Action Figure Review: Batgirl (Batman: Three Jokers) Jokerized from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   The other day I had the opportunity to get this Jokerized Batgirl figure in the wild at Target and decided to jump on it. I don't own all of them but I have quite a few of the Jokerized DC Multiverse figures and I like them quite a bit. They definitely aren't everyone's cup of tea for sure, but I love the color schemes on these and how well they fit within my collection of Joker action figures. There have been plenty of Jokerized Batman figures along with the Jokerized Dark Knight Trilogy series and Jokerized Red Robin (who I skipped), but this is the first Batgirl. There has been quite a bit of Jokerized Batgirl art and cosplay over the years, but as far as I can recall, this is the first official Jokerized figure of Babs out there (though there was a Harley Quinn POP! dressed like Batgirl). This one is a straight up repaint which uses the Batgirl figure from Batman: Three Jokers. Ready to check out a Jokerized Batgirl? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Catwoman (The Dark Knight Rises) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   McFarlane continues to release figures based on Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy and in 2024 we've so far received two different versions of Anne Hathaway's Catwoman. The first version was a McFarlane Toy Store exclusive and came with the Batpod while this second version is a Platinum chase exclusive that shipped in a case with some other versions of Batman from The Dark Knight and Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Anne Hathaway was a great Selina Kyle, though she's not my favorite Catwoman. I really liked Zoë Kravitz in The Batman but I'm not sure anyone can top Michelle Pfeiffer for me. Ever. Listen, I know she's a weirdly and wildly comic inaccurate Catwoman, but her performance is absolutely in a league of its own. Meow, indeed. I hope McFarlane gets around to releasing some figures from the Burton films. Those could be incredible. I don't even like Batman & Robin but the figures were really cool, and now we've got Batman Forever figures on the way (which is, in my opinion, the worst Batman movie). Of course, let's turn our attention back to the Dark Knight Trilogy and to Selina Kyle, AKA Catwoman. Let's check her out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Wolverine & Lilandra Neramani from Marvel Legends Series: Wolverine by Hasbro

 

   2024 is the 50th anniversary of Wolverine and it's going to be a big year for the guy. Besides costarring in a movie with Deadpool, Hasbro also has some four packs to celebrate the most popular X-Man of them all. Each of the 4-packs has some version of Wolverine paired with another character and some of them are a bit odd. I'd argue that the only slam dunk of a set is the Logan and Sabretooth set as the others don't always quite make sense or definitely come with a less desirable figure. In this set, Brood infected Wolverine is the less desirable figure. Don't get me wrong, it does come from the comics and is a look for the character featured on a pretty well know cover, but Empress Lilandra Neramani is clearly the star of the set. This is the first of the four packs I found and I picked it up at Needless Toys and Collectibles in Lincolnton, NC (an incredible toy store). Ready to check out this set? Then let's dive in after the break...

Action Figure Review: The X-Cutioner from Marvel Legends Series: X-Men '97 by Hasbro

   I was really excited when it was revealed that Hasbro was releasing The X-Cutioner in the Marvel Legends X-Men '97 series. He's a cool character straight out of the 1990s who definitely seems like a perfect fit for an X-Men cartoon set in 1997. I've now watched the first three episodes of X-Men '97 so far and let me say that, in the parlance of our times, that the show is bussin. Honestly, I'd go so far as to say that it's mega bussin. Episode 1 was good, but episodes 2 and 3 were incredible. I'm loving it and X-Cutioner's appearance at Magneto's trial before the United Nations just poured fuel onto a fire. He's a pretty menacing character and I like how the animated series has used Carl Denti. Toy Biz released an X-Cutioner figure in 1995 and I'm pretty confident that's the last time he graced toy shelves. I didn't own him as a kid, but I did think he was a pretty cool fellow. I read the X-Cutioner's Song storyline a year or two ago so I've been hoping Hasbro would visit this guy. let's check out this menace to mutantkind after the break...

 

Action Figure Review: Magneto from Marvel Legends Series: X-Men '97 by Hasbro

 

   Guess what? Over the weekend, which ended up being pretty busy for me, I finished the original X-Men animated series and was able to watch the first episode. I really liked it and, since it truly continue from the last episode of the original series, I'm glad I rewatched the first three to four seasons and watched the rest of season four and season five, which I don't believe I'd ever seen. Season five does have a weird animation change but the stories are still good. So, since I've only watched the first episode of X-Men '97 I'm not going to delve into many spoilers here outside of the first episode. I don't know why Magneto is wearing his outfit from the 1985 storyline "The Trial of Magneto" rather than his classic red and purple outfit, but it sure looks sharp. I assume the Trial of Magneto will be used as the basis for some episodes this season. Of course, since Professor Xavier has left everything to Magneto in his will, he's now the big boss man and in charge of the X-Men. What?!?! Now, remember, Professor X isn't really dead; in the last episode of season five of the original show he was shot with an energy gun of some sort by Henry Gyrich and was taken by Lilandra to live in the Shi'ar empire where he will be able to be treated an survive. Apparently, the X-Men have decided to just go with the story that Chuck is dead since they don't seem to believe they'll ever see him again. How will the trial of Magneto play out since Magnus/ Erik/ Max is now part of the team? I'm anxious to find out. For now, let's see how the figure turned out. Let's check Magneto out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Jean Grey from Marvel Legends Series: X-Men '97 by Hasbro

 

   

   It's time for another spoiler free review of a Hasbro Marvel Legends Series: X-Men '97 figure and this time it's Jean Grey! I remember being utterly baffled as a kid watching the original X-Men cartoon series that there weren't figures of the main team from the cartoon. In 1992, the year the cartoon premiered, You could eventually find Gambit and the tiger stripe Wolverine, and Cyclops and Storm in costumes fairly different from the show, but no Rogue, Beast, Morph, Jubilee, Professor X, or Jean Grey. While I was actively collecting the toys Beast, Morph, and Professor X were released, as was Rogue, but I never found her as a kid. Jean didn't get released until late 1994 or 1995, but that was as the Phoenix, and by that time I wasn't actively collecting the line (the latest figure I remember purchasing from the line until Marvel Legends came along was Bonebreaker). Well, now we're living in a golden age of X-Men toys and I have at least half a dozen Jean Grey figures. What a time to be alive, eh? I haven't yet watched X-Men '97 (I'm about halfway done with the fifth and final season of the original series) so anything I say is conjecture on my part. No spoilers! Let's take a look at jean Grey after the break...

Action Figure Review: Franklin "Airborne" Talltree from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 Last week I reviewed Big Boa from the newest series of G.I. Joe figures and now I'm checking out another figure, and this time it's a member of the G.I. Joe team: Franklin "Airborne" Talltree. Airborne never seemed to get a lot of attention in most Joe media but he definitely is memorable because he was from the second year of the line (1983) and because he was a pretty strong figure. Airborne is another figure that gets his fie name used because of some trademark issue. During the Spy Troops, Valor Vs. Venom, 25th Anniversary, and Retaliation eras he was called Sgt. Airborne and during the Rise of Cobra era he was called Air Raid. Oddly enough, there is actually another G.I. Joe codenamed Airborne (he was part of Sky Patrol) and another codenamed Air Raid (a different Sky Patrol member from the 2016 GIJCC convention). Franklin Talltree is the original, though: a Navajo airborne infantryman who passed the Bar exams but decided jumping out of plane was just more fun. Ready to check this guy out? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Goblin Queen from Marvel Legends Series: X-Men '97 by Hasbro

 

   I'm now on the 5th season of my X-Men watch through which I'm trying to complete before starting X-Men '97 and I'm trying really, really hard to avoid spoilers. One of the biggest surprises for me happened when I first saw the X-Men '97 Goblin Queen POP! vinyl at GameStop back in December or January. My first thought when I saw it was that I hoped Hasbro would release her in the X-Men '97 Marvel Legend Series as they've made kind of a big deal that the Goblin Queen was a figure they weren't allowed to make previously. They did show off a comic version of the Goblin Queen as a stretch goal for the ill-fated Ghost Rider: Engine of Vengeance HasLab, but by that point I was pretty much just collecting X-Men related stuff and didn't have much interest in anything except her and Mephisto. Wow this isn't her most famous look, it's not a bad new look for the character and it does work pretty well as both a comic and cartoon based figure. Madelyne Pyor has a long history with the X-Men and it's nice to finally have her in Marvel Legends. I don't know how her character will be utilized in X-Men '97 but that's not stopping me from reviewing her! Let's check out Madelyne Pryor as the Goblin Queen after the break...

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

 

   I actually missed Rokkon when he went up for sale on Mattel Creations a couple months ago but I managed to grab one from Ebay for a pretty decent price (honestly not much more than the retail price with the Mattel shipping cost), so I jumped on it. I still have my vintage Comet Warriors from when I was a kid, as well as my Meterobs, and while they've never been my favorites I do have an affinity for them. I have to admit, though, that I feel like I always mix the names for Rokkon and Stonedar up. They just don't stick with me for some reason. Anyways, let's hop in and take a look at Rokkon, the "Young Heroic Battling Boulder." Join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Evil Jack-O-Lantern Bone Brawler from Icons: The Yokai Series by Fwoosh Toys

 

  Today I'm reviewing something kind of fun and unique: The Evil Jack-O-Lantern Bone Brawler from Fwoosh Toys' Icons: The Yokai Series. This is the first figure from Fwoosh Toys that I've purchased and I'm glad to say that it's a pretty nifty figure. This guy was a Fwoosh Store preorder exclusive, though they did have some listed for sale again a week or so ago (though they're now sold out). I actually preordered this guy in October of 2022 and he arrived to my door in late February, so he's been a long time coming. I'm familiar with the Fwoosh's Articulated Icons line but I've never owned any. This guy spoke to me, though. Spooky skeleton. Yokai. Jack-O-Lantern head? Yup. All things I like. I didn't want to wait until October to review him, although he'd make an awfully good addition to 31 Days of Toy Terror, wouldn't he? Let's take a look at the Evil Jack-O-Lantern Bone Brawler after the break...

Action Figure review: Cyclops from Marvel Legends Series: X-Men '97 by Hasbro

 

   I haven't started watching X-Men '97 yet, so don't expect any spoilers here! I actually decided to watch through all of the original series before diving into X-Men '97 and I'm currently in the middle of season 4 (which might be the best season yet). I'm really anticipating the show and I'm loving the tie in action figures. Thus far I've purchased all of the X-Men '97 Marvel Legends Series figures except for Wolverine (who I stupidly passed up previously but now have a preorder for from the second run), which adheres to my current Marvel Legends focus of just X-Men related characters. I actually stumbled across everyone except X-Cutioner in a GameStop one in February, so I got the chance to use my discount plus some points I had accumulated. Hasbro went with a stylized appearance on these that I really like. The style is subtler than the figures from the What If? and Spider-Man: Spider-Verse lines, and they don't have any cel-shading like the Pulse exclusive X-Men VHS figures. They do a nice job of matching the animation while also fitting fairly seamlessly into a comic based collection. I'm really hoping these continue as I'd love to build a full roster of the animated team in this style. I'm starting things off with Cyclops. I have a few Cyclops figures in my collection already, but this one is pretty much my ideal Cyclops and he's an improvement over the 2017 Warlock BAF series version of Scott. Ready to check out Cyclops? Then open your eyes and read on...

Action Figure Review: Egon Spengler & Soar Throat Ghost from Ghostbusters Kenner Classics from Hasbro

 

   See? I told you I wasn't going to wait until may to review the Fright Features Egon Spengler! Egon was the last of the Fright Features figures I found from Hasbro's Ghostbusters Kenner Classics series and I found him while on a short vacation to Gatlinburg, TN in February. You know why I was thrilled to get this guy? Because when I was a kid the tie on my Fright Features Egon broke and I'm excited to have one with an unbroken tie. It turns out, though, that the tie on pretty much every vintage Fright Features Egon figure released broke by 1990. have you ever seen one with an unbroken tie in the last 34 years? Me neither. I also seem to recall having lost the included Soar Throat ghost as a kid. No idea why. Maybe he got mixed in with something else? Let's take a look at Dr. Egon Spengler and see if bustin' still makes him feel good...

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

 

   I recently received the newest series of G.I. Joe: Classified Series figures, so get ready for some more G.I. Joe reviews! Today I'm checking out Big Boa, another individual named Cobra character and a rather bizarre figure overall. Don't get me wrong, I do like this figure, but he's always been a bit of an oddball in the Cobra ranks. 1987 was a weird year for Cobra figures, though, with Big Boa, Raptor, Crystal Ball, Croc Master, and Cobra-La all adding a bit more of a fantasy vibe to the line. Big Boa makes a bit more sense when you realize he was originally intended to be an adversary for a planned Rocky Balboa figure, a planned G.I. Joe team personal combat instructor. When a licensing agreement fell through, Rocky was scrapped (though not before appearing in Order of Battle #2, with an official retraction being printed in the next issue). Rocky was no more, Sylvester Stallone's likeness went on to star in Coleco's Rambo: The Force of Freedom toyline, and Big Boa was kept around as Cobra's answer to Sgt. Slaughter. Who trains the Cobra troops and puts them through the paces? Big Boa, that's who. There have only ever been two Big Boa figures released, the vintage 1987 figure and the Figure Subscription Service figure from 2013 (in addition to an Indian Funskool version and a Brazilian figure named Kangor who came with a kangaroo), so the guy hasn't had many different looks. Overall, Hasbro went with a pretty straight up vintage look for Big Boa, though he does have a few new tricks. Ready to hop in the ring with Big Boa? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Winston Zeddemore & Scream Roller Ghost from Ghostbusters Kenner Classics by Hasbro

 

   Today I'm taking a look at the third figure in the Ghostbusters Kenner Classics Fright Features series: Winston Zeddemore & Scream Roller Ghost! These were originally exclusive to Target but now they're being offered at Hasbro Pulse and other e-tailers, so if you missed them you should be able to easily track them down now. Winston was the third figure I acquired in this series; I found Peter and Ray first, then Winston a week or so later. Interestingly, I reviewed Peter in February, Ray in March, and now Winston in April. Don't worry! I'm not planning on waiting until May to review Egon. Since picking these guys up in stores, Ghostbusters: Froze Empire was released and I went to see with with my wife, daughter, and my dad. That was pretty fun! We went to an opening night showing and had a great time. I really liked the movie quite a bit and was surprised by so much of the negative criticism I heard afterwards. I thought it was a really fun movie that gave both the newer team and the original crew plenty of time to shine. It did feel like it wrapped up a bit too quickly, but then again, that happened in the original film and Ghostbusters II as well. Ernie Hudson was fantastic in the movie and I love his enthusiasm in promoting the film and interacting with fans. He has truly embraced being a Ghostbuster! Let's take a look at this Fright Features version of Winston Zeddemore & Scream Roller Ghost after the break and see if it's a fitting tribute to the original toy as well. Join us for some spooky, frightening fun after the break...

Action Figure Review: Clutch with VAMP (Multi-Purpose Attack Vehicle) from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 A combination of Easter, a short vacation, and being sick has kept me occupied for a week or so, but here I am with another new G.I. Joe: Classified Series review and this time it's the (current) second largest vehicle in the line: The VAMP with the Original 13 team member, Clutch. Despite being two young to have had the Original 13 figures as a kid (I didn't get into G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero until some time in 1986), as a fan of the Marvel comic and the property in general, I love the Original 13 team members and getting them in the Classified Series is definitely one of the teams/ subsets/ goals I look forward to most completing. There's something cool about how they express their individuality while also looking and feeling like a cohesive unit. I did get the HISS (though I didn't review it last year), so this is the largest vehicle for the line I've taken a look at. It's a nice update to both Clutch and the VAMP that feels true to the original toy while still also having that modern, "Classified" series feel to it. It doesn't feel like a straight up retro redo nor does it feel overly antiquated. Ready to roll with Clutch and the VAMP? Then grab your toothpick, jump in, buckle up, and hold on. We're making tracks after the break...

Minifigure Review: The Riddler from DC Comics- Batman Tiny Mights by CultureFly

 

   I haven't reviewed every sculpt from this series, but I have at least checked out about half of them. Today I'm wrapping up my look at this series (for now) with a review of the Riddler minifigure. Here's one I would love to have scored in green, but no luck. I did get him in red, yellow, and the glow-in-the-dark blue, though. Ready to get puzzled? I thought the Riddler was a nice fit for April Fool's Day. Join me after the break...