World of Nintendo - DIXIE KONG!

World of Nintendo (2.5") - Series 1-5 - Jakks Pacific 2015

The Donkey Kong Country game series came out in 1994 and totally revitalized the Donkey Kong Franchise.  The original Donkey Kong was meant to be the flagship Nintendo character, but was quickly overshadowed by his nemesis Jumpman (aka Mario).  Donkey Kong was one of those weird games (like Zelda) where the titular character was a non-playable focal point of the game.  The Donkey Kong Country series changed all that.  Suddenly there were multiple ape and monkey characters to play.  And finally they were protagonists (against crocodiles or the Tikis).  Donkey Kong Country 2 introduced the first playable female character, Dixie Kong.  Like most female characters in games and comics, her skills made her one of the best characters to play (she whipped her ponytail around like a helicopter to knock out enemies).  Add her to the ranks of Princess Peach, Storm, Marge Simpson, Orchid, and Chun-Li as the most kickass characters to play in their respective games.  Let's check out Dixie below!

World of Nintendo - PRINCESS PEACH (2.5")!

World of Nintendo (2.5") - Series 1-6 - Jakks Pacific 2015

Princess Peach started out as a stereotypical damsel in distress. Her pixelated early incarnation (as Princess Toadstool) was the objective of the original NES Super Mario Brothers game. As you defeat King Koopa in the final castle, an unanimated blob of a princess congratulates you and tells you to play the whole game again (the most anticlimactic ending ever!) From those inauspicious beginnings, she has overcome the odds and become a formidable playable character, and even the star of her own game (Super Princess Peach 2006). I love when characters evolve with the times. This 2.5" figure was a surprise to me when I found her in Target this week. I had just picked up the 4" version at TRU the week before and had no idea this smaller one was on the horizon. Jakks Pacific doesn't seem to have the same pre-release fanfare that Mattel and Hasbro drum up, so I'm often unaware of the products before I'm holding them in my hands (which I secretly find thrilling). Let's check out Peach below!

World of Nintendo - PRINCESS PEACH (4")!

World of Nintendo (4") - Series 1-3 - Jakks Pacific 2015

The World of Nintendo series from Jakks Pacific is really picking up speed. I feel like every time I go into Target, Walmart, Toys R' Us, or Walgreens, I see a new figure I didn't know existed. In fact, in researching this Princess Peach (ie.. trying to determine her series number and release date), I discovered three more figures I will now be hunting for.  Princess Peach is the most recognizable of the Nintendo ladies, so she understandably gets the frontrunner status in this line. She already has two versions (next one being reviewed tomorrow), so hopefully that is a good indicator that we will see Daisy, Rosalina, Zelda, Toadette, and others on the shelves before too long. Although what I'm really hoping for is an 8-bit Princess Toadstool to go with my 8-bit Mario, Luigi, Link, and Donkey Kong (Also, my better half gave me permission to display the 8-bits around the house..not just in the toy room.. that's a total first!)  This is such a cool line. Let's check out Princess Peach below!

Batman: Arkham Knight - CATWOMAN!

Batman: Arkham Knight - #7 - Catwoman - DC Collectibles 2015

The Arkham series of video games has given us quite a few great action figures over the years. Surprisingly though, this is only the second DCC Catwoman to come out (Harley has six if you include the repaints). I feel like the Harleys have been getting better and better, but while this Catwoman is a distinct improvement over the Arkham City figure, it still pales in comparison to recent Comic versions. The digital design from the game gives Selina a long lanky body which looks great during gameplay but looks awkwardly stretched out in toy form. This is not a bad toy by any means, I just had high hopes after the recent Arkham Knight Harley and Arkham Origins Dr. Quinzel exceeded my expectations. Another pitfall of this specific figure is inconsistent and sloppy eye paint. Some of the figures I saw had pink eyes (where the white should be) and others, like mine, had heavy lower eyeliner, but very light eyeliner on top. It was an easy fix for me, but a disappointment overall.  Let's check out Catwoman below!

Batman Dorbz Series 1 - POISON IVY!

Batman Dorbz - Series 01 #32 - Poison Ivy - Vinyl Sugar / Funko 2015

Poison Ivy is the Batman character that has grown on me the most over the years. When I first started reading Batman comics in the 1980s, I found her kind of annoying and boring. In retrospect though, I think her character was just not well fleshed-out yet. In fact, I did some investigating and I count only 17 comic appearances that entire decade (in the 1990s she had about 80, and it's been escalating ever since). I credit a huge part of her character development to her roles in Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures (and even more mainstream recognition through Uma Thurman's portrayal of her in Batman & Robin). Now she's an A-List villain with a role in every video game, cartoon, and toy line. I love how we all now know her as a complex, disturbed, ruthless character, but we still empathize with her flora-vs-fauna fanaticism. She's quickly become one of my favorites. Plus I'm really excited for her solo mini-seires this January. Let's check out the Poison Ivy Dorbz below!

Batman Dorbz Series 1 - CATWOMAN!

Batman Dorbz - Series 01 #31 - Catwoman - Vinyl Sugar / Funko 2015

I'm totally smitten over the Funko/Vinyl Sugar Dorbz line.  I was a little iffy when I fist saw them at Toy Fair earlier this year.  Sure, they were cute, but I didn't know the price point and wasn't sure if I wanted to take the plunge into a new collectible line.  But once I saw the first wave hit the stores this Summer, I knew I would be in trouble.  The one saving grace for my wallet and my shelfspace is that I don't know how diverse the line will be.  My main four favorite DC characters are already out and I seriously doubt the second-tier players like Huntress and Batwoman are on the agenda.  Still, I'm very happy with the selection so far and I'm excited to see what the future holds for this line.  I think at the very least we'll see a few more Catwoman variants: Batman '66, Classic purple, etc.  I'm glad they started with the modern comic version though, she tends to get left out a lot.  The same treatment could also be applied to Harley and Batgirl.  Only time will tell.  Let's check out the new Dorbz Catwoman below!

WWE Elite Collection - STEPHANIE McMAHON!

WWE Elite Collection: Series 37 - Stephanie McMahon - Mattel 2015

Stephanie McMahon has had a very dynamic career in the WWE (and WWF).  She is the daughter of Vince McMahon, the Chairman and CEO of WWE (which probably means nepotism played a big role in her career).  She began behind the scenes as an Account Executive but eventually became a stage performer. This exploited her lineage and had her be the focus of kidnappings, love triangles, and feuds. In 2007 she became the Executive Vice President of Creative and in 2013 she became the Chief Brand Officer - a role that she still holds today.  I think it's awesome when I'm watching a movie then I IMDB the cast only to find that the star is also the writer.  I get that same feeling from Steph; She's a popular presence in the ring, and an integral part of the show behind the scenes. This toy is pretty great, too. Her outfit is very unique compared to my other Mattel WWE ladies and the face and hair look really good (there have been a few busted faces lately).  Let's check out Stephanie McMahon below!

Imaginext PILOT (AMELIA EARHART)!

Imaginext Blind Bag Series 6 - Pilot (Amelia Earhart) - Fisher-Price/Mattel 2015

These Imaginext figures just keep rolling out. The Series 6 blind bags appeared in stores without any preamble last month and sent collectors into a tizzy. Unfortunately for several weeks the only place they were showing up was Fred Meyer stores in Washington and Alaska. Luckily they've seemed to appear everywhere now. I finally found mine in Target last week. The character selection in this line thrills me. Just a few short years ago I was very frustrated with the selection of Imaginext females, but now I'm confident that we will see many more awesome ladies in the coming years. I would like to see a Statue of Liberty, a Cleopatra, a Rosie the Riveter, and a Dragon Lady - of course the blind bags figures never have names, so we're left with simple descriptors to identify them. I'm pretty sure we'll actually see them all eventually though. This pilot figure was an unexpected but welcome addition to the already diverse lineup. I'm really excited for what the future will bring. Let's check out Amelia Earhart below!