Marvel Universe AURORA!

Alpha Flight's Aurora - Marvel Universe Series 05: No. 27 - Hasbro 2013

Alpha Flight is one of my favorite superhero team books of all time.  It's definitely the oldest of the list.  Sure, old X-Men and Avengers books were great, but I personally feel that they didn't age well.  When I read them now, I get bored.  The first few years of Alpha Flight, however, are timeless.  Aurora is Jeanne-Marie Beaubier, the twin sister of Northstar.  The twins are mutants that have superhuman speed and flight powers.  When together, they can also join hands and release a powerful energy burst.  Aurora was notable for having multiple personalities as a result of a traumatic childhood.  One personality was painfully shy and reserved, while the second was provocative and outgoing.  This made for some interesting storylines.  Hasbro's Marvel Universe line seems to be making a serious effort toward team-building.  Aurora shared a slot with her brother, making them the third and fourth Alpha Flight members in the line.  There are a lot more to go, but I think this is a great start.  Let's check out Aurora below!

Kotobukiya ArtFx+ CATWOMAN Statue!

DC Comics New 52 ArtFx+ Catwoman Fully-Painted 1:10 Statue - Kotobukiya 2013

I'm loving the massive selection of statues being released in recent years.  It seems that just 10 short years ago you would be lucky to see a single heroine statue in a year.  But now you have to pick and choose because no collector is going to have the budget needed to be a completist.  Between Cover Girls, Bombshells, Bishoujo, Arkham City, Batman Black & White, Ame-Comi, Art of War, Mini-Busts, and many more, we are just inundated with fantastic high-end collectibles.  This Catwoman is my first piece from Kotobukiya's ArtFx line.   She is 7.5" tall, beautifully sculpted, composed of a dense PVC, and very reasonably priced.  The entire line has a slight "anime" design to the faces, but overall they have a very classic comic-styled look.  To be honest, I wasn't really planning on getting this figure until I saw the solicitation for this Summer's Batgirl figure.  Now I'm just banking on a future Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy release to round out this new collection of mine.  Let's check Catwoman out below!

Monsters University SORORITY PACK Imaginext!

Disney Pixar's Monsters University Sorority Girls - Imaginext - Fisher-Price 2013

Imaginext girls are pretty rare.  I can only think of six off the top of my head (plus the upcoming Poison Ivy).  That's why I was surprised I allowed myself to overlook this 3-Pack of ladies released for the 2013 Disney/Pixar movie Monsters University.  The pack is essentially comprised of extras from the movie.  I don't think any of the characters have speaking lines (at least notable ones), but they are very recognizable monsters from the film.  It took a bit of research to uncover their names, but luckily the internet is full of Disney wikis so all it took was a bit of patience to find them.  While they don't exactly fit in with my superhero Imaginexts, they are still colorful quirky additions to my collection.  Hopefully they will throw some interesting females into future blindbag waves that can serve as a link between these super-cartoony designs and the less-comical looking DC figures.  I found this MU pack on clearance at my local grocery store and I'm ecstatic about the purchase.  Let's check them out!

Blackest Night's Star Sapphire WONDER WOMAN!

Blackest Night: Series 06 - Star Sapphire Wonder Woman - DC Direct 2010

Character variations are a lot of fun.  I'm willing to bet that toy designers are so frustrated with the high quotas of top-tier characters required to anchor waves, that when one of those characters makes an appearance in an outlandish but cool costume, they just jump at the chance to spice things up in the sculpting studio.  DC Comics' Blackest Night storyline from 2009-2010 provided tons of variations like this.  The story was centered on Green Lantern and unveiled the entire spectrum of other Lanterns in the universe (each conforming to an emotion or theme).  At one point or another in the storyline, most of the DC heroes we know and love became a lantern (of some color).  After Wonder Woman's spooky tryst with the Black Lanterns, she donned a Violet power ring and became the hero we see here.  Although "Star Sapphire" historically seemed to be tied to the Green Lantern villain, I suppose it's more of a fluid title or rank to be applied to anyone with a Violet power ring.  Let's check out this pink-hued Diana below!

The Girls of DISNEY FAIRIES!

Tinkerbell, Silvermist, Rosetta, and Periwinkle - Jakks Pacific 2013

About a year ago I found myself lamenting that there wasn't a good Tinkerbell figure out there.  It seems like a no-brainer for a company like Figma to produce a collector figure of one of the most iconic Disney characters of all time.  Of course, this made me start researching all existing Tinks.  It was overwhelming how many modern dolls have been released in the in the past few years due to the popular Disney Fairies movie franchise.  Unfortunately for me, 99% of these toys have rooted hair and/or cloth outfits (which regular readers will know I avoid like the plague).   Luckily, however, there is that small 1% out there that has sculpted hair and clothing.   They aren't the super-articulated figures that I hope for someday, but Jakks Pacific does a great job with these little action figure/doll hybrids.  In the meantime, they're a fun addition to my small girly collection (which I keep hidden in a large wooden box with a fancy lock so no one will judge me).  Let's check out these sculpted-hair ladies below!

Star Wars: The Black Series - PRINCESS LEIA!

Star Wars: The Black Series #05 - Princess Leia (Slave Outfit) - Hasbro 2013

Princess Leia is the Queen of Geekdom.  I personally was a fan from the moment she first she mocked Luke on screen, but for the moviegoers who might have been withholding their adoration, the moment she emerged in her infamous Frazetta-styled metal bikini as a slave in Jabba's lair hooked the rest of the world.  The bikini even has its own wikipedia page.  Despite her high status in geek culture and my own love of her, it's pretty surprising that this is my first Leia action figure ever (not counting a few Galactic Heroes I found in a dollar bin).  I guess I was holding out for the best... and honestly I think that was a great decision.  This figure is beautiful.  I'm not a fan of the sloppy cloth skirt or the too-stiff chain and ponytail, but overall those really aren't big detractors.  I'm excited for the future of this line.  Hopefully we see many more figures in this scale and level of detail, but knowing this franchise, any more females will be far far away....  Let's check out Leia below!

DC Collectibles New 52 HARLEY QUINN!

DC Comics: The New 52 - Suicide Squad - DC Collectibles 2014
 
I'm pining for the classic Harley Costume so much lately.  All the videogame and comic redesigns are leaving me dizzy.  Hopefully the new comic wins me over because I'm finding myself more and more distanced from one of my favorite characters.  In spite of my disenchantment with the "new Harley", I was greatly anticipating this action figure.  Where in the various video game incarnations of Harley had blonde ponytails that were tipped in her signature red and black (a style I always disliked), I actually find myself liking the solid color dye of this version.  The clown collar is an interesting addition, as is the substitution of blue for black.  The thigh-high schoolgirl socks are kind of silly and the lace-up top lined with little daggers just seems awkward.  But silly and awkward?  I must confess that kind of suits Harley.  Overall I think this is a very fine action figure.  She's colorful, beautifully sculpted (by the talented Jack Matthews), and well articulated.  She's a fantastic addition for any Harley Quinn collection.

Lego Flashlight CATWOMAN Keychain!

DC Super Heroes LEGO Keychain LED Lite - Santoki LLC 2013
 
There's nothing I love more than stumbling across a surprise product in an unexpected place.  A few weeks ago I went to my local science museum to see the Pompeii exhibit and was wasting time in the gift shop before my IMAX show (playing with the Kinetic Sand on display) when I saw this little beauty hanging on a peg.  I've seen these oversized LEGO keychains in the checkout line of Toys R Us for years (among other places), but they were always just generic LEGO guys or Chima.. with the occasional SuperBats in the mix.  This 3" tall LEGO Catwoman is an exact replica of the regular 1.5" version down to every little detail.  The only difference is that she does not have the alternate pair of eyes on the back of her head.  (She also has no whip or diamond accessories if you were wondering).  The helmet is a separate piece of plastic, but is hindered from being removed by the keychain mechanism.  The LED light shines from her feet and is activated by pressing the square plate on her torso.  Here's hoping for more superheroines in this line!  Harley!  Ivy!  Batgirl!  (My backpack is gonna be sooooo cool!)