I'm a spineless weakling. I broke my Funko Pop collecting parameters by picking up a modern character. I typically try to limit all my Pops to nostalgic Comic, Movie, and TV characters from my 1980's youth. But I have a strong fondness for Halloween and this time two years ago I fell head over heels for the new Spider-Man villain, Hallow's Eve. So when I saw this Pop in Gamestop last week, I couldn't resist. Hallow's Eve is a longtime civilian character in the Spider-Man universe. Janine Godbe was simply Ben Reilly's love interest for nearly 30 years of comics before she was swept up in a storyline involving Limbo and the Goblin Queen, and emerged as Hallow's Eve. I would describe her as a sympathetic villain and a great lead character. She has a bag of cursed masks that imbue her with the traits of that mask character, often with corruptive effects. Her stories are a lot of fun and I can't wait to start re-reading her TPB tonight, it's my annual October tradition. Let's check out Hallow's Eve below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Skin-White. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Skin-White. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Groovie Goolies - BELLA LA GHOSTLY!
In 1970, Filmation aired an interesting cartoon called Groovie Goolies. This was an animated variety show that seemed like a mashup of The Addams Family and Laugh-In. There were quick "bad-dum-tss" joke vignettes, musical numbers, and wacky animated shorts. All the monsters lived together in Horrible Hall and had a beatnik vibe. My favorite is the building switchboard operator, the vampy Bella la Ghostly. Visually she looks like a typical cartoon vamp of the era, but with a bubbly Brooklyn-type accent a'la Janine Melnitz. There are several regular female characters in the show including Sabrina Spellman and Hagatha the Witch, but the tall Morticia-like characters are always my favorite. Despite the toyetic qualities of this series, the early 1970s weren't a time known for television merchandising. But luckily there was a line of PVC figurines by Chemtoy in 1971 (that now cost an absolute mint in collector's circles). I finally managed to nab Bella at a decent price. Let's check her out below!
Monday, October 21, 2024
Marvel Legends - LILITH!
In 1992, in the pages of Ghost Rider #28, the second character named Lilith was introduced into the Marvel Universe. The first Lilith was Dracula's Daughter and has been a fixture in Marvel's more macabre comics since 1974. But this new character was very different, both visually as well as her role in the comics. This Lilith is an ancient (Atlantean) deity known as The Mother of All Demons. She actually gives birth to demons who are forever obedient to her. I remember reading her first storyline as it was published. There was a random X-Men/Ghost Rider crossover (#26-27) that got me to read my first Ghost Rider comic, and the immediate next issue (which I decided to stick with) was the start of the Rise of the Midnight Sons arc that introduced her. She has always been a visually iconic character to me. But I won't lie, I had completely forgotten her name until this figure was announced. This action figure is a blast from the past and a really great Halloweeny character to revisit. Let's check her out below!
Thursday, May 16, 2024
MAFEX - Batman: Hush - HARLEY QUINN!
Harley Quinn has become one of the most popular characters in the DC Universe. From her humble beginnings as one of Joker's henchmen in Batman the Animated Series to her leap to mainstream comics, a solo title, then to video games, the silver screen, and then back to animation with her own show, she has run the gamut of pop culture. Despite all her changes and evolutions, I will always hold her appearances in Batman: Hush (2002-2003) to be her most iconic. At this stage, she still retained her classic jester design, but she was showing her more sadistic and unhinged side underneath the wacky antics. I know her comic persona was developed greatly in her solo series since 2000, but Hush was just different. She was suddenly darker and more formidable, but still with that zany edge that makes her so unique. I think this Mafex figure from 2022 is the best representation of her from this era. Previous attempts have all been a bit off, but this just captures her perfectly. Let's check out Harley Quinn below!
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Three Jokers - BATGIRL (JOKERIZED)!
McFarlane has been putting out repaint variations of their DC line since the very beginning of their license. Back then I wasn't a fan, as they were mostly slate gray "prototype" figures (that looked pretty boring displayed on a shelf IMO). But more recently they got into more in-canon repaints which added a fun new level (or obsession) for collectors. But an interesting new twist is their "Jokerized" line where popular characters across multiple themes (comic, movie, etc) are repainted in a classic purple, green, and yellow Joker palette. As far as I know, these aren't in-canon at all and are just a fun thematic variation. This Batgirl is the third release of the Three Jokers mold, which is a personal favorite that I'm happy to see released again. My favorite thing about this figure is that I'm not acknowledging her as Batgirl at all, but rather Duela Dent in a Batgirl disguise. She has masqueraded as a ton of other costumed characters over the years, so why not? Let's check out Jokerized Batgirl below!
Friday, March 29, 2024
Marvel Legends - HALLOWS' EVE!
Hallows' Eve was my favorite comic discovery of 2023. She was introduced as a new villain in the pages of Spider-Man the year before, but I didn't become a fan until her solo mini-series was released in TPB (appropriately during Halloween week 2023). Janine Godbe had been (an unpowered) character since the mid-nineties as the Scarlet Spider/Ben Reilly's love interest. A mere 29 years later during the Dark Web crossover event, she became the center of attention. Without spoiling too many origin details, her transformation involved the Goblin Queen, the demon S'ym, and the realm of Limbo. She now carries a bag full of traditional Halloween masks, that give her the powers and traits of that mask character. So when she dons the werewolf mask, she becomes a werewolf. But similar to The One Ring, the masks have corruptive qualities. For instance, the vampire mask threatens to completely overrun her humanity when she uses it. I think she's so cool and I can't wait to read more of her.
Saturday, January 20, 2024
12" Spin Master - HARLEY QUINN!
Harley Quinn seems to get a totally new costume design every few years. I will always be loyal to her original bodysuit with jester hat, but there is something still unique and fun about each new version. I think Harley will always be handled by artists and writers that love and respect the character. Because of this the essential "Harley" elements will always be present. There obviously needs be a lot of black and red, and there needs to be a clear left-vs-right division of colors or patterns. Her modern trend of having pink and blue hair used to really bother me as straying too far from the original design. But a few years ago I made the realization that often when people try to home-dye their hair bold colors, they can easily end up with a much more pastel result. I now imagine this look as Harley attempting a red and black dye job with lukewarm results. This surprise 12" figure from Spin Master features Harley's new design from 2021's Future State comics. Let's check out the 12" Harley Quinn below!
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Youngblood Bendems - VOGUE & RIPTIDE!
The news this week that LooseCollector will be producing action figures from Rob Liefeld's Extreme Universe has me very excited. In the late 80s and early 90s I was a huge fan of Rob Liefeld. His work on Hawk & Dove, X-Factor, New Mutants, and X-Force is some of the most nostalgic comic art of my adolescence. (I still read both his Hawk & Dove runs every few years). When the Image exodus happened in 1992, I was immediately obsessed with Youngblood. The characters were colorful and seemingly pulled inspiration from every trendy comic trope at the time, but with that signature Liefeld flare that embodied the era. The issues were beautiful, but sparse. The release schedule was very slow and the story was forgettable, but the character design and lore of this world still has my attention 30 years later. I have always wanted true action figures. Previous attempts have been almost entirely male-centric. Hopefully the Extreme Universe includes Youngblood or some other costumed heroines.
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
Titans Rebirth - RAVEN!
I remember being pretty young the first time I saw Raven in the pages of The New Teen Titans and being inexplicably scared of her. The funny thing was that it wasn't her hooded, shadowed-face look that spooked me, but rather her uncostumed visage with a pronounced widow's peak and stark features. My reaction made no sense, but it oddly lingered into adulthood. Her quirky revamp in the Teen Titans animated series from 2003 seemingly opened the floodgates for new interpretations of the character. And I've honestly loved every version of her since (I was particularly fond of the feathered "Black Bird of Terror" look in the New 52). This figure represents a newer look that I believe debuted in her 2018 Daughter of Darkness solo series. I love that this version blends the classic 80s look with some newer details like pink hair, prominent red medallion and belt, and "feather-cut" cloak. It's a fun modernization while still being very recognizably Raven. Let's check her out below!
Monday, January 9, 2023
Fortnite - LEXA (MECHAFUSION)!
When I think of Fortnite, my mind immediately goes to quirky tongue-in-cheek murderous pajama-party-type characters. That is the aesthetic that sucked me in (to buying the toys at least). And I still adore that for its unique place in pop culture. So when this Lexa (Mechafusion) figure was released I was pleasantly surprised. To my mind, this is a departure from previous character styles, but I am thrilled with it because I am equally intrigued by robotic-type characters. Lexa originally appears as an unarmored anime-style girl with silver hair and large metal gauntlets. In her Mechafusion form she appears like a futuristic/robotic onna-bugeisha (female samurai) and I am obsessed with her. She reminds me of the M-66 Battle androids from Black Magic M-66, an anime movie I was obsessed with in high school. She is a really fun addition to my collection and it's a shame her windowless box illustrations don't do her justice. She looks a little cartoonish and boring on the boxart. Let's check out Lexa (Mechafusion form) below!
Tuesday, December 20, 2022
Mirrorverse - MALEFICENT!
I thought I would always be purist when it came to the design of Maleficent. I don't think I'm alone when I say that, of all the vampy sorceress-type characters, she is the most visually iconic. Just a few years ago I was ecstatic to finally get a great representation of her in my collection with the Kingdom Hearts line from DST. It was my first Maleficent figure and I was so happy with her that I assumed it would be my last. But then McFarlane Toys announced this stylized version from the Disney Mirrorverse mobile game. She has all the classic design elements you would expect, but with added gothy details that somehow enhance her overall appeal. I love this figure. From the elaborate armor to the bat-ribbed cape, I think she's terrific. All the Mirrorverse designs I've seen have had a similar merging of cartoon simplicity and video game realism. I certainly hope they include more ladies in the future. Belle and Maleficent are fantastic and desperately need friends. Let's check out Maleficent below!
Saturday, November 26, 2022
Spin Master - HARLEY QUINN!
The Spin Master 4" DC Comics line seems like it has hit a lull. It's been a long time since there was a new character released. A line like this could have limitless potential, but they almost always fall into a rut of releasing random repaints instead of the new characters that everyone wants. This Harley Quinn was released roughly a year ago around November 2021 (and already has one redeco on the shelves). It seem like Harley would be an easy candidate for the first wave but instead they held on to her for the close of the second year of production. Her style is based on the Rebirth comic design, a look that is surprisingly popular in the toy aisles (this is the 4th wide-release figure in this costume since her 2018 debut). But despite the lull in new character releases, I am always excited about what Spin Master might give us next. I predict Poison Ivy, Bluebird, Huntress, or Cassandra Cain Batgirl. I actually want all four of those desperately, but I'll settle for any. Let's check out Harley Quinn below.
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Jada Toys - BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN!
I never would have predicted that Jada Toys would enter the action figure market - and so strongly at that. After five years cornering the diecast market with their stylized Metals figurines, detailed vehicles, and (my favorite) Nano Metalfigs, they surprisingly branched out into articulated plastic. In Fall of 2021 they released their Universal Monsters and General Mills Monsters figures and I was immediately impressed by the quality. Of course, I got my first four figures in the midst of a house move and they promptly got buried in a closet. But I finally unboxed them last week and my original (boxed) assessment still holds true. They're really well made and it's exciting to have another company with product on the shelves (Street Fighter is next!). It's been a while since I've picked up a new Bride of Frankenstein figure so this was especially fun. I know there's a NECA one coming eventually that will probably overshadow the competition, but in the meantime this one is perfect. Let's check her out below!
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Mythic Legions - ILLYTHIA!
When I think of great toys to post reviews for leading up to Halloween, my mind instantly goes to the Mythic Legions line by Four Horsemen Studios. Sure, there are a lot of knights and vikings in the mix. But the standout figures for me are the creepy characters: mainly the vampires, demons, orcs, and skeletons. It's so rare to get a female figure like this that's not a bikini'd swimsuit model with fangs. And, yes, I'm aware that some of the Mythic Legions ladies have been exactly that. But most of them are well thought-out, strong-looking characters with amazing detail. And Illythia is a prime example. I don't pay attention to the overall mythos of Mythic Legions, but considering this Illythia character has a whole faction named after her (Illythia's Brood), I assume she's a pretty big deal. When I ordered her, I assumed the extra arms implied some spider-like qualities, but in person, it seems more of a demonic aesthetic. Either way, it's great for Halloween week. Let's check out the deluxe Illythia below!
Sunday, October 23, 2022
LooseCollector - LADY DEATH!
The 1990's was an interesting decade in comics. The popularity of Indie comics skyrocketed, everything got an extreme makeover, and overpriced cover gimmicks drained our wallets. An interesting subgenre of the creator-owned comic movement also emerged: Bad Girl Comics. Sure, there had been examples of Bad Girl Comics for decades (Vampirella is a prime example), but in the 90's it exploded and was given a name. The formula was pretty simple: minimal clothing, dark powers or large weapons (or both!), and dubious morals. There were hundreds of these characters in a blur of big hair and thongs. I wasn't a huge fan I must admit. But I have found it interesting to see which select few have stood the test of time. And I think that Lady Death wins that category hands-down. Most action figures of Bad Girl characters were pretty horrendous with awkward proportions and often frightening paint, but Lady Death always stood out for having terrific toys. First from Moore Collectibles and later from Art Asylum.
Thursday, June 23, 2022
Marvel Legends - DOMINO!
I feel bad for Neena. No matter how popular and iconic her luck-focused alter-ego Domino has become, she is surprisingly unlucky in the merchandizing department. Her first Toy Biz from 1995 figure actually wasn't bad at all. It was simple but captured the character nicely. Also her Mini-Mates figure from 2014 is pretty good. But the rest of them.. good lord. Why can't they seem to get her right? This newest attempt is the best so far in the Marvel Legends line, but it falls far short of my expectations. It should be easy to get a nice Domino because she has had many unique looks throughout her run in New Mutants and X-Force, and I would think any one of them would translate well into plastic, but they just don't. This newest version has droopy shoulderpads, flat hair, and awkward open mouth paired with dead eyes, and a problematic faceplate. I honestly never even noticed that Domino has an asymmetrical faceplate/tiara, with the left side being a microphone, but it's legit in the early run of X-force.
Friday, January 28, 2022
Kamen Rider Agito - EL OF THE WATER!
I bought this figure about 18 years ago when I was on a crazy Japanese Vinyl kick. Then just a couple years ago I photographed it for a review and quickly realized I had forgotten every bit of detail about this toy (other than that it was produced by Bandai). I had no frame of reference in my head and googling things like "shark woman bandai" returned zilch. Then tonight I researched hard (hours literally) and finally was able to identify her. In 2001 Kamen Rider Agito aired as the eleventh installment of the Kamen series. There were a lot of villains in this series including a troublesome trio called the El Lords. These three Lords controlled Water, Wind, and Ground. Technically El of the Water is a male entity and voiced by a male actor, but for the majority of her/his screen time in this series, they had possessed the 21 year old human character Masumi Sekiya. And while possessing Masumi, the El of the Water looked distinctly female. Something I love about Japanese villains on action television is the creative designs.
Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Star Wars - AURRA SING!
Action figures give you a chance to really take in the physical details of a character. In movies and cartoons, characters are always in motion so it's nearly impossible to take in all the details. But toy makers get detailed specs, sometimes even the actual costumes and bodyscans for reference. In the case of Aurra Sing, she had such a brief cameo on The Phantom Menace, that I only had a vague idea what she looked like: orange uniform, stark white skin, and a big ponytail on an otherwise bald head. (I never watched any animated Star Wars shows so I missed out on her character development there). So when I got this toy I was taken by two cool details that I had never noticed. First, the antenna-like protrusion coming out of her head. And secondly, she has really creepy long fingers. My first reaction upon opening her was "ohhh man. The factory melted her hands." But now I think they are such a cool detail that I never would have noticed if not for this figure. Let's check out Aurra Sing below!
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Marvel Legends - SHRIEK!
My fascination with Spider-Verse characters is relatively recent. In 2006 I started to get intrigued with Jessica Drew in The New Avengers, then by 2010 I was obsessed with Anya Corazon in Spider-Girl...and before I knew it, I was a fan of the whole spider-genre. Considering I had been an avid comics reader since the 1980s, I consider 2010 recent. And this new intrigue required a lot of catching up on old issues. But one character I still missed out on was Shriek. In fact, the first time I ever heard of her was from DST's Minimate in 2018. Shriek debuted in 1993 as a love interest to Carnage. She had been trapped in Cloak's Darkforce Dimension which triggered her latent mutant powers. Very similar to Black Canary, Shriek has the ability to manipulate sound. It can be used as a concussive force, sounds waves for flight, or subsonic frequencies to manipulate emotions. She appears to be quite a fan favorite, and I'm excited to see she makes such a striking Legends figure. Let's check out Shriek below.
Monday, May 17, 2021
Star Wars - ASAJJ VENTRESS!
I first started getting into the Star Wars expanded universe back in the mid-2000s when I became obsessed with Playskool's Galactic Heroes line. I was originally just into the Marvel Super Hero Squad figures, but they came out too slowly for me so I started buying the Indiana Jones, G.I.Joe, Transformers, and Star Wars characters too. After Marvel, the Star wars line was definitely the most prolific. And after a few years of differently-costumed Leias and Amidalas, they started releasing more obscure female Jedi that I had never heard of before: Shaak Ti, Luminaria, Ahsoka Tano, Aayla Secura, and of course Asajj Ventress. Each time I picked up one of these characters I would research them on Wookipedia and become obsessed. I never watched any of the Star Wars animated properties, but I know Asajj was a Nightsister who was raised as a padawan by a Jedi. But she returned to the darkside to become Count Dooku's personal assassin, only to then ditch all allegiances and become a bounty hunter.
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