MAFEX - Batman: Hush - HUNTRESS!

MAFEX #170 - Batman: Hush (Jim Lee) - Huntress - Medicom Toys 2022

Tomorrow I should be getting my McFarlane Platinum Huntress in the mail (from BBTS) and I am giddy with excitement over opening and reviewing the two new Helena figures. But that excitement also served as a reminder that I had this beauty sitting in the wings for several years waiting for me to post her. In all honesty, I find purple characters to be the hardest to photograph. The slightest change in the lighting conditions or zoom level can make the color look completely different. It always takes a ton of color tweaking to make the photos match real life in the most consistent way. It can be a major chore and characters like Huntress tend to suffer because of my laziness. When this Mafex figure was released, it had been eight years since we last got a figure of Helena. And honestly, the previous two figures were pretty lackluster. But then here comes Medicom with a perfect rendition of the Jim Lee Hush Huntress. This truly is a magnificent-looking figure. Let's check her out below!

Seven Soldiers of Victory - SHINING KNIGHT!

DC Multiverse - Shining Knight (Platinum Edition) - McFarlane Toys 2024

For over 60 years, the DC character Shining Knight remained largely unchanged. He was a rather stereotypical Arthurian knight with a Captain-America-like origin (a hero of old being revived in modern times, yada yada). He was a part of the Seven Soldiers of Victory and later All-Star Squadron. Plus he appeared in animation, live-action TV, and video games. In 2005, Grant Morrison worked his magic and revamped the Seven Soldiers of Victory. Among many reimaginings in these stories, Sir Justin the Shining Knight was now Ystin, a gender-ambiguous Knight who is thousands of years old. I read the Shining Knight mini-series back then and was really intrigued. In reading about it now, it seems like Ystin was a female who pretended to be male to enter King Arthur's Court. But in the comics, I don't think a gender was ever confirmed. Plus the character looked very androgynous. This McFarlane figure definitely highlights the feminine qualities, which I quite enjoy. Let's check out Shining Knight below!

Imaginext - POISON IVY!

Imaginext - DC Super Friends - Rivals Pack - Poison Ivy - Fisher-Price 2024

Poison Ivy has been having a bit of a renaissance in the comics recently. Her ongoing solo title is up to issue #26 already and is developing her character in new and interesting ways. The art by Marcio Takara is amazing and the first story arc is reminiscent to The Last of Us, which is gloriously dark. I've even been hearing comic shop chatter about Ivy being in the next Batman film. To be clear, people are wishing for her to be the next film villain. And I would love that too. Similar to Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy is another character that is often sanitized for young audiences. It's easy to reimagine her as a mild troublemaker snaring her foes with vines and pollen rather than a ruthless eco-terrorist leaving a trail of bodies in her wake. But at least Poison Ivy's slightly wicked persona stays pretty consistent regardless of the target audience. This Imaginext figure represents Ivy in the newest DC Girls launch. Time will tell if this is simply a Fisher-Price theme or a wider multi-media push. Let's check out Ivy below!

Imaginext - HARLEY QUINN!

Imaginext - DC Super Friends - Rivals Pack - Harley Quinn - Fisher-Price 2024

I always find it exciting when a character who is known for being villainously deranged, or violent, or any type of kid-unfriendly attribute gets marketed to children. I remember years ago seeing a Lobo Imaginext in the store and sending a pic to my friends.  We were incredulous that this was a preschool toy. Even recently I saw the Suicide Squad Little People set from Fisher-Price featuring four murderers and the label "Suicide" on the packaging (Yes, I'm aware that this set is marketed to collectors, but it's still jarring). Over the years, Harley has been sanitized to just be a little zany and irrational. Sometimes (annoyingly) she's written as being dim-witted and clueless. But I will always look at her and see the twisted psychopathic psychologist I fell in love with 25 years ago (I was a little late to the Harley party and didn't become a fan until her first solo comic series). This new Imaginext figure continues the cute-washed trend that makes her insanely popular across the generations, but belies the villainy beneath.

Imaginext - WONDER WOMAN!

Imaginext - DC Super Friends - Rivals Pack - Wonder Woman - Fisher-Price 2024

Every few years, DC revamps their effort to merchandise the collective "DC Girls" theme. The first notable time was 2012's Super Best Friends Forever animated shorts.  But the first significant girl-centric campaign came with the launch of DC Super Hero Girls in 2016. There were action figures, dolls, Legos, cartoons, comics, etc. To me, this was a genius move for DC/WB to mimic the success of Disney Princesses. And it was successful.. until it faded away (as all kid-focused properties do), but was rebooted in 2019 with new designs. There is also a current line of DC Girls Action Dolls and miniatures from Jakks Pacific following the same trend. But his newest Imaginext line is still a bit of a mystery. The characters are stylized and the playsets have had a unique matching color palette. There are animated toy shorts on YouTube, but whether or not it is tied something bigger (or just a self-contained Imaginext theme) has yet to be seen. In any case, I'm all-in. Let's check out Wonder Woman below!

Imaginext - BUMBLEBEE!

Imaginext - DC Super Friends - Rivals Pack - Bumblebee - Fisher-Price 2024

When I think of criminally underused DC characters, Bumblebee always hits pretty high on that list. Karen Beecher first became Bumblebee in the 1977 issue of Teen Titans #45 and is considered the first Black female (costumed) hero in DC Comics (Nubia appeared three years earlier but wasn't considered a traditional costumed hero, and Vixen wasn't introduced until 1981). Bumblebee's powers and overall concept weren't groundbreaking. She was essentially DC's version of Marvel's Wasp (who has been around for 15 years already). But something about her design, personality, and role in the Teen Titans lineup was much more appealing to me. She has been a regular team character in several comic series over the years, but she never hit the spotlight. Her animated presence has had a lot more momentum. Since the first Teen Titans animated series in 2003, she has been regularly included in Titans or various DC Girls media, Bombshells, etc. - with a decent amount of cartoony merch to support it.

Imaginext - SUPERGIRL!

Imaginext - DC Super Friends - Batgirl Hero Hideout - Fisher-Price/Mattel 2024

I'm excited that Supergirl has become such a household name in the last 10 years. Between her solo live-action Supergirl TV show (on CBS then CW) and her role in DC Super Hero Girls franchise, she suddenly became a staple character in DC merchandising after decades of neglect. Sure, she had toys on the shelf before this, but her first true action figure was only made in 1998 (exactly 40 years after she was introduced). So despite her presence in the comics and supporting roles in cartoons, the general public didn't know anything about her. But all that has changed now. And once her solo film comes out in a few years, her high position in pop culture will be even more solidified (assuming it's good). This Supergirl figure from the new girl-centric DC Super Friends Imaginext line is one of my favorites of the first wave. She is sporting a super classic costume and a mischievous smirk. This character is not often portrayed as funny or wise-cracking, but this makes me think she should be. Let's check her out below!

Imaginext - BATGIRL!

Imaginext - DC Super Friends - Batgirl Hero Hideout - Fisher-Price/Mattel 2024

The new girl-centric line of DC Super Friends Imaginext toys has started off with a bang. In the first wave of releases we've already seen seven key characters represented in a fresh new style, a colorful palette, and supported by a series of animated shorts from DC Kids on YouTube. The style of these figures is reminiscent of the Teen Titans Go Imaginext line that was released 7-10 years ago featuring larger, more animated heads and slimmer limbs. I think I will always prefer the traditional Imaginext proportions, but this new series has grown on me fast. Batgirl seems to be the primary protagonist of this group. She seemingly owns the heroes' base of operations (the "Batgirl Hero Hideout") and she seems to be the focal point of most of the animated shorts. And that's impressive considering she is joined by heavy-hitters like Wonder Woman and Supergirl. (It's honestly most likely because she has the most impressive and notable villains of all the heroes). Let's check out Batgirl below!