Batman
Batman - Animated Series (McFarlane) - Basic Series
Rated 4.15 stars by RMaster007
I am vengeance, I am the night, I… am Batman! For many, there's no denying that the 90s Batman cartoon was the one that defined the character for generations to come. The noir theme combined with great stories and casting made it a show that holds up well today. It's gotten plenty of figures, including an expansive line by DC Direct/Collectibles before they went under. McFarlane Toys has since revived the brand with both re-releases of select figures and new ones, but now they're putting out a newly-sculpted line of characters. It seems to be Target-exclusive, but it shouldn't be too hard to get ahold of them. The figures come packaged in mostly-red window boxes with a city background, along with stock art and a cross-sell on the back. It's simple, but it suits the license well. While...[See More]

Ralphie
A Christmas Story (Neca) - Clothed Retro
Rated 4.30 stars by RMaster007
Christmas is drawing near, which means it's time to watch all the appropriate holiday films. My favorite is A Christmas Story, so much so I'd be happy to watch it outside of Christmastime. With plenty of funny and memorable scenes, it's no doubt a classic. NECA's done a couple things with the license, including some 8" scale figures of Ralphie and the "Old Man" that I believe come out every holiday season. Both figures are packaged in window boxes, with a red/green color scheme and plenty of Christmas and movie-themed graphics. I'm fairly certain WB mandated this style, but it's quite attractive and fitting for the license. You will need to cut out a few ties on the inside, but other than that, it's easy to get them open. Let's start with Ralphie, played by a young Peter Billingsley....[See More]

Marsellus Wallace
Pulp Fiction (Diamond Select) - Basic Series
Rated 4.15 stars by RMaster007
You'd think for a movie as well-known as Pulp Fiction, there'd be a lot more figures out of it. There's been only a few, but they're all quite nice, and the ones I personally favor are the Diamond Select figures. Granted, they only got to do three characters, but they're are major players. I got Butch Coolidge a long while ago, and it was recently that I got my hands on a character that complements him perfectly: Marsellus Wallace. Portrayed by Ving Rhames, Marsellus Wallace is usually a calm man unless someone, namely Butch, crosses him. His expression is befitting of his personality, being a tight-lipped, stoic look that feels like his mood could change at any moments. Gentle Giant handled the sculpting, and they nailed Rhames' likeness near-perfectly, but the problem is that it looks...[See More]

Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Man (Bandai) - S.H. Figuarts
Rated 4.90 stars by RMaster007
If you haven't read or watched Chainsaw Man yet, you really should. It's a fun, gory ride with a well-written story and characters, and it's proven to be incredibly popular. With the announcement and premiere of the anime came plenty of merchandise, including a line of figures under Bandai's S.H. Figuarts label. The box is somewhat simple in design, but the graphics are fitting considering the license, with a mix of orange and very dark red, along with some yellow and green splatters. There's also plenty of shots of the figure itself, showing off some of the many poses possible. It's also very collector-friendly, as all the contents inside are easy to remove and put back. Of course, the first release in the line is the main character, Denji, but in his "Chainsaw Man" form. When he pulls...[See More]

Rocksteady (Robotic)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Super7) - Ultimates!
Rated 4.80 stars by RMaster007
It's been a long while since any new TMNT Ultimates were released, not counting glow in the dark stuff, but now the seventh wave has arrived not too long ago. It's actually the eighth wave, but the true wave seven got pushed back by a lot, so that makes this the seventh wave in terms of release order. Although a robot version of the bumbling rhino Rocksteady had already appeared on the concurrent Ninja Turtles cartoon a few years prior, the 1993 Playmates Robotic Rocksteady figure, and by extension, the Super7 Ultimate, had a completely different design. The toy design is blockier and more silver than anything else, and Super7 changed nothing about it. Well, they did give some more color to the shoulder guns instead of keeping them solid black, so that's an improvement. The original toy...[See More]

Blanka
Street Fighter (SOTA) - Round 2
Rated 4.80 stars by RMaster007
While we've gotten plenty of great Street Fighter figures in recent years, ranging from the many characters and variants by Storm overseas, to the more recent, cheaper but just as enjoyable line by Jada. Before they came along, a now-defunct company known as SOTA Toys (who's president Jerry Macaluso is returning to the figure world with Syndicate Collectibles) presented the world with a truly great Street Fighter line. I've heard a lot of good things about it, but it took me until three days ago to finally get something from the line. The figure comes packaged in a plastic clamshell, something you'd see more often in the 2000s than today, and it also means you'll need an exacto knife or scissors to get it open. The graphics are pretty good, with a blue background and cross-sell for other...[See More]

Zitz
Battletoads (Premium DNA) - Basic Series
Rated 4.75 stars by RMaster007
One of the most fondly remembered video games of the 90s, Battletoads was characterized by a mixture of fun beat-em-up levels balanced out by infamously frustrating platform levels (I wouldn't know too much, I only played the super fun arcade game). Even with a new game released a few years back, it seemed unlikely that any new merchandise would be produced for it. Same year the new game was announced, Premium DNA, responsible for reviving niche, nostalgic properties such as Madballs and Barnyard Commandos with modern action figures, nabbed up the license and three years later, they're finally out there. The packaging design is rather simplistic, with the slipcover having the Toads' emblem on the front and back, and the game logo on the side. The cover slides off to the left rather than...[See More]

Yor Forger (Uniform)
Spy x Family (Bandai) - S.H. Figuarts
Rated 4.90 stars by RMaster007
As part of his latest mission, agent Twilight, under the identity of Loid Forger, had to get a wife and child. After adopting the adorable telepath Anya, he secured a wife in businesswoman Yor Brair, unaware she was secretly an assassin. Fitting the order of appearances in the manga/anime, Yor is the third figure in the S.H. Figuarts line. Like Loid, Bandai went with doing Yor's secret life outfit first before her casual outfit, but the expression isn't one you'd expect out of an assassin. The happy, wide-eyed face looks great, however, thanks to what I assume is face-printing technology. The shape of her head is accurate, but she's also got an unusual hairstyle. There's strands of hair hanging down at the sides, but the hair is braided in the back; it's so odd that not even the mangaka...[See More]

Loid Forger (Suit)
Spy x Family (Bandai) - S.H. Figuarts
Rated 4.80 stars by RMaster007
There's been plenty of iconic anime and manga in recent years, one of which Spy X Family. It's about a master spy who poses as a family man with a wife and daughter as part of his latest assignment, unaware that they're an assassin and telepath respectively. It's equal parts action-packed, funny, and wholesome, and while I haven't read the manga in a while, nor have I seen the anime, it's definitely something I should get back into. I have been picking up the S.H. Figuarts line, however, and let me tell you, they're good. The figure comes packaged in a small green window box, and while simple in appearance, the graphics look nice, with plenty of figure shots all around, and the color scheme fits the character. It's very easy to get everything out; just snip a piece of tape on the side,...[See More]

Hyacinth Hippo (Fantasia)
Disney (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 4.35 stars by RMaster007
Disney's musical film Fantasia was composed of all sorts of memorable segments, ranging from Mickey Mouse as the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" to the terrifying Chernabog, as well as "Dance of the Hours," a display of the company's love of anthropomorphic animals. One of such animals is the lovely Hyacinth Hippo, proving that even the largest animals in the wild are graceful dancers, at least in cartoons. Continuing the Disney Ultimates line's trend of giving everyone a unique package, Hyacinth has a primarily purple and pink color scheme for her box, with lovingly painted character artwork and a bio on back. There's only a single twist-tie and a few bits of tape to worry about, and they can be cut out easily for everything to be removed and replaced with no hassle. The slip cover is a gold...[See More]