LooseCollector - TAARNA and AVIS!

Heavy Metal - Taarna (with Avis) - Executive Replicas  LooseCollector 2022

Taarna is the character from the self-titled final segment in the 1981 animated anthology film, Heavy Metal. I always thought this was an animated story based on an established character in Heavy Metal Magazine, but today I discovered that she was introduced  both on screen and in print simultaneously in Aug-Sept 1981. Additionally, I learned she was actually based on the Arzach (Arzak) comics by Moebius that featured a lone (male) character soaring on a pterosaur-like creature over a desolate fantasy landscape. The same comic inspired Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) and I can totally see the the similarities. I grew up seeing the classic image of Taarna riding Avis through the clouds with her sword held high (the same image on the back of the packaging below). It was on posters and t-shirts frequently and is very nostalgic to me. But I didn't see the movie until the early nineties when it started airing on MTV and Sci-Fi. It was cool the finally see this famous image in motion. (Sexy erotic 18+ motion).

Minecraft - ALEX!

Minecraft:  - 3.25" Figures Craft-a-Block Series- Alex - Mojang/Mattel 2021

It's been a moment since I've reviewed a Minecraft toy, and it's fun to bring it back to the original female character from the franchise, Alex. I still don't know much about Minecraft (eight years since my first review of an Alex toy), but I've grown to really appreciate the blocky pixelated style which lends itself to fun toyetic action figures. But as fun as I think these toys are, they naturally get a little repetitive. Gender is often expressed with nothing more than a geometric ponytail, and I appreciate that simplicity. The one thing about this specific character's popularity in the toy lines is that she keeps getting released in various scales, and I just eat that up. This 2021 Mattel figure is my fourth Alex, but in a scale distinctly different than my previous three. Other than size, accessories, and the company producing them, the figures are comically similar, but the idea of lining them all up makes it totally worth the purchase to me. I get a bit obsessive like that. Let's check out this 3.25" Mattel Alex below!

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - ARCEE!

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - Beast Alliance Arcee & Cheetor - Hasbro 2023

I'm still surprised that there hasn't been a Deluxe Scale Studio Series Arcee announced for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Considering her amount of screentime and her prevalence in non-Studio-Series lines, I thought she'd be a foregone conclusion for a Deluxe Scale. But alas, nothing seems to be in the pipeline. In the meantime though, this Arcee from the Beast Alliance/Beast Weaponizers line is a decent stand-in. She is at a scale comparable to past Deluxe females, she has good articulation, and her robot mode looks great with sleek human-like proportions and bright colors. It's actually ironic that she has the nicest robot mode so far, but she is packaged in her motorcycle form. It's a shame she isn't on full display because I fear this set is doomed to be a shelfwarmer due to the late release date and unexciting packaging setup. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I have a good sense for these things. I think she's a great figure though and I expect anyone who buys her will be pleased. Let's check out Arcee below!

Arthur Adams Busts - RED SONJA!

Women of Dynamite - Red Sonja Resin Bust - Dynamite/Brewing Factory 2017

Red Sonja is an iconic character created in the late 70s in a burst of new Marvel solo titles helmed by female characters. Her first issue was actually dated the same month as Ms. Marvel #1 (January 1977) and followed shortly after by Spider-Woman #1. She was unique for being a lone female voice in the barbarian genre. She had a similar vibe to the various "jungle girl" characters which had been a comic staple for decades, but the swords and armor was a powerful distinction. She was based on the character Red Sonya from the 1934 story The Shadow of the Vulture, but took on a life of her own and exploded in popularity. She has had a consistent role in comics ever since her Marvel debut and even made TV, Film, and game appearances. Unfortunately she's been very sparsely merchandised. This bust based on the drawings of Arthur Adams is one of the first pieces produced. But it's a beauty. It took me forever to track her down at a decent price. Let's check out Red Sonja below!

Astonishing X-Men - DANGER Bust!

Marvel Busts - Astonishing X-Men - Danger - Diamond Select Toys 2006

I miss the days when mini-busts were all the rage and every comic shop had a display case full of new product for sale. My first purchase was the DST Firestar in 2007. She was a new release, but I got her for 20 bucks because the comic shop was closing. But that started an avalanche of purchases and I now have over 50. The sheer number of companies that were producing them was impressive too: DC Direct, Bowen, Dynamic Forces, Gentle Giant, Diamond Select, etc. And there was even a cheaper second wave of popularity with Eaglemoss and Monogram about 5 years ago. But in the era of the early 2000s, you could get mini-busts of almost any comic character. This Danger bust from DST is a great example. She is sentient embodiment of the X-Men's Danger room, originally a rage-filled villain, but eventually a teammate. Despite her cool origin and pedigree, she never gained popularity you might expect, but that didn't stop her from getting a pretty great looking mini-bust when she was at her peak.

Marvel Legends - DANGER!

Marvel Legends - Brood Queen Build-a-Figure Series - Danger - Hasbro 2007

I love re-discovering an old figure that I had previously overlooked. To be fair, I have owned this figure for years but only recently decided to review her. (I didn't buy her until 2014, seven years after her release). The recent MOTU Motherboard figure inspired me to put a little spotlight on Danger. I love a character that is a physical (humanoid) embodiment of a previously inhuman thing or animal. Some great examples are MOTUC Lighthope and Castle Grayskullman, Mythic Legions Cowarros and Purplor, Motherboard, and of course Danger. In the pages of Astonishing X-Men in 2005, it became known that the X-Men's steadfast Danger Room had in fact gained sentience (and perhaps always been sentient). What was worse was that Professor Xavier was aware and did nothing to free or aid her. As her autonomy grew, her rage sent ripples through the mansion. She drove a student to suicide, she animated a dormant Sentinel, and wreaked havoc. Her backstory has so many interesting layers.

Transformers - KASKADE!

Transformers Legacy Evolution - Deadeye Duel 2-Pack - Kaskade - Hasbro 2023

This Deadeye Duel Amazon-Exclusive 2-Pack is an interesting new direction for Transformers toys. There has been an explosion of female Transformers figures in recent years. In fact, these two ladies mark my 14th and 15th new release purchases of 2023 - and I know of at least 6 more on the way before the end of the year. Of course, almost all of these figures can be categorized as either classic characters or modern TV/Movie characters. But what has been largely left out of these releases has been characters from the modern IDW comics. The comics are very popular with an overwhelming number of new female characters in those pages. And with the exception of Nautica, Windblade, and Victorion, they have been largely (and shamefully) excluded from the toy world. The designs of the characters in the comics is diverse and colorful and I hope this is only the beginning of a new wave of product based off those titles. I have a lengthy wishlist. Let's check out Kaskade below!

Transformers - JAVELIN!

Transformers Legacy Evolution - Deadeye Duel 2-Pack - Javelin - Hasbro 2023

For many years now I have been browsing the Transformers comics at my lcs, but I haven't actually purchased or read one since 2015 (back when Firestar was re-introduced). One thing I've noticed is that IDW definitely doesn't shy away from female Transformers like the franchise had in the past. Every newer issue I flip through is full of new fembots that I can't keep straight. And I recently bought a large print with a collage of female Transformers (Girl Gang by Nick Roche) and I could only name a third of them without googling. This character Javelin was introduced in IDW comics in 2019, so she is brand new to me. I've learned that she is a sniper who works as a Senate guard and has ties to Nautica and Firestar. She has a great design and I love that her color palette reminds me of two non-branded fembots in recent years (Eris Kultur and Ling Yao) that I always wanted to see in the Hasbro line. Plus I'm very impressed with the smart re-use of the Bumblebee Arcee mold. Let's check out Javelin below!