Batwheels - BATGIRL!

Burger King: King Jr Meals - Batwheels - Batgirl (Cass Cain) - Burger King 2023

In late 2022 a new animated show debuted on HBO MAX called Batwheels. I was intrigued because I am drawn to all things Gotham. But I knew it was completely geared towards kids and wouldn't become a true obsession of mine - and I was mostly right. The show has a great concept: essentially mashing together the worlds of Disney/Pixar's Cars with the Batman Universe. There are so many outlandish character-themed vehicles in Gotham, it doesn't seem that crazy to actually give them voices and fully flesh out their personalities. I found it very clever. But I wasn't expecting to be so drawn to the human characters. They have really fun designs and the roles are filled by interesting characters - namely Duke Thomas as Robin and Cassandra Cain as Batgirl. I've been wishing for action figures, but all the official toys have been (predictably) vehicles. But then I was surprised by some Burger King figures from December that totally scratch that itch. Let's check out Cassie Batgirl below!

Mirrorverse - MULAN!

Disney Mirrorverse - Gold Label 3-Pack - Mulan (Melee) - McFarlane Toys 2024

Mulan (1998) is easily my favorite animated Disney movie. Most animated Disney movies feature a strong female lead. But Mulan was explicit in highlighting gender roles and cultural stigmas (which, although were presented as specific to an unspecified dynastic era of China's history, had many relatable modern parallels). I genuinely love the story and the music. I also love the respectful handling of the music, with no songs played after the discovery of General Li's fallen army. This movie arguably dealt with the heaviest subject matter of the theatrical animated Disney movies - others technically had a higher death rate, but in Mulan the setting was relatable historical fiction and we actually saw the deaths. It required a tactful mix of playful music and solemnity. I have always wanted to add Mulan to my collection. Someday I might dive deep into the 1997 Mattel line. But in the meantime, this McFarlane Disney Multiverse figure from the Amazon-exclusive 3-Pack is a great first figure. Let's check out Mulan below!

Mirrorverse - BELLE (FRACTURED)!

Disney Mirrorverse - Gold Label 3-Pack - Belle (Fractured) - McFarlane Toys 2024

Mirrorverse is a 2022 mobile game featuring a large assortment of Disney characters in battle scenarios. One of the coolest things about the game (IMO) is the faction of The Fractured. The Fractured are a legion of twisted evil versions of the main characters. They were created by Maleficent when she broke the Dark Mirror and gave life to the distorted reflections of all the heroes. I'm a sucker for monochromatic designs and all of the Fractured are multi-hued purple. I'm a bit obsessed and I hope all the figures get this redeco eventually. (Although I wish Belle's face was purple as well to complete the look). This figure came in an Amazon-Exclusive 3-pack with Ariel (Melee) and Mulan (Melee). The line has been pretty quiet since this set was announced back in early July, but I really hope we see some new characters. Rapunzel and Merida seem like pretty prominent game characters who haven't appeared in the toy line yet. Fingers crossed for more. Let's check out Fractured Belle below!

Mirrorverse - ARIEL!

Disney Mirrorverse - Gold Label 3-Pack - Ariel (Melee) - McFarlane Toys 2024

Ever since I started collecting toys as an adult, I have wanted well-made modern action figures of Disney characters. I was always hoping S.H.Figuarts or Mafex would get a license, but it never came to be. The Super7 Disney Ultimates were a promising start, but they never produced a character I was particularly interested in (I feel like Maid Marian would have happened soon if the line wasn't cancelled). But the main characters I always imagined in highly-articulated action figure form were Tinker Bell and Ariel. While this Mirrorverse Ariel from McFarlane Toys is definitely a stretch from her classic design, it's still pretty amazing. Mirrorverse is a 2022 mobile game featuring a wide variety of Disney characters in combat scenarios. Ariel is in Melee armor with a trident. I think she looks awesome. Ariel came in an Amazon-Exclusive Gold Label 3-Pack with Belle and Mulan. This set really renewed my interest in the line and I hope it keeps going. Let's check out Melle Armor Ariel below!

Power Rangers - LOST GALAXY YELLOW!

Power Rangers Lightning Collection - Lost Galaxy Yellow Ranger - Hasbro 2023

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy is the seventh season in the Power Ranger franchise from 1999 (based on the 22nd Super Sentai series, Seijuu Sentai Gingaman). The series is notable for having the first sentient Zords in the franchise. Each Ranger is paired with a Galactabeast from an unnamed wild planet that the Rangers rescued from captivity. Galaxy Ranger Yellow's Galactabeast is a large yellow wolf. A key weapon for each of the Rangers are the Quasar Sabers. They were all hidden on the planet Mirinoi, a seemingly peaceful and simple planet (perhaps void of technology?). The Sabers were embedded in stone there until retrieved by the the Rangers when they arrived to the planet and removed them Sword-in-the-Stone-style. Maya was a native Mirinoi girl who withdrew the Quasar Saber Yellow and became the Yellow Galaxy Ranger. This figure was a Gamestop exclusive in 2023 and continued to tradition of Gamestop filling in team gaps with missing female Rangers. Let's check out Lost Galaxy Yellow below!

MOTU 1987 Movie - EVIL-LYN!

Masterverse Wave 11 - Masters of the Universe Movie - Evil-Lyn - Mattel 2023

I think one of the first movies I was ever disappointed by was Masters of the Universe (1987). As an eighties kid, I was intimately familiar with the lore and universe of He-Man and Eternia. The show had technically ended two years earlier, but She-Ra was still airing and was typically paired with a syndicated episode of He-Man. The movie seemed like it would be a mature evolution of the show we had all been raised on. I, for one, was very excited. But the movie was vastly different from what I expected. It was chock full of new characters (most of which I found very annoying), it took place on Earth, and there was no transformation sequence. I was flummoxed. The bright spot for me was Evil-Lyn. Of all the characters, she seemed to stay the most true to her cartoon origins. She had a cinematic redesign and there were a lot of differences, but the essence of Evil-Lyn was still there. There have been a fair amount of action figures from the movie over the years, but Evil-Lyn was always a glaring omission.

12" Spin Master - HARLEY QUINN!

DC Universe - 12" Action Figures - Harley Quinn (Future State) - Spin Master 2023

Harley Quinn seems to get a totally new costume design every few years. I will always be loyal to her original bodysuit with jester hat, but there is something still unique and fun about each new version. I think Harley will always be handled by artists and writers that love and respect the character. Because of this the essential "Harley" elements will always be present. There obviously needs be a lot of black and red, and there needs to be a clear left-vs-right division of colors or patterns. Her modern trend of having pink and blue hair used to really bother me as straying too far from the original design. But a few years ago I made the realization that often when people try to home-dye their hair bold colors, they can easily end up with a much more pastel result. I now imagine this look as Harley attempting a red and black dye job with lukewarm results. This surprise 12" figure from Spin Master features Harley's new design from 2021's Future State comics. Let's check out the 12" Harley Quinn below!

Power Rangers - LOST GALAXY PINK!

Power Rangers Lightning Collection - Lost Galaxy Pink Ranger - Hasbro 2023

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy is the seventh season in the Power Ranger franchise from 1999 (based on the 22nd Super Sentai series, Seijuu Sentai Gingaman). The series is notable for having the first sentient Zords in the franchise. Each Ranger is paired with a Galactabeast from an unnamed wild planet that the Rangers rescued from captivity. The Pink Ranger's Galactabeast is a large pink alien wildcat whose design I love. This series is also notable for having the first Ranger "death." The first Pink Ranger (Kendrix Morgan) was killed while saving her fellow Rangers. The actor, Valerie Vernon, had to leave the show to be treated for leukemia. The treatment was a success and she returned for the finale. This figure represents the first Galaxy Pink, Kendrix. The second Galaxy Pink was Karone, the brainwashed villain Astronema (for which we've seen two figures so far). I don't know why this toy, of all toys, doesn't contain a second head representing Karone. Let's check out Galaxy Pink below!