She's Fantastic

New SUPER HERO SQUAD Figures Revealed!

2012-02-13T12:08:00.000-05:00

Hasbro's Avengers and Amazing Spider-Man Superhero Squad 3-Packs

They're back from the dead! I had been mourning the loss of Marvel's Superhero Squad since those last multipacks came out a year ago. We hadn't seen anything new in so long and the last official word is that they would be "continued as retailer exclusives." Which to me usually signals the swan song of the line. But today we saw photos from NY Toy Fair 2012 showing Three new 3-packs for the upcoming Marvel movies, including two amazing new females. While I'm not normally into cutesy super-deformed figures, something about Hasbro's entire line of "heroes" figures caught my attention early on (including the G.I.Joe, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars lines) and I am super excited to add these two to my collection.

Shown here are some really small pics of Gwen Stacy from the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man 3-Pack.

And here are some pics of the new movie version of Black Widow. Very different from the comic version released years ago. When I get this these two, I will do a total review of all the females in this lines - it's a very impressive assortment!

Cheers!

G.I.Joe's CARLA "DOC" GREER!

2012-02-12T14:10:00.000-05:00

G.I.Joe 2007 Convention Exclusive from Hasbro

This version of Doc was included in the G.I.Joe 2007 Convention Exclusive Boxset "Tanks For The Memories." Carla is introduced as the niece of Carl Greer, the original Doc. Having never appeared in the TV Series, and only having a few scattered comic book cameos (starting in 2004), she was essentially an unknown and non-canonical character until she received this figure and associated filecard bio - which established her relationship with the original Doc. Being the only African American female action figure released in the G.I.Joe line (among over 26 unique female characters, and more than 75 female action figures - including all variations of those 26 characters), this Doc figure should be a necessity of any G.I.Joe collection, if for nothing else than to provide some realistic diversity.

Doc is constructed using the body of the Original 1985 Lady Jaye figure, but with a newly sculpted head and different accessories. In the last few years that Hasbro was using the old 1980's G.I.Joe bodies, they tended to produce figures with unproportionatlely small heads. I don't totally hate this phenomemon, but when all lined up together, the figures of this era look like an odd transition between the vintage lines and the newer 25th anniversary designs.

Carla came with (1) a filecard, (2) a pistol, (3) an orange backpack, (4) a medical case, and (5) a clear figure stand.

One very cool nugget of info about this figure is an old character design from the early 80's. Hasbro was proposing to diversify the line early on and a concept sketch of an unnamed black female character was produced. I think it's clear that someone at Hasbro (or Devil's Due comics) thought it was a shame that this character was never produced and finally found a way to bring her to fruition.

Photo from YoJoe.com, click the pic to read more.

Time for a comparison pic! Here's Carla "Doc" Greer with her body twin, the 1985 Lady Jaye.

Cheers!

PS. This is my Black History Month review #3. Click the "BHM" label to see them all.

4H GOTHTROPOLIS & OUTER SPACE MEN Revealed!

2012-02-11T12:02:00.000-05:00

The Four Horsemen Have Revealed EIGHT new females @ Toypocalypse

I went broke getting all the 7th Kingdom Cat-Girls as the 4-H summer exlusives a few years ago. Now they're at it again with an extension of their Gothtropolis Line; the Vampire Queen and 7 variants. I use "variants" lightly because most of them have unique headsculpts - to me that warrants a wholly separate character. They all have the same bodies, but with distinctive paint applications, different accessories, and those amazing varied heads. These are going to be an exciting group to collect. (I especially love the Snake-headed girl!) For the record, there are Two "humans", Two Cat-ladies (same cat head as 7th Kingdom), One Cow-Headed girl, One Snake-Headed girl, and One Skull/Reaper-Headed girl. Plus they have revealed the designs for the first female Outer Space Men figure, a human-looking astronaut named Terra Firma. Anyway, on to the pics..

These pictures were shot and posted by the amazing ActionFigureInsider.com! Head over there to check out the full-sized pics (plus all the boy characters.. kinda love that Cardinal guy). [I resized these all at least by half out of photo-swiping guilt, so please head to AFI to see the full-sized versions]

Cheers!

DC Direct Natasha Irons STEEL!

2012-02-10T11:30:00.000-05:00

DC Direct - Superman/Batman Series 3 : Public Enemies 2 - 2007

Natasha Irons is a bit of a mystery to me. She hasn't been in a single comic that I've read, yet I know a lot about her. For instance, I know that she's the niece of Steel (John Henry Irons) who briefly took the mantle of her Uncle - and was apparently very popular in that role. I also know that Natasha is one of those chracters who is constantly getting new powers and new superhero identities. I bought this toy on a whim from a clearance bin when I was on vacation. All the solicit photos I had seen showed her with her mask on, and I thought her mask made her head look gigantic and her face look all jutted out, so she was always an easy "pass" for me. When I finally picked her out of this clearance bin years later, my eyes were finally opened.

This figure is very special. I feel like DC Direct used this random character to really experiment with new articulation and body types. She comes with at least 15 points of articulation at a time when we were ecstatic to get 9.

She is a great looking figure overall. I feel like DC Direct's biggest failure with their female figures in the past has been the tendency to have the figures pre-posed with limbs in positions that limit variations and end up looking awkward. This added articulation shows you what is possible. I think DC Direct usually has superior sculpts compared to their competitiors. So can you imagine if they upped their game and added this smart articulation to all their figures? They would sweep the market.

I really don't care for the mask. Although it doesn't look too bad in these photos, it looks clunky and large in person. Plus I like seeing her amazing face. It's beautiful and reflects the artistic style of Ed McGuinness very well (who drew the Public Enemies storyline.) I also really want to display the only African American female in the Superman Universe without hiding her face and making her look like a cyborg. (ps: This is my Black History Month review #2!)

ACTION SHOTS! Note: These first few pictures were taken on my cell phone when I first bought her a few years ago. So the quality is very sub-par. But I just stumbled across them and some of the poses really show the articulation better than the new ones I took.

Now back to the significantly less grainy pics

Cheers!

Character Spotlight on HUNTRESS!

2012-02-09T20:19:00.003-05:00

Helena Wayne to Helena Bertinelli and back again.

I first discovered Huntress in the backup stories of Wonder Woman when I was a kid in the 80's. I had never heard of her before, but I was instantly sucked in to the mythos of the vigilante daughter of Catwoman and Batman; Helena Wayne aka the Huntress. Unfortunatley, it wasn't long before that character was written out of existence and replaced with Helena Bertinelli, mafia-entrenched vigilante out for justice. While the new version still had a lot of the same elements as the original, I was acutely aware of how much the original Huntress' heroic lineage had contributed to my fascination with her. (That, plus the fact that I really really really disliked the 1989 Huntress series.) I was sad that the original was gone, but better to have a revamped Huntress than none at all. Recently DC Comics has announced a new series, World's Finest, to begin in May, supposedly featuring the return of Helena Wayne. I'm excited but I have no idea what to expect.

Huntress has received a fair amount of action figure and statue treatment over the years. What I like best about my mini Helena collection is that all the figures looks so different. We've had a lot of great interpretations of of her in a variety of different looks.

First up is DC Direct's Hush Series 1 Huntress from 2004. I like this one because the Tim Bruckner sculpt on this Jim Lee design is very accurate to her look in the storyline Batman: Hush which happens to be the first time I found myself enjoying Helena Bertinelli as a character wholly unique from Helena Wayne. I liked how she was violent and tempestuous and how Batman didn't trust her, although she desperately sought his approval.

The only issues I have with this figure are (1) her boobs. It's one of my biggest pet peeves when fabric defies physics in the name of fanboy titilation. and (2) she's very limited in posing potential. Her legs are sculpted in a walking position and her hands and arms are very specific for each accessory. Luckily I think the pre-determined pose is great so I don't mind!

Next up is the Birds of Prey Deluxe Boxset Huntress from DC Direct 2003. This was the first "collector" figure made of Helena and I was very happy to get her. Pictures don't really do her justice, she's truly a great figure.

The last of the DC Direct Huntress Figures is the only Helena Wayne figure out there (there's a statue, too). She is from Crisis on Infinite Earths Series 3 from 2006 sculpted by Sam Greenwell. When this figure was solicited, my jaw dropped. It was one of the few times when I really thought someone at DC Direct was reading my mind. I think she looks great. Very retro, but fits in with the modern stuff, too. I felt like DC Comics had washed their hands of this version of the character, so to have her in a collector figure was totally unexpected.

My only issues with this figure are that I think she looks odd holding her crossbow in any position but up, and the windblown sculpt of her hair limits the direction her head faces (aesthetically - you aren't physically hindered from positioning however you want, it just looks really awkward in 90% of the poses).

Next up is the DC Direct Women of the DC Universe Series 2 Mini-Bust designed by Terry Dodson and sculpted by James Shoop. I love all my bat-family mini-busts, I truly do, but this one always left me feeling a bit bewildered. I guess my problems are that she doesn't really look like the Huntress. We've never seen that costume or hair (it's kind of a blend of the Wayne and Bertinelli styles). And frankly it doesn't look designed by Terry Dodson either. I have three other busts from this series and they are all reminiscent of his designs, but this one just stands out as different.. the face has lots of harsh angle and big eyes. I really do enjoy this piece and it's a great addition to my collection. I just wish it were designed differently. I really was hoping for another Huntress in Series 3 (the Amanda Conner series) because I love how she drew Helena in JSA - oh well.

Next up is a Huntress statue from the DC Direct Batman Family Multi-Part Statue - designed by Andy Kubert and sculpted by Oluf Hartvigson. This figure alone inspired me to buy the entire Multi-Part Statue (and chop it up into individual characters). I clearly have a love for the character, and I had been loving the Cover Girls of the DCU line with a realization that we would most likely never see a Huntress in its roster. Lo and behold the Batman Family Statue. She's in perfect scale with the Cover Girls and I really dig her look - stern and stoic.. kinda bored. I know this may not be everyone's cup of tea but I enjoy her. I trimmed the base around her feet to remove her from Nightwing and painted the rough edges grey.

Next up is the Eaglemoss Lead figure from Eaglemoss Publications. She is by far the heaviest of the eaglemoss figurines I own. Something about her cape I guess. She isn't my favorite of the bat-family Eaglemoss pieces (mostly due to her simplified face paint), but I wouldn't trade her for anything. Check out my group pics of the Eaglemoss Bat-Ladies from a previous post.

Next up are two almost identical figures from Kenner in the 90's. The Blue one is from Kenner's Total Justice line in 1996, and the Black one is from Kenner's JLA line in 1998. These were the first action figures made of the Huntress and they are a fantastic first figures at that! I was an extremely happy weirdo when I found these way back when.

Next up is the obligatory Heroclix game piece. I don't know of many characters that don't have a Heroclix at this point. They're sloppily painted, awkward to display, but their character selection is irresistable to me.

Next we have the Mattel JLA figure. There were two variations of this figure. The differences were in the stripes on her outift - one came in a 3-Pack, one came packaged alone. Not sure which is which, but I knew I liked this one better. This figure is probably the most accessible Huntress toy for most people. She was a shelf-warmer in my stores for a long time.

Finally, I will show pics of the two Huntress items I do not own. I think these are the only ones, although I'm always wrong. They are both by DC Direct. (1) The Power Girl and Huntress: Legacy Statue and (2) the Ame-Comi PVC Figure.

If you want to catch up on your Helena Wayne backstories, I highly suggest the Graphic Novel Huntress: Dark Knight Daughter by DC Comics. Most of her adventures were in little 5-page stories in the back of Wonder Woman and other obscure places, this GN collects most of them with a great homage cover by Brian bolland.

The one disappointing thing about this GN was the total lack of a Table of Contents. Luckily I'm OCD so I took care of that asap. Click here if you would like the printable PDF. It slides in the front cover nicely :)

Group picture time! (sorry so washed-out)

Cheers!

The Walking Dead MICHONNE!

2012-02-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

McFarlane Toys - The Walking Dead - Comic Series 1 - Michonne

I feel like I've been writing a lot of reviews lately about characters and brands I know nothing about. I have never watched The Walking Dead nor read any of the comics. What I do know is that I've been spying this beautiful action figure on the shelves for a couple months now and when I found her at a liquidating Toys'R'us, I couldn't pass her up. I need to do some serious research into what McFarlane Toys has been up to the past few years because this is the second time they've impressed me so far in 2012. (And this is after many many years of being quite the opposite of impressed). It's always surprising to me how few female action figures are produced, and even more surprizing how few African American females are produced. This fantastic figure has inspired me to create a series of posts dedicated to Black History Month. I honestly don't have enough figures to do a daily themed post, but I have some really interesting figures I will be reviewing. (Click Black History Month (BHM) in the post labels to see them all.)

The Walking Dead is on my reading and watching list, I swear. Currently I'm watching all of Nurse Jackie and Silverhawks and I'm reading through all of InuYasha, so I'll probably get around to it by this time next year (when the box sets are on sale at Target!)

On to the review: The packaging is colorful, cool, and nearly impossible to photograph well. I love the detail of the zombies in blue reaching up around the figure.

Michonne is just such a great figure. Great pose, great articulation (21 points!), great clothes, great accessories, great face. Seriously, Kudos McFarlane. I wish this level of work and articulation went into all your past properties, too.

Did I mention accessories? Judging from the cardback it seems like this series is crazy with them. Michonne Comes with (1) a Sword, (2) a Drill, (3.) a Spoon, (4) Pliers, and (5) a Hammer. Seriously, a Spoon?! I shouldn't love this as much as I do.

What's the most threatening??

Her Left hand only seems suited for the drill since it has a much larger grip. The other hand is tighter and can hold anything, but I think she looks best wielding the sword.

Time for some group shots! I only have one other McFarlane figure (from my Halo review earlier this week), so I'm showing her with two other random action figures of popular scales; a 3.75" G.I.Joe and a 6" DCUC.

Halo SPARTAN AIR ASSAULT!

2012-02-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

McFarlane Toys Halo Series 3 Spartan Air Assault (Female) 2011

I bought something made by McFarlane Toys! Seriously! There's something about this company that has always rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it's the hyper-detail (usually gorey), maybe it's the overwashed paintjobs, maybe it's the statuesque unposeability of most of their figures - could be any of these. But I think it's most likely that their female figures almost always offend me in some way. Why is it that men get armor and detailed costumes while women get skull bikinis and stripper poses? I get why people love the brand.. I do. But I find I'm usually drawn to a toy line with nostalgic retro vibe, whether in character selection or the actual look of the figure. But McFarlane Toys is as far from that personal ideal as you can get. That said, I just bought my first TWO McFarlane action figures this weekend (You'll see the second one reviewed later this week). They're both amazing and have me totally re-assessing my views on the company.

I don't play video games. I have a very addictive personality and I have spent entire summers zoned-out in front of a gaming console. Luckily at this point my gaming skills have degraded to a point where I'm too frustrated with most systems to even try. I do however like video game characters and toys. I don't have too many, but I'm intrigued and always checking out new products (fyi... I'm the guy who collected Magic cards but never played).

So Halo. I know zip about this game. From the toy boxes, I surmize that there is an ongoing battle between aliens and humans. And the humans are constantly decked-out in stylized combat armor. Always seemed a little oppressively masculine to me. But what's this? A pink one? Isn't pink a trendy boy robot color nowadays? It's a generic unnamed character... is it really a girl? It looks a little feminine I guess... or is that just the pink? Rest assured, the box clearly labels it as female.

She comes with a gun and a removeable chestpiece. In the toy aisles, you will see lots of "Accessory packs" where you can get alternate pieces of armor for the figures. She has a few random pegs in different places on her body so she could theoretically be "Geared up."

She is surprisingly articulated and poseable. This is definitely not the McFarlane Toys I grew up with! She's loaded with ball-joints and hidden swivels. My only issues are that the joints could be tighter. The leg articulation on mine was a little loose and was having trouble holding exaggerated poses.

Time for some comparison pics! I don't own any other Halo figures so I'm just showing her with two random action figures of popular scales; a 3.75" G.I.Joe and a 6" DCUC. I think the Halo figures may be in a scale of their own making. There is another Halo female coming out this Spring - the character Kat in her unmasked version (she wears blue armor). I'm excited to photograph the two together.

Cheers!

My Favorite WONDER WOMAN!

2012-02-06T18:52:00.000-05:00

DC Direct Justice League of America Boxset 2009

Wonder Woman is a sticky situation for us collectors of female action figures. I will go out on a limb and say that she is the single most merchandised heroine of all time, and I seriously doubt any ladies will be stealing that mantle from her anytime soon. I don't dislike Wonder Woman, but I pointedly ignore the standard monthly solicitation of yet another Diana figure or statue. I am an obsessive collector so I have to put my blinders on or I will be penniless and living in a star-spangled hovel. A few years ago I started reading the revamped Wonder Woman comic with art by Terry and Rachel Dodson and I suddenly had a renewed interest in the character. I made it a goal to find the single best figure I could find of her and limit myself to that one piece. Of course I now have a small handful of Dianas, but they entered organically into my collection, because each time I made a purchase I truly thought I was replacing my existing perfect figure with a newly-produced superior version of that single perfect representation.

It's been a few years since I've purchased a new Wonder Woman and I'm going to make a ballsy statement that the DC Direct JLA Boxset figure is the best one out there. I love this figure for so many different reasons. She looks so strong, yet not manly. She has a great face that I think really captures the look of a modern Greek Goddess. Her colors are bright and classic. And her body pose is a standard straight-forward stance - not the exaggerated contraposto or stylized "Birth of Venus" pose we often see with collectors market females.

My only real gripe about this figure is the lasso. DC Direct really needs to get on the ball and stop including crappy half-assed accessories. The only high point is that you can buy a spool of the stuff at ACMoore for a nickel and replace it in a jiffy if need be.

Her face is just great. Maybe it's just because I'm a fan of the Adam Hughes style, or maybe because this more closely represents her look in the 2006 Series I liked so much. (Which is amusing because there is a version supposedly based off Dodson's art which I'll compare below)

This figure is an amalgamation of two previous Dianas. Her body comes from the Justice League of America Series 3 figure (Based on the art of Ed Benes) from Jan 2009. And her head comes from the unreleased All-Star Wonder Woman figure (Based on the art of Adam Hughes - from the never-released All-Star WW comic). This prototype was first shown around Jan 2008. The combined version of the two figures was released in Dec 2009.

While both of these figures are perfectly good designs, they each have issues (in my humble opinion). The head on the Benes version has odd hair and the face sculpt only vaguely resembles Benes' art. Conversely, the body on the Hughes version is awkwardly posed with limited range of motion. I personally would not have purchased either of these figures.

Time for some comparisons! The Dodson-style Wonder Woman Series 1 action figure from DC Direct (Dec 2007) is a easily a second runner-up. She's beautiful, she has great hair, she looks powerful, and she poses well. She was my favorite for two whole years! If forced to compare though, I would say that her colors fall a little flat, her face looks beautiful, but not exactly "Amazon Warrior Goddess", and her body doesn't have that blend of femininity and strength I associate with the character.

Mattel DC Universe Classics Wonder Woman was a major disappointment for me. The prototype shown at conventions was stunning and the idea of a superposeable figure was very exciting. But the final in-store product fell flat in my eyes. She looked gangly, the thigh-joints were distracting (and highlighted different colored fleshtone plastics), mine had tons of seam tags from poor casting (especially at the shoulders), and her face looked smooshed with some serious duckface action. All in all though, she's still a decent representation of Wonder Woman and was probably one of the most accessible versions for many collectors so she's definitely worthy of a comparison. Her sculpted lasso is a definitely improvement over an unravelling piece of craft string!

Group picture time! This is ALL my Wonder Women.. not too crowded yet :)

Cheers!

I made a lot of comments about the INSANE amount of Wonder Woman figures out there. If you're interested, check out ExperienceTheWonder.com which is the best resource for Wonder Woman collectibles. He has an awe-inspiring collection and a fantastically designed page... brings a tear to my eye.

DC Direct 2012 Reveals!

2012-02-05T12:17:00.001-05:00

Cover Girls, New 52 Busts, Dark Knight Rises Statues & Busts

This information was all over the toy blogs in the past few weeks, but I had to put my two cents in and join in on the excitement. DC Direct released a flyer to distributers soliciting all sorts of products throughout 2012. It's mostly Dark Knight Rises products, but there's a peppering of DC New 52 stuff as well. I'm getting more and more excited for Anne Hathaway's portrayal of Catwoman in the upcoming movie every day. The products keep rolling out and I am seriously strategizing on how many shelves I'll be dedicating to Ms. Kyle before the year is through.

The most impressive looking lady amongst all the products so far would arguably be the 12" Batman Icons Statue of Catwoman. For the first time we can see real texture to her costume and I think this image is hinting that her heels are a serious part of her personal arsenal. They look downright dangerous. Her goggles make a LOT more sense to me after seeing these solicit images. I'll touch on that more with the next product. This statue is slated for a July 2012 release.

Next up is a 6" figure due in June 2012. It looks from this preliminary model that it will be more of a statue piece than an action figure, but only time will tell. I'm assuming it will be made of vinyl and have a more reasonable price point than the large Icon Statue. What's important about this photo is that it really shows us how her goggles and mask work together. Her ears are the goggles flipped up on top of her head... it's simple and amazing and I love the functionality of the design.

The final DKR Catwoman product shown is the obligatory Mini-Bust. While I'm not completely sold on the design, and I hate that the base says "Dark Knight Rises" on it (seriously? If we're spending money on it think we know what it's from... labels always annoy me), I am still excited to add this to my growing collection of Catwoman busts.

My favorite of the newly revealed products is the DC New 52 Batgirl bust. Batgirl is probably my all-around favorite character in comics and this looks like it will be a great addition to my collection. Maybe we'll see a completed version at ToyFairNY. I really hope Batwoman and Huntress get the same treatment since they're so prominent in the New 52.

And finally, we are shown designs for two new Cover Girls of the New 52 statues. One is for Poison Ivy and one is for Catwoman. I'm really starting to like the new Ivy look, but it was a slow acceptance on my part. I think reading the few recent issues of Birds of Prey that guest-starred Batgirl swayed my opinion. The cover shots weren't appealing to me so I felt as if I needed to see her in "motion" to appreciate the new look. Catwoman is standard, but if she doesn't look better than (or at least different from) the existing Cover Girls Catwoman I'll probably pass. I didn't show the picture, but they showed a pic of the new Wonder Woman Cover Girls of the New 52 sculpt and it looks like ass. My first reaction was that it looked like a giant heroclix. Click the link at the bottom to see ALL the newly revealed stuff including WW.

Have I mentioned that I'm excited about Anne Hathaway's Catwoman? Here's a taste:

Check out ToyNewsI.com for the complete set of reveals!

Cheers!

Sonic Free-Riders WAVE the SWALLOW!

2012-02-04T20:31:00.001-05:00

Sonic the Hedgehog: Free Riders Wave the Swallow from Jazwares

I'll admit I know next to nothing about the Sonic universe. I had a game on my Sega Game Gear in the 90's and I enjoyed it, but beyond the major three characters (Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails), everything else was far off my radar. I started to take notice when Jazwares began releasing their super-articulated 3" Sonic action figures a few years ago. I bought every one with glee, but eventually sold all of them but one (Amy Rose) solely for space reasons. The existence of Wave as the second female in the line really caught me by surprise. She was already in circulation for a month before I ever caught wind - and that NEVER happens. And now I discover that there are supposedly at least two more Sonic females due in the coming years (Rouge the Bat, and Blaze the Cat).

The figure comes in standard Sonic Jazwares packaging. Nothing really special about it, but it's colorful and displays the character well if you're a MOC collector.

Sonic Free Riders is a relatively recent game (2010) where all the classic Sonic characters (and new ones) are racing through obstacles on skateboards/hoverboards/snowboards.. something like that. So Wave comes packaged with an obligatory "skateboard" with wheels. It attaches to her feet with a standard peg-and-hole setup and is easily removeable.

As I MAY have mentioned before, a secondary interest of mine is birds. That said, I LOVE how Sega incorporated the look of a true Swallow into her design. I think most character designers would have been happy to give her a beak and some feathers and call it a day. The hair extending back into two long distinct points and her little forked tail made me smile when I took her out of the package. Here's a classic swallow for reference. (You'll recognize it from the shoulders and chest of your neighbourhood hipsters)

This figure is great. She has really heavy feet so she poses and stands well, and she comes with an amazing 18 points of articulation. She may even have more but she's so tiny I'm afraid to bend her.

Time for some comparison shots! The only other Sonic figure I have is modern Amy Rose. You'll see she's a little smaller, but Amy is only supposed to be 8 or 12 years old in the games and comics (as Sonic's self-proclaimed girlfriend), so I think the scale is probably intential, and if not, at least excusable.

Cheers! I'll be back when I get Rouge, Blaze and Cream!

DCUC Wave 20 DOVE Review!

2012-02-04T01:17:00.001-05:00

Mattel's DC Universe Classics (Final) Wave 20 - Dawn Granger as Dove

Of all the classic DC properties to make a comeback in the past few years, one of my favorites is definitely Hawk & Dove. I am secretly a big bird fanatic, and I also love allegorical characters, so we were a natural fit from the start. I think I'm one of the few readers out there who is really enjoying the new series and who is really sad to see it come to an end in April. All those great new secondary characters (read: more symbolic-bird-people for me :)): Condor, Swan, Osprey... but I digress. It's ending and I understand why, but I'm still sad. With all the new attention we've had a ton (okay, a few) Dove items released in the past year. This will be the second action figure, plus there was a Bust, an Eaglemoss Figurine, and a HeroClix gamepiece. Considering Dawn's version of the character has been around since the 80's, it's crazy that we JUST started getting merchandise in 2011.

Mattel's newest version of Dawn is part of DC Universe Classic Wave 20 (Necron Wave) which will be the last wave of the traditional DCUC series. She come in pretty standard packaging and thankfully she's not displayed in some crazy leg-warping pose. Her Collect-n-Connect Necron piece is the Pelvis and lower robes.

The figure is kind of awesome. I've been really let down by DCUC women over the years. Their legs are often bowed-out, their arms are too skinny, and their faces often seem very flat. While this figure has a hint of each of those problems, they're mostly non-existent.

Another thing I noticed about this figure is that the side-hip-hinge-thing seems to be gone/hidden. Am I crazy? couldn't you always see the articulation for the leg-split function on the outer hip? Unfortunately I'm away from the rest my collection as I type this to check, but I'm pretty sure I'm right.

Time for some comparisons now. This isn't that in depth because I only have one other Dove item. Luckily it's the important one that people will want to see compared with this figure. Note that the DCDirect Brightest Day Dove can't stand up without her figure stand, so she is raised slightly higher than the Mattel version. (But they're still way out of scale with each other)

Here's hoping for Holly Granger as Hawk for a follow-up! Cheers!

G.I.Joe: Retaliation JINX Figures Revealed!

2012-02-03T12:58:00.000-05:00

Hasbro Just Unveiled Two SDCC Exclusive Kim Arashikage Figures for 2012

I'm officially dubbing this ZaranaGate.2. I guess the crazy success of last year's SDCC Exclusive Zarana + Variant figures inspired this year's killer ninjas. I realize we'll probably see a true movie version in the main retail line, so these will be nice counterparts to that figure. Plus the G.I.Joe Collectors Club Jinx will be out this year, too, making this an extremely Jinx-Heavy year. When it rains it pours! Something to note is that they seem to officially calling her "Kim Arashikage" instead of her codename Jinx. Perhaps they hit some trademark issues as so often happens with this kind of thing. A quick google search found "Jinx" related to Pokemon, Zhu-Zhu Pets, and James Bond. Who knows. The only pics so far are small and oddly masked, but I can tell the figures will be awesome.

Kim Arashikage (Jinx) - SDCC Exclusive (Regular Version)

Kim Arashikage (Jinx) - SDCC Exclusive (Variant)

You can check out all of the recently announced G.I.Joe: Retaliation toys on ToyNewsI.com

Character Spotlight on FIRESTAR!

2012-02-03T01:02:00.000-05:00

X-Men, Avengers, Young Allies, Hellions, New Warriors... She's Been Everyhere!

Angelica Jones was one of the first super-heroes I became enfatuated with as a young boy. I remember watching Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends and eagerly anticipating her change sequence when a wall of flames would wash over her and suddenly she'd be costumed in that awesomely retro yellow and red outfit. It's interesting to read all the creation stories about this character and how she came to be. According to most tales, they originally wanted the trio in the cartoons to be Spider-Man, Ice-Man and the Human Torch, but either the legal rights to the human torch were tied up or they thought a boy engulfed in flames would send a bad message, so they had to create a substitute character in a hurry. Apparently they took inspiration from Spidey's longtime love interest, Mary Jane, and viola! (oh yeah, and she's apparently named after the creator's ex-girlfriend). No matter how she came to be, I love her in all her microwave glory.

Click to Spider-Friends.com FireStar Bio!

FireStar has been one of the most shamefully under-used characters in the Marvel Universe. A couple years ago she really picked up steam for the first time in years, but now she seems non-existent yet again. She hasn't been merchandised much, but I love every little figure I can find. Lets check out the bounty...

First Up, the Marvel Universe 3.75" figure from Hasbro's Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends 3-Pack (2009).

This is a great little figure and arguably my favorite of the bunch. Also, in comparison to other MU females, she has a lot of nice details and great joints (most of my other marvel ladies have weird legs). Her hair is fantastic!

Next up is an abomination of a figure made by ToyBiz in 1997 that was marketed as a ToyFare Magazine exclusive. She's basically a repainted ToyBiz Medusa figure. I was so glad they made her since she was the first FireStar action figure ever produced (to the best of my knowledge), but things luckily have improved for Angelica since.

Next up is a 2005 Art Asylum Mini-Mates FireStar. She is in a weird blend of her classic costume and her Avengers costume, but I don't mind the look. She's pretty standard with all re-used body parts. Great little figure.

Here we have her Eaglemoss lead figurine. I had to touch-up this figurine a LOT. She had paint splotches everywhere. I hated the gold details on her, but I decided to keep them since it was oviously an intentional design choice, and they've really grown on me.

Here is a cool little figure from the HeroClix collectible-figure game, made by WizKids in 2004. These figures are all kind of odd and sloppy, but they make such a wide variety of cool characters that they're hard to resist.

Next up is the first high quality collector's product made of FireStar. This is a Diamond Select mini-bust released in 2007. She's kind of great, but the treatment of her chest area always seemed a little seedy to me. She was never portrayed as an overly sexualized character and these nipple-tents just seemed like a unnecessary pervy detail. Beyond that though, this is an absolutely beautiful statue. I bought it at a closing comic shop for $20.. still overjoyed at that.

The final and most recent FireStar collectible is a Bowen Designs mini-bust from 2010. This is a pretty nice piece, but when I received her I instantly had a few problems with it. First of all, her mask seemed askew. i.e., her eyes were not centered in each eyehole and it looked comical. (I actually repainted her eyes so you are seeing a corrected version.) Secondly, I thought her hair was really dark for a fiery redhead, and lastly, her outstretched hand is unproportionately huge. It's as if it's meant to be foreshortened like the hands on Michaelangelo's David, but it just looks awkward from any view except pointing at you. Again, overall, I love this piece, but I am critical at heart and must list my gripes.

Group shots!

Cheers!

Lego POISON IVY, HARLEY QUINN, and CATWOMAN!

2012-02-02T00:36:00.005-05:00

The Gotham City Sirens return to the Lego universe with revamped designs for 2011

I've been kicking myself for years for not buying these three ladies the first time around. I would see them in Toys'R'us years ago and put heavy consideration into buying a whole building set for one little minifig. I always walked away empty-handed and these tiny vixens have become "the one(s) that got away" for me ever since. That said, I was very excited when they announced a new LEGO DC Universe license at SDCC this year. I was a little let down that the one bat-female they showed seemed to be an identical Catwoman to the original (I always thought the mask could be tweaked to look better) but I was happy to get the chance to get them again at a reasonable price.

I never realized how fun LEGOs could be! I seriously had a great time photographing these right now (see the fun pics at the end) and now I really hope we might see a few more figures like Batgirl and Huntress in the coming year.

Each minifig comes with a two-sided head so you can give them different facial expressions.

They all feature printing on their backs (based on the fact that this feature is often mentioned with other minifigs, I assume this is something not always present)

Now let's check out the differences between these new versions and the previous versions from a few years ago (2008 I think). We'll Start with Catwoman. She is VERY similar overall. Her facial expressions are different, and her entire chest detailing is new (notice the belt, purple waist slimmers, and the curves of her chest). The new Catwoman comes with a brown whip and a stolen diamond, the old one comes with a black whip. Each figure has pros and cons, I can't judge either as better or worse than the other.

Next up is Harley. Again, a VERY similar design. There is a new face, new torso details, different colored hands, slight difference in the placement of the diamonds on her legs, and the new Harley doesn't come with any of the cool accessories that the 2008 version did. Overall I would say the old one is superior. Her face looks more mischievous, her accessories are cool, and the white printing on her torso is bolder (although oddly udder-shaped).

Lastly, we have Ivy. This was a MAJOR improvement. The old Ivy was okay, but not worth the crazy prices she was fetching on eBay. The new version has great hair, great torso and leg details, and an awesome vine whip (I believe the old one came with a green version of catwoman's whip). Awesome job on this one.

Time for some comparison shots. Here are the new Harley and Catwoman Legos with their respective Mini-Mates and Kubricks.

Time for the fun pics!

Till Next Time!

Funko Pop CATWOMAN Revealed!

2012-02-01T11:14:00.001-05:00

Dark Knight Rises - Funko POP! Catwoman

Finally! I have a confession. I have been googling "+funko +pop +catwoman -plush" nearly every week for a year. I love my two Batgirl Pops (regular and black SDCC version -- tho I passed on the metallic repaint) and I've been pining for more bat-ladies to add to the roster. I'm frankly surprised we haven't seen a classic comic version yet. Funko seems to love easy repaints and selina is a prime target for variations; Purple, Black, and Gray versions of her costumes will always be in style. Plus we've seen that Funko Pop Plush Catwoman in the stores for a couple years now, so we know the character is on their radar.

Anyway... Yay! This is actually my favorite piece of DKR merchandise shown so far. Can't wait to get her.

Check out the other newly revealed DKR items at ToyNewsI.com

G.I.Joe Renegades SCARLETT!

2012-02-01T00:34:00.001-05:00

G.I.Joe 30th Anniversary Wave 2011.3 - Renegades Scarlett - from Hasbro

The leading lady of the Joe's returns with her NINETEENTH(!) figure since her humble/awkward toy beginnings in 1982... and honestly she hasn't aged a day. [Check out all her previous incarnations at the go-to place for G.I.Joe info, www.yojoe.com] In case you're not aware, G.I.Joe Renegades is the newest Joe cartoon; currently being aired on The Hub. I haven't watched it yet myself, but I loved the last show (G.I.Joe Resolute), and it looks like Renegades is cut from that same cloth. While this character doesn't fully embrace an animated style, it's definitely a slight departure from the typical 30th Anniversary look. Of course, this could just be the packaging swaying my opinion, because sitting here looking at the thumbnail I just posted, she looks less stylized/cartoonish than many of her recent 30th Anniversary predecessors.

The packaging is very fresh and new. For those collecting MOC, these Resolute figures will definitely stand out as some of the most colorful in the line.

The figure itself is great. Her costume comes across as a very stylized but functional combat suit. I love when characters can be feminine and sexy without wearing skintight catsuits or sporting cleavage down to their navels. G.I.Joe has always been very realistic about their females and I applaud them for that.

Scarlett comes with her ever-present crossbow, a small sawed-off-type laser pistol, and a figure stand. My Scarlett actually has trouble holding the crossbow with only one hand, her grips are too loose and the crossbow handle is too thin. It works fine if she holds it with two hands, but I thought this was interesting because usually these modern Joes can hold their accessories great.

Note the freestanding posing possibilities with the new ankle articulation (detailed below).

There's some new ankle articulation that I'm noticing for the first time with this figure (Zanya and Zarana don't have it). The ankles now incorporate the standard swivel with a ball joint. (Before they were all swivel and pivot combos I believe). This gives the foot a crazy range of motion. Combined with the double-jointed knees, this makes for some awesome posing potential.

For those of you who admire Scarlett as much as I do, I highly recommend picking up the comic G.I.Joe Declassififed: Scarlett published by Devil's Due in 2006. You get an unexpected origin story with art by the amazing Phil Noto. I have vague memories of her discovering the crossbow and it changing her life. I'm totally reading it as soon as I post this.

Click picture for a link the the MileHighComics web store

Finally some comparison shots. Here is Scarlett with two of her most recent versions: Resolute Scarlett, and Rise of Cobra Movie Scarlett.

Uh-oh.. Here come the first Scarlett (1982) and the comic repaint of her first 30th Anniversary figure... they always ruin everything...

Cheers!

Eaglemoss Chess POISON IVY Revealed!

2012-01-30T00:27:00.001-05:00

DC Chess Collection #9 Black Pawn - from Eaglemoss Publications

I have a lot of love for Eaglemoss lead figurines (as detailed in my post from two days ago). Although the DC Comics Super Hero Collection is coming to an end, fans are very excited for the upcoming Eaglemoss DC Chess Collection. The original line-up of 32 chess characters was announced early last year, but then information became sluggish and there were rumors of cancellation. I believe that most of the delay was due to the DC Universe relaunch in September 2011 - as evidenced by the substitution of the DCnU Barbara Gordon Batgirl in place of the originally slated Stephanie Brown Batgirl. There are numerous changes in the lineup so far (mostly in regards to the order of release) but I am very excited that these are now officially rolling out!

Here's the female lineup so far::

DC Chess Collection #9 - POISON IVY (Black Pawn)

DC Chess Collection #7 - BATGIRL (White Knight)

DC Chess Collection #6 - CATWOMAN (White Queen)

Something to note is that these chess pieces won't be made of lead like the other Eaglemoss figurines, rather they are composed of a "metallic resin." I suppose constantly-handled chess pieces would need to be contructed of a less harmful material than lead. I'm assuming this will mean they will be more lightweight and possibly more fragile.

Head on over to the Eaglemoss Webpage to see more pictures. NOTE: There are some MAJOR reveals on the picture of the chess board. You can see sneak peeks of Ras Al Ghul, Red Hood, Hush, Black Mask, Penguin, Katana, and someone who I believe is Black Canary, but it's really hard to tell. I can't wait to get these chess pieces - we're expected to get Huntress, Harley Quinn, Batwoman, and The Question (possibly Renee Montoya version). One figure on the original lineup that we are now unlikely to see is Oracle. It's a shame because she was so integral in comics for the last 20 years but she's had very poor representation in plastic. I'm excited to see who they replace her with though... I'll post it when I find out!

The Fifth Turtle VENUS DE MILO!

2012-01-29T18:06:00.000-05:00

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation figure from PlayMates

She's loathed by many die-hard TMNT fans*, but I think this character and figure are amazingly cool. She was introduced in 1997's live-action Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation from Saban. I was too busy in 1997 being cool and completely missed this iteration of TMNT. Although I vaguely remember seeing an image in Wizard Magazine showing all the animated turtles, with a new female turtle in blue and Leonardo now in pink. But the live-action show had Leonardo wearing a dark blue 'do-rag with Venus wearing a light blue braided mask - so I have no idea where this fragmented memory of mine came from.

* I'm basing this assumption off a few overheard comments and things like this ShortPacked comic. She may be adored for all I know :)

There were two versions of Venus De Milo made by Playmates. This is the standard figure while the one not shown is "Blacktop Boardin' Venus" which featured skateboard-type accessories with kneepads, etc. This plain figure is much more to my liking.

What makes her different from her four estranged brothers? First of all, the ventral side of her shell dips down to form a cleavage line. Then the obvious breasts. Her mask is braided in the back to replicate a long ponytail. She's less muscular in the arms. And she has a Yin-Yang symbol on her arm indicating her "Chinese Heritage." (Read the TMNT Wikia Page if you want to know more.) If you would ask me to come up with a design for a female turtle, you would undoubtedly get an abomination. But this is seriosuly perfection. She maintains the stlye of the original animated series, but looks distinctly feminine. Kudos to Saban and Playmates.

Venus De Milo has Ball-jointed shoulders and legs, and a swivel-jointed head. She comes with a few obligatory ninja accessories and her rubbery-yet-firm limbs pose and hold them well.

Eaglemoss BATGIRL and the Bat-Ladies!

2012-01-29T00:04:00.000-05:00

Amazing little lead figurines from Eaglemoss Publications UK

The last of the DC Eaglemoss figurines have been announced (so they say...) and just recently the last of the Bat-Family females has hit the street. This makes an impressive set of SEVEN Bat-Ladies in the collection. If anyone hasn't started picking these up, I highly suggest doing so. They average about 3-4" tall and each come with a fantastic magazine that reads like a heavily-illustrated wikipedia bio. I've seen them priced at comic stores anywhere from $12.99 to $16.99 and to me are well worth the price. The only problem for me is that very few stores around me carry them regularly so they usually require a special order.

Seeing them all lined up finally was very exciting for my geeky little self, but then I was sad because I know they could make so many more! Maybe we could get a second go with a DCnU series like they did with Blackest Night!

Included among the 120 figurines in the main DC Comics Super Hero Collection are:
Issue 9: Catwoman
Issue 37: Batgirl (Cassandra Cain)*****
Issue 43: Poison Ivy
Issue 45: Harley Quinn
Issue 50: Huntress
Issue 81: Batwoman
Issue 95: Batgirl (Barbara Gordon)

***** Cassandra Cain is supposed to be a child, but this figure has arguably the most adult body of the group. Then I realized that this pose seems to be based off of the cover on Batman: No Man's Land #0 (Before Cassie ever became Batgirl), during the brief period when Huntress (Helena Bertinelli) donned the Mantle of the Batgirl and introduced the new costume that Cassie made famous later on. Check out the cover in question:

Okay, rant over.

Time for more pictures!

Full disclosure #1: most of these figures require minor paint touch-ups when you get them. The sculpts and casting may be top-notch, but I've had a LOT of smudges and streaks on my figurines. Luckily they've all been very easy to deal with a dab of glossy black here and a slash of red there.

Full disclosure #2: The magazines always come with pretty severe spine bends. This is due to the fact that they're polybagged with a boxed lead figure loose in the bag. It's pretty much impossible to get one in mint condition so you'll just have to resign yourself to that.

Sorry I didn't take any turnaround shots or different angles. Maybe I was feeling unimaginative or maybe I was just suffering the first stages of lead poisoning. If I don't post again soon I probably died.

MOTUC Princess of Power STAR SISTERS!

2012-01-27T00:17:00.000-05:00

Mattel Masters of the Universe Classics - 1st Qtr 2012

I'll be the first to admit I had never heard of these characters when they were first revealed at SDCC this past summer. It was kind of surprising to learn that they only appeared in a single episode of the She-Ra cartoon, yet were slated for MOTUC treatment well before popular characters like Glimmer, Frosta, Scorpia, etc. Then I learned that the real motivating force behind the inclusion of these ladies in the line was that they were a major tease to all those MOTU/POP collectors in the 80's when pictures of prototypes were shown but the figures were never released. I was never really into the She-Ra toys because the original toys seemed more like dolls than real action figures, but I'm glad Mattel is showing this kind of commitment to collectors but putting out obscure characters so early in the POP lineup.

These figures come packaged as a massive three-pack with all three sisters ( Jewelstar the Hidden Beauty, Starla the Bright & Beautiful Leader, and Tallstar the Lovely Lookout) as well as their pet Glorybird.

Here is a scan of a cool little instructional pamphlet that came inside the packaging as well as some pictures of those original protoypes and a screenshot of their single cartoon appearance (She-Ra Season Two: Bow's Magical Gift). The latter two pictures are from he-man.org where you can find a lot more information on the characters.

Jewelstar is a very unique character. I don't know much about her besides her obvious crystaline body and that her original 80's prototype was supposed to transform into a crystal. I expected to like her least of the three from the early SDCC pics, but she is actually one of my favorites. (Despite the bulky new crotch piece which looks a bit awkward if you focus on it).

Some of her crystal body parts are hard rigid plastic and some are a softer flexible rubber, but they look very consistent. Her hair is very cool and unique, but it is almost completely obscured when viewing her from a face-front angle. Her cape is great and is made from a semi-transparent iridescent rubber. You can seen her legs through the cape from the rear view.

Starla is the sister that looks most like a mainstream She-Ra character. She has bright color and looks strong and formidible, not getting lost in gimmicks like the other two sisters tend to do. My Starla has multiple small paint defects on her face. The white spot on her cheek popped off easily, but i'll have to touch up the black spots around her eyes and her sloppy lipstick later.

She poses really well (as do all of them) with really tight joints and flexible rubber clothing.

Tallstar had the potential to be the most awkward of the trio (given her cartoon and 80's prototype looks), but she turned out pretty awesome. Great job by the Four Horsemen in reinterpreting her look while retaining a classic style that looks great.

This previous photo shows the leg problem a lot of fans are having a problem with. The legs look as if they should be connected to the body higher (as they were shown in the SDCC prototypes this past summer). I understand the issue and it does stand out as a major miscalculation in the implementation of articulation, but it's not the worst thing in the world. Her outfit it really colorful and busy and her "action feature" makes her limbs a little awkward already.

Okay, here's where we discuss the action feature. Tallstar has an ability to grow to incredibly tall heights. This wasn't represented as an overall mass change like Giant Man or Giganta, but rather as a stretching of the body a'la Mister Fantastic. To acheive this effect, Mattel has included different "extensions" to increase the length of each limb. The pieces are labeled with hidden L and R marks to designate which legs or arm it is intended for.

Here she is with just her legs extensions in:

Here she is with just her arm extensions in:

Here she is with both her arm and legs extensions in. This is my favorite look for her. It makes her stand out as a uniquely tall character, but without the awkwardness of the stretched neck.

Here she is with all her extensions. I really dislike the neck piece. It makes her hair look awkwardly gravity-defying and just makes the figure a lot less attractive overall in my opinion.

And finally, here is their pet, Glorybird! I like my collection of these birds I've already assembed. I have a green one from DCUC Beast Boy, a Bald Eagle from the DCUC Wonder Twins set, Screech from MOTUC Evil Lyn, and Zoar from MOTUC Teela. Glorybird's feathery mohawk is a riot. Total 80's glam nonsense and I love it. (It removes easily to make her a plain pink falcon).

Group picture time!

I was afraid these figures would look too bold and colorful next to the existing MOTUC/POP figures, but they actually fit in nicely and they made me very excited for more Etherian ladies in the coming years.

Bandai 6" Modern CHEETARA

2012-01-25T01:52:00.000-05:00

ThunderCats (2011) 6" Series Two

80's Toy Nostalgia is a force to be reckoned with. So many different properties have resurfaced over the past few years that it's hard to keep them all straight. One of the key franchises that fans have been wishing and begging for has been ThunderCats. Staying suspiciously out of the limelight since their first incarnation, these powerful felines have recently burst onto the scene with an amazing new cartoon on the Cartoon Network and a great line of toys made by Bandai. I was hesitant when I first heard the news that Bandai had the toy license. Most of what we see from them on US shelves is Power Rangers and Ben10, and as far as the female figures go, their track record is hit-or-miss. Luckily the most recent figures have been fantastic, and the ThunderCats have been no exception.

The 6" Cheetara figure is part of the second wave of 6" Modern figures releases (I specify "Modern" because Bandai is also taking this recent popularity as an opportunity to release a separate line of Classic ThunderCats in both an 8" and 6" scale). Cheetara already had 4" figure released in 2011 which I will be comparing with this new version further down. I found her at Wal-Mart just outside of Philadelphia last week (same day I found Legacy Catwoman).

Her Packaging is pretty standard. It looks great, but I open all my toys so my interest is limited. There is an interesting barcode-type image on the side of the packaging that is apparently a link to a 3-D moveable/poseable digital version of your action figure. I haven't tried it yet, but if it works like how i've heard it described it could be pretty cool. (Although I remember a similar gimmick with the Avatar toys last year and I was never able to get them to work)

On to the figure:: She is pretty amazing! Kudos to Bandai for making such a sturdy, playable, poseable, well-sculpted figure. This may well be one of the best female bucks I've seen. The body is sleek and feminine but still boasts 18 points of articulation (although I honestly count 22). And we all know how added articulation tends to make female characters look all blocky and robotic. The rib cage and upper thigh joints are completely hidden. The head has very minimal movement because of the hair. The black joint pegs are an eyesore for some, but the costume design is so busy on this character that I barely notice them.

Did I mention she can stand on her own? That scores her major points in my book.

Here are some pictures of her alongside her 4" version mentioned before. The 4" version is a pretty awesome version, but she has limited poseability and articulation compared to the 6" version. I personally think the face in the 4" version looks better and more cartoon-accurate than the 6", but I truly do like them both. The only oddity I really see in the 6" version is that her hands seem too large for her body. But the fact that she can easily hold and pose with her staff (unlike the 4" version) can get me to overlook the man-hand thing anyday.

There's supposedly an 8" Classics style Cheetara coming out in 2012 as the last of the 8" Classics. I hope this is true because I have a lot of love for this character and now I know Bandai can do her justice.

Now that's a lot of animal print..

G.I.Joe Dreadnok ZANYA!

2012-01-23T23:40:00.000-05:00

Hasbro BigBadToyStore Exclusive

The newest lady in Hasbro's EXTENSIVE line of fantastic female figures (Serious, I have more than 75 and I'm missing a few), comes the Dreadnok heiress Zanya. She comes in the BigBadToyStore Exclusive Dreaknok Battle Set 7-Pack (Available now!) I don't know much about this character since she is a relatively new addition via the Image's G.I.Joe:Frontline comics, but I know she is Zartan's mysterious daughter who showed up and started causing trouble. I think the character design is great. Her look is original but fits right in with the Dreadnok style.

The figure itself is very nice. The 25th Anniversary Zarana body is great and Zanya uses the Torso and Arms from that mold. Her hair and piercings add a lot of interesting texture to the head and the painted-on fishnet sleeves add a great distinguishing touch.

One of my favorite observations about this figure is how Hasbro has taken three very similar sculpts and disguised the re-use of parts with clever paintjobs. I wouldn't have realized they have almost identical bodies if I wasn't really looking for it.

My one critique about this figure would be a general assumption about her body type and age. She's supposed to be pretty young with Zarana being her aunt. Also, the figure looks pretty gaunt next to her comic book appearances.

That's a small complaint really since I know these companies must re-use body parts in order to produce so many characters.

All in all I am really happy that this figure got made. I think she has the power to stay in the G.I.Joe universe for a long time, and this action figure really cements her role. For all the numerous strong heroic females in this brand, there are very few villianesses. (Here's hoping for a Cobra-La boxset with a Pythona!)

Silver Age CATWOMAN Review

2012-01-19T03:55:00.000-05:00

Batman Legacy - Series 3 Singles - From Mattel

I've always been a fan of Catwoman. My first exposure must have been Julie Newmar playing the role in the 60's television series (in cable syndication of course since I was born two decades later). Comics became a big part of my life when I was 9 or 10 and my prized possessions quickly became old backissues of Batman Family and Brave & Bold featuring Selina Kyle in her classic Purple and Green outfit. I love almost every incarnation of this ever-evolving character (Jim Balent gritted teeth catwoman and Halle Berry are excused from this praise) but this caped & cowled version will always hold a special place for me.

That said, I was very excited when we saw an early version of a Batman Legacy Classic Catwoman shown at NYCC this past autumn. The figure was not properly assembled and looked so weird, but I was glad to see it on the agenda nonetheless. Sometime in December, prototypes began appearing on eBay and I was relieved that she looked good. I knew she was supposed to start showing up in stores soon, but I was caught completely offguard when I found her in Wal-Mart this evening after work. They had three in stock, but two of them had severe paint smudges on the face. I also purchased the first appearance Batman figure (who looks great now with the skinny torso).

I have to thank this wonderful figure for making me finally start this toy blog. I've had the domain purchased and have had all kinds of ideas, but without specific motivation I would've been lazy and indecisive. So anyway, thanks Selina. Everything is still under construction and you'll see lots of changes in the coming weeks, but I figure I might as well get my first piece of real content out there asap.

On to the review!

Catwoman comes in the standard Batman Legacy packaging. The graphics on the box are especially nice and had me feeling very nostalgic for those old comics.

Next up is the figure itself. She's got a pretty standard DCUC body, although her cleavage is sculpted deeper (as if to show that it's exposed skin, and not covered in cloth). Her cape is heavy and prohibits her from standing without her base. All joints were great, no sticking. She comes with no whip! This is odd given how her right hand is pretty much sculpted specifically for it. The Series 2 Batgirl didn't come with a Batarang either. She does come with a display stand and a mini comic poster (as shown on the side of the packaging).

Comparison Time!

Legacy Catwoman with Legacy Batgirl.

Legacy Catwoman with DCUC Gotham 5-Pack Catwoman

Legacy Catwoman with DC Direct Hush Catwoman

Legacy Catwoman with DC Direct Silver Age Catwoman

The only real flaw in mine is a mold seam on her chin. Nothing an X-acto can't cure in two seconds though. The scuffs of her chest aren't really noticible when she's standing straight. The one issue I have with the design of this figure is the chest. The cleavage is ridiculously low and the painted hemline looks cheap, but from a few feet away it's not bad.

Collection- We don't see this outfit reflected in the merchandising too often. I can think of two additional DC Direct statues (the pinup one and the confrontation one) in this look, but I think that's it. If i'm wrong, let me know! I'll be back tomorrow with a new review... keep me bookmarked!