Moe
Simpsons (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 4.50 stars by RMaster007
As I said before, Super7 is giving us a lot of variety in their Simpsons line. From regulars like Krusty and Mr. Burns, to one-shots and lesser-known characters such as Hank Scorpio and Drederick Tatum, there's a lot to choose from. So far, there's only one "normal" character out now: the surly bartender Moe Szyslak. Sporting a large brow, monkey-like nose, and overbite, Moe is far from a pretty face, but Super7 did a great job translating his crude design into three dimensions, far better than what Playmates did over twenty years ago. He includes two other portraits: one sports a big grin, and he's trying his best to hold it, and the other is a ticked-off yelling expression, a fitting reaction to Bart's prank calls. The yelling head looks a little odd, as the way the mouth is shaped...[See More]

Starscream
Transformers - Retro (Hasbro) - Movie
Rated 4.10 stars by RMaster007
While a lot has happened with the Transformers franchise over the years, its never forgotten its roots. Case in point, there's been a number of rereleases and variants of the original G1 figures, with the most recent being the "Retro" series. We've gotten two so far, Hot Rod and Starscream, and the latter has been popping up at Walmart for a little while now. The packaging appears to be inspired by original toys, and I say "appears" because its similarity comes not in design, but in shape. Because of Hasbro's current dedication to plastic-free packaging, there's no windows or trays, but there is some very nice artwork on the front. The back has "Tech Specs" which I believe were with G1 figures, but I'm not too sure. A few twisties hold the figure to cardboard inside, and those are easy...[See More]

Robot Itchy
Simpsons (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 4.65 stars by RMaster007
Super7 sure has given us a pretty varied line-up for their Simpsons Ultimates so far. We're getting everything from B-listers to one-shots, and there's still no sign of Marge or Lisa in any form. Some many not like it, but I'm more than happy to get everyone, like this mechanical version of the murderous mouse Itchy. The most the robot mascot looks like Itchy is in the head, and the sculptor (whoever that/they is) did a good job translating it into plastic. The bot has a blank stare, as to be expected out of theme park mascots, artificial or costumed. In the show, the three "hairs" on its head tended to be drawn from the side, but here, since they're doing the character in three dimensions, the hairs are right in the middle of the forehead. A second head is included, and at first, it...[See More]

Miner
My Bloody Valentine (Neca) - Clothed Retro
Rated 4.60 stars by RMaster007
Valentine's Day may have come and gone, but I'm still feeling the love… for action figures. One of many horror films released in 1981, the Canadian slasher My Bloody Valentine took place on the holiday, focusing on a deranged miner going after those wanting to celebrate the holiday. Coinciding with the film's 40th anniversary a while back, NECA produced a figure of the miner as part of their Mego-inspired line, but with one catch: you could only buy it from Shout! Factory. While he came and went there, I was surprised to learn that months later, he would be getting a mass release. Hooray for second chances! The Shout! release of the Miner gave him a traditional window box, but the mass release gives him different packaging. This release gives him a clamshell that is somewhat similar to...[See More]

Renet (Brown Clothes)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.50 stars by RMaster007
The return of NECA's TMNT Mirage line feels like a blast from the past, adding on to figures that were released many years ago, so it makes sense that a time traveler joins the line. The plucky apprentice Renet, as far as I'm concerned, appeared in only the eighth issue of the comic, which for some reason had fellow indie comic character Cerebus the Aardvark. Renet's sculpt is done by Jon Matthews, and her head is very accurate to how she appeared in-print. The default head has a neutral expression, and her cowl pulled up to cover her forehead. Her funky headwear, with a clock in the middle, is a separate piece, and it fits on pretty firmly most of the time. She gets an alternate head without the cowl, revealing her tomboyish hair underneath, and making her a bit more expressive. The...[See More]

Sealab 2021 (Debbie Dupree / Dr. Quentin Q. Quinn)
Adult Swim (Palisades) - Series 1
Rated 3.55 stars by RMaster007
Before creating FX's immensely popular Archer, Adam Reed and Matt Thompson created a little show for Adult Swim called Sealab 2021. It did what Space Ghost Coast to Coast prior; take a Hanna-Barbera cartoon and spin it into a off-the-wall adult comedy. In the mid-2000s, it, along with a few other Adult Swim series, got the opportunity to enter the action figure world thanks to the sadly defunct Palisades Toys. The packaging is simple, but nice. It's mostly black, resembling Adult Swim's traditional bumpers, along with a background relating to the show on the front of the paper insert. However, it's also a clamshell package, meaning you'll need an exacto-knife to get it open. At least the packaging helps protect the contents inside. The unique thing about the Adult Swim line was that the...[See More]

Ray Fillet
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Super7) - Ultimates!
Rated 4.75 stars by RMaster007
There's a lot of characters in the TMNT universe who, despite not being part of the major cast, have gotten plenty of recognition. Take Ray Fillet, for example. The mutant fish hero got a figure in the original line, was a regular in the Adventures comic and had some other print appearances, and was in one of the video games, but never showed up in any animated media (he came close to appearing in the Fred Wolf cartoon, though). Still, he's a somewhat recognizable character, hence why Super7 has given him the Ultimate treatment. Standing around 6 1/2", Ray hasn't been changed too much from his original figure, with very subtle differences being present. The big grin isn't as crooked, but the head still looks very nice, especially with the shine on the eyes and teeth, the latter of which...[See More]

Last Ronin (Unarmored)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Neca) - Last Ronin
Rated 4.90 stars by RMaster007
If you enjoyed The Last Ronin, there's a follow-up to it out now: The Lost Years, which takes place both before and after the events of Ronin. While I haven't read it yet, I hope to pick it up soon. In the meantime, though, I have gotten the other Last Ronin figure by NECA, sporting a different look. The front of the packaging has a nice illustration that depicts a pivotal moment from the first issue, in which the Last Ronin comes close to taking his own life before passing out from his wounds. It's an attractive box that does the job well, and it's what you expect a NECA figure box to be, easy to open… once you get rid of all those plastic ties. As the case is with the armored version, the unarmored Last Ronin is sculpted by Paul Harding, and shares a good chunk of parts with the other...[See More]

Doc Brown (1985 Version)
Back to the Future (Neca) - Ultimate Collection
Rated 4.75 stars by RMaster007
I'll admit I haven't really been collecting NECA's Back to the Future line. After I got Biff, I was somewhat satisfied and tapped out of the line. Back in the fall of '22, though, I came across a new release in the line while on the search for Ninja Turtle figures. I figured if I was to pick up something NECA at Target, it may as well be this guy. The front of the box is designed after the plutonium case, coming from the scene where Doc has this specific get-up. It also specifies that this is the third Doc by NECA, not that that's really important, though. There's some tape and plastic ties to remove, and once those are out of the way, it's easy to get everything out. Doc Brown's sculpt is done by both Jason Frailey and Kyle Windrix, but it's not specified who did what on the figure....[See More]

Unicron with Deadend
Transformers - Armada (Hasbro) - Unicron Assortment
Rated 4.00 stars by Karl T. Face
Unicron. The centralizing threat of Transformers: The Movie. A toy that failed to happen twice. A toy we knew damn well would never be made in proper scale, but still. After decades of anticipation, it finally happened. Unfortunately, it happened during the Armada series. Now, Armada wasn't all bad. Play features marred a lot of the already-crude designs, but it was the early aughts. We took what we could get. And what we got here was...okay. I can't fault the sculpt. It's covered in greebles without looking too busy, and most of the details from the movie were carried over almost directly to the new design. The joints are plenty solid; sturdy ratchets and tight hinges, etc. I can't help but feel like the fully articulated fingers were unnecessary, but I can't think what I'd have...[See More]