Star Wars Rogue One - Elite Series - JYN ERSO!

Rogue One - A Star Wars Story - Elite Series Jyn Erso - Disney Store Exc 2016

I'm glad to see that the Disney Store Star Wars Elite Series is going strong. There's a something special about 6-7" scale diecast action figures. I loved the Bionic Six figures in the eighties. They were built similar to GIJoes, but the weight of the metal was indescribably impressive. There are lots of unarticulated metal figures in the collectible market, but the full true metal action figure is a rarity. I highly suggest checking them out in person, if nothing else than for the heft. The availability of this Disney Store Exclusive Elite Series is so much better this time around. The Force Awakens line was kind of hard to come by. Maybe that was because the anticipation leading up to that film was greater than Rogue One, but I think it has something to do with the fine tuning of the production and distribution. The Star Wars and Marvel section of the store are always well represented these days. Maybe they'll venture into diecast Marvel figures next! I'll be keeping my eyes peeled. Let's check out Jyn Erso below!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens 12" - REY (JAKKU)!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 12" Series - Rey (Jakku) - Hasbro 2016

I didn't realize this figure had been released until I saw a listing for a 12" Jyn Erso before Force Friday and wondered if there had even been a Rey. There were a ton of her on eBay for way too much money, so I never thought I would get her. Half the joy is the low price point (they are often under $10). But then I found her in a K-Mart a week later and instantly snatched her up. I'm glad I did, too, because despite a few minor paint flaws, this figure is by far the best I've seen.  Post Force Friday, I've seen this figure stocked in a lot of stores, but there is something really wrong with the paint on 90% of them. Like the flesh color is decomposing into a white powder. This will probably mean the good ones will be hard to get. If you're hunting her, try looking at K-Mart since they appear to still have earlier production batches.  I picked up the Jyn Erso the other day and will be reviewing her shortly. Hopefully they make a classic Leia someday. But for now, let's check out this 1:6 Rey below!

Power Rangers Dino Charge - 12" PURPLE RANGER!

Power Rangers Dino Supercharge 12" - Purple Ranger - Bandai 2016

I never would have guessed that I would be a big fan of these 12" action figures that have been flooding the aisles in recent years. But there is something about the bright colors, simple articulation, and sturdy stances that really appeals to me. This Purple Ranger is the seventh figure I've picked up in this scale and I think my collection will keep growing. The Purple Ranger is a really cool addition to the typical Pink placeholder. Power Rangers Dino Charge is actually the first Ranger series I've ever watched - and that is because of the three female rangers in the roster (Pink, Purple, and Aqua). The 12" Pink Ranger was released in an expensive box set that I never let myself pick up. I also think the figure was sparkly or pearlized and I much prefer plain bright colors. Hopefully she get a plain-color solo release in the future to go with Kendall. A Poissandra would be awesome, but I don't expect it, especially since pictures of the next Ranger series toys are already showing up. Let's check out Purple Ranger!

Dorbz NYCC Exclusive HARLEY QUINN!

Suicide Squad Dorbz - Harley Quinn w/ Mallet - Hot Topic/NYCC Exc - Funko 2016

I honestly had no intention of buying this Harley Quinn Dorbz when she was announced as a NYCC exclusive this year. I'm not usually a big fan of subtle variants, especially when the variation is just a different weapon. But then I saw her at Hot Topic and realized I wanted her to replace my standard edition Suicide Squad Harley. The baseball bat that the standard edition comes with is much more movie accurate, but overall I really disliked that edition because her face was printed on incorrectly. On every Harley I saw in the stores, her eyes were printed a fraction of an inch too high on her head. On her own, you might not notice this error, but when she was lined up with my other Dorbz, she looked really odd and un-dorb-like. But luckily this exclusive mallet version is perfect. I'm hoping we see more DC Dorbz on the horizon. The X-Men lineup looks great. There are now pics of Emma Frost, Psylocke, Storm, and Phoenix on Hottopic.com, but I don't want the DC ladies forgotten. Let's check out Harley below!

Hallmark Batman '66 - CATWOMAN Ornament!

Batman Classic TV Series - Catwoman Limited Edition Ornament - Hallmark 2016

Hallmark is very sneaky sometimes. I'm not a Hallmark member or a major ornament collector by any means, but every July I still find myself checking the website just to see what new pop culture ornaments are in the lineup. This year has some really awesome ones including He-Man, Jem, DCSHG Supergirl, and BvS Wonder Woman. But the overall winner for me this year is the Julie Newmar Catwoman ornament. Back in 2010 there was a Harley Quinn ornament that was also a limited edition making a surprise debut at a collector event. This Catwoman had the same sneaky release. I went into a Hallmark to look at the new ornaments and this beauty was on a display in the middle of the store (not on the red wall). I had never heard of her before, and I had been paying attention. They only had one left and I snatched her up in a second. The Adam West Batman was released in 2014 and the Cesar Romero Joker in 2015. Now I'm hoping for Yvonne Craig and Eartha Kitt. Let's check out Catwoman below!

Funko ReAction - The Dark Crystal's KIRA (WINGED)!

ReAction: The Dark Crystal - Garthim w/ Winged Kira - NYCC Exc - Funko 2016

The Dark Crystal is my favorite fantasy movie of all time. The story is spooky, insightful, and classic. As a kid it frightened and intrigued me, and as an adult the puppeteering details and production quality amaze me. When I started collecting toys, I knew without a doubt my collection would be incomplete without the world of Thra on my shelves. That's when I learned the sad merchandise history: a cancelled toyline, rare miniature pewters, and a slew of awesome but pricey statues. When ReAction first announced they were releasing the 1979 Alien prototypes, my first thought was "Oh my God we're going to get the cancelled Dark Crystal figures!" Three years later I'm actually holding the first couple figures. And although they are not the actual old Aviva molds, they are a thousand times better. The detail and love put into these is undeniable. The first two box sets were exclusives from SDCC & NYCC this year, but the rest of the gang will start showing up in stores next week. Let's check out Kira below!

Rogue One Black Series - JYN ERSO (JEDHA)!

Stars Wars 6" Black Series #22 - Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha) - Hasbro 2016

I'm really excited for the next movie in the Star Wars franchise, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. This movie takes place shortly before A New Hope and focuses on the Rebel mission to steal the plans for the Death Star. I love prequel stories like this that expand upon an established story.  Three of my all-time favorite properties thrilled me with expanded comic storylines in the form of Robotech: Invasion, Legends of the the Dark Crystal, and Return to Labyrinth. All three of these books just made me love the original stories even more, and I'm expecting that Rogue One will do the same for my love of Star Wars. The casting of Felicity Jones in the role of Sergeant Jyn Erso seems perfect. I loved her in Theory of Everything and she definitely has that "Star Wars look" like Carrie Fisher, Natalie Portman, and Daisy Ridley before her. I picked up this figure at midnight on Force Friday but am just getting around to reviewing her now. At least I got it done before the movie came out!  Let's check out Jyn Erso below!

DC Super Heroes - HARLEY QUINN IMPOPSTER!

POP! Heroes #127 - DC Comics Heroes Harley Quinn as Batgirl - Funko 2016

I think this might be the last usage we'll see of the original Funko POP Batgirl mold. Funko has seemingly acknowledged the criminal lack of Batgirl product. Since this figure was announced there have been three new Batgirl molds revealed; a Classic Batgirl exclusive to NYCC and Hot Topic, a Burnside Batgirl now available everywhere, and an upcoming Batman: The Animated Series Batgirl.  I couldn't be more ecstatic. Batgirl is often in contention for my favorite superhero (although I can never make up my mind) so even if I am trying to scale back my purchases, she'll always be a shoe-in. Now they just need to play catch-up with Catwoman! Seriously, as much as Funko seems to dwell on Harley Quinn, they have been inexcusably ignoring Selina. But I digress. This Impopster series is a really awesome theme for DC variants. I'm glad the original Joker/Batman was popular enough to inspire this whole line and add a few females. Let's check out Harley Quinn as Batgirl below!

McFarlane Toys - Saga's ALANA!

Saga - Alana & Marko 2-Pack - McFarlane Toys/Skybound Exclusive 2016

I have been wishing for these exact figures for years. In fact, every time I would review a Walking Dead figure or speculate on Toy Fair reveals, I would wax on and on about how great a Saga series by McFarlane Toys would be. Saga is just about the best comic I have ever read. If you haven't picked up this book yet, you're doing yourself a major disservice. Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples have kept me enthralled for the last four years with their tales of star-crossed alien lovers Alana and Marko as they flee across the galaxies from their pursuers.  Alana is a former soldier from the technologically-advanced planet Landfall where all inhabitants have wings (of some sort). Marko was her prisoner, a beatnik pacifist from Landfall's moon, Wreath. All the moonies are magical and have horns (of some sort) and are in constant war with the Landfallians. While on guard duty, they fall in love over a book, conceive a child, and run for their lives. It's so good it's hard to put into words. Just like these action figures.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - KARAI!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Karai (Tanto Sword Master) - Playmates 2016

I think Karai is probably the fan-favorite secondary character in the TMNT franchise. In the toy world, her figures are always in high demand and fetch a high price in the collector circuits.  I don't really know much about her beyond that fact that she is often labelled as the daughter of Shredder and usually has a vampiric look to her. Of course, she is tweaked and changed in every incarnation of TMNT so I never know what to expect. In the current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon on Nickelodeon, Karai is a young girl who was indeed raised by Shredder (via kidnapping), but is actually the biological daughter of Hamato Yoshi, a wise sensei who is mutated into the rat Splinter. When her true origins are revealed to her, she has to reconcile her life of lies and evil with her newfound family. She reminds me a lot of Cass Cain in the Batman Universe. Last year we received a figure of Karai in her serpent incarnation which was cool and unexpected, but this is the one we've been waiting for. Let's check her out!

Rescue Bots - QUICKSHADOW!

Transformers Rescue Bots - Quickshadow - Playskool/Hasbro 2016

There's been a big push in recent years to start including female characters in previously male-centric properties. This has been especially present in preschool lines like Imaginext, Galactic Heroes, and Marvel Superhero Adventures. With this trend touching almost every brand in the toy aisles, I'm surprised it took so long to introduce a female Rescue Bot.  Whatever the delay was, the wait was worth it because Quicksilver seems like an awesome character. Her design is fantastic and her character seems quirky and spunky with a very suiting vehicle mode of a speedy sports car. I haven't watched any full episodes, but there are some cool clips online. The only unfortunate thing about this character is that she's unlikely to get a cool toy. These Playskool robots are clunky and undetailed by design and this kid-friendly style does a terrible injustice to such a great-looking character. Still, when I saw her in the store I felt compelled to add her to my collection. She's a first. Let's check out Quickshadow below!

DC Collectibles Darwyn Cooke CATWOMAN!

DC Designer Series: Darwyn Cooke - #7 Catwoman - DC Collectibles 2016

This is the figure I have been hoping for ever since DC Collectibles launched their Designer Series back in 2014. Catwoman has been my favorite comic character since I was first exposed to her in the 1966 Batman television series, then further impressions from silver age reprint comics in the 1980s. By 1987, she was modernized into her gray catsuit look which I loved. Unfortunately it was quickly changed into her 1990's purple bodysuit which I loathed. My displeasure with the purple costume wasn't shared though, because it stuck around for eight or nine years and really skyrocketed her popularity. But then in 2001, much to my relief, Darwyn Cooke and Ed Brubaker revamped Selina into the sleek, acrobatic seductress we know and love today (and 15 years later it's still an extremely popular look). It's shocking how well the Jonathan Matthews sculpt captures the feel of Darwyn's art. My Catwoman collection never felt complete without this pivotal design represented. Let's check out Catwoman below!