Warcraft Movie 6" Figures - GARONA!

Warcraft (The Movie) - 6" Action Figures: Wave 02 - Garona - Jakks Pacific 2016

I feel really bad when a toy company puts a lot of effort into a movie-based toyline only to have the whole thing flop. It makes it worse when it's not a top-tier company with lots of overhead (like Mattel and Hasbro) either. I didn't hear anything about the Warcraft movie. Nothing good, nothing bad, nothing. That's never a good sign. The toy line from Jakks Pacific didn't fare too well either. I swear my TRUs and Targets didn't sell any of these toys. They are now stuck on clearance endcaps gathering dust. Somehow I doubt this second wave of 6" figures will ever see the light of day in stores, but I was luckily able to snag her pretty cheap on Amazon before Christmas.  It's a shame because too few companies are producing figures in this scale and I always want to see more. This line reminds me a lot of 2012's Hobbit series from Bridge Direct. It also wasn't a perfect toyline (nor successful), but both also showed a lot of potential. Hopefully Jakks gets another cool license soon so they can keep the momentum going.

Avengers 6" Action Figures - BLACK WIDOW!

Avengers 6" Action Figures - Wave 01 - Black Widow - Hasbro 2017

It's pretty rare when I'm totally caught off guard by an action figure hanging on the pegs. Especially when it comes to the big toy companies like Hasbro and Mattel. But yesterday I stopped in Target before work (I'm desperately seeking the Cheetah and Sinestro Imaginext set) and I did a doubletake when I saw this figure hanging next to the Marvel Legends. My immediate thought was "Oh, they're expanding that Guardians of the Galaxy Animated line to include the whole MCU." But there is a distinctive scale difference so this wave is a new thing all-around. This Black Widow isn't the most amazingly-sculpted figure ever, but at a price point of $7-8 it's pretty nice. I'm all about seeing a good mix of collector-quality figures and regular retail figures on the shelves, especially when they are decently articulated, sculpted, and priced. Hopefully we see a lot more figures like this in the future. And kudos to Hasbro for including a female in the first wave (of only 4 characters). Let's check out Black Widow below!

Star Wars The Force Awakens - REY!

Star Wars: Force Awakens - Rey (Limited Articulation Figure) - Hasbro 2016

There has been an interesting trend in recent years where the big toy companies (Mattel, Hasbro, Bandai, etc) have been maximizing their profit potential by offering lesser-quality versions of their hot sellers to discount stores. These assortments almost never include female figures so I haven't paid much attention. But then I was strolling through Big Lots back in November (the day after election day if I recall correctly) and I found this pretty stunning little figure for $6. She only has four points of articulation (neck, shoulders, and waist), but she has a unique scale (somewhere between the 5.5" Black Series and the 6" Elite Series), and a great sculpt. I'll totally keep my eyes peeled for similar figures in the future. I've read a lot of vitriol aimed at these figures from the collecting community, but you won't hear that from me. I think they're pretty sweet. In fact, if they do a Leia I'll be ecstatic since it will probably have only sculpted clothing (Yay for no cloth!). Let's check out the limited articulation Rey below!

Marvel Collectors Corps Dorbz - SHE-HULK!

Marvel Comics Dorbz #178 - She-Hulk - Marvel Collector's Corps Exc - Funko 2016

She-Hulk is one of my favorite marvel Super-Heroes. She's the first character I ever heard of who completely embraced her powers and rejected the idea of a secret identity. The fact that she always juggled being a superhero while having a career as a lawyer was also very impressive. Her solo books haven't always been my favorite titles, but I always loved her presence in the team books like Avengers, Fantastic Four, and most recently A-Force. She's always received a decent amount of merchandise since her first Toy Biz figure back in 1996. I count this MCC-Exclusive Dorbz as her 16th collectible item (excluding Heroclix, statues, and random PVCs). She is definitely due for an updated Marvel Legends figure, but luckily Funko has taken an interest in her in the meantime. In the past year we've gotten a POP Vinyl (both regular and GITD), a Mystery Mini, this Dorbz, and an Upcoming Rock Candy (again both regular and GITD). It's an exciting time for our favorite emerald beauty. Let's check her out below!

Suicide Squad - HARLEY QUINN (NIGHTCLUB)!

DC Multiverse: Suicide Squad - Harley Quinn - Amazon Exc - Mattel 2016

Easily the biggest (toy-related) disappointment for me in 2016 has been Mattel's Suicide Squad line. The male figures have been decent for the most part, but the ladies were pretty horrible. There were two Harley Quinn versions in stores; one with a jacket, and one without. Both are beastly and way too subtle of a variation to warrant two figures. I have one of them and plan on customizing the hell out of it to see if I can make it better. The Katana is better, but not by much. The only acceptable female in the wave was this Amazon-exclusive "Nightclub Harley" but the problem is that I seriously doubt anyone really cares about this outfit. Come to think of it, my customization might actually entail swapping heads. And if I do that, I can easily replace this figure in my collection because she's usually super-cheap on Amazon (Currently $9.89). I really hope the next Harley movie (Gotham City Sirens?) brings us some apology figures in this scale and price point. Let's check out Nightclub Harley Quinn below!

Marvel Legends - ENCHANTRESS (V2)!

Marvel Legends - Dormammu Series - Mystic Rivals - Enchantress - Hasbro 2016

When this Enchantress figure was announced this past August I was royally pissed off. I had just dropped roughly $140 for the giant SDCC exclusive Raft boxset (specifically to get the Enchantress figure and sell off the rest). The Dr. Strange/Dormammu wave was only a month from hitting the shelves and the lineup had been announced, or so we thought. But five days after the SDCC Hasbrotoyshop sale they announced this slightly repainted version would be a secret addition to the retail wave. I felt really taken advantage of. And I had been on cloud nine with the Marvel Legends line for years so that really bummed me out. But then when I saw her in person I decided there were enough color variations to warrant a duplicate purchase. Yes, both figures are blonde in green outfits, but almost every shade is different. This character gets so little play in the merchandise world that I couldn't help myself. Anyway, I still feel like a sucker so I put off this review for 4 months. Let's (finally) check her out below!

Super Dino Drive - PINK & PURPLE RANGERS!

Power Ranger Super Dino Charge - Dino Super Drive Pink & Purple - Bandai 2016

In all the excitement over the Power Rangers Movie merchandise and the Ninja Steel line hitting the shelves, this final assortment of Power Rangers Dino Charge is almost getting lost in the shuffle. Dino Charge / Dino Supercharge was the first incarnation of Power Rangers that I ever watched all the way through (well, I'm a few episodes away from completion). And because of that I've been really excited to collect all the powered up versions of Shelby and Kendall. Actually, there might still be another wave of figures to look forward to because the Poisandra figure has been shown a few times already (and I'm also really hoping for a figure of the female Aqua Ranger and Wish Star). These Dino Super Drive figures seem even more armored than the final figures of past years. I think the leg armor really makes a dramatic change from the typical torso enhancements. Hopefully the Ninja Steel figures have good power-ups as well. Time will tell. Let's check out Dino Super Drive below!

Funko ReAction - The Dark Crystal AUGHRA & KIRA!

ReAction: The Dark Crystal - Aughra and Kira (Retail) - Super7/Funko 2016

Sorry for the lack of posts lately! I had a very busy and festive Christmas/New Year's season including two separate houseguests staying with me and filling the whole time in-between. One thing I did manage to achieve in that time though was getting my toy room completely in order before a home reappraisal inspection a few days ago. It feels really good to be so organized. But now I have a lot of backed-up posts to write. I probably won't get to to my 2016 year-end review for months at this rate! This retail wave of Funko's Dark Crystal ReAction series is perfect. They are pretty much the exact toys I've been fantasizing about for decades. I really hope that Super7 continues this momentum with the Henson brands. I would love some podlings, urSkeks, more Mystics and Skeksis, and of course a Build-a-Figure Orrery. There is almost endless potential. But in the meantime, this current roster is extremely satisfying. Let's check out Kira, Aughra, and all the rest of the inhabitants of Thra below!