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]

King-Size Homer
Simpsons (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 4.00 stars by RMaster007
Don't get me wrong, Super7 did a pretty good job with their short run with the Simpsons license, but their character selection was quite poor. Wave 1 had a decent mix of major and minor characters, and wave 2 offered a better selection, but then wave 3 was all B/C-listers, and wave 4 was an unusual mix of deep-cut characters and variants, notably giving us our second Homer variant before doing a regular one. Sheesh, no wonder Disney dropped them. At least their second Homer comes from another one of the show's best episodes, "King-Size Homer." Super7's team already nailed Homer's likeness with the "Deep Space" version, so doing him again was no difficult task here, they just had to make the lower part of his head fatter. This is accurate to the episode, as he had to pack on the pounds to...[See More]

C. Montgomery Burns
Simpsons (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 4.25 stars by RMaster007
The oldest, richest, most powerful, and no doubt meanest person in Springfield, and now a 7" scale action figure. Excellent… C. Montgomery Burns (Super7 opted not to call him just Mr. Burns) has a very unique head design, no doubt coming from the Simpsons' early years. The big forehead, long, pointed nose, and overbite make him stand out a bit from most of the characters in the show, and you'd think it'd be hard to convert to three dimensions. Surprisingly, no, as Super7's team of sculptors produced a spot-on recreation of the character's unusual appearance. The one oddity is that when you look at him from below, his jaw and chin appear small, almost as if they're going into the roof of his mouth. The Playmates version did the same, and here, I feel it would've looked nicer if his lower...[See More]

Ralph Wiggum
Simpsons (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 3.85 stars by RMaster007
In the world of B-list Simpsons characters, Ralph Wiggum is one of the most iconic ones. He's a special kid, and a highly-quotable one at that, so what are the odds he'd receive an Ultimate figure? Besides, Bart(man) can't be the only kid in the line. Ralph's default expression is a blank stare with a smile. There's not much going in his head, but his heart is certainly full of love. His design is captured well in plastic form, looking near-perfectly recreated, save for his hair. He's supposed to have a bald spot right on top, but Super7 designed it as a big piece of stringy soft plastic plopped onto the head. It throws off the appearance of an otherwise accurate figure, and the hair strands should've just been sculpted onto the head. He gets an alternate head with an ice cream cone...[See More]

Harley Quinn (Timed Edition)
Batman (Mondo) - Animated Series
Rated 4.80 stars by RMaster007
Although I haven't been keeping up with Mondo's Batman Animated line, from what I've been hearing, they're really good, and while Catwoman was the only one I had up until recently, I'm starting to get into it more. I pre-ordered Bane when the timed edition was up, and I also got Harley Quinn some time ago as well. Most fans know she was a character created for the show, and has since become an iconic villain in the franchise, so her inclusion in this line was a no-brainer. The box is pretty simple in nature, being red all around, but Danny Haas' art on the front is great. This is a fifth-panel box with an opening flap to reveal the contents inside, and it's made out of a thick, durable cardboard. It's very easy to open up and get everything out, so there's no reason not to play with...[See More]

Count Orlok (Nosferatu)
Universal Monsters (Neca) - Ultimate Collection
Rated 4.90 stars by RMaster007
It's hard to believe that there are films that are over a hundred years old out there, but there are, such as Nosferatu. Released in 1922, it's known as the first vampire film, and is rather well-known (probably thanks to SpongeBob). Super7 made their own action figure of the main creature, Count Orlok, to celebrate its 100-year milestone, but NECA came along and did one that both looked better and cost less. Guess which one I went with? The packaging is nothing too special, though the front bears a painting that looks just like the figure inside, done by Daniel Horne. I'm guessing they couldn't do a poster this time, since the film's so darn old there's no surviving ones. You still have photos of the figure on the sides and back, along with a gate backdrop on the inside. I don't talk...[See More]

Suckerman
Suckerman (Mattel) - Basic Series
Rated 4.50 stars by Karl T. Face
Spoiler alert: this thing sucks. Now, this may be my long, long history with rubber monsters that are older than me, but there's a simple pleasure in holding a floppy Fierce Critter. While most companies were content with the 2-5" range, Mattel went big with a plate-sized suction cup lizardman. I've had the classic green here for years, but never gave it a proper review. Firstly, despite being 44 years old, all 11 inches are still plenty soft, with only a hint of discoloration on the rear suckers and a small mouse nibble. Sporting 14 suckers on the front, 10 in back, and two on the feet, one's eyes are mostly drawn to the head, where we get a grinning nosferatu-lizard that radiates pulp-comic energy. Fishlike scales cover the torso and hips, fading into a cracked or veiny texture. The...[See More]