Punk Leonardo and Punk Raphael
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Classic Cartoon (Neca) - Multi-Packs
Rated 4.45 stars by RMaster007
A few months back, NECA and Target's Haulathon gave us a set of Ninja Turtles dressed up in clothes befitting late-80s teenagers in the city. Not the most exciting set, but it was a much-desired look for the brothers, and I liked how they turned out. It wasn't the only time they wore such outfits, and this new two-pack of Leonardo of Raphael depicts them in the punk disguises they had in "Enter the Shredder," as they were different from the Usagi Yojimbo episode. I guess that's why Donatello and Michelangelo received a set of unique outfits earlier this year. The main thing to note about this set before I get in-depth with it is that it's like 80% reused/repainted molds. Leo and Raph both have the same head sculpt, wearing shades instead of masks, and with big smiles on their faces. The...[See More]

Martian (Invasion Begins)
Mars Attacks (Super7) - Ultimate
Rated 4.45 stars by RMaster007
With each passing decade of the 1900s, pop culture was being shaped more and more, with the 60s bringing the rise of rock-and-roll, the introduction of color televisions, the famous Apollo moon landing, and the end of segregation in American society. Oh, and Mars Attacks. Topps' 1962 trading cards series told the story of invading martians fleeing their doomed home planet and attacking Earth, prompting the humans to fight back. The cards were known for their controversial violence and other content (I'd say Garbage Pail Kids and Dinosaurs Attack made it look tame in comparison), but it's become a cult franchise, with subsequent card series, comic books, and a lovingly twisted and hilarious movie by Tim Burton. There's also been plenty of action figures, with Premium DNA revealing last...[See More]

Bride of Frankenstein (Color)
Universal Monsters (Neca) - Ultimate Collection
Rated 4.75 stars by RMaster007
I've seen a good handful of Universal monster and sci-fi movies, and out all of them, the original Frankenstein movie is my favorite. I've seen the follow-up, Bride of Frankenstein, as well, but so far I've only seen it once, and I'm due for a rewatch now that it's the perfect time for horror. It's not surprising that NECA followed up the monster with his bride, and she was the only Universal Monster figure I had that went uncovered, until now. In the original Mary Shelley novel, the idea of Frankenstein's monster having a wife was there, but she never got completed. The Universal movie brought the character to life, and she was played by Elsa Lanchester. Trevor Grove, who usually handles the likenesses for the monsters, brought the Bride to figural form, and she looks just like the...[See More]

Robot Reaper
Worst (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 4.30 stars by RMaster007
It's been about two years since Super7's own creation, The Worst, got its first Ultimate figures. While the concepts and designs were great, they were hampered by poorly-done articulation, with joints being either too loose or having barely any range, and they ended up being the "worst" for a different reason. We've gotten a few more waves since then, and although I haven't been too interested with them given my wave one experience, I couldn't pass up on the chance to get Robot Reaper for cheap once the opportunity came. Making the jump from retro-styled 3 3/4" figures to the larger Ultimates line allowed for Robot Reaper to get an updated, more detailed head sculpt. As the Grim Reaper is usually depicted as a skeleton, RR's head resembles the underlying materials of a humanoid robot....[See More]

Mondo Gecko
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Neca) - Adventures
Rated 4.75 stars by RMaster007
As spaced out as NECA's TMNT Adventures releases have been, they've been making up for it by putting out much as possible within short bursts. Case in point, we've recently gotten a four-pack and four new singles, one of which is Mondo Gecko, because the more Mutanimals, the better. Mondo's Adventures design seems to be a combination of his original toy and toon designs, with its own unique attributes, such as yellow eyes instead of red, and long, shaggy hair that would make his counterparts jealous. He has a calm, "hey duuuuude" expression, showing off his braces, lifted from his toy design, and the lined brows and lips seem to be toy-inspired as well. Tomasz Rozejowski provided the sculpt for our lizard friend, which is based off Ken Mitchroney's style, like usual for the line. His...[See More]

He-Man (Mutated)
Turtles of Grayskull (Mattel) - Basic Series
Rated 4.05 stars by RMaster007
Remember when I said I'd only be collecting the Mattel Turtles of Grayskull line for the TMNT figures? Well, that ended up being a lie as I ended up getting the line's wave one He-Man, and that soon led to me getting some of the Origins figures. I'd love to get to some of those sometime, but for now, I'll just talk about He-Man, the "most powerful mutant in the universe." I already talked about what the "deluxe" figure packaging was like with Sla'ker, but all the basic figures are on simple cardbacks. The graphics are nice, with an "exploding rocks" background and two characters on the upper corners. The good guys have He-Man and Leonardo, while the bad guys have Skeletor and Shredder. In this He-Man's case, the baddies are shown, which makes sense as Eternia's hero found himself exposed...[See More]

Bartman
Simpsons (Jakks Pacific) - Basic Series
Rated 4.30 stars by RMaster007
Jakks Pacific's Simpsons line has had a pretty good start, with well-crafted figures in two different scales, containing a nice variety of characters right out the gate, and more. The show itself has been home to a variety of outfits and unique appearances for its cast, just look at how much Homers and Barts Playmates did. Super7 jumped right to variants and deep-cuts, and it ultimately cost them the license, but Jakks has done a good balance of regular versions and variants. Case in point, we already have a Bart variant in Bartman. Sure, Super7 put out one earlier this year, but did they ever making a regular Bart? Nope, so Jakks gets the advantage. Bart's Bartman disguise solely consists of him putting a purple mask and cape on him, which isn't surprising given that he came up with it...[See More]

Keno (Foot Training) / Foot Soldier
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - 1990 Movie (Neca) - Secret of the Ooze
Rated 4.55 stars by RMaster007
NECA may have been going all out with TMNT figures as they relate to the original cartoon (and soon, the 2012 one) and comics, but the New Line movies they've been handling at a slower pace. There's only so much they can do from those films now that they've gotten through the major players, including the long-awaited Tatsu, but I assume they still have some plans for the first two movies before moving onto the third film. Last year gave us Keno from Secret of the Ooze, albeit as a SDCC exclusive, whereas Walmart got a "Foot Training" version. This look for Keno is a specific one, coming from when he infiltrates the Foot Clan with Raphael's assistance, and has to engage in combat to prove his worth. Trevor Grove, one of NECA's best when it comes to real-life people, provided the portraits...[See More]

Leonardo (2003 Series)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Classic Collection (Playmates) - 2003 Reissue
Rated 3.70 stars by RMaster007
For much of the 80s and 90s, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were a household name, with comics, a cartoon, movies, toys, and everything else. By the end of the 90s, however, Turtlemania had dried up, with the toyline going on hold after Next Mutation's short run, and a forgettable run of comics by Image. A few years into the 21st century, the Turtles were making their way back into the mainstream with both the return of the Mirage comics and a new cartoon. After two failed pitches, the turtle teens were back on the air thanks to Fox and 4Kids, with the end result obtaining a long run and a big fanbase, thanks to a closer tone to the comics whilst remaining quirky and kid-friendly. This gave Playmates the opportunity to put out a new toyline, with plenty of unique variants and...[See More]

Captain Shiner
ThunderCats (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 4.85 stars by RMaster007
The world of Thundercats is quite expansive, with plenty of unique characters and species. The old LJN line did much of those characters, but there were still some left unmade in figure form that now have ones thanks of Super7. I thought Captain Shiner was S7 only since he only appeared in two episodes, but no, LJN did him too. Both of his appearances showed he was a mercenary for hire employed by Mumm-Ra, but he was willing to help out the heroes in his debut, so in a way, he's the TC Ultimates line's first "neutral" character. Shiner's face reminds me a bit of a Sphynx cat, especially with the pinkish skin. The ears aren't very catlike, though, being rather small and pointed. I'm not sure if he's supposed to be a catman not associated with the Thundercats, but one thing's for sure, the...[See More]