Action Figure Review: Olek Thygar (Hvalkatar) from Cosmic Legions by Four Horsemen Studios

 

   Before I ever attended the Cosmic Legions midnight release event at Needless Toys & Collectibles, I had pre-ordered two figures in advance: Olek Thygar (Hvalkatar) and Zeerian Spyre. Today I'm checking out Olek Thygar (Hvalkatar), one of two versions of the character in this first series of figures and the main protagonist thus far. For reasons unknown, Olek Thygar is captured and taken to Hvalkatar prison. An Abollex from Pythairria, Thygar is a blue, reptilian being clad in an orange and black spacesuit. Look familiar? The color scheme definitely is reminiscent of Adam Power from the Power Lords toyline, a line that the Four Horsemen did revive for a bit back in 2014. Olek Thygar is definitely one of the most visually appealing figures in the Hvalkatar: Book One series. Ready to check this guy out? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Buzz-Off from Masterverse/ Masters of the Universe: New Eternia by Mattel

 

   Ready for a look at the Masterverse Masters of the Universe: New Eternia Buzz-Off? Like most of the Masterverse figures, this is both an updated version of the character and a pretty solid vintage accurate figure. I like Buzz-Off quite a bit. He's one of the few early vintage figures I never had as a kid, but he appeared in so much MOTU stuff that he just always seemed synonymous with MOTU to me. In the bio on the back, Buzz-Off is now hailed as the King of the Andreenids after he aided them in the wake of the Cataclysm (not quite sure what that is; sounds ominous!) which destroyed the Great Queen's Nest. He fights; he flies he's a Heroic Spy in the Sky! Let's check on Buzz-Off after the break...

Action Figure Review: Eclipse (Warpath) from Action Force by Valaverse

 

   The regular release of Eclipse is one of my favorite Action Force figures of the year thus far and I have to admit that I was pretty excited by the release of this Warpath variant of Eclipse. Sure, there's a lot shared between that figure and this new release, but Valaverse really did a lot to differentiate this one. She's a very deluxe feeling figure (though sold for the same price as the basic) that feels like she could fit right in with the upcoming G.I. Joe: Classified Series Night Force subset, or perhaps this is what Eclipse wears when she's on an "unofficial" mission and doesn't want to get Action Force involved? I believe Eclipse was sold as an exclusive at JoeFest 2023 but she was also available on Valaverse's website afterwards. She's sold out currently, but it sounds like more are supposed to show up in the near future. Ready to check out Warpath Eclipse? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Vorgga from Cosmic Legions by Four Horsemen Studios

 

   It's been a week or so since my last Cosmic Legions review, so let's check out the last of the four figures I picked up at the midnight launch party for the line: Vorgga! Vorgga is the first heroic character I picked up in the line and is a member of GraveRing, the prisoners from the circle of cells surrounding the cruel combat arena of Hvalkatar. Vorgga is a Korbarian and a former Edgehounder, a member of an elite special operations branch of the Interorbital Perimeter Guard. What's she doing in Hvakatar prison, anyhow? Reading her bio, she sounds like a pretty decent person and one tough customer. Perhaps Highwarden Slogg is finding ways to get beings he sees as being good fighters taken captive to have them battle in The GraveRing? Let's check our Vorgga after the break...

Action Figure Review: Batgirl from Batman '66 by McFarlane Toys

 

   Today I'm checking out the Batgirl figure from McFarlane Toy's Batman '66 line. Part of, or a supplement to, the Batman Classic TV series line of figures, most of the characters currently released or coming soon in the Batman '66 series only appear in the recent Batman '66 comic book. Batgirl, however, is a character who appeared in the third season of the television series, played by the late Yvonne Craig. So, why is Batgirl not listed under the main television line? It could have to do with likeness rights. Back in 2013 Yvonne Craig announced that she'd signed a licensing agreement with Warner Bros. regarding her likeness as Batgirl, but that's been 10 years and it's possible Ms. Craig's passing caused some changes. So, this figure is based on the Batman '66 comic take on the character and not Yvonne Craig's likeness, got it? OK, then. Let's check out this absolutely fab Batgirl after the break...

Action Figure Review: Scrap-Iron & Anti-Armor Drone from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   I always love reviewing G.I. Joe: Classified Series figures! It's still my favorite action figure line out there and probably has been since it came out in 2020. Today I'm checking out Scrap-Iron & Anti-Armor Drone, another "deluxe" release that ships in a larger box with a significantly larger than normal accessory. While there's been a good bit of mockery in regards to what Hasbro refers to as deluxe these days, Scrap-Iron really does fit the bill. I'd wager to say that he's one of my favorite Classified Series releases this year to date. I never had Scrap-Iron as a kid (the vintage figure was "Scrap Iron" with no hyphen) as he was released before I was old enough to play with G.I. Joe figures, but I did have his missile system from the Cobra Battle Gear Accessory pack #4. It was a very impressive accessory in the vintage line and Hasbro has done a great job of not just updating it but modernizing it and improving upon it. This guy is incredible and is another great example of what happens when Hasbro's G.I. Joe team fires on all cylinders. Let's check out Scrap-Iron and the Anti-Armor Drone after the break...

Action Figure Review: Two-Face from Batman '66 by McFarlane Toys

 

   So...I know that right away some of you are thinking: "Two-Face didn't appear in the 1966 Batman TV series, did he?"

   You're correct. He didn't. But he almost did. There were scripts created that would have utilized the character, probably in a fourth season. Most significantly, there was an outline by Harlan Ellison which was adapted into a comic in 2014 and there was an animated movie five or six years ago, too. There is also a lot of talk that Clint Eastwood was tapped to play Two-Face in the 1966 television series. So, where does this guy come from? The Batman '66 comic adaptation of the Harlan Ellison script. Recently McFarlane has been mixing characters from the Batman '66 comic series into the Batman Classic TV Series line which I think is a fine idea, but a number of collectors are frustrated with because all of the TV series characters haven't been made yet. Still, Two-Face. This guy and Egghead really got my attention and caused me to start paying attention to this line. I really wish this Two-Face were in the larger scale of the 7 inch DC Multiverse figures, but he's still pretty nifty. Let's check him out after the break...

Action Figure Review: T.U.5.C.C. Sentry from Cosmic Legions by Four Horsemen Studios

 

   Ready for some more Cosmic Legions? Today I'm checking out the second legions builder figure I picked up the night I went to a Cosmic Legions launch party: The T.U.5.C.C. Sentry. Another one of the T.U.5.C.C. employees at Hvalkatar, a combination prison and production facility for the regenerative formula Thryxium, the Sentries have to make sure that no one breaks in or out of the facility. These guys seem to be more concerned with the security of the external facility and are equipped to operate on the outside. Like the Science Officer, the T.U.5.C.C. Sentry is an "army builder" type figure, and thus sells for a little less than the standard named characters. He's got less paint, too, making him feel more more generic, but he still comes with quite a few extras to kit him out in multiple different ways. Let's check out the T.U.5.C.C. sentry after the break...

Action Figure Review: Two-Face as Batman (Batman: Reborn) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   Remember that time when Two-Face was Batman? It was a popular image from the teaser poster for Battle for the Cowl and appeared as a hallucination experienced by Dick Grayson while under the effects of fear gas, but that was it. Two-Face didn't run around dressed as Batman or anything in the comics. DC Direct released the looks as a figure back in 2010 and that might be the most memorable appearance of this design. Why did McFarlane Toys make this design? Well, it's a unique version of "Batman" for one, plus it's a Batman villain. Throw in that most of the figure is reused and you've got a pretty easy sell for the Batman-centric DC Multiverse line. Considering Batman and Batman-centric characters are the center of my DC collecting, I jumped on this one. I still have the DC Direct version from the Batman: Reborn line, too, though I might be willing to trade it off at this point. Let's take a look at Two-Face as Batman after the break...

Action Figure Review: T.U.5.C.C. Science Officer from Cosmic Legions by Four Horsemen Studios

 

   I picked up four figures on the night I went to the launch party for Cosmic Legions, two of which were legions builders for the first series. I picked up both the T.U.5.C.C. Science Officer and the T.U.5.C.C. Sentry, so we'll start things off with a look at the Science Officer. Trained in science and medicine, the Science Officers both help to guard the laboratories of Hvalkatar and perform routine tasks to keep the production of Thryxium going. As army builders, these guys are a little less expensive and a little more basic than your average Cosmic Legions figure, but they're still nicely geared up and equipped with some cool pieces for versatility. Let's take a look at the T.U.5.C.C. Science Officer after the break...

Action Figure Review: David L. "Bazooka" Katzenbogen from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

  The newest series of G.I. Joe: Classified Series figures to be released is mostly made up of new figures, but there is one figure that's a repaint: David L. "Bazooka" Katzenbogen. Well, it's more accurate to say that the repaint was released before the standard figure, as the Tiger Force variant of Bazooka was released as a Target exclusive during the first week of January. The Tiger Force version of Bazooka was the figure I had as a kid, though this version in his classic red, white, and blue jersey is clearly the more recognizable figure. This is one of those reviews where the two figures are so similar and have been released so close together that I'm reusing a lot of my previous review of Tiger Force Bazooka with new pictures. Let's look at one of the members of the 1985 vintage A Real American Hero lineup after the break...

Action Figure Review: Highwarden Slogg from Cosmic Legions by Four Horsemen Studios

   I was definitely aware of the Four Horsemen Studios' Cosmic Legions line but I didn't preorder the initial series or anything. I really do like Mythic Legions but typically the only figures I pick up from it
 are the Masters of the Universe tribute characters. When I learned that Four Horsemen Studios was bringing those tribute to figures Cosmic Legions, I started paying more attention to the line. Besides just Opor-A-Tiv83 and Sskur'ge, I realized that I liked the figures. A lot of the figures, really. I went and preordered two figures and figured I'd wait patiently. But then I learned that a really cool collectibles store not far from me, Needless Toys & Collectibles, was having a midnight release for the launch of the line at 12:01am on July 27th. Well... I ended up heading out late at night in the middle of the week with my friend and former podcasting partner Andrew to drive a county or so over looking for some Cosmic Legions. And that, good readers, is how I ended up with Highwarden Slogg. 

   Highwarden Slogg is the main boss of Hvalkatar, a mining complex and prison operated by T.U.5.C.C. that's key to the story of Cosmic Legions thus far. Hvalkatar isn't known for it's rehabilitation methods but instead for hosting gladiatorial combat using the prisoners and for mining and refining Thryxium, a valuable substance that helps keep Slogg alive. It's in Highwarden Slogg's best interests to keep things running smoothly on Hvalkatar. Let's see how this massive monstrous meanie gets the job done, after the break...

Action Figure Review: Batwing (Batman Inc.) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   I'm first and foremost a fan of Batman, the Batfamily, and Batman's villains when it comes to my comic book action figure collecting, so anytime we get a new member of that group I'm thrilled. Today I'm very excited to be checking out Batwing! Specifically, the David Zavimbe version of Batwing. I really liked Batwing in Batman Inc. and in the New 52 and it drove me nuts that neither DC Collectibles nor Mattel ever released a version of Zavimbe as Batwing. Mattel did release the Luke Fox version of Batwing back in 2017, but never David Zavimbe. I really enjoyed Batman Incorporated and I really hope McFarlane Toys mines that series for the gold within as there were some great characters and fantastic designs. Let's take a look at Batwing, a never before released character who is finally getting their due...

Action Figure Review: Mer-Man from Masterverse/ Masters of the Universe: Revelation by Mattel

   With Masters of the Universe: Revolution coming sometime next year, it's pretty impressive that Mattel is still supporting Masters of the Universe: Revelation with figures around two years after its release. Last year they released the "modern" version of Mer-Man from the parts of the show that took place in the present and this year we've received a "classic" Mer-Man from the flashback segments. So, yes, this is really a rather classic take on Mer-Man (voiced by the late Kevin Conroy in the show) but in the style of MOTU: Revelation. He turned out pretty nicely, too. Ready to check out Mer-Man? Then dive in, after the break...

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

 

   Shipwreck has been one of my most anticipated figures in the Classified Series and I'm really excited that he's finally here. I didn't have any version of Shipwreck as a kid as the original came out before I was old enough to collect G.I. Joe figures and I just never had the Battle Corps versions. I purchased  a vintage Shipwreck sometime between 1998 and 2000 when I got back into collecting G.I. Joe figure as a young high school student, but I lost him in a swap at some point. I've owned plenty of the Generation 2 and Generation 3 Shipwreck figures and I've really liked about every costume they've ever used for the character, but the traditional sailor suit is definitely the most recognizable and best choice for the first version of Shipwreck in the line (though I'd love to see a version in the sweater and toboggan from the 2000s G.I. Joe vs. Cobra series). Let's take a look at this raspy voiced sailor who can "splice a line, fry powdered eggs in the tooth of a gale and eat them, tell taller tales than a Senate Appropriations committee and take a three day liberty in Thule, Greenland and come back smiling." 

Hop aboard, after the break...

Action Figure Review: The Flash (Flashpoint) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   As of my writing this, the fourth figure in the Target exclusive Flashpoint build-a-figure series (with Cyborg as the build-a-figure) has not yet been announced. I think most folks think it's going to be Wonder Woman, but I'd honestly love to see Martha Wayne as the Joker. That's probably wishful thinking, but then again, McFarlane does put out a lot of Batman and Joker figures, so is it that far out of the realm of possibility? The third figure is the Flash, and I'm checking him out today. Based on the 2011 DC event Flashpoint, this version of Barry Allen is pretty significant and makes for a perfect standard Flash for your DC Multiverse Justice League. It's crazy to think that Flashpoint is now 12 years old, isn't it? Let's take a look at the Flash after the break...

Action Figure Review: Faker from Masterverse/ Masters of the Universe: New Eternia by Mattel

 

 

  The Masterverse hits continue as today I'm checking out Faker and, wow, let me tell you, this is probably the best Faker figure released to date. The New Eternia figures have released new versions of the MOTU cast inspired by concept designs, packaging art, and other related pieces of MOTU media and Faker is largely inspired by the magenta armor wearing Faker on the vintage cross sell art (that's the image of the figures available on the back of the package that says "Collect them all!"). We've seen a magenta wearing Faker a few times previously but this figure is just superb. Seriously, there are so many things Matte did right with this guy and I'm anxious to show them off. Let's take a look at this evil, robotic He-Man imposter after the break...

Action Figure Review: Edward "Torpedo" Leialoha from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

      I'm slowly but surely making my way through the newest series of G.I. Joe: Classified Series releases and it's taking me a bit both because I received all of these figures at different times over a period of a month or more and because Hasbro dropped quite a bit of product at once. Today I'm checking out Edward "Torpedo" Leialoha, a figure I've been very excited for. Being comprised of the bests of the best in their respective fields, it definitely makes sense that the G.I. Joe team would have a few Navy S.E.A.L.S. in their ranks. Torpedo was the original S.E.A.L. on the Joe team and was released in the vintage A Real American hero line as part of the second series of figures in 1983. That was before I was collecting Joes as a kid (and probably a few months before I was even born) and my first Torpedo figure would actually be the 1997 Toys 'R Us exclusive with the raft. Torpedo had a few figures released during the late 1990s and early 200s revival, as well as during the 25th Anniversary, often being referred to as Chief Torpedo or Lt. Torpedo, but now Hasbro's going with the characters actual name of Edward Leialoha with "Torpedo" in the middle Works for me. This guy turned out great and I'm really excited to have him. Let's dive in and check out this Navy S.E.A.L. and underwater demolitions specialist after the break...

Action Figure Review: Robin (Batman: Fighting the Frozen) from DC Page Punchers by McFarlane Toys/ DC Direct

 

   

   Today I'm checking out the final figure in the DC Page Punchers "Batman: Fighting the Frozen" series of figures: Robin! Like Batgirl and Batman, this version of Robin isn't overtly named as any specific Robin (Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Tim Drake, etc.); since this is kind of an Elseworlds tale set 16,000 years in the past, it's just an alternate take on the character of Robin. Robin isn't from the Bat-Clan like Batman and Batgirl, but is a member of a neighboring tribe affected by Mr. Freeze's icy experimentations. While he's still a "caveman" take on a DC character like the other two heroes in the series, Robin does add a bit more color and a different aesthetic to the set. My Robin shipped a bit later than the rest of the figures in the series, so I didn't have him until a week or two after the rest of the crew. This series is one of my favorite releases of the year and I'm very excited to finish my review of the full series. Let's take a look at Robin after the break...

Adora's E-V Lounge

 

Hey guys! This is Adora, AKA Umbreon13, and this is photo of the figures from the Pokemon Eevee blind boxed series from Funism.

* This is a photo of Glaceon, Umbreon, Jolteon  and Vaporeon on the left side, Sylveon, Espeon, Flareon and Leafeon on the right side, and Eevee in the middle. The concept of this photo comes from an idea of the higher Eevees respecting the lower Eevees. Even though the Eeveelutions are more powerful than Eevee they still respect her.                                                                                                              The couch and table are from My Life As (a doll company).

Action Figure Review: Radioactive Batman from Batman: Classic TV Series by McFarlane

 

   Recently I managed to come across the McFarlane Toys Radioactive Batman figure on clearance, so for $5 or $6 bucks I snagged him. Remember that time the Mad Hatter sprayed Batman's cowl with radioactive spray, turning it bright pink? Only in the 1960 Batman TV series does this make any sense. Based on the 1967 season 2 episodes "The Contaminated Cowl” and “The Mad Hatter Runs Afoul,” this figure shows off Batman n his standard costume, but this time with a radioactive pink cowl. It's weird, wacky, and just utterly bizarre. Let's take a closer at Radioactive Batman after the break...