Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Action Figure Review: The Flash Jay Garrick (Jay Garrick: The Flash Age) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   
   I've mentioned before that I've never really kept up with the Flash in comics. I'm always happy to see him show up in team books, crossovers, or in Batman centric stories, but the Flash in all of his various incarnations (because there are so many different versions of the Flash) just isn't a part of the DC Universe I've actively kept up with. Now, that being said, I've always just liked the Flash, particularly due to his costume. I also have a real love of the truly classic looks for most superheroes, so this Golden Age inspired take on Jay Garrick, the original Flash, definitely caught my attention. I'm pretty sure I never picked up Jay Garrick in the DC Universe Classics spin-off DC Universe Signature Collection, so this seemed like a nice way to add this vintage Justice Society of America figure to the shelf. The figure is attributed to "Jay Garrick: The Flash Age" which I assume is part of the ongoing Flash series' vol 14: "The Flash Age" storyline. I think it might specifically be based on a story appearing in issue #750 of The Flash. This is just a great, classic take on the Flash, however, so let's check him out after the break...



Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Action Figure Review: He-Man from Masterverse/ He-Man by Mattel

 


   Another area of the Masterverse is now opened up with the release of Galactic Protector He-Man from the 1989 He-Man toyline. Recent reveals show that this New Adventures version of He-Man isn't going to have to hang out on his own; he'll have Skeletor and Slush Head to battle against, too. While I'm not overly fond of the Jetlag animated series, I love the 1989 He-Man line and I'm glad Mattel has brought it in to Masterverse. This guy is a Target exclusive and is still available to order online as of this writing. Ready to check out He-Man in space? Then join me after the break...

Friday, March 24, 2023

Action Figure Review: Aquaman from DC Page Punchers by McFarlane Toys/ DC Direct

 

   Earlier this week I ran in a Walmart and stumbled upon this lone Aquaman figure from the newest series of DC Page Punchers. I'm not sure where the rest of the case went (did they already sell out?) but I've been wanting an Aquaman for my DC Multiverse Justice League display and this one definitely has been on my radar. I'm really liking the "McFarlane-esque" takes on DC characters found in the Page Punchers series as they're usually kind of their own thing rather than being inspired by a particular, previously existing source. While the previous 7-inch Page Punchers releases have packaged the same comic with all of the figures in the series, this series at least gives each character a unique comic cover. That's kind of a cool middle ground between giving everyone the same cover and making each comic release part of a series. If you just pick up one figure from the series you can still enjoy the story, but if you get them all you've at least got some variant covers. Let's take a look at Aquaman after the break and see if this figure sinks or swims...


Thursday, March 23, 2023

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

 


   I love the fact that Mattel is still supporting Masters of the Universe: Revelation. While Masterverse keeps expanding and growing, it's just cool to see Mattel still support a pretty solid piece of Masters of the Universe media, and it looks like the support will continue as Mattel has shown off more Revelation figures like Horde Skeletor, Clamp Champ, and Prince Adam. It doesn't hurt that most of the Revelation designs were pretty faithful to the vintage looks, so this is also a fairly classic looking Sorceress figure. Her outfit is a bit different than previous versions simply because she is wearing a longer robe rather than a one-piece deal with exposed legs, but overall the colors and design are pretty in-line with what you'd expect from the Sorceress. Ready to see if this figure has the magic? Then keep reading after the break...



Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Action Figure Review: Earth -2 Batman (Batman: Arkham Knight) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   Last week I had one of those crazy toy runs that we often only dream about. I was alerted that a GameStop near me was getting in a bunch of new stuff and when I went in as the store opened I was greeted with a bunch of new DC Multiverse figures from McFarlane Toys. Not only did I have first dibs on most of the new releases but GameStop was running a 25% off of McFarlane Toys releases last week, too, so I got a heck of a nice deal. Today I'm going to check out the first of the new figures I picked up on that toy run: Earth-2 Batman from Batman: Arkham Knight. There have been many different incarnations of Earth-2/ Earth-Two/ Earth 2/ Earth Two over the years but this figure is based on the Flashpoint version where Dr. Thomas Wayne becomes Batman after the death of a young Bruce at the hands of Joe Chill. And this particular version of Thomas Wayne as Batman? It's based on one of the downloadable alternate costumes for Batman in the 2015 videogame Batman: Arkham Knight. As far as I'm aware, though, this is a unique sculpt; it's definitely not a repaint of the previous McFarlane Batman: Arkham Knight figure. I love Thomas Wayne's batsuit, particularly due to the red highlights that really stand out and give it a unique feel, and this is the version of it that hasn't appeared in the DC Multiverse line yet. Let's take a look at this take on Earth-2 Batman after the break...




Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Action Figure Review: Pandora from Action Force by Valaverse

 


     Today I'm checking out the third of the Series 3 Action Force figures I picked up and I think this is the one that was the most eagerly anticipated: Pandora. Pandora (real name Miranda Kelly) is a bloodthirsty Irish gangster who looks like she would fit in perfectly with the Dreadnoks. There have been some great villains in Action Force so far and Pandora adds nicely to the colorful roster of characters. There was a blood splattered variant available, too, but I believe that one is long since gone. I opted for the standard version as she just seemed more versatile. Let's take a look at Pandora after the break and see if she's worth adding to the roster...



Sunday, March 19, 2023

Action Figure Review: Batman (Hush) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 


   No one can say that McFarlane hasn't released enough Batman figures in their DC Multiverse line, but they keep putting out awesome figures, people keep buying them, and I keep wanting to add to my collection, so who can blame them, right? Today I'm checking out a recent release in the DC Multiverse line: Batman from Batman: Hush. While one of the major selling points of this line is that most figures feature completely unique sculpts, this figure does borrow the body from last year's Batman Vs Hush 2-pack which used a black and gray suit instead of the blue and gray suit seen here. This one is much more iconic, though, and when I think of Batman: Hush this is this is the suit I think about. Hush is a great story (I'm rereading it right now with my daughter, who has never read it before) but besides that, it's amazing how much of an influence the Jim Lee artwork and the character designs have had on Batman's allies and villains in the years since. I loved DC Direct's Batman: Hush action figure line as it was one of the first times a DC line went so deep in such a short period of time, but those figures definitely are a product of their time and were intended for display rather than play. This version of Batman is absolutely intended for play and posing, though. He's fantastic and one of my favorite Batman action figures ever. Let's check him out after the break...



Friday, March 17, 2023

Action Figure Review: Longshot from Marvel Legends Retro Collection: X-Men by Hasbro



   It's St. Patrick's day, so how about a little luck for you?

   Would you believe that I haven't reviewed a Marvel Legends Series figure since last year? It's true! While Hasbro's Marvel Legends team showed off some cool upcoming things recently, there just hasn't been a lot out there lately that interests me. Pair that with the price increases that have kept me from picking up figures randomly and I've become much more selective with Marvel Legends. I love X-Men characters from the mid 1960 through the mid 1990s, though, and I'm thrilled that Longshot was released as part of the Marvel Legends X-Men Retro Collection. Packaged on a classic Toy Biz inspired card that actually lets you see the product you're buying, Longshot is a slight variant of the figure released last year in the Hasbro Pulse exclusive Mojoworld set. I didn't buy that set as I picked up Mojo separately, already have two versions of Dazzler, and I assumed that Longshot would get rereleased. Ta-da! I never owned the vintage Toy Biz Longshot as a kid, nor any other ones, so this is the first figure of the character I've owned. Let's take a look at Longshot after the break...

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Action Figure Review: Grifter (Infinite Frontier) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   Today I'm checking out another DC Multiverse figure from last year, but it's one that I just picked up recently (and for a good price, too): Grifter. If you're kind of old, like me, you'll remember seeing Grifter in Wildstorm's WildC.A.T.S. series back in the early 1990s. I never read WildC.A.T.S. myself but Grifter was definitely an "it" character that showed up on lots of comic covers, promotional images, and in Wizard magazine all the time. While Jim Lee sold Wildstorm to DC Comics in 1999, Grifter didn't appear in the DC Universe until The New 52 reboot in 2011. I haven't ready many ongoing DC books lately and I haven't ready anything from the Infinite Frontier yet, which is where this figure of Grifter is sourced. He's now a bodyguard for Lucius Fox and a rival to Batman. Crazy, right? I haven't reviewed a ton of DC Multiverse figures yet but this is the first figure I've reviewed that shows a weakness of this line. What is it? Read on and find out after the break... 

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Action Figure Review: Kill-Switch from Action Force by Valaverse

 

   Valaverse continues to put out some amazing stuff and it looks like they have many more cool releases on the way, including some character specific accessory packs and a vehicle. Today I'm looking Kill-Switch, one of the series 3 releases from earlier this year. Series 3 introduced female figures into the Action Force line, so now we can expect a better mix of men and women in future waves. Kill-Switch is a new character created for Valaverse's Action Force. Her real name is Layla Richardson, she's from Bay City, Michigan, and she's an EOD and BUD/S instructor. Well, she was a BUD/S Instructor; now she's member of Action Force. Ready for a look at Kill-Switch? Then join me after the break...



Saturday, March 11, 2023

Action Figure Review: Nekron (Blackest Night) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 



   Today I'm checking out another DC Multiverse Megafig from last year: Nekron! I honestly probably wouldn't have picked up Nekron on his own even though he's a really cool looking figure, but the only way I could manage to get Bane at retail price was by preordering a set and Nekron was the other figure in the case. On second thought, if I had seen Nekron in person and on sale, I probably would have picked him up. While I'm a huge DC fan (mostly because of Batman and everything/ everyone related to him), I really don't care much for the Green Lantern Corps stuff. I like the Green Lanterns just fine as part of a Justice League story, but it's just my least favorite part of the DC Universe. I'm familiar with Blackest Night, though, and that's the story that this figure is "sourced" to in this line. Nekron, the personification of death and ruler of the Land of the Unliving, is a pretty powerful being in the DC Universe and he's been tackled before as an action figure by Mattel in DC Universe Classics (he was a build-a-figure) and by DC Direct in their Blackest Night series. I've never owned those previous figures, but McFarane's looks the most impressive. Let's see how he measures up after the break...



Thursday, March 9, 2023

Action Figure Review: Bane from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 



     During the time when I was most into comic books as a child, Knightfall was an absolute juggernaut of a storyline and I'll still argue it's one of the best Batman stories ever, quite possibly the best. It's long but it consistently delivers and really tells a layered story worth telling. I'm a fan of Bane and it took me longer than I expected to pick up this DC Multiverse Bane from McFarlane Toys. I managed to find a retail priced preorder at Entertainment Earth for a case which contained both Bane and Nekron for less than most folks are currently selling Bane, so I jumped on it. There was already a Last Knight on Earth Bane build a figure and now there's a Dark Knight Rises Bane build-a-figure, but this is the most classic, comic looking Bane yet, and he's pretty nice. Let's check out Bane after the break...

"KRAKT!"




Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Action Figure Review: Cosmic Terror Skeletor from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 


   It's Skeletor in boss form! Masters of the Universe: Revelation gave us Skelegod and the Netflix CG animated He-Man and the Masters of the Universe has given us Cosmic Terror Skeletor. This is a pretty amazing take on Skeletor, who has a pretty fantastic journey during the show. Yeah, there are some really silly parts of the CG series, but there's also some fantastic storytelling and some very respectable character arcs. Even though it seems like the show is probably over, Mattel seems to still be trickling out releases and while I haven't picked up all of them (yet) I definitely made sure to grab this version of Skeletor depicting him after his ghost form has gained the power of King Grayskull. He's big, he's bad, and he's pretty reasonably price. Let's take a look at Cosmic Terror Skeletor after the break...




Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Action Figure Review: Doctor Aphra from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 


   The Marvel Star Wars comics have been pretty consistently good since 2015, adding a lot to the lore and universe. I really wish Hasbro would do a bit more with characters from the current Marvel series (we really need Sanna Starros, Magna Tolvan, Valance, and an updated Qi'ra), though they have released a few figures here and there. Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra is one of my favorite characters from the Marvel run and she's apparently one of Hasbro's, too, as this is the second Doctor Aphra figure they've released in The Black Series. The first was back in 2019 and was actually based on the 2017 Jaina Solo figure. This one is kind of a rework of that first figure, so she shares a lot with Jaina as well, but the addition of a duster and a new color scheme really helps to make her feel unique. The figure is a solid release, though the fan channel price point definitely stings on her. Let's see if you really need another figure of Doctor Aphra after the break...



Saturday, March 4, 2023

Action Figure Review: Courtney "Cover Girl" Krieger from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   For a few years now the G.I. Joe: Classified Series has been my favorite ongoing action figure line with one solid release after another. The most recent series of figures has started showing up, consisting of Cover Girl, Mad Marauders Barbecue, Falcon, Outback, and a Crimson B.A.T. I skipped the B.A.T. for now but I received everyone else in the mail on Thursday. This series is maybe the first that I've felt disappointed in. It's not a terrible series of figures but there are definitely some weak links here. Three of the figures are straight up repaints (Barbecue, B.A.T., and Outback) and the three figures with exposed faces have some weird issues with their headsculpts. It should also be noted that while their have already been a few plastic free packaged releases, this is the first full series to have the plastic free packaging, a fact that makes the flawed faces seem particularly egregious. I'm starting things off with Courtney "Cover Girl" Krieger as she's probably my favorite figure in this series. The vintage Cover Girl was before my time (she was included as the driver of the Wolverine in 1983) and she didn't get another figure until the 2006 comic pack that was part of the DTC releases. That was the first Cover Girl I owned, though she was called Agent Courtney Krieger on the packaging. Obviously a trademark/ licensing issue. I'm glad Hasbro has Cover Girl out in the line and overall I like this figure quite a bit, but there's something just a bit off about the face. Let's take a closer look at Courtney "Cover Girl" Krieger after the break...

Friday, March 3, 2023

Action Figure Review: Batman (DC Vs Vampires) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 


   Batman sells. Batman and anyone related to him. There's no doubt about it. For years I've always said I was a DC guy but, really I was a Batman and Batfamily guy. Oh, and his villains. I really do like the main Justice League, Justice League Dark, and I absolutely love the New Gods and other Kirby creations, but when it comes to DC almost everything I love spins out of Batman. At this point in comics and movies, the Gothamites could make up their own comic universe and cinematic universe. McFarlane Toys knows that Batman sells to, so they release him at every opportunity. I haven't read DC Vs. Vampires yet (I just ordered the first trade before reviewing this figure), but from what I've heard it sounds pretty good. It also doesn't seem like this figure is really based on the series, however. In fact, I believe the design of this figure is based on the Francesco Mattina variant cover for issue #1, which shows a vampire version of Batman, rather than something actually found in the pages of the book. Still, a vampire Batman? It's just cool. Batman's been a vampire before in Elseworlds, so it's not a new concept, but when I found this Gold Label Walmart exclusive figure I had to pick him up. He's creepy and very, very cool. Let's sink our fangs into another DC Multiverse review after the break...



Thursday, March 2, 2023

Action Figure Review: Pig-Head from Masterverse/ Sun-Man: Rulers of the Sun by Mattel

 



   Who's up for some more Masterverse reviews? Today I'm looking at Pig-Head, another figure from the newest series of Masterverse figures and the first figure from the Masterverse "Sun-Man: Rulers of the Sun" subset that I've reviewed. Yeah, I don't actually have the Masterverse Sun-Man yet. I've had a preorder through Target since July but he's apparently not shipped yet. I didn't expect Pig-Head to beat Sun-Man out. I reviewed the Masters of the Universe Origins Pig-Head back in August and while I have the Target exclusive 3-pack with the shiny Pig-Head, I never got around to reviewing it. This guy definitely warrants a review, though, as he's incredibly cool. I'd really like to hear from someone who was a Sun-Man fan as a kid. I know many MOTU fans know the cool story behind Olmec Toys and the line and quite a few remember the figures, but I'd love to hear from someone who has been waiting for Sun-Man and the Rulers of the to get revisited. If that's you leave me a comment. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on the Sun-Man revival. For now, let's check out Pig-Head after the break...