Super7 ReAction - BARONESS!

ReAction Action Figures - G.I.Joe Wave 3 - Baroness (Version 2) - Super7 2022

Super7's ReAction line just keeps getting better and better. The blend of vintage toy styling with the original animation designs is near perfection. Of course, now I want nothing more than for Super7 to get the MOTU license back so we can get apology figures for Sorceress and She-Ra. Those are the two least favorite in my collection, but they are great examples of just how far this line has come. What's also impressive is that they aren't shy about giving us great variants. Not only did we get a cartoon accurate Cheetara, but she was quickly followed by a vintage toy variant. Yes, repaints are minimal effort and expected. What isn't so expected however is a total resculpt for a variant. That is the case with this Baroness figure. Her first appearance blue version came earlier this year, almost immediately followed by this completely new black/gray version. It bodes well for her Ultimates figure, and even potential future Reactions with distinct variations (like Steelheart). I'm excited. Let's check out Baroness below!

Super7 ReAction - ARCEE!

ReAction Action Figures - Transformers Wave 5 - Arcee - Super7 2022

A few years ago, Super7's ReAction really started to get exciting for me. I started buying figures back in 2013 (when they were still partnered with Funko), but it wasn't until the announcement of their ThunderCats toys that I realized the potential of the line. Up until then, the MOTU series was my favorite. But they seemed like a one-off of 80s cartoon nostalgia. But then I saw Cheetara on the horizon, soon followed by Jem and April O'Neil, and I instantly had a wishlist a mile long. Very high on that list was Arcee. In all honesty, I would prefer Elita-One, but I know Arcee is the most popular female Transformer and most likely to find her way into my collection. It took a few years but I finally have her in all her pink robotic glory. I know Super7 doesn't go crazy with convention exclusives, but how awesome would a 4-pack of Elita, Chromia, Firestar, and Moonracer be? I would die. In the meantime I am anxiously waiting for a Silverhawks announcement, or at least Pumyra. Let's check out Arcee below!

Transformers Legacy - ARCEE!

Transformers Legacy Deluxe Wave 1 - Prime Arcee - TakaraTomy/Hasbro 2022

I may be biased, but I think Arcee had the most interesting redesign in Transformers: Prime. All the other characters were stylized in a standard way (which I love), but Arcee went further by changing colors, face shape, and vehicle mode. She essentially a new character with a classic recognizable name. I've always really appreciated it though. Something about a pink Transformer seemed unrealistic. I personally haven't seen a pink vehicle in years, so blue was a much more natural color. The Transformers Legacy series is intended unite different eras of Transformers media under a common design aesthetic. The tall and lanky Prime designs are made more blocky and squat to blend in with less stylized iterations of the franchise. I love the concept - and I instantly start imagining Rescue Bots characters like Quickshadow or Whirl in this style - I would love that. This Arcee reimagining is great. Her face is a perfect blend of Prime and G1 design. (The quality of the figure is another story). Let's check her out below!

Nintendo - ROSALINA!

World of Nintendo 2.5" Figures Wave 36 - Rosalina - Jakks Pacific 2022

Rosalina was a non-playable "Princess" character in 2007's Super Mario Galaxy. She was living in the Comet Observatory with her adopted lumas (creatures that look like plump Power Stars). Bowser attacked the observatory stealing all her Power Stars and she pleads with Mario to help retrieve them. I loved her design from that early introduction. She had a unique look but fit right in with Peach and Daisy. Her impact on fans must have been great as well because she has since appeared in more than 20 other games. Her appearances range from a fully playable character to a mere cameo, but her presence has been constant and I knew she would eventually have to be included in the World of Nintendo toyline. What I wasn't expecting was the surprise rapidity of both the long-awaited Daisy and Rosalina released within a couple months of each other. Of course, all these ladies makes the absence of a Pauline figure pretty glaring. I'll bet we see her in the line soon. Let's check out Rosalina below!

Nintendo - PRINCESS DAISY!

World of Nintendo 2.5" Figures Wave 34 - Princess Daisy - Jakks Pacific 2022

I've surprisingly never played a single game that featured Princess Daisy as a character. Although I've eschewed the majority of video games as an adult, the late 80s and 90s were a completely different story. Back then I spent nearly every waking moment glued to my Nintendo or SNES. It was my obsessiveness that created the new family rule, "no Nintendo on weekdays." Mario games were always a go-to, but I didn't ever own a GameBoy, so Daisy's sole appearance in the 80s and 90s, Super Mario Land for GameBoy, was unknown to me. It took me a while to research her design and color scheme, because in the gameplay she was grayscale, in the manual all characters were pink and black, even in the later GameBoy Color, she was a nondescript pink coral color. But then I discovered her hiding on the box art of the original 1989 game, a simple orange and brunette recolor of Princess Peach. She finally got her modern/classic look when the GameCube was introduced in 2001. Let's check her out!

He-Man Animated Series - RAM MA'AM!

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (Netflix) -  Ram Ma'am - Mattel 2022

I don't think anything about Netflix's CGI He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series has impressed me so much as the creation of the character Ram Ma'am. Upon first hearing the name, I can admit I scoffed and rolled my eyes. Her name is ridiculous, but in retrospect, it's classic MOTU brand to have laughable names. And upon watching the show, I concede that she is a shockingly awesome character. Ram Man in the 80s was very popular, but he just annoyed the crap out of me. His dim-witted (supposedly comedic) dialogue and the boing-boing noises as he bounced around took me out of the fantasy aspect of the show instantly. But Krasstine, aka Krass, aka Ram Ma'am, aka Rampage was anything but. She had depth, demons, and visually cool powers. If you haven't watched the show, the major gimmick is that all the heroic "Masters" get powered up by the Power Sword, not just Adam. So they all have transformation sequences and a chance to shine. Especially Krass. Watch the show, it's fun.

Marvel Toybox - GAMORA!

Toybox - Marvel Deluxe Box - Guardians of the Galaxy - Disney 2021

This blog has become a sort of journal for me. When I got this Gamora Toybox figure in the mail this week, I knew I had been wishing for her for a while. And sure enough, four years ago when the first Marvel lady was released, Black Widow (of course), I was already writing here about my hopes for a Gamora. So far all the female releases have had direct movie or television tie-ins, so I'm guessing the next options will be America Chavez, Kate Bishop, She-Hulk, and Ms. Marvel. But time will tell. This Gamora is the first figure in a while to go back to the original Disney Infinity video game designs (the aesthetic basis for this toy line). Recent releases like Scarlet Witch, Wasp, and Captain Carter were new designs (since the MCU costumes hadn't been created yet). I'm glad they broke out of Infinity library of characters since they would be limiting themselves and not keeping current with the MCU, but I also appreciate this more simplified Gamora over her MCU version with layered clothing and facial markings. 

Marvel Toybox - CAPTAIN CARTER!

Toybox - Marvel Deluxe Box - Captain Carter & Hydra Stomper - Disney 2021

Spoiler Warning. I know this is broad, but if you don't want anything about anything nerdy spoiled right now, just skip ahead to the pictures. I say that because if I mention what the spoilers are about, that is the spoiler. (I'll get to the actual spoilage in a few minutes). The Disney Toybox line continues to impress. Each figure seems to be an improvement over the last both in aesthetic and construction. I got this Captain Carter and Hydra Stomper two-pack back in October when I was all packed-up for a November move. By the time I was all settled in my new home and began taking photos again in January, she was the oldest of my new toys and kept getting pushed to the backburner. But then yesterday I got the new Gamora figure and was inspired to finally dig her out of the back of my closet. She is amazing. I love it when a long-standing civilian character gets powered-up and takes center stage like Spider-Gwen, Pepper Potts Rescue, Jane Foster Thor, and now Captain Carter. It's a trope that I can get behind.