Super Friends - JAYNA!

DC Retro - Super Friends - Wave 3 - Jayna and Gleek - McFarlane Toys 2025

If there have to be unnecessary add-in characters for a cartoon franchise, I appreciate when they at least fit the aesthetic and make an interesting addition to the roster of established characters. Zan, Jayna, and Gleek first appeared in the 1977 animated The All-New Super Friends Hour, the successor to Super Friends (1973), where they were the replacements for the previous Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog characters (who I personally found pretty awkward alongside the other heroes). But Zan and Jayna had cool costumes, weird powers, and interesting origins. Considering these characters were presumably added for marketing and kid appeal, they surprisingly weren't actually merchandised (aside from an occasional coloring book or lunch box) for over 30 years. This newest figure from the McFarlane Retro line is my favorite yet (at least the Jayna is, Zan looks a little bloated). The "best" figure of her before this was a SDCC exclusive DCUC figure from 2009, but she truly looked frightening.

Masters of the Universe - DREE-ELLE!

Masters of the Universe - 1:6 Orko (Timed Edition) - Mini Dree-Elle - Mondo 2024

This is the first Mondo figure I've ever opened. I also own She-Ra and Teela (and have Evil-Lyn and Goddess pre-ordered), but I don't know where to display those yet, so they are still nestled in their shipper boxes waiting patiently for me to make some decisions. But when I was photographing my Altaya Dree-Elle earlier this week, I knew I had to free this Mondo mini-Dree-Elle from her plastic prison and get her in my photo tent. It was very interesting that the 1:6 scale Orko came with two mini bonus figures. I don't believe any Mondo 1:6 figures have included anything like this before. It's also funny to call them "mini" - because they are almost twice as large as the MOTUC Trollans (So I would call these 1:8 or 1:6 scale). But I'm a sucker for the 80s animation of my youth so I couldn't resist splurging on her. I view Dree-Elle as one of the quirkiest recurring characters in MOTU. Now comes the the grand experiment to see if I can recoup my money by selling the Orkos. Let's check out Dree-Elle below!

Masters of the Universe - DREE-ELLE!

Masters of the Universe - Collectible Figures #28 - Dree-Elle - Altaya 2023/2024

A side-obsession of my action figure hobby has been European magazine figurines. In the United States, the only series to really gain popularity was the British Eaglemoss Figurine collection which gave us hundreds of Marvel and DC figurines between 2005 and 2021. The typical business model is for a monthly character-specific magazine (which read almost like illustrated hardcopy wikipedia page) plus a figurine of that character. This seems like a super popular format and multiple publishers from different countries have produced figurine and magazines. One of my lesser-known favorites are the Marvel and Go Nagai Robot Collection series from the Italian Centauria. But a few years ago I discovered this amazing MOTU Collection from the Spanish Altaya. To the best of my knowledge, they released 77 figurines in Spain and France. I managed to pick up 20. I would have bought several more, but the secondary market prices plus shipping added up fast. Luckily I got all the ladies. Let's check out Dree-Elle below!

Marvel Legends - TIGRA!

West Coast Avengers Box Set - Tigra (Greer Grant Nelson) - Hasbro 2023

Once again, I must sing the praises of the West Coast Avengers Marvel Legends box set. A little under two years ago we got a long-awaited modern figure of Tigra in the Marvel Legends Vintage line. While not the most A-list of characters, she has an iconic look and has been a regular feature in various Marvel titles since the mid-70s. The 2021 figure was beautiful and amazing, but not perfect. The color was distractingly vibrant and the hairsculpt on the calm-faced head looked good, but didn't really capture her comic look. For all we know, those design decisions might have been meant to reflect the Tigra & Dazzler (2020) animated series that was cancelled by Hulu before it was ever produced. But either way, I was satisfied, but secretly hoping to get a first appearance redeco with lighter hues and black hair with a widow's peak. While that version hasn't been made (yet), this updated figure presents her classic comic look with lighter yellow-orange fur and skin and long reddish-brown hair. She looks amazing.

Gargoyles - ANGELA!

Disney's Gargoyles - Ultimate Action Figures - Angela - NECA Toys 2023

When the Demona figure was released last year in Neca's Gargoyles line, I honestly expected her to be the only female character. I know there are lot of females in the show, but Demona is the token female for the first half of the series alongside a lot of prominent males. So I expected a second female figure to be a distant dream. Angela is easily the second most popular female Gargoyle. She was introduced halfway through Season Two as the daughter of Goliath and Demona, having been raised by humans from stolen eggs in the magical realm of Avalon (where time runs differently, hence her appearing almost the same age as her mother). She's a great character that provides an interesting "outsider" perspective when she joins the Manhattan Clan. The new comics from Dynamite feature Angela on the covers a lot - enough for me to comfortably say that she is the new token female of the series. That said, there are a lot of cool characters who could also use this buck. I'm optimistic! Let's check out Angela below!

World of Nintendo - ZELDA!

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Zelda w/ Sheikah Slate - Jakks Pacific 2023

I haven't played a video game on a console in more than 20 years at this point. But seeing my friends play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild almost tempted me to fall off the wagon and start playing again. The game looked beautiful and really seemed to transport you into a different world. That is the major appeal of (certain) comics and movies for me; the ability to submerge me in a complex, well-thought-out world. Almost as if the environment of the story is its own character. And Breath of the wild really seemed to fit the bill. With the release last week of Tears of the Kingdom and all my friends and coworkers abuzz talking about it, I thought it was a good time to post on this recent Zelda figure from Jakks. While there is no "World of Nintendo" branding on the packaging, this Walmart wave seems to be a relaunch of the concept with Zelda and Metroid characters offered in the first assortment. Super curious to see which games and characters will be next. Let's check out Zelda below!

Mythic Legions - ILLYTHIA!

Mythic Legions - Illythia's Brood - Illythia (Deluxe) - Four Horsemen 2022

When I think of great toys to post reviews for leading up to Halloween, my mind instantly goes to the Mythic Legions line by Four Horsemen Studios. Sure, there are a lot of knights and vikings in the mix. But the standout figures for me are the creepy characters: mainly the vampires, demons, orcs, and skeletons. It's so rare to get a female figure like this that's not a bikini'd swimsuit model with fangs. And, yes, I'm aware that some of the Mythic Legions ladies have been exactly that. But most of them are well thought-out, strong-looking characters with amazing detail. And Illythia is a prime example. I don't pay attention to the overall mythos of Mythic Legions, but considering this Illythia character has a whole faction named after her (Illythia's Brood), I assume she's a pretty big deal. When I ordered her, I assumed the extra arms implied some spider-like qualities, but in person, it seems more of a demonic aesthetic. Either way, it's great for Halloween week. Let's check out the deluxe Illythia below!

Legend of Vox Machina - KEYLETH!

Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina - Keyleth - McFarlane Toys 2022

I love a good fantasy figure. I've never been into playing Dungeons & Dragons or reading Dragonlance books like all my gradeschool friends, but the fantasy genre still grabs my attention like few others can. This is especially true where there is a heavy nature-inspired aesthetic. I first became of The Legend of Vox Machina via the animated series on Amazon. I can admit it took me a while to get used to the crude R-rated dialogue (not because I was being a prude necessarily, but rather because it seemed too modern for the fantasy setting). But while I was acclimating myself to all the lockerroom talk, the one thing that kept me binging was the character design... and Keyleth was my favorite of them all. Keyleth is a half-elven druid (played by Marisha Rey in both Critical Role as well as The Legend of Vox Machina). She is decked out in green woodland warrior garb with antlers and a magical staff. She is pretty much the epitome of everything I love about fantasy. Let's check out Keyleth below!

Marvel Legends - MEGGAN!

Marvel Legends - X-Men Excalibur 3-Pack -  Hasbro Pulse Exc - Hasbro 2021

Meggan is a character that has intrigued me from the first time I laid eyes on her. That first exposure was way back in 1989's Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem. At the time I would buy anything drawn by Arthur Adams and I was tangentially exposed to all of Excalibur with this book. Meggan was on the cover, and appeared in about 6 panels. She was wearing her yellow cow-neck outfit at the time and didn't really do anything. To me she was just a mysterious young woman with a massive amount of hair and elf ears. A couple years later she was included in second series of Marvel Universe trading cards and her bio explained her powers... sort of. It said she has the "power of metamorphosis", which I took to mean that she had abilities like Wolfsbane. And in subsequent exposures to her character, I saw her do a quasi-werewolf transformation. I still have never read Excalibur and she is largely a mystery to me, but still oddly iconic to my childhood. Let's check out this long-awaited Meggan figure below!

Legend of Vox Machina - VEX'AHLIA!

Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina - Vex'Ahlia - McFarlane Toys 2022

I love fantasy genres so much. I especially love the common trope of female elven archers. I watched the Amazon animated series The Legend of Vox Machina when it was released back in February. I had been looking forward to it because I follow Phil Bourassa and I was seeing his advance character designs for a while. The show is very different than I expected. The dialogue is very R-rated and crass (which I don't mind, but it honestly takes me out of the fantasy genre) but I still enjoyed the show and I'm excited for season two. I didn't realize the show's origins until recently. There is a live-action Dungeons & Dragons webseries called Critical Role where voice actors play out long-running campaigns. This animated series is the result of a Kickstarter to develop this show into an animated series. The toys were unexpected and very fast to market and I'm glad the elven archer Vex'Ahlia was one of the first characters released. She's gorgeous and exudes attitude. Let's check her out below!

Roblox - SEA SERPENT!

Roblox Imagination Collection - 4" Figure Wave 04 - Sea Serpent - Jazwares 2021

Nothing sparks my collecting curiosity more than a character with unworldly-colored skin. Red or Green or (especially) Blue complexions just thrill me. Although I mostly collect toys related to comics and animation, my personal aesthetics lean toward fantasy. Specifically creature fantasy with humanoid characters exhibiting animalistic traits. And for some reason blue skin has always been associated with aquatic people. When I first saw images of this Sea Serpent figure from the Roblox Imagination Collection line a few months ago I was ecstatic. This line has been the source of a lot of unexpected joy for me. Even though I'm unfamiliar with Roblox in general, Jazwares has produced a ton of attention-grabbing female figures. It has already surpassed the Fortnite line as far as diversity and imagination (IMO). And every time I buy a new figure, I unfold the paper insert to see news of even more figures on the horizon. It's a never-ending cycle and I'm here for it. Let's check out Sea Serpent below!

Mythic Legions - XARRIA!

Mythic Legions: Advent of Decay - Lesser Demon Xarria - Four Horsemen 2018

I still have an insane number of unopened Mythic Legions figures from the 2018 Advent of Decay Kickstarter. I realize now that when I buy a ton of figures all at once, I quickly get overwhelmed and end up putting them all in storage. But in the case of these Mythic Legions ladies, I now think it's kind of nice that I review a new one every few months and really give each figure its proper focus. Right from the very beginning this Xarria figure was one of my most anticipated characters from the line. She looks like the Lord of Darkness from Legend and she also reminds me of the cancelled red devil lady from Gothitropolis line (that I'm still pretty sore about). Considering how often we see devil lady imagery on mudflaps, air fresheners, and tattoos, there is a surprising lack of toys with this design. Beyond a handful Purgatoris, I can't think of any. But that doesn't really matter because this Xarria figure is devil-lady perfection. She has the perfect combination of strong, sexy, and sinister. Let's check her out below!

Gargoyles - DEMONA!

Disney's Gargoyles 8" Vinyl Figure Series - Demona - Applause Inc 1995

The upcoming NECA Demona figure has inspired me to finally review this old vinyl figure from the mid-nineties. This line was unknown to me at the time, but I discovered them on eBay in the early 2000s and I heard rumor that they were originally exclusive to the Disney Store (but can't exactly prove that). They are impressively large and well-sculpted. I only own Demona and she is not articulated, so I assume the rest similarly stationary. They have a quality of that reminds me of supersized PVC figures like the little ones that were so prevalent throughout the 80s and 90s. Demona has odd coloring that is more reminiscent of her daughter Angela. Angela has black hair and very dark wing-membranes. Demona has red hair and light purple membranes. But the sculpt with the crown, belt buckle, armband, and single shoulder strap are uniquely Demona.  It's a rare enough of a figure that I'm not comfortable painting her hair, however tempting that may be. Let's check out the 1995 Applause Demona below!

HealeyMade - THE ASSASSIN!

Designer Action Figures: The Assassin (R-Complex) - HealeyMade 2021

Anthropomorphic action figures are pretty much my favorite thing in this toy-collecting hobby. I tend to group them into four main categories: Felinoids are the most popular, Reptilian is second, followed by Insectile and Avian. But in general it's pretty rare to get female figures of any of them. That's why I was super stoked to get this Assassin figure from HealeyMade. I've been paying attention to the designer toy market for years. The genre is 99% male characters, but I keep tuning in to see if the next drop will be of the female persuasion. The few times over the years where the stars aligned, I was an hour or two late and missed the brief on-sale window. But a few weeks ago I was in the right place in the right time and snagged this amazing Assassin in all her green reptilian glory. For a first designer toy purchase I think I got really spoiled. The sculpt, paint, and plastic quality are all top notch. I'm excited to see the obligatory color variants in the future. Let's check out the Assassin (R-Complex) below!

Mythic Legions - MALYNNA!

Mythic Legions - Malynna (Evil Lyn) - Power-Con Exc - Four Horsemen 2019

One of my favorite annual traditions is waiting to see which two Masters of the Universe characters will be represented as homage figures in the Four Horsemen Mythic Legions line. For the past several years these have been presented as Power-Con exclusives and they are a brilliant merging of two aesthetics.  While MOTU has always been a swords-and-sorcery property, it was largely colorful and cartoony. Meanwhile the Mythic Legions has been gritty and dark. With Four Horsemen Studios' obvious love for MOTU well established, this homage line is a well-thought-out and perfectly executed treat to collectors. Malynna is the first female in the sub-line representing the dark sorceress Evil-Lyn. She is made using pieces of the Advent of Decay female figures, notable the Vampire army builder, but repainted in her signature bright yellow and blue colors. I've owned her since the day she was released, but just opened her this week and I'm really impressed. Let's check out Malynna below!

DC Direct - STAR SAPPHIRE FATALITY!

Blackest Night Action Figure Box Set– Star Sapphire Fatality – DC Direct 2011

This is a figure that I have coveted for a long time. When this box set was originally released I was very squeamish about about scantily clad superheros. I still have guilty pangs like I'm supporting some toxic objectification of women by purchasing things like this. But I've grown since then and embraced a more fluid perception of body positivity (although I still think these outfits were likely designed my men with dubious intentions). A few years after the Blackest Night storyline, I picked up the Carol Ferris Star Sapphire and really fell in love with its sculpt and overall presence. Knowing that this Fatality figure shared the same body made me want her even more. But I was faced with the age old problem of high eBay prices and really sloppy paintjobs. It took many years, but I finally found it in a store last week. Getting her inspired me to gather all my Star Sapphire collectibles together for the first time. (They look great and I'm going to display them as a group now!) Let's check out Fatality below!

DCUC Wonder Twins - JAYNA!

DC Universe Classics - Wonder Twins: Zan & Jayna - SDCC Exc - Mattel 2009

I think this Wonder Twins set exemplifies the perfect type of convention exclusive toy. They are very cool and very original characters, but they won't appeal to a large portion of collectors. They weren't difficult for me to obtain, and that's probably because the demand wasn't super high across the collecting community. What drove people bonkers though was the exclusive polybagged Gleek figure that was only available in person at SDCC and still demands a super high price. Luckily I was always indifferent to him, so no skin off my back. Zan and Jayna were the second iteration of sidekicks in Hanna-Barbera's Super Friends cartoon series. In 1973, the non-powered human sidekicks Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog debuted alongside the traditional Justice League lineup. They only lasted one season and were replaced by the extraterrestrial shapeshifting Wonder Twins and their blue monkey, Gleek, when The All-New Super Friends Hour debuted in 1977.  It was a major improvement! Let's check out Jayna below!

Mythic Legions - LUCRETIA!

Mythic Legions: Advent of Decay - Lucretia (Illythias Brood) - Four Horsemen 2018

I love vampire lore. It's pretty rare when there is a vampire story on television, on the silver screen, or in books that I don't appreciate on some level. I like everything from the scary and monstrous to the eye-rolling and romantic. And female vampires get even more love from me, but they are predictably much less prevalent. Up until this Mythic Legions Lucretia figure, I don't think I had ever seen a female vampire in the style of Count Orlok (from Nosferatu 1922); a more demonic, inhuman looking design. Females are usually vampy, goth, gorgeous, and ultimately human-looking which I certainly don't mind, but I never realized how awesome a demonic-bat character could look. She's quite possibly the most wicked-looking figure in my collection. And just imagine how epic she could look with white demon/dragon wings! I'm becoming very obsessed with these Mythic Legions figures. I still can't believe it took a quarantine to finally convince me to crack them open. (Sooooo many more to go). Let's check out Lucretia!

Mythic Legions - ARTEMYSS SILVERCHORD!

Mythic Legions: Advent of Decay - Artemyss Silverchord - Four Horsemen 2018

I struggle with a lot of fantasy properties because the aspects I especially like (unicorns, mermaids, fairies, etc) are so often spun off into a separate genre - a genre of sparkles and pastels and rainbows and hearts. Not that I dislike any of that stuff, but it effectively segregates these "softer" elements from the warriors and swords and dragons. And I hate that. (For the Schleich nerds out there, I just want my Bayala and Eldrador in one world with a unified aesthetic). That desire is one of the reasons I fell in love with the Mythic Legions: Advent of Decay line. There were no females in previous Mythic Legions lines, but this wave gave us eighteen glorious ladies! And while most of the characters so far don't fall into the unicorns and mermaids category yet, this Artemyss Silverchord figure reads as a powerful fairy warrior Queen and is easily one of the most dynamic figures in the series. It gives me hope for some kickass unicorns and mermaids down the line. Let's check out Artemyss below!

Alpha Flight - AURORA!

Marvel Legends - Alpha Flight Boxset (Amazon Exc) - Aurora - Hasbro 2019

One thing I always loved about Alpha Flight was the great gender diversity within the team. Right off the bat the team had three interesting and diverse females, and within the first couple years they added two more. The original three ladies were so mysterious and intriguing. Snowbird was a cold and distant goddess, Marrina was a scaly aquatic creature with no memories of her origin, and of course Aurora, the powerful mutant with two distinct (and contradicting) personalities. Aurora and her twin Northstar have almost identical powers of super speed, strength, endurance, and flight (one twin may be more skilled at one power than the other, but it balances out), but Jeanne-Marie Beaubier really stands out from her brother by having disassociative personality disorder. When she is Aurora, she is bold and provocative, but when living as Jeanne-Marie she was timid and devoutly religious. Although her brother has garnered more headlines over the years, Aurora was always the more interesting sibling to me.