DC Multiverse - DKR WONDER WOMAN!

DC Multiverse - Dr. Psycho Collect & Connect: DKR Wonder Woman - Mattel 2017

I have such mixed reactions to Frank Miller. I pretty much can't stand to read any of his comics as an adult. I find that his work is just too infused with weird gender politics and outdated stereotypes. It's like his views on masculinity are stuck in a 90's Mountain Dew commercial and his women seem ripped from either a 1920's bordello or an 70's biker bar (depending on the character), and it's all very tedious to me. But at the same time I can admit there's a certain undeniable fun factor and I have some major nostalgic ties to the Dark Knight Returns series. I read it when I was 11 and somehow convinced my middle school English teacher that it was suitable for a book report. Funny thing is, even back then I didn't love it. I remember there being a lot of nipples and garbage in almost every frame and thinking it was just too much. I only read the various DKR sequels in a cursory manner, but I enjoyed seeing new character designs like this Wonder Woman. It's kind of amazing to get a figure of her. Let's check her out below!

DC Multiverse - WONDER GIRL!

DC Comics Multiverse - Dr. Psycho Collect & Connect: Wonder Girl - Mattel 2017

I truly thought this was one figure that would never make it to the shelves and likely only live on in photos as one of those sad Toy Fair prototypes we all fawn over but will never get. From what I remember, this figure (along with the DKIII Wonder Woman) were originally intended to be released as a comic-themed amazon-centric Walmart exclusive wave back in June to coincide with the Wonder Woman film release. The rumors were that either the production or shipment deadlines were not met and the Walmart order was cancelled. We were told that these would eventually be released, but I think we've all experienced that song and dance before. But I will gladly eat my words because luckily they showed up a mere mix months later and I couldn't be happier. Cassie Sandsmark as Wonder Girl is a very interesting choice for this line and makes me wonder if she'll play a role in the upcoming Titans show. (Speaking of, I hope that show gets lots of figures - especially Dove!) Let's check out Cassie Sandsmark as Wonder Girl below!

Black Panther Marvel Legends - OKOYE!

Marvel Legends - Black Panther Okoye BAF Wave - Okoye - Hasbro 2018

I love when Marvel Legends plans a female character as the Build-a-Figure for a wave. It's a pretty rare occurrence and I believe this Okoye is only the third. The first being 2015's Jubilee, and the Mantis from earlier this year. I appreciate that they find a way to squeeze in extra female characters, but so far they've seemed like very necessary characters who I would think would warrant a main spot in the wave. But I understand the tooling considerations and politics involved, plus I don't actually like having to splurge for an entire wave just to complete an additional figure. But when it comes to a spectacular figure like this Okoye, I'll do whatever it takes to get her in my greedy little paws. The new Hasbro method of using an advanced face-scanning for the movie figures is pretty amazing. Although I love seeing talented sculptors getting a chance to flex their artistic muscles, I can't argue with the results the machines are producing, especially if it means fast release schedules! Let's check out Okoye below!

Black Panther Marvel Legends - NAKIA!

Marvel Legends - Black Panther Okoye Wave - Nakia - Hasbro 2018

I'm really looking forward to the Black Panther movie. I don't really have much of a connection to the character beyond his 1988 comic miniseries and more modern Avengers tie-ins (and of course the storyline where Shuri became Black Panther). But as soon as details of the film started to emerge and it was revealed that the Dora Milaje was an all-female elite force of warriors protecting the nation of Wakanda. This is like a very cool twist on the Amazons from the DC Universe. Then when the toys were finally revealed, they definitely delivered with two Legends figures of the Dora Milaje - Nakia (played by Lupita Nyong'o) and a build-a-figure Okoye (played by Danai Gurira), plus a non-Legends figure of Shuri and a comic Legends figure of Shuri as Black Panther coming to TRU. The bright colors, cool costume details, and excellent actor likenesses make these some of the most impressive Legends figures I've ever seen. I hope a few more warriors are on the horizon. Let's check out Nakia below!

Titan A.E. - AKIMA KUNIMOTO!

Titan A.E. - Deluxe Assortment - Turbo Surge Phoenix and Akima - Hasbro 2000

Titan A.E. is a feature length animated film from Fox and Don Bluth. Don is the director/producer from a variety of classic projects like Secret of NIMH, Dragon's Lair, Land Before Time, An American Tail, and Anastasia (among others). Titan A.E. is a space adventure following a group of (some of the last surviving) humans as they travel to a new planet in hopes of establishing a new home world. The animation is a cool mix of CGI and classic animation and overall I think the movie is highly underrated. Akima is the pilot of their ship, the Valkyrie, and the love interest of the main character Cale. She was voiced by Drew Barrymore (with Matt Damon as Cale). I love the no-nonsense attitude of Akima plus her simple outfit paired with funky hair. Her hair actually reminds me greatly of Roxy from Gen13 (a book which is sorely lacking a good action figure line). The toys for Titan A.E. are pretty terrific and reminiscent of all those classic toys from the 1990s (despite being released in 2000). Let's check out Akima below!

Marvel Legends - JESSICA JONES as JEWEL!

Marvel Legends - Defenders Boxset 4-Pack - Amazon Exclusive - Hasbro 2017

A large part of what I love about super-heroes is their cheesiness. The characters sport their colorful spandex and spout their bravado-infused tag lines, and I just eat it up. It's pretty rare for a character to be self-aware of this without being a comedy-based hero like Deadpool, but Jewel is the perfect example of a character who does just that. When we first met Jessica Jones in Alias #1, she was already the sour gritty gumshoe we know and love today. But a huge building block of that dark and brooding personality was her distancing herself from her former life as the cheesy colorful Avenger, Jewel. I know the character was created retroactively as a flashback story element, but that didn't stop me from loving the character. I never expected we'd see her in legends form, but a hit Netflix show is a powerful incentive. I was lucky enough to snag the Amazon-exclusive Defenders boxset when it was a Deal of the Day for $55 a few weeks ago. I'm so happy to have this pink-haired hero in my collection. Let's check her out below!

Marvel Select - SPIDER-GWEN!

Marvel Select (Collectible Action Figures w/ Diorama) - Spider-Gwen - DST 2017

It's amazing how quickly Spider-Gwen has become an A-list hero. I've already decided not to be a completist with her merchandise because it's coming out at a very rapid pace. Considering that her first toy, a TRU exclusive Minimate came out only two years ago, that's a very impressive rise - especially considering she hasn't been in a film, or even had a significant role in a cartoon yet. The Marvel Select line from DST has been blowing my mind recently. Back in the day, I felt that these figures were awkwardly pre-posed and had awkward articulation and diorama pieces (I remember being very disappointed in She-Hulk). But between this Spider-Gwen and the recent Lady Deadpool, I am now super impressed with the line. The sculpt, articulation, and scale is just great all-around. The only thing that keeps me from being a die-hard fan is the very slow release schedule. Lines like Marvel Legends are much more satisfying purely due to the speedy production. I'm thinking we will eventually get a (movie) Gamora and an apology She-Hulk, but any figures with this level of quality will easily find a spot in my collection.

Funko Vynl - Thundercats Classic CHEETARA!

Thundercats Classic Vynl - Panthro & Cheetara 2-Pack - Funko 2017

While I'm not the biggest fan of this new Vynl line from Funko, I find it pretty impossible to resist any piece of Cheetara merchandise when I see it on the shelves. Of all the big 1980s ladies: She-Ra, Jem, Baroness, etc, Cheetara is the one I get the most excited about when I see her. I think as a child I loved any powerful female characters in those afternoon TV blocks, but as an adult my tastes have refined to highlight other aspects of character design I find appealing. First of all, I love animal motifs - especially when it's a felinoid. And a second aesthetic I've really grasped onto is a monochromatic color scheme. This actually donned on me as an adult collector when I saw my action figures lined up by character.. Scarlet Witch's pink and red, Polaris' emerald and chartreuse, and Firestar's yellow and red, etc, etc. I suddenly realized I had a very obvious pattern to my collecting. And I also realized that Cheetara was the only childhood muse of mine that perfectly fit my adult style.