Lightyear 5" - ALISHA HAWTHORNE!

Lightyear - Deluxe 5" Series 2-Pack - Hostile Planet Pack - Mattel 2022

Yet another Lightyear toy product that only showed up at Kohl's. When I first learned of this figure set I didn't know much about the movie yet and didn't realize Izzy and her Grandmother Alisha were different characters. All I knew is that I was obsessed with this woman in the Star Command suit (and in some promotional material she was just referred to as Commander or Cadet Hawthorne, further confusing me). But by the time I learned more and finally saw the movie, my favorite part was the Grandmother/Granddaughter generational dynamic between the two female leads. Of course they don't share any scenes, but their individual relationships with the time-skipping Buzz are the heart of the movie. This two-pack features their struggles on the wild planet of T'Kani Prime where they are constantly attacked by living vines and aggressive insects (and subsequently stranded). I love when an antagonist in a film or show is unbridled nature so I really appreciate getting these accessories. Let's check out Alisha below!

Lightyear 12" - ALISHA HAWTHORNE!

Lightyear - Deluxe 12" Series - Space Ranger Alpha Alisha - Mattel 2022

One of my favorite tropes of modern character creation is when an established male design is applied to a new female character. The Buzz Lightyear costume debuted in the first Toy Story movie way back in 1995 and is probably the last design I expected to be applied to a female character, but 27 years later we get the movie Lightyear and a ton of characters wearing the classic Space Ranger uniform, including three prominent females. This 12-inch-scale figure of Alisha Hawthorne is my favorite figure of all the Lightyear products. It is well articulated, a perfect likeness of the animation model, and very playable. The downfall was that she was next to impossible to find. Only a few weeks ago (roughly 8 months after the theatrical release) did she seem to show up in wide distribution at places like Walmart and Target. Before that, she only sporadically appeared in places like Kohls. If you're going to add any single Lightyear figure to your collection, this should be the one. Let's check her out below!

Lightyear 6" - ALISHA HAWTHORNE!

Lightyear - Alpha Class 6" Series - Commander Alisha Hawthorne - Mattel 2022

Lightyear was an interesting movie. Of all Toy Story characters that I would want to see an entire animated universe developed for, I never would have guessed that Buzz Lightyear would be the one to see. Back in 2000 he had an animated series called Buzz Lightyear of Star Command that I understand had a decent following (I reviewed the Mira Nova Happy Meal toy from that show). So I can understand the precedent for producing a full-fledged theatrical movie based off the character. My favorite part of the movie was the Grandmother/Granddaughter roles of Alisa Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba) and Izzy Hawthorne (Keke Palmer). The trailers already spoiler this aspect, but Buzz spends time in a world where time proceeds differently and returns to find his world has moved on. In place of his trusty partner, Alisha, is her feisty granddaughter, Izzy. Both really great characters that each had tons of product made. I'll be reviewing seven in the next seven days. Starting with Alisha in her Commander uniform.

Star Wars - REVA (THIRD SISTER)!

Star Wars Black Series - Obi-Wan Kenobi 03 - Reva (Third Sister) - Hasbro 2022

One of my favorite types of characters is an insolent villain who doesn't follow orders and undermines their leaders. This can only really work when the antagonists are part of a larger militaristic organization. The best part about G.I.Joe is how the Cobra leaders are always crossing each other and pursuing their own agendas - if they could just unify under one strategy they would be unstoppable, but that in-fighting is what makes a great story. Reva is a member of the Inquisitors, the Empire's elite group of Jedi-hunters. Right away, it is clear she fits this role of not respecting authority. In fact, some of her main goals include becoming the Grand Inquisitor and killing Darth Vader - obviously neither on the Empire's agenda. In the first few episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, I admit I wasn't immediately a fan of this character. Despite liking Moses Ingram (she was great in The Queen's Gambit), I felt that character just wasn't creepy enough. The other Inquisitors were visually chilling and conveyed an alien sense of evil. 

Star Trek: Discovery - MICHAEL BURNHAM!

Star Trek Universe - Science Officer Michael Burnham - Playmates 2022

I started watching Star Trek: Discovery when it first came out in 2017. I loved it, but I had to drop it because I couldn't pay attention to the subtitles. The first story arc was dealing with a large inter-Klingon power struggle (all subtitled) and I needed to multitask while watching and was losing the story. But during the pandemic I started watching again and gave it my whole attention. It's a great series from beginning to end. That standout star is definitely Michael Burnham played by Sonequa Martin-Green (Sasha from The Walking Dead). The character goes through a tremendous story arc from criminal to science officer, to captain (and many other iterations along the way). And Sonequa's performance is engaging the whole time. There has been a decent amount of product for this character already: a Funko Pop, Mini-Bust, Mego-style figure, even a Hallmark ornament. But I have been waiting for a traditional action figure for a long time. Let's check her out in detail below!

Jurassic World Dominion - KAYLA WATTS!

Jurassic World: Dominion - Kayla Watts & Pyroraptor 2-Pack - Mattel 2022

I really enjoyed Jurassic World: Dominion. I think the franchise has gotten to the point where every viewer has their own specific recipe of expectations for these films that are impossible to live up to. I have several diehard Jurassic fans in my life and they were all highly disappointed, but I was happy. I thought the energy good, the story was engaging, there was a great variety of dinosaurs, and none of the actors (except for Chris Pratt imo) were annoying. That sounds like a successful Summer blockbuster to me. My favorite of the new characters was Kayla Watts. she is an ex-Air Force pilot who now specializes in dino transport. She doesn't have strong allegiances initially but gets pulled into helping Owen, Claire, and Maisie. I recently read that her character was inspired by Han Solo, Indiana Jones, and Sarah Harding - and that totally makes sense and explains the appeal. I wouldn't hate it if she was the lead character in the next movie. She certainly has the screen presence to pull it off. Let's check out Kayla below!

Apex Legends - LIFELINE!

Apex Legends - 6" Action Figures Wave 6 - 18 Lifeline - Jakks Pacific 2022

I started this blog on Jan 19th 2012 and I was initially very excited about planning different themed groups of posts like I had seen on other blogs. My themes have gotten pretty obscure and specific in recent years (like a week of mermaid figures or bee-themed figures), but back in 2012 I had just picked up the first Walking Dead Michonne figure right at the beginning of February and my first theme became an impromptu celebration of Black History Month. I've tried to replicate that in subsequent years, but figures of black female characters can be pretty scarce. Plus it always seems weird to delay any reviews of new figures until February. So I've made it a habit to tag any of these posts with "BHM" so they can be searched and celebrated year-round, regardless of the month. Lucky for me though, I (unintentionally) have a backlog of quite a few diverse characters that I'm excited to post this month, so I get to relive my original journey into toy blogging. Lifeline from Apex Legends is first. Let's check her out below!

Fortnite - RAGSY!

Fortnite Victory Royale Series - 6" Series - Ragsy - Hasbro 2022

The great thing about Fortnite is the seemingly endless supply of interesting skins you can acquire (purchase) to play as different avatars. The first character type to attract me to the Fortnite franchise was the pink teddy bear character, Cuddle Team Leader. It was such a wonderful contradiction to see a playful and adorable costume suited up with tactical accessories and big guns and axes. But that's the whole aesthetic unique to Fortnite and the reason I will always pay attention to this brand. Ragsy is the third figure I have featuring a decayed or zombified version of Cuddle Team Leader (Spooky Squad Leader and Skull Squad Leader). While zombie-type versions of toys are my second least favorite gimmick (after "bloody" variants) for some reason I don't mind it when the disarray is mostly made up of popped stitched and leaking stuffing. It's actually pretty adorable. I'm always looking forward to what will come next in Hasbro's Fortnite line. There's an endless supply of cool characters. Let's check out Ragsy below!