Court of the Dead - GALLEVARBE (NAGA)!

Court of the Dead Wave 2 - Gallevarbe (Eyes of the Queen) - BossFightStudio 2024

I'm taking a leap of logic and labeling this version of Gallevarbe as a Naga. I base this purely on the lack of a final fluke fin on her tail and the sculpted reptilian scales on her shoulders. On the flip side, her written description and water effect accessory makes me think she might be another aquatic form like her Death's Siren figure. Either way, I'm mentally making making a Mermaid/Naga distinction in my head. This Eyes of the Queen version of Gallevarbe actually looks better than the Death's Siren version (in my humble opinion). Something about the color gradients and the headsculpt just appeal to me more than the mermaid form (which really surprises me as a mermaid loyalist). Plus they both have a sinister creepy vibe which made them perfect for October. I'm also curious to put the BFS parts-swapping intent to the test with these figures. I might just combine all my favorite parts into my ultimate sea witch. I'll add pics if I do. Let's check out Gallevarbe, Eyes of the Queen, below!

Court of the Dead - GALLEVARBE (DEATH'S SIREN)!

Court of the Dead Wave 2 - Gallevarbe (Death's Siren) -Boss Fight Studio 2024

This figure was a rough one for me. Overall I love it. But I am super squeamish about gory or zombie-like toys. It's a completely ridiculous mental thing. But after I hold a Walking Dead action figure or any superhero "blood-splattered variant", I feel odd and immediately feel compelled to wash my hands. On the other hand, I love mermaids. Especially if they're evil. Reading Mermaid Forest back in the early 90s was a formative event for me and happy pretty mermaids have played second fiddle to the wicked ones ever since. Luckily, the gory/decaying parts of this toy are a rich pink color against the dark green of her tail, so my brain registers it more as a natural skin pattern rather than open wounds. This Gallevarbe character can change shape and was given two pretty awesome figures in Wave 2: This Death's Siren mermaid figure, and the Eyes of the Queen naga figure I will be reviewing next. I'm hoping for a larger mermaid in the new 1:12 line next. Let's check out Death's Siren below!

Willow - PRINCESS SORSHA!

ReAction Action Figures - Willow (1988 Film) - Sorsha Tanthalos - Super7 2023

There's something I love about a Princess character that bucks the stereotype - especially when she picks up a sword and becomes a warrior. This isn't a rare theme anymore, but I always appreciate it. Osamu Tezuka's Sapphire from Princess Knight and Eowyn from Lord of the Rings come to mind (although Eowyn is technically just a noblewoman). But Sorsha is a classic example. Princess Sorsha is the daughter of the primary villain, Queen Bavmorda in the 1998 George Lucas and Ron Howard fantasy, Willow. Sorsha initially mimicks her mother's ruthless and cold outlook, but has a change of heart as she meets our heroes (and eventually falls for the mercenary swordsman, Madmartigan). She ended up being the savior of the infant Elora Danon, who she was originally hunting at her mother's command. Her character was further developed in the Chronicles of the Shadow War novel trilogy (by Chris Claremont) and in the 2022 Willow TV Series on Disney. Let's check her out below!

Willow - QUEEN BAVMORDA!

ReAction Action Figures - Willow (1988 Film) - Queen Bavmorda - Super7 2022

Willow (1988) is a classic fantasy movie by George Lucas and Ron Howard. It took years to develop and evolved quite a bit, but it's an oft-spoken piece of trivia that Lucas approached Warwick Davis about the movie when David was just 12 years old and filming Return of the Jedi as Wicket. I saw Willow when I was a kid, and honestly I  found it confusing. But I've been exposed to it again as an adult (by some rabid fans, and I even briefly knew a cat named Elora Danon) and I have come to really appreciate it. It has some classic story homages, like The Hobbit with an unlikely diminutive hero going on a grand adventure, or the story of Moses where a young child with a predestined path washes up on the banks of a river. Or my favorite, Snow White, where an evil queen hears a prophecy that a young girl will usurp her power. That insecure evil queen is the iconic Bavmorda of Nockmaar played by Jean Marsh. To me, she was always the standout of the film, but I am always partial to a wicked sorceress.

Labyrinth - SARAH!

Labyrinth Retro Style Action Figures - Wave 1 - Sarah - Plastic Meatball 2023

Few movies bring me as much joy as Jim Henson's Labyrinth does. The first few times I saw it in the eighties, it actually quite scared me. But in high school I had an art teacher who loved the movie and his adoration was contagious. I swear it was always playing on the TV in the background and I am now a fan for life. It's surprising how sparsely Labyrinth has been merchandised considering its cast of iconic colorful characters. I have all the Funko Pops from 2016 and the Neca and McFarlane Jareth figures. The only modern collectibles I don't own are the ones from Weta Workshop. But even at this early stage, I'm most excited for these 3.75" figures from Plastic Meatball. The first wave had the expected assortment of Jareth, Sarah, and Hoggle. But the sneak peeks at the second wave show Sir Didymus and Ambrosius, which to me signifies a commitment to giving us a more complete cast. I can't wait to see who is next. Ludo and a few random goblins are my most wanted. Fingers crossed!

The Princess Bride - PRINCESS BUTTERCUP!

ReAction Action Figures - The Princess Bride - Princess Buttercup - Super7 2023

I'm loving the recent trend of merchandizing the major 80s fantasy/fairytale movies that were such an instrumental part of my childhood. In a few short months last year I picked up figures for Willow, Labyrinth, and The Princess Bride. And, despite not even being from the same toy company, they were all produced in the retro 3.75" Kenner style so they display perfectly together. The wave of nostalgia was palpable. I'm hoping the trend continues with the likes of Legend, Ladyhawke, or The NeverEnding Story. Few movies have such visually iconic characters as The Princess Bride, despite not being a particularly "costumey" movie. Aside from Westley's mask, all the costumes could easily fit into any generic medieval or storybook setting. But when you put those characters side by side, they are absolutely iconic. And thankfully Super7 put out the main five characters in one wave instead of making us wait. I would love more characters, but perfectly happy with just these. Let's check out Princess Buttercup below!

Dungeons & Dragons - DORIC!

Dungeons & Dragons - Golden Archive Series - Doric (Tiefling Druid) - Hasbro 2023

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was such a surprising movie to me. It managed to satisfy the the diehard fans as well and the unindoctrinated. I personally fall between the two extremes, so I knew enough to notice a ton of Easter eggs, but not so critical of an eye to get annoyed at any inaccuracies. My favorite character was Doric (played by Sophia Lillis who I loved in It (2017)). Doric is a Tiefling Druid with wild change abilities that enable her to take the form a variety of creatures. This is the source of the largest fan gripe about the movie - her ability to transform into an Owlbear. The Owlbears are monstrosities (unnatural creatures) that she should not be able to turn into. But for the sake of cinematic impact, they had her doing this quite often. (Explained away by her theory that Owlbears are mislabeled as monstrosities and actually natural creatures). The toyline for the D&D movie is pretty fun, but the facial likenesses all seem a tad off to me. I still bought several though. Let's check out Doric below!

D&D Mini-Mates - SHEILA & DIANA!

Dungeons & Dragons: The Animated Series - Set 1: Heroes - Diamond Select 2023

As the releases of Diamond Select's Marvel Minimates line has slowed in recent years (due to sheer character exhaustion imo), I'm so happy to see so many other popular licenses now getting the Minimate treatment.  It started with the ThunderCats way back in 2012. But since then it's been a growing roster of classic properties like Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, G.I.Joe, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Transformers. But my favorite of the non-Marvel properties has easily been the Dungeons & Dragons Animated Series set(s). This cartoon was an iconic, but underrated and under-merchandized staple of 80s animation. Due to the 2023 live-action D&D movie, there was a burst of popularity for the vintage show which gave us the first real action figures for these amazing characters. Between the Iron Studios statues, the Hasbro action figures, and these Minimates, I am extremely happy. Now the DST Venger statue opened the door for even more. Let's check out the D&D minimates below!

Mythic Legions - ILLYTHIA!

Mythic Legions - Illythia's Brood - Illythia (Deluxe) - Four Horsemen 2022

When I think of great toys to post reviews for leading up to Halloween, my mind instantly goes to the Mythic Legions line by Four Horsemen Studios. Sure, there are a lot of knights and vikings in the mix. But the standout figures for me are the creepy characters: mainly the vampires, demons, orcs, and skeletons. It's so rare to get a female figure like this that's not a bikini'd swimsuit model with fangs. And, yes, I'm aware that some of the Mythic Legions ladies have been exactly that. But most of them are well thought-out, strong-looking characters with amazing detail. And Illythia is a prime example. I don't pay attention to the overall mythos of Mythic Legions, but considering this Illythia character has a whole faction named after her (Illythia's Brood), I assume she's a pretty big deal. When I ordered her, I assumed the extra arms implied some spider-like qualities, but in person, it seems more of a demonic aesthetic. Either way, it's great for Halloween week. Let's check out the deluxe Illythia below!

Percy Jackson - MEDUSA!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief - Medusa - Jazwares 2010

The Percy Jackson films were a hard pill to swallow. My coworker was a big fan of the books and insisted I give them a shot. I listened to the first 3 or 4 on audiobook before I heard the news that it would be hitting the big screen. I was genuinely excited for what I assumed would be the next Harry Potter. I was even already a fan of Logan Lerman from his role in Jack and Bobby (a highly underrated show IMO). But I sat there in the theatre baffled by the interpretation I was seeing. Everything was just off. And cheesy. I can't pinpoint any one thing that was wrong, but my disappointment was palpable. I disconnected from the franchise and never even acknowledged the toys until I stumbled across Medusa this Summer. I was impressed at the quality of her sculpt and I always love a gorgon. She doesn't look much like Uma Thurman, but I always have low likeness expectations at this scale. Looking forward to the new show in 2023 and hopefully some new toys. Let's check out Medusa below!

Legend of Vox Machina - KEYLETH!

Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina - Keyleth - McFarlane Toys 2022

I love a good fantasy figure. I've never been into playing Dungeons & Dragons or reading Dragonlance books like all my gradeschool friends, but the fantasy genre still grabs my attention like few others can. This is especially true where there is a heavy nature-inspired aesthetic. I first became of The Legend of Vox Machina via the animated series on Amazon. I can admit it took me a while to get used to the crude R-rated dialogue (not because I was being a prude necessarily, but rather because it seemed too modern for the fantasy setting). But while I was acclimating myself to all the lockerroom talk, the one thing that kept me binging was the character design... and Keyleth was my favorite of them all. Keyleth is a half-elven druid (played by Marisha Rey in both Critical Role as well as The Legend of Vox Machina). She is decked out in green woodland warrior garb with antlers and a magical staff. She is pretty much the epitome of everything I love about fantasy. Let's check out Keyleth below!

League of Legends - ASHE!

League of Legends - Champion Collection - Ashe - SpinMaster Toys 2022

I love a good surprise figure. I hadn't seen any information on new League of Legends products in almost a year. In fact, I believe I've only ever seen three figures in this 6" Champion Collection so far (and they have been busy shelfwarming all the Targets in my area since last Fall). The figures looked cool, but without momentum and character variety, a line won't last long in the competitive action figure market, and I assumed the line was done. But Spin Master toys is notorious for releasing toys with no advanced warning. So a couple weeks ago a connection on Instagram casually mentioned this Ashe the Frost Archer figure. She was hidden in a multi-product Amazon listing with those first three figures from last year. An old listing, but now with a new fourth product offering. I had her in hand a few days later and I'm kind of obsessed. I don't know anything about League of Legends or Ashe herself, but I love a well-designed fantasy figure, and Ashe definitely fits the bill. Let's check her out below!

Legend of Vox Machina - VEX'AHLIA!

Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina - Vex'Ahlia - McFarlane Toys 2022

I love fantasy genres so much. I especially love the common trope of female elven archers. I watched the Amazon animated series The Legend of Vox Machina when it was released back in February. I had been looking forward to it because I follow Phil Bourassa and I was seeing his advance character designs for a while. The show is very different than I expected. The dialogue is very R-rated and crass (which I don't mind, but it honestly takes me out of the fantasy genre) but I still enjoyed the show and I'm excited for season two. I didn't realize the show's origins until recently. There is a live-action Dungeons & Dragons webseries called Critical Role where voice actors play out long-running campaigns. This animated series is the result of a Kickstarter to develop this show into an animated series. The toys were unexpected and very fast to market and I'm glad the elven archer Vex'Ahlia was one of the first characters released. She's gorgeous and exudes attitude. Let's check her out below!

Mythic Legions - XARRIA!

Mythic Legions: Advent of Decay - Lesser Demon Xarria - Four Horsemen 2018

I still have an insane number of unopened Mythic Legions figures from the 2018 Advent of Decay Kickstarter. I realize now that when I buy a ton of figures all at once, I quickly get overwhelmed and end up putting them all in storage. But in the case of these Mythic Legions ladies, I now think it's kind of nice that I review a new one every few months and really give each figure its proper focus. Right from the very beginning this Xarria figure was one of my most anticipated characters from the line. She looks like the Lord of Darkness from Legend and she also reminds me of the cancelled red devil lady from Gothitropolis line (that I'm still pretty sore about). Considering how often we see devil lady imagery on mudflaps, air fresheners, and tattoos, there is a surprising lack of toys with this design. Beyond a handful Purgatoris, I can't think of any. But that doesn't really matter because this Xarria figure is devil-lady perfection. She has the perfect combination of strong, sexy, and sinister. Let's check her out below!

Mythic Legions - XYLONA!

Mythic Legions: Advent of Decay - The Legendary Xylona - Four Horsemen 2018

Of all the action figures in my collection, I think this Mythic Legions Xylona figure may possibly be the most unique. I go through phases where I love her, and others when she irks me. While her body is a standard female buck (although dressed in a leafy/foliage design) paired with the hoofed legs that we've seen on several creature figures, it's her head and neck that draws all the attention. She is a adorned with a large nondescript cervid head, which is turn is crowned with a massive set of antlers. They're so high that they add 50% to her height (I measured). The proportions are inhuman and are part of the reason I find her unsettling. Normal human proportions tend to place a vertical midpoint at the waist, but the midpoint of Xylona is her chest. When I imagine her at my scale, I think she's terrifying my eyes don't know where to go. That said, she is magnificent, utterly original, and perfect for the fantasy Mythic Legions line. I'm extremely curious to see this mold repurposed too. Let's check out Xylona below!

Mythic Legions - LUCRETIA!

Mythic Legions: Advent of Decay - Lucretia (Illythias Brood) - Four Horsemen 2018

I love vampire lore. It's pretty rare when there is a vampire story on television, on the silver screen, or in books that I don't appreciate on some level. I like everything from the scary and monstrous to the eye-rolling and romantic. And female vampires get even more love from me, but they are predictably much less prevalent. Up until this Mythic Legions Lucretia figure, I don't think I had ever seen a female vampire in the style of Count Orlok (from Nosferatu 1922); a more demonic, inhuman looking design. Females are usually vampy, goth, gorgeous, and ultimately human-looking which I certainly don't mind, but I never realized how awesome a demonic-bat character could look. She's quite possibly the most wicked-looking figure in my collection. And just imagine how epic she could look with white demon/dragon wings! I'm becoming very obsessed with these Mythic Legions figures. I still can't believe it took a quarantine to finally convince me to crack them open. (Sooooo many more to go). Let's check out Lucretia!

Funko ReAction - The Dark Crystal AUGHRA & KIRA!

ReAction: The Dark Crystal - Aughra and Kira (Retail) - Super7/Funko 2016

Sorry for the lack of posts lately! I had a very busy and festive Christmas/New Year's season including two separate houseguests staying with me and filling the whole time in-between. One thing I did manage to achieve in that time though was getting my toy room completely in order before a home reappraisal inspection a few days ago. It feels really good to be so organized. But now I have a lot of backed-up posts to write. I probably won't get to to my 2016 year-end review for months at this rate! This retail wave of Funko's Dark Crystal ReAction series is perfect. They are pretty much the exact toys I've been fantasizing about for decades. I really hope that Super7 continues this momentum with the Henson brands. I would love some podlings, urSkeks, more Mystics and Skeksis, and of course a Build-a-Figure Orrery. There is almost endless potential. But in the meantime, this current roster is extremely satisfying. Let's check out Kira, Aughra, and all the rest of the inhabitants of Thra below!

Warcraft Mini figures - GARONA!

Warcraft (Movie) - Mini Figure 2-Pack: Lothar & Garona - Jakks Pacific 2016

Warcraft is a property that I know next to nothing about. My gamer friends have been obsessed for decades, but the whole thing always just seemed too overwhelming for me. One aspect that has grabbed my attention however is the cool character design and toys. Many toy companies have made Warcraft figures over the years including SOTA, Blizzard, and Toycom. But DC Direct's sub-company DC Unlimited really knocked it out of the park with 9 waves of action figures between 2009-2012.. including nine very cool looking females characters. I never bought any other these due to the size, cost, and staction-like poses, but I was always impressed by the diversity of fantasy archetypes and cool designs. I'm also a sucker for differently-hued skintones and the Warcraft ladies come in all sorts: purple, blue, green, red... you name it. Jakks Pacific has the license for the upcoming Warcraft movie and I was super excited to see this unexpected 2.5" line featuring Garona, the Green-skinned orc/human.

Kre-O Dungeons & Dragons - VANSI the Orc!

Dungeons & Dragons KRE-O - Kreon Warriors Collection 1 - Hasbro 2014

Kre-O keeps rolling out some pretty cool products.  I still haven't fully absorbed all the Transformers and G.I.Joe Kreon reveals from ToyFair last week.  Overall, I only have a handful of Kreons in my collection so far with a handful more on the horizon, but I see so much potential in the series. Dungeons & Dragons is the sixth Kre-O series and is off to a good start.  In TRU today, I saw several large building sets, the first series of blind bag army builders, and several "Kreon Warriors" packs like the figure I'm reviewing today.  D&D strikes me as a property with a huge pool of great characters to draw from.  There is an entire untapped fantasy world waiting to be made into plastic.  As far as I can tell, this character Vansi is the only female in the line so far.  I haven't taken a good look at all the building sets yet, but I'm pretty sure she's a loner for now.  Hopefully there will be more in the future.  I would love some elves, sorcerers, and barbarians.  I'll be keeping my eyes peeled.  In the meantime, let's take a closer look at Vansi!