Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Action Figure Review: Toad from Marvel Legends: 20th Anniversary Series by Hasbro

 

   I have a bunch of Marvel Legends to review to wrap up the year but since Toad is one of the extra special Marvel Legends: 20th Anniversary Series figures, I'll start with him. Yes, the rumors are true: Toad was indeed one of the original four Marvel Legends figures released by Toy Biz back in 2002. He wasn't originally intended for Marvel Legends, and thus he looked and was articulated quite differently from the other three figures in the first series (Cap, Hulk, and Iron Man). Instead, he was supposed to be part of a 2 pack with a movie version of Toad from the X-Men film. Toy Biz definitely moved figures around and reused things a lot, so Toad added an already designed villain figure with a recent bit of gained popularity into the line. Now, 20 years later, Hasbro has gone back and finally introduced a well articulated Toad figure into the line. It's kind of weird that Toad came out a few months later rather than shipping with the other figures, but they didn't exactly all ship together, either. Over the past 8 or so years Hasbro has really been filling in the X-Men roster and Toad has definitely been overdue for a modern release. Ready to see if this one is worth picking up? Then join me for a look at Toad (with no "struck by lightning" jokes after the break...



Monday, November 28, 2022

Minifigure Review: Orko from World's Smallest: Masters of the Universe by Super Impulse

 

   I'm not going to check out all of the figures from series 2 of Super Impulse's World's Smallest Masters of the Universe as there are quite a few repaints (a translucent green Slime Pit He-Man, a Green Goddess Teela, and the dark blue and black Leo Skeletor), but I wanted to hit the new stuff and, after Castle Grayskull, the next most exciting release is Orko. I'm always happy to see Orko show up and he's a cute little addition to this line. He's really small, definitely smaller than the regular figures, but he's nice and colorful and really stands out. Ready to check out a super tiny version of Orko? Then let's check out the World's Smallest Orko after the break...




Sunday, November 27, 2022

Minifigure Review: Castle Grayskull from World's Smallest: Masters of the Universe by Super Impulse

 

   Castle Grayskull is perhaps the most recognizable action figure playset of all time and now it's also one of the smallest. This year Super Impulse toys has released a new series of World's Smallest Masters of the Universe toys and Castle Grayskull is the most interesting of the releases. It's a pretty faithful recreation of the classic 1982 playset that's only a little more than 2 inches tall. The World's Smallest brand has put out some pretty neat stuff but this one definitely is one of the coolest releases they've done. For my next mini marathon of releases I'm going to be checking out series 2 of the World's Smallest Masters of the Universe, beginning with Castle Grayskull. Ready to venture into this ancient fortress of mystery and power? Then join me after the break...




Saturday, November 26, 2022

Action Figure Review: Scarabs from Action Force by Valaverse

 


   Would you believe it's been over two months since I got this Scarabs figure for my birthday? I received four Action Force figures for my birthday (Duster, Desert Rat, the Garrison Cavalry, and the Scarabs) and it's take me over two months to review them all. What can I say? I've been kind of busy. Today I'm taking a look at the Scarabs. Well, the package says Scarabs, but I'm pretty sure the singular troop is referred to as a Scarab, so I'm calling him a Scarab. Anyways, he's the first member of the SWARM, a mysterious and sinister faction that provides security to the states unaffiliated with New Colonia in the Action Force story. While the SWARM troopers strike from the air, the Scarabs are the ground forces for the SWARM. This guy's a pretty interesting figure and I'm excited to have him. He's definitely more futuristic and a bit more fantastical than the other Action Force figures I've reviewed, so how does he compare? Let's find out after the break...



Thursday, November 24, 2022

Toy Review: Remarkable Ancient Machine/ 3 in 1 Medieval Weapon #30001 from Civiization: Medieval Times by JMBricklayer

 
  
   Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Today I've got a review of a very cool building brick set that's a veritable buffet of medieval weaponry. The good folks at JMBricklayer sent me this set to review and I have to say that it's a pretty fantastic one. The set is called "Remarkable Ancient Machine/ 3 in 1 Medieval Weapon #30001 and it's a really cool set that features the parts to build any one of three medieval siege weapons: Either a catapult, a bombard, or a ballista. This is a very high quality set that uses a lot of pin and rail pieces to create some interesting brick built devices. They also work, too. The catapult launches and the bombard and ballista fire projectiles, all with the use of clever engineering and various rubber bands. This is a very different set from what I typically build and I had a lot of fun with it. I never got much into the Lego Technic stuff as a kid, so this was a fun introduction to that unique style of building that's a bit more akin to something like an Erector set than a traditional brick built set. The set also scales really with action figures, so I've included a few shots of the set with some G.I. Joe Classified Series figures or Masters of the Universe Origins to give you an idea of the scale.

   If you dig the set, it's actually on sale today through Monday 11/24 for 30% off on Amazon (use discount code VIPJMB30) or on JMBricklayer's own website. You can also order any other sets that aren't already on sale through their at 15 % off store using my special discount code VIPJerry15%. That's good through the end of 2022, so use it for all of your holiday shopping needs. Just tell them your old pal Barbecue17 sent you!

Now, let's check out this Remarkable Ancient Machine after the break...




Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Action Figure Review: Battle Armor He-Man from Masterverse: Masters of the Universe New Eternia by Mattel

 



   Today's the last day of this Masterverse mini marathon and I'm actually wrapping things up with what might be my favorite Masterverse figure of the year: The New Eternia Battle Armor He-Man. I'm a big fan of the New Eternia style, I've always loved Battle Armor He-Man, and I really dig the barbarian/ fantasy aspect of Masters of the Universe, so a bearded, Battle Armor He-Man just checks all of the boxes for me. The pack of the package describes this figure as General Adam in his powerful Battle Armor on a quest to find the Isle of Grayskull and the legendary Power Sword. Once he has the sword, he can finally change into He-Man. Interesting concept. So maybe this really isn't a powered up He-Man, but General Adam armed and ready for battle? Or is this him after finally finding the Power Sword? I'm digging this slightly changed version of the MOTU story and I'm absolutely loving this figure. Let's check out Battle Armor He-Man after the break...



Monday, November 21, 2022

Action Figure Review: Catra from Materverse: Princess of Power by Mattel

 

   I feel like having a new Catra figure in the Masterverse: Princess of Power subset is a fairly big deal. Yeah, it's always great to have She-Ra, and Hordak always gets made, but Catra? That's kind of a big deal. Catra was a star in the vintage Princess of Power line and she also had figures in Mattel's and Super7's "She-Ra and the Princesses of Power" lines, but the only other time Catra was released in a Masters of the Universe line was in MOTU Classics back in 2011. It's about time, right? Here's hoping we continue to get more of the Princess of Power cast! Catra definitely received a huge boost in popularity through the Netflix She-Ra series (where she was an actual cat person) and, while I do hope we see her and some other characters from that show in Masterverse at some point, it's very welcome to have the original Catra back in action. Let's take a look at Catra, the next figure in this Masterverse mini-marathon, after the break...


Friday, November 18, 2022

Action Figure Review: Jitsu from Masterverse: New Eternia by Mattel



    For me, the New Eternia subset has been the most exciting of the Masterverse subsets because it's definitely doing some unique things with the classic Masters if the Universe characters. There haven't been many New Eternia figures released yet but getting Jitsu so early in the subset was a cool surprise. Jitsu's a character figure that everyone remembers due to his figure but that never seems to get any attention in MOTU media. It sounds like New Eternia is going to end up having a comic book tie-in, which should be interesting as there seem to be a number of changes to the mythos. For instance, the back of Jitsu's packaging tells us that he's now allied with He-Man. The packaging states: "Rescued from Point Dread Prison by Prince Adam to aid in the search for the Isle of Grayskull, Jitsu – the mysterious man from Gretori – knows more about the legends than anyone in Eternos. Mistrusted as a thief, the master of Martial Arts shows his true colors, aligning with He-Man in the fight to protect Eternia and the Universe."

   A heroic Jitsu, huh? I can dig it. Fisto actually had some villainous origins in some of his appearances, too, so maybe these guys will swap? This Jitsu figure can still function as a great "vintage" faithful stand in for your collection but he can also be spiced up with some new details to stand out on your shelf. Let's check out Jitsu after the break...

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Action Figure Review: She-Ra from Masterverse: Princess of Power by Mattel

 



   Next up on this Masterverse marathon is the Princess of Power herself, She-Ra! There has been a rather decent stream of She-Ra merchandise over the past few years or so but this deluxe set was one of my most anticipated items. Besides being a 7 inch scaled Masterverse She-Ra figure, this deluxe package seemed like it would nicely allow for some customization in creating a couple different looks for Adora. I was really excited to stumble upon both her and Hordak at a Target at the beginning of October as it's been a while since I found new Masterverse figures in a store (I actually pulled these two out of sealed cases sitting on a cart). Since Princess of Power seems to be getting an ongoing subset in Masterverse, you'll definitely want a She-Ra to rally her allies and lead the charge against her enemies. How did she turn out? Find out after the break...



Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Action Figure Review: Hordak from Masterverse: Princess of Power by Mattel



   My Masterverse miniseries continues with my first look at a figure from the Princess of Power subset in Masterverse: Hordak! While Mattel did release a rather small line of 12 inch dolls/ figures for Netflix's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and a few one-off convention exclusives, it really hasn't been since the Masters of the Universe Classics era that She-Ra: Princess of Power got much attention. Yeah, Hordak and the Horde almost always make it into MOTU lines, but so far the Princess of Power subset for Princess of Power has She-Ra, Hordak, and Catra available with Frosta and Shadow Weaver coming. That's a decent start towards a respectable PoP line and I'm hoping it carries on. This Hordak, clearly inspired by a few different media sources, is packed with accessories, thus he's sold at a deluxe price. Is he worth picking up? Let's find out after the break...

 

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Action Figure Review: He-Man Vs. Skeletor: 40th Anniversary from Masterverse by Mattel

 

   Since November is going to be groups of reviews (miniseries, if you will), the next stream of reviews will be covering Mattel's Masterverse line. Masterverse has gotten really interesting this year with figures from multiple different areas of Masters of the Universe including MOTU Revelation, Princess of Power, the concept art inspired New Eternia, and some figures celebrating the original vintage line. Today I'm kicking things off with a review of the He-Man Vs. Skeletor 40th Anniversary set, a 2-pack that went up for preorder on Mattel Creations in July during SDCC 2022 and which I received in the mail at the end of September. This two-pack features a classic He-Man and Skeletor in the Masterverse scale and style with diecast metal weapons. It's honestly a pretty impressive set and while there is a single carded 40th Anniversary He-Man out there, I opted for this one since diecast metal weapons for He-Man are pretty darn cool. There have been many 2-packs featuring He-Man and Skeletor, and while Skeletor said "Let this be our final battle!" in the 1987 movie, it absolutely was not; these two are never going to stop battling. It's pretty wild that we're living in a time when MOTU is pretty popular again, and I'd argue the popularity of MOTU right now is second only to its popularity back in it's heyday of 1983-1985. Ready to take a look at one of Mattel's many celebratory tributes to the Most Powerful Man in the Universe and the Evil Lord of Destruction? Then let's check out this He-Man Vs. Skeletor 40th Anniversary set after the break...



Saturday, November 12, 2022

Action Figure Review: Saw Gerrera from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro




   Since I'm using November to do some review miniseries, it's time to look back at another Star Wars: The Black Series action figure I received for my birthday way back in September but just haven't gotten around to reviewing yet: Saw Gerrera. Saw is the only Black Series figure I have sitting in my queue, so he's flying solo instead of being part of a miniseries. While it's been sometime since Hasbro has released any Sequel Trilogy based figures (other than repaints in the Christmas/ Holiday series) they have been slowly yet steadily getting around to Rogue One characters that were missed the first time and redoing the main cast with the photo-real face printing. After last year's release of Bodhi Rook, the next most anticipated figure from Rogue One had to be Saw Gerrera, right? Well, we got him this year (along with Galen Erso and Anton Merrick) Besides being pretty memorable in Rogue One (as played by Forest Whitaker), he's also a beloved Clone Wars character from a very memorable story arc and has continued to show up in shows like Rebels and Andor. Saw Gerrera has one of the most elaborate outfits of any Star Wars character that I can think of and, honestly, he does kind of feel more worthy of the "deluxe" treatment than so many of the other figures Hasbro has been releasing as deluxe releases. I've really been cutting back on my Black Series purchases due to the price hikes and the release of fewer characters I really want, but Saw Gerrera definitely made the cut. Let's take a look at Saw Gerrera after the break...


Friday, November 11, 2022

Action Figure Review: Stuart "Outback" Selkirk from G.I. Joe Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   For the last figure in my G.I. Joe Classified Series miniseries I've got another extremely new release: The Target exclusive Tiger Force Stuart "Outback" Selkirk. It's interesting that we're getting the variant version of Outback before the standard version, but since Target is now focusing on a Tiger Force/ Python Patrol theme it makes sense. Outback is probably recognizable to most G.I. Joe A Real American Hero fans as a red headed, white t-shirt wearing, Chuck Norris looking guy, but this version is based off of the Tiger Force version of Outback that wasn't released in the US but in Europe and Brazil. Tiger Force Outback was released in Europe in 1991 and then in Brazil in 1993 as Forasteiro. He definitely developed a bit of a cult following due to his kind of silly tiger T-shirt, and ended up getting a modern release in the fourth series of the G.I. Joe Collector's Club Figure Subscription Service. Now he's in the Classified Series and, in my opinion, he's never looked better. Let's take a look at the Tiger Force version of Stuard "Outback" Selkirk after the break...




Thursday, November 10, 2022

Action Figure Barbecue: Sgt. Slaughter from G.I. Joe Classified Series by Hasbro


 


   Sgt. Slaughter's appearance as the spokesman for the G.I. Joe brand was a pretty big deal in the 1980s. During that era Sgt. Slaughter was one of the most recognizable wrestlers in the world and his gimmick of a tough as nails drill Marine Corps drill instructor fit in perfectly with G.I. Joe. I'm not going to say I was shocked when Hasbro revealed a Classified Series Sgt. Slaughter but I was a bit surprised, especially coming so closely after the Valaverse Action Force Sgt. Slaughter figures. I tend to feel the two lines complement each other, but when you hop on social media or various forums you'll find there is often a pretty harsh rivalry between the two brands. The release of the Classified Series Sgt. Slaughter definitely really is causing some debate. While both based on Sgt. Slaughter, the two figures are fairly different with the Action Force figure representing a contemporary version of the Sarge and the Classified Series figure representing Sarge in his prime as part of the Joe team. I believe this figure is a Fan Channel exclusive, so look for it from select e-tailers and places like GameStop. Let's take a look and see if Hasbro's Sgt. Slaughter outworks the Action Force Sgt. Slaughter...




Tuesday, November 8, 2022

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

 



   My G.I. Joe: Classified Series review miniseries continues with a look at another new figure: Kamakura! Kamakura didn't have an action figure in the vintage G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line as his only appearances during the 1980s and 1990s were as a kid in the Marvel comics. Kamakura's real name is Sean and he's the biological son of Fred Broca, the original Cobra Crimson Guardsman. After his death, Fred Broca, was replaced by an identical Crimson Guardsman, Fred II, who stepped into the family. Fred II was actually Wade Collins, an old army buddy of Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, and Stalker. Fred II/ Wade got out of Cobra and raised Sean as his own. During the Devil's Due G.I. Joe relaunch of comics Sean Collins was reintroduced as Kamakura, an apprentice of Snake Eyes and a new ninja for the Joe team. Kamakura has received a number of figures since his 2003 action figure debut, many from the Sigma 6 line where he was a major part of the team. I'm glad to see Hasbro pulling from multiple eras of G.I. Joe in the Classified Series and Kamakura is a great choice. He's an Amazon exclusive (who's currently not even listed on the site) and, oddly, a deluxe release. Why is he deluxe? Well, he does have two portraits, but it's probably because of the extra weapons Hasbro included with him. They're not unique, though, and he doesn't have storage for most of them (holsters, sheathes, etc.), so it feels like he just has a bunch of extra stuff. Is he worth tracking down? Let's find out after the break...





Monday, November 7, 2022

Action Figure Review: Cobra Viper Officer & Vipers from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

 

   There have been quite a few G.I. Joe Classified Series releases lately, so I'm currently in the middle of a review miniseries. Today I'm checking out the Cobra Viper Officer & Vipers 3-pack, a set of Cobra Vipers with multiple rifles and firing effects. While there were multiple Viper figures released in the vintage A Real American Hero line, the idea of a Viper Officer didn't really appear until 1998 with the release of the Toys R Us exclusive Cobra Infantry Team, a set consisting of two Cobra Troopers and a Cobra Officer. Most of the parts used were from the 1986 Viper figure, so this set seemed more like a set of Cobra Vipers than just standard Cobra Troopers. That's what this set makes me think of though this set is streets ahead of the 1998 set (which I think I still may own). It's also much pricier, though, with a noticeably higher price tag for three figures (almost $30 bucks each). All three figures do have something that sets them apart though; the Cobra Viper Officer obviously has a radically different color scheme but each figure also has a different skin tone, noticeable under their bandanna. It actually took me over a week to realize that! With five different rifles, three pistols, a suppressor, and multiple firing effects, this set really is a lot of fun to play around with. I've been messing with it non-stop since I picked it up. Is it worthy of your attention? Stay tuned and find out after the break...




Wednesday, November 2, 2022

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

 

   We're approaching the end of 2022 and with lots of new stuff showing up combined with a bit of a back log from the last month or two, I'm going to spend most of November doing some review miniseries, starting with the G.I. Joe Classified Series. I've got a few items to review from the line that have shown up over the last month such as the Cobra Viper 3-pack and Kamakura. but first I'll start things off with a look at the retro version of the Baroness. Exclusive to Walmart, this version of Baroness comes on a classic styled blister card (kind of like the Marvel Legends Retro Collection figures or the Star Wars Black Credit Collection line) and is a repaint of the Cobra Island Baroness that came with the Cobra C.O.I.L. back in 2020. I thought that was a pretty fine "classic" version of the Baroness herself and I was really looking forward to the version shown in promotional art that seemed to have some purple in her hair, but that one never came out. I honestly wasn't planning to pick this one up at first but I ended up running across one in store and decided grab her to, at the least, use with the helmeted portrait from the Cobra Island Baroness. While retro Gung-Ho is pretty much a new figure and the retro Lady Jaye has enough new elements to warrant a second purchase, the Baroness feels like a less interesting version of a solid figure. Let's take a look at this retro version of the Baroness after the break...