Marvel Toybox - BLACK PANTHER!

Toybox - Marvel #34 - Black Panther (Shuri) & Namor 2-Pack - Disney 2022

Okay, now that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been out for a few weeks I'm ready for all the surprise Shuri as Black Panther merchandise to start hitting. If they weren't trying to keep her adoption of the Black Panther mantle a secret, we would have certainly seen a Basic Series figure and Titan Hero Series already. The fact that we saw three versions of Shuri in that purple tracksuit from their brief Boston excursion is odd.  For a character that has two unique "hero" outfits, why produce her in civilian duds? This Marvel Toybox showed up on the ShopDisney site a short three days after the movie premiered and I hope is the start of a flood of new Shuri products. The Toybox line has been very impressive. This Black Panther is the ninth female Marvel figure in four short years. And for an infrequent line like this, that is an impressive number. Lately, they seem to only make MCU figures, so the the next candidate is likely She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, or Kate Bishop. Only time will tell. Let's check out Shuri below!

Marvel Legends - BLACK PANTHER!

Marvel Legends - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Black Panther - Hasbro 2022

It's been a few weeks so I feel like I can finally rant about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In short, I loved it. I have actually found myself voicing the opinion that it is my favorite MCU movie so far. Unlike a lot of superhero movies, I felt that the major conflict was believable and has a natural escalation. I was so relived that there wasn't a giant spinning vortex of undefined chaos or a monster roaring at the camera Jurassic-Park-style. It's amazing how repetitive the conflict of these movies has become. But Wakanda Forever had nuance and history. They spent a respectable amount of time on Talokan and Wakandan backstory, introducing new unique characters, and building up to a believable climax. It was my perfect blend of mushy, nerdy, and awesome. Comic readers are aware that Shuri has become the Black Panther in the past, but for the MCU retelling, they tried to keep Shuri's transformation under wraps. This toy was a late reveal to protect that secret, but she's finally here and she's terrific. 

Marvel Basic Series - SHURI!

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Shuri & Vibranium Blast Sunbird - Hasbro 2022

Don't worry, no real spoilers. I just saw Black Panther: Wakanda Forever earlier tonight and I loved it. The legacy characters that I felt didn't get a chance to shine in the first movie all got their moments, and the new characters introduced were all perfection. Best of all, I felt that the 161-minute runtime allowed for more of Wakanda to be featured as well as the Dora Milaje (both things I felt didn't get enough lingering focus in the first movie). An amusing takeaway was that I think Hasbro could easily fill another whole Marvel Legends wave with great looking characters. At there very least there could be a few more 2-packs. This Basic Series Shuri figure was one of the first pieces of merchandise released for the movie. There is a second "Battle Action" basic series figure of her in stores as well, but her arms are awkwardly re-posed. But this one with the Sunbird vehicle is a classically-posed, simply-posed figure like we used to see with every MCU film. Let's check out Shuri below!

Titan Hero Series - SHURI!

Marvel Titan Hero Series - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Shuri - Hasbro 2022

I have my tickets to see Black Panther Friday afternoon and I'm very excited. The sheer number of significant female characters featured in this film is unparalleled in the MCU: Okoye, Aneka, Ramonda, Nakia, Ironheart, Namora, and Shuri all seem like they will have significant screentime. In all honesty, I think that Shuri in this purple tracksuit is probably the least interesting costume I've seen in the previews so far.  In plastic it looks slightly costume-like, but in footage and set photos it appears to just be street wear. Regardless, I'm glad they started off the movie tie-ins with a female Titan Hero Series figure. I only hope that we see a Titan Series figure of her in her final costume from the movie. I can't imagine that we won't. But considering the delayed unveiling of the Funko Pop and Marvel Legends figures, it will probably be a late reveal (and I promise I'll act surprised). I predict we'll see her before end of year. Let's check out the Titan Hero Series Shuri below!

Marvel Basic Series - IRONHEART!

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Basic Series 1 - Ironheart - Hasbro 2022

The new trend for the Hasbro basic series MCU figures to have elaborate action features is admittedly not my favorite thing. The figures from Thor: Love and Thunder (Mighty Thor at least) were awkwardly engineered with the action features having too much influence over the sculpt. But last week I walked into Target and saw this unexpected Ironheart Battle Action figure (only Namor, Shuri, and Attuma were in the advertisements), and I was pleasantly surprised at the overall design. Her action feature does not effect her overall appearance, which is a great start. When you squeeze Ironheart's left leg inward, her two cannons move from a back-mounted downward-pointing position, to a shoulder-mounted forward-facing position. It makes a lot of sense and is a fun feature that I fully support. The Shuri from the same wave has awkwardly positioned arms and seems wholly unappealing, but Ironheart is fun, simple, and displays well. Let's check out the Wakanda Forever Battle Action Ironheart below!

Wakanda Forever - OKOYE!

Marvel Legends - Wakanda Forever (Attuma Series) - Okoye - Hasbro 2022

I struggled a lot with buying this Okoye figure because she is so similar to her 2018 version. Yes, she has a completely unique sculpt, but the uniform and overall presentation are the same. And while this figure is technically an improvement, the old figure is still gorgeous and was in no way in need of an update. Don't get me wrong, the character of Okoye is awesome, and this figure is flawless, but if a new character like Aneka or Namora got bumped from Legends consideration for this I would be pretty bummed. I'm assuming this figure mostly exists because her build-a-figure version back in 2018 wasn't as readily available to the masses (plus her role in Wakanda Forever seems to be expanded so she is a marketable face on the toy shelves). I'm excited to see this movie next week and dive deep into the world of Wakanda (and Talokan). From the trailers and merchandise, it also seems to be a heavily female-centric movie - so naturally I'm stoked. Let's check out Okoye below!

Wakanda Forever - NAKIA!

Marvel Legends - Wakanda Forever (Attuma Series) -  Nakia - Hasbro 2022

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has me more excited than any MCU movie has in a long time. I think I might have been the only person on the planet that was disappointed by the first Black Panther movie. My gripe was that two things were introduced that were fascinating: The Dora Milaje (an elite army of female warriors) and Wakanda itself (the most technologically advanced nation on Earth). Both were intriguing unique concepts for the audience, but the writers chose to almost skip over them and focus the storyline on other things.. and I was left wanting. I've seen stories of power struggles more times than I can count (I find them boring, especially when you know the hero comes out on top), rather I wanted to learn details about Wakandan history, science, and infrastructure. All the new concepts made crave a documentary, but I got the expected action movie. However, Wakanda Forever looks like it will appease me and focus on a lot of new concepts and characters (including at least 6 "costumed" females). 

Marvel Legends - IRONHEART!

Marvel Legends - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Ironheart - Hasbro 2022

Riri Williams has had a lot of interesting armor configurations since her debut in 2016. Her first was a bulky suit made from pieces of Iron Man's armor that she scavenged and reverse engineered. When Pepper Potts insisted that her genius (and heroics) be acknowledged, she quickly acquired the resources to upgrade to a sleek classic-looking "Iron Man" suit (this was my favorite iteration so far). After a few years she got a redesign into a pink/magenta suit with a subtle heart motif and a clear visor. This wasn't my favorite look, but it was very original (not derivative of Tony's look) and the stories were still great. When her solo series ended, I lost track of her development. But now her upcoming appearance in Wakanda Forever has me energized to fill in the gaps. This cinematic design looks like a great blend of the two main comic looks. I love that she's starting off with a unique design, easily distinguishable from Tony and Pepper. Let's check out Ironheart below!

Titan Hero Series - IRONHEART (BOTH VERSIONS)!

Marvel Titan Hero Series - Wakanda Forever - Ironheart (x2) - Hasbro 2022

I have known that there was an Ironheart television series coming out on Disney+ for a couple years now. This character is one of my favorite things to come out of modern Marvel comics so I was pretty excited for this show. But I was completely unaware that she was making her live-action debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever until I saw a blurry leaked photo of this Marvel Titan Heroes Series figure in Wakanda packaging. But this actually makes sense since Shuri was a major character in the second story arc of the Ironheart comic (fingers crossed Silhouette makes a cameo!) But another surprise came when two versions of this figure were released simultaneously. There are some significant differences, but my favorite version is actually a combination of the two so I thought it best to post a joint review to explain my reasonings. I also understand that Riri has at least two additional costumes in this movie so I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of her in the toy aisles. Let's check out Ironheart below!

Marvel Legends - SHURI!

Marvel Legends - Black Panther (Hulk Build-a-Figure) - Shuri - Hasbro 2019

We know there is definitely going to be a second Black Panther movie and I'm really anticipating good things from it. The first movie wasn't my favorite. I wanted to see more of Wakanda, I wanted more Dora Milaje, and I wanted a whole lot less Erik Killmonger (Something about that character annoyed me *almost* as much as Lex Luthor in BvS). I think the second movie will embrace and expand upon my favorite elements and make for a better movie (IMHO). I'm also hoping we'll see an MCU Storm introduced. But one element I know we will see more of is Shuri. I never knew much about her other than her brief comic stint in the Black Panther mantle. But the recent movies have made me appreciate her on a whole new level. I personally work in the technology industry and the lack of females in STEM fields is a big problem. Role models like Shuri do a lot to encourage young girls to enter STEM careers. And aside from that, she is cool, competent, and confident - everything you want in a hero. Let's check her out below!

Marvel Legends Black Panther - DORA MILAJE!

Marvel Legends - M'Baku Wave - Dora Milaje (Avengers Infinity War) - Hasbro 2018

I'm kind of new to the whole "army builder" concept. For someone who collects mostly female figures, there really hasn't been a lot of opportunity for a female army of any kind. Sure, 3.75" figures have had a few fun armies: female Cobra Troopers from G.I.Joe and the Gorgons from Vitruvian H.A.C.K.S., but in larger 6-7" scales I don't believe historically there have been any. However, in the last few years we saw an Amazon Army in Wonder Woman (which sadly received no real army builder toys), several varying-species ladies from Mythic Legions, and of course the amazing Dora Milaje from Black Panther. When we got the Okoye and Nakia figures this time last year, I was smitten. But I wanted more and wished for some more Wakandan soldiers. I honestly never expected Hasbro to come through with this amazing solution though. This Dora Milaje figure comes with three unique heads and really fills out the ranks. I hope they do the same with classic New Mutants figures someday. Let's check her (them) out!

Black Panther Basic - SHURI!

Marvel's Black Panther - Basic Series 01 - Shuri (w/ Customization) - Hasbro 2018

I think I'm the only person I know who wasn't blown away by the Black Panther movie. My expectations were set really high, and by the time I saw it, it was almost inevitable that I would be let down. My biggest complaint it that the Dora Milaje didn't really have a chance to shine. I was expecting some crazy spectacle on par with the beach invasion in Wonder Woman. I also really disliked the Erik Killmonger character. I usually love all villains but I found him disappointing and overly cocky. Some things I loved about the movie included the snowy Jabari tribe on the mountain, Wakanda itself, and T'Challa's genius little sister, Shuri. She was just so smart, funny, competent and cool. I hope that she will get the full Marvel Legends treatment when the sequel hits, but in the meantime I was excited we got this basic series figure to tide us over. I got her when she first came out, but I waited to post a review until I got a chance to customize her a little (her figure was a little too basic IMO). Let's check out Shuri below!

Early 2018 Collection of MARVEL MINI-MATES!

Marvel Mini-Mates Series 74, Walgreens Wave 8, & Movie Exclusives - DST 2018

I could rant on forever about my love of Mini-Mates. If you can embrace the Lego-like blocky style, you will find this line to be the most collector-focused and thorough series out there. The obscure character selection and team-building rosters are like nothing I have ever dared wish for. I look forward to every interesting release and I can't wait to see what else the future brings. I have waxed poetic about Minimates over and over again, so I am just going to put my wishlist in writing. As far as spider-ladies, I would love Mania, Lady Spider, Scream, Madame Web, Madam Web (Hostess), Animated Anya Corazon, and Agony. Outside of the Spider-Verse, I would love Namora, Namorita, Jocasta, Skids (and Rusty), Hellcat, Sharon Rogers, Red She-Hulk, America, American Dream, modern comic Sif, Binary, Hebzibah, and a new Firestar. Whew. Now let's see how many of these come to fruition in the next few years. Most are a longshot, but so was Madame Masque, so there's hope. Let's check out the newest batch below!

Marvel Legends - SHURI as BLACK PANTHER!

Marvel Legends - Black Panther: Shuri & Klaw - Toys R US Exc - Hasbro 2018

I'm very single-minded with my toy obsessions. Whenever there is a movie announced, I instantly think of the most far fetched comic-based character that might be squeezed into the movie merchandise. (My Captain Marvel wish is for a Ms. Marvel vs Rogue 2-Pack). When Black Panther was announced, I immediately thought how much I would love a Shuri in the Black Panther costume. I think she only wore the costume for 12 issues, but I loved it. I thought for sure this was an unobtainable longshot, but then a year later I'm actually holding her in my hands. Now, let's be real about this figure: It's basically a very successful kitbash with a new head. The body is identical to Hellcat, the Cape is from Lady Loki/Sif, the staff is from T'Challa, and the belt is from Rogue (it's spun around so the "x" is on the back). The only new sculpts appear to be the head and necklace. But don't get me wrong, this figure is terrific. I applaud Hasbro for getting us an obscure character in the most efficient way possible. Let's check her out below!

Black Panther Marvel Legends - OKOYE!

Marvel Legends - Black Panther Okoye BAF Wave - Okoye - Hasbro 2018

I love when Marvel Legends plans a female character as the Build-a-Figure for a wave. It's a pretty rare occurrence and I believe this Okoye is only the third. The first being 2015's Jubilee, and the Mantis from earlier this year. I appreciate that they find a way to squeeze in extra female characters, but so far they've seemed like very necessary characters who I would think would warrant a main spot in the wave. But I understand the tooling considerations and politics involved, plus I don't actually like having to splurge for an entire wave just to complete an additional figure. But when it comes to a spectacular figure like this Okoye, I'll do whatever it takes to get her in my greedy little paws. The new Hasbro method of using an advanced face-scanning for the movie figures is pretty amazing. Although I love seeing talented sculptors getting a chance to flex their artistic muscles, I can't argue with the results the machines are producing, especially if it means fast release schedules! Let's check out Okoye below!

Black Panther Marvel Legends - NAKIA!

Marvel Legends - Black Panther Okoye Wave - Nakia - Hasbro 2018

I'm really looking forward to the Black Panther movie. I don't really have much of a connection to the character beyond his 1988 comic miniseries and more modern Avengers tie-ins (and of course the storyline where Shuri became Black Panther). But as soon as details of the film started to emerge and it was revealed that the Dora Milaje was an all-female elite force of warriors protecting the nation of Wakanda. This is like a very cool twist on the Amazons from the DC Universe. Then when the toys were finally revealed, they definitely delivered with two Legends figures of the Dora Milaje - Nakia (played by Lupita Nyong'o) and a build-a-figure Okoye (played by Danai Gurira), plus a non-Legends figure of Shuri and a comic Legends figure of Shuri as Black Panther coming to TRU. The bright colors, cool costume details, and excellent actor likenesses make these some of the most impressive Legends figures I've ever seen. I hope a few more warriors are on the horizon. Let's check out Nakia below!