The Outer Space Men - ASTRODITE!

Outer Space Men - Astrodite: The Woman from Venus - OSM/Onell Design 2018

There's nothing I love more than a good homage action figure. As much as I love wholly modern toys, I've lived just long enough to (almost) fully witness the genesis and evolution of action figures. So when a newer product hearkens back to the early days of the toy industry, I get that great sense of the hobby coming full circle. The original Outer Space Men were colorful bendy figures from the 1960s that pre-dated plastic articulated action figures by several years, but they had such a unique aesthetic with their colorful quirkiness and bizarre designs that they were just begging to be reborn into a modern toyline. This finally happened in 2010 when Mel Birnkrant, Four Horsemen Studios, and Onell Designs joined forces to create a line of 3.75" articulated (glyos) action figures based on the original designs. Unfortunately for us collectors of female characters, it was an all-male roster. But Mel had plans for several Outer Space Ladies and by 2012 we had three original female characters (with several more in the works).

Marvel Legends Thor Dark World - SIF!

Marvel Legends - Marvel Studios the First Ten Years - Thor & Sif - Hasbro 2018

Hasbro has really made a lot of fans happy with their new Marvel Studios: The First Ten Years line. Similar to the DC Multiverse Signature line, Hasbro is making figures from the earliest MCU movies. This is giving collectors a lot of the characters that have been sorely missing from their collections for years. My favorite inclusion in this line is undoubtedly Jaimie Alexander as Sif. This character is special because she is one of the elite few who has appeared in both film and television. We know the universes overlap, but we rarely actually see it. I was upset that she didn't appear in Thor: Ragnarok but later interviews have indicated it was a scheduling conflict and not a case of a character being brushed under the rug. I really hope we see her again. And if not, I hope she at least gets absorbed into the Wonder Woman cinematic universe. She just has a great warrior vibe. This figure has a phenomenal face scan and armor details. My only gripe is her small scale (pics down at the bottom). Let's check out Sif below!

Funko Rock Candy - EVIL-LYN!

Rock Candy - Masters of the Universe - Evil-Lyn (Specialty Series) - Funko 2018

I never would have predicted that in 2018 we would be getting a deluge of Evil-Lyn product. As one of the most iconic bad girls of the 80s, we know she will always be around in one form or another. But I am still surprised that in the past eight months my Evil-Lyn collection has doubled. Funko gave us three pretty awesome figures since December and I picked up the Super7 ReAction figure at FYE just yesterday. Something I'm really impressed by is how amazing the Funko Pop and Rock Candy look. The Rock Candy is easily the best looking sculpt in the line. And I'm 90% confident that the Pop is one of the best as well... and that's saying a lot. The Funko Specialty Series is only available to small retailers. I see them at comic shops and mom & pop toy stores. This Evil-Lyn is the first Rock Candy included in the Specialty Series, but I hope she's not the last. My life will be incomplete until I get a Jem and Cheetara (Not to mention Teela and Sorceress which you know are coming).. Let's check out Evil-Lyn below!

Marvel Legends - TYPHOID MARY!

Venom Legends: Wave 1 (Monster Venom BAF) - Typhoid Mary - Hasbro 2018

Of all the recent Marvel Legends releases, I can honestly say that Typhoid Mary was easily the one I was least excited about. When I was a young comic book reader in the 1980s there was a certain aesthetic for bad girls that was hard for me to get on board with. While my narrow-minded juvenile mind wasn't exactly demanding that my villainesses be vixenish bombshells like they tend to be today, I still had trouble with outlandishly punkrock characters with fishnets, facepaint, and scribbled hair. It was actually a common aesthetic at the time. Off the top of my head I can think of Batman's Magpie and Mime, Zarana in the GIJoe comics, Callisto in X-Men, and of course Typhoid Mary in Daredevil. As an adult I look back and see how these characters were a product of the time and truly appreciate them - impractical shoulderpads and all. But that growth to acceptance was a slow process. But thankfully she got this wicked makeover in the 2013 X-Men series, not that she needed it. Let's check her out!

Batman Missions 12" True Moves BATGIRL!

Batman Missions: True Moves 12" - Basic Series 01 - Batgirl - Mattel 2018

Ever since I started buying 12" action figures a few years ago I have been wishing for a Batgirl to add to my collection. I'm loving that her Burnside incarnation has made her a more popular character for the general public. I'm frankly surprised her role in the Batman Animated Universe didn't have the same effect, but I'm glad it happened eventually. Just walking around Target recently I saw Batgirl keychains, backpacks, t-shirts, water bottles, etc. There's a certain level of public awareness for a character before they get that kind of treatment, especially if they haven't been in a movie or live-action show in over 20 years. Sure, Batgirl has almost always had a presence in the action figure aisles, but until recently it was solely aimed at collectors. And as much as I love the fancy collector lines, I also want figures like this - with bright colors, minimal paint apps, and cheap price tags. There's also a 6" Batgirl coming (although I suspect she has a jetpack instead of a cape). Let's check out the 12" Batgirl below!

Marvel Legends - LADY DEADPOOL!

Deadpool Legends: Wave 2 (Sauron BAF) - Lady Deadpool - Hasbro 2018

Marvel Legends has been killing it lately with the female action figures. I'm a big fan of the obvious female revamp of existing male characters. I know on the surface these characters can seem reductive and cliche, but I always love making the direct comparison between genders when all the other factors are basically identical. although these gender swaps can lead to some very lazy design. It's a true comic trope to slap on some breasts and a ponytail and assume you've done your part for gender equality. I normally roll my eyes at these half-assed attempts, and Lady Deadpool is a perfect example of it, but something about this specific example is so wrong that it's right. It took me many years to get on board, but I am currently quite a fan of Wanda Wilson and her gravity defying 90's ponytail. Hasbro really has been giving me all the figures I want lately. So to put it out for the universe to hear, my top wanted classic character is Firestar and modern is Ironheart. Fingers crossed! Let's check out Lady Deadpool below!

Marvel Legends - ALL NEW WOLVERINE!

Deadpool Legends: Wave 2 (Sauron BAF) - All-New Wolverine - Hasbro 2018

I've always wanted there to be a female Wolverine. I thought Logan was so iconic, but his gruff personality and violent tendencies were a little too one-note for me. I thought a gender swap would be so much more interesting. We've been teased with several female Wolverines over the years.. my favorite being Wolverina in What The?! #11 which essentially highlighted how silly the concept of a female Wolverine was to the masses back then. Then I had high hopes for Rancor in Guardians of the Galaxy and Wild Thing from the MC2 universe. They were both fine characters, but I wasn't in love with their designs and ultimately they didn't have staying power. I was loving the comic NYX when Laura Kinney first appeared and bared her claws (I collect comics by artist and I've always loved Joshua Middleton's work). I was so excited to see this new character in costume, but those high expectations were dashed when all she wore for 11 years were (in my humble opinion) boring stealth-looking outfits...

Marvel Legends X-Men - PSYLOCKE!

X-Men Legends: Wave 2 (Apocalypse BAF) - Psylocke - Hasbro 2018

In the early 90s I was in middle school and I was obsessed with The New Mutants. I had been reading and collecting back issues for years, but I knew that it was drawing to a close shortly so I began my first forays into reading Uncanny X-men. Psylocke and Rogue instantly stood out to me as fascinating characters (this was well into the Jim Lee era). Soon I read somewhere that New Mutants Annual #2 was the first appearance of Psylocke. I scrambled through my back issues only to discover strikingly different Betsy Braddock. This sent me on a journey trying to piece together Psylocke's past and various transformations, and I've been obsessed with her ever since. For those unaware, this version of Psylocke we know today was introduced after her mind and powers were implanted into the body of the Japanese ninja, Kwannon. Prior to this, she was the somewhat mousy British sister of Captain Britain with dyed lavender hair and telepathic powers. It's quite a dramatic change. Let's check out Psylocke below!