Mulan (1998) is easily my favorite animated Disney movie. Most animated Disney movies feature a strong female lead. But Mulan was explicit in highlighting gender roles and cultural stigmas (which, although were presented as specific to an unspecified dynastic era of China's history, had many relatable modern parallels). I genuinely love the story and the music. I also love the respectful handling of the music, with no songs played after the discovery of General Li's fallen army. This movie arguably dealt with the heaviest subject matter of the theatrical animated Disney movies - others technically had a higher death rate, but in Mulan the setting was relatable historical fiction and we actually saw the deaths. It required a tactful mix of playful music and solemnity. I have always wanted to add Mulan to my collection. Someday I might dive deep into the 1997 Mattel line. But in the meantime, this McFarlane Disney Multiverse figure from the Amazon-exclusive 3-Pack is a great first figure. Let's check out Mulan below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Monday, January 29, 2024
Mirrorverse - BELLE (FRACTURED)!
Mirrorverse is a 2022 mobile game featuring a large assortment of Disney characters in battle scenarios. One of the coolest things about the game (IMO) is the faction of The Fractured. The Fractured are a legion of twisted evil versions of the main characters. They were created by Maleficent when she broke the Dark Mirror and gave life to the distorted reflections of all the heroes. I'm a sucker for monochromatic designs and all of the Fractured are multi-hued purple. I'm a bit obsessed and I hope all the figures get this redeco eventually. (Although I wish Belle's face was purple as well to complete the look). This figure came in an Amazon-Exclusive 3-pack with Ariel (Melee) and Mulan (Melee). The line has been pretty quiet since this set was announced back in early July, but I really hope we see some new characters. Rapunzel and Merida seem like pretty prominent game characters who haven't appeared in the toy line yet. Fingers crossed for more. Let's check out Fractured Belle below!
Sunday, January 28, 2024
Mirrorverse - ARIEL!
Ever since I started collecting toys as an adult, I have wanted well-made modern action figures of Disney characters. I was always hoping S.H.Figuarts or Mafex would get a license, but it never came to be. The Super7 Disney Ultimates were a promising start, but they never produced a character I was particularly interested in (I feel like Maid Marian would have happened soon if the line wasn't cancelled). But the main characters I always imagined in highly-articulated action figure form were Tinker Bell and Ariel. While this Mirrorverse Ariel from McFarlane Toys is definitely a stretch from her classic design, it's still pretty amazing. Mirrorverse is a 2022 mobile game featuring a wide variety of Disney characters in combat scenarios. Ariel is in Melee armor with a trident. I think she looks awesome. Ariel came in an Amazon-Exclusive Gold Label 3-Pack with Belle and Mulan. This set really renewed my interest in the line and I hope it keeps going. Let's check out Melle Armor Ariel below!
Friday, December 29, 2023
Invincible - MONSTER GIRL!
Monster Girl is one of the more interesting characters in the Invincible Universe. At first glance, she has very typical Hulk-like powers transforming from a non-threatening human into a large monstrous brute. And the fact that she is a young girl just adds to that contrast. But as you get to know young Amanda, you quickly realize she is not all that she seems. Her abilities are the result of a curse and the tricky part of that curse is that, each time she uses her monster form, her human form gets younger and younger. She has the surly world-weary attitude of a wrongfully-cursed 24 year old trapped in the body of an adolescent, and the frustration of that reality comes out in pure ferocity when in her monster form. This Deluxe Monster Girl set was very unexpected, but makes a great addition to the Invincible lineup. I don't even mind that the human form has such limited articulation. She is still able to achieve the squat "ready for action" poses I would want her in. Let's check out Monster Girl below!
Thursday, December 28, 2023
Invincible - DUPLI-KATE!
The Invincible Select action figure line from DST is very impressive. When it started a few years ago I expected there to be a handful of core releases before quietly fading away. (I'm a little jaded and scarred by past toy lines based on indy comics). But after just a couple years there is already an impressive assortment of characters with at least two more on the way (Rex Splode and the Mauler Twin (single figure with alternate heads)). This Dupli-Kate figure gives us a similar multi-figure purchase. By giving us alternate heads and swappable chest numbers, we can army build as many Kates as we want. Dupli-Kate is a homage to Triplicate Girl of the LOSH with the ability to create (seemingly endless) copies of herself. But in an interesting secondary homage, Kate has a twin (evil) brother named Multi-Paul and together they visually remind me of the Wonder Twins. In the cartoon, Paul is incarcerated and will likely never get a toy though. But I can't wait to see who is next. Let's check out Dupli-Kate below!
Tuesday, January 3, 2023
Invincible - ATOM EVE!
Invincible was one of the small handful of superhero comics that I credit with re-introducing me to the genre in the early 2000s. Like a lot of people, the 90's "extreme" comics turned me off. I potentially would have ditched comics all-together, but I discovered manga and indie imprints that kept me nerdy. Then in short succession in the early 2000s, I started reading Darwyn Cooke's Catwoman, Coipel, Abnett, and Lanning's Legion of Superheroes work, and Invincible from Image Comics. I was so happy that superhero books were suddenly enjoyable again. Invincible was refreshing. The characters were likeable, the costumes were colorful, and the storylines were simple (yet mature). I was hooked from the very start. For a while, Atom Eve was the token female in the comics. I remember loving her character, but hating the pink outfit with her red hair. Of course now I love it and would throw a fit at any costume change. The Invincible Amazon series premiered in 2021 and is an amazing translation of the comic.
Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Marvel Legends - AGONY!
Yet again (and in a very short timeframe) Hasbro has given me another of my most-wanted Marvel Legends figures. There has always been something special about Marvel's symbiote mythos. The dialogue between alien and host is a dynamic and original storytelling technique that only works in comic form. In 1993, in the pages of Venom: Lethal Protector, there were five new symbiotes introduced as experimental super-soldiers from the dubious Life Foundation - they were all spawns of Venom and in an unexpected twist for the time, two of the five were female: Scream and Agony. But for some reason all the merchandising ignored Agony. Scream got a ToyBiz figure in 1996, a Mini-Mate, a Heroclix, a Funko Pop, a Nano Metal, and even a Legends figure in 2018. I truly never thought there would be an Agony action figure in my collection, but I couldn't be happier with the results. I'm also happy that this Amazon exclusive three-pack came with Riot and a great new Venom. Let's check out Agony below!
Thursday, October 13, 2022
Batman Family Multipack - BATGIRL!
Batgirl is my favorite comic character to see in action figure form. She has a few classic trademarks: red hair, a big bat emblem, and the ears and cape of her namesake. (She also tends to incorporate yellow into every design). Yet with this formulaic set of design traits, the toys still manage to look surprisingly distinct from each other. McFarlane Toys has produced three Batgirl figures so far, and my favorite by far has been the Three Jokers version from 2021. Surprisingly this repaint of that figure (in her classic Bronze Age color palette) is the first of the three molds to see a re-release (aside from those unpainted gray figures they make). Other figures have been released many times with paint variations or a retooled head, but the one character I would be actually excited about has managed to escape this treatment before now. But this one was worth the wait. I know McFarlane will always lean towards modern gritty storylines, but I will always find classic looks more appealing. Let's check out Batgirl below!
Monday, August 15, 2022
POP Funko - SPIDER-WOMAN!
Mattie Franklin has a very interesting history. She was introduced in the Spider-Man comics just a few months after Mayday Parker debuted in 1998. But it wasn't until May of 1999 when she donned a costume and was introduced as (the third) Spider-Woman. Her powers came about via ritualistic magic, and origins like that never seem to turn out well. It's almost as if there is karmic retribution for achieving powers unnaturally. Mattie's stories took some pretty macabre turns later on, but for the majority of her 18-issue solo series she was a fun character who constantly had new costumes and shifting power sets. The Funko Pop costume is one of her later looks from issue #12 onward. It was at this point when she absorbed the powers of Charlotte Witter and was able to grow organic spider legs from her back. She has has an understated presence in the Marvel Universe since her series ended. And aside from two HeroClix figures, this is her first time in plastic. Let's check out Mattie below!
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Fortnite - JULES!
Fortnite toys continue to impress me. Despite having no connection to the actual games (or concepts even), the pure fun aesthetic of the character design has pulled me in and made me a fan for life. I enjoy thinking about the younger generations today and the toys that will fuel their adult nostalgia someday. Do I think it will be all the modern He-Man, Power Rangers, DC, and Marvel toys piggybacking off the parents' fond memories? No, I can admit that those brands likely won't be as potent as we wish they would be. But then I see the Fortnite section in the toy aisle and it falls into place. Where we had cartoons and comics to further our action figure narrative, today's kids have video games. (And the Fortnite brand seems far more toyetic than Minecraft or Roblox). The characters are fun, diverse, well made, and plentiful. I really enjoyed the 3.75" version of Jules from last year, but this 6" Amazon exclusive figure is even better. She looks tough, beautiful, and intriguing. Let's check out Jules below!
Thursday, September 30, 2021
Marvel Legends - CAPTAIN MARVEL!
I really disliked Captain Marvel's appearance in Avengers: Endgame. The color blocking of her outfit had the red and blue swapped, much like the suit Mar-Vell wore in the comics. While I always liked this coloring on the male costume, I didn't look right on Carol. Then the hair. I really really dislike this haircut. It looks like they intended to create her cool shaved-side fauxhawk look, but wussed out and gave her a mom 'do. It also stayed way too styled and coifed during the battle (no helmet-hair at all). It actually made me laugh in the middle of that awesome battle scene, which was a shame. But then this toy was announced and I decided, what the hell? The face sculpt is significantly improved over the Captain Marvel Movie wave. And the hair looks way more natural in plastic than it did on screen (that's a first!). Plus the maskless look makes me appreciate the color-blocking of the suit more than I expected. Overall it's a surprisingly great addition to my MCU collection. Let's check out Carol below!
Monday, December 14, 2020
Uncanny X-Force PSYLOCKE!
This Psylocke was a very unexpected purchase. When the Amazon exclusive three-pack was first announced last Summer, it was an easy pass for me. I don't know who Fantomex is, I'm not a huge fan of Nimrod, and I always felt the X-Force versions of Psylocke was always too similar, yet less interesting, than her classic ninja look. But then the set showed up as a Cyber Monday deal and I suddenly became covetous. Once I had the set in hand, I really appreciated it though. I imagine the Nimrod figure looking great with the upcoming Omega Sentinel, and the Psylocke figure looks sleek and intimidating in all black with bright pink accessories. Her outfit is new to me. The previous X-Force outfits were just a black versions of the 90's Jim Lee look, but this one has unique cutouts and a more sporty feel. Turns out it's specifically from the Uncanny iteration of the book. If I was going to get any black-suited version of her, I'm glad it was this one. Let's check out Psylocke below!
Sunday, December 13, 2020
Transformers Earthrise - LIFELINE!
The first Transformers toy I bought as an adult was the small Heroes of Cybertron PVC of Arcee. I was just starting to get back into toys and comics after a long hiatus for college and this little pink goddess just spoke to me. But then several months after I bought this figure, the same stores starting carrying a green version of Arcee called Paradron Medic. And around the same time I noticed the Energon Arcee figure was also released in a green variant. I was curious enough to do some research and learned of the G1 episode, Fight or Flee (Season 3, Ep 15, Oct 1986). In this episode, Cyclonis and Scourge get stranded on the peaceful planet of Paradron, which they discover is Energon-rich and proceed to overthrow the citizens. The Paradron population is made up of simple male robots (that remind me of ROM: Spaceknight) and a bunch of green Arcees. I just re-watched the episode and the Paradron Medics get maybe three seconds of airtime. But it's a fun setup for a repaint figure. Let's check out Lifeline below!
Monday, September 7, 2020
Power Rangers - PSYCHO RANGERS!
I first discovered the Psycho Rangers many years ago when researching Super Sentai characters. I got obsessive in my collecting of Japanese vinyl figures and literally went through the cast of every Super Sentai, Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and Metal Heroes series and took note of all the female characters. A large portion of these characters were very forgettable, but I remember absolutely flipping out over these evil Nezirangers from 1997's Denji Sentai Megaranger. I thought their design looked amazing and I was very upset they had never been merchandised. I had never seen Power Rangers in Space so I didn't realize their English name was the Psycho Rangers until Bandai started to include them in the Legacy Collection a few years ago. Of course it took several more years and a company change to finally get Psycho Pink and Psycho Yellow in this Amazon-exclusive set. I was afraid they would have male bucks, but thankfully they are subtly feminized. Let's check them out below!
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Alpha Flight - SNOWBIRD!
I think Snowbird just may be the most memorable member of Alpha Flight for me. Similar to characters like Thor and Valkyrie, Snowbird is actually a deity (the demi-goddess Narya specifically) that is living on Earth under the guise of a mortal. Her presence in the comics was mysterious and creepy. Her black eyes and her cold countenance is a recipe for intrigue. and the fact that she can transform into any animal of the north just adds to her allure. As a kid, animals were my obsession, so any character with animal-based powers was a natural draw - let alone the ability to become almost any animal. Her appeal must have been universal among fans, because she actually has a decent amount of merchandise. But this is the first Legends-scale figure released (and she had been of my wishlist for a long time). I actually just read that John Byrne created her years before he even entered the comic industry, making her technically the original member of the group! Let's check out the long-awaited Snowbird below!
Monday, November 25, 2019
Alpha Flight - AURORA!
One thing I always loved about Alpha Flight was the great gender diversity within the team. Right off the bat the team had three interesting and diverse females, and within the first couple years they added two more. The original three ladies were so mysterious and intriguing. Snowbird was a cold and distant goddess, Marrina was a scaly aquatic creature with no memories of her origin, and of course Aurora, the powerful mutant with two distinct (and contradicting) personalities. Aurora and her twin Northstar have almost identical powers of super speed, strength, endurance, and flight (one twin may be more skilled at one power than the other, but it balances out), but Jeanne-Marie Beaubier really stands out from her brother by having disassociative personality disorder. When she is Aurora, she is bold and provocative, but when living as Jeanne-Marie she was timid and devoutly religious. Although her brother has garnered more headlines over the years, Aurora was always the more interesting sibling to me.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Alpha Flight - VINDICATOR!
This new Amazon-exclusive Marvel Legends Alpha Flight 6-Pack is a dream come true for me. I have wanted a full inclusion of this team into the Legends line for a long long time. There have been a handful of false starts in both the Marvel Legends and Marvel Universe lines with an occasional Guardian, Sasquatch, Puck or Northstar released, but the entire team seemed like a pipe dream. The 90's ToyBiz lineup was surprisingly good (and thorough), but the scale and sculpt could never hold up to modern scrutiny. In the past two years we have seen an updated Sasquatch and Guardian which gave me hopes that we would see some more members. But I never would have predicted this. I was especially scared that we wouldn't see a Heather Hudson as Vindicator since she wasn't an original hero on the team (she took over the role later on after her husband died). She ended up leading the team and is honestly the most iconic character on the whole roster for me. Let's check out Heather McNeil Hudson as Vindicator below!
Friday, July 12, 2019
Marvel Legends - SCARLET WITCH!
I wasn't sure that I was going to like this updated Scarlet Witch figure. In the solicit images, it looked like her headsculpt was very different from existing Marvel Legends. It looks good, but almost as if they have a new sculpting team or maybe they're doing face scans of live (non-celebrity) models. If you compare her other comic-based Legends in the past five years, she just looks different. Also, her outfit looked metallic - which is a toy trend I really don't care for. But in actuality her outfit is a pearlescent plastic (like Moonstone) and her head looks so good that I don't care if she doesn't blend in. In fact, this figure reminds me so much of my favorite Wanda storylines from Young Avengers that it's reinvigorating my desire for updated figures from that team. Also, the fact that we got an updated figure within 4 years gives me hope that we might also get a redo of her sister Polaris (which I never thought was quite right). I'm not holding my breath, but I have a glimmer of hope now. Let's check out the new Wanda below!
Saturday, July 6, 2019
Transformers Siege - GREENLIGHT!
For those not in the know, there was an iconic episode from the 2nd season of Transformers in 1985 called The Search for Alpha Trion that introduced female Autobots. As a young kid (in 2nd grade!), I was obsessed with this episode. And even the instant mythology of these characters thrilled me (apparently female autobots were thought to be extinct). We were introduced to Elita One, Moonracer, Chromia, Firestar, and two unnamed silent characters who we now know as Lancer and Greenlight. These ladies pre-date Arcee by almost a year. I have trouble putting into words how excited I am that we are getting toys of these obscure characters (that are inexplicably branded into my psyche). Seriously though, they appeared in a single 23-minute episode 34 years ago and only had a few seconds of screentime each. I never ever ever expected to add these to my collection. Someone at TakaraTomy is looking out for me. I can't wait for the inevitable Lancer to fill out the ranks! Let's check out Greenlight below!
Sunday, December 24, 2017
Marvel Legends - JESSICA JONES as JEWEL!
A large part of what I love about super-heroes is their cheesiness. The characters sport their colorful spandex and spout their bravado-infused tag lines, and I just eat it up. It's pretty rare for a character to be self-aware of this without being a comedy-based hero like Deadpool, but Jewel is the perfect example of a character who does just that. When we first met Jessica Jones in Alias #1, she was already the sour gritty gumshoe we know and love today. But a huge building block of that dark and brooding personality was her distancing herself from her former life as the cheesy colorful Avenger, Jewel. I know the character was created retroactively as a flashback story element, but that didn't stop me from loving the character. I never expected we'd see her in legends form, but a hit Netflix show is a powerful incentive. I was lucky enough to snag the Amazon-exclusive Defenders boxset when it was a Deal of the Day for $55 a few weeks ago. I'm so happy to have this pink-haired hero in my collection. Let's check her out below!
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