As the releases of Diamond Select's Marvel Minimates line has slowed in recent years (due to sheer character exhaustion imo), I'm so happy to see so many other popular licenses now getting the Minimate treatment. It started with the ThunderCats way back in 2012. But since then it's been a growing roster of classic properties like Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, G.I.Joe, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Transformers. But my favorite of the non-Marvel properties has easily been the Dungeons & Dragons Animated Series set(s). This cartoon was an iconic, but underrated and under-merchandized staple of 80s animation. Due to the 2023 live-action D&D movie, there was a burst of popularity for the vintage show which gave us the first real action figures for these amazing characters. Between the Iron Studios statues, the Hasbro action figures, and these Minimates, I am extremely happy. Now the DST Venger statue opened the door for even more. Let's check out the D&D minimates below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Mini-Mates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mini-Mates. Show all posts
Thursday, August 17, 2023
D&D Mini-Mates - SHEILA & DIANA!
Saturday, July 24, 2021
Marvel Mini-Mates - SPIDER-WOMAN!
I generally like the trend of superheroes donning utilitarian versions of their costumes. Burnside Batgirl, Darwyn Cooke Catwoman, and most of the Marvel Ultimate Universe are all amazing. But the pendulum almost always swings back and the bright spandex makes a glorious return. Jessica Drew's Spider-Woman had a remarkably unchanged costume from her debut in 1978 all the way until 2015 when she donned this modern utilitarian getup consisting of a form-fitting (leather?) jacket and yellow glasses. She wore it for roughly two years in her solo titles, then was out of the limelight until her new 2020 title featuring a black variation of her classic costume. I was hesitant about this jacketed version at first, but it grew on me and I'm glad we got some merchandise to commemorate this phase in her evolution. And of course Marvel Mini-Mates would have to include her. No other toy line has shown more dedication to the pantheon of Spider-Ladies than them. Let's check her out below!
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Batman Returns ViniMates - CATWOMAN!
There are far too few representations of Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman in my collection. I still maintain that this was the best representations of a female comic character on screen. Every so often I find myself searching YouTube for that iconic "Meow" scene and every time it's just as good as I remember. When the ViniMates spinoff line of MiniMates was first announced, I wasn't too impressed. I love the blocky tiny MiniMate line so much, but these larger, unarticulated cousins just didn't make much sense to me. But then they started rolling out amazing DC characters in a variety of different eras, and I was hooked. It had been 10 years since the original DC Mini-Mate line had fizzled out and I didn't realize how much I was missing it. This Michelle Pfeiffer figure is absolutely perfect. Now I have an expanded wishlist for Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt versions. Not to mention other cinematic ladies like Alicia Silverstone Batgirl and Uma thurman Poison Ivy. I want them all! Let's check out Catwoman below!
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Universal Monsters - THE DAMSELS!
I'm pretty classically-minded. So whenever Halloween rolls around my fascination with the Universal Monster movies kicks into high gear. It wasn't long ago that I learned the beautiful Julia Adams had passed away back in February. The Creature From the Black Lagoon is easily my favorite monster movie and she was perfect in the role of Kay Lawrence. But this got me thinking about all the "damsels" of the Universal Monsters library, and then I had the realization that I already owned a bunch of them in Mini-mate form. Back in 2010 and 2011, Diamond Select Toys released a fantastic collection of Mini-mates based on these classic films, and in the process they included the oft-forgotten (at least in the merchandising department) ladies of Universal Monsters. All of these movies fail the Bechdel test miserably (a lot has changed in the past 60 years luckily), but these characters are still memorable in their own way and make really fascinating little collectibles. Let's check them out below!
Monday, September 30, 2019
Mini-Mates SPIDER-GIRL (ANYA CORAZON)!
It's been a long time since I've given a single Mini-Mate its own review. Instead, I stockpile them and review a whole bunch at a time. But over the years, my favorite personal theme in my Mini-Mate collection has been the vast assortment of Spider-Ladies. There have been so many, in fact, that I didn't even realize that my absolute favorite Spider-person, Anya Corazon as Spider-Girl, hadn't been included yet. (She is such a great iteration of the Spider-Girl mantle and I really hope she gets another solo series some day). I love that Diamond Select Toys does such deep-dives into character selection. I actually have faith that we will many more Spiders down the line: Scream, Agony, Mania, Lady Spider, Charlotte Ritter, Spider-Woman in her modern costume, and maybe even a Valerie Spider-Woman from Electric Company. If anything, DST has proven that the sky is the limit. I'm really excited to see what new product they will show in a few days at NYCC. I'll be there with bells on. Let's check out Anya below!
Friday, August 31, 2018
DC Comics ViniMates - CATWOMAN!
About an hour ago I got into a drunken conversation about who played the best Catwoman (and I swear I didn't even have to initiate this topic). The general consensus was that Michelle Pfeiffer's 1992 performance in Batman Returns was the winner. But that brought up a whole conversation about how there really hasn't been a terrible Catwoman. Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt, Lee Meriwether, Michelle, and Anna Hathaway each brought their own flavor to the role. (Since Halle Berry was technically a different character I exclude her). But that makes we worried about the future Gotham City Sirens movie since one character can only have so much good luck. For a few years there, we saw a constant flow of Selina merchandise. But in the past few years it has slowed to a trickle. This DST Vinimate is a great addition to my growing collection (I now own six!) and it's especially nice since seeing Catwoman on the shelves lately has been a rare occurrence. Now we just need Poison Ivy and Huntress! Let's check out Selina below!
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
DC Comics ViniMates - BATWOMAN!
This year has been absolutely wild for fans of Batwoman. It had been so long since we had seen any new Batwoman merchandise so the fact that we suddenly got a Multiverse figure, a Lego minifigure, an Imaginext figure, a Jada Toys Nano, and this Vinimate (Note to mention Bombshells stuff: Pop, Dorbz, Rock Candy, DCC Action figure, and various Cryptozoic stuff). I don't know how long it has been known that she will be a part of the DC/CW Universe, but I feel like that must have played a part in this flood of toys. I love everything about the character Batwoman. Her first incarnation was nothing more than Batman's beard as a reactionary measure to my favorite piece of literary McCarthyism, Seduction of the Innocent (and of course Bat-Girl filled the same role for Robin). So in my favorite comic-related turnabout, in 2006 DC resurrected this forgotten character as a kickass lesbian with compelling and relevant stories. She's been a consistently strong member of the Gotham nightlife ever since.
Monday, June 11, 2018
DC Comics ViniMates - BATGIRL!
It satisfies a long-forgotten need of mine to finally be getting some Minimate products based on DC Properties. My first exposure to Minimates was the early C3 products way back in 2004. In that line we got a great Catwoman and Cassandra Cain Batgirl. Then in 2007-08, there was an official DC Minimate line which gave us a whopping seventeen female figures (Including my favorites, Harley, Batgirl and Batwoman). But in the 10 years since then there has been nothing (not counting the Gotham products). So although I would always prefer a traditional mini-mate form, I'm quickly warming up to the larger, pre-posed Vinimate design, especially if all my favorite characters are getting new product. This Batgirl and Nightwing 2-Pack was a 2018 FCBD exclusive. It had a shipment delay and didn't arrive in stores until mate May. I snagged it at my lcs last week. My only wish is that these figures offered some articulation. Just a neck or a single shoulder would add a lot. Let's check out Batgirl below!
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Early 2018 Collection of MARVEL MINI-MATES!
I could rant on forever about my love of Mini-Mates. If you can embrace the Lego-like blocky style, you will find this line to be the most collector-focused and thorough series out there. The obscure character selection and team-building rosters are like nothing I have ever dared wish for. I look forward to every interesting release and I can't wait to see what else the future brings. I have waxed poetic about Minimates over and over again, so I am just going to put my wishlist in writing. As far as spider-ladies, I would love Mania, Lady Spider, Scream, Madame Web, Madam Web (Hostess), Animated Anya Corazon, and Agony. Outside of the Spider-Verse, I would love Namora, Namorita, Jocasta, Skids (and Rusty), Hellcat, Sharon Rogers, Red She-Hulk, America, American Dream, modern comic Sif, Binary, Hebzibah, and a new Firestar. Whew. Now let's see how many of these come to fruition in the next few years. Most are a longshot, but so was Madame Masque, so there's hope. Let's check out the newest batch below!
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Arkham Asylum ViniMates - HARLEY QUINN!
I'm still kind of on the fence about ViniMates from Diamond Select Toys. I'm a longtime fan of MiniMates. They have earned a unique place in the collectible market by offering a consistent product for sixteen wonderful years. As far as team completion and obscure characters, their track record is unparalleled. So when DST unveiled this new, pre-posed vinyl line in a slightly larger scale, I was intrigued. Of course, as an action figure enthusiast, I will always prefer articulation, but with the promise of getting DC characters in MiniMate style I knew I was definitely going to pick up a few. The first comic style Harley was great, but I'll admit I am not the biggest fan of this second one. A big part of it is because it's my least favorite Harley Quinn design ever, but another reason is that for a line that touts dynamics poses, she is locked in a pretty boring position. SO why did I buy her? Because there are some awesome new characters on the horizon and I'm excited to be a completist for a while. Let's check her out 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!
Saturday, October 28, 2017
DC Vinimates - HARLEY QUINN!
Sorry for the lag in posting recently. I've been travelling for work and super busy leading up to it preparing and rehearsing four hours of presentations. I got home Thursday and have been recovering from absolute exhaustion ever since. It's tough living a dual life as a daytime corporate (wannabe) baller and a nighttime toy nerd. I've picked up so much cool stuff in the past few weeks though and tomorrow I'm going to spend hours photographing it all. I'm really looking forward to getting back into the groove. I picked up this Harley Quinn Vinimates at Walgreens over a month ago but am just getting around to posting it now. I still much prefer standard Mini-mates, but I am pleasantly surprised at how much I dig this little pre-posed vinyl Harley. There's an Arkham Asylum (sexy nurse) Harley coming out soon too and I'll definitely be getting her as well. If this is the only way to get DC figures in 'mate form, I guess I'll take it. I only hope they expand the character roster. Let's check out the Harley Quinn Vinimate below!
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Mini-Mate Women of GUARDIANS of the GALAXY V2!
I just bought my tickets to go see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 this Friday and I'm getting pretty hyped up. I've managed to accumulate a decent amount of merchandise from the movie already. Lots of Funko stuff, Marvel Legends, animated spin-off figures from Hasbro, etc. But the first figures I actually picked up were these Diamond Select Mini-Mates. Mini-Mates never fail with Marvel movie products. Even movies that are mysteriously never fully merchandised (like any of the recent X-Men films or Dr. Strange) will get a full lineup of characters in Minimate form. This GOTG2 series was actually the first time I saw that Ayesha would be in the movie. I was first exposed to Ayesha when she was known as "Her" (the counterpart to Adam Warlock aka "Him"). It's funny how there will be a Marvel Legends Adam Warlock (who I'm not sure is even in the film) but Ayesha is left out. At least DST will always give us a full roster. Let's check out the Gamora, Nebula, Mantis, and Ayesha below!
Saturday, January 28, 2017
January 2017 Collection of MARVEL MINI-MATES!
This has been an amazing month for Minimates. It's uncanny how they come in such surges (at least the interesting female characters). We can go through an eleven month dry spell only to have six new figures come out within a week of each other. It can be pretty overwhelming. I'm combining the Marvel Series 69 releases with the first series of Marvel Blind Bag figures for this review. The Mini-Mates Series 69 is dubbed "Most Wanted" and is definitely impressive for including both an Enchantress and Tigra. (Indeed two of my most wanted figures). The Series 01 Marvel Bling-Bags offered us amazing figures of Silk and X-23 Wolverine, a cool unhooded variant of Spider-Gwen, and an unexpected Deadpool 2099. I'm really excited to see what other figures they squeeze into future blind bag assortments. I'm hoping we'll see a Gwenpool, Moongirl, and Riri Ironheart at the very least. Toy Fair always has a few fun reveals and I'm certainly looking forward to it. Let's check out all the ladies below!
Monday, December 12, 2016
Marvel Mini-Mates - SQUIRREL GIRL!
I've noticed something really interesting in the past few years. That is that female mini-mates come out in huge bursts. Last January we got a Spider-Gwen, Siryn, Domino, Copycat, Thor, Captain Marvel, and Dazzler within a few weeks of each other. And right now we're on the cusp of another Minimate avalanche. In a few days I should have a new Enchantress, Tigra, Deadpool 2099, Wolverine (Laura), Silk, and unmasked Spider-Gwen. Not to mention this awesome Squirrel Girl. This figure was announced in a simple slide at the end of the DST panel at NYCC (and SDCC maybe?). I didn't expect to find her so soon but I was hunting down the Walgreen's Ms. Marvel POP a few weeks ago and I discovered her. Hopefully they get inspired to complete the Great Lakes Avengers roster like they have been with Squadron Supreme. I would love a Dinah Soar more than anything. She's both ridiculous and awesome, just like Squirrel Girl. Let's check out this sciuromorphic beauty below!
Friday, June 10, 2016
Gotham Mini-Mates - SELINA KYLE!
And here we thought we would never see DC Mini-Mates again! Gotham, Flash, Supergirl, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow all have the potential to bring us unexpected DC merchandising in the coming years. And I'm really hoping Mini-Mates are a part of that equation because these are some of my favorite collectibles out there. We got some great DC minimates with the C3 line in 2004 and again with the main line between 2007-8, but when you compare that to Marvel's 13 years of figures you can imagine all the missed potential. It's amazing to me that I have 5 different MM Psylockes, but this is only the second Catwoman. We should have a figure for Selina in every outfit she ever considered wearing. I've never known a character to have so many diverse yet iconic looks. But I digress. Gotham seems to still be going strong, but I'm not sure how much merchandising we'll continue to see. Seems like we get one more wave of Minimates and Select after this, then who knows. Fingers crossed for more!
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Marvel Animated Universe Minimates - GAMORA!
I love that Gamora is getting so much action figure play in recent years. Movies have a knack for inspiring the merchandising Gods like nothing else. It's even better when movie popularity ripples out into other media and new video games and cartoons are created. I have yet to watch the Guardians of the Galaxy cartoon on Disney XD, but I heard it's actually pretty good. Someday I'll binge it all and report back. These Marvel Animated Universe Mini-mates are a cool exclusive for a toy-friendly chain like Walgreens to embrace. It must be hard to find a way to re-release main characters in a way that would incentivize collectors to head to these stores. But animated re-decos is a brilliant solution (as if having exclusive Funko Pops, Marvel Legends, Walking Dead, and World of Nintendo figures wasn't enough). Mini-mates are by far the best toy line for both team building and character variations. This is now the third Gamora released in a few short years, and I doubt it's the last. Let's check her out below!
Friday, February 5, 2016
The Women of Marvel MINI-MATES SERIES 64!
Here's the second part of the amazing Mini-mate day from a month ago. Marvel Mini-mates Series 64 was Secret Wars themed and included the new Lady Thor, Carol Danvers Captain Marvel, and the long-awaited Disco Dazzler. Each of these characters seem like they would be prime candidates to anchor their own waves, so to get them all together (let alone on the same day as the awesome ladies in the Deadpool wave) was a little mind-blowing. Hopefully there will be many more waves like this in the future. I'm really looking forward to what DST shows at Toy Fair next week. The only character I'm really wishing for is Silk, but other than that I'm just expecting to be pleasantly surprised. I'm going to have to seek out some new display options for my Minimates soon, as I've somehow managed to amass a small army in the past few years. Maybe I can finally put my old spice racks to good use. Let's check out Captain Marvel, Lady Thor, and Disco Dazzler below!
Monday, February 1, 2016
The Women of Marvel MINI-MATES SERIES 65!
A few weeks ago on January 6th, there was a day of Mini-mate releases that blew my mind. On that one day there were six amazing female characters released, several of which I never thought I would see produced in plastic. Of course it happened to be on a Wednesday when I was out of town. It took me weeks to track them down. Mini-mates have a long and wonderful track record for team completion. I think the first team I completed was Alpha Flight, followed by Excalibur, Thundercats, and the New Mutants. At one point I thought I also had a complete X-Force set as well. But then DST made a Siryn and Copycat.. two characters I never expected to see in the lineup. It's great that the popularity of the upcoming Deadpool movie made these two obscure ladies possible. Maybe some miracle will give us a Rusty and Skids set next. That would be amazing. In a short 12 days I'll be on the showroom floor of NY Toy Fair and scoping out all the new Minimates (And you just know there will be some awesome ones!)
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Marvel Mini-Mates - SPIDER-GWEN!
Spider-Gwen is my favorite new character design of the past few years. I remember being on vacation in the Summer of 2014 and seeing her in an advertisement for the Edge of Spider-Verse series without any indication of who she was. I wouldn't discover her name for another month, and by that time the whole world had taken notice. A year later I sold her first appearance (variant cover) for almost $400 on eBay. Her Marvel Legends figure was unveiled only 8 months after her first appearance. Toy nerds will know that's an almost unheard-of turnaround time. This mini-mate figure though is the first toy on the market. I have been insanely hunting her for about a month now (I'm still scarred over missing out on the Angel & Warpath TRU 2-Pack years ago). I finally found her on New Year's Eve to my great relief. We have a bunch of great Spider-Lady Mini-mates already, so Gwen is a fantastic addition to the crew. (Now we need a Silk pronto!) Let's check out Spider-Gwen below!
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