Of all the character who deserve a figure in McFarlane's DC Multiverse line, or even a second re-do figure, Blackfire no even on my radar. Last year's Platinum edition Blackfire in her Titans Reborn design was a great figure (albeit in a lesser-known outfit). So I was shocked to see this redeco solicited in an odd design reminiscent of her first appearance, but missing her voluminous hair, large cape, and ornate headdress/tiara. I was fully planning on skipping this figure, but FOMO during the preorder blitz this past fall made me cave. She's a pretty cool figure, and I know a lot of collector's missed the Platinum release last year, so I kind of understand how she was awarded a coveted figure slot ahead of so many other contenders. And for someone who was on the fence, I appreciate how significantly different the color palette is, and the multihued purple/blue legs are mesmerizing. They have a color-shifting effect like an oil slick, and I've never seen that on a toy. Let's check out Blackfire below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Multiverse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Multiverse. Show all posts
Monday, December 22, 2025
The New Teen Titans - BLACKFIRE!
Monday, April 28, 2025
DC Comics - PUNCHLINE!
When Harley Quinn burst onto the scene in 1993, it took me a solid 8-9 years to get on board and fully appreciate her (and 15 years before I bought my first Harley action figure). I can be very protective and judgmental to changes within the Batman Universe. So it's no surprise that I'm extremely reluctant to embrace this new Joker sidekick, Punchline. I've only read a single story with her in it, and I honestly wasn't a fan. Her origin reads like a slightly modified version of Harley Quinn (a former victim of the Joker who became an obsessive fan and eventual cohort). But her crimes are far more aggressive/gruesome and lack the quirky fun of Harleen. Plus her costume looks like a Hot Topic Roller Girl and doesn't seem very functional or inspired. But, given my track record, I will probably become obsessed in 2035 and will be glad I have this figure. I had almost zero initial desire to buy this toy, but when the set was clearanced for $23, my FOMO kicked in and I got her. Let's check out Punchline below!
Friday, October 18, 2024
DC Comics Total Justice - HUNTRESS!
Huntress has had quite a few notable costumes over her 46 years. I honestly haven't been a fan of them all. But they always had a few consistent elements through all the variations. Namely: lots of purple and a domino mask (of varying sizes). Plus her Bertinelli era typically included a cross motif or some religious iconography. But this McFarlane Platinum variant design holds a special place in my heart because it is the costume represented on her very first action figure (the Kenner 1996 Total Justice figure). As far as I can tell, she first wore this costume in the August 1996 issue of Shadow of the Bat #53. She then wore it, with only minor variations, for about six years through such landmark storylines as Cry for Blood, No Man's Land, Justice League of Amazons, Last Laugh, and the beginning of Birds of Prey. It wasn't until Hush in 2002 that she saw her first significant costume change. As iconic as this late-90s costume was, I simply wasn't reading those comics, so the nostalgia is purely based on that first toy in 1996. This new figure is a wonderful homage to that. Let's check out Huntress below!
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
DC Comics New 52 - HUNTRESS!
Huntress holds a special place in my heart because my discovery of her was the first time I truly fell in love with comics. My brothers and I were big fans of Batman from the '66 live action show and the Filmation and Super Friends cartoons. My first forays into comics were just an extension of my TV watching (mostly G.I.Joe comics), but I soon found myself buying backissues of Batman Family and expanding my knowledge of the Batman universe. When I first learned of Huntress' lineage, my young mind was blown. I had watched Catwoman and Batman flirt for years. But to learn that in an alternate timeline they were married and had a vigilante daughter was the coolest thing I had ever heard. I've been a fan ever since. I much prefer the Helena Wayne version, but I'm a fan of all her incarnations. Interestingly enough, the last comic I read starring Huntress reconciled the Wayne and Bertinelli versions into one multiverse-misplaced character. Don't know if that story stuck, but I highly approved.
Sunday, August 18, 2024
Justice League International - FIRE!
I'm glad that McFarlane Toys is taking the opportunities provided by their exclusive Gold Label and Platinum products to include relatively obscure and under-merchandised characters in the DC Multiverse line. The recent Blackfire and upcoming Huntress (and variant) are great examples. Fire is a character with a huge fanbase. She first appeared in the 1979 issue of Super Friends #25 as the Green Fury (who shot green flames out of her nostrils.. no joke). I don't know long it took for her backstory to be fleshed out. But now the commonly-told origin is that Beatriz da Costa was a Brazilian model (and secret government agent) who was accidentally exposed to a mysterious substance called Pyroplasm which gave her the green flame powers (pre-Crisis her powers were mystical in nature). She has been a member of many teams over the years and gone by many names: Green Flame, Green Fury, and her most common, Fire. She is a dynamic character who is long overdue in the toy aisles.
Thursday, August 15, 2024
Titans Rebirth - BLACKFIRE!
Sister rivals are one of my favorite tropes in Comics and pop culture. They're more common than you think (Alice to Batwoman, Elphaba to Glinda, Okiko O'Brien to Ann O'Brien, Zaladane to Polaris, Mortis to Dazzler, Dark Annisia to Red Sonja, etc) but I'm a sucker for that dynamic every time. I think the most famous adversarial sisters in the comic world are Princess Koriand'r (aka Starfire) and Princess Komand'r (aka Blackfire). Their sibling relationship had been a plot point in several Teen Titans animated series as well as the live action Titans show. Plus Blackfire has actually been merchandised a decent amount (a luxury that most evil sisters don't get). This McFarlane Toys figure is a clever repaint of the Collector's Edition Starfire released as a limited edition Platinum variant. And while this figure doesn't exactly look like Blackfire in her Rebirth design, it's still a fun representation of the character (and a great precedent for Platinum releases to be wholly new characters). Let's check out Blackfire below!
Monday, August 12, 2024
Titans Rebirth - STARFIRE!
For all of Todd McFarlane's crazy talk about female action figures causing young boys to become serial killers, his company sure does produce a lot of female characters (Google that cringey interview from March 2022 if you need a good eye roll). This Starfire figure is the latest in the Rebirth Titans lineup, and a character who was very notably absent from the Beast Boy wave last year. Starfire has gone through a lot of changes in the 44 years since her debut, but her orange skin, flame-colored hair, green eyes, and purple costume have remained consistent despite a ton of stylistic changes. She has an interesting distinction of donning more and more clothes as the years progress, but conversely becoming more sexualized in the story context (at least in the New52 reboot when her libido was making headlines). I always prefer Starfire's modern designs over her original. Her outfits are no longer ridiculously skimpy and her hair looks more flame-like. This figure is a great representation of that. Let's check her out below!
Sunday, June 2, 2024
Dark Knight Rises - CATWOMAN!
I had a provocative thought recently. Sometime in the past 12 years that amazing code-switching scene from Dark Knight Rises where a confronted Selina Kyle says "Oops. Nobody told me it was uncrackable" has become as iconic to me as the Michelle Pfeiffer "Meow" explosion. An almost blasphemous statement, I know, but I feel what I feel. The YouTube clip of that scene shows up on my playlist all the time because I've watched it so much. I think I, along with the rest of nerddom, was apprehensive about Princess Mia Thermopolis stepping into the coveted role of the greatest femme fatale of all time (imo). But that scene was when I breathed a sigh of relief and realized Ms. Hathaway could handle that responsibility just fine. This McFarlane figure is pretty great and has prompted me to open photograph a handful of other DKR Selinas I've acquired over the years. I will post them all in quick succession this week so bear with me. Let's check out the McFarlane DC Multiverse DKR Catwoman below!
Friday, November 3, 2023
DC Rebirth - SUPERGIRL!
It seems to be very difficult to get a good, classic-looking Kara Zor-El Supergirl. I have quite a few in my collection, but there just always seems to be something slightly off about them. Luckily Supergirl always tends to sport a pretty classic costume. She goes through eras with a slightly tweaked costume, but it consistently comes back to the basic look. I personally think this newest Target Exclusive DC Multiverse Gold Label figure is the best Supergirl in my collection. Sure, she has a couple problems. Firstly, her eyes are often overstamped which makes her look a little angry (it you're patient you can find one with better eyes). And secondly, her thigh-high boots have been swapped for red leggings. I didn't even notice this detail until I got her home. It honestly doesn't bother me too much (because thigh-high boots are impractical in battle), but it's baffling that McFarlane skipped this detail, especially since she has no special accessories. Either cost-saving cuts or simple oversight. Let's check out Supergirl below!
Thursday, September 28, 2023
DC Rebirth - BATWOMAN
Ever since McFarlane Toys got the DC license in 2020, I have been hoping for a good Kate Kane Batwoman figure. I love all Bat-family characters, but for some reason Batwoman is often neglected. This is surprising considering her extremely marketable design and her media exposure. Since her (modern) debut in 2006, she has been a regular fixture in comics. She had a live-action CW series that ran two reasons, appearances in several animated movies and shows, and five different video games. Well, it took three years, but we got a near perfect figure. Of course, she comes in a $70 Amazon-exclusive three-pack, but I didn't hesitate for a minute. This figure has one flaw. Her knees and lower legs are splayed in a slightly awkward position and it makes her knee joints extremely loose. I watched some YouTube videos and this seems to be a common problem. Luckily I had a bottle of Kiki "Fix Loose Joints" and a few drops fixed her up. My first time using it and I was impressed. Let's check out Batwoman below!
Tuesday, December 13, 2022
Arkham City - CATWOMAN!
The Arkham Series of video games injected a new life to the Batman franchise. The Dark Knight was released in theatres in 2008 with great success and paved the way for Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009, the first game in the Batman: Arkham series. While movies are extremely popular and arguably the best way to expose a character family to a wider audience, when it comes to merchandise, video games have much more staying power. Movie toys get a mere six months on the shelves, and maybe a nostalgic resurgence in the future, but video games (especially a successful series of games) can give us years of product and are constantly finding new audiences. I have a love/hate relationship with the Arkham City Catwoman design. I love it because it has given us so many great toys and exposed a lot of kids to a great character. This was at a time when there was a bit of a Catwoman drought as well. Plus my most-viewed post on this blog is her 2012 DC Direct figure with over 39K hits.
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
DC Multiverse - CARRIE KELLEY!
It's amazing how much love Carrie Kelley has received in the past 5-6 years. For a character introduced in a 1986 standalone story (originally), she suddenly has a ton of amazing product, 90% of which was released since 2016 (thirty years after her debut!) This newest DC Multiverse version is the best one I've seen by a long shot. The sculpt, paint, articulation, and price point on this one can't be beat. After getting this figure, I instantly created a wishlist in my head for Carrie Kelley's two other alter-egos: Catgirl (The Dark Knight Strikes Again) and Batwoman (The Dark Knight III - The Master Race). And since her popularity is due to increase after the new Gotham Knights CW show airs, this isn't as far-fetched of a wishlist as you might think. It's pretty amazing that two men with such deeply rooted misogynistic views on women (Frank Miller and Todd McFarlane) could create such an enduring character and such a fantastic figural representation of her. Let's check out the Carrie Kelley Robin below!
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Birds of Prey - HARLEY QUINN!
This Birds of Prey Harley Quinn in her bright gold jumpsuit is a figure I thought for sure had been cancelled. More than two years ago in January of 2020, the very first waves of McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse figures were hitting the shelves. And one of the "coming soon" images on the backs of all those boxes was a photo of Margot Robbie in this getup. But after 18 months with no mention of her, I think the entire toy community assumed McFarlane had missed the wave of movie popularity and she'd never be produced. But then around Thanksgiving of this last year she miraculously hit the shelves. I assume she was actually sculpted and tooled several years ago when those first waves were teased, because she seems slightly inferior to the recent Suicide Squad Harley. (Her face is more generic and her posture is a little slumped and awkward). It's amazing the improvements McFarlane has made in a few short years, but she's still a great and quirky figure. Let's check out Birds of Prey Harley below!
Friday, March 4, 2022
Gotham Knights - BATGIRL!
I love Batgirl. She's arguably my favorite character (but don't hold to that the next time I say the same thing about Catwoman, She-Ra, or Cheetara). And McFarlane Toys has surprised me by producing some amazing Batgirl figures. However, this particular figure is the first one in years that I'm not a fan of. Her colors are great, and I enjoy the face sculpt and general design a lot (fyi Gotham Knights is a video game that will be released later this year). But the overall proportions and posture are distractingly awkward. She looks 8-feet tall with insanely long arms. Her back and shoulders are hunched in a way that makes her look meek. And although I love the colors and they appear to be game accurate, the yellow boots and fully-yellow cape (as opposed to just lined in yellow) is illogical and looks very odd in toy form. It's a shame because the torso and head look very good, but this figure as a whole is lacking, especially when compared with the last two (amazing) McFarlane Batgirls. Let's check her out below!
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
DC Multiverse - BATGIRL!
It's been a long time since I've read a new Batman story. Soon after the New52 shift back in 2011, I lost lost my desire to keep current. But an interesting thing that has happened since McFarlane Toys got the DC license, is that new figures of characters inspire me to research and read synopses - and want to dive back in to the books. This recent Batgirl figure is from a 2020 3-part prestige format story called Batman: Three Jokers in which Batman discovers that the Joker may have been three separate people all along (known as the Criminal, the Clown, and the Comedian). Red Hood and Batgirl play major supporting characters and the whole group got action figures. Despite me never heaving read the stories (yet), this version of Barbara is in a very classic-looking costume similar to her Justice look from the 90s that I love. I'm really excited that McFarlane is giving a character aside from Wonder Woman the multiple figure treatment. I already have the next Barbara in hand! Let's check out Batgirl below!
Thursday, October 21, 2021
DC Multiverse - BATWOMAN BEYOND!
One of the greatest DC Comics thrills for me recently has been the introduction of Elainna Grayson as Batwoman in the pages of Batman Beyond. Elainna is the daughter of Mayor Richard Grayson (Robin) who stole Terry's bat-suit when he went missing (and had amnesia). I don't think it ever addressed in the comics who her mother is, but I assume it's not Barbara since she is a major character (the new Commissioner Gordon) and her history is pretty well documented. When Elainna wore the suit (first worn in Batman Beyond #37, Dec 2019), I was thrilled. The suit looks great on a female body. In fact, I always thought the Kate Kane Batwoman (which was inspired by an unused Alex Ross Batgirl design) was so great because it reminded me of Batman Beyond with the stark red on black. So this character was guaranteed to be a hit for me. It also provided a fresh starting point for me reading the Beyond universe. I never expected an action figure of her and I'm ecstatic. Let's check out Batwoman Beyond below!
Saturday, October 2, 2021
Todd McFarlane - WONDER WOMAN!
I knew it wouldn't take long for Todd McFarlane to start applying his personal aesthetic to the DC Universe after McFarlane Toys got the DC Multiverse license. After decades of his own creations being made in plastic, we all have a general feel for his designs. His female characters especially seem to all share a few key elements: winged, valkyrie-like headdresses; very detailed armor (especially around the breast, shoulders, forearms, and shins); and oversized unwieldy weapons. This Todd McFarlane-designed Wonder Woman captures those elements in every sense. The only McFarlane trope missed is facepaint. However, I must admit this figure doesn't immediately read as Wonder Woman. I think the culprit is the paintjob. The even mix of gold and silver metallic armor and the predominantly blue torso are distracting. It comes down to color blocking. When you have an iconic character like Diana, you should be able to squint or see a blurry image and immediately know it's her. I predict a repaint.
Thursday, August 26, 2021
Suicide Squad 2 - HARLEY QUINN!
I just watched The Suicide Squad last night and was excited to write this review. I tried to schedule a theatre outing, but it proved impossible so I finally caved and saw it on HBO. Right off the bat, I enjoyed this sequel more than the original (note that the original is simply Suicide Squad and the sequel is The Suicide Squad). There are several returning characters, but of course Harley finds herself front and center. I was curious to see how this red dress outfit would play into the movie. At first glance, I would have much preferred the leather Arkham-esque costume that her SHFiguarts figure sports, but after seeing the movie, I think the dress is much more iconic. She wears it for the majority of the film and the lack of utilitarian features doesn't hold her back for a second. I also questioned the lack of an iconic Harley accessory like a bat or mallet. But again, after seeing the movie, I love that she has the javelin. (It's so hard to talk about my appreciation of the figure without spoiling the movie!) Let's check out Harley below!
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
McFarlane Toys - WONDER WOMAN 1984!
I'm very excited to see the Wonder Woman 1984 movie when it (supposedly) will be hitting theatres this August. By that stage of our pandemic (three months from now), I will have attempted a family vacation, potentially traveled to a wedding, perhaps have gone back to the office, and I think I will be open to experiencing a theatre outing. It will actually be my birthday week as well, so I'll be feeling social. While I'm not opposed to the home-release of movies like Trolls and Scoob, Wonder Woman 1984 is definitely the type of movie I want to see on the big screen. The action and music in the trailer just gets me all revved up. The toys are adding to my anticipation as well. It's weird how all the standard-release Wonder woman figures so far have been unable to capture Gal Gadot's likeness. I've seen high-end items that look great, but this McFarlane figure is easily the best one in the $15-30 range. I'm holding out hopes that there will be a surprise release of Cheetah closer to August. Let's check out Diana below!
Sunday, August 25, 2019
DC Multiverse - STARFIRE!
I've really been liking all the modern redesigns of Starfire. I know her New52 look got a lot of flak for being too provocative (and her having a sexually disassociative personality), but I liked it. I thought it was an appropriate adaption of the character, considering she was historically always making awkward sexual advances and basically wearing suspenders as an outfit. She's had two noticeable design changes since then. One was her solo series redesign by Amanda Conner, and the Rebirth design seen with this new DC Multiverse figure. I like that she always has the same consistent color palette with orange skin, reddish hair, and a purple and silver outfit. Starfire is one of those characters that will always be provocative, no matter how much flesh is being bared. So taking that into consideration, I actually much prefer the more covered version that we see here over her signature strappy getups. I'm glad we got a figure of her in this version since I'm sure it was change again soon. Let's check her out below!
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