Mini-Mates SPIDER-GIRL (ANYA CORAZON)!

Marvel Mini-Mates - Spider-Girl & Doctor Octopus - Walgreens Exc - DST 2019

It's been a long time since I've given a single Mini-Mate its own review. Instead, I stockpile them and review a whole bunch at a time. But over the years, my favorite personal theme in my Mini-Mate collection has been the vast assortment of Spider-Ladies. There have been so many, in fact, that I didn't even realize that my absolute favorite Spider-person, Anya Corazon as Spider-Girl, hadn't been included yet. (She is such a great iteration of the Spider-Girl mantle and I really hope she gets another solo series some day). I love that Diamond Select Toys does such deep-dives into character selection. I actually have faith that we will many more Spiders down the line: Scream, Agony, Mania, Lady Spider, Charlotte Ritter, Spider-Woman in her modern costume, and maybe even a Valerie Spider-Woman from Electric Company. If anything, DST has proven that the sky is the limit. I'm really excited to see what new product they will show in a few days at NYCC. I'll be there with bells on. Let's check out Anya below!

Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance - DEET & AUGRHA!

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance - Action Figures Series 01 - Funko 2019

Few things in pop culture get me quite as excited as The Dark Crystal. Back in 2016 when Funko released a slew of retail products and exclusives, I was in collector heaven. I never expected this iconic movie from my youth to get this kind of love from a modern toy company, and I couldn't have asked for more. But then the Netflix prequel series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance was announced, along with even more action figures and Pops, and suddenly I realized my well-of-want could go a lot deeper. This first assortment of action figures is amazing, but the show was so vast that I want several more waves of toys at the very least. Hell, only two of the three main heroes are included, so at the bare minimum we need a Brea from the the Vapra Clan. But of course my actual (impossible) wishlist is dozens of characters long. Plus if we get another season, I will be completely insatiable. I can't wait to see what comes down the line in the next few years. Let's check out Aughra, Deet, and the rest of Wave One below!

Galaxy of Adventures - REY!

Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker - Galaxy of Adventures 5" - Rey - Hasbro 2019

I'm unexpectedly ecstatic about this new Star Wars: Galaxy of Adventures line from Hasbro. I am only vaguely aware of the Disney animated mini-episodes featuring an assortment of the most popular Star Wars characters. Last year I noticed the tie-in wave of 3.75" figures on the shelves in tubes with animated-style graphics. But the figures inside seemed like the same old style I had seen a million times. But then a couple days ago I came across this new 5" impressively articulated, adorably stylized series of figures at Target. I love how Rey has this mischievous grin and big ears. It's almost as if Hasbro was as let-down by the Toy Box Rey as I was and decided to give us an apology figure. I can't wait to see what future characters will be included. At the very least I know we'll see a Leia since she is featured in so many of the Galaxy of Adventures illustrations. I'm excited for what other surprise releases we'll see this time next week on Force Friday. I'm already planning out my hunting route. Let's check out Rey below!

Overwatch Ultimates - ZARYA!

Overwatch Ultimates: Series 02 Single-Pack Figures - Zarya - Hasbro 2019

I'm in love with this figure. I've never played Overwatch (nor any modern video game for that matter), but I've really been drawn to the character design in this Overwatch Ultimates line. Sometimes I feel like I have a stereotypical female aesthetic cemented in my brain. I'm naturally drawn to an hourglass shape and a pretty face on my collectibles, which is fine. But sometimes I worry that the characters that don't fit that mold get undeservedly ignored. This observation surfaces a lot with robots and Transformers, where a character that doesn't have exaggerated features doesn't register as female at all. But then a figure like this Zarya comes along and makes me think I'm not as close-minded as I fear. Her body is a powerhouse, she has a thick neck, huge biceps, a decidedly unfeminine haircut, and she sports tattoos and scars. But she still presents as a fantastic example of feminine masculinity. I think this might go down as one of my favorite figures of the year. Let's check out Zarya below!

MMPR Lightning Collection - PINK RANGER!

Power Rangers Lightning Collection - MMPR Pink Ranger - Hasbro 2019

I was admittedly pretty bummed when Bandai lost the Power Rangers license and Hasbro took over the entire brand. Bandai's 6" Legacy Collection had just three years of releases from 2016-2019 but I really liked the style, scale, and execution. I'm not even a die-hard Sentai fan, but I still collected an assortment of ten female rangers that I love. Plus I knew from some past convention presentations that they were just about to start rolling out the villains. Such a shame we never got to see them. This Pink Ranger from Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers is the first female in the Hasbro line. She definitely has some issues, but she's pretty impressive for the first female in a brand new line. I think over time these will easily be on par with the Marvel Legends lines (which consistently knocks 'em out of the park). The real test will be to see which characters come next. But, again, Hasbro has a great track record for character selection, so my hopes are high. Let's check out MMPR Pink Ranger Kimberly below!

Marvel Legends - MIRAGE, KARMA, & WOLFSBANE!

New Mutants Legends - Dani Moonstar - Walgreens Exclusive - Hasbro 2019

My fondness for the New Mutants knows no bounds. It was the first Marvel comic that ever spoke to me. I remember my parents getting me Marvel Graphic Novel #4 for Christmas one year and I was obsessed for the majority of my childhood. The bond between the teammates was so real and their personal backstories (as diverse as they were) were so relatable to a weird little kid like me. A line of New Mutants toys has been on my wishlist forever. The ToyBiz line in 1998 was promising but only included a few characters. The HeroClix and Mini-Mates sets were wondrously complete, but didn't really scratch that "action figure" itch. So this Walgreen's exclusive Dani Moonstar (with unexpected Karma and Wolfsbane heads) is a very long-awaited figure. While this isn't the absolute perfect representation of the characters for me, they still thrill me. But now they have a major obligation to round out the team: Cannonball, Cypher, Sunspot, and Magma can't be left behind. Let's check out the first three below!

Marvel Legends - EMMA FROST!

X-Men Legends - Emma Frost (Marvel NOW!) - Walgreens Exclusive - Hasbro 2019

Until this Summer's X-Men reboot it had been years since I picked up a mutant comic. So when I see this Marvel NOW black-suited Emma Frost I really don't get the reference. With a name like Emma Frost (aka the White Queen), anything but her signature white garb seems odd. However, I actually really dig this figure (even though I eventually want a more classic version). The black look is very striking, and when paired with the classic bob-haircut alternate head, she's unmistakably Emma.. yet somehow even more wicked. Recently I've been obsessed with re-reading collected volumes of my favorite old comics and coincidentally Emma Frost is a major player in a ton of them: New Mutants, Generation X, and the titular Emma Frost series from 2003. I'm literally reading all of these titles in rotation right now, so this figure came at the perfect time. She's a little scarce in Walgreens right now, but if Sue Storm, Medusa, and Magik are any indication, she will be flooding the market before long. Let's check out Emma below!

Transformers - LANCER!

Transformers - Generations Select - Deluxe Autobot Lancer - Takara Tomy 2019

You know that feeling when you wait for a Netflix show all year only to binge it in a single weekend and then feel absolutely empty? This Lancer figure is triggering those feelings in me right now. When I realized my unfathomable dream of assembling Elita One's army was going to become a reality I was overcome with excitement and anticipation. The iconic Transformers G1 episode The Search for Alpha Trion was one of the highlights of my childhood. The fact the Hasbro and TakaraTomy have given us every female Autobot in that episode, even unnamed background characters like this one, still boggles my mind. I'm re-doing my transformers display and I've been inspired to backtrack and collect a bunch of old Transformers. But what's next to hunt? I can't help but think we're about to have a major fembot drought. The Nightbird due out next month is the only thing on the horizon and I'm a little bummed (but only because I've been so delightfully spoiled the past few years). Let's check out Lancer below!

Star Wars - PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA (HOTH)!

Star Wars 6 " Black Series #75 - Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) - Hasbro 2018

I've had this figure open and photographed since I bought her way back in early December of last year. I've always found it extremely tricky to photograph characters with a lot of white on their costumes. So this Leia (and Storm from the last post) spurred me to dive deep and figure out the intricacies of my damn camera (as well as adjusting color balance in post-editing) to properly review these characters. I re-shot her and I'm much happier with the washed-out photo set I created last year. This Leia is actually one of my favorites from my 6" Star Wars Black Series collection. I always thought this was a great functional look that still stayed true to that classic Leia color palette and her hairdo is second only to the side-buns. We've received six different Leias in this line so far and I can only think of three more offhand (Cloud City Rust Gown, Endor Speeder Bike, and Endor long hair celebration look). And I hope we eventually get them all because it would make for a pretty awesome collection. Let's check out Hot Leia below!

Marvel Legends Vintage - STORM!

Marvel Legends: Vintage (Toy Biz) Series 03 - 1990's Storm - Hasbro 2019

It's really refreshing to have a female Marvel Legends figure that is definitely not going to be a shelf-warmer. As much as I beg for more diverse character selections and equal distribution. I can't deny that the mommy-shoppers never buy the female action figures for their kids - and as a result, my favorite heroines almost always end up clogging up the pegs. But this Storm has been out for months and she's always the first one snatched from the case. And she's worth it, too. Storm is easily one of the most iconic Marvel women and her role in the 1990's X-Men the Animated Series exposed her to a whole new generation of adoring fans. Although this white outfit is usually attributed to the cartoon, she was essentially wearing it in the comics for a year prior. Although in true comic fashion, the color of her costume could be interpreted as white, silver, gray, or black depending on how she was shaded and colored. And I'm not taking a side because I want one of each! Let's check out this long overdue Storm below!

Marvel Legends - CAPTAIN MARVEL (BINARY)!

Marvel Legends - Captain Marvel (Binary Form) - Walmart Exc - Hasbro 2019

It's been a really long time since I've been completely underwhelmed by a Marvel Legends release. I wasn't a huge fan of the unmasked Carol head from the the standard Captain Marvel from earlier this year. (For some reason it missed the mark and looked almost nothing like Brie Larson). Then this Walmart exclusive Binary version comes along and really features that unmasked head sculpt. Plus I normally love translucent effects (especially fiery orange ones), but I honestly feel the final result of this figure is just weak. The translucent effects don't read as that dynamic (and are just re-purposed effects from other figures) and her exposed neck is completely distracting to me. It doesn't help that the comic version of Binary is insanely awesome. This figure would be amazing if she were entirely translucent, or at least had some crazy (original) power effects.. trailing from her eyes.. a figure stand of energy flowing from her hands and feet (to be re-used on FireStar of course).. I have so many ideas. Let's check her out!

Marvel Legends - Boom Boom!

Marvel Legends - X-Force (Wendigo Build-a-Figure) - Boom Boom - Hasbro 2019

I have always had a fond place in my heart for Tabitha Smith. As a young comic reader, I was obsessed with The New Mutants. I loved the youthful, rebellious energy and smaller-scale storylines. Two great spin-offs of that comic were Fallen Angels in 1987 and X-Terminators in 1988. I adored both these mini-series and they both starred a young Boom Boom as a major character. In X-Terminators especially, we were introduced to a group of outsiders that I related to even more than the young Xavier students. Boom Boom's teammates were Rictor, Artie, Leech, Rusty, Skids, and Wiz Kid - all of whom went on to become semi-regular recurring characters in a handful of different books. But Boom Boom is the one that really took off. When Liefeld took over The New Mutants in 1990, most of the X-Terminators were present and I thought they would all become part of the team, but a year later when X-Force rolled out, only Tabitha remained. Her outfit and name have changed a lot over time, but the attitude is consistent.