I'm very happy to see that Spidey and His Amazing Friends is still going strong since its Disney+ debut in 2021. The Spider-Man universe is fun and colorful with a diverse roster of characters that lends itself nicely to preschool programming. It's no surprise that the young audiences have embraced the show. As a collector, I've always been a fan of preschool toy properties. Action figures geared towards young kids existed in my youth, but they were scarce and nothing like we see today. My excitement over Imaginext (and the lack of collector-level content online) was a major inspiration for this webpage. Marvel has made several attempts to tap into the preschool market over the years (Marvel Superhero Squad and Marvel Superhero Adventures notably), but this Spidey line seems to have more momentum. This Black Cat is already the 6th female figure in the line, which is a rarity in a genre still plagued by the single-token-female trope). Plus I suspect there will be more. Let's check out Black Cat below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Black Cat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Cat. Show all posts
Sunday, February 25, 2024
Spidey and His Amazing Friends - BLACK CAT!
Friday, December 4, 2020
Marvel Legends Vintage - BLACK CAT!
I know a lot of collectors groan at the thought of a repainted or slightly redecoed figure. But, honestly, is there anything more retro than a recycled sculpt in a Marvel line? That's actually one of the things I love most about the 1990s Toy Biz line. Noticing how the molds were reused in creative ways to give us more characters was like a toy version of a memory card game. Sue Storm, Jessica Drew, Julia Carpenter, and X-Factor Jean Grey were the exact same figure. Same with Rogue and Polaris, Psylocke and Elektra, and Medusa, Ms. Marvel, and Firestar. There are tons more. Even the original Black Cat was reused for Tigra. So when I see this Moonstone buck reused for yet another character, it actually makes me quite happy. For starters, it's a great body and a great headsculpt. It's already seven years old but it still holds up. A simple modification, like the addition of fur-lined boots and gloves, gives us a great new version of a classic character. Let's check out Black Cat below!
Monday, January 14, 2019
Marvel Legends - BLACK CAT!
With all the great Marvel heroines who have yet to be immortalized in plastic, it's hard to justify a character getting a second figure within five years. Even sticking to the Spider-Man theme, the fact that we don't have a Firestar or a Julia Carpenter yet is shocking (Not to mention all the awesome second and third-stringers like Lady Spider, Madame Web, Mania, Charlotte Witter, etc). But I know the (now cancelled) Silver & Black movie meant we would be getting Silver Sable and Black Cat, and that Felicia would need a costume variation since her 2014 figure still holds up nicely. My initial reaction to her new look wasn't a positive one (I first saw it with her 2017 Minimate). But the weird cat eyes on her jacket are kind of winning me over. Plus I was always 50/50 on the big puffy white details on her classic look. Sometimes I thought it cool, and other times I thought it was ridiculous. At the very least, this new look retains a lot of the same elements while being much more utilitarian. Let's check out Black Cat below!
Monday, December 4, 2017
Late 2017 Collection of MARVEL MINI-MATES!
Photographing small toys is a bit cumbersome for me. My photo tent is set up for 6 inch figures, so when it comes to the little guys I have to construct a stage of sorts to ensure they're properly lit. So out of laziness I tend to pile up a bunch of tiny figures and photograph them all at once. Mini-mates are a prime example of that. This post will collect all the Mini-mates I've picked up since May (when the Guardians of the Galaxy waves hit). Included will be Spiral, Hela, Gwenpool, Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel, Black Cat, Proxima Midnight, Spider-girl (Petra Parker), Medusa, and White Tiger. Diamond Select Toys really haven't been skimping with character selection. It seems like every couple months there is some heavy-hitter heroine on the shelves. Plus I love having yet another reason to stalk all my Walgreens stores. I hope Mini-mates last a long long time and I will keep buying them as long as they keep this level of character diversity up. Let's check out this newest batch of Mini-mate ladies below!
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Marvel Universe - BLACK CAT!
With all the Spider-Ladies getting so much attention in the comic and toy worlds lately, I was afraid our little Felicia would be feeling left out. Black Cat is one of the longest-lasting of Spider-Man's costumed lady-friends. I like her because she offers that Catwoman-like ambiguity of being an lover, adversary, or ally to Peter Parker on any given encounter. My usual gut reaction is to rebel against female characters who seem wholly defined by their interactions with the title male, but given that her roots are in the Bronze Age, I'll give her a pass. This Marvel Universe figure had me a little confused because I swore there already was a Black Cat in this scale. I was wrong though, so I'm glad she's finally here to fill out the ranks. Surprisingly she's the first Marvel Universe lady since last July (if you don't count the SDCC exclusives). The was the longest gap between ladies in years. The upcoming Shanna and Emma Frost should make up for that a bit though. Let's check out Black Cat below!
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Marvel Legends BLACK CAT!
I'm officially declaring 2014 the comeback year for Hasbro. The production quality and sculpts of all their upcoming figures blow their past efforts out of the water. Of course my attention is focused on the female characters. 2013's Emma Frost and Jean Grey were definitely decent figures, but so far Black Cat and the upcoming Black Widow and Spider-Girl are phenomenal. Black Cat was originally created in the late 1970s as an enemy for Spider-Woman in her solo series. That plan never panned out, but the character was luckily recycled into the pages of Amazing Spider-Man a year later. That was a fateful move which has proven very successful. Black Cat has been a staple in the Marvel Universe ever since; acting as a villain, a love interest, and an anti-hero in a rotating succession. One thing I'm always impressed by is how she has basically kept the same costume the whole time (if you ignore her brief foray into horrible fashion in the late eighties.) Let's check out this long-awaiting and amazing figure below!
Sunday, December 1, 2013
The Women of Marvel Universe NOG'NZ!
For those collectors who have a strong visceral reaction to Chibis and other abstracted superhero forms, you're going to just love these little monstrosities. I definitely had a similar negative reaction when I first saw these. It took me about a year to warm up to them, and now they just make me giggle. When trying to describe them to someone who has never seen them, I can't seem to avoid the imagery of a small caramel candy that has been pinched and prodded into a shape. This is especially true for Rogue whose hair gives her the right coloring for my analogy. A big perk for me was also the character selection. The first (and only) series had 45 characters, including seven females - pretty impressive for a debut aimed at kids. They are made from a really dense plastic that click and clack like dice when jostled together. There are actually some games you are supposed to play with these - seems like a cross between craps and marbles. (The tag line on all the packaging is "Heads will Roll!") Let's check them out!
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