Masters of the Universe - SORCERESS!

Masters of the Universe - Collectible Figures #HS1 - Sorceress - Altaya 2022

The Sorceress has always gotten the short end of the stick in the merchandising department. For such an iconic, powerful, and maternal figure that is in almost every episode of He-Man and whose mysterious origins are a major keystone in all of Eternian lore, she simply hasn't ever had a great piece of merchandise produced. There have been some close ones, like the Super7 Club Grayskull figure from 2018, but all her figures have been slightly off. Similar to the Evil-Lyn post from yesterday, this Altaya Sorceress figurine shares a lot of design similarities with the 2015 Pop Culture Shock statue, which I personally feel is the nicest-looking Sorceress product made. Of course that statue was always very expensive, and this newer figurine is much easier to display and (slightly) less expensive. This figurine is a bit of a mystery to me. I believe she was a subscription-exclusive figure unavailable in stores. She fetches about 8x the price of the other characters, but she's worth it. Let's check her out below!

Masters of the Universe - EVIL-LYN!

Masters of the Universe - Collectible Figures #9/10 - Evil-Lyn - Altaya 2022/23

Something I especially like about these French/Spanish Masters of the Universe figurines from Altaya is that they have very similar poses and styles to the Pop Culture Shock statue series (distributed by Sideshow). I always coveted these statues, but they were way out of my price range. These newer figurines are like miniature versions of those masterpieces. Despite all of Evil-Lyn's transformations over the year (thankfully almost always true to her signature design), I will always be most fond of her original 1983 Filmation design with pale yellow skin, purple and blue clothing, and a long black cape. Her scenes from the first (aired) episode, The Diamond Ray of Disappearance, are dynamic and amazing. The image of her standing atop a mountain with her cape billowing while Skeletor announces her, "Evil Lyn, Sorceress of Night!" was fused into my young brain. Having a new representation of her from that era to add to my collection thrills me. Let's check her out below!

DC Comics - THE CHEETAH!

DC Page Punchers - Cheetah (Red Platinum) 1st App - McFarlane Toys 2025

This figure was a surprise to me on several levels. Firstly, I never expected a classic Priscilla Rich version of Cheetah to be made in the DC Mulitverse line. A more modern Barbara Minerva version with her savage feral appearance seems much more like the McFarlane aesthetic. Secondly, I fully expected to hate this figure based on the leaked photos. Even after finding her at GameStop and seeing her first hand, my hopes were dismally low. Her awkward in-package pose makes her head look tiny and her feet look huge. But when I got her in my photo tent, my judgement waned and I kind of fell in love. Sure, I only like her unexpressive face, and her re-used upper thighs (with an obvious Catwoman boot-line) is annoying, but overall I still think she's great. With McFarlane winding down the DC lines, it's surprising to get characters like Cheetah and Jayna (and the upcoming Zatanna, Black Canary, Jessica Cruz, and Ice). It's a pretty impressive roster, and I'm excited for it. Let's check out Cheetah below!

The Simpsons - SELMA & PATTY BOUVIER!

The Simpsons 2.5" Series - Selma (Wave 4) & Patty (Wave 5) - Jakks Pacific 2025

The Simpsons is one of those franchises that been a constant source of entertainment for most of my life. It's hard to think of a single episode that doesn't make me laugh out loud at some point. But when it comes to my toy hobbies, the overabundance of toys always seemed too overwhelming to even consider collecting. Plus the civilian nature of the the characters doesn't really fit in with my collection. But there are a few iconic B-characters that I always knew I would make an exception for. I'm obsessed with villainous twins, and surprisingly The Simpsons has graced us with two pairs; the troublemaking classmates of Bart's, Sherri and Terri; and Marge's grunting disapproving sisters, Selma and Patty. I stumbled across Selma at FiveBelow back in August and have been anxiously awaiting her sister Patty ever since. And only three months later I have the set. They make a fun grumpy pair (even if they don't come with their signature cigarettes). Let's check out the Bouvier twins below!

Super Friends - JAYNA!

DC Retro - Super Friends - Wave 3 - Jayna and Gleek - McFarlane Toys 2025

If there have to be unnecessary add-in characters for a cartoon franchise, I appreciate when they at least fit the aesthetic and make an interesting addition to the roster of established characters. Zan, Jayna, and Gleek first appeared in the 1977 animated The All-New Super Friends Hour, the successor to Super Friends (1973), where they were the replacements for the previous Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog characters (who I personally found pretty awkward alongside the other heroes). But Zan and Jayna has cool costumes, weird powers, and interesting origins. Considering these characters were presumably added for marketing and kid appeal, they surprisingly weren't actually merchandised (aside from an occasional coloring book or lunch box) for over 30 years. This newest figure from the McFarlane Retro line is my favorite yet (at least the Jayna is, Zan looks a little bloated). The "best" figure of her before this was a SDCC exclusive DCUC figure from 2009, but she truly looked frightening.

DC x Sonic - AMY ROSE as WONDER WOMAN!

DC x Sonic - 5" Series - Amy as Wonder Woman - Jakks Pacific 2025

When all the Sonic the Movie and Sonic Prime started coming out years ago, I was a bit unhappy with the new 5" scale. In stores, it's almost hard to notice the shift between 4" figures and 5" figures, but in person it's a stark difference. It's not that I don't like the 5" scale, it's just that I was already invested in a 4" for years and had a small collection of figures in this scale already. Ideally this Amy as Wonder Woman figure would fit right in with with my Blaze and Cream toys, but alas, it appears that only the traditional video game and comic character will get the 4" treatment going forward. This DC x Sonic line is pretty exciting. I think a big part of the aesthetic appeal of the Sonic franchise is the bright colors and (relatively) simple designs. While the Prime and movie figures are fun, they stray from these core design elements. But this DC crossover hits all those classic Sonic notes combined with iconic superhero brands. I can't wait to see the next waves. Let's check out Amy as Wonder Woman below!

DC x Sonic - AMY ROSE as WONDER WOMAN!

DC x Sonic - Mystery Heroes 1 - Amy as Wonder Woman (Chase) - Jakks 2025

I was very excited to see that that secret Chase figure in the first wave of the DC x Sonic the Hedgehog Mystery Heroes blind bags was a classic-color redeco of Amy Rose as Wonder Woman. The main figure is a modern costume with a cape and metallic details, but this chase contrasts nicely with bright flat colors reminiscent of her bronze age comic design. The leaked photos of future waves show that Batman and the Flash will be getting the classic-color Chase treatment as well, but I'm happy that Amy as Wonder Woman was first. Those same leaked graphics show several more female figures potentially coming in 2026 so I am very excited for the future of this line. Not to mention the non-DC figures of unmasked Trip, Whisper the Wolf, Tikal, and Tangle the Lemur (who is already out in Canada). It's a very satisfying time to be a Sonic collector and I'm anxiously awaiting the next press release from Jakks Pacific letting us know what's next. Let's check out the 2.5" Amy as Wonder Woman chase below!

DC x Sonic - AMY ROSE as WONDER WOMAN!

DC x Sonic - Mystery Heroes 1 - Amy as Wonder Woman - Jakks Pacific 2025

Roughly 14 months ago there was a press release announcing a crossover event between DC's Justice League and Sonic the Hedgehog. One Batman Day 2024, an image of Shadow in a Batman suit broke the news. The announcement promised comics, clothing, toys, collectibles, and more. After the merchandizing avalanche of Sonic Prime which was just winding down after a year of steady releases, I had high hopes we would see the same treatment for this new crossover. And so far, it seems to be coming true. The property kicked off with a 5-issue comic series DC x Sonic the Hedgehog (ditching "Justice League" for a more all-inclusive "DC") that ran between April and July 2025 (ending with a "to be continued..." teaser). Then the toys hit in October. I knew a larger 5" series had been available via Target preorder for several months. But the 2.5" Mystery Heroes blindbags were a welcome surprise when I saw them on the shelf. Let's check out the 2.5" Amy as Wonder Woman below!