Funko Vynl - BATGIRL & POISON IVY!

DC Vynl - Batgirl & Poison Ivy 2-PAck - SDCC LE 2500 Pcs - Funko 2017

I'm still on the fence about these new Funko Vynl figures. It's not a natural thing for me to be drawn toward super-deformed stylistic toys at all. Over time, Funko Pops and Dorbz have worn me down and I now accept them wholeheartedly. But these Vnyls actually remind me of all the reasons I was initially so resistant in the first place. But it didn't hurt that one of the very first offerings of this line was an SDCC Exclusive 2-Pack featuring Batgirl and Poison Ivy. I'm pretty much addicted to Bat-Family females so I was completely unable to resist this set when I found it in Hot Topic. But the second most appealing set (imo), the NYCC Lion-O and Mumm-Ra set failed to impress me when I saw them in TRU this morning. I actually really enjoy the Batgirl and Ivy set though, so I assume I'll continue to be a selective collector of this line. I hope Cheetera is next. Then Catwoman, then Jem, then the Sorceress.. yeah, with the right character selection I could get totally hooked on these. Let's check out Babs and Pam below!

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!

Thor Ragnarok - VALKYRIE!

Marvel Legends - Thor Ragnarok (Target Exc) - Thor & Valkyrie - Hasbro 2017

I'm really looking forward to Thor: Ragnarok. My excitement is mostly focused on my obsession with Cate Blanchett, but I'm also pretty intrigued to see how Tess Thompson's portrayal of Valkyrie will be. I honestly don't have a fixed opinion on how Valkyrie should act. I have a generic impression of her being humorless gruff warrior, but it's a vague idea (and likely outdated). The one aspect of Valkyrie I did have a solid idea on was her appearance. I won't lie and say I wasn't hoping for a more traditional Valkyrie; super-tall, broad-shouldered, blonde-braided Brienne-of-Tarth Norse warrior type. This is purely based on my nostalgia for the comic design. But I am very open-minded and excited to see this new envisioning of the character in action. Hopefully she isn't just a replacement for Sif and gets a chance to shine and be an individual. It can be tough being a supporting character in a big superhero movie. (And if she's popular enough, we might even get a figure of her in her white armor!) Let's check out Valkyrie below!

ArtFx Plus - SPIDER-GWEN!

ArtFx Plus 1:10 Pre-Painted Statue - Marvel Now! Spider-Gwen - Kotobukiya 2017

I'm not a huge collector of statues. But sometimes there is a great representation of one of my favorite characters and I just can't resist. I now own four ArtFx+ statues and I've been very impressed with all of them. The 1:10 (7") scale fits in very nicely with an action figure collection, and the price point is at that medium $50-60 level where it won't break the bank, but you'll probably be selective about you character choices. This is the first Marvel ArtFx I've picked up and I'm very happy with my purchase (my advice is to find someone with a Barnes & Noble membership and snag one of their 20% off coupons. That's the cheapest way I've been able to get one). I'll likely get any future Spider-ladies they produce (A classic Jessica Drew would be amazing), but I won't be holding my breath considering there is a decent number of Spider-boys on the schedule and no other women on the horizon besides Gwen. Maybe there will be some surprises at NYCC this week though.  Let's check out Spider-Gwen below!

Transformers Legends - SLIPSTREAM!

Transformers Legends Series (Japan) - LG-16 Slipstream - Takara Tomy 2015

Sometimes posting reviews of Transformers stresses me out. I have anxiety about breaking figures as I transform them, the posing is very different from standard action figures, and they often have metallic paints which are tricky to photograph. So all that is my excuse for waiting two years to review this figure. I summoned some motivation and opened/photographed five Transformers last night that I have been procrastinating on forever. My main motivation was seeing Slipstream in robot form and she did not disappoint. Slipstream is a female clone of Starscream that was introduced in Transformers: Animated. Starscream made a lot of clones of himself in this series, but Slipstream had the most staying power. This is actually the third figure of her. The first being a weird Botcon repaint of Starscream (with lips) and then a small Kre-O block figure. This Takara Tomy Legends is by far the best one though. She is a retooled Windblade with a new head and torso, but the smirky face and bright colors make her feel wholly original.

Star Wars 6" Black Series - GENERAL LEIA ORGANA!

Star Wars: The Black Series #52 - General Leia Organa - Hasbro 2017

This was the first figure I grabbed off the shelf on Force Friday. I was the 6th person in the TRU doors at midnight (they only let ten people in at a time) and luckily all the other fans in that group were after 3.75" figures, so I had the 6" section all to myself. In Force Awakens, I thought General Organa was the most interesting carry-over character from the original trilogy. Han Solo, Chewie, Tarkin, C3PO, etc. were just continuations from their previous appearances. They hadn't evolved the way you would have expected in a world rebuilding after the fall of the Empire (Luke obviously has been through a lot, but we barely saw him). But Leia took the cake as far as cool character advancement. The leadership skills and tenacity shown throughout episodes IV-VI culminated in Leia becoming a General in the Resistance. Her powerful and authoritative presence in the movie seems like such a natural progression. I'm excitedly yet solemnly looking forward to seeing her final role in The Last Jedi this December.

Star Wars Elite Series - REY (JEDI TRAINING)!

Star Wars Elite Series - Die-Cast 6" Rey (Jedi Training) - Disney Store Exc 2017

I am really growing quite fond of the the Disney Store exclusive Star Wars: Elite Series die-cast action figures. I'm sure they don't sell a fraction as well as the similarly scaled 6" Black Series toys from Hasbro, but that doesn't seem to stop them from being produced. I got scared when I saw a ton of Elite figures (mostly Rogue One) on clearance for just $5.99 earlier this Summer, but sure enough they still pushed out a Last Jedi line for Force Friday. I hope the line stays successful because I would love a Leia or two and some Ewoks, if not a whole slew of Expended Universe female Jedis. (Also, I think a Marvel line like this would sell like hotcakes). This Rey figure is a major improvement over the Force Awakens version. The face in particular looks a thousand times more like Daisy Ridley then the first figure. I wonder if they are using the same new face-scanning techniques that Hasbro is now employing. Whatever they're changes have been, it's working. Let's check out the Elite Series Rey below!

Batman & Harley Quinn HARLEY QUINN!

Batman & Harley Quinn - Blu-Ray Best Buy Exc Figurine - Warner Bros 2017

I really love the trend of deluxe DVD/Blu-Ray sets including little figurines. The first one I remember was the 2009 Wonder Woman animated movie. This included an awesome animated-style Infinite Heroes figure of Diana. The trend soon moved away from actual action figures to stationary figurines. The next one that caught my eye was a Catwoman figurine from the Batman: Year One movie, soon followed by another Catwoman with Dark Knight Rises and a Harley Quinn from Batman: Assault on Arkham. Then there was a brief period where Schliech took over the figurine production. But now it seems like the tried and true Gentle Giant have taken over the duties. This new Batman & Harley Quinn movie is written by Bruce Timm and drawn in The New Adventures of Batman style. Even Batman and Nightwing have the classic voice actors. It's a very entertaining movie and I highly recommend it. And while you're at it, get the special edition with the cool figurine. Let's check out Harley Quinn below!