Void Rivals - SOLILA (and DARAK)!

Transformers & G.I.Joe - Void Rivals SDCC Exclusive Boxset - Hasbro 2025

Void Rivals is one of the best comics I've read in recent years. I was a little late to the party and only picked up the Vol 1 TPB this time last year, just as the Vol 2 TPB was being released. I had read the Cobra Commander TPB a few months before and was thoroughly impressed by the art and story. The way they tied in so much great 80's G.I.Joe lore and told an engaging origin story with that modern Image Comics edge just blew my mind. The Transformers crossover was a surprise to me as well. I decided to dive deep into this new Energon Universe created by Robert Kirkman and Skybound for Image comics. This universe merges the Transformers and G.I.Joe properties while also including original titles, like their inaugural release Void Rivals. The story starts out with two lone representatives of warring worlds, Solila the Zerkonian and Darak the Agorrian, crash landing on a rocky planet (or moon, asteroid, or comet? It's desolate and barren and far from home) while each attempting to capture a

She-Ra the Princess of Power - HUNTARA!

Masters of the Universe - Collectible Figure #59 - Huntara - Altaya 2024

I'm typically not a huge fan of one-off brutish characters in 80s cartoons, but in Huntara's case I make an exception because I like her purple skin and her design origins. There is a adventure cartoon trope where a new character arrives on the scene and is duped by the bad guys into think the main hero is actually the enemy. The episodes always pan out the same.. with patience, reasoning, and communication winning the day (plus a new hard-won ally for the hero and a thwarted villain). I think this plot existed several times in She-Ra, but the episode "Huntara" from November 1985 definitely seems to have made the most lasting impression. Huntara comes from the warrior planet Silax and is greeted by the deceitful Hordak upon her arrival and convinced that She-Ra is a great scourge to Etheria. She appears very different from other Princess of Power characters with a punk Road Warrior vibe. My favorite tidbit is the writers described her as a "Grace Jones type" and she does indeed resemble the 80's icon.

She-Ra the Princess of Power - CATRA!

Masters of the Universe - Collectible Figure #61 - Catra - Altaya 2024

As much as I've been loving these Masters of the Universe and Princess of Power import figurines from Altaya, there always has to be a least favorite in the bunch. The prize-holder of of that esteemed position is Catra. I love this character. I love her design, I love her power, and I'm even quite fond of her incessant purring. This figurine, however, has a really odd pose. I feel like it's intended to look strong and impactful, but the position of her hands and her slightly stooped-forward position looks awkward. Also her face doesn't quite look right (it's definitely good, but all the other figures have been near perfection). And finally her angled placement on her stand is just odd and makes her stand out from the other figures in the series in a bad way. All the others are facing forward, but her staring off to the left screws up my display. It's such a first-world series of complaints I know, but I'm still happy to add another Filmation Catra to my collection, even with all her quirks. Let's check her out below!

She-Ra the Princess of Power - SCORPIA!

Masters of the Universe - Collectible Figure #70 - Scorpia - Altaya 2024/2025

There is something about Scorpia from the original 1985 She-Ra: Princess of Power cartoon that makes her stand out to me as one of the greats. Namely, she is the only prominent character with beastly characteristics (that all the male Horde and evil Warrior members take for granted). Yes, I know Octavia is pretty monstrous, but she only appears in two short episodes. Meanwhile Scorpia appears in fifteen with her signature snapping claw hands, whipping scorpion tail, and absolutely horrible voice. Realistically, I acknowledge that she is an idealized woman with a few gimmicky add-ons, but in a universe where "pretty" was seemingly a prerequisite, Scorpia stood out as being badass and awesome (awesome looking... I still can't stand her voice all these years later). My fingers are crossed for a Cartoon Collection figure reveal of her soon (her image has been featured on packaging and the upcoming Sting-Or figure has a great scorpion tail). Maybe an NYCC debut? Let's check out Scorpia below!

Batman '66 Comics - WONDER WOMAN!

Batman '66 Comic Retro Series 11 - Wonder Woman - McFarlane Toys 2025

Between 2013 and 2016, a big trend in DC Comics publishing was Batman '66 comics featuring the likenesses of Adam West and Burt Ward. It started with a core title of 30 issues and was followed by a wacky assortment of various 6-issue team-up mini-series like Archie, Green Hornet, Man from U.N.C.L.E., Steed and Mrs. Peel, and Legion of Super-Heroes. These stories effectively added a ton of non-canonical characters to the wider Batman '66 universe (like Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn, among many others). An additional source of characters came from a variant cover theme in the Summer of 2014 where eighteen DC titles had Batman '66 variants drawn by Mike Allred. This cover series is where we saw Wonder Woman in Batman '66 style for the first time. (The later Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77 comic series doesn't count because it was drawn to resemble Lynda Carter). It's amazing that those covers inspired a toy ten years later. Let's check out Wonder Woman '66 below!

Batman '66 Comics - BATGIRL!

Batman '66 Comic Retro Series 11 - Batgirl (BTAS) - McFarlane Toys 2025

When I think about fun color variations to the Batman '66 Batgirl mold, I can admit this release wasn't one of them. I would have much preferred a more unique color combination for a re-release; like the New52 version with purple and black, or a Steph Brown blonde version (or a re-issue of the Yvonne Craig version to pair with the new Batgirl Cycle). But instead, we got a Batman the Animated Series repaint. Without the cartoony Bruce Timm sculpt to go along with it, this looks almost identical to the recent The New Adventures of Batman figure except a slightly darker palette and blue gloves and boots (and differently painted eyes). It sounds like some significant differences, but in person they are just way too similar for my tastes. Of course, that doesn't mean I can resist a Batgirl toy when I see her on the shelf... it only means I am unmotivated to open her and delay her review for almost a year. I'm still holding out hope for a Poison Ivy in this line, but that looks unlikely. Let's check out Batgirl below!

Transformers Cyberworld - ELITA-1!

Transformers: Cyberworld - Quick Change Cyber Changers - Elita-1 - Hasbro 2025

The newest animated incarnation of Transformers is a webseries on YouTube called Transformers: Cyberworld which debuted in July 2025 and is produced by Hasbro and Omens Studios. There are only seven 5-minute episodes so far (as of me writing this post), featuring a Secret-Wars-type setting where characters are tested and challenged in different battle scenarios. It's pretty random but fun to watch. The cast is small with only nine characters so far. Luckily Elita-1 is present as the token female character and luckily Hasbro green-lit the series for a toyline. The character designs are small and blocky, but I appreciate the variation from the other figures on the shelves right now. Elita-1 has a cool color scheme which I can only describe as Coral and Guava. It's pretty hard to photograph but has a cool sherbet-y aesthetic in person. She also transforms into a boat which is a unique vehicle mode for her. The Cyber Changers lines don't offer a lot of articulation, but I still love having her in my collection.

Transformers Rescue Bots - ELITA-1!

Transformers: Rescue Bots - Classic Heroes Team - Elita-1 - Hasbro 2025

Several years ago the popular Transformers: Rescue Bots preschool toyline had a spinoff line featuring additional classic characters like Starscream and Mirage. This line was called the Classic Heroes Team and had packaging graphics that occasionally featured Arcee (you can spy her on the back of this figure, too). Ever since first seeing this illustration, I was obsessed with getting a classic Transformers fembot in this blocky preschool format. Well, it took three years but we finally got one. Of course, it's Elita-1 and not Arcee, and it's just a simple repaint of Bumblebee, but I still think she's really fun. It's easily the most feminine of the modern Rescue Bot sculpts, and her bold pink paintjob certainly adds a lot of bright color to the existing female lineup of Quickshadow and Whirl. I hope we'll eventually get the teased Arcee and maybe some others, but realistically they'd probably just be repaints of this same figure. Let's check out the Classic Heroes Team Elita-1 in detail below!