Sunday, March 17, 2024

The New Batman Adventures - BATGIRL!

The New Batman Adventures - Batgirl (Standard Edition) - McFarlane 2024

This is a figure I never would have purchased if not for the inclusion of Platinum Edition chase mixed randomly into the assortments. I'm always a completist when it comes to Bat-Family figures, so when a figure is reissued, it's almost always guaranteed that I already own the original release (in this case I had purchased several). So unless there is a significant improvement, I skip the purchase. The intent of this 2024 McFarlane Batgirl from The New Batman Adventures is a straight-up re-issue. The sculpt, articulation, accessories, and color palette is identical. The only real difference is the figure stand, the packaging, and the replica animation cel. However, in my opinion, the overall aesthetic quality is a step backward. It's not a tragic step backward, but it's not an improvement (except maybe in the durability of the plastic). Like I said, if I wasn't trying to get the purple chase, I would have skipped this purchase. But since I have her in hand I figure she was worth a comparison post. Let's check her out below!

Saturday, March 16, 2024

The New Batman Adventures - BATGIRL '66!

The New Batman Adventures - Batgirl (Platinum Edition) - McFarlane 2024

McFarlane Toys' Platinum Editions are a double-edged sword. On one hand, you can get really cool variants of your favorite characters. Oftentimes it's just a subtle repaint that isn't necessarily crucial for your collection but adds nice variety if you want to hunt one down. But on the flip side, if you do want to hunt one down, these chases can be extremely hard to come by. Interestingly, the Platinum variants that I have no interest in seem to show up everywhere. But on the scarce occasions when I want one, I usually have to resort to eBay and overpay. I received some insider information that this current TNBA wave won't be carried in many (if any) stores, but is readily available on most online shops right now. I ordered several but got no chases so I had to buy her directly from a reseller. I never would have imagined a Batgirl from The New Batman Adventures in a Batgirl '66 Yvonne Craig deco, but it's a really cool variant that I'm now obsessed with. Let's check her out below!

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Spidey and His Amazing Friends - GHOST-SPIDER!

Spidey and His Amazing Friends - 9" Supersized Ghost-Spider - Hasbro 2022

I've had this figure for years, photographed and everything, but am only getting around to posting her now. Back in 2021/2022 the new Spidey and his Amazing Friends show on Disney+ was a hit and merchandise was everywhere. A big trend in preschool toys at the time was jumbo figures of the most popular lines. Imaginext XL, Marvel Superhero Adventures, Power Rangers, and XL P.J. Masks figures could be found sporadically popping up in the toy aisles (the distribution was never consistent). And in the mix were these 9" Spidey super-sized figures. Getting Gwen was a no-brainer for me, but once I got her home and photographed her, I was already on the hunt for the 2.5" mini-figure (which I thought I would find any day) and I wanted to post them all together - and only two short years later my plans finally came together. Coincidentally these figures are showing up in stores again recently, re-issued with new packaging. But seemingly without Gwen. So the timing of this post of actually pretty perfect.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Spidey and His Amazing Friends - GHOST-SPIDER!

Spidey and His Amazing Friends - 2.5" Ghost-Spider and Bike - Hasbro 2022

Back in 2022 I was going crazy checking all my discount store chains for a few important toys. The Transformers Authentics Arcee and the G.I.Joe Basic Series Baroness were being found at stores like Family Dollar and Dollar General and I was on the hunt. I remember spending one rainy day on vacation driving up the coast and hitting close to a dozen of these stores obsessively looking for these elusive toys. (Spoiler: I eventually found them months later at FiveBelow). But in the process of hunting I discovered this discount line from Spidey and his Amazing Friends (the popular new preschool show on Disney+) featuring mini figures of the two main male heroes paired with a motorcycle. I eventually googled them and saw a Gwen figure in the mix, but only on Australian websites. Finding her became an obsession. She's rather unimpressive. She's unarticulated and sloppily painted, but I stayed vigilant and finally found her two years later in one of those same Dollar Generals. Let's check out Gwen below!

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Spidey - GHOST-SPIDER & TWIRL-E!

Spidey and his Amazing Friends - Ghost-Spider & TWIRL-E - Hasbro 2023

I'm glad the Spidey and his Amazing Friends cartoon and toyline are keeping things fresh by giving the main characters updated costumes each season. In Season 3 (I believe), Iron Man and Spidey invent these new communicator wristbands for Miles, Gwen, and himself which can activate their Web-Spinner Suits. The suits feature gold eyes, chest emblems, and other details and can enable the heroes to survive in extreme environments like inside a volcano, in outer space, and in the arctic. The suits also feature power blasters on the soles of the boots that let them fly. Like any toy line, I know the main characters need to be continually released in every assortment. I'm just really glad the source material features aesthetic designs that intrigue me enough to purchase Ghost-Spider again. The addition of her sidekick Spider-Bot TWIRL-E is just icing on the cake. I find this toy line to a be a lot of fun and I'm always excited to see who will be made next (Squirrel Girl and White Tiger please!) 

Friday, March 8, 2024

Disney Power Icons - GHOST-SPIDER!

Marvel Power Icons (Talking Action Figures) - Ghost-Spider - Disney 2023

I've been waiting for a female character in the Marvel Power Icons since they first started showing up in Disney Stores years ago. I know Marvel is inundated with A-List male characters so I usually don't get my hopes up too high for a female character early in the line. But that patience paid off because Ghost-Spider was finally released this past Fall and she's pretty great. The Power Icons line features well-articulated figures in a 9-10" scale with electronic features. Ghost-Spider has light-up eyes and a talking feature. And while not officially branded for the Spider-Verse movies, Gwen comes with a small unarticulated animation-style Spider-Ham attached to her (removable) backpack. Since Disney Stores are few and far between these days, the ShopDisney webstore is your best bet to get her (currently clearanced). The line seems to have slowed down significantly, but I would hope to see a Black Widow and Captain Marvel before the end. Fingers Crossed! Let's check out Ghost-Spider below!

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Animorphs - RACHEL/LION!

Transformers Animorphs Deluxe - Series 01 - Rachel/Lion - Hasbro 1998

I think the biggest trend of the late 90s that I couldn't get behind was Animorphs. In five short years there were 54 books plus an assortment of ten companion books. They featured kids caught up in an alien invasion of body-snatching parasites (animal bodies to be specific) who are granted the power to take the form and abilities of any animal they touch for two hours. I won't lie, I would have been all over this concept as a kid. But alas, I was in my college years and way too cool for toys and YA adventures (that wouldn't happen until after graduation). A television series was made and ran for two seasons from 1998-1999 on Nickelodeon. The associated Hasbro toyline shared a lot of aesthetics and engineering with the Beast Wars lines on the shelves at the time, so a decision was made to have the Animorphs line under the Transformers banner, despite having no continuity overlap. The toys are.. interesting. They are clunky and a bit awkward, but definitely have a  quirky late-90s feel. Let's check out Rachel!

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Sonic Prime - BLACK ROSE!

Sonic Prime – 5” Action Figures Wave 3 - Black Rose - Jakks Pacific 2023

This has been crazy years for Amy Rose. This figure is her seventh in the last twelve months. (And there is possibly another coming out shortly, but no photos yet to know for sure if it's new). The 2022 Sonic: Prime series on Netflix played a big part in this Amy boom. The series uses a multiverse plot device wherein differently-themed versions of the main characters exist in each area of the "Shatterverse." This figure is the third variation of Amy we've gotten from Jakks so far - this time in her pirate motif from the No Place dimension. I don't normally love collecting "costumey" versions of classic characters, but something about these brings me joy. I just hope they play catch-up and give us more versions of Rouge. There will be a 5" Batten Rouge in Wave 4, but I greedily want them all. And I feel like any day we'll hear more news about the Sonic 3 movie and I'm hoping for some female characters finally. But in the meantime the Shatterverse variants are keeping me busy. Let's check out Black Rose below!