Detritus
Transformers - Legacy - Evolution (Hasbro) - Deluxe Class
Rated 4.00 stars by Karl T. Face
So this was a pre-paint of Hound, of course. Who is also on my list. Do I really want both? Kinda, yeah. Detritus is one of those Ehobby oddballs that have been cropping up lately, a Junkion that struck out on his own as a mercenary. Presumably he only speaks in spaghetti western quotes. Visually, he's a tan and brown jeep, plain and simple. Paint is a little bare, but at least we get hubcaps and a distinct winch. The usual Hologram Projector is present, along with a tubular pistol. Transformation is just around average thanks to a few fun twists canceled out by a few worrisome joints: the windshield is of course clear plastic, on a pin joint. The pec hinges on mine are quite stiff. The result is a tan and brown Hound. Again, it's all he's ever been, so no foul there. With that in mind,...[See More]

Snake Eyes
G.I. Joe (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 4.50 stars by RMaster007
If you're familiar with G.I. Joe, then you'd know that there are a lot of characters in it. In the Sunbow cartoon, each of the tens, if not hundreds, of Joe members got at least one episode with them as a major player, but arguably one of the most well-known characters in the franchise as a whole is Snake Eyes, his popularity most likely attributed to the fact that he's a speechless ninja. In the "M.A.S.S. Device) five-part mini series that would ultimately serve as the pilot for the cartoon, Snake Eyes had a completely different look. As opposed to his usual get-up, he wore a bodysuit that had a less "ninja" aesthetic. Since Super7's G.I. Joe Ultimates line is based more off the cartoon than anything else, it's no surprise that they'd do this design of the silent commando before his...[See More]

Snoopy's Contest Winning Display
A Charlie Brown Christmas (Memory Lane) - Box Sets
Rated 4.25 stars by RMaster007
It's Christmas once again, which means it's time to watch plenty of holiday specials, including the ever-beloved A Charlie Brown Christmas. The most well-known animated special featuring the Peanuts cast, it was a television tradition for years until Apple got the rights to it, but as long as you can watch it yearly, that's no issue. Back in the early 2000s, a company known as Playing Mantis nabbed the Peanuts license for their "Memory Lane" brand, and they put out plenty of great figures with a lot of heart put into them. I'll admit I don't have much of them, but I'd be more than happy to build up a big collection. My personal favorite of the few I own is related to the aforementioned Christmas special, featuring Snoopy and his decorated doghouse. The set actually received two...[See More]

Genghis Frog
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Super7) - Ultimates!
Rated 4.65 stars by RMaster007
Considering how the 80s TMNT cartoon was made to get kids (and adults) interested in the toy line, it's a bit of a surprise some characters didn't make it to figure form. Take the Punk Frogs, for instance; Genghis and Napoleon got made (with different designs), but Rasputin and Attila were not, and eventually vanished from the show. I'm 99% sure NECA was the first to do all four frogs, while Super7 only did the two that got the original Playmates treatment. Napoleon got a ReAction, while Genghis gets to join the Ultimates line. Unlike Napoleon, Genghis' toy design wasn't too much different from his toon appearance, but a bit more detailed. His head is covered in warts, and Super7 (with Four Horsemen's help) proceeded to take that design and modernize it. The head seems to have more warts...[See More]

Otherground Dwella (Gray) (Ecko Unltd)
Citizen Urban Icon (X-Concepts) - Tin Cases
Rated 4.75 stars by RMaster007
I'm a guy who every now and then likes to pursue more niche stuff, be it a DVD of random animated shorts, or some unusual licensed SpongeBob merch like a toothbrush holder. When it comes to toys, I sometimes look into lines not everybody knows about, such as X-Concepts' Citizen Urban Icon line, featuring a variety of stylized characters wearing clothes by real brands. I heard of at least one of them before, the Eckō rhino “Thug,” and when I saw him in-person, I was in love. No, not in that way. The figure comes in a tin container with a window on the front. The graphics are simple, but I feel it really fits the nature of this line. They made sure the container was protected enough to keep people from opening it in-store, covering it in plastic and using a "collector's seal" to keep the...[See More]

Pizza Tossin' Leo
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Classic Collection (Playmates) - 90th Reissue - 2022
Rated 4.00 stars by RMaster007
While most of the best TMNT figures this year have come from NECA, Playmates, the originator of Turtle toys, has been keeping up as well. In addition to their Mutant Mayhem line, they've been reissuing certain older figures, including the unexpected return of 3/4 of the Pizza Tossin' Turtles. I covered Raphael a while back, and now it's high time I cover the remaining two. As discussed with Raphael, the turtles in this sub-line have very strange designs. Like him, Leonardo has bug eyes and a big grin, but with his tongue sticking out. There's a lot of shared tooling with not just Raph, but the other turtles. I assume that's why they chose to reissue these, as the shared parts likely keeps costs down. Aside from the head, Leo has a few other unique parts, with his pizza launcher...[See More]

Scarecrow
Batman - Animated Series (McFarlane) - Basic Series
Rated 4.35 stars by RMaster007
Batman has gathered himself quite the rogues' gallery over the years, with a variety of unique villains for him to face off against. We all know faces like the Joker, the Penguin, Two-Face, amongst others, and we certainly can't forget the terrifying Scarecrow. In his first appearance in the 90s animated series, "Nothing to Fear," the Scarecrow had a rather goofy look, but his second appearance, "Fear of Victory," updated him to look more sinister. The regular look is included with this figure, and it's nicely captured, with a good expression and some decent paint, but it did notice a few areas of clumping or inconsistent coloring. And if you want Scarecrow with the mask off, a Jonathan Crane head is included. I like this one as well, primarily due to the equally sinister face, and much...[See More]

David Xanatos
Gargoyles (Neca) - Ultimate
Rated 4.80 stars by RMaster007
In addition to the titular creatures, Disney's Gargoyles had plenty of human characters that were just as interesting, such as David Xanatos. He started out as your typical evil businessman, but he later developed into a more neutral character. That's the thing with continuity-driven series, you can have characters change and develop as they go on. NECA's figure of Xanatos comes in their usual five-panel window box, with the front having a painting done by Djordje Djokovic and Raph Herrera Lomotan of the man overlooking a chess board with various characters as pawns. This signifies his position as the show's "chessmaster": one who uses those around them to their advantage. Everything else is no different from the other figures, but I wish NECA would stop using the same generic text for...[See More]

Rayquaza
Pokemon Select (Jazwares) - Series 1
Rated 4.75 stars by Karl T. Face
Well, I can't say too much about the character here. Never played any of the games. But I do love me some monsters, and boy howdy, does this franchise have a lot of them. Straight out of the package, dude's in his classic half-pretzel pose. Sculpting is on point, paint is near perfect all around. The clear stand holds up well, and has a hinge at the connection point. And then there's the articulation. This is my first Select; having gotten used to 5 POA on average, this thing is amazing. The neck and the first few segments are swivel/hinges, as are the shoulders, elbows, and wrists. The reminding segments are plain swivels, but the curves allow for a lot of options. My only complaint, and this may well be a rare issue, is that every joint on mine is monstrously stiff. I put small stress...[See More]

Cyclops
One:12 Collective (Mezco) - Marvel
Rated 4.85 stars by RMaster007
Mezco's One:12 line has been putting out a lot of cool figures, ranging from licensed to original, but I'll admit I haven't been picking up anything from it. I have been thinking about getting the Ghostbusters set and Alien (especially because I can get the latter for cheaper now), and the upcoming Mask looks great, but for now, I only own two. I already covered Jason Voorhees long ago, and the other one is Cyclops from X-Men. As with most One:12 figures, the packaging is very simplistic with blue and yellow colors, along with figure photos and an accessory layout on the back. This is the slip cover, and underneath it is a window box that makes use of various trays to hold everything inside; no tape or ties to be removed. It's all collector-friendly, but if you don't plan on keeping the...[See More]