Marvel Legends Toy Biz - PHOENIX!

Marvel Legends Series VI - Jean Grey Phoenix (Standard Ver) - Toy Biz 2004

When Marvel Legends began back in 2002, I was instantly smitten. At the time I was a year into my first professional job and making decent money, yet still paying a mere $350/mo rent. That translated into a lot of expendable income. And as soon as I bought a series of young adult necessities (Ikea furniture, my first DVD player, etc), I was quick to revisit all my old hobbies. I found a comic shop near my office and quickly became a regular. My favorite toys at the time were the DC Direct LOSH, which I thought were amazingly advanced. But soon came the fateful day when I stopped in and found the first wave of Marvel Legends. I bought Captain America and Iron Man and was so excited to see the line eventually include female characters. But I think we all know how awkward most of those early attempts were. I didn't buy any for years, and even then it was under duress. But then last week I saw this Phoenix in a toy shop and suddenly thought she looked pretty great. Let's check her out!

Uncanny X-Force PSYLOCKE!

Marvel Legends (Amazon 3-Pack) - Fantomex Nimrod Psylocke - Hasbro 2020

This Psylocke was a very unexpected purchase. When the Amazon exclusive three-pack was first announced last Summer, it was an easy pass for me. I don't know who Fantomex is, I'm not a huge fan of Nimrod, and I always felt the X-Force versions of Psylocke was always too similar, yet less interesting, than her classic ninja look. But then the set showed up as a Cyber Monday deal and I suddenly became covetous. Once I had the set in hand, I really appreciated it though. I imagine the Nimrod figure looking great with the upcoming Omega Sentinel, and the Psylocke figure looks sleek and intimidating in all black with bright pink accessories. Her outfit is new to me. The previous X-Force outfits were just a black versions of the 90's Jim Lee look, but this one has unique cutouts and a more sporty feel. Turns out it's specifically from the Uncanny iteration of the book. If I was going to get any black-suited version of her, I'm glad it was this one. Let's check out Psylocke below!

Transformers Earthrise - LIFELINE!

Transformers: Galactic Odyssey - Paradron - Ratchet & Lifeline - Hasbro 2020

The first Transformers toy I bought as an adult was the small Heroes of Cybertron PVC of Arcee. I was just starting to get back into toys and comics after a long hiatus for college and this little pink goddess just spoke to me. But then several months after I bought this figure, the same stores starting carrying a green version of Arcee called Paradron Medic. And around the same time I noticed the Energon Arcee figure was also released in a green variant. I was curious enough to do some research and learned of the G1 episode, Fight or Flee (Season 3, Ep 15, Oct 1986). In this episode, Cyclonis and Scourge get stranded on the peaceful planet of Paradron, which they discover is Energon-rich and proceed to overthrow the citizens. The Paradron population is made up of simple male robots (that remind me of ROM: Spaceknight) and a bunch of green Arcees. I just re-watched the episode and the Paradron Medics get maybe three seconds of airtime. But it's a fun setup for a repaint figure. Let's check out Lifeline below!

Elseworld's Finest - BATGIRL!

Elseworlds: Series 03 - Elseworld's Finest - Batgirl - DC Direct 2007

Sometimes the very existence of an action figure adds to its allure. In 1998, there was a one-shot comic titled Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl. Elseworlds was a DC imprint that allowed for inventive non-canonical stories starring the mainstream characters. The comic is an homage to World's Finest which ran for 45 years featuring a Superman/Batman team-up. I read this Elseworld's gender-swap when it first came out, but I didn't love the story. I remember Batgirl being a tyrannical force in Gotham, isolating the city from the world. I remember the Joker getting juiced on Bane's venom. And I remember a surprise cameo from Black Orchid. Although interesting, it was not exactly memorable. But the character designs were something else entirely. Both Batgirl and Supergirl had amazing costumes that instantly seemed both classic and unique. But despite their visual appeal, I don't think anyone could have predicted getting figures of them nine years after their sole appearance. Let's check out Batgirl below!

Showcase Presents - BATGIRL!

Showcase Presents - Series 1 - First Appearance Batgirl - DC Direct 2008

I think it's pretty clear that the days of awesome, classic DC figures are in the past. Sure, there has been a decent looking Batman, Superman, and Nightwing in the McFarlane Multiverse line, but the majority of products are gritty modern interpretations of characters that seem more aligned with video games than comics. This unfortunate trend has caused me to look back to yesteryear... specifically to a year which stands out as one that seemed personally catered to me, 2008. DC Universe Classics was launched, Marvel Legends had seriously improved their female buck (Shanna and Savage She-Hulk), and DC Direct was in its heyday. The DC Direct releases were the most impressive to me, there was a great mix of classic and modern figures with an attention to detail that I've only ever seen with this company. The standout to me was this Showcase Batgirl figure. She was perfectly sculpted by Karen Palinko in the classic style of Carmine Infantino. It's one of my absolute favorites. Let's check her out below!

I Am Elemental - ELEMENTS OF WISDOM!

I Am Elemental - Elements of Power Series 2: Wisdom - Rebel Elements 2016

Sometimes I buy a lot of action figures all at once and then get overwhelmed at the thought of opening, photographing, and displaying them. That is literally the only drawback to maintaining this website; I no longer get to experience the frantic tearing open of my toys as soon as I get them home. But on the plus side, the photography process has created a new unboxing ritual that is very enjoyable in its own way... when I eventually get around to it. That brings us to one of my favorite toy lines in recent memory: I Am Elemental. I've had this second series unopened on a storage shelf for 4 years, which is a shame because this is an amazing line that I'm excited to display. The colorfully costumed heroines, the crayola spectrum of skintones, and the trademark domino masks create a unique product that is unlike anything else out there. And this Wisdom series stepped it up a notch with even brighter colors and wilder accessories. I can't believe I sat on them so long. Let's check them out below!

Marvel Legends Vintage - BLACK CAT!

Marvel Legends: Vintage (Toy Biz) - Spider-Man's Black Cat - Hasbro 2020

I know a lot of collectors groan at the thought of a repainted or slightly redecoed figure. But, honestly, is there anything more retro than a recycled sculpt in a Marvel line? That's actually one of the things I love most about the 1990s Toy Biz line. Noticing how the molds were reused in creative ways to give us more characters was like a toy version of a memory card game.  Sue Storm, Jessica Drew, Julia Carpenter, and X-Factor Jean Grey were the exact same figure. Same with Rogue and Polaris, Psylocke and Elektra, and Medusa, Ms. Marvel, and Firestar. There are tons more. Even the original Black Cat was reused for Tigra. So when I see this Moonstone buck reused for yet another character, it actually makes me quite happy. For starters, it's a great body and a great headsculpt. It's already seven years old but it still holds up. A simple modification, like the addition of fur-lined boots and gloves, gives us a great new version of a classic character.  Let's check out Black Cat below!

Marvel Legends Vintage - ROGUE!

Marvel Legends: Vintage (Toy Biz) - 1990's Rogue (Version 2) - Hasbro 2020

Hasbro is pretty smart about their toy releases. When the first modern Marvel Legends Rogue figure came out back in 2016, it was pretty much an instant classic. She had a great sculpt, she was produced on one of the most popular female bucks of all time, and she featured the fan-favorite 1990's Jim Lee era costume. Of course, that's also a perfect recipe for extortion on the secondary market and her prices quickly shot up in the triple digits. An eventual second figure was almost a sure thing. But a lot of collectors had paid a lot to get this figure, so a straight-up re-release would agitate their base. So the perfect solution was this release: brighter colors, a new hairsculpt, a new character-specific accessory, and amazing retro packaging. Her Target-exclusive status was the only slight hitch in the plan, but she was readily available on the release weekend both in stores and online. So with a little planning I'm sure everyone was able to secure one. She's a beauty. Let's check out Rogue below!