How to Train Your Dragon - RUFFNUT THORSTON!

How to Train Your Dragon (Movie) - Ruffnut & Tuffnut - Spin Master 2025

Of all the main characters in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon (2025) movie, I think Ruffnut is the most changed. When I watched the movie a few weeks ago, I can admit she and her brother didn't really stand out the way they did in the numerous animated incarnations preceding  this film. The characters were always portrayed physically odd... super tall and hunched over with long dopey faces and limbs that seemed weighed down by fatigue or boredom. Then was their personalities... they were mischievous and conniving. They just looked like they were up to no good. I didn't get that vibe from this movie, but hopefully in the the sequel (currently filming) they'll get fleshed out more. (Full confession, I was full-out sick for all of mid-January when I watched this, so take my interpretation/memories with a huge grain of salt). The actress Bronwyn James is having a moment right now having starred in both Wicked movies and now the Dragons franchise. I'm looking forward to seeing her again. 

How to Train Your Dragon - ASTRID HOFFERSON!

How to Train Your Dragon (Movie) - Astrid & Deadly Nadder - Spin Master 2025

I recently watched the live-action How to Train Your Dragon (2025) and kind of loved it. When the movie was announced, I had one of those reactions like "Why remake a CGI animated movie into live-action? Won't the dragons just be CGI again? And the original still holds up as a great movie." But when I started watching it a few weeks ago, I was instantly drawn in. A huge part of the success goes to the casting. Mason Thames as Hiccup was especially great (I've seen him in Incoming and other movies and quite like him). A lot of the other characters are great too, but they all seem pretty altered from the original. I was a big fan of America Ferrera's animated portrayal of Astrid, so I was planning to be critical of this lanky brunette imposter in the role, but I was impressed. Nico Parker played the part well and put her own stamp on the character. During the movie I kept thinking I had seen her before (I hadn't) and just now I discovered that she is Thandie Newton's daughter (and is the spitting image of her).

Batman Classic TV Series - CATWOMAN Bust!

Batman Classic TV Series - Julie Newmar Catwoman Mini-Bust - DST 2015

I'm pretty obsessed with the mini-bust format. In the early 2000s and throughout the 2010s, these were everywhere. Bowen Designs, Gentle Giant, DC Direct, and Diamond Select seemingly had releases every month. Plus several companies came to the game late like Monogram and Eaglemoss and produced some great pieces. But unfortunately, since 2019 almost all production seems to have ceased - with the exception of Diamond Select who was still occasionally releasing Star Wars and Gargoyles busts until just a couple years ago. My favorite character to collect in this format was Catwoman. I believe I have 12 different mini-busts representing a variety of her incarnations over the years (surprisingly there were never Pfeiffer or Golden/Silver Age representations - two glaring omissions). I excitedly bought this Julie Newmar Batman '66 bust when it came out 11 years ago, but was pretty disappointed in the paint quality. The difference between the paint masters and the production version was simple, but impactful. The solicitation photos looked decently like Julie Newmar (not great, but close enough). 

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - EVIL-LYN!

MOTU Origins - Cartoon Collection - Evil-Lyn (200x Version) - Mattel 2025

I remember when the Mike Young Productions He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series started in 2002. At the time, I had no television stations and relied on DVDs and VHS for my entertainment. I think I was able to get a few episodes pirated through Limewire or WinMX, but I honestly wasn't super impressed (and I still have never watched the whole series). I had first learned about it because I had some coworkers who were coming back from their lunch break with action figures from the show. I was super curious. My true adoration came later that year when Image Comics started publishing a comic based on the animated designs. I distinctly remember seeing a splash page of Evil-Lyn and being captivated. I loved the "bony" details added to her costume. She seemed more sinister and imposing. And of the three main females of the series: Teela, Sorceress, and Evil-Lyn, hers is the only redesign I liked. It's great to get another version of her in plastic. Let's check out Evil-Lyn below!

New Etheria - DESPARA!

Masters of the Universe Masterverse: New Etheria - Despara - Mattel 2026

I wasn't expecting to like this figure nearly as much as I do. When the New Etheria Despara was revealed last year, I was lukewarm. I really enjoyed the idea of Despara (because I always thought it was lame that Force Captain Adora looked identical to Great Rebellion Adora). But I was very happy with the Classics and Origins figures we already had. The last thing I needed was a reinterpretation of a reinterpretation (especially when there are so many classic Etherian characters not represented in the line yet). But when I got this figure in-hand and saw and all its versatility, I fell in love. The funny thing is, my least favorite part of the figure is the actual Despara Hordak mask. It looks cheap and doesn't look like Hordak (despite technically being very similar). But on the bright side, there is a great Force Captain Adora look (at least that's how I'm referring to it) with a bat-winged headpiece, as well as a full Adora look. Her hair is a little flat, and her expression is a little vacant, but I'm still obsessed. Let's check her out!

Titan Hero Series - GHOST-SPIDER!

Spider-Man Titan Hero Series - Ghost-Spider (Gwen Stacy) - Hasbro 2026

It's been more than three years since the last female Titan Hero Series figure (Shuri from Black Panther). I was excited at the prospect of a Yelena figure from Thunderbolts, but I'm guessing now those images circulating the internet were fake. I have a feeling with the dawn of AI there are going to be a lot more fake figure rumors I will be gullibly falling for. An updated Spider-Gwen for 2026 was not something I expected. I was pretty happy with the original release (from 2018's Into the Spider-Verse movie), but she wasn't a perfect figure. She has a very thin body and limited articulation. I didn't realize all the improvements in this 2026 version until I got her in-hand. She has added articulation in her knees and elbows, her whites are brighter and her pinks are bolder, and most importantly she now has a more realistic torso. The narrow chest on the older figures always looked a little off. I hope this is the start of a whole new era of Titan Hero Series. I'm hoping for many more. Let's check out Ghost-Spider below!

ActionVerse - GHOST-SPIDER!

ActionVerse - Marvel's Spider-Man Series 1 - Ghost-Spider - Hasbro 2026

It was quite a surprise to see solicitations in late 2025 advertising a new Hasbro Basic Series from Hasbro called ActionVerse. The details were scant, and I assumed (along with most everyone else) that these figures were just an upgraded Epic Hero Series with added articulation and more accessories. But when I found them at Target a few weeks later in early January, I was shocked to see these were at a noticeably larger scale (more in the 4.5"-5" range) and had a completely different feel than the 3.75" Epic figures. They've already released Star Wars and Avengers ActionVerse figures so I think we can assume this is the new Hasbro evergreen format for the foreseeable future. I'm expecting that we'll see a Black Widow and an Ahsoka Tano before too long. They just seem like the obvious female choices for the Stars Wars and Avengers lines. I just hope they still release the occasional Epic Hero Series figures because I really dig that scale as well. Let's check out the ActionVerse Ghost-Spider below!

DC Comics - POWER GIRL!

DC Multiverse Collector's Edition - Power Girl - McFarlane Toys 2025

It took me a long time to get on board with Power Girl. For most of my youth I viewed her as a pretty lame character. I didn't like her costume, her backstory, and I felt she was portrayed as a cheesecake character and a vehicle for boob jokes. And honestly, if you look at her portrayal throughout the late 80s and 90s, she didn't have a lot of depth. But in the early 2000s, she became a major character in JSA and Infinite Crisis, eventually getting her own ongoing title. This is when I got hooked. And the best part about my shift is that nothing really changed with the character. Her costume was identical and boob jokes were plentiful, but I credit the team of Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with giving her a fresh, funny, memorable book. They also performed their magic with Harley Quinn, Terra, and Starfire - they're my favorite creative team for solo heroine titles. And now I'm a fan of Karen Starr no matter who is at the helm. I'm really impressed at how nice this figure is. Let's check her out below!