Marvel Legends - LADY DEADPOOL!

Deadpool Legends: Wave 2 (Sauron BAF) - Lady Deadpool - Hasbro 2018

Marvel Legends has been killing it lately with the female action figures. I'm a big fan of the obvious female revamp of existing male characters. I know on the surface these characters can seem reductive and cliche, but I always love making the direct comparison between genders when all the other factors are basically identical. although these gender swaps can lead to some very lazy design. It's a true comic trope to slap on some breasts and a ponytail and assume you've done your part for gender equality. I normally roll my eyes at these half-assed attempts, and Lady Deadpool is a perfect example of it, but something about this specific example is so wrong that it's right. It took me many years to get on board, but I am currently quite a fan of Wanda Wilson and her gravity defying 90's ponytail. Hasbro really has been giving me all the figures I want lately. So to put it out for the universe to hear, my top wanted classic character is Firestar and modern is Ironheart. Fingers crossed! Let's check out Lady Deadpool below!

Marvel Legends - ALL NEW WOLVERINE!

Deadpool Legends: Wave 2 (Sauron BAF) - All-New Wolverine - Hasbro 2018

I've always wanted there to be a female Wolverine. I thought Logan was so iconic, but his gruff personality and violent tendencies were a little too one-note for me. I thought a gender swap would be so much more interesting. We've been teased with several female Wolverines over the years.. my favorite being Wolverina in What The?! #11 which essentially highlighted how silly the concept of a female Wolverine was to the masses back then. Then I had high hopes for Rancor in Guardians of the Galaxy and Wild Thing from the MC2 universe. They were both fine characters, but I wasn't in love with their designs and ultimately they didn't have staying power. I was loving the comic NYX when Laura Kinney first appeared and bared her claws (I collect comics by artist and I've always loved Joshua Middleton's work). I was so excited to see this new character in costume, but those high expectations were dashed when all she wore for 11 years were (in my humble opinion) boring stealth-looking outfits...

Marvel Legends X-Men - PSYLOCKE!

X-Men Legends: Wave 2 (Apocalypse BAF) - Psylocke - Hasbro 2018

In the early 90s I was in middle school and I was obsessed with The New Mutants. I had been reading and collecting back issues for years, but I knew that it was drawing to a close shortly so I began my first forays into reading Uncanny X-men. Psylocke and Rogue instantly stood out to me as fascinating characters (this was well into the Jim Lee era). Soon I read somewhere that New Mutants Annual #2 was the first appearance of Psylocke. I scrambled through my back issues only to discover strikingly different Betsy Braddock. This sent me on a journey trying to piece together Psylocke's past and various transformations, and I've been obsessed with her ever since. For those unaware, this version of Psylocke we know today was introduced after her mind and powers were implanted into the body of the Japanese ninja, Kwannon. Prior to this, she was the somewhat mousy British sister of Captain Britain with dyed lavender hair and telepathic powers. It's quite a dramatic change. Let's check out Psylocke below!

Suicide Squad Rock Candy - HARLEY QUINN!

Rock Candy Vinyl Collectible - Suicide Squad Harley Quinn - Funko 2018

One thing I've always said about Funko is that they consistently deliver. It may take several years, but the product you wish for almost always gets released eventually. (My favorite example is the Yvonne Craig Batgirl which came out four years after the first Batman '66 Pop wave). When the Rock Candy line launched two years ago and we got two Harleys almost immediately, I just assumed we would get a Suicide Squad version before Christmas. Then my assumptions were further bolstered when the GameStop Exclusive Enchantress Rock Candy dropped on Black Friday. I was literally saving space for the new Harley that was certainly coming. And she did come of course, but two long years later. But I wasn't upset because I never doubted that she was coming. And honestly she looks perfect so she was well worth the wait. It makes me excited for all the other fun Rock Candies coming out this Summer. Let's check out the long-overdue Suicide Squad Harley Quinn below!

Marvel Legends - ELEKTRA!

Marvel Legends - Spider-Man (SP//dr BAF Wave) - Elektra - Hasbro 2018

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. It seems like every July I get hit with a crazy cold. I still have the energy to run around and hunt toys (which you can see if you follow me on instagram), but when I sit down at my computer I couldn't be less productive. Then it leads into SDCC and I'm too distracted with anticipation to be much good at anything but refreshing my toy news feeds. But all that is passed now and I have an exciting backlog of figures to post on. Sometimes I don't realize how absent a character is from my collection until a perfect classic version is released. It's pretty surprising that there hasn't been an Elektra figure since 2008. That 2-Pack with Ronin featured a very decent Elektra, but it was just too dated to blend in with a modern Marvel Legends display. So when this figure was announced last year, it wasn't a super exciting reveal to me. She has had several Legends releases already, after all. But once I had her in hand I realized how badly this figure was needed. Let's check her out below!

Destiny - IKORA REY!

Destiny 2 Color Tops 7" - Ikora Rey (Vanguard Mentor) - McFarlane Toys 2018

As I've repeated ad nauseam every time I attempt to post a review on a video game-based action figure, I have not played a console or computer game in over twenty years. I realized very early on in my life that my obsessive compulsive tendencies to not lend themselves well to infinite virtual environments. It's hard enough to reign myself in when it comes to toy collecting, but video games are a temptation I just steer clear of completely. That said, I'm a sucker for a beautiful action figure no matter what the source material. Ikora Rey is a human Vanguard for the Warlock class in the game Destiny (this figure is technically for Destiny 2). She is a character that supplies armor, emblems, and weapons in the first-person shooter online environment. I'm very impressed with McFarlane Toys' ability to produce beautiful women of color. I feel that skin tones and textures have missed the mark with other companies in the past, but lately McFarlane seems to nail it every time. Let's check out Ikora Rey below!

Batman Missions HARLEY QUINN!

Batman Missions - Basic Series 01 - Harley Quinn (Rebirth) - Mattel 2018

I've never found myself too excited about the various Batman evergreen series over the years. Mostly because they just seemed like endless repaints, limited articulation, oversized accessories, and a complete lack of female characters. But this new Batman Missions series (sometimes referred to as Knight Missions) seems to remedy all those previous gripes of mine. The first female in the line is a 6" Harley Quinn in the style of Amanda Conner's Rebirth Harley (which is a great blend of comic and Suicide Squad movie looks). The first wave has a few Batman repaints as is expected, but the repaints aren't absurd. But what's more impressive are the other 6" characters on the horizon like a Killing Joke Joker, Robin, Bane, Nightwing, and Batgirl. And that's not even mentioning the equally impressive 12" lineup whose Batgirl I'm dying to get my hands on. Hopefully this line will continue to impress me. It's one of the things I'm most looking forward to hearing about at SDCC. Let's check out Harley Quinn below!

Marvel Toybox - WASP!

Toybox - Marvel Action Figures #11 Wasp - Disney Store Exclusive - 2018

This Disney Store Exclusive Toybox line is impressing me so much. In eight short months I've already picked up four pretty awesome female action figures (Rey, Black Widow, and Leia), plus a few I haven't picked like Jesse from Toy Story and Elastigirl and Violet from the Incredibles. I like the articulation, I like the playable quality, and I like the overall design. This Wasp figure marks a departure from the line in that (I'm pretty sure at least) this is the first figure that didn't exist in the Disney Infinity realm. All the other figures so far are direct copies from that style, but this is a new design done in the same aesthetic. It really opens the possibilities for the future of the line. I think the next marvel ladies we'll see will be Gamora, Captain Marvel, Storm, and She-Hulk. But I'm actually most looking forward to a great Tinkerbell figure. She's just one of those iconic characters that surprisingly has never had a true action figure made. Playing with Wasp's wings got me thinking about Tink. Let's check out the Wasp below!

Marvel Legends X-Men - STORM!

X-Men Legends: Wave 2 (Apocalypse BAF) - Storm (Mohawk) - Hasbro 2018

Storm is probably the coolest Marvel heroine ever. Her powers are awesome, her disposition and personality are motherly and regal, and her costumes are always fun. This mohawk punk rock look debuted in 1983 and stayed around until 1987. I forget the exact reasoning for the change from her classic look, but I think it was because her personality darkened after her encounters with the Brood. I mostly remember this mohawked leather-clad Storm being depowered and dueling Calisto for leadership of the Morlocks, but those events were probably a single issue in the midst of three years of stories. Either way, this costume is one of her most iconic looks, despite not featuring her trademark flowing hair and cape. This Marvel Legends figure is terrific. I especially love that the face looks like a simple retooling of the 2015 version. I would be really annoyed if I had two modern Legends figures of Ororo only to have them looking like different people. But luckily they look awesome next to each other. Let's check her out!

Marvel Mini-Bust - WASP (RETRO)!

Marvel Mini-Busts - Wasp (Classic / Retro Version) - Bowen Designs 2007

I just bought my tickets to see Ant-Man and the Wasp this coming Saturday and I'm suddenly feeling super nostalgic for the classic Janet van Dyne with her red shoulderpads, pointy helmet, antennae and mouthpiece. I'm hoping there will be some flashback scene showing Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet in this costume. IMDB lists her as "Wasp" so the chances are pretty good. Then, of course, my follow-up wish is for a Marvel Legends figure in this outfit. Considering she was one of the founding Avengers, it's shocking that there are only a couple pieces of merchandise of her in this outfit. In fact, I think we are owed a Legends figure with a pack-in 3.75" figure as an accessory. And while we're at it a Nadia van Dyne as the Unstoppable Wasp would be welcome as well. I'm really curious to see the impact of this film when we see new product unveiled at SDCC in a few weeks. I'm always overly optimistic, but I think some of my wishes are a good bet this time. Let's check out this classic styles Wasp bust from Jim Maddox and Bowen Designs.

Funko Vynl - SORCERESS!

MOTU Vynl - Beast Man & Sorceress 2-Pack - ECCC LE 2500 Pcs - Funko 2018

An easy way to get me to open my wallet is to give me product of one of my childhood icons. I have trouble putting my love of certain characters into words. With the Sorceress, I remember sitting in front of my TV every day after school just in hopes I would catch a glimpse of her. When I was a toddler and all my peers and siblings were obsessed with trucks, I was instead obsessed with birds. I was one of those little prodigies (in my parents' minds at least) that could name any species that visited our bird feeders. It never occurred to me to actually be a bird. But then I saw Sorceress with her feathered arms outstretched and her amazing falcon headdress and suddenly my roleplay and my birdwatching merged. For years I ran around our woods with a blanket around my neck and goggles on my head screeching and cawing and scaring away every real bird for miles. I wanted to be her so bad. And don't even get me started on her transformation into Zoar. Whenever I see her I'm swept back into that nostalgic feeling.

Kickstarter: SUPERHEROINE 1:10 BLANKS!

Superheroine 1:10 Scale (7") Action Figure Blanks - Maven Collectibles 2018

I'm really excited about this new Kickstarter campaign from Maven Collectibles. The Superheroine 1:10 Scale (7" inch) Action Figure Blanks campaign features two beautifully sculpted and highly articulated female bucks with a wide variety of interchangeable parts available (heads, hair, hands, and feet). Plus a number of stretch goals that include weapons, different skin tones, and a third (petite) body style. The two initial bucks are (1) Superheroine Tall - which measures 8" and seems like a She-Hulk or Big Barda type. And (2) Superheroine Athletic - which measures 7" and seems like a Rogue or Power Girl. I'm not even a customizer but I'm very excited to add these two to my collection (ideally with blue skin and white hair!)  And I'm even more excited to see what all the actual customizers do with them. This is only the 5th Kickstarter I've ever pledged, so you could say I'm pretty selective. I encourage everyone to check out the campaign page to see all the photos and make a pledge. I want all the stretches!