MMPR The Movie - YELLOW RANGER!

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers The Movie - TRU Exclusive - Bandai 2015

I thought I would never find this figure in the stores.  The original "Legacy-style" Mighty Morphin Power Rangers figures from last year were impossible for me to find. I was really upset about that, and I was just about to take the plunge and submit myself to eBay extortion when these Movie figures were announced.  This was the perfect solution for me.  I already have a few TV-version Rangers, so the subtle variations of the Movie costumes were just the intrigue I needed.  I never saw the movie so the extra head that Yellow Ranger came with was a nice surprise. A little googling showed me that the Movie Yellow Ranger (Aisha - not Trini) had spotlights on her head.  That's a very cool variation in my opinion.  Bandai has really upped their game with this new figure style.  They're so solidly built and super poseable.  Hopefully they produce more.  I'm excited to see Rita Repulsa and Scorpina at the very least.  Fingers crossed!  Let's check out Yellow Ranger below!

WWE Superstar - ALICIA FOX!

WWE Basic Series 47 - Superstar #13 - Alicia Fox - Mattel 2015

When the first Mattel Alicia Fox figure came out two years ago, she was instantly my favorite figure by a landslide. Many readers will know that I know next to nothing about wrestling and therefore collect these figures purely for aesthetics.  Her first figure stood out from the pack amazingly.  She had bright red hair, and an outfit made of leather and chains contradicted by a soft and cute teddy bear hood.  Plus she was the first African American in my collection.  My adoration was a no-brainer.  But my love for the first figure was why I initially struggled with this second version.  I normally skip repaints in this line.  But upon seeing her in person, I thought the re-deco was a drastic enough change to warrant entry into my collection.  Her hair is now a more natural brown shade, she doesn't have the cosplayer hood, and the bulky leather outfit is stripped away to the form-fitting 2-piece that most WWE Divas wear.  She almost looks like a different person altogether upon first glance. Let's check her out below!

Marvel Legends - SPIDER-WOMAN!

Marvel Legends Infinite Series - Thanos Wave - Fierce Fighters - Hasbro 2015

Wow this has been an insane year for Spider-Women.  In the past 12-14 months we've received Anya Corazon Spider-Girl, Mayday Parker Spider-Girl, Ultimate Spider-Woman, and Black Cat in wonderfully updated Marvel Legends form.  But that list couldn't be complete without the originator, Jessica Drew.  Legend has it that Spider-Woman was created as a preemptive strike against copyright infringement.  Shortly before her creation (in 1977), DC Comics had sued Marvel over the character Wonder Man and his similarities to DC's Wonder Woman.  After that debacle (and a similar one between Power Girl and Power Man), Marvel decided to lock down any potential gender-swapped characters and swiftly created Spider-Woman.  Despite these uninspired origins, she was an instant hit and was granted a solo title and an animated series almost immediately.  This figure is by far the best action figure of Jessica we've seen - the Marvel Select version being a close second.  Let's check her out below!

Marvel Legends - HELLCAT!

Marvel Legends Infinite Series - Thanos Wave - Fierce Fighters - Hasbro 2015

I absolutely love this figure.  I never would have guessed that I would hold a Hellcat action figure in my lifetime. Her bright colors and batman-esque headgear were an instantaneous draw for me when I'd see her on Avengers covers in my youth. Patsy Walker has a great comic legacy.  She first appeared in the heyday of romance comics in 1944. It wasn't until 32 years later that she donned her current costume and became Hellcat. (Talk about efficient recycling of characters).  Her costume originated with Greer Grant in the pages of Claws of the Cat.  Greer wore that costume for 2 years before fully "wolfing out" and becoming Tigra. Luckily the Cat costume was able to find a willing subject in supermodel Patsy Walker.  I was fairly certain that the impetus for Hellcat's inclusion in this wave is Patsy's role in the upcoming AKA Jessica Jones series on Netflix, but at the same time, I think this figure was probably in development long before that role was cast, so I like to think it was just Hasbro reading my mind :)

Imaginext Blind Bags - SNOWBOARDER!

Imaginext Blind Bags Series 4 - Snowboarder - Fisher-Price/Mattel 2015

Here's an unexpected female figure in Fisher-Price's wildly successful Imaginext line. It doesn't surprise me that the second blindbag female released in the line was a sports-themed figure, but somehow I wasn't expecting it at all. The best part is she reminds me exactly of one of my first Lego minifigures - the pink snowboarder girl from Lego Mini-figures Series 3.  (Unfortunately I couldn't unearth her for this review).  For those not in the know, this fourth series of Imaginext Blindbags is the first wave to feature female characters.  It's unprecedented, but a long time coming.  Hopefully all future waves have decent female representation as well.  Not to mention the remaining Rescue Heroes characters (Ariel Flyer and Maureen Biologist) that will hopefully join Wendy Waters soon.  I won't even mention the conspicuous absence of Gemma from the core line.  I have high hopes though.  I think these Wave 4 figures will be popular and the ladies will come flooding in.  Let's check out the snowboarder below!

Imaginext Blind Bags - WICKED WITCH!

Imaginext Blind Bags Series 4 - Witch - Fisher-Price/Mattel 2015

Woohoo! I will start out this post on a humble note... letting you know that I totally predicted this figure way back in August! I said "I foresee a witch and a Cleopatra-type in the next wave." And that was months before this figure was unveiled. I know Tuy-Guru is taken, but maybe I could be the new "toy-clairvoyant" or something. Fisher-Price's Imaginext series is one of my favorite toy lines out there. Their simplicity, playability, and consistent high quality make for a fun and easy collectible (not to mention their regular availability and low price points). Who cares if they're meant for three year-olds. My only complaint up till now has been the lack of females in the line.  Luckily that gender gap is slowly beginning to close. Wave 4 of the blind-bags contain the 2nd and 3rd non-licensed females in the modern Imaginext line. While that hardly seems like a great achievement, I foresee a similar female presence in the blind bags moving forward. Let's keep our fingers crossed and check out the Witch below!

Masters of the Universe Classics - HUNTARA!

MOTUC - Club Eternia Huntara - MattyCollector.com Exclusive - Mattel 2015

Sorry for the delay on this post. I received Huntara several weeks ago and immediately set up a photo shoot for a review. Unfortunately my first round of photos were a disaster. This second round is still iffy, but it's a vast improvement. There is something about the plastic of her lavender skin that creates of glowing blur in my photo tent. I adjusted the levels on my camera as best I could to compensate, but it was a royal pain. This figure is gorgeous though so it was worth the effort. Huntara appeared in only one episode of She-Ra but has been a total fan-favorite ever since. I was personally never a huge fan just because of her crazy voice and her appearance. I like her appearance by all means, but it seemed very out-of-sync with the rest of the She-Ra characters. She always seemed like a He-Man character to me. Anyway, all my personal opinions aside, this figure is wonderful and a great example of MOTUC's commitment to the fans. Thirty years after her debut she got a long-deserved figure.

Mini-Mate Women of X-FORCE!

A Few Marvelous Mini Mutants - Domino, Boomer, Feral - DST/Art Asylum 2010-14

X-Force was a major obsession of mine in the early Nineties. I was a New Mutants loyalist for years and I was excited for all the new changes and incarnations brought about in 1991's X-Force.  I even loved Rob Liefeld's art. My fascination didn't last too long though.  The "extreme" storylines began to bore me pretty quickly (and yes, I realized how very ironic that was at the time) and Rob fled with the rest of the heavy-hitters to form Image.  Still, whenever I see imagery from that era, I feel a massive wave of nostalgia.  Mini-Mates are the best collectible for satisfying that kind of collecting itch.  They don't take up much space, they're inexpensive, and they have a great track record with team completion and costume variations.  And while I think there could be a few additional characters added to the roster: Rusty & Skids, Siryn, Sunspot, a reissued Warpath, etc, I think it's a pretty great collection overall -- and there is always room for expansion.  Let's check out Domino, Feral, and Boomer below!