Tri-Klops
Masters of the Universe - Masterverse (Mattel) - Revelation - Deluxe
Rated 4.75 stars by Karl T. Face
Ladies and gents, we have hit peak Tri-Klops. Okay, I can't say that definitively. This is the first I've owned since 2K. But I really am liking the progression from preternatural swordsman to tech guy/swordsman to Dark Science Tech Bro/swordsman. And here we get two of the three! We'll start with the reason I bought this: Cult Leader Trike. The mitre works well with the red visor, the shoulder pads add a bit of flair, and the robes hang nicely, the plastic tabard keeping the softgoods tunic from flopping about. I love the visor pattern on his stole. And the sword tucks nearly into it behind the head, if you like. All that is removable, of course, and we also get a fairly classic head and harness. The harness is sporting three shades of green, which really adds to the look. Unfortunately,...[See More]

Screech
He-Man - Masters of the Universe (Mattel) - Creatures
Rated 3.50 stars by Karl T. Face
Y'know what kids loved in the 80s? Animal sidekicks. Every team had one, a lot of toys came with them, many were big enough to be toys on their own. Usually sporting impractical arms and armor that never appeared in media. Here's one now. Screech was Zoar's opposite number, the evil pet of Skeletor (or Evil-Lyn, depending on continuity). To that end, they pulled a Panthor and duped the hero's stuff in evil luchador colors. Either way, it's an eagle. Reused from Big Jim, if I'm not mistaken. It's a good sculpt for the era, apart from the oddly large feet. The wings and back are rubber, and even today, can freely be flexed to flap the wings with a press on the back. Sadly, the talons are open slightly too far to fit a figure's wrist, so she (?) gets the same slightly art-deco perch as...[See More]

Slime Pit
He-Man - Masters of the Universe (Mattel) - Playsets
Rated 4.50 stars by Karl T. Face
The Horde was spooky. Their logo was a bat monster. They had two bloodsucking freaks and a Bigfoot on the payroll. And while most 80s villains used mind control here and there, only Hordak used dinosaur skeleton puke to do it. Our boys from Etheria favored smaller bases, and the Slime Pit was the little one. A very 80s fantasy set piece, it's a stone wall behind an empty pool, topped with scrollwork and bearing Hordak's face. A massive reptilian skeleton clutches the wall from behind, poking a hand through the it along the floor of the pool. The skull peers over the top. Paint is entirely airbrushing: a few black shadows, and a lot of brick red on the wall. The bones get a dusting of brown as well. The Slime might be more famous than this thing. It's the classic 70s recipe, now in a...[See More]

Purgatori
Chaos! Comics (Moore) - Series 1
Rated 4.00 stars by Karl T. Face
Chaos! was one of the powerhouses of the Exxtreme 90s comic book boom, turning out a respectable crop of cheesesteak titles dripping with mysticism and mythology. The characters generally look about how you'd expect, and here's a fine example. Purgatori (an ancient Egyptian vampire empowered by demons) is a decent study in the art of Clayburn Moore: leggy and cut, top-heavy and contraposto. The lines are clean, the pose isn't overdone, it's just a damn good sculpt. The paint is tight but minimal, with the only wash being on the wings and skulls, but the plastic is dark enough to cast its own shadows. Bonus points for the clean apps on her boot stitches. Articulation is... incidental. It's just there to get her out of the mold, and maybe tweak the arms a little. If you want to try, you get...[See More]

Baroness (Blue Suit)
G.I. Joe (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 3.85 stars by RMaster007
Like the Joes, C.O.B.R.A. has no problem including women in their ranks, such as Baroness, one of the most ruthless members of the organization. I mentioned recently with Flint that Super7 always seems to nail the portraits on the Joe like, looking more close to life than their real-life human figures. As with the good guys in wave two, Baroness has unpainted, glossy skin on her head, but she looks a little nicer than the others, with a bit less shine. In addition to the neutral and smirking expressions, Baroness also comes with a head that I understand is based off her comic look, with shorter hair with blue wash, round glasses with clear lenses, and pink lipstick instead of red. Unlike most Ultimates, she gets a fourth head, another comic-inspired one wearing an oxygen mask and a tank...[See More]

Lady Jaye
G.I. Joe (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 3.80 stars by RMaster007
Who says fighting for justice is a men's-only thing? Standing about 6 7/8" tall, Lady Jaye's outfit reminds me a bit Flint's, sharing some of the same elements. She has rolled-up sleeves, gloves, two belts around the waist (but no shoulder straps), and boots, all done up in army-esque shqdes of green and brown. The one strap on her torso is sculpted as part of the body, rather than a separate piece, resulting in the look being broken up too much when the chest is posed. The little knife in the holster on her chest is removable, as is the quiver with all sorts of tools. The paint is clean, but as with Flint, the head and forearms aren't painted (or at least not matte), resulting in them contrasting with the painted skin tone on the body. As for her likeness, the glossy skin throws off...[See More]

Flint
G.I. Joe (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 4.25 stars by RMaster007
Yo Joe! It took me a while to complete the first wave of Super7's G.I. Joe Ultimates, and I recently got my hands on most of wave two. It's a good thing I held out a bit, since I was able to grab them for less than $22 each. May as well discuss these, starting with Flint. As seen in wave one, Super7 did a pretty good job nailing the character designs from the Sunbow cartoon, and Flint is no exception. He bears a stoic, serious look, and it's accurate to the animation. Alongside it are a slightly smiling head with the beret as a separate piece, and a head talking into a headset. Unlike Duke from wave one, Flint's skin tone on the head isn't painted (it was supposed to, but something changed at the factory I guess), resulting in a glossy appearance. On the positive side, the paint on this...[See More]

Shadow Weaver
Masters of the Universe - Masterverse (Mattel) - Princess of Power
Rated 4.75 stars by Karl T. Face
Finally! Evil-Lyn may be a badass goth sorceress, but Shadow Weaver was just spooky as hell. Her private quarters are called Horror Hall, man. The magic, the mannerisms, that voice- it's a crying shame she never made it into the old toyline. I refused to buy into Classics, missed out on the Super 7 release entirely, and finally landed this one. And brother, she doesn't disappoint. Right off the bat, the sculpt is just detailed enough- it is mostly flowing cloth, after all, with vertical piping. What paint there needs to be is applied well, with nice clean eyes and almost no slop on the nails. The cloth mantle and sleeves are apparently a point of contention. I don't mind the transition myself, but I do wish we got a skosh more material around the shoulders; one or both ball joints will...[See More]

Night Ninja Leo
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Classic Collection (Playmates) - 90th Reissue - 2022
Rated 4.00 stars by RMaster007
Even with NECA and Super7 putting out plenty of good Ninja Turtle figures, Playmates, the originator of turtle toys, has been keeping up with not only new figures, but plenty of unexpected comebacks from the late 80s and 90s. The old "Mutations" sub-line has been resurfacing for some time already, and joining them are two of the "Auto-Mutations:" Leonardo and Raphael. Hey, if they can bring back those weird Pizza Tossin' Turtles, I don't think anything is off-limits… provided they still have the molds. The Mutations came in window boxes with flaps rather than cardbacks, and their reissues keep those, but the Auto Mutations now come on cardbacks for some reason. That said, the artwork from the original packaging is retained, and provided you have some scissors on-hand, these should be...[See More]

Batman (New Batman Adventures)
Mafex (Medicom) - DC
Rated 4.75 stars by RMaster007
After covering McFarlane's re-releases of DC Direct's Batman: the Animated Series figures, I figured (heh) that I'd go over another animated Batman in my collection. I've heard of Medicom's MAFEX figures time and again, but haven't been interested in the line that much. Their animated Batman intrigued me, and here we are. The packaging is pretty solid with a city byline on both the outside and the inside, along with various shots of the figure. There's no twisties to deal with here; the plastic trays and bags keep everything in place, and it's all easy to take out. This figure isn't from BTAS, but rather The New Batman Adventures, a retool of the show that overhauled the art style and character designs. This included Batman himself, with narrower eyes on his mask and a blockier chin....[See More]