Claw Shredder
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Exclusives
Rated 4.50 stars by RMaster007
(This review was written back in June 2022, so it may sound a little dated) It was last October that I reviewed the first of LootCrate and NECA's series two TMNT crates, which happened to be a letdown (shirt was good, though), and I hoped the second crate would come soon and be better. But nothing showed up, and me and everyone else who purchased these feared we'd never get them. Nobody knows what happened to prevent any more crates from shipping, but apparently it got worked out, because the next one is finally here. One catch, though; the second crate was supposed to be video game-related, but we got the third crate, which is themed after the original Mirage comics, instead. Eh, I'm not complaining. As long as we got something, I'm good. The crate uses the same decal as the previous...[See More]

Slug & Daniel Witwicky
Transformers - Studio Series (Hasbro) - Movie
Rated 4.60 stars by RMaster007
"Excuse me," cries Slug, a mighty robotic triceratops who, along with his fellow Dinobots, disrupts a Quintesson trial. Okay, his name's actually Slag, but since that's a swear not just used by Cybertronians, Hasbro changed it in recent years. His name may be different, but we all know who it is. Slug's toy design depicted him with a black head and thighs, but his cartoon appearance gave him a redhead and silver thighs. Since this is a Studio Series release, and therefore comes from the animated movie, Hasbro went with the latter. He's also a Leader class figure, which makes him 8" tall, though he's technically 9" due to the back kibble. This take on him not only looks just like his on-screen appearance, but better, thanks to all the sculpted detail he never got on painted cels. As the...[See More]

Akuma
Capcom vs SNK 2 (Capcom) - Basic Series
Rated 3.25 stars by Milbury
This is a very solid Akuma, if somewhat limited for fans more spoiled for choice in their Akumas than 2005 fans of the character. At just over 8 inches tall, he's got a solid inch of height on the CVS2 Kyo and Iori, and may even be a touch too tall for those wanting a figure accurately scaled for Marvel Legends themed MvC displays. He has the joint visibility problem that plagued most figures in High Dream's CVS2 line and his articulation is definitely limited compared to a Storm Collectibles figure. His topknot is also vulnerable to breaking and many of the loose offerings of this figure on the secondary market suffer from a broken/missing topknot, so make sure to investigate the pictures thoroughly before buy. That all said, he's perfectly detailed and comes with a removeable 'aura' to...[See More]

Casey Jones
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Super7) - Ultimates!
Rated 4.65 stars by RMaster007
After these recent waves, it's going to be a while before any new TMNT Ultimates drop. Okay, we got the glow-in-the-dark Foot Soldier shipping now and the "mutagen ooze" turtles should be showing up early next year, but it still gives us plenty of time to catch up on previous releases, including one I've been waiting a long while to add to my collection. Casey Jones is, like just about everyone else, a modernized version of an old Playmates figure, but I feel that the head on the original looks better than the one. I don't know what makes me not like the Super7 head so much: maybe it's the smaller eyes, the slightly different shape of the mask, or the rounded lines for the cheekbones, but yeah, not as good. The rest looks just fine, with all the little details have be recreated,...[See More]

Carrion Crawler
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (LJN) - Bendable
Rated 3.75 stars by Karl T. Face
The Crawler is one of those monsters that just keeps getting redesigned. We've seen everything from giant cutworms with tendrils to a lumpy, grinning caterpillar with a full-on tentacle beard. This one is just the goofy 1e art in three dimensions, which really underlines the lack of an art budget back then. Is it still fun, though? You betcha! The silly-looking cartoon caterpillar segments actually help with the poseability of the body, which would've been uselessly stiff otherwise. The funny little feet help with stability in climbing poses. A two-color airbrush job keeps things colorful and poisonous-looking, and the head is emotionless and just plain strange. I take slight issue with the face tendrils, which just kind of fan out in a rigid pose, but between the material and the molding...[See More]

Sewer Surfer Mike
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Super7) - Ultimates!
Rated 4.85 stars by RMaster007
It may be autumn, but this guy's still ready for the beach. While both waves 5 and 6 of TMNT Ultimates are here, I've been hearing of quality issues in the former that are holding me off from buying them, so wave 6 is my main focus. And with it is another Michelangelo, this time based off a variant of him from the first years of the original line. The 1990's Sewer Surfer Mike had a big grin on his face and sunglasses, and that expression is included here, but his default head is a new expression, with a wide open mouth and his tongue hanging out. The sunglasses are a separate piece, rather than being sculpted onto his face. Both heads look great, and the best part is that the skin tone is the same as the regular Mikey, so you can use the heads here on that figure if you wish. Standing...[See More]

April O 'Neil (Bride of Frankenstein)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Neca) - Universal Monsters
Rated 4.70 stars by RMaster007
The last (and first) TMNT/Universal Monster figure I reviewed was Raphael as Frankenstein, so it only makes sense to cover the bride next. April as Bride of Frankenstein is the first figure of this line to have already been done in the crossover Playmates did years ago, but NECA's take is entirely different from it. I don't think they could remake the original design anyways. The packaging is much like Raphael's with a painted illustration on the front and a collage of photos on the back. Both sides are very attractive, and the cross-sell is nice. This figure doesn't just combine any version of April with the bride, and is based off of how she appears in the first TMNT movie. Of course, that means she carries Judith Hoag's likeness. She has a different sculptor here, being done by Paul...[See More]

Goro
Mortal Kombat (Palisades) - Basic Series
Rated 3.75 stars by Milbury
Calling Goro here a figure is a bit of a misnomer -- 'articulated statue' would really be a better term for him. His neck and upper wrists are the full extent of his articulation, unless you count the ability to swivel his ponytail. Set in a crouching stance, he's at least easy on case space, and because of it scales well with the Jazwares MK figures and acceptably with the McFarlane ones. He's well detailed (more so than the disappointing Jazwares Goro) and his grimacing face fits the brutish sub-boss fans know and love. He also comes with a spiffy brick floor/wall stand with the MK logo on it, an accessory shared by all four figures in the Palisades MK line. He might not be worth the high price he currently commands on the secondary market, but if your collection is lacking in a Goro...[See More]

Midnighter
Authority (DC Direct) - Basic Series
Rated 2.50 stars by Milbury
This Midnighter is a very dull and bare-bones figure that isn't likely to appeal to anyone except for fans of the character. His articulation is straight out of 90s era ToyBiz days, so posing him for battle scenes is out. His build is scrawny and not at all fitting for a Batman expy, and next to just about any take on the Caped Crusader he looks woefully thin. Accessories are nonexistent -- this guy doesn't even come with a logo of his team to stand on. Sadly this is the only figure the character has ever gotten, so if you're a fan of Midnighter you may as well bite the bullet and grab him. Otherwise, save your case space and hope McFarlane does this bad boy justice some day....[See More]

Last Ronin (Armored)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Neca) - Last Ronin
Rated 4.95 stars by RMaster007
I just want to start this review off by saying if you haven't read The Last Ronin, do yourself a favor and check it out now. It's a five-part mini-series about the last Ninja Turtle seeking to avenge his fallen family in a Foot Clan-controlled New York, and a dark, intriguing, and overall amazing story. Merchandise for it has been slowly trickling in, such as a figure revealed by Playmates earlier this year. That very same day, NECA revealed that they're doing figures from it as well, starting with one of two different versions of the Ronin himself. The packaging is standard NECA: an easy to open window box with an opening "fifth panel." The illustrations on the front and sides are pretty nice, and they made sure to credit the artists. As for the plastic tray on the inside, there are...[See More]