Kang
Simpsons (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 4.30 stars by RMaster007
Although Super7 chose a good starting lineup for their Simpsons line, with a mix of major and minor characters, the third wave was when things steered into an unusual direction. Mr. Burns and Ralph were expected, but not Kang and Kodos, with no figures of the family themselves. Sure, Playmates went a few waves of their line with none of the family, but Super7 doing such a thing this early was quite a gamble. The Rigelians are some of my favorite characters in the show, so I was happy to get them sooner than later, or not at all given the early death of the line. One thing to note about the pair is that they come in huge boxes, and I mean huge. They aren't as big as Grimlock, but still rather tall and deep, though bear the same graphics as the rest of the line. There's a lot more stuff...[See More]

Chakahachi and Lotus
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Classic Cartoon (Neca) - Multi-Packs
Rated 4.70 stars by RMaster007
Thought the only ninjas in New York were human-sized mutant turtles? Well, think again. Lotus Blossom was a character who only appeared in two episodes, but she left quite an impact, because you can't go wrong with ninja babes. However, the NECA two-pack featuring her proved hard for me to find, and I was finally able to find it hiding amongst some of the more recent releases, yet had to go out of town for it. I really wish NECA would give more specific sculpting credits, because there's three people credited here (Tony Cipriano, Tim Miller, and Kushwara Studios), and I'm not sure which one of them did Lotus. Whoever's responsible, the head sculpt is fine, though the eyes seem to be a bit too far apart. They designed her hair to flow back so it won't get in the way of the sheath, and the...[See More]

Wreck-Gar
Transformers (Super7) - Ultimate
Rated 4.15 stars by RMaster007
1986 was an important year for Transformers, as not only did the franchise receive its first feature film, but introduced some new characters, albeit at the cost of characters like Optimus Prime and Megatron getting scrapped or reformatted. Everyone knows the likes of Hot Rod and Galvatron, but who can forget Wreck-Gar, the Junkion whose vocabulary is sourced entirely from television? Not Super7, hence why he's the only movie-introduced character to get an Ultimate. Wreck-Gar may be one of the few Transformers to have facial hair, sporting a thin mustache and beard, along with the antennae on top of his head. It's a pretty good likeness of his cartoon design, with all the proper details and clean paint, but his face is a bit more yellow than it should he. I like how his face isn't just...[See More]

Alfred Pennyworth
Batman - Animated Series (McFarlane) - Basic Series
Rated 4.15 stars by RMaster007
The city of Gotham isn't just masked vigilantes and an overabundance of villains and corrupt businessmen, there's normal citizens as well, such as Alfred Pennyworth, the faithful butler of both Batman and his secret identity Bruce Wayne. He doesn't get a lot of figures, but DC Collectibles did make one, coming from the animated series. Only catch was that he only came with a big Batcave playset, and as you can guess, it goes for a lot nowadays. Thankfully, McFarlane came along and reissued Alfred on his own for a very reasonable price. Most of the Animated figures were done by Irene Matar, but Alfred was done by Tony Cipriano (McFarlane doesn't credit their sculptors, but DCC did). The head sculpt is certainly nice, with the raised eyebrow expression. It befits Alfred perfectly, since he...[See More]

Clayface
Batman (DC Collectibles) - Animated Series
Rated 4.40 stars by RMaster007
All these DC Collectibles Batman Animated reissues has made me sought out the original releases, and while I've been checking eBay a lot for them, I have yet to get anything off there as it relates to the line. However, a recent toy expo allowed me to get my hands on one of the originals, being none other than Clayface. He didn't appear much, but any episode with him was bound to be good, especially his debut, "Feat of Clay," and his last appearance "Growing Pains." Catwoman was my first choice, but I saw this guy and went with him instead; besides, I heard that Catwoman breaks easily. Normally, these figures came on cardbacks, but Clayface was one of the boxed releases, due to his big size and accessories. The graphics are very simple, but there's the iconic credits illustration on the...[See More]

Bluegrass
SilverHawks (Super7) - Ultimate
Rated 4.35 stars by RMaster007
Sure, he may be partly metal, partly real, but Bluegrass still acts like a man from a much earlier time. A cowboy who seemingly traveled into the future, he doesn't need fancy cybernetic wings or shoulder lasers; all he needs is his lasso and a guitar. A guitar that shoots lasers. Bluegrass, like the other figures in this line, has a very accurate head sculpt. Four Horsemen was involved in the sculpting of these, but neither they nor Super7 bothered to credit who actually did this guy. He has his cowboy hat on, and it can be removed to reveal a mohawk underneath. Makes you wonder if he had one to begin with or if it was just part of the armor. He comes with three head sculpts: one neutral, one smirking, and one winking/grinning. They look great and swap easily, with very clean work on...[See More]

Batman (Blind as a Bat)
Batman - Animated Series (McFarlane) - Basic Series
Rated 4.40 stars by RMaster007
McFarlane's been doing well when it comes to DC, especially now that they're re-releasing older DC Collectibles figures. I got the first wave of their BTAS reissues/redecos, and while I found them mostly underwhelming, they were enjoyable. The second wave came out a while back, and I found it much better, especially since it has not one, but two new figures that weren't in the original line. One of the new figures is another version of Batman, based off the episode "Blind as a Bat." In the episode, Bruce Wayne was rendered blind by the Penguin, so he has this special headwear made for him to aid his vision. The helmet is spot on to the episode, complete with a cord (shame it can't go into the belt like in the show), though the shape of the chin is still inaccurate, being closer to TNBA...[See More]

Leonardo Leads (Pizza Club)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Classic Cartoon (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.35 stars by RMaster007
Usually, it's important for toy companies to keep major characters on the shelves, but NECA hasn't been able to do that much with their TMNT toon line, mainly due to its limited distribution. Still, they've done plenty of versions of the main four turtles, giving newcomers an opportunity of jump in. Both the Turtles in Disguise and Style Guide four-packs were great, and I consider the latter to be the ideal Turtle set, but we got new "Pizza Club" releases of the same molds a few months back, and I think both longtime collectors and those just getting into the line will like them. Keeping up with the VHS throwbacks seen with the packages, these are based off the tapes that were given out as part of Burger King's Kids Club. There were four of those, and there are four of these; makes...[See More]

Batman (Gray)
Batman - New Adventures (McFarlane) - Basic Series
Rated 3.95 stars by RMaster007
When Batman: the Animated Series moved from Fox Kids to Kids' WB, it was retooled into "The New Batman Adventures." There were a lot of changes abound, with Batgirl becoming a major character, Dick Grayson becoming Nightwing, and an overhauled art style. Having completed the series lately, I will admit I like the atmosphere and stories of TNBA better, likely due to the WB allowing them to do more. Still, the overall feel of BTAS is hard to beat. DC Collectibles gave equal focus to both when making some enjoyable figures in the late 2010's, and although I haven't gotten any of the originals yet, McFarlane has re-released a few TNBA figures. These don't have build-a-figure parts like the concurrent BTAS reissue line, but they also aren't exclusive anywhere, making them easier to find....[See More]

Hank
Dungeons & Dragons (Hasbro) - Cartoon Classics
Rated 4.05 stars by RMaster007
While Dungeons and Dragons is a well-known role-playing game, not everyone who's heard of it knows there was a cartoon in the early 80s. Despite its short run, it's still fondly remembered by those who've seen it, and 40 years later, it's finally gotten action figures thanks to Hasbro. To be honest, I had no interest in the franchise beforehand, but when my local Ollie's got the first wave of figures for $10 apiece, I couldn't resist. The cardbacks for these figures are interesting, as they don't use any plastic, a current Hasbro tradition. The contents are kept inside a closed-window box made part of the card, and the artwork on both the backing and side is great, and the spine artwork lines up with one another, so getting them all will make for a good display for you in-box collectors...[See More]