The Women of GHOSTBUSTERS!

Ghostbusters Select (Movie) Series 2-4: Dana, Janine, and Gozer - DST 2016-17

I always think it's odd how neglected the female characters from Ghostbusters were for the longest time. Considering how iconic Dana Barrett and Gozer the Gozerian were, it's shocking that they didn't have any toys made until 2004. Sure there were a handful of cartoon-based Janine Melnitz figures, but true movie figures just never made it into consideration back then. In 2011, Mattel took a shot and released an oddly unarticulated Dana, but no Gozer. But then in 2016, Diamond Select Toys thankfully took up the reigns and released their line of Ghostbusters Select figures. The sculpts and production aren't perfect, but I am very happy to have all three main characters (Dana, Janine, and Gozer) in the same scale finally. There is also a figure of the Library Ghost, but I never picked her up. I've had these figures since they came out, but I only opened them now in anticipation of a few Halloween-themed reviews I'm planning. I can't believe I was able to resist so long. Let's check them out (finally) below!

Call of Duty - SERAPH!

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 - Series 01 - He Zhen-Zhen Seraph - McFarlane 2018

Considering I'm not a fan of Wrestling or Video Games, you would think I could pass by whole sections of the toy store without batting an eye. But McFarlane Toys' video game offerings over the past few years have been really hard to resist. I'm always drawn to racially diverse non-sexualized female characters, and surprisingly the best place to find such toys recently has been in the video game aisle. I'm still adjusting to the fact that video game women actually wear respectable levels of clothes now. The days of Mika and Kitana may be over, folks. Seriously though, McFarlane Toys has given us some amazing toys recently: Ikora Rey, Clementine, and Aveline de Grandpré are some of my favorite non-superhero toys in my collection. And although this Seraph figure is more militant than I usually am drawn to, I'm still really smitten over her. She looks tough and intimidating and I love her hair. Now I'm hoping there's a second wave with Battery so she's not all on her lonesome. Let's check out Seraph below!

Jurassic World - CLAIRE DEARING (v2)!

Jurassic World - Series 02: Claire Dearing & Stegosaurus - Mattel 2018

With my recent long-awaited purchases of the Maisie Lockwood and Zia Rodriguez Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom figures, I realized that I never posted my pictures from this second version of Claire Dearing. This figure is very similar to the original release (the Deluxe Pack with Gyroscope), except that she is wearing a different coat. The coat is repainted yellow and noticeably longer than the previous version and the yellow sleeves are not pushed up like before. I've only seen the movie once (so far) and as far as I can tell she only wears this coat in one brief helicopter ride, but it's a fun variation and I'm glad we got a toy of it. I normally avoid subtle retools, but I think when compared side-by-side, the two variations look significantly different. Plus, I like supporting this line because I would love to see more product. I'm curious to see if we might get some additional figures from the older films now. Sarah Harding, Amanda Kirby, and Kelly Curtis would all make great additions to the line. Let's check out Claire (v2) below!

Transformers Scout Class - WINDBLADE!

Transformers: Cyberverse - Scout Class Wave 2 - Windblade - Hasbro 2018

I love little tiny Transformers. These Cyberverse Scout Class figures are so little and cute. They are slightly larger than the Legion Class figures and slightly smaller than that Strongarm from the Battle Packs. She's actually the same size as the Power of the Primes Legends figures (Slash and Cindersaur), but the animated style makes them look different. The scale lends to good articulation and detailed sculpting, and they display very nicely. That's one problem I'm currently having with my burgeoning Transformers collection. They are generally bulky and tricky to display (especially the winged characters like Windblade). I really enjoy this scale and I'm excited to get the upcoming Shadow Striker Scout Class. There is a Slipstream in this same wave with Windblade, but she is literally just a purple and teal Starscream repaint. I was really disappointed that the first real Hasbro release of Slipstream was such a cop-out figure. Hopefully she gets a better figure down the line. Let's check out Windblade below!

WWE Superstars - BECKY LYNCH!

WWE Superstars (Girls' Line) - Basic Wave 3 - Becky Lynch - Mattel 2018

Becky Lynch is an Irish professional wrestler and actress. She began wrestling in Ireland and throughout Europe in 2002 on the independent circuit, working regularly for the Queens of Chaos (France) promotion, where she won the World Queens of Chaos Championship in 2006. She also wrestled for One Pro Wrestling (England) and German Stampede Wrestling. She competed in the SuperGirls Wrestling (Canada offshoot) where she was the inaugural SuperGirls Champion. She also appeared at ChickFight III and the all-female Shimmer Women Athletes promotion where she was involved in a series of acclaimed matches with Daizee Haze. In September 2006, Becky suffered a head injury and next returned (to Shimmer) as a manager 5 years later. She signed with WWE in 2013 and arrived on the main roster in July 2015, where she soon became the inaugural SmackDown Women's Champion at Backlash (in September 2016), and again at Hell in a Cell in September 2018. (Thanks Wikipedia!)

WWE Superstars - NAOMI!

WWE Superstars (Girls' Line) - Basic Wave 3 - Naomi Knight - Mattel 2018

Naomi is an American wrestler, actress, model, dancer and singer. In August 2009, she signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and was assigned to its past developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), where she was the inaugural FCW Divas Champion. In August 2010, she competed in the all-female third season of NXT, where she came in second place. In January 2012, she made her main roster debut alongside Cameron, forming The Funkadactyls. Since July 2013, Naomi has appeared as one of the main cast members of the reality television series Total Divas. In February 2017, Naomi won the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship at the Elimination Chamber event, becoming the first African-American woman to capture the title. After vacating the title due to injury, Naomi regained the championship two months later at WrestleMania 33 and became the inaugural winner of the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal at the following year's WrestleMania. (Thanks Wikipedia!)

Kingdom Builders - LADY TWIST!

Kingdom Builders - Series 01 Action Figures - Lady Twist - Little Tikes 2018

When I think back to the preschool toys that lined the shelves when I was a little kid, I have trouble thinking of many female action figures. Sure Fisher-Price's Adventure People had a decent number of women, but their roles were hardly adventurous (at least compared to their male counterparts). I can remember seeing a cavewoman from the Definitely Dinosaurs line in the Christmas catalogs, but never actually seeing her in a store. That lack of female presence among preschool action figures is why I got so excited over this new Lady Twist toy from the Kingdom Builders line by Little Tikes. Even that brand name hearkens back to my childhood (I honestly didn't even realize Little Tikes still existed). Kingdom Builders is a medieval fantasy line where (most of) the characters transform into actual tools that can be used to dismantle and reform the playsets. There is also a CGI animated YouTube series to promote the toys. It's a really fun concept and I hope it proves successful. Let's check out Lady Twist below!

DC Multiverse Rebirth HARLEY QUINN!

DC Multiverse (Lex Luthor) Walmart Exc Gotham Girls - Harley Quinn - Mattel 2018

At some point I'm going to have to stop buying Harley Quinn figures. It seems like every time I blink there is a new one tempting me and my Harley shelf is positively overflowing. So far though I can only think of a single one that I intentionally skipped (and I won't mention the exact one since I'm friendly with the sculptor). But most figures, including this comic style Rebirth one, are so unique that I feel I need to have that version represented in my collection. Plus I am very impressed with the direction that the DC Multiverse figures have been heading recently and I want to support the line to ensure this momentum continues. The upcoming Vixen, Hawkgirl, and Starfire look especially good and I can't wait to see what is next. These recent Harley comic designs are interesting because they incorporate pieces from Suicide Squad and the Arkham Series games while also seeming to retain a style all their own. But we all know she will change her look again, so it's just fun to sit back and observe her evolution unfold.

DC Multiverse Stephanie Brown as SPOILER!

DC Multiverse (Lex Luthor) Walmart Exc Gotham Girls - Spoiler - Mattel 2018

Stephanie Brown is one of those comic book characters that I just can't get enough of. She first appeared as a secondary character in the pages of Robin. She was a vigilante with the single-minded purpose of "spoiling" her villainous father's (the Cluemaster's) plans. I honestly didn't really like her costume back then, so I didn't grow to appreciate her until much later when she briefly became Robin. Like all "brief" Robins, she was killed. But also like all slain Robins, she came back - this time as Batgirl in a fantastic run from 2009-2011 until the New 52 reboot happened and Barbara Gordon reclaimed the cowl. She was then off the radar until 2014 when she reappeared as Spoiler again in the pages of Batman Eternal with this great new look (which is a hybrid of her previous costumes). She is quite a survivor and her stories are always smart, fresh, and fun. But I was frankly shocked when she was announced in the Multiverse lineup. Considering her fan-favorite status, she never gets much merchandise.

MOTUC Filmation Style - SORCERESS!

MOTUC - Club Grayskull (Series 2) - Sorceress - Super7Store Exc - Super7 2018

Despite all my obvious obsessions, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is not a property I naturally would have gravitated to as a child. Warriors and swords were just a genre I had no connection to. My interests were completely focused on animals. I grew up on a mountain in the middle of nowhere without a neighbor for miles, only three fuzzy TV channels, and parents who trusted us to roam free. Animals were literally my entertainment. I knew where to hide to catch glimpses of fox, rabbit, and deer, I knew all my bird calls, and I collected (live) insects. I was pretty single-minded so all my cartoon favorites were loaded with animal lore. I liked Voltron for the robotic cats, I liked G.I.Joe because the villains were all snake-themed, I liked Transformers because of the Insecticons, ThunderCats, SilverHawks, and TigerSharks are obvious. And of course I loved this little show called He-Man and the Masters of the Universe because the title sequence featured a feather-clad woman who transformed into a falcon.

MOTUC Collector's Choice - GRANITA!

MOTUC - Collector's Choice (Series 2) - Granita - Super7Store Exc - Super7 2018

For many years my number one wish for the Masters of the Universe Classics line has been Granita, the always-neglected member of the Rock People from two episodes of She-Ra. I've always been obsessed with her design. The monochromatic green skin and hair combined with the red and pink outfit and pupil-less eyes is the recipe for a character tailored to my tastes. This figure is a welcome relief from the somewhat problematic ladies released in the past few years, because there is really very little wrong with her (of course I will nitpick a few things that are detailed below). Now that we have this beauty I'm a little unsure what unreleased characters are still on my wishlist. Kittrina, Enchantress, and Garth and the only ones I can think of and at this rate I think it's a fair chance were might see them. Hopefully we'll see another female reveal at NYCC this week. (With this body they could easily make a redeco into Robowoman or Facet). Let's check out Granita the Heroic Comet Combatant below!