The new girl-centric line of DC Super Friends Imaginext toys has started off with a bang. In the first wave of releases we've already seen seven key characters represented in a fresh new style, a colorful palette, and supported by a series of animated shorts from DC Kids on YouTube. The style of these figures is reminiscent of the Teen Titans Go Imaginext line that was released 7-10 years ago featuring larger, more animated heads and slimmer limbs. I think I will always prefer the traditional Imaginext proportions, but this new series has grown on me fast. Batgirl seems to be the primary protagonist of this group. She seemingly owns the heroes' base of operations (the "Batgirl Hero Hideout") and she seems to be the focal point of most of the animated shorts. And that's impressive considering she is joined by heavy-hitters like Wonder Woman and Supergirl. (It's honestly most likely because she has the most impressive and notable villains of all the heroes). Let's check out Batgirl below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Motorcycle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motorcycle. Show all posts
Sunday, September 29, 2024
Saturday, September 28, 2024
Imaginext - CATWOMAN!
When I first saw images of this new girl-centric Imaginext DC Super Friends line popping up this past Spring, I didn't think I would make the effort to collect them. The larger cartoonish heads and the limited articulation are a bit of a buzzkill after years of collecting the main Imaginext line. But when I saw pics of this reimagined Catwoman design, it really grabbed my attention. Having Catwoman be portrayed as African American isn't a new concept. Three of her (relatively few) live-action incarnations have been played by women of color, and numerous Elseworlds comics and animated series appearances have portrayed her as different ethnicities. But something about this simple little figure with her glittery outfit and hot pink details struck me as wholly original and really fun. Once I bought her, of course, I have to splurge and get all the rest - and now I'm committed for the long haul. I only hope they push out new characters instead of endless redecos like Fisher-Price is notorious for. Let's check out Catwoman below!
Monday, March 11, 2024
Spidey and His Amazing Friends - GHOST-SPIDER!
Back in 2022 I was going crazy checking all my discount store chains for a few important toys. The Transformers Authentics Arcee and the G.I.Joe Basic Series Baroness were being found at stores like Family Dollar and Dollar General and I was on the hunt. I remember spending one rainy day on vacation driving up the coast and hitting close to a dozen of these stores obsessively looking for these elusive toys. (Spoiler: I eventually found them months later at FiveBelow). But in the process of hunting I discovered this discount line from Spidey and his Amazing Friends (the popular new preschool show on Disney+) featuring mini figures of the two main male heroes paired with a motorcycle. I eventually googled them and saw a Gwen figure in the mix, but only on Australian websites. Finding her became an obsession. She's rather unimpressive. She's unarticulated and sloppily painted, but I stayed vigilant and finally found her two years later in one of those same Dollar Generals. Let's check out Gwen below!
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Super Mario Bros Movie 2.5" - PEACH!
This figure was the first product I found in stores for the Super Mario Bros Movie earlier this year and it got me really excited. I've been buying Jakks Pacific toys of Nintendo/Super Mario and Sonic the the Hedgehog characters for years, and the 2.5" lines were always the consistent standouts for character diversity and sheer numbers of a figures. But the drawback was always severely limited articulation. Most of my 2.5" Jakks figures only have three points of simple swivel articulation (not that I ever complained). But this Movie Peach in her Mario Kart outfit has a surprising six hinge-and-swivel joints as well as a ball-jointed head. She's very tiny at just under 3" tall, so this is very impressive (especially for the price point). She is really great and so are all the other racer characters. Hopefully this isn't just a one-time experimental line though, because I would love to see more in this style. I guess we'll have to wait until the next Mario or Sonic movie to see though. Let's check out Mario Kart Peach below!
Friday, October 27, 2023
Super Mario Bros Movie 5" - PEACH!
When the product for the Super Mario Bros Movie hit the shelves earlier this year, I honestly thought the initial wave of products would be the only items we would see. All the main characters were represented right off the bat. I hadn't seen the movie yet, or even really paid attention to the trailers in great detail. But considering this deluxe 5" series started out with Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Bowser, I think most collectors assumed the line was complete. But right around the time the first street date hit, images of Series 2 surfaced showing popular character variations like Tanooki Mario, Cat Mario, and this Mario Kart Peach. Peach donned this costume when she was returning to the Mushroom Kingdom to confront Bowser. Mario drove a gocart, Toad was in a monster truck, and Peach had a motorcycle. They travelled on the Rainbow Road and had a whole Mario Kart homage on the journey. I honestly would have expected a simple Fire Peach repaint before this new sculpt, but I'm very happy.
Friday, September 22, 2023
Transformers - LASER CYCLE!
This new figure of Laser Cycle was a complete mystery to me when she was announced, but after doing some research I find her pretty interesting. Back in the mid-nineties, there were several thematic groups of characters introduced. The first was the Laser Rods in 1994 which were four hot rods: two Decepticon and two Autobot. The following year they introduced the Laser Cycles, a similar group, but motorcycles instead of hotrods. Four were planned, but only two were released: Road Rocket and Road Pig. When the 2022 Road Rocket figure was designed as a female, we assumed another of the group would be released as a repaint. But Road Pig would have been another black and red deco. So they instead chose one of the two unreleased cycle's colors. This unreleased figure was actually a new concept of Jazz in green, yellow, and white and a motorcycle vehicle mode. Since is was so un-Jazz-like, and the figure was going to be female, she simple got the name Laser Cycle. Let's check her out below!
Friday, December 30, 2022
Transformers Timelines - FLAMEWAR!
This figure was my Transformers holy grail for over 15 years. As far as I know, she was a surprise figure that attendees only learned about while at BotCon 2005. She is always listed as an "Attendee Freebie." I don't know if this means that she was actually free, or just a bonus figure attendees were allowed to purchase. This figure and the materials released with her are the first appearance of Flamewar. She is a Decepticon version of Arcee and she is both the only bad guy and the only original character made from the Energon Arcee mold. She has also made the surprising jump from a collector's-realm original character to getting major attention in wider games, comics, and toys. Because of that low-key popularity and the perceived scarceness of the toy, this figure commands the highest price among the eight mold variations. She typically hits around $400 while the next highest (Flareup) goes for around $200. Luckily I am a very patient collector and I always get a good deal eventually, even if it takes 17 years.
Thursday, December 29, 2022
Transformers Timelines - FLAREUP (FIRESTAR)!
Once again, the BotCon 2005 offerings blew my mind. In addition to the large 7-figure Decent Into Evil boxset, there was a two-figure Souvenir set with Ratchet and Flareup. They came in simple unadorned polybags with separate trading cards and instantly cost bank on eBay. Flareup is a rebranding of the G1 character Firestar, one of the original members of Elita's Army introduced in The Search for Alpha Trion (1985). No toys of Firestar ever have her original name. There is, of course, the Marvel mutant Firestar (similarly merchandised by Hasbro) and also the orange cat from the popular Warriors book series, so her aliases are understandable (Flareup and Novastar so far). Firestar was always a standout for me because she embodies several characteristics that are so rarely applied to female characters. Firstly, her orange color palette is almost non-existent in my toy room, and similarly firefighter characters are so rarely female. For both those reasons and more, she is iconic. Let's check out Flareup below!
Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Transformers - CHROMIA (MOONRACER)!
Botcon 2005 seems like one of those Epic conventions that will go down in infamy for collectors like me. I was out of the Transformers loop at the time so it was months later when I learned that this convention had three exclusive female figures released, all three of which had never been made in plastic: Flare-up (Firestar), Chromia (Moonracer), and Flamewar. This figure is clearly Moonracer from the classic episode The Search for Alpha Trion, but for some reason she is labeled as Chromia (who is typically a light blue color with a differently-shaped head). The only "Moonracer" copyright I can think of is the winged lion from Rankin and Bass. But this light seafoam green fembot with a newly-sculpted head is clearly not Chromia. This figure was included in huge Descent Into Evil 7-pack exclusive to Botcon 2005. The other female figures released at the convention were more sneakily revealed, but Chromia/Moonstar was prominently announced. Let's check out Chromia/Moonracer below!
Tuesday, December 27, 2022
Transformers Movie - ARCEE!
Similar to yesterday's Elita-One post, this Arcee Movie figure was a big tease when she was released. There were no fembots in the Transformers (2007) movie at all, despite these two toys leading the world to think otherwise. The interesting thing is that this Arcee was blue. Nowadays we're used to seeing the occasional oddly-colored Arcee. But back in 2007, the character was only associated with pink. (This was four years before Transformers: Prime introduced us to the most predominantly-featured Arcee to date, who was of course blue). But this figure presented a mystery color variation without context and intrigued me like crazy. Because there was no cinematic character inspiring the seemingly random design, I've always just assumed she was intended to be (a slightly darker-hued) Chromia. All the other original G1 fembots had been represented (visually at least) with this mold, except for Chromia, so this theory made the most sense to me (and still does). Let's check out the "movie" Arcee below!
Monday, December 26, 2022
Transformers Movie - ELITA-ONE!
I'm hard-pressed to think of a bigger tease than two female Transformers toys released with a huge merchandising wave preceding a movie release, only to have those characters be non-existent in the film. In 2007, there were Arcee and Elita-One figures released (both exclusive to Target) in the official movie line for the first Transformers (2007) live-action film. I was well aware ahead of time that these characters had no presence on IMDb and they weren't teased in any trailers or promotional photos, but my fingers were still crossed for a surprise cameo or post-credits scene. But alas, these figures were wholly unrelated to the movie (they wouldn't appear until the third movie in 2011 - with an entirely different design). I was bummed, but I still loved that we saw the Energon Arcee mold used one last time (the 7th and 8th redecos respectively). Plus this was the first Elita-One toy ever released. Despite being a simple repaint of Energon Arcee, the color palette is very recognizable as Elita. Let's check her out below!
Sunday, December 25, 2022
Transformers Cybertron - PARADRON MEDIC!
In the October 1986 Transformers episode titled Fight or Flee, the Decepticons landed on the peaceful planet of Paradron in order to plunder the planet for its Energon resources. The planet was populated by simple male and female robots that were essentially background characters. But it was obvious to anyone viewing that the female population of Paradron were identical to Arcee, but green. Flash forward to the early 2000s when there was a green variant of the Heroes of Cybertron Arcee PVC figurine named Paradron Medic. Since then almost every mold of Arcee has been eventually re-released in a green redeco in homage to this classic episode. This Ariel Paradron Type repaint is one of the first and was released as an exclusive in Japan as part of the Toy's Dream Project which orchestrated exclusive gift cards and action figures for various companies and retailers. I honestly think this is my favorite of all the Energon Arcee releases. The two-tone cool colors really pop and stand out from the pack.
Saturday, December 24, 2022
Transformers Cybertron - ARIEL!
2004's CGI-animated Transformers: Energon series was known as Transformers: Super Link in Japan and had its own release of toys made by Takara. The dual-release of figures in Japan by Takara and the USA by Hasbro continues to this day, often with slight paint or name variations, and this figure is a prime example. In the both the Japanese cartoon and toyline, this Arcee is named Ariel. I believe these toys are intended to look the same, but the Takara version has a brighter pink head and paint details (as opposed to the darker coral-pink of the Hasbro release) plus a matte gray face, as opposed to the metallic silver face on Arcee. It's a relatively minor difference, yet somehow distinct enough to be a notable variation for my Energon Arcee collection. The name Ariel has history in the Transformers universe as well. The 1985 episode, War Dawn, featured a flashback introducing the young Orion Pax and Ariel (who we know as Optimus Prime and Elita-One). This was a full year before we ever met Arcee.
Friday, December 23, 2022
Transformers Energon - ARCEE!
In 2004 there was a CGI cartoon named Transformers: Energon (Transformers: Superlink in Japan). It was the second chapter in the Unicron Trilogy (between Transformers: Armada and Transformers: Cybertron). I personally never watched any of these series, but I became very aware of the toyline for this specific figure. For the first time ever, we saw a transforming Arcee that was not just a repaint of another character. It also marked the start of me paying attention to the Transformers section of the action figure aisles, and eventually developed into the full-fledged obsession I have now. Luckily the world took notice and this figure got the attention it deserved. She spawned a slew of re-releases over the next three years. I recently added the final piece to my collection. So between now and New Years, I will be posting a review of each of the eight gorgeous redecos of this iconic mold. Sorry if it gets boring, but I'm ecstatic to finally be doing this after 18 years. Let's check out Arcee below!
Sunday, November 20, 2022
Transformers - FLAMEWAR!
Flamewar was originally created for the 2005 Botcon-exclusive collector set as a Decepticon recolor of Cybertron Arcee. The included comic introduced her as a headstrong Decepticon fiercely loyal to Megatron. Since those early beginnings, she has made the surprising leap into the main Transformers (in-store) toylines and comics. I was always drawn to her great color scheme. Her red and orange flames against black and silver really pops, and her purple/blue translucent accessories just add to the look. Plus I always love a villain and she was the second female Deception I knew of after Blackarachnia. This newest Pulse-exclusive figure follows the trend of using a recent Arcee mold. But curiously she is now included in the Shattered Glass Universe, which is like the Star Trek Mirror Mirror Universe. So I half expected her to have an Autobot faction symbol. But now that I have her in hand, I think she's intended to be an evil alternate-reality Arcee. Either way she looks great. Let's check out Flamewar below!
Saturday, September 3, 2022
Transformers - ROAD ROCKET!
Velocitron is a planet in the Transformers Universe that is completely focused on racing. It has been featured in comics, cartoons, and toys for years. I always appreciated the Velocitron stories because they coincided with a time when female transformers were finally becoming a consistent part of the storyline... not just a token pink character here and there. My mind associates Velocitron with Nautica, Chromia, Windblade, Override, and others - and I ate those stories up. Speedia 500 is a big ceremonial race that takes place on the planet and is the focus of this Walmart-exclusive sub-line. Road Rocket was introduced in 1995 and was traditionally a male character. I tried to figure out when the gender-swap took place and I honestly can't figure it out. At some point near the end of the Road Rocket wiki page, the pronouns change to "she" without explanation. This figure uses the Legacy Arcee mold with a new head. I read a blurb that the Takara designers wanted a "female ninja" and Road Rocket fit the bill.
Friday, July 15, 2022
Bumblebee Movie - ARCEE!
Very few scenes have thrilled me as much as the brief Cybertron War scene at the beginning of 2018's Transformers: Bumblebee movie. In three short minutes, we saw the potential of what a great live-action Transformers G1 movie could look like. After more than 10 years of Michael Bay's cinematic interpretation of the property, my personal expectations were dismally low. But this scene was perfect. The action was logical, the characters were recognizable, and the overall nostalgia was palpable. Seeing roughly 4-5 seconds of Arcee in the mix was just icing on the cake. I fantasized that perhaps someday we might get a full Cybertron movie which would flesh out the characters and spawn a line of toys. But I knew that was far fetched. What I never expected, however, was a thorough representation of all the characters from that brief 2018 scene in the Studio Series line... especially Arcee. But here we have her, and she's practically perfect. Let's check her out below!
Monday, May 23, 2022
Transformers Legacy - ARCEE!
I may be biased, but I think Arcee had the most interesting redesign in Transformers: Prime. All the other characters were stylized in a standard way (which I love), but Arcee went further by changing colors, face shape, and vehicle mode. She essentially a new character with a classic recognizable name. I've always really appreciated it though. Something about a pink Transformer seemed unrealistic. I personally haven't seen a pink vehicle in years, so blue was a much more natural color. The Transformers Legacy series is intended unite different eras of Transformers media under a common design aesthetic. The tall and lanky Prime designs are made more blocky and squat to blend in with less stylized iterations of the franchise. I love the concept - and I instantly start imagining Rescue Bots characters like Quickshadow or Whirl in this style - I would love that. This Arcee reimagining is great. Her face is a perfect blend of Prime and G1 design. (The quality of the figure is another story). Let's check her out below!
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Marvel Legends - BLACK WIDOW & MOTORCYCLE!
I have a preference for my comic characters to have bright costumes and super powers. But despite this it's kind of hard to ignore Black Widow when in a few short years she has become the most merchandised Marvel lady out there. Her constant exposure has made me want a really good comic-style figure of Natasha in Legends scale. This deluxe motorcycle set is probably the best we've seen so far, but I must admit I am not thrilled with the production quality of this figure. Considering that all the Marvel Legends females released in the past few years have been pretty much perfect, it's a surprise that this one somehow has completely dull facial expression(s) and hair that seems well sculpted, but poorly manufactured. The funny thing it that the solicits for this figure looked great, but in person she looks like a rush job. Granted, if this exact figure came out 5 years ago I would be over the moon, but Hasbro has raised their own bar pretty high, and this one unfortunately falls short. Let's check her out below!
Saturday, December 3, 2016
DC Collectibles Icons - BATGIRL OF BURNSIDE!
I wasn't sure if I would like the DC Collectibles Icons series when they were first announced back in 2015. I was very worn out on the DC Universe Classics style from Mattel and this new line was touted as a continuation of that scale. It didn't help that the first two female offerings were only so-so. The Harley Quinn is a very nice figure, but the face is more sinister than I like for my Harleys and the Atomica figure was gorgeous, but not a character I obsess over. This Batgirl is the first time I'm realizing the potential of this series. The Burnside Batgirl redesign is right up there with Spider-Gwen as one of the coolest superhero costumes of the past few years. It embodies all of the classic elements that you expect, but makes it very functional and utilitarian (like the Darwyn Cooke Catwoman design). I know there is an upcoming Mattel version of this same figure which will offer some competition, but for the next few months at least, this Icons Batgirl is the ultimate Babs action figure. Let's check her out below!
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