Masters of the Universe - SHADOW WEAVER!

Masters of the Universe Classics: Club Grayskull - Shadow Weaver - Super7 2020

Re-do figures are very surprising sometimes. I have been living the last eight years in blissful confidence that I owned a perfect Shadow Weaver figure. The 2012 MOTUC subscription-exclusive Weaver figure is amazing. I literally had no complaints about her. But her exclusive status caused her to remain a figure in high demand for most collectors. So a new figure was a welcome announcement for the final wave of MOTUC. The interesting thing is that the nature of her simple design leads to no real distinction between a Classics and Club Grayskull look, so I wasn't expecting much from this second figure. But in actuality, this new figure is vastly improved from the original: Her articulation is now mostly hidden; Her colors are brighter and more cartoon accurate; And her overall sculpt is improved with better cloth folds, a more dynamic pose, and more detailed hands. It's truly the greatest figure that I didn't know I needed. It's such a shame there won't be more. Let's check out Shadow Weaver below!

POP Funko - BATWOMAN!

POP! - DC Super Heroes: Batwoman - Previews Exclusive - Funko 2019

No matter how weird her show may be, and no matter how oddly mystical her comics may get, I will always love Batwoman. For those unaware, the original character of Batwoman was created in 1956 in direct reaction to the fear-mongering book Seduction of the Innocent (1954) - which first questioned the relationship between Batman & Robin. So DC had the brilliant idea to give them girlfriends. Enter Kathy Kane (Batwoman) and her niece Betty (Bat-Girl), the first beards of the comic book world. They were iconic, but cheesy, characters and were phased out after only 8 years. In 2006, she was reintroduced in an Alex Ross-designed costume (originally intended for Barbara Gordon) as a Lesbian. She was formidable and awesome, a far cry from the accessory character she was in her first incarnation. She evolved from being a plot device meant to eliminate hints of homosexuality to being one of the most high-profile gay characters in comics. I love a good redemption story. Let's check out this long-awaited Batwoman Pop below!

Marvel Legends - INVISIBLE WOMAN!

Fantastic Four Legends - (Super Skrull BaF) - Invisible Woman - Hasbro 2020

I'm always surprised when modern toylines give us character re-dos in quick succession. We just got an excellent Sue Storm Invisible Woman Marvel Legends figure two years ago as part of the Walgreens-exclusive Fantastic Four line. It was a great figure, although I personally didn't love her shorter hairstyle and the odd greenish-blue hue of her costume. But in spite of all that, I was completely satisfied with her. Then we were surprised with a full Fantastic Four wave for early 2020. I liked her new headsculpt a lot more, but the whole team was donning odd black costumes that I had never seen before. But after a quick search, it appears that the team has been wearing these suits for several years across multiple titles, so I was just behind the times. And after a little mild resistance on my part, I genuinely dig this look and am glad for the drastic variation. But if you prefer one hairstyle or costume combination over another, the heads are easily swappable. Let's check out Sue Storm the Invisible Woman below!

POP Funko - HUNTRESS!

POP! - DC Super Heroes: Huntress - NYCC/Hot Topic Exclusive - Funko 2019

I saw Birds of Prey on Saturday night and I loved it. It seemed to take inspiration from some of my favorite movies: Scott Pilgrim, Kill Bill, Zombieland, and any other fast-paced wacky adventure you can think of.    It was fun and entertaining (and I even appreciated the gore). Two of my very favorite comic characters (Cassandra Cain and Huntress) made their silver screen debut and (potentially) became known to the masses. If I was to cater Huntress' movie debut to my personal preferences, it would have been very very different. But that's not saying I didn't enjoy her quirky irrational violence and Drax-like social cues, I just love the cheesy comic version more. I have been waiting for a Huntress Funko Pop forever. Once we got the main Bat-Ladies like Batgirl, Harley, Catwoman, and Ivy, Huntress was the very next character on my list. It was a long wait, but this figure is perfect. The colors are bright, she's in her iconic Batman: Hush design. Now I want Bluebird and Black Bat! Let's Check out Helena below!

Marvel Legends - SQUIRREL GIRL!

Marvel Legends: Legendary Riders - The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl - Hasbro 2020

My growing excitement leading up to NYTF led me to look back at my biggest Marvel Legends predictions from 2019. And I realized I had a very impressive year for wish fulfillment. My list included such broad suggestions as Alpha Flight and New Mutants. Preposterous, right? While the completist in me isn't 100% satisfied until we get a couple more characters, I don't think I could have ever predicted that kind of turnout from Hasbro. But an even less-likely hope was for a Squirrel Girl figure. Although there was a weird slip/false reveal several years ago when some guys at Hasbro said she was going to be in the A-Force box set, it was still surprising to see this odd little character in all her quirky glory as a deluxe "Ultimate" release. The reality of this figure is hard to grasp. Now we desperately need Chipmunk Hunk and Koi Boi...as soon as they get cooler costumes (like Luciano Vecchio's amazing Koi Boi redesign on his instagram). I want the whole Squirrel Girl crew on my shelves. Let's check out Doreen below!

Masters of the Universe - KITTRINA!

Masters of the Universe Classics: Club Grayskull - Kittrina - Super7 2020

As soon as the Masters of the Universe Classics line started showing signs of releasing really obscure characters (back in the early Mattel days), there has been a clamoring for the mysterious feline warrior and spy, Kittrina, to be included. Kittrina appeared in a single Season 2 episode named The Cat and the Spider from 1984 (so named because the episode introduced both Kittrina and Webstor). The episode begins with Prince Adam and Melaktha (the Royal Archaelogist) discovering a legendary Temple of the Cat deep within the Vine Jungle. They wrongfully assume the temple was abandoned and removed a sacred cat statue. The mysterious Cat People are alarmed and send Kittrina to follow the intruders back to the Royal Palace to retrieve the dangerous artifact. After a series of mishaps, the monstrous Grimalkin is freed from the statue and they all join sides to contain him once again. Kittrina was a one-off character who made a lasting impression and was immortalized in plastic 36 years later. I love this line.

DC Essentials - CATWOMAN!

DC Essentials #22 - Knightfall Catwoman (Jim Balent) - DC Collectibles 2020

I'm really getting pumped for an exciting NY Toy Fair later this month. With McFarlane Toys and SpinMaster running full speed with the DC licenses, Hasbro Teasing G.I.Joe 6", and (historically) smaller companies like PhatMojo and Jazwares hitting their stride, it's likely going to be an eventful show. But my secret wish is for DC Collectibles to reveal more Essentials figures. There was a wave announced this past Summer (right before SDCC) that included Poison Ivy. I was bummed when an actual figure was never shown. And at NYCC they only showed a variant wave and some zombified figures. DC Collectibles and the former DC Direct has a history of ending lines too soon and I really hope we aren't seeing the signs of this happening again. The DC Essentials line has been amazing and honestly shows more potential that any other DC line I can think of. But if this Knightfall Catwoman happens to be the last original female character in the line, at least it's ending on a high note. Let's check out Selina below!

McFarlane Toys - BATGIRL REBIRTH!

DC Multiverse - Batgirl: Art of the Crime (Batmobile Wave) - McFarlane Toys 2020

Barbara Gordon has had a lot of different incarnations as Batgirl over the years, but thankfully all the costumes have had certain consistent design elements. She almost always has a yellow bat emblem, belt, and sometimes boots. Her outfit is usually purple or blue and gray. The consistency is reassuring. But this new Rebirth design breaks new ground by being the first (in canon) version of Batgirl to swap out her traditional cowl with an Alicia-Silverstone-esque domino mask. I was really resistant to this change when it first appeared (in Batgirl #27 in November 2018), but I must admit the recent comics and this figure have really convinced me of its merits. This figure is a really strong first comic-style figure for McFarlane Toys. The sculpt, articulation, and proportions are near perfection. The only issue is that she has a unique scale at 7" tall. But honestly that just makes me excited to get more figures in this line. Pretty soon we'll be complaining that other companies aren't matching this scale! Let's check out Batgirl below!