly as I can. First up is the variant figure for this series, Anti-Eternia He-Man. Mattel (and most toy companies, to be fair) love a good, straight up repaint of their main hero and MOTU is filled with them. Faker, Slime Pit/ Horde Zombie He-Man, and Anti-Eternia He-Man. This guy has gone from being a rather obscure character from a German audio play to being a variant figure that reliably shows up in toylines. Heck, DC's Masters of the Multiverse comic series cast this guy as the primary antagonist. Multiverses are all the rage these days, so he's living the high life, baby. Let's take a look at Anti-Eternia He-man after the break....

Monday, March 28, 2022

Minifigure Review: Skeletor from Masters of the Universe Eternia Minis: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

   Since I just reviewed the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe based Eternia Minis figure on Friday let's kick off the work week with a look at Skeletor from the same series. I really like Skeletor's design and personality in the new show (which most folks are calling Netflix He-Man or CGI He-Man) and while some of the toys have been OK for him so far, I really don't feel like any of them have truly captured the greatness of the design yet. This one's the smallest one out there so should we really expect more from it? Let's find out after the break...

Sunday, March 27, 2022

Action Figure Review: She-Spawn from Spawn by McFarlane Toys

 
 
   I've been selectively picking up new figures from Todd McFarlane's Spawn line here and there and recently I decided to pick up She-Spawn. I will openly admit that I haven't read any of the newer Spawn stuff yet (I'm making my way through the compendiums, so I'm in the #60s), so everything I know about Jessica Priest as She-Spawn is from stuff I've read online. I certainly remember the vintage She-Spawn coming out in series 4 in 1996, though I'm not sure she really appeared in the comics, right? There is a character named Nyx but I'm not sure those figures were really based on her. A lot of the McFarlane Toys stuff was just designed to look cool. Jessica Priest was also introduced in the movie and it's accompanying toyline (as a replacement for Rob Liefeld's Chapel) and quickly entered the comics as a retcon of the true killer of Al Simmons. Anyways, this version of Jessica Priest as She-Spawn is based on the events of Spawn #300 and depcits Jessica Priest as a Hellspawn who has apparently now teamed up with Al Simmons/ Spawn. I just thought she was a really cool looking figure with some massive guns. Seriously, her arsenal is unreal in the most awesomely 90s way possible. Let's check out She-Spawn after the break...

Saturday, March 26, 2022

Action Figure Review: Loki from Marvel Legends Retro Collection by Hasbro

 

   Ready for some mischief? Then let's take a few minutes talking about Loki! Part of the Marvel Legends Retro Collection and packaged on a classic Toy Biz styled card based on the 1990 Marvel Superheroes line, Loki is a repaint of the 2019 comic based figure from the Avengers: Endgame series of figures. I have that Loki but I decided to upgrade to this one. It was kind of a spur of the moment decision when I found discounted because of damage to the card. Was it worth it? We'll get there. I do want to point out that it's interesting that both Loki and Scarlet Witch might be packaged on the 1990 Marvel Superheroes cards but both figures didn't get an action figure from Toy Biz until 1997's Avengers toyline. Interesting, huh? OK, now we can jump in and check out this Retro Collection repaint after the break...

Friday, March 25, 2022

Minifigure Review: He-Man from Masters of the Universe Eternia Minis: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 


   Mattel has really been supporting the Netflix CGI animated He-Man and the Masters of the Universe at retail by offering figures of the cast in multiple different scales. We've got the standard 5 1/2 inch figures, the 8 1/2 inch figures, the upcoming 7 inch Masterverse figures, and the 2 1/8th inch Eternia Minis. I've already reviewed the He-Man and Battle Cat set from this line but I just received my shipment of the single packed figures from Big Bad Toy Store earlier this week so it's time to give them a look over. Ready for a look at an Eternia Minis He-Man in his outfit from the new cartoon? Then join me after the break...

Thursday, March 24, 2022

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

 

   Remember last year when I reviewed the Baron Zemo figure from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and stated that I hoped Hasbro would release a classic comic styled Zemo next year? You're welcome! Maybe now I should ask for a new version of Banshee, huh? Baron Zemo is part of the Super Villains subset of Marvel Legends figures and he's a Walgreens exclusive. It's been a long time since I reviewed one of those, hasn't it? I've actually got Binary on the way and I'm looking forward to Jigsaw, Walgreens has definitely been putting out some figures I've been interested in, again, so kudos to them. I originally reviewed the 2014 Baron Zemo back in the Captain America: The Winter Soldier line but that actually belonged to the Reel Brad (who later sold it). This is the Zemo I've been wanting, though, so let's jump in and check him out after the break...

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Action Figure Review: Trap Jaw from Masterverse/ Masters of the Universe: Revelation by Mattel

 

   Ready for another Masterverse review? Over the past month or so we've seen lots of images, leaks, and official reveals showing off the future of the Masterverse line and it seems that Mattel has big plans. Like the Tri-Klops figure I reviewed earlier this month, this version of Trap Jaw is from last year's Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series and includes an extra outfit to change the character from his classic look to his ceremonial outfit for the Motherboard cult. With Masterverse, the Netflix He-Man and the Masters of the Universe line, and Masters of the Universe Origins, Mattel has shown a willingness to release items at many different price points. Trap Jaw is sold as a deluxe figure because of his additional outfit. Is he worth picking up for your collection? Let's check him out after the break...

Monday, March 21, 2022

Minifigure Review: Skeletor and Painthor from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Eternia Minis by Mattel

 

   So... I think I've made a mistake on my review of the 5.5 inch Skeletor with motorcycle. The front of the packaging is multilingual and it has the set titled as Skeletor with Painthor/Panthor, so naturally I assumed that the motorcycle was called Panthor and that "Painthor" was Panthor's name in another language. After picking up this set which only has the names in English, however, I'm convinced that the motorcycle is actually called Painthor. That's actually...kind of cool. It's definitely a Panthor inspired motorcycle but Painthor does sound like a good Masters of the Universe vehicle name. There's an animal theme and some sort of pun in there, so I dig it. Today I'm looking at the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Eternia Minis set of Skeletor (in bright green) and Painthor. It's a neat little set so let's check it out after the break...

Sunday, March 20, 2022

Action Figure Review: Psycho-Man from Marvel Legends Retro Collection: Fantastic Four by Hasbro

 

   I'm a sucker for picking up classic looking Marvel villains and I've been tempted off and on by Psycho-Man from the Fantastic Four based Marvel Legends Retro Collection assortment. I'm not really that familiar with Psycho-Man from the comics (I had to consult my handy, dandy Marvel Encyclopedia) but I do remember him from the mid-1990s Toy Biz Fantastic Four line based on the animated series. It was a pretty extensive line and while I don't remember having any figures from the line I do remember it and the way the characters often appeared in ToyFare magazine's Big Shots. So if you ask me what I'm most familiar with Psycho-Man from, the answer is ToyFare. Psycho-Man is actually the chief scientist of the planet Traan from within the Microverse. Psycho-Man's real appearance is unknown since he's encased in armor. He may actually be quite small! This series was released at the end of 2021 but I found a good deal on this guy and finally decided to pick him up. Let's take a look at Psycho-Man after the break and see if he's a worthwhile pickup. 

Saturday, March 19, 2022

Action Figure Review: Riptide from Final Faction by Greenbrier International

 
   Another Final Faction figure? You better believe it, baby! Today I'm checking out Riptide, the underwater specialist of Alpha Team 1. I found Riptide the same time as I found Amari (about two weeks ago) but I'm just getting around to reviewing him. Sometimes underwater specialists are weird toys because they're use can be pretty limited. Take Hydron from He-Man/ New Adventures; how useful is a diver in space? I mean, I know there are surely planets covered in water out there but this guy probably has to just chill out and wait, right? Considering the majority of Earth is covered in water, I guess Riptide probably does get a lot of use in the team. He's a pretty cool figure that honestly feels more deluxe than a lot of 1/18th scale offerings from other companies charging higher prices. ready to check out this canned tuna loving diver who just so happens to be exclusive to Dollar Tree and Family Dollar? Then join me after the break...

Friday, March 18, 2022

Action Figure Review: Trap Jaw from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 


   The newest series of 8 1/2 inch figures from Mattel's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe line inspired by the Netflix animated series includes Stratos (who I reviewed Wednesday) and Trap Jaw. Trap Jaw was already released in the 5 1/2 inch series last year but not he's bigger and badder than before. This series of figures definitely seems geared towards younger kids and I'm guessing lots of collectors are simply skipping them. That's probably a safe bet for most collectors as the designs are so similar to the 5 1/2 inch line. Still, some fans dig this kind of stuff, so let's check out Trap Jaw after the break...

Thursday, March 17, 2022

Minifigure Review: He-Man and Battle Cat from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Eternia Minis by Mattel

 


   I really wish Mattel would continue releasing the classic styled Masters of the Universe Eternia Minis as there are still so many characters they have yet to make in that line. Through the end of last year and so far this year, however, a large part of Mattel's focus has been on products that tie in with the two new animated series that debuted on Netflix last year: Masters of the Universe: Revelation and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. While Revelation received a fairly nice action figure selection as part of the Masterverse series, the MOTU: Revelation Eternia Minis line was rather small. This year Mattel has released a small subset of figures for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, the kid targeted CG animated series. I haven't received my set of the three basic Eternia Minis yet but I did stumble upon both two-packs in stores a couple weeks pack. Today I'm going to take a look at the He-Man and Battle Cat two-pack. While Battle Cat is clearly a new sculpt I'm guessing that this He-Man is a color variant of the standard Netflix He-Man version. He's bright yellow! Mattel released a 5 1/2 inch action figure of He-Man in this bright yellow color scheme ("Powers of Grayskull" He-Man) which I own but neglected to review last year (it's this figure, but yellow). Ready to take a look at this set? Let's check it out after the break...

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

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

 
   
   I've only watched two episodes of the second season of Netflix's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe so far which has introduced me to the new take on Stratos for this incarnation of MOTU. I will absolutely admit that Stratos has never been one of my favorites. I never had the vintage Stratos as a kid and I've always found the figure rather boring. My favorite version of the character is probably the 200x Stratos from Mike Young Productions as he had a cooler jetpack and the cool Sean Conneryesque voice.  Otherwise, despite him being one of the original eight I'm just not a big Stratos fan. Maybe that's why I'm more accepting of a pretty radical new take on Stratos. I think when most folks saw this new take on Stratos their first thought was "he looks like the Falcon." I agree. Black guy, tactical looking flight suit with goggles, wings; definitely a very Falcon/ Sam Wilson/ Captain America vibe here. Maybe that's why it was decided to change up Stratos' traditional red and blue color scheme to blue/gray and yellow? Otherwise, he'd look even more like Falcon/ Captain America. Stratos also has more of a personality here, too. He has loads of personality. Voiced by Zeno Robinson, King Stratos is definitely cocky and full of himself. Seriously, between Stratos, Ash Williams, and Gilderoy Lockhart, you'd have a tough time deciding who has the biggest ego. Stratos, like Ash, can definitely backup most of his bragging, though, which makes him quite comical while also being a solid new ally for the Masters of the Universe/ Heroic Warriors. I received the 8.5 inch figure of Stratos over the weekend so let's take a look at one of the newest Masters of the Universe toys out there....

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Action Figure Review: Scarlet Witch from Marvel Legends Retro Collection by Hasbro

 
   
   With the recent price jumps in Marvel Legends figures I've definitely found myself being much more selective in what I purchase. While I did preorder her for the $22.99 price point of last year's price hike, I imagine this updated version of the Scarlet Witch, AKA Wanda Maximoff, would have made it into my collection regardless. I missed out on the "Family Matters" set of Magneto, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver from a couple years back and while I've managed to acquire Magneto, Wanda and Pietro have been outside of my preferred price range. I've still been using the 2015 Marvel Legends: Infinite Series Scarlet Witch in my Avengers display but now I'm finally able to move her to my X-Men villains shelf and add this new and improved version of Wanda to the Avengers. She's part of the Marvel Legends Retro Collection line which features packaging based on the 1990 Toy Biz Marvel Superheroes line. I had a few of these as a kid to mix in with my X-Menand X-Force toys but it's interesting to note that Scarlet Witch never appeared in that series. Toy Biz didn't even release a Scarlet Witch until 1997's Avenger's toyline. Still, this is a fun line that's kind of a "greatest hits" line and since I prefer the classic looking Marvel figures the best it's a hit with me. Let's check out this new and improved version of Scarlet Witch after the break...

Monday, March 14, 2022

Action Figure Review: He-Man (Grayskull Armor) from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 
   I've not watched through two episodes of season 2 of Netflix's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and I'm really enjoying it. It's fun and quite different while still having the MOTU spirit to it. The show has been overall quite strong while the accompanying toyline has been a bit mixed. I've reviewed pretty much everything from the show so far (all the links are at the bottom of this review) but today I'm checking out the first of what appears to be a new deluxe range of products. These figures are the same scale as the standard 5.5 inch figures but they have a bit more articulation, better paint, and might be a bit more detailed. I haven't found Beast Man yet but I did get my hands on the simply named He-Man. The package just calls him He-Man but many e-tailers have him listed as He-Man (Grayskull Armor), so I'm using that to differentiate him from the standard release from last year. So far in the series I haven't came across this variant yet but there is an image of King Grayskull wearing this armor, so it makes sense that He-Man might get it as some point. This version of He-Man is more dressed than any He-Man before which makes him pretty unique. Let's take a look at this version of the Most Power Man in the Universe after the break...

Sunday, March 13, 2022

Action Figure Review: Flying Fists He-Man from Masters of the Universe Origins by Mattel

 


   Just a little under two years ago I reviewed the vintage Flying Fists He-Man. I never owned him as a kid so it was interesting to get my hands on one, though after having him I was a bit disappointed. While he's shiny and gimmicky, the proportions are weird and the figure just doesn't appeal to me the way most other vintage He-Man variants do. Mattel is revisiting the vintage He-Man and Skeletor variants in Masters of the Universe Origins and this year they've released modern updates of both Flying Fists He-Man and Terror Claws Skeletor. I still haven't found Terror Claws Skeletor but I did manage to get my hands on Flying Fists He-Man and I have to say that he's a real improvement over the vintage toy. The proportions are better and the awkwardness of the vintage toy's neck and torso are largely remedied. While I really want Mattel to focus on getting more unique figures out in this line rather than continuing to revisit the same characters, I can understand that they want to keep He-Man and Skeletor on shelves. Let's take a look at Flying Fists He-Man and see how he turned out after the break...

Saturday, March 12, 2022

Action Figure Review: Ram Ma'am from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel



   I'm really excited to check out Ram Ma'am from the Netflix animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe today as she might be my favorite character on the show so far. Remember that in this iteration of MOTU the heroes (and villains) can transform, so Ram Ma'am is the powered up version of Krass, a young woman who is part of the Tiger Tribe and best friends with Adam. In this series, Krass/ Ram Ma'am borrows elements of both the classic version of Teela and Ram Man to craft a new character. So.. for classification purposes should I lump Ram Ma'am with Ram Man? They both do have the first same name. Krass was also the name given to Ram Man in the Masters of the Universe Classics bios. When I rang her up at the Walmart I found her at her name also popped up in the system as Ram Man. Weird, huh? Should I classify her along with Ram Man as different versions of the same character or is she unique enough to warrant standing on her own? Since I placed Anti-Eternia He-Man in my He-Man/ Prince Adam archives, I think I'll do the same with her and Ram Man. You know, unless we learn that her deceased father was called Ram Man or something. Then who knows what I'll do. Let's just jump in and check out this pretty cool figure after the break...

Friday, March 11, 2022

Action Figure Review: Casey Jones from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimates by Super7

 

   I was super into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by 1989 and I still remember going to the store with my dad and finding some of the series 2 figures at a Venture. Remember those? Anyways, I can't remember who else I got on that trip (maybe Baxter Stockman and Leatherhead?) but I definitely picked up Casey Jones. He's always been one of my favorites, even before the 1990 film. Of course, the 1990 film just made him cooler. Back in 2020 I picked up series 1 of Super7's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line and while I liked them, I ended up selling off most of series 1, only keeping Raphael. Recently I decided to get back into the line a little, only picking up a figure here and there. Casey Jones was one I just didn't want to miss so I snapped him up. These have been easier to come by from e-tailers than many of Super7's other Ultimates lines and it seems like they're doing reruns of the earlier figures, too. That's pretty cool. Basically every company on the planet is releasing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures right now but I'm really drawn to Super7's vintage toy accurate designs. They're big, bold, and colorful. Let's take a look at this vintage toy inspired Casey Jones after the break...

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Action Figure Review: Trap Jaw and Cycle from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

   I've reviewed some really cool He-Man and the Masters of the Universe figures from the new Netflix cartoon over the past week or two like Man-E-Faces, Sorceress, and Battle Cat, but today I'm looking at one that's less than impressive: Trap Jaw and cycle. Where to start? Mattel has already made a few of these figure and vehicle/ motorcycle sets for the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe line and they're clearly targeted at younger kids. The figures are repaints (I reviewed the standard Trap Jaw last year) and they're simpler repaints with some so-so vehicles. A green Trap Jaw is a fine variant thanks to the character's classic minicomic appearance but this guy is lacking some paint apps and comes with the generically named cycle. Mattel honestly couldn't come up with a name for this vehicle? Just cycle? Seriously, that's so lazy! In the grand tradition of MOTU vehicles we have the Spitbull, Land Shark, Wind Raider, Terroclaw, Dragon Walker, Bashasaurus, Bashin' Beetle, Terrordactyl, War Whale, and....Cycle? Oh my gosh. There's some really cool stuff in this line but there's also some laziness. Let's take a look at a good example of both after the break...

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Action Figure Review: Man-E-Faces from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

   I haven't gotten the chance to watch any of the new episodes of the Netflix He-Man and the Masters of the Universe yet but I have found quite a few of the new figures recently. Man-E-Faces didn't appear in season 1 but shows up in season 2 voiced by Stephen Fry. I'm pretty excited to see his appearance. I still believe that Man-E-Faces is one of the greatest MOTU characters and vintage figures just because of how unusual and cool his action feature is. What a concept, right? This figure definitely has a different outfit but the colors are similar to the vintage toy and the action feature is still present. Ready to see how this human...robot...monster translated in this new line? Let's check him out after the break...

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Action Figure Review: Doctor Strange from Marvel Legends Series: Doctor Strange by Hasbro

 

  I've probably mentioned it a few times before but other than characters/ figures I just find cool and classic X-Men, the focus of my Marvel Legends collection is comic book versions of characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hasbro has definitely been doing a great job with the live action MCU figures and while I definitely pick some up here and there, I prefer the comic versions. Usually in the most classic outfit I can get for the character, too. For quite some time my default Doctor Strange has been the 2015 Marvel Now! Doctor Strange, so I've anxiously been waiting for a classic update. I'm pretty sure the last classic Strange was released by Toy Biz, so it's been a minute. The version I'm reviewing today is a Walmart exclusive that went up for preorder in October and, from what I'm hearing, it's supposedly only going to be an online exclusive. It was delivered to me at the end of last week and I'm really excited to add this guy to my shelf. When he went up for preorder for $26.49 a lot of folks were surprised at the price hike. It's still high but the set does come with multiple portraits. Is he enough to qualify as a deluxe figure? I'm not sure, but he's better than most other recent releases. Let's take a look at Doctor Strange, the Master of the Mystic Arts and Sorcerer Supreme, after the break...

Monday, March 7, 2022

Action Figure Review: Tri-Klops from Masterverse/ Masters of the Universe: Revelation by Mattel

 
   I haven't reviewed a new Masterverse figure since last year! There hasn't really been anything new out for the line but sometime in February it seems like Tri-Klops started showing up in stores and I managed to get a hold of one. This version of Tri-Klops is based on his appearance in last year's Masters of the Universe: Revelation and features Tri-Klops with two outfits: His classic green armor and his ceremonial robes from the Motherboard cult. MOTU: Revelation gave most characters two different appearances (some had far more) so it's kind of cool that this deluxe Tri-Klops features both of his looks in one package. I'm really curious to see if MOTU: Revelation continues. While there are still a few MOTU: Revelation based figures scheduled for Masterverse (Trap Jaw, "classic" Teela, Mer-Man, and King Grayskull), there are also a number of figures from other areas of MOTU scheduled and rumored for the line. Let's take a look at Tri-Klops after the break and see how this version of the Evil Master who sees everything turned out...

Sunday, March 6, 2022

Action Figure Review: Amari from Final Faction by Greenbrier International



 There are new Final Faction figures and accessory packs hitting store shelves right now and I managed to find the two newest members of Alpha Team 1 on Wednesday! Let's start things off by taking a look at Amari, the Combat Specialist. While Final Faction is a budget line sold through Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores, it's also a really fun, creative line that earned a spot on my Top 10 Toylines of 2021 list. There are currently three new Alpha Team 1 members hitting store shelves as well as 2 more Kharn villains and 6 new accessory packs. Yes, Dollar Tree did just raise their prices to $1.25 but it isn't stopping me from picking these cool little figures up. Amari is a warrior from New York City who goes after the Kharn with whatever weapons she can find, particularly her beloved spiked baseball bat, Slugger. Ready for another dollar store deal? Then check this one out after the break...

Saturday, March 5, 2022

Adora's Royal Squad



 Here's a guest post from my assistant, Adora, AKA Umbreon 13! She's going to be recording some adventures with her Eevee/ Pokemon collection here.


Adora : I was going for a royal look where the queen is up at the top and all her servants are in front of her. At the very bottom you can see the giant Charizard Pop!. I wanted him down their along with Flareon and my stuffed dragon, Lava. I didn't want Charizard in between Flareon and Lava because it would be hard to get my huge Eevee in there but they were still connected.

 The second thing I want to talk about is the Eevees closer to the queen Eevee.  On the right there is Umbreon, Vaporeon , Sylveon and Leafeon who you can barely see cause she's small.  On the left there is Glaceon and Jolteon.

 And last but not least there is Evoli / the queen Eevee.  Evoli is French for Eevee. I call her that because she can say "eva" in French and English and apparently she's rare.  If you look closely you can see a Pigeotto POP! underneat so she can be tall, and above that is a the bottom part of a cardboard bed I made that accidentally got separated from the rest of the bed.    ~ Adora 

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


   Let's check out the last of the three figures from the newest series of Spider-Man Marvel Legends Retro Collection figures I picked up a month or so back: Symbiote Spider-Man! Spider-Man's black symbiote suit is one of the most iconic "alternate" looks for a comic book character and a popular go to variant for Spider-Man action figures. Hasbro has released this look plenty of times but this version is on a fantastically articulated body and is part of the retro Collection line, so it has the spiffy keen retro card based on the 1990s Spider-Man: The Animated Series toyline. Interestingly, it seems that the fan response at the time Spider-Man found this costume in 1984 during the eighth issue of Secret Wars (it appeared a bit earlier in the Amazing Spider-Man #252) was pretty negatives. Fans hated it! The symbiote storyline was created to give a reason for Spidey to get rid of the costume but by that point fans loved the look. Crazy, huh? How long until you think Tom Holland's Peter Parker gets a symbiote suit in the MCU? Let's take a look at another version of Spider-Man after the break...

Friday, March 4, 2022

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

 


   Let's look at the Shocker, another figure from the relatively recent Spider-Man focused Marvel Legends Retro Collection. I found the Shocker at the same time as I found Hobgoblin and black suit Spider-Man (a review is coming for him) and so I was able to grab all three figures I wanted from the set at the same time. The Shocker, AKA Herman Schultz, doesn't use electricity; that's Electro's gig. Instead, he uses compressed air to create vibrational shock waves generated by his gauntlets. That's why he wears the padded, quilted suit: To protect himself from the shock waves. Hasbro released the Shocker in Marvel Legends previously back in 2017's Sandman BAF series and Toy Biz released him in the Amazing Spider-Man line that ran concurrent with Marvel Legends in the early/mid 2000s. This is a very classic take on the character and it seems like a figure a lot of Spidey fans were hoping for. Let's take a look at Shocker after the break...

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Action Figure Review: Princess Leia Organa (Yavin 4) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 



   For years my absolutely favorite Princess Leia Organa figure was the Power of the Force 2 Yavin 4 version of Princess Leia from the Princess Leia Collection. I loved that figure as a kid and it's one of my favorite Princess Leia outfits in Star Wars. Not only is that scene one of the best, most emotional scenes in all of the Star Wars saga but Carrie Fisher is absolutely radiant in it. I passed on the Flashback/ Retro carded version of this figure last year, opting to wait for the standard release. Well, here she is! I'm always excited to have a new version of the main Star Wars cast, especially when it covers a major costume variant from the Original Trilogy. Let's take a look at Princess Leia Organa (Yavin 4) after the break...

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

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

  




   Since the next season of Netflix's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is scheduled for release tomorrow I thought I'd check out another figure from Mattel's toyline based on the series. Today I'm excited to check out Sorceress from the 5.5 inch line. This isn't the Sorceress, Teela-Na, however; instead this is Teela in her powered up form. I think I've stated this in most of my reviews for this series but I'll say it again: In this show, all of the characters are able to draw upon the Power of Grayskull to transform. Adam becomes He-Man, Cringer becomes Battle Cat, Krass becomes Ram Ma'am, Duncan becomes Man-At-Arms, and Teela becomes Sorceress. There is a more mature classic Sorceress-like character in the show but her name is Eldress. She resembles an older Teela and is voiced by the same voice actress, however (Kimberly Brooks) so perhaps there is a connection between the two? We'll have to see. Sorceress seemed to leak out at the end of last year but I didn't manage to get her until a week or two ago, and I imagine most of you haven't found her yet, either. Let's take a look at Teela as Sorceress after the break...

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Action Figure Review: Ponda Baba from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 



      There are Star Wars characters that we love because they're amazing characters and then Star Wars characters we love because they're so odd and memorable. Ponda Baba is one of those characters whose onscreen appearance is brief but extremely memorable and I've always loved the guy. He represents the world of danger that Luke Skywalker is stepping into, a world where simply walking up to the bat at Chalmun's Cantina for a drink can quickly escalate into a life or death encounter. Ponda Baba, AKA Walrusman, is a figure I've been eagerly anticipating in the Black Series for years but now that I have him in hand I'm kind of disappointed. It's no secret that Hasbro has been raising prices on their figures over the past 6 months or so with more price hikes to follow and while some of their figures continue to improve in quality, others have really been dropping lately. Ponda Baba, it turns out, is mostly a reused Luke Skywalker (Yavin Ceremony) with a new head and hands. That's kind of weird, right? Listen, I understand that reuse is pretty significant in a number of toylines (I mean, Masters of the Universe is my favorite property and that line is built on reuse) but for a line like Star Wars: The Black Series, it needs to make sense. I'm OK with something like an Imperial Officer maybe sharing a body with another officer or an EU character with some creative parts mixing, but Ponda Baba just looks off. Let's take a look after the break and hopefully you'll see what I mean....