Star Wars 3.75" Black Series - REY (JAKKU)!

Star Wars: Black Series (3.75") - Rey (Jakku) - Walmart Exc - Hasbro 2015

In all the hub-bub leading up to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I was never able to find a 3.75" Rey in the stores. I heard woeful stories from many a Dad trying desperately to find a Rey figure before Christmas.  It's a shame there wasn't more product on the shelves leading up to the holidays. I personally didn't find this figure until January 8th, so I feel your pain.  There are actually two 3.75" Rey figures (so far) in her Jakku outfit. The other version (the "Starkiller Base" version) is slightly shorter and much less articulated, but at a quick glance they are very similar figures. From the comparisons I've seen online though, I think I made the right choice in grabbing this one. It should be interesting to see what new costumes Rey gets in the upcoming films.  Like Leia, I think she's destined to have a variety of unique looks throughout the course of the series. So because of that hunch, I'm going to slow down my Rey purchases.  The three I have will have to tide me over. Let's check out the 3.75" Black Series Rey below!

Diamond Select HARLEY QUINN Bust!

Batman: The Animated Series - Harley Quinn Bust - Diamond Select Toys 2015

One of the most exciting things for me at last year's Toy Fair was the new line of Batman: The Animated Series products from DST. Namely their mini-busts of Batgirl, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn. I used to be a action figure purist, not even bothering with high end collectibles like statues and busts. But eventually I started to cave with the early Covergirls and Women of the DCU lines. I'm still pretty selective, mostly because of budget and shelf space, but I'm now addicted to the idea of having all my favorite characters represented in mini-bust format.. and especially having every possible version of those characters. I already have seven different Catwoman busts and I don't even have the animated one yet (and I'm predicting we'll see a Michelle Pfeiffer one eventually). This is my fourth Harley and I'm expecting many more. (In fact, I'm willing to bet there will be a Suicide Squad line revealed in the next few weeks). Totally digging the BTAS love lately. Let's check out the animated Harley bust below!

Wild Kratts - MANTIS POWER AVIVA!

Wild Kratts - Crawlers Set - Mantis Power Aviva - Wicked Cool Toys 2015

The Wild Kratts is a PBS Kids show that is now in its 4th season. I've been noticing the toys at TRU for years and was always intrigued by the animal themed costumes (and realistic animal accessories).  At some point I googled the show to discover if there were any female characters I should be keeping my eye out for (all of the toys seemed to be focused on the main two Kratt brothers in their Blue and Green animal power suits). Sure enough I discovered the character Aviva and found lots of pictures of her as purple-hued animals from the cartoon. I figured they would have to make toys of her eventually. A few months ago I discovered two versions of a civilian Aviva had been released.  Of course they were included in expensive boxsets and weren't all that interesting looking.  I wanted her in an animal form! Then my wishes were granted with this cool Mantis Power Aviva figure. These figures are small and unarticulated, but I think they are just great. I'm just hoping we see Aviva (or Koki) in more animal forms!

PEZ Batman v Superman - WONDER WOMAN!

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Wonder Woman - PEZ 2016

I'm a collector of many many things. I usually just tell people that I collect hobbies. My first collection of things that I paid for (ie.. not rocks or bugs) was PEZ dispensers. I started when I was in middle school by buying a Smurf dispenser for 79 cents at a drug store in the mall. In a matter of months I had a line of them on the windowsill by my bed. Skip forward 25 years and I have a little over a thousand with custom display cases. I'm still really into them, but I stopped being a completist about 10 years ago. I still buy almost every new dispenser I see, but I don't go crazy with exclusives, chases, and foreign releases any more.  It's pretty rare when two of my hobbies overlap, but when they do I get very exited. Just like every other plastic medium, female characters often get unfairly left out out of the mix. Sure, there are lots of girl-centric lines like Princesses, Barbie, My Little Pony, etc.  But the girl characters in most of the other licenses never see the light of day. Let's check out Wonder Woman below!

Marvel Legends SPIDER-GWEN!

Spider-Man Legends - Absorbing Man Series - Edge of Spider-Verse - Hasbro 2016

Woohoo Spider-Gwen! Marvel has created a lot of great female characters over the past few years, but Spider-Gwen has my favorite design of them all. Her comics honestly haven't thrilled me, but I do find them enjoyable. This action figure however is simply the bee's knees. Something about the prototype from SDCC had me a little scared about the execution of the hood and overall styling. But the version I found in Toys R Us this afternoon is perfect.  I simply can't get over the roster of perfectly executed Spider-Ladies we've received in the past few years. Seemingly out of the blue I suddenly have a dedicated Spider-shelf.  And if the rumors are true, we should be seeing figures of Ashley Barton Spider-Girl and Silk in the next Spider-Man wave. Toy Fair is going to be pretty exciting this year! Plus there's a good chance there will be figures of Lady Thor and Wolverine in the mix, too. Hasbro is killing it lately and I hope they keep the momentum going. Let's check out Spider-Gwen in detail below!

Batman v Superman - WONDER WOMAN!

Batman v Superman - Basic Series 01 - Wonder Woman - Mattel 2015

It's funny that I found this figure so much more difficult to track down than the larger Multiverse version. It seems like all my stores are overstocked with Batman, Superman, and Aquaman... like literally more than a dozen of each... but Wonder Woman is nowhere to be found.  I eventually picked her up at the Walmart in my parents' hometown while visiting last week (and surprisingly they had about 10). I haven't seen her anywhere since either. As expected from a movie-based basic line, her articulation is nothing to write home about. I count 11 points of articulation - which doesn't seem half bad at first, but her hips and shoulders are just straight forward swivel joints so the range of motion is severely limited. Despite that though, this is a really fun little figure. We almost never see females in non-collector lines. Hopefully future characters will see this treatment as well. Let's check out the basic assortment Wonder Woman in detail below!

Transformer SDCC Exclusive COMBINER HUNTERS!

Transformers Generations Combiner Hunters 3-Pack - SDCC Exc - Hasbro 2015

This review is long overdue. I've had this oversize 3-Pack stored under the end of the coffee table in my man cave until last week. I kind of dread reviewing Transformers because I always try to transform them with little or no luck. I'm normally great at this kind of stuff. I'm kind of an origami prodigy and I'm the go-to person to decipher Ikea instructions.  But something about these plastic transformations foils me almost every time. This Combiner Hunters 3-Pack was a great way to re-release three of the amazing female Transformers that graced the shelves in 2014: Arcee, Chromia, and Windblade. All three characters have pretty dynamic repaints and new accessories. It's crazy how much my Transformers collection has grown in the past 18 months. It went from practically non-existent to taking up several (small) shelves. Hopefully there will be some more. I've decided to skip Victorion, but I'm looking forward to the female character in Rescue Bots! Fingers crossed for Toy Fair! Let's check out these three below!

Arkham Knight Figural Keychain - HARLEY QUINN!

Batman: Arkham Knight - Collector Series Keychains - Elephant Gun LLC 2016

These new figural keychains from Elephant Gun are going to be a fun new obsession of mine.  I knew they were on the horizon but didn't realize how nice they would be until I saw them in person at Hot Topic last week.  The detail in the sculpt and paint apps is pretty impressive. Elephant Gun has historically been known for amazingly geeky car decals.  I you want a superhero family lined up on the rear window of your minvan, Elephant Gun is the place to go. I'm especially excited about the DC Bombshells series of keychains that are already starting to trickle out. I'm not a big enough fan of the Bombshells design to splurge on a statue, but for a 3" tall little figurine I'll gladly accept them into my collection. This Harley is smaller than an Eaglemoss, but larger than Heroclix. It's an interesting size. Last year at Toy Fair NY they showed off some product in the Wonderland Toy Co booth so hopefully I'll find some new goodies on display next month. Hopefully a Catwoman and Poison Ivy in this style at the very least.

Mattel's WWE Diva - NAOMI!

WWE Basic Series 56 - Divas Naomi - Mattel 2015

I keep telling myself (and the entire world though this blog) that I'm going to stop buying these WWE ladies. I know nothing about wrestling, I've never watched the sport, and I'm honestly never going to. But something about seeing a new lady on the shelves just gets me every time. This Naomi figure snagged me because there are so few women of color in this line (plus I never found her first figure in the green outfit from years ago). This figure also has a new packaging design indicative of the new year of products (nevermind the fact that I picked her up before Christmas). Something I have learned about wrestling through these reviews is that there is a heavy emphasis on family dynasties and heritage in the WWE. Naomi's link to a dynastic line is her marriage to Jimmy Uso (aka Jonathan Fatu) who is part of the Anoa'i Family, a renowned Samoan-American wrestling family (who also claims the Rock as a member).  Not to say that she hasn't earned accolades on her own. Let's check out Naomi below!

Character Spotlight in LIVEWIRE!

A Collection of Metropolis' Most Electrifying Shock-Jock: Livewire

I've always considered Livewire the Harley Quinn of Superman's world. They're both formidable villains created by Bruce Timm for the DC Animated Universe.  Since their unassuming beginnings they've both become pretty popular in mainstream comics and video games.  Livewire has also appeared on television in Smallville and very recently in Supergirl. Harley is way more popular obviously, but Livewire has always had my attention. Just to clear up her first appearance dates: She debuted in the comic Superman Adventures #5 (March 1997) and her first television appearance was in Season 2, Episode 5 of Superman: The Animated Series ("Livewire" - September 1997).  Leslie Willis was a shock-jock hosting an outdoor concert in Metropolis during a dangerous storm.  Superman tried to get the concert to disband, but Leslie refused and was struck by lightning. Her hair turned blue, her skin turned white, and she gained crazy electrical power - irrationally blaming Superman for all of it. Revenge-based villains thrill me.

Lego Flashlight HARLEY QUINN Keychain!

DC Super Heroes LEGO Keychain LED Lite - Harley Quinn - Santoki LLC 2015

It's pretty cool how the digital age has affected the toy world. The fact that we can have a perfectly enlarged Lego minifigure is a very cool feat.  We see this pantogprahing technique used in very expensive ways with the jumbo Star Wars, He-Man, and GI Joes, but I think it's best used in fun novelty products like this Lego flashlight keychain. The first Lego keychain I bought was Catwoman who I stumbled across in a museum giftshop not knowing that she existed. This Harley however has been on my radar forever. I think I first caught wind of her over a year ago, but only first saw her last week in my local FYE record shop. I highly doubt they'll ever make a Poison Ivy flashlight, so I think my next (more realistic) wish is for a Harley Quinn or Catwoman Lego clock.  That would make for such an interesting scale display.  (I'm surprised someone hasn't posted any pictures of the Lego Wonder Woman clock/flashlight/minifigure comparison). Let's check out the Lego Harley Flashlight in detail below!

The New Batman Adventures - Bendie POISON IVY!

The New Batman Adventures - Bad Girls Boxset - Poison Ivy - NJCroce 2015

It's such a good feeling as a collector when you feel like you've completed a set.  A constant trio of characters I'm always trying to a assemble is Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy.  When these characters came together in the cartoons and comics, it was just instant magic. Their personalities blend and clash in an entertaining and addictive ways and toys of any single one of them just seem incomplete unless you can get all three. Luckily most toy companies seem to feel this way as well. Lego, Mez-Itz, Funko Pop, Imaginext, and even Polly Pockets have all made the effort to complete the group. Now NJ Croce has joined the fray with this Poison Ivy bendie.  I know Catwoman was released at the same time, but she was likely to be produced no matter what.  Ivy is almost always the odd woman out, so her inclusion in a toy line is always a reason to cheer. Although bendies are usually not on the radar of collectors, I think these figures should not be overlooked. Let's check out Poison Ivy below!

The New Batman Adventures - Bendie CATWOMAN!

The New Batman Adventures - Bad Girls Boxset - Catwoman - NJCroce 2015

I'm becoming a huge fan of these NJ Croce Bendie figures recently. The character selection is fantastic, the prices are reasonable, and the sculpts are spot-on. The only problem is that they aren't actually action figures. I've never owned any bendie figures until a few years ago so I don't know what to expect from this medium. My paranoid imagination foresees them crackling, melting, discoloring, or becoming sticky for no discernible reason. But those random anxieties have proven to be baseless. I now have 8 bendies displayed with little Kaiser doll stands and they all seem perfectly fine mingling with the action figures on my Ikea bookshelves. I'm excited to see what future characters they'll show at Toy Fair. I'm thinking that they'll probably delve into the Arkham video games series next, but secretly my biggest wish is for a companion "Good Girls" box with Batwoman, Huntress, Batgirl, etc. (The Mystery of the Batwoman design is sorely absent from all merchandising).  Let's check out the Catwoman below!

Marvel Mini-Mates - SPIDER-GWEN!

Marvel Mini-Mates - TRU Series 21 (Secret Wars) - Toys R Us Exc - DST 2015

Spider-Gwen is my favorite new character design of the past few years. I remember being on vacation in the Summer of 2014 and seeing her in an advertisement for the Edge of Spider-Verse series without any indication of who she was.  I wouldn't discover her name for another month, and by that time the whole world had taken notice. A year later I sold her first appearance (variant cover) for almost $400 on eBay. Her Marvel Legends figure was unveiled only 8 months after her first appearance. Toy nerds will know that's an almost unheard-of turnaround time. This mini-mate figure though is the first toy on the market. I have been insanely hunting her for about a month now (I'm still scarred over missing out on the Angel & Warpath TRU 2-Pack years ago).  I finally found her on New Year's Eve to my great relief. We have a bunch of great Spider-Lady Mini-mates already, so Gwen is a fantastic addition to the crew. (Now we need a Silk pronto!)  Let's check out Spider-Gwen below!

Batman v Superman - Multiverse WONDER WOMAN!

DC Comics Multiverse - 6" Batman v Superman - Wonder Woman - Mattel 2015

2016 is going to be a great year for Wonder Woman fans. The Upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie (March 25th) introduced up to the first cinematic Wonder Woman ever. And honestly she seems really really well done. Her casting, costume, and demeanor seem perfect. Of course, her presence in the trailers is minimal so there's a lot of conjecture happening here. Immediately after Christmas this year, the Batman v Superman merchandise started trickling in to my Toys R Us stores.  The first wave of products features 12", 6", and 5" Wonder Women. I certainly don't plan on being a completist because I have a feeling we're going to see a lot more figures (hopefully one with a blue hooded cape!) The detail on this figure is pretty great. There are a couple design flaws, but overall she is awesome. I'm surprised I was able to get my hands on her so soon. Maybe her newfound popularity will lead the way to a NECA Lynda Carter figure! Let's check out Dawn of Justice Wonder Woman below!