Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - KARAI!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Karai (Tanto Sword Master) - Playmates 2016

I think Karai is probably the fan-favorite secondary character in the TMNT franchise. In the toy world, her figures are always in high demand and fetch a high price in the collector circuits.  I don't really know much about her beyond that fact that she is often labelled as the daughter of Shredder and usually has a vampiric look to her. Of course, she is tweaked and changed in every incarnation of TMNT so I never know what to expect. In the current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon on Nickelodeon, Karai is a young girl who was indeed raised by Shredder (via kidnapping), but is actually the biological daughter of Hamato Yoshi, a wise sensei who is mutated into the rat Splinter. When her true origins are revealed to her, she has to reconcile her life of lies and evil with her newfound family. She reminds me a lot of Cass Cain in the Batman Universe. Last year we received a figure of Karai in her serpent incarnation which was cool and unexpected, but this is the one we've been waiting for. Let's check her out!

Rescue Bots - QUICKSHADOW!

Transformers Rescue Bots - Quickshadow - Playskool/Hasbro 2016

There's been a big push in recent years to start including female characters in previously male-centric properties. This has been especially present in preschool lines like Imaginext, Galactic Heroes, and Marvel Superhero Adventures. With this trend touching almost every brand in the toy aisles, I'm surprised it took so long to introduce a female Rescue Bot.  Whatever the delay was, the wait was worth it because Quicksilver seems like an awesome character. Her design is fantastic and her character seems quirky and spunky with a very suiting vehicle mode of a speedy sports car. I haven't watched any full episodes, but there are some cool clips online. The only unfortunate thing about this character is that she's unlikely to get a cool toy. These Playskool robots are clunky and undetailed by design and this kid-friendly style does a terrible injustice to such a great-looking character. Still, when I saw her in the store I felt compelled to add her to my collection. She's a first. Let's check out Quickshadow below!

DC Collectibles Darwyn Cooke CATWOMAN!

DC Designer Series: Darwyn Cooke - #7 Catwoman - DC Collectibles 2016

This is the figure I have been hoping for ever since DC Collectibles launched their Designer Series back in 2014. Catwoman has been my favorite comic character since I was first exposed to her in the 1966 Batman television series, then further impressions from silver age reprint comics in the 1980s. By 1987, she was modernized into her gray catsuit look which I loved. Unfortunately it was quickly changed into her 1990's purple bodysuit which I loathed. My displeasure with the purple costume wasn't shared though, because it stuck around for eight or nine years and really skyrocketed her popularity. But then in 2001, much to my relief, Darwyn Cooke and Ed Brubaker revamped Selina into the sleek, acrobatic seductress we know and love today (and 15 years later it's still an extremely popular look). It's shocking how well the Jonathan Matthews sculpt captures the feel of Darwyn's art. My Catwoman collection never felt complete without this pivotal design represented. Let's check out Catwoman below!

Robots in Disguise Deluxe WINDBLADE!

Robots in Disguise - Deluxe - Mini-Con Weaponizers - Windblade - Hasbro 2016

It took me a long time to realize that this Windblade figure is completely different from all the Windblade figures we've already seen. I'm so used to seeing repaints in the Transformers line that I barely even glanced at the solicitation images. It was only when I saw an early review of the 2016 SDCC Transformers Titan Force Boxset and noticed that the gray Windblade was a completely new figure. It's funny that the variant was released months before the standard version hit the shelves, but she was worth the wait. I like these animated-style Transformers. My aesthetics always trend toward more simplified designs and brighter colors. Plus these are significantly easier for me to transform. I don't watch the Robots in Disguise cartoon, but I just researched the characters and discovered a few really cool females that would make great toys: Glowstrike, Filch, and Zizzo especially. Plus a random Decepticon that looks like a yellow Arachnid. I'm hopefull! Let's check out Windblade below!

World of Nintendo - PRINCESS ZELDA!

World of Nintendo - Series 2.2 - Princess Zelda - Jakks Pacific 2016

I grew up in the eighties and nineties but somehow managed to avoid playing a single Legend of Zelda game. In fact, I just was totally blown away by that fact that there have been 18 games in the franchise. But my lack of familiarity with the series doesn't mean I haven't been wishing for a Princess Zelda action figure over the years. I've always been very fond of the character designs and I like having representations of all the classic Nintendo characters in my collection. I didn't have any idea this figure was coming out when I found myself killing an hour in a K-Mart in the middle of nowhere over Labor Day weekend and discovered a shelf full of her. She's pretty much exactly what I have been hoping for. This is even the design I like best for her (from 1998's The Ocarina of Time game).  Although I secretly hope they release other designs as well like they have been with Link. Hopefully this line continues with such cool character selections in Mr. Neitlich's absence. Let's check out Zelda below!

Arkham Knight - HARLEY QUINN (Version 2)!

Arkham Knight Series Five #14 - Harley Quinn (Classic) - DC Collectibles 2016

I have a lot of Harley Quinn action figures. I'm emarassed to actually count them, but I pretty much have them all (except that weird one of her in pajamas). So, please take my first hand experience into consideration when I tell you that this new Arkham Knight Harley is the absolute best Harley I've ever seen. The sculpt by Joe Menna is perfection. Her face is gorgeous - she looks sweet with a touch of menace. Her body proportions are idealized without being gratuitous. And her costume has realistic wrinkles and details which bring it all to life. Then DC Collectibles knocked it out the park with amazing articulation and perfect paint. I can't get enough of of this figure. The solicitation pictures look slightly different than the final product. Even the pictures from Toy Fair look different. I can't tell if her face was resculpted or the production version just has a superior paint job, but the end result is great. It's so rare when the final product surpasses the quality of the prototypes. Let's check out Harley below!

DC Super Heroes - BURNSIDE BATGIRL!

POP! Heroes #136 - DC Comics Super Heroes - Batgirl (Burnside) - Funko 2016

This Batgirl resculpt is long overdue. As the third Funko Pop ever, Batgirl's original mold has been released in eight repaints over the years (4 in the past 11 months), but having only one sculpt for such a popular character is odd. Harley Quinn has nine unique sculpts, Batman has thirteen, Wonder Woman has four (and those counts aren't even including the Domos, Conans, Teen Titans, and Freddie Funkos). Anyway, I've been hoping for a new one for years and a few months ago this amazing Burnside sculpt was unveiled. I think she's gorgeous. And as a crazy unexpected bonus, there is a third new sculpt of "classic Batgirl" being released as a NYCC exclusive. I keep saying that I need to scale back on my Pop purchases (27 new additions to my collection in the past couple months... sheesh), but Funko is making it nearly impossible for me to do that. I guess as long as they keep making my core favorite characters, I'll be a loyal customer. Let's check out Burnside Batgirl below!

Marvel Legends - NICO MINORU!

Marvel Legends - Dormammu Series - Mystic Rivals - Nico Minoru - Hasbro 2016

In 2003 Marvel Comics created an experimental imprint called Tsunami. I think the original plan was to establish a line of titles to appeal to manga fans, but it ended up being quite a diverse collection of properties. My favorite Tsunami series were Mystique, New Mutants, Namor, Emma Frost, and of course the fan-favorite Runaways. Runaways was written and created by the amazing Brian K. Vaughn (Saga, Y: The Last Man, Pride of Baghdad, Mystique, etc.) The series focuses on a group of six exceptional kids who discover their parents are all super-villains and... well.. run away. It's a fantastic comic which was just recently announced as an upcoming Hulu Original Series. Of the main characters in the book, Nico Minoru (aka Sister Grimm) has had the most staying power. She has appeared in several Avengers titles, the Mystic Arcana storyline, and most recently A-Force. She is an unexpected but welcome addition to the Doctor Strange Legends assortment. Let's check out Nico below!