Dr. Wu - NIGHT NINJA!

Dr. Wu No. DW-MS31 - Night Ninja (3rd Party Nightbird) - Mechanic Toys 2022

A few years ago there was an amazing surge of 3rd Party fembots. Two companies in particular, Dr. Wu (Mechanic) and NewAge simultaneously released nearly identical 3.75" lines of female Transformers. Both companies had an anchor "Arcee" (Amie and Maschinenmensch) and five retooled versions each, making twelve unique figures all at once. I was ecstatic, but overwhelmed. And at more than $50 each, I had to be selective. Luckily half of them were iconic characters, and half were character repaints. And iconic always wins for me so the decision was easy. Each line had a Nightbird homage. She is one of my favorite G1 characters, despite being a single-episode, non-speaking, non-transforming robot. I still remember being glued to the screen after school back in 1985, mesmerized by her stealthy ninja moves and mysterious nature. She was actually the character that got me to start buying 3rd Party figures back in 2012. So when a new one pops up, I just can't resist. Let's check out Night Ninja below!

Marvel Legends - TITANIA!

Marvel Legends Vintage Card Series - Secret Wars Titania - Hasbro 2024

Marvel Legends has been really great about getting us figures of never-before-made characters recently. Since 2023, we have been blessed with figures of Destiny, Lilith, Goblin Queen, Power Princess, Namorita, and Clea. All fairly unlikely releases, but fantastic additions to an already diverse lineup. The most recent surprise character is Titania. She was introduced in Secret Wars #3 in 1984 as an unpowered civilian (and wannabe hero) Mary pretending to be Julia Carpenter (Spider-Woman). When her town is taken as part of the Battleworld plot, Doctor Doom is desperate to bolster the ranks of villainous team and uses alien technology to turn Mary into the powerhouse Titania (and her friend Marsha becomes Volcana). After a lifetime of being bullied and neglected, she relishes in her new powers and lashes out at the world. She has been a member of many teams including Masters of Evil, Frightful Four, and Gamma Flight and has luckily managed to stay relevant. Let's check out Titania below!

A Long Overdue 2021 YEAR-END REVIEW!

A Collection of 2021's Most Amazing Female Action Figures All In One Post

My annual exercise in procrastination is upon us. At this point I'm only four years behind in my Year-End-Reviews, but I can't deny that I love taking this look back even moreso because of the buffer of a few years. I have this habit where I always deem my most recent purchase as "my favorite." So if I were posting a 2024 review right now, I don't think I could be objective in my appreciation. But looking back at 2021, the true gems pop out easily. It was a really interesting year. People were getting used to pandemic commerce. Supply lines were improving. And several media properties were being merchandised after months of uncertainty and hesitation. Plus several of my most-wanted figures were produced this year (specifically from Marvel Legends). Also, the 3.75" video game lines were still in full swing, but winding down. (They were basically nonexistent a year later). I also moved house in 2021 and was a little distracted from how great the toy hauls were. Let's take a reminiscent trip back to 2021 below!

Fighting the Frozen - BATGIRL (and PLATINUM)!

DC Direct Page Punchers - Batman: Fighting the Frozen - Batgirl - McFarlane 2023

For the last year, the platinum chase version of this figure has been the bane of my existence. The standard edition was a scarce enough - I saw the other three figures in abundance, with Batgirl only showing up in the mix six months later and still seemingly only a single figure per Walmart. The chase version seemed like a pipe dream. She was selling for around $300 on eBay. But I honestly didn't even love the figure enough to pay more than retail (yet I thought the purple recolor was more desirable). I didn't know the context, and caveman-type variants don't really appeal to me. A couple weeks ago I noticed full cases of single characters were being restocked at Walmart (over a year since their original release). I saw a store with six Robins, then a store with six Mr. Freezes. Eventually I found a Batgirl store and finally found my Platinum edition at MSRP. I've since learned that these Page Punchers figures are an original creation from a McFarlane-commissioned comic (variant cover included with each figure).

Batman the Animated Series - BATGIRL!

Batman the Animated Series (Maxie Zeus Wave) - Batgirl - McFarlane Toys 2024

With McFarlane Toys slowly re-releasing all of the old DC Collectible Batman the Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures figures, I have decided to be very selective. Some of the figures, including the TNBA Batgirl and TNBA Catwoman, have been essentially identical to the original releases (which I still have and love). But occasional there is something new, like the Batman '66 repaint of the TNBA Batgirl and this BTAS Batgirl in a distinctly-different deco. As much as I love the DCC BTAS Batgirl, the colors always seemed very dark and broody. I was very happy for this redecoed version, and I hope future BTAS/TNBA releases will have similar updates instead of boring re-releases. Plus, and I will always repeat this, we desperately need a Batwoman figure from Mystery of the Batwoman in this line. She would be such an easy figure from existing sculpts to make and a fantastic new character. Fingers crossed for a future reveal. Let's check out the updated BTAS Batgirl below!

ThunderCats Ultimates - CHILLA!

ThunderCats Ultimates - Series 9 - Chilla (the Icy Lunatak) - Super7 2024

ThunderCats is one of my childhood properties that I have a fierce love for. But as an adult, I can acknowledge that my obsession was purely based on general concept, toys, and character design. Because my knowledge of the characters who were not merchandised and even my memories of the actual cartoon are scant or non-existent. Until fans started begging Mattel for an action figure of Chilla back in 2016, I honestly never heard of her and would have wagered that there weren't any cool female villains in the series. I do have vague memories of the Lunataks, but thinking they were a bit silly. In concept they are a formidable collective of ancient evil warriors from each of Plun-Darr's moons. But in actuality, they are a bit like a bumbling group of misfits. With the sole exception of Chilla. On her own merits, she is very cool (pun intended). She had the most traditionally human body of the Lunataks and her abilities are reflected in her icy appearance (I love a monochromatic design and elemental powers).

Fraggle Rock - RED!

Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock - Series 1 - Red - Boss Fight Studio 2024

Despite being constantly exposed to Sesame Street and The Muppet Show all throughout my childhood, it was actually Fraggle Rock which made me a lifelong Jim Henson fan. The subterranean society of lovable adventurers, artists, explorers, and performers captured my imagination like nothing had before. Red is one of the two main female Fraggles in the show and is presented as a daring athlete and stuntwoman. She often challenges her friends to join her in competition or gathers the whole Fraggle community to watch her perform a daring high dive. I won't lie, she was easily my least favorite character. I am neither sporty nor competitive, so I just didn't relate. But at the same time, I think she is the most iconic with her big red ponytails and boisterous tomboy personality. This Fraggle line from Boss Fight Studio is technically from the new Back to the Rock reboot on AppleTV+, but luckily the character designs are mostly identical to the classic looks. They are amazing. Let's check out Red below!

G.I.Joe Classified - AGENT HELIX!

G.I.Joe Classified Series #104 - Covert Operations Agent Helix - Hasbro 2023

Agent Helix is an intriguing but frustrating character for me. I was first exposed to her when I picked up a solo comic introducing her in conjunction with the upcoming G.I.Joe the Rise of Cobra live action movie. Soon she had an action figure released and I was very excited to see this new character on the big screen. But, unfortunately, she was not in the movie, but was rather an original creation for the movie tie-in video game. I was pretty disappointed to say the least. Only because I don't play video games (and the movie was so bland to me that I don't even remember it). I still liked the original 2009 toy, which surprisingly had a completely new sculpt, but I figured the character would fade into obscurity. (Interestingly, her head was reused for new B-list legacy figures; Dialtone and G.I.Jane). Needless to say, I was pretty surprised to see her added to the Classified lineup last year. But she actually fits in with the aesthetic of the line (and her armblades are wild). Let's check out Agent Helix below!

G.I.Joe Classified - COVER GIRL!

G.I.Joe Classified Series #59 - Courtney "Cover Girl" Krieger - Hasbro 2023

Cover Girl is a very interesting character. As the second female G.I.Joe character produced, and after having a prominent role in the first G.I.Joe mini-series (albeit with a very different design), you would think she had the momentum to be a major character in the franchise. But as a kid, and even later as a young adult collector, she is a character that I constantly forgot about. This might be because her vintage figure resembled Scarlett in a bomber jacket (to my young eyes at least). Or maybe because her figure only came with an expensive vehicle, which made her inaccessible for most. But I think the biggest factor was her scarcity in the cartoon. I have almost no memories of her in the show. I remember having taped an episode where she blurred by in an action scene for a split-second cameo. I would rewind and pause it in fascination. I was into the Marvel G.I.Joe comics at the time, and I had thought she was a comics-only character until these rare animated glimpses. But they were few and far between.

G.I.Joe Classified - JINX!

G.I.Joe Classified Series #124 - Kim "Jinx" Arashikage - Hasbro 2024

Jinx was one of the first female action figures I ever owned (I think I got her and Zarana around the same time). I had taped the G.I.Joe the Movie episodes as they aired on afterschool television and was obsessed. Pythona was above and beyond my favorite character. But Jinx was a close second. When she snapped that training staff in half, spun them like dual propellers, and took down Beach Head, my adolescent jaw hit the floor with wonder. I was many years into my martial arts career at the time, and interest was waning hard, but Jinx rejuvenated that spark for a few more years. Interestingly, 25 years later, the hasbrotoyshop exclusive Kim Arashikage (and specifically my inability to acquire her) killed my interest in G.I.Joe for a decade until Classified started. So Jinx marks both highs and lows of my collecting hobby. I actually think this Classified figure is the nicest representation I've seen. I love her unmasked head - it's so reminiscent of the cartoon design (but with a realistic flare). Let's check her out below!

G.I.Joe Classified - QUARREL!

G.I.Joe Classified - Nightforce Falcon & Quarrel (Walmart CC) - Hasbro 2024

Hot on the heels of the Glenda post from yesterday is Quarrel, another early Scarlett variation that became a solid character in her own right. In Europe, the early G.I.Joe molds were used for the Action Force toyline by Palitoy. This produced a lot of well-loved character variations like Red Laser, Jammer and Skip. But my favorite was always the blonde Quarrel with her green and black outfit and her motorcycle. These original figures were not as rare as most of the foreign G.I.Joe variations and pretty easy to get cheaply on eBay. I still love the simple redeco though and I'm glad Hasbro commemorated Quarrel with a figure in the Classified line. It's surprising that this figure isn't also a simple Scarlett repaint, but I appreciate her differentiation as a wholly independent character. She was released in a Walmart Collector Con 2-Pack with Falcon under the Night Force theme. (The Night Force theme applies more to Falcon's specialized dark redeco, as opposed to this rather tradition Quarrel deco). Let's check out Quarrel below!

G.I.Joe Classified - GLENDA!

G.I.Joe Classified Haslab (Dragonfly) - Jane "Glenda" Mulligan - Hasbro 2024

I've made a turning point with Haslab campaigns. Almost every release has a single character or two that I want, and up until now I have backed almost every campaign solely for a small figure, leaving me to store and resell a giant vehicle or figure. This past Summer I finally bucked up and sold my Sentinels, Galactus, H.I.S.S. Tank, etc. And honestly the ordeal was a pain. Buyers kept backing out after the sale was made (i get it, it's a big purchase), the packages took up the entire back seat of my car, and I discovered only certain local facilities can even accept packages over 3 feet. Anyway, when this Glenda was announced as a stretch goal for the 2024 Dragonfly Haslab campaign, I knew I needed her, but I would be resorting to eBay to pick her up after the fact. Luckily it went smoothly and I think the upcharge was a good tradeoff for the hassle-free experience. If I only had limitless space and a penchant for vehicles, this hobby would be much easier. Let's check out the Haslab-exc Glenda below!

Super7 ReAction - GLENDA!

ReAction Action Figures - G.I.Joe Super7 Exc - Glenda - Super7 2024

As a longtime collector of G.I.Joe, there comes a time when the only exciting thing left is rather obscure rarities. Most avid fans will know that the early G.I.Joe molds were sometimes used by other countries. Occasionally this produced a fun variant with an abnormal color swap. But in other cases, it created a whole new character. The most notorious one of these new characters (in my female-centric opinion) was a blonde release of Scarlett wearing Silver and Blue under the name Glenda in the Argentinean Plastirima line. One of my first big collecting "wins" was nabbing an original Glenda at a decent price. Granted my version has a broken crotchpiece, a fused shoulder, and lots of paint rubs, but she's still a treasure of my collection. This Super7 Glenda was a surprise drop this past Summer that thrilled me. There have seen some half-baked homages to Glenda over the years (usually with red hair oddly), but this was the first true attempt to release her in the US. Let's check out Glenda below!

Groovie Goolies - BELLA LA GHOSTLY!

Filmation's Groovie Goolies - PVC Figurines - Bella La Ghostly - Chemtoy 1971

In 1970, Filmation aired an interesting cartoon called Groovie Goolies. This was an animated variety show that seemed like a mashup of The Addams Family and Laugh-In. There were quick "bad-dum-tss" joke vignettes, musical numbers, and wacky animated shorts. All the monsters lived together in Horrible Hall and had a beatnik vibe. My favorite is the building switchboard operator, the vampy Bella la Ghostly. Visually she looks like a typical cartoon vamp of the era, but with a bubbly Brooklyn-type accent a'la Janine Melnitz. There are several regular female characters in the show including Sabrina Spellman and Hagatha the Witch, but the tall Morticia-like characters are always my favorite. Despite the toyetic qualities of this series, the early 1970s weren't a time known for television merchandising. But luckily there was a line of PVC figurines by Chemtoy in 1971 (that now cost an absolute mint in collector's circles). I finally managed to nab Bella at a decent price. Let's check her out below!

Sonic Prime - BATTEN ROUGE!

Sonic Prime – 5” Action Figures Wave 4 - Batten Rouge - Jakks Pacific 2024

Sonic Prime, the CGI-animated show on Netflix, concluded earlier this year after three seasons and tons of toys. In total, there were sixteen 5" figures released and thirteen 2.5" figures. And that was all in a short 9-month period between July 2023 and March 2024. The theatrical movies only get a fraction of those numbers, so Prime had quite a big push in the merchandising department. There were seven female figures total, and this final figure, the 5" Batten Rouge is one I photographed way back in March but never got around to posting. This cartoon had a multiverse gimmick (the Shatterverse) that presented the main characters in a variety of thematic alternate realities. The "No Place" world featured a lot of pirate-deco'd characters, including one of my favorite Sonic ladies, Rouge the Bat. This figure is nearly identical to her 2.5" version released in 2023, so I don't have a lot to say about her (one of the reasons I postponed this review), but this truly is a cool toy on her own merits. Let's check out Rouge below!