Panthor
Masters of the Universe - Origins (Mattel) - Accessories
Rated 2.50 stars by Karl T. Face
Bad kitty. I didn't even buy this for Skeletor; it just seemed like something HHH would ride into the arena on, given the option. And it was only ten bucks, so the bar is a little low. But like any cat, it snuck under. I must commend the sculpt. The original mold was famously well sculpted, and this one, while a tad beefier, ramps up the fine detail and looks far better than flocking ever did. Paint is of course minimal; some dark airbrushing would be nice, but it's a deep enough purple to make its own shadows. The saddle buckles securely and looks great from all angles, which isn't always a guarantee. Articulation is nice on paper: tail, shoulders, hips, knees, elbows, neck, and jaw. But while the head is remarkably flexible, the limbs are all but useless. The swivel/hinges at the knees...[See More]

Triple H
Masters of the WWE Universe (Mattel) - Wave 1
Rated 4.00 stars by Karl T. Face
Well, that's an improvement. The pack-in HHH was a fine wrestler toy, but not so hot for a MOTU crossover. This is more in line with his more extravagant entrance gear, which blends right in. The body is the same, but with full pants and a lot of purple. A bulky harness adds some fun spiked armor, and it's topped off with a tattered cape and skull-crown-helmet. Articulation is standard as always- above average, in fact, since nothing was stuck. The shoulder pads do restrict upward motion a bit, but he can still pose with his hammer convincingly. For a bit. The hammer is actually the chief flaw here. The gorgeous sculpt can't quite save it from the fact that it's slightly too big for the hands. It's bad enough the reused Classics sculpts barely stayed on, now they're doing it on purpose?...[See More]

Ice Giant
Witcher (McFarlane) - Megafigs
Rated 4.50 stars by Karl T. Face
So, The Witcher. I've only seen the series, and never actually finished that, but I can confirm more-or-less myth-accurate monsters (Kikimora notwithstanding), which is what I come for. So whatever version this is based on, it's looking pretty good. But does it hold up in-hand? Firstly, it's McFarlane. They know what they're doing when it comes to monsters, and this is as good a cold-weather giant as one could ask for. The pale skin, furs, and shaggy hair look great, and the pulleys on his sash add a nautical touch. I gotta say, though, the ropes holding the bones onto the legs are mostly unpainted, which is odd considering the rest. All in all, a "greatest hits" ice giant, pulling from a number of classic inspirations. I like it. Articulation is pretty typical for the last couple years:...[See More]

Ghost of Jacob Marley
Mythic Legions (Four Horsemen) - Figura Obscura
Rated 4.85 stars by RMaster007
Everybody knows the story of A Christmas Carol, having received various adaptations and retellings for years and years, but the one thing they all (almost all of them, at least) have in common is the presence of ghosts. The mysterious, life-changing night Ebenezer Scrooge has begins with the appearance of the ghost of his old partner, Jacob Marley, in his bedroom. Recently, I picked up Four Horsemen Studios' take on Marley, part of their "Figura Obscura" line, dedicated to various tales and legends. The packaging is rather unique, with a painting of a Marley door knocker on the front and paragraphs related to the character on the back, but this part is a separate piece held onto a window box with magnets. Remove it and you'll see the reverse side has a backdrop showing a startled Scrooge...[See More]

Cliff Burton
Metallica (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 4.70 stars by RMaster007
In the world of heavy metal, one of the most iconic bands is Metallica, and one of the most iconic bassists is Cliff Burton. Although his life was tragically cut short in a bus accident, his legacy lives on through the band's music… and this new action figure by Super7. Considering how long it can take for Super7 to produce their Ultimates, I was surprised this guy came out in just under a year. The slip cover here is designed after a denim jacket, complete with various pins and a Metallica-styled "BURTON" on the front. The box underneath has a cool lightning motif, with a painting by Ed Repka on the back. There's only a single bit of tape and a tie to remove to get everything out, a definite plus here. The likenesses on Super7's recent music figures have been quite good, and Cliff is...[See More]

Robin
Batman - Animated Series (McFarlane) - Basic Series
Rated 3.95 stars by RMaster007
While I could care less for McFarlane's DC Multiverse line nowadays, I'm happy with their re-releases of the DC Direct Batman Animated line, bringing back older figures with new extras, and there's a second build-a-figure wave on the way, along with New Adventures figures. I've just now completed the first BAF wave with the other half of characters, Batman's sidekick Robin and the tragic villain Mr. Freeze. Let's start with Robin first. He's been put out a couple times now, and McFarlane's re-release is the third or fourth time we've seen him. The sculpt is pretty nice and spot-on to the show's style, with a confident expression and one side of the cape draped over the shoulder more, but the rubbery material prevents it from hindering movement. They also did a good job with his hair, a...[See More]

Ryu
Street Fighter (Jada Toys) - Ultra Street Fighter II
Rated 4.70 stars by RMaster007
Although they've been putting figures out at a slow rate, Jada's Street Fighter line has proven promising, showing off fully-posable and well-made characters for good prices, and I await the next couple of pre-orders. I covered Chun-Li a while ago, and now it's time to look at the major player of the franchise. Ryu is designed not just after how he appears in SFII, but much of the franchise in general. He has his typical stoic expression by default, but it can be swapped out for an alternate head with a fiercer look. Most of the hair and the headband tie are a separate bit of softer material on top of the heads, with the tie flowing differently on both portraits. Both heads look nice, and the paint is pretty good, aside from some slop and bleed, including some white marks on the back of...[See More]

Lemmy
Motorhead (Super7) - Ultimate
Rated 4.70 stars by RMaster007
Although the world of Super7's Ultimates is filled with nostalgic television and toy icons, there's been plenty outside of that realm as well, ranging from original properties to music legends. In the terms of music legends, we've gotten icons like Papa Emeritus and King Diamond, and one of the latest is the late Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead fame. Lemmy's box is primarily black, with a chain graphic around the window and big text on the back. The slipcover has a leathery look to it, bearing the "Snaggletooth" logo on the front. It's easy to remove everything inside the box, with only a single tie and a few bits of tape, and the speaker backdrop is pretty neat. I brought up in my Ultimate Notorious B.I.G. review that most of Super7's human likenesses are okay at best, but Lemmy is...[See More]

Jubilee (Mondo Exclusive)
Marvel (Mondo) - X-Men Animated
Rated 4.60 stars by RMaster007
If you haven't been following Mondo, they've been putting out a line of sixth-scale X-Men figures based off the 90s animated series. I got their first release, Wolverine, a long while back, but I haven't really been getting into the line, primarily due to the prices. I ultimately caved into it and picked up another one of the heroes: the young Jubilee. The packaging is similar to Wolverine's in that it has storyboard images on the front, but the back instead has a few model sheet drawings of Jubilee, with a full color image of her covering the storyboards on front. Dan Vessenmayer, one of the crew members of the show, provided the art, so it's good to know they were able to get him involved. It's a bit easier to get everything inside out with Jubilee, as the figure stand is no longer...[See More]

Notorious B.I.G. (Brooklyn Jersey)
Notorious B.I.G. (Super7) - Ultimate
Rated 4.75 stars by RMaster007
He's gone by many names, but the alias Christopher Wallace is most known for is The Notorious B.I.G. Despite dying young in his early 20s, weeks before his second album, he remains one of the most influential hip-hop rappers there was. The man continues to be immortalized through merch long after his death, the latest being Super7's "Ultimate" figure. Does it do him justice? May as well find out. Coming in the usual trapezoidal Ultimates packaging, Biggie comes in a golden foil box with a brief description of him on the back, and the slip cover is primarily black with a head silhouette on the front. It's simple, but it fits him quite well, and it's not too hard to get everything out; just some tape and two plastic ties to remove to get the figure and some of the extras out. Super7...[See More]