Evil REX-1 (Terminate the Turtles)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Classic Cartoon (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.70 stars by RMaster007
Last year saw the arrival of REX-1, one of the most wanted characters, in NECA's TMNT cartoon line, and I assume we all knew they'd follow up with the evil clone Shredder made of him. About a year later, here it is, and much easier to find, too! The packaging stands out from the rest of the single-packed toon figures in that it's based specifically off FHE's "Sewer Heroes Series" tapes, the first to have such a style since the GITD Muckman from '22. The art, done by Aaron Hazouri in his usual cartoonier-than-the-original-series style, depicts poor Donatello at the mercy of this evil robocop, while the bio on the back is a corrupted version of good REX's bio. The exterior is great, but the interior is the problem, as there's a ton of those damn plastic ties. Why NECA is so obsessed with...[See More]

Saw Boss
Wheeled Warriors (Mattel) - Monster Minds
Rated 4.50 stars by Karl T. Face
Wheeled Warriors was wonderfully weird. A young hero, a wizard, Basically Han Solo, a human/plant hybrid, and a dwarfish warforged pilot crazy vehicles in their quest to defeat a bunch of evil plant monsters that produce cyber-plant war machines. The 80s! Saw Boss, here, is one such machine. Technically, it's one of the type produced by Saw Boss, but they all seem to be able to project their consciousness into any given unit, so it counts. The general layout for this line is a unique body and main weapon, with the wheels, axles, and additional weapons interchangeable between them all. Saw Boss is basically a smooth techno-dragon head in jet black and gold chrome. The axle bit is a trike, with two pairs of wheels and a couple triangular tank treads. Nominal placement is treads up front,...[See More]

Dreadnok Air Skiff (with Zanzibar)
G.I. Joe - Classic Collection (Hasbro) - Series 6 - Accessories
Rated 4.00 stars by Karl T. Face
I love the Dreadnoks. They're equal parts wacky and threatening, and have a lot of visual personality. Some even have pizzazz. Smuggler, pirate, and if Jack Black is to be believed, a pretty versatile chef, Zanzibar lends some much needed amphibious air support to the 'noks. Sporting a unique sculpt that brings Waterworld to mind more than anything else, he sports two grenades, a pistol, and a knife, all sculpted on, plus a pistol, billhook and mallet. The ponytail is usually in dire need of some straightening. On to the ride! The Air Skiff is one of those improbable contraptions that crop up at this price point, a hilariously tall hydrofoil with a seat plopped on top like a zero-turn mower. It's got a lot of swooping shapes, and looks pretty good in green and yellow in spite of itself....[See More]

Iggy (with Magic Wand)
Super Mario (Jakks Pacific) - Basic Series
Rated 3.95 stars by RMaster007
It's been almost ten years since Jakks Pacific enhanced their presence in the action figure market through their partnership with Nintendo, making many of their properties into figures. Nowadays, the main focus is on the world of Mario, and it's not hard to see why, with plenty of characters and variants to make. I've mostly been getting their Sonic line, but I'm slowly getting back into their Super Mario line, and the low prices make them nigh-irresistible to get. I've been with the World of Nintendo line from day one, and as years went by, it went from a uniform packaging motif to graphics specific to the properties. The Mario figures are a traditional cardback with stock art on the front, and character bio and cross-sell on the back. It's sorta generic, but it works fine for a line...[See More]

Bartman
Simpsons (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 4.80 stars by RMaster007
When Super7 announced they got the Simpsons license, I was excited, as was many others. The idea of a fully-articulated Simpsons line with tons of accessories was neat, but over time, some of the initial excitement died down when it became clear Super7 was focusing more on various characters than the main family, let alone in their regular outfits. They announced a while back that they would begin making the regular family beginning in wave five, but unfortunately, Disney pulled the license and dropped the company, cutting the line short and preventing the fans from getting what they really wanted. Aye carumba. On the brighter side, Super7 still had three waves they were able to release, with waves two and three out now, and wave four should be here soon. And more good news, Jakks...[See More]

Power
Chainsaw Man (Bandai) - S.H. Figuarts
Rated 4.95 stars by RMaster007
Even though both Good Smile and Tamashii Nations putting out Chainsaw Man products, the latter has clearly proved the better option for most. The S.H. Figuarts line has handled the designs better, with more articulation and somewhat better prices. I had the figma Denji/Chainsaw Man on pre-order before cancelling in favor of the Figuarts, but the figma Power I didn't bother with, since the Figuarts looked so much nicer. At least Good Smile's the only one doing an Aki figure right now. By default, Power bears a fitting sinister expression for someone as maniacal as her, with her crosshair-like pupils, sharp teeth, and horns giving away the fact that she's not human. Tamashii captured her look very well, with clean printing for the pupils and realistic wash for her hair, but the paint for...[See More]

Crystar
Marvel Legends - Infinite Series (Hasbro) - Void Series
Rated 5.00 stars by Karl T. Face
If you cherry-pick this line as severely as me, your choice this time is clear. Crystar is one of those oddballs that's eked by on guest appearances and miniseries for like 25 years. A sword-and-sorcery adventure filled with strong character arcs, fun designs, and a bit of a throwback feel even then. Our protagonist here was one of two princes, turned into mineral through various magics, and forbidden to ascend the throne until they stop trying to kill each other. I won't go into it all, but the story is great; it's just lousy with infodumping. Credit where it's due, Hasbro has delivered what I believe to be 100% new sculpt. And they did not skimp, covering every inch with multiple facets. The art in the comic wavers a tad, but this seems to be taken from one of the splash pages, with the...[See More]

Riker
Star Trek - Next Generation (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 4.30 stars by RMaster007
Since its inception, Star Trek has been nothing short of a cultural phenomenon, ranging from TV series to feature films. While the original series is the most famous, its successor, appropriately titled "The Next Generation" is just as iconic. Super7 took a shot at the license and produced plenty of ReAction figures, but also a couple Ultimates, the first wave of which I was able to get for a great deal not too long ago. Bearing the usual packaging for Ultimates, the slipcover has a starry look with the Enterprise symbol on the front, while the box underneath is pretty simplistic in appearance. The window shows off everything clearly, while the back contains a bio and photo of the character in question. The boxes are pretty much the same across the figures, but they did well with them,...[See More]

Fei Long
Street Fighter (Jada Toys) - Ultra Street Fighter II
Rated 4.70 stars by RMaster007
I may be sounding like a broken record, but Jada's Street Fighter figures are great, thanks to top-notch quality and articulation for a price not too far off from the work of big wigs like Hasbro and McFarlane. I was able to acquire two more through Target recently, and they’re the last ones for now until Jada gets to work on putting more up for pre-order. I'll start with Fei Long, since he came first alongside Ryu. He's basically the Bruce Lee of the SF universe, most notably in the face. He bears an intense glare similar to the late martial arts legend, and a somewhat similar hairstyle as well. It looks like face printing was done for the head, as the eyes are rather clean, but the eyebrows could be a little nicer. As with the others, he gets an alternate head, with teeth showing a bit...[See More]

Minotaur (Show No Mercy)
Slayer (Super7) - Ultimate
Rated 4.60 stars by RMaster007
Super7 has been doing pretty well when it comes to music figures lately, with artists such as Notorious B.I.G. and Cliff Burton receiving some of the most well-made Ultimates they've done. One of the latest isn't an artist, but rather someone fictional. This minotaur character comes from Slayer's debut album, Show No Mercy, and whilst done in ReAction form before, the Ultimate saw release not too long ago. Ultimates can have some pretty cool packaging from time to time, and the Minotaur is a good example of such. The slipcover has the Slayer logo on front, but it's stenciled into the back as well, along with various cut out shapes. The pentagram on the window box is neat, and I love the look of the flames on both the box and cover. There's a few ties to snip out, but it's all...[See More]