Marvel Select - THE WASP!

Marvel Select - Ant-Man and the Wasp: The Wasp - Diamond Select Toys 2019

This year is set to be a record-breaking year for female figures in the Marvel Select line. Between now and June we should have a Captain Marvel, Psylocke, and Rogue in addition to this terrific Wasp. Up until now, the most females we've seen in a single year has been three (in 2005 & 2017). And considering the 17-year run of the line, 6 years had no females, and 7 had only one. So having four figures in the first six months is a great sign. It's also pretty amazing how far the quality of these figures has come. Back in the day they tended to be fairly pre-posed with limited (and often awkward) articulation. But now they are right up there (and sometimes better than) Hasbro's Marvel Legends. This Wasp figure is great. The Legends figure was pretty terrific so I wasn't particularly eager for another. But in all honesty, I like this second one better. The wings are nicer, the body seems more cinematic, and I love how smooth the ribcage articulation is (it makes for really dynamic poses). Let's check her out below!

Ant-Man & the Wasp Marvel Legends - WASP!

Avengers Infinity War: Wave 2 (Cull Obsidian BAF) - Wasp - Hasbro 2018

I was already really looking forward to Ant-Man and the Wasp in July, but something about this figure launched my excitement to a whole new level. The Wasp I am familiar with is Janet Van Dyne, the original Avenger who will be portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer in this movie. The Wasp played by Evangeline Lilly in the movie is Janet's daughter, Hope Van Dyne (her father is Hank Pym / Michael Douglas). Hope was originally introduced in the MC2 comic universe (where we were introduced to Spider-Girl (Mayday), Stinger, American Dream, Wild Thing, etc). She was a villain known as the Red Queen who was the nemesis of Stinger (Cassie Lang) - who is coincidentally a young character in the movie played by Abby Ryder Fortson. I doubt these characters will have the same dynamics as portrayed in the comics over the years, but I'm curious to see how they all fit into the MCU. This Marvel Legends figure gives me the first really detailed look at the costume and I think it's amazing. Let's check her out below!

Ant-Man and the Wasp Titan Hero Series - WASP!

Marvel Titan Hero Series 12" - Ant-Man and the Wasp - Hasbro 2018

I'm very excited for the Ant-Man and the Wasp movie. When the first Avengers movie came out back in 2012 (seems so much longer ago), I was dumbfounded that they substituted Black Widow for the Wasp. Although Black Widow has proven herself to be a power player in the films, in my mind she will first and foremost be a solo espionage artist. I found myself constantly trying to explain to all my non-nerdy friends how the Wasp and Ant-Man were part of the original Avengers and how cool they would have been on the team. Well it's taken six years, but we're finally going to see the two on screen together, and hopefully by 2019 they'll be fully integrated into the next Avengers film. I'm really loving the Marvel Titan Hero line. They've really be incorporating some fantastic female characters into the lineup. So far this year we've got Spider-Girl, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, and now the Wasp. In the future I'm guessing we'll see a MCU Gamora and Nebula as well as an animated Spider-Gwen. Let's check out the Wasp below!

The Hobbit's New Leading Lady: TAURIEL!

Two Versions of the New Elven Warrior from Bridge Direct, Inc 2012

Oooh I love a good scandal.  It's even better when it's a nerdy scandal.  Some people view the works of Tolkien to be untouchable; subjecting them to the highest levels of scrutiny and smiling smugly as the books emerge unscathed every time.  There was a mild uproar earlier this year when news broke that Evangeline Lilly was cast a "new elven character" in the upcoming The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey film. Who needs new characters in a perfect story, right?  One of the many rumors floating around was that she was added to balance out the lack of female characters in the story.  Which I could definitely see a need for.  I was secretly thrilled at her casting.. especially since she looks like she could be a sister or cousin to Liv Tyler who now epitomizes the Middle-Earth elf look for most of geek culture.  At the same time, I completely understand how adding random characters to a classic story could seriously mess things up.