DC Universe Classics - KARU-SIL!

DCUC - Sinestro Corps Color of Fear 2-Pack - Romat Ru & Karu-Sil - Mattel 2009

In general, I've never been a fan of the Sinestro Corps and the Yellow Lanterns. There were a few standout characters, and the constant toys through all the Blackest Night and Brightest Days storylines were a lot of fun. Between 2008-2012 there were fifty-four Lantern figures from DC Direct and forty-three from Mattel. For fans, this must have been a dream. But for a mere observer, it was overwhelming. (Although I'm forever thankful for the awesome figures of never-before merchandized characters like Mera and Dove that we got as a direct result of this Lantern Era). My favorites of the new characters introduced in these storylines were Bleez the Red Lantern and Karu-Sil the Yellow Lantern. Bleez unfortunately never got an action figure, but Karu-Sil got this surprise release in a MattyCollector Exclusive 2-pack with Romat Ru. Karu-Sil was a feral orphan raised by three beasts. She was "rescued" by a Green Lantern (Blish) who slaughtered her beast family thinking they were attacking her.

DC Club Infinite Earths - ICE!

DC Universe Signature Collection - Ice - Mattycollector Exclusive - Mattel 2014

I think I avoided reviewing this figure for so long because I was so disappointed at the end of the DC Universe Classic line. This final wave was technically part of the subscription-only Signature Series as they were trying to squeeze out a final few fan-demanded characters. I've had Ice sitting unopened on the shelf under my coffee table for six years. I would pull her out like I was going to finally open and photograph her, only to sigh and tuck her away again.. like a time capsule of a time when I had awesome subscription toys coming every month. But I finally followed through a few weeks ago and now I'm excited to set up a Fire and Ice shelf. While this figure has a number of flaws, I still find her utterly charming. Her face, hair, and neck seem oddly contorted and her ab crunch joint is very distracting, but her arms look good (not the spindly appendages most DCUC females got), her colors are vivid, and it's just a really fun toy overall. Unfortunately, I think the days of C-listers is over. Let's check out Ice 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!

MOTU Minis - SHE-RA!

Masters of the Universe Minis - Series 02 - She-Ra & Horde Trooper - Mattel 2014

Back in 2014 Mattel released a terrific series of Masters of the Universe Minis. There were 12 figures in the first wave, and if you purchased them all you could construct a mini Castle Grayskull diorama. At the time, a lot of fans viewed these figures as overpriced ($20 per 2-pack + Shipping), but I personally thought they were pretty great and would have jumped right on board... if they had included some females. The second wave showed a lot of potential and momentum for the line. It featured a Snake Mountain diorama and included the first female: She-Ra. Unfortunately the subscription numbers didn't support production so there was never an official release. But years later the 2-Pack of She-Ra and Horde Trooper started hitting Chinese sites like Aliexpress. I managed to snag a set and I adore it. It makes me want to pick up all the figures I've missed (you can often find them at GameStop). Or I can wait to see how many molds get re-released in the new 2020 blind box line. Time will tell!

Thundercats Classics - WILYKIT!

ThunderCats Classics - WilyKit & WilyKat - SDCC Mattycollector - Mattel 2016

The ThunderCats Classics line was one of the shortest-lived excitements of my adult collecting life. After basking in the glory of Mattel and the Four Horsemen's amazing Masters of the Universe Classics line for eight years, the idea of the same treatment for ThunderCats was an intoxicating notion. It was especially exciting for me when one of the first characters announced was the often-forgotten Pumyra. But before long the whole Mattycollector empire crumbled. MOTU was coming to a close and ThunderCats was DOA. I still have high hopes for Super7 continuing this line because it seemed like such a false start without Cheetara and Tygra. This ThunderKittens set of WilyKit and WilyKat was an SDCC exclusive in 2016. I'm really impressed with these two figures. The sculpt and execution is pretty much perfect. I was so deflated by the line cancellation that I've have had them sitting unopened for a year. But now that I have them out I can't believe I ignored them for so long. Let's check out WilyKit below!

ThunderCats Classics - PUMYRA!

ThunderCats Classics - Series 01 - Pumyra - Mattycollector Exc - Mattel 2016

Ever since Mattycollector was formed and the MOTUC series began, I have been wishing for the same treatment for ThunderCats. But the thing is, I wouldn't ever collect a ton of them like the He-Man/She-Ra stuff. I only really like the actual ThunderCats. Mumm-Ra, the Mutants, and all the secondary characters honestly never really interested me. So my ideal ThunderCats collection would be limited to maybe 15 characters max. That's why I was so excited that one of the first ThunderCats Classics figures announced was Pumyra. I actually like Pumyra a lot more than the main female cat, Cheetara, but she always plays second fiddle. It's all bittersweet though since the line ended after one wave anyway. I have faith that Super7 will pull through with more figures in the future, but we'll all have to be patient. They just announced the Hawke/Delora MOTUC figure, so obscure characters are definitely on their radar (fingers crossed for Lynxana someday!) I can't wait to see more. Let's check out Pumyra below!

MOTUC Filmation Style - EVIL LYN!

MOTUC - Club Grayskull - Evil Lyn - MattyCollector Exc - Mattel 2016

Evil-Lyn is the most iconic witch from my childhood. Her wicked undermining of Skeletor was something I looked forward to every day after school and was one of the main reasons that I developed an early fascination with villainesses. The original action figure was something I always wanted but never laid eyes on outside of the Sears catalogs. I remember the night in my post-college years when it donned on me that I could easily buy her on eBay. Within a week I was tearing open a box with my childhood treasures (Evil-Lyn and Teela) and I couldn't have been happier. It wasn't until relatively recently that I realized all the differences between the animated Filmation look and the toy version. Of course I immediately wanted an animated variant in MOTUC, but I honestly never expected one. It's kind of fitting that she is the last MOTU female to be released by Mattel. She isn't a perfect figure by any means, but I personally think she pretty great despite her flaws. Let's check her out in detail below!

Masters of the Universe Classics - CRITA!

MOTUC Collector's Choice - Crita - Mattycollector Exclusive - Mattel 2016

Mattel's Masters of the Universe Classics has easily been the most epic toy line of my hobby. In eight short years (they really flew by!) I was able to add 41 amazing ladies to my collection. There were just about as many female figures released in the DC Universe Classics line, but they just pale in comparison to these beauties. Mattel and the Four Horsemen made an unprecedented achievement in recreating classic animation characters in modern form - and the character selection went beyond my wildest imagination. Crita was the sole female villain in The New Adventures of He-Man. I don't really remember much about her beyond her appearance. From my hazy memories I believe she looks like a witch, but has no witchy powers. She has a small scepter which extends into a whip. She flirts with Skeletor and fights with Mara. Also, she has two very distinctive costumes in the cartoon. I definitely prefer this iconic witchy look though. She is a beautiful figure and an amazing penultimate lady in the MOTUC line.

Masters of the Universe Classics - DESPARA!

MOTUC Collector's Choice - Despara - Mattycollector Exclusive - Mattel 2016

I really enjoy all the He-Man comics that have been coming out over the past few years. The Eternity War series was especially good. But as much as I enjoy them, I'm a purist at heart and I always prefer the original cartoons as far as design and storylines go. However, one thing I always thought was silly in the original She-Ra animation was the design of Force Captain Adora. For someone living as the 'daughter' of her kidnapper Hordak and acting as a leader for a squad of Horde Troopers, she sure did look pretty and nice. The DC Masters of the Universe comics changed this up in a 2012 digital issue and portrayed her as Despara, a ruthless military leader with a frightening mask to tie appearance her to Hordak. I loved this revisionist twist. This figure is the subscription exclusive for the Collector's Choice sub and is one of the last MOTUC females we'll see before production switches to Super7 in 2017. It should be interesting to what the future holds for this line. Let's check out Despara below!

The Watchmen - SILK SPECTRE II!

Watchmen: Club Black Freighter - Silk Spectre II - Mattycollector Exc - Mattel 2013

The 2009 Watchmen film is probably my favorite super hero movie of all time. I first read the books in the 1980s - which I was way too immature for at the time - but I loved it all the same and found myself re-reading it every few years. I would cringe whenever there would be rumors of a film. The story was too complex and dark for the silver screen superhero treatment. But then decades later I found myself in a dark theatre with my jaw on the floor watching a gorgeous title sequence followed by a near perfect (in my humble opinion) adaptation of one of my favorite books. Every time I watch it I'm still blown away and my confusion over the naysayers amps up a few notches. Speaking of naysayers, this movie was very polarizing. I've met way more people who hated it than loved it. Including close friends and siblings who I thought I was on the same wavelength with. It's weird. One universally positive thing we can all agree on though is the awesome (and long-awaited) flood of toys the movie sparked.

Masters of the Universe - TEELA (and Customization!)

MOTUC Point Dread & Talon Fighter - Mattycollector Exclusive - Mattel 2015

Teela is probably the greatest female character in the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series. The Sorceress and Evil-Lyn were awesome, but at the same time they were pretty archetypal witch/mage types. Teela, on the other hand, was the daughter of King Randor's weaponer, Man-at-Arms, and Captain of the Royal Guard. Most of the time she was tasked with protecting the seemingly aloof Prince Adam - much to the amusement of the viewing audience. The first Teela figure in the MOTUC line was amazing. Her only issues are that she looks pretty modern in comparison to more recent figures that favorite the simplified Filmation style. She's also very expensive to acquire on the secondary market. So this Teela 2.0 figure was a much-demanded figure that had everyone's hopes high. Then the production figures were shown with a misshapen face and the disappointed grumbles could be heard across the blogosphere. I can be pretty handy with minor touch-ups to figures so I was excited to try my hand at fixing this figure. I'm super happy with the results. Pics and details at the bottom. Let's check out Teela 2.0!

Masters of the Universe Classics - VEENA!

MOTUC Club Eternia - Queen Grayskull - Mattycollector Exclusive - Mattel 2015

He-Man's 2002 reboot was definitely not my favorite iteration of the Masters of the Universe property.  I tried to get into it, but it just never took root.  One of the biggest disappointments for me was the redesign of my favorite character, the Sorceress.  Instead of the original orange and blue feathered falcon garb, she now wore a gold and teal Egyptian-themed outfit that I always felt looked out of place (I thought it was very Stargate-ish to have a Egyptian-like culture on another planet). Years later I learned that the "Ra" in She-Ra was actually in reference to the Egyptian God of the Sun, but that didn't make me like the 2002 Sorceress any better. This figure is of Veena - or Queen Grayskull - who is a Preternian predecessor of the modern Sorceress.  She helped create the Power Swords and guarded Castle Grayskull after King Grayskull's death.  Her design is a nice median between the classic Sorceress and her 2002 redesign.  It's not overtly Egyptian, but definitely holds to the 2002 style.

Masters of the Universe Classics - PERFUMA!

MOTUC Club Eternia - Perfuma - Mattycollector Exclusive - Mattel 2015

Well, it is complete. Perfuma is the final She-Ra figure to be recreated from the vintage toy line (excluding a few variants).  She was the character I was least excited about of all the Great Rebellion and Horde ladies. In the cartoon I thought she was silly with her goofy personality, little ballet slippers, and entrancing flower smells. Like a lot of characters, Perfuma had very few appearances (only two), and I was perfectly okay with that.  But again, like almost every character I've looked down upon from those early years, once I got my hand on this toy, my tune completely changed. She suddenly seems much older (in a good way), more formidable, and surprisingly her flower powers seemed interesting. I'm always amazed at how the Four Horsemen can change my opinion so thoroughly. It's kind of sad to be done with the main She-Ra characters, but it's nice to wrap it up with such a surprisingly nice figure. Hopefully the C-list characters will be released someday, but in the meantime, let's check out Perfuma!

Masters of the Universe Classics - MARA!

MOTUC Club Eternia - Mara of Primus - Mattycollector Exclusive - Mattel 2015

The New Adventures of He-Man was an interesting chapter in the He-Man mythos.  Filmation had gone out of business, the 1980s had come to a close, but the He-Man brand still had a lot of potential.  The production company Jetlag picked up the reigns and changed up everything.  He-Man and Skeletor had left Eternia and began quarreling in space and on the far-away planet of Primus.  The series was very interesting to me as a young viewer. The animation was much more dynamic, but conversely the storylines and (new) characters were much less interesting.   The character Mara was the most prominent female in the series.  In the beginning she was a plainclothed assistant to Master Sebrian (think Doc Brown meets Gandalf).  But later on she donned her warrior garb as seen in this figure.  Along with the Galactic Protector She-Ra and the upcoming Crita figure, I'm really excited to have a mini New Adventures collection on my shelf.  Let's check out Mara below!

Masters of the Universe Classics - PEEKABLUE!

MOTUC Club Eternia - Peekablue - Mattycollector.com Exclusive - Mattel 2015

I feel like I might have made this proclamation before, but I swear when the first Princess of Power figure was included in MOTUC back in 2010 (and I realized the POP ladies had a chance to be revitalized in modern form), the absolute number one wish for me was Peekablue.  I have a (platonic!) love for animal-themed characters, green hair, and pacifists - so she was pretty much perfect for me.  I also thought her name was bizarre and awesome.  I suppose it's in reference to her "omnidirectional" vision and the color of her feathers?  Whatever the intent, she's that perfect mix of girly and bizarre that I loved so much about She-Ra and the Great Rebellion when I was a kid. As the second-to-last vintage Pop figure to be released, they really scared me.  Every annual Matty-meter doomsday scenario had been focused around Peekablue in my head "I need to sub for Peekablue"  "We can't not get her" etc etc.  Well she's finally in my greedy paws and I'm very satisfied indeed.  Let's check her out below!

Masters of the Universe Classics - QUEEN ANGELLA!

MOTUC Club Eternia - Angella - Mattycollector.com Exclusive - Mattel 2015

Every time I get a new MOTUC figure, I confidently proclaim it to be my favorite action figure ever. This Queen Angella of Brightmoon figure is definitely no exception. She's one of the most dynamic and interesting figures in my POP collection. Angella was far from my favorite character in the cartoon. There's no good reason for this, I just never thought she was that interesting in comparison to the rest of the Great Rebllion. Plus her hair always annoyed me. When this figure was first teased, I thought the re-use of DCUC Hawkgirl's wings was lazy, and when the first reports found her height to be significantly shorter than previous POP girls (including her daughter Glimmer), my expectations were lowered to pretty dismal levels. However, as soon as I got this figure in my hands, all my fears were assuaged.  The wings look a thousand times better on Angella than Hawkgirl, and although she is shorter than the rest of the girls, I will personally only be displaying her with a flight stand, effectively eliminating the problem.

Masters of the Universe Classics - HUNTARA!

MOTUC - Club Eternia Huntara - MattyCollector.com Exclusive - Mattel 2015

Sorry for the delay on this post. I received Huntara several weeks ago and immediately set up a photo shoot for a review. Unfortunately my first round of photos were a disaster. This second round is still iffy, but it's a vast improvement. There is something about the plastic of her lavender skin that creates of glowing blur in my photo tent. I adjusted the levels on my camera as best I could to compensate, but it was a royal pain. This figure is gorgeous though so it was worth the effort. Huntara appeared in only one episode of She-Ra but has been a total fan-favorite ever since. I was personally never a huge fan just because of her crazy voice and her appearance. I like her appearance by all means, but it seemed very out-of-sync with the rest of the She-Ra characters. She always seemed like a He-Man character to me. Anyway, all my personal opinions aside, this figure is wonderful and a great example of MOTUC's commitment to the fans. Thirty years after her debut she got a long-deserved figure.

Masters of the Universe Classics - MERMISTA!

MOTUC Club Eternia - Mermista - Mattycollector Exclusive - Mattel 2014

Mermista has been my most wanted Princess of Power figure ever since Adora first arrived 5 years ago and showed us that the POP ladies would definitely be included in this line.  I am glad we had to wait so long though because I think the stars had to be aligned to provide us such a perfect figure.  Any of the minor flaws we've seen from MOTUC figures in the past would have been a major disappointment on a long-awaited character like Mermista.  But luckily all that stuff has been ironed out.  Some surprises for me included (1) her mermaid tail is glittery, (2) her main tail fin is blue instead of green, (3) her human legs are bare instead of blue, and (4) her hair is made out of a new lightweight flexible rubber.  All of these changes and surprises are perfectly acceptable to me though.  I probably wouldn't have even noticed if not for me actively seeking something about this figure to critique. I'll let all the pictures speak for themselves.  Let's check out Mermista below!

Justice League Unlimited - AQUAGIRL!

DC Universe - Justice League Unlimited: Final Figures - Aquagirl - Mattel 2012

There have been many different characters with the name of "Aquagirl" over the years. None of them have stood the test of time however.  My personal theory is that this is due to their costume design.  Rarely have they looked Atlantean or even aquatic in nature. Some are even wearing street clothes under water. The one design that I feel really worked though was this Aquagirl from Batman Beyond, also known as Mareena (the daughter of Aquaman).  She was originally created to be a part of a future Justice League in a 2-part BB story arc, but she has since made appearances in Justice League Unlimited and many comics.  Her costume, hair color, and pointed features give her that otherworldly feel that her previously incarnations lacked.  Aquagirl can breathe underwater, telepathically communicate with sea life, and can control water itself.  In her backstory, we learn that she was kidnapped by Darkseid and trained as one of Granny Goodness' Female Furies.  Cool stuff.  Let's check her out below!

Masters of the Universe Classics - SPINNERELLA!

MOTUC Club Etheria Exclusive - Spinnerella - Mattel 2014

The Great Rebellion is really filling out the ranks as Club Etheria draws to a sad close. Spinnerella was one of the many Princess of Power characters to appear in only a single episode of the cartoon, yet warrant the full vintage and modern action figure treatment. To be honest, Spinnerella is my second least-desired POP character (after Perfuma). Her look, her name, and her power just scream "doll gimmick" to me, however I have to concede and admit I like this MOTUC figure a lot.  While she is definitely the girliest and least formidable-looking POP girl so far, she has a unique regal presence among my collection.  I just re-watched her episode and she is toted as a very powerful character who can spin and create a magical destructive cyclone.  Her rumored/implied connection to Netossa just makes her all the more interesting.  Here's the rundown:  They come to this part of Etheria while on a vacation together.  They share a room and decide to go out dancing.  They're fiercely protective of each other.  And they hug a lot.  I'm not sold, but I'm intrigued.  Draw your own conclusions.  Let's check out Spinnerella below!