Titan Hero Series - GHOST-SPIDER!

Spider-Man Titan Hero Series - Ghost-Spider (Gwen Stacy) - Hasbro 2026

It's been more than three years since the last female Titan Hero Series figure (Shuri from Black Panther). I was excited at the prospect of a Yelena figure from Thunderbolts, but I'm guessing now those images circulating the internet were fake. I have a feeling with the dawn of AI there are going to be a lot more fake figure rumors I will be gullibly falling for. An updated Spider-Gwen for 2026 was not something I expected. I was pretty happy with the original release (from 2018's Into the Spider-Verse movie), but she wasn't a perfect figure. She has a very thin body and limited articulation. I didn't realize all the improvements in this 2026 version until I got her in-hand. She has added articulation in her knees and elbows, her whites are brighter and her pinks are bolder, and most importantly she now has a more realistic torso. The narrow chest on the older figures always looked a little off. I hope this is the start of a whole new era of Titan Hero Series. I'm hoping for many more. Let's check out Ghost-Spider below!

Superman (2025) 12" - HAWKGIRL!

Superman (2025 Movie) - 12" Action Figures - Hawkgirl - Spin Master 2025

I was very excited to get my first piece of merchandise for the upcoming Superman movie in the form of this 12" figure 4-pack. It wasn't certain that we would see any figures of this new cinematic Hawkgirl until a few weeks ago when three products were unveiled in quick succession: This 12" figure, a 6" Spinmaster figure, and an Imaginext. All that plus the two McFarlane non-movie figures hitting the shelves right now have me in an absolute Hawkgirl frenzy. I'm planning to post a handful of older figure reviews in my excitement. I somehow missed the news that Hawkgirl was even in the movie until relatively recently. And learning that Isabela Merced would be playing Kendra was just an added bonus. I've been a fan of Isabela since 2019 when she showed her range in both Dora and Let it Snow in the same year. She then played my favorite spider, Anya Corazon, in Madame Web and I'm currently enjoying her in The Last of Us. I'm so excited to see her in Superman. Let's check out this first figure below!

Gormiti The New Era - SKYE!

Gormiti The New Era - 12" Scion Series - Skye (Air) - Giochi Preziosi 2024

One great thing about larger 12" action figures is that if they happen to have removable armor, they tend to be scaled better and fit the body in a more natural way. Small figures with armor accessories like that can quickly looks bulky and robotic. The 12" Skye figure from the Gormiti: The New Era toy line is a perfect example. All her armor fits snugly and doesn't even immediately look like it's removable. The helmet looks a smidge oversized, but I'll take it in order to have a properly-proportioned unmasked head and hair. Of the five new Gormiti figures I recently purchased, I expected this one to be the biggest dud. I thought her articulation would be awkward (it kind of is) and given that her armor is off in the packaging, I never expected it to look good on. But I was thankfully wrong, and I like her just as much as the (arguably more dynamic) Windel and General Audra. I haven't seen this show yet, but I hope it's a success and spawns more toys. They're very fun. Let's check out Skye below!

Gormiti The New Era - WINDEL!

Gormiti The New Era - 12" Gormita Series - Windel (Air) - Giochi Preziosi 2024

Nine years ago, almost to the day, I purchased my first 12" action figure. As an adult toy enthusiast, I always assumed I would stick to the smaller collector-friendly lines. But when I purchased that first figure (a Batman Unlimited Wonder Woman), I was instantly hooked. Flash forward to 2025 and I have over sixty 12" ladies in their own special display. The last few years, however, have been a bit redundant and predictable. Hasbro and Mattel or Spinmaster would push out a few sparse figures for each Marvel or DC theatrical release. And as much as I appreciate them, I can admit it was getting a bit boring. But then this winter I discovered the Gormiti The New Era toy assortment from Giochi Preziosi and I was thrilled to see a ton of interesting 12" figures included. My favorite by a longshot was this 12" light-up Windel, the Gormita of the Air Clan, figure. Her design looks like some otherworldly deity and completely captures my imagination. She's so cool. Let's check out the 12" Windel below!

Spidey and His Amazing Friends - GHOST-SPIDER!

Spidey and His Amazing Friends - 9" Supersized Ghost-Spider - Hasbro 2022

I've had this figure for years, photographed and everything, but am only getting around to posting her now. Back in 2021/2022 the new Spidey and his Amazing Friends show on Disney+ was a hit and merchandise was everywhere. A big trend in preschool toys at the time was jumbo figures of the most popular lines. Imaginext XL, Marvel Superhero Adventures, Power Rangers, and XL P.J. Masks figures could be found sporadically popping up in the toy aisles (the distribution was never consistent). And in the mix were these 9" Spidey super-sized figures. Getting Gwen was a no-brainer for me, but once I got her home and photographed her, I was already on the hunt for the 2.5" mini-figure (which I thought I would find any day) and I wanted to post them all together - and only two short years later my plans finally came together. Coincidentally these figures are showing up in stores again recently, re-issued with new packaging. But seemingly without Gwen. So the timing of this post of actually pretty perfect.

Aquaman Lost Kingdom 12" - MERA!

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom - 12" Action Figures - Mera - Spin Master 2023

When I first saw blurry leaked images of this 12" Spin Master Mera from the Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom line, I thought she surely must be a custom (there's a big community for customizers of this scale). I thought she couldn't possibly be real because the 12" Mattel Mera from the the first movie (five years ago) is still on the shelves of discount stores like Big Lots and Ollies. Plus the rumors were that Mera's character would be largely cut from the movie (she wasn't). But she is indeed real, although seemingly shortpacked and more scarce than the other characters in the line. I'm surprised at how much I like this figure though. She looks very different from the 2018 version and she just really pops on my shelves. Her bodysuit has a metallic/opalescent quality that I love in person, but was murder to photograph. I ended up having to use flash photography, which I typically avoid. The sculpt and proportions are really well done too. I think this is the best Spin Master 12" female so far. Let's check her out!

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!

Poppy Playtime - KISSY MISSY!

Poppy Playtime - 12" Figures Series 1 - Kissy Missy - Phat Mojo Toys 2023

This is the figure that made me excited to start buying the Poppy Playtime figures that were hitting toy aisles this Summer. I always love modern 12" scale figures, but it seems that only a few toy licenses ever get that treatment: DC from Spinmaster, Marvel and Power Rangers from Hasbro, and Halo from Jazwares. (Plus the random one-offs like Lightyear from Mattel). But to see a new manufacturer with a new license like PhatMojo with Poppy Playtime is exciting. It's also cool to see a whole new genre (horror/horror gaming) in 12". This figure of Kissy Missy is appealing to me because her long limbs are inexplicably creepy and I love the simple gimmick of a spin-around head with a different facial expression. She is also surprisingly heavy and dense which is a far cry from the hollow plastic you typically see in this scale (and it allows her to stand firmly without fear of toppling over). I never saw this figure in stores, but she was readily available online. Let's check out the 12" Kissy Missy below!

Halo 12" - KELLY-087!

Halo: 12" Figures Wave 4 - Kelly-087 (With Shotgun) - Jazwares 2022

I find the Jazwares Halo line oddly exciting. I say "oddly" because I've never played the games or read any of the comics. In fact, until the recent show on Paramount Plus, I had no reference other than the toys. And the toys are very unlike the rest of my collection; they are militaristic characters with (nearly) genderless armor and not many distinguishing details. These figures look very out of place next to the spandex-clad heroes that populate my toy room, but I'm still obsessed with them. In fact, I got distracted in the middle of typing this to obsessively Google to see if there are any upcoming waves to get a excited about. FYI, there's an Alice-130 in Wave 7 of the 6" Halo line, but unfortunately no news on a Wave 5 in the 12" line. But the last three waves just showed up in stores with zero advance knowledge, so I'm always keeping my eyes peeled. Ross, Five Below, and Go Calendars were surprise first locations of the previous waves, so they could show up anywhere. Let's check out Kelly-087 below!

Lightyear 12" - IZZY HAWTHORNE!

Lightyear - Deluxe 12" Series - Jr. Zap Patrol Izzy Hawthorne - Mattel 2022

My final Lightyear post for this week. Thanks for humoring me as I had a serious backlog and was suddenly inspired by Black History Month to finally open and photograph all these Izzy and Alisha toys. (There will be a Darby post at some point in the future). I mentioned before that the 12" Alisha figure was my favorite of the entire product line. And while this Izzy figure isn't my favorite design, I love that she is the same scale as my favorite Alisha so she's not so lonely in the display. Additonally, there may or may not be a 12" figure of Izzy in her Star Command Space Ranger design coming. It's kind of blanked out on Amazon and Entertainment Earth has her listed with an ever-changing release date. It could easily me a simple swap of this Jr. Zap Patrol head with the Alisha body, but the solicit pics show full Buzz Lightyear wings. I guess time will tell if it ever gets released. In the meantime, I'm very happy to get at least one 12" figure of Izzy in the line (actually there are two.. see below). Let's check out Izzy below!

Lightyear 12" - ALISHA HAWTHORNE!

Lightyear - Deluxe 12" Series - Space Ranger Alpha Alisha - Mattel 2022

One of my favorite tropes of modern character creation is when an established male design is applied to a new female character. The Buzz Lightyear costume debuted in the first Toy Story movie way back in 1995 and is probably the last design I expected to be applied to a female character, but 27 years later we get the movie Lightyear and a ton of characters wearing the classic Space Ranger uniform, including three prominent females. This 12-inch-scale figure of Alisha Hawthorne is my favorite figure of all the Lightyear products. It is well articulated, a perfect likeness of the animation model, and very playable. The downfall was that she was next to impossible to find. Only a few weeks ago (roughly 8 months after the theatrical release) did she seem to show up in wide distribution at places like Walmart and Target. Before that, she only sporadically appeared in places like Kohls. If you're going to add any single Lightyear figure to your collection, this should be the one. Let's check her out below!

Titan Hero Series - SHURI!

Marvel Titan Hero Series - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Shuri - Hasbro 2022

I have my tickets to see Black Panther Friday afternoon and I'm very excited. The sheer number of significant female characters featured in this film is unparalleled in the MCU: Okoye, Aneka, Ramonda, Nakia, Ironheart, Namora, and Shuri all seem like they will have significant screentime. In all honesty, I think that Shuri in this purple tracksuit is probably the least interesting costume I've seen in the previews so far.  In plastic it looks slightly costume-like, but in footage and set photos it appears to just be street wear. Regardless, I'm glad they started off the movie tie-ins with a female Titan Hero Series figure. I only hope that we see a Titan Series figure of her in her final costume from the movie. I can't imagine that we won't. But considering the delayed unveiling of the Funko Pop and Marvel Legends figures, it will probably be a late reveal (and I promise I'll act surprised). I predict we'll see her before end of year. Let's check out the Titan Hero Series Shuri below!

Black Adam 12" - CYCLONE!

Black Adam (Movie) - 12" Action Figure Series - Cyclone - Spin Master 2022

I've said this a thousand times on this blog, but I think modern 12" action figures are amazing. When I hold them in my hand it gives me this childlike sense of wonder that's oddly more palpable than other toys (even figures from arguably more nostalgic properties). A friend once theorized that it's because these are scaled in a way that replicate our once tiny hands playing with our seemingly oversized ThunderCats and He-Man figures at the time. That tactile sense of holding on to a larger figure makes a ton of sense. Lately I've been overwhelmed with new 12" figures: Wakanda Forever, Halo, Power Rangers, and Black Adam all have new figures hitting the shelves right now giving me seven new female figures. Plus my fingers are crossed for sneaky late releases of another Shuri and Isis after the movies are released. Of the Cyclones I've bought to far, this is my favorite.  The colors are bright, the articulation is decent, and the overall playability is just all-around better. Let's check out Cyclone below!

Titan Hero Series - IRONHEART (BOTH VERSIONS)!

Marvel Titan Hero Series - Wakanda Forever - Ironheart (x2) - Hasbro 2022

I have known that there was an Ironheart television series coming out on Disney+ for a couple years now. This character is one of my favorite things to come out of modern Marvel comics so I was pretty excited for this show. But I was completely unaware that she was making her live-action debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever until I saw a blurry leaked photo of this Marvel Titan Heroes Series figure in Wakanda packaging. But this actually makes sense since Shuri was a major character in the second story arc of the Ironheart comic (fingers crossed Silhouette makes a cameo!) But another surprise came when two versions of this figure were released simultaneously. There are some significant differences, but my favorite version is actually a combination of the two so I thought it best to post a joint review to explain my reasonings. I also understand that Riri has at least two additional costumes in this movie so I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of her in the toy aisles. Let's check out Ironheart below!

Titan Hero Heroes - THOR!

Marvel Titan Hero Series - Thor Love and Thunder - Mighty Thor - Hasbro 2022

I saw Thor: Love and Thunder tonight. I won't give any plot details, just a general impression. I wasn't a fan. I feel like it was trying really really hard to be funny and irreverent... every second. But it came off like a 2 hour tiktok video: thirsty, weird energy, and repetitive music. Plus I was shocked at how beloved characters like Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor himself were so oddly written (dare I say annoying?). But there was a lot I did like: The villain, the final climactic scene, and (luckily) everything with Jane Foster was great. I'm really curious to see where the Asgardian storylines will go next. But of course my favorite thing about most comic book movies is the toys they inspire. I saved my review of this Titan Hero Series Mighty Thor because I knew I would want to rant about the movie. That's especially funny since this was the first Love and Thunder product I found (back in April). It's a great addition to my 1:6 collection and finally Valkyrie has a fellow Asgardian on the shelf. Let's check out Thor below!

Halo 12" - SPARTAN PALMER!

Halo: 12" Figures Wave 3 - Spartan Palmer (Dual Magnums) - Jazwares 2021

A couple weeks after I made the surprise discovery of Wave 02 of Jazwares 12" Halo line, I was in a Ross store (seeing if I could spot those Marvel Legends vintage figures everyone seemed to be finding) when I stumbled across Wave 03 featuring Commander Sarah Palmer. Again, this assortment was completely unknown to me. It's great timing too because I just started watching the Halo series on Paramount and I'm obsessed. They took what I thought was a confusing overly-militaristic action genre and made it mysterious, insightful, and intriguing. The gender dynamic is amazing, too. I don't know the actors names, but there are at least five female characters I am in love with. And that's not even including the two female Spartans I've noticed so far. I'm excited to follow this season each week, and it's renewed my interest in the toys I already own. My Halo purchases have always been based solely on aesthetics, but now I have an awesome narrative to back it up. Let's check out Spartan Palmer below!

Halo 12" - SPARTAN VALE!

Halo: 12" Action Figures Wave 2 - Spartan Vale with SMG - Jazwares 2020

I randomly walked into a FiveBelow on a snowy day last month and was elated to discover this 12" Spartan Vale figure. My first thought was that this was my long sought-after 2017 Mattel Vale that took me three years to track down (and begging some favors from international friends). But, no, this was a brand new Jazwares version that had gone completely under my radar. In my local Walmarts and Targets, Series 01 was still warming the shelves and despite my obsessive perusal of toy news sites, I had no idea there would be a Series 02. The interesting thing is that about four weeks after my discovery, this wave started hitting Walmarts full force in my area. But nothing beats walking into an unassuming store and finding a toy you love, but didn't know existed. That is a rare gift in this hobby. These 12" toys are a ton of fun. And surprisingly the smaller companies like Spin Master and Jazwares produce much better ones than the big guys like Hasbro. Let's check out Spartan Vale below!

12" Spin Master - CATWOMAN!

DC Universe - 12" The Batman (Movie) -  Selina Kyle - Spin Master Toys 2022

DC 12" figures are arguably the best on the market. They have better articulation than the Hasbro lines (Marvel, Fortnite, Power Rangers, etc) and they release a lot more figures than the random one or two per movie like the Titan Hero Series. There always seems to be a decent selection of the current DC Spin Master line in the toy aisles with a good mix of comic and movie stylings. I have been waiting for a Catwoman in this line since I bought my first figure (a Mattel Wonder Woman back in 2016), but it took until 2022 to finally get one. And although I highly enjoyed The Batman and Zoë Kravitz's interpretation of Selina, I still want a masked Catwoman figure in the scale - either movie or comic based, I'm not too picky. This version, although quite stunning, doesn't scream "Catwoman" to me. Without a mask or whip, she blends in with the plethora of black catsuited femme fatales like Emma Peel, Eva Kant, or even Selene from Underworld. In short, I'm super glad to have this lovely figure, but now I want one with ears!

Marvel Titan Hero Series - SCARLET WITCH!

Marvel Titan Hero Series - Doctor Strange & Scarlet Witch - Hasbro 2021

This Titan Hero Series figure was the first toy I bought from the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness product line. I'm excited about all the various rumors connected to this movie. I imagine that exposing a variety of alternate universes is the perfect way to bring together the best characters and stories for future MCU films. My imagination is running wild, but I'll save speculation until May when it hits theatres. The Titan Hero Series is often the first movie product to hit the shelves, but usually only a couple characters from each movie are included, so I get pretty excited when a female character gets one of the slots. I'm thankful that Wanda's Multiverse look appears so similar to her WandaVision costume so we don't have to buy two. This is also the first time I noticed that Hasbro now uses the Photo Real face printing process on 12" figures. You can tell because all of Elizabeth Olsen's beauty marks are represented on this toy *a level of detail not usually seen in this line). Let's check her out below!

Titan Hero Series - SERSI!

Marvel Titan Hero Series - MCU The Eternals - Marvel's Sersi - Hasbro 2021

I recently moved houses and I'm in the exciting stage of setting up a new collection room. One portion of my action figure collection that I've never given fair treatment was my modern 12" ladies. When I set up my last room seven years ago, there were no females in the Titan Hero Series (Black Widow came out in 2016), but flash forward to present and suddenly I have over 45 figures in a scale I was unprepared for. In my last room they were crammed unceremoniously onto two deep windowsills. But this time I will show them some respect with a proper shelf. The most recent addition to my collection is this amazing Sersi from The Eternals movie. I'm impressed with how the actor likenesses for the MCU figures keep getting better and better. It makes the older ones looks pretty primitive in comparison. I really enjoy this scale and always look forward to buying more. Fingers crossed for an America Chavez from the Dr. Strange movie or some WandaVision figures in 2022. Let's check out Sersi below!