Masters of the Universe Classics SHOKOTI!

Eternia's Ancient Witch, Shokoti - MattyCollector Club Filmation - Mattel 2013

When Club Filmation was first announced earlier this year, I was instantly smitten over this character Shokoti.  She looked familiar, but I couldn't place her.  I didn't even know if she was good or evil, but I know she looked fantastic and she inspired me to purchase the subscription right away.  I've since watched her episode a few times (I know she's officially in two episodes, but the first of the two-episode story only shows her in a brief cameo).  What I especially love about Mattel's choice to include her is that, although her role is brief, she comes with a huge sense of Eternian history.  The legend is that she was a powerful evil sorceress that ruled over the dark half of Eternia thousands of years ago.  She was imprisoned in an ancient pyramid in the desert until she was unleashed in these episodes (the episodes are called The House of Shokoti - Part 1 & 2 - Season One).  The toy is amazing.  She just looks so Eternian.  Let's check her out in detail below.

DC Comics Signature Series FIRE!

Your Favorite Brazilian Beauty Queen, Fire - MattyCollector Exc - Mattel 2013

Fire is such a great character.  Beatriz Da Costa was a swimsuit model in Brazil who was caught in a pyroplasmic explosion which granted her the ability to emit and control green fire.  She was a member of many teams throughout her comic career including the Super Friends, the Global Guardians, and Checkmate, but the most stand-out and long-running role was in Justice League International (where she joined her longtime friend and companion, Ice).  Fire and Ice are probably the most fan-demanded DC ladies from toy collectors.  But, considering their longevity and mass appeal, they've been merchandized very little.  I'm not a big fan of this latest addition to the toy roster unfortunately.  For such a long-awaited character, it really seems like Mattel missed the boat on this one.  The sculpting and articulation is just awkward.  It's such a shame, too because with a little bit of effort this could have been a great figure.  Let's check out Fire in detail below.

Masters of the Universe Classics CASTASPELLA!

Mystacor's Beautiful Enchantress, Castaspella - Mattycollector Exc - Mattel 2013

The Great Rebellion is really filling out nicely.  Thank God the 2014 Club Eternia subscription went through, because this beautiful figure has revved up my anticipation of getting even more Princess of Power characters in MOTUC.  Castaspella was a consistent friend and partner to She-Ra throughout the series.  My favorite piece of her backstory is her troubled history with Shadow Weaver.  They were once good friends while studying as apprentices under the same sorcerer.  However, when Hordak arrived and tempted Shadow Weaver to the dark side with promises of great power, they became lifelong rivals.  This figure is quite possibly the nicest POP sculpt to date (although I know I said the same thing when I reviewed Netossa).  This will be a boring review because I have zero complaints or criticisms about her.  Her colors are vibrant, her paint aps are spot-on, the sculpt is stunning, and the overall design is a perfect representation of her Filmation look.  Let's check her out below!

Dark Knight Rises Exclusive Blu-Ray CATWOMAN!

Dark Knight Rises Limited Edition Blu-Ray Figurine - WBShop.com 2012
 
This exclusive figurine took me by surprise when I discovered it in April of 2013.  It was released 5 months prior and had since sold out on WBShop.com (apparently it was a limited edition of 1000) and it took me a while to acquire one on eBay that wasn't overpriced.  This 4" figurine also came with Bane and Batman figures in the same exclusive combo.  Unlike other DVD/Blu-Ray figurines, these guys were polybagged in little plastic trays and included separately from a regular edition Blu-Ray (is.. no special window packaging and definitely no display potential.. especially since the polybags have black printing on them).  There were other Blu-Ray and DVD exclusive releases that featured either Bane or Batman (or both) in nice display boxes, but as far as I can tell, WBShop offered the only Catwoman.  Surprisingly, this Selina is actually articulated at the shoulders.. I'm pretty sure that's a rarity for newer (ie - post Infinite Heroes) DVD figures.  She's a great little addition to my DKR Catwoman shelf - and possibly the last since I got the Play Arts Kai figure a few weeks ago.  Let's check her out below!

Play Arts Kai - Arkham City POISON IVY!

Play Arts Kai - Arkham City Figure No. 6 - Poison Ivy - Square Enix 2013

As much as I tend to gripe about modern character redesigns, I'm not a complete purist because love this Arkham City version of Poison Ivy.  A lot of that may have to do with the fact that the previous (bewilderingly popular) green-skinned "Hush" version always felt like a lazy design in my eyes.  To me, this updated version has equal parts elemental goddess, sinister villainess, and alluring seductress - a formula that other versions of Ivy failed to perfect.  I think if I had to analyze my own contradictions when it comes to character modesty, I think it oddly enough boils down to skin color.  Meaning that a green or blue skinned woman being scantily clad doesn't have the same lurid quality as a normal-hued woman would have.  I know it doesn't make sense, but I'm always overanalyzing myself and that was my latest self-revelation.  This 2011 Arkham City design seems unchanged from 2009's Arkham Asylum design.  If there are differences, I certainly can't spot them.  Anyway, it's 2am and I'm rambling.  Let's check out this green goddess below!

Play Arts Kai - Arkham City HARLEY QUINN!

Play Arts Kai - Arkham City Figure No. 5 - Harley Quinn - Square Enix 2013

Of all the Batman characters to suffer in the hands of constant redesigns in recent years, the award for the most drastic changes would have to go to our dear old Harley Quinn.  It wouldn't even garner much attention if her original costume wasn't so cool to begin with.  But I digress.  The first change was atrocious.  The 2009 video game, Arkham Asylum, dressed her up as a sexy nurse.  It was embarrassing.  If it made sense to dress a psychiatrist as a sexy nurse, they should have dressed Commissioner Gordon in a fireman's outfit while they were at it.  Next up was the 2011 Arkham City redesign we see here.  Following this design she was revamped for the DC Comics New52 reboot as well as for the game Injustice: Gods Among Us.  This Arkham City design is my favorite all all the non-original looks.  Yeah, she's overly-sexualized, but at least she looks tough and her outfit seems functional.  Plus the candy-striped baseball bat is a fun new accessory that I can totally get on board with (I was starting to amass as many oversized Harley sledgehammers as Catwoman whips).  Let's check her out below!

Play Arts Kai - Dark Knight Rises CATWOMAN!

Play Arts Kai - Dark Knight Rises Figure No. 3 - Catwoman - Square Enix 2013

My second Play Arts Kai figure is a hit!  My first figure was the Arkham City Catwoman that I reviewed back in January.  I didn't know what to expect when I got her soon after Christmas, but I was smitten with the brand as soon as I took her out of the packaging.  This follow-up Catwoman does not disappoint either.  I think I might go as far as to say this is the ultimate Dark Knight Rises Catwoman collectible.  Sure, the Hot Toys figure looks pretty much perfect, but the rooted hair and soft materials turn off a lot of collectors (me included) - not to mention the price is about triple what this Square Enix figure will cost you.  This Catwoman though, she's detailed, extremely poseable, lots of swappable body parts, moderately priced (for a higher-end collectable) and she just looks great.  I've been extremely happy with all my Play Arts Kai purchases so far (perhaps I'm foreshadowing my next two reviews...).  My only issue with this figure is that she's annoyingly difficult to photograph.  Something about the semi-translucency of her skin (which is fantastic in person) washes out under photo lights.  Let's check her out below!

Character Spotlight on LADY SIF!

The Plastic History of Thor's Main Squeeze - Hasbro, DST, Eaglemoss, NECA

Lady Sif was first introduced in a 1964 issue of Journey Into Mystery as a love interest of Thor.  To my eyes, she never quite fit the image of the golden-haired Norse Goddess she is named after, but I actually just learned that early on, Loki had cut off her blonde hair and replaced it with black enchanted hair made by the dwarves.  I'm glad for this because a third blonde Asgardian (Valkyrie & Enchantress being the first two) would be a tad too much.  The 2011 Marvel film, Thor, featured Jaimie Alexander as Sif and really gave her a huge popularity boost.  Although the role in the film failed to highlight her feisty personality, she still came across as tough and formidable.  Since that movie, there's been an explosion of merchandise dedicated to this character. Before the first movie figure in 2010, there was nothing.  But now I have a small collection of Sif toys, with many in her classic look (which I love).   Hopefully we'll see more Sif love when Thor: The Dark World comes out.  I have hope.  Let's check out her figures so far!