This post is an interesting one because I have already written it. Longtime readers might even have slight deja vu. In September of 2017 I purchased this figure and promptly photographed and reviewed her. There's plenty of evidence to support this, including hotlinks on other blog posts made years afterwards (which are created directly from the existing post). But at some point it got deleted. I don't know how that could have happened, but for years now I would notice the missing post and dead links. The photos were still uploaded and present, but no actual content existed. So I'm finally re-treading old territory for consistency's sake. I remember when this figure came out and my excitement at her quality and scale. A lot of previous Marvel Select ladies looked stiff and awkward to me, but this figure marked a turning point. She blends in with Marvel Legends scale-wise and her sculpt seems a lot more natural than previous figures like Gamora and Black Widow. Let's check out Lady Deadpool below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Marvel Select. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marvel Select. Show all posts
Monday, July 1, 2024
Marvel Select - LADY DEADPOOL!
Thursday, February 24, 2022
Marvel Select - SCARLET WITCH!
Marvel Select makes me really happy. In my collecting, I love focusing on a specific character in a specific costume and then collecting every piece of merchandise I can find. Everything from mini-busts to Heroclix (I'm selective with statues due to space reasons). In these mini-collections, Marvel Select fills an interesting role by providing a unique scale. Most DST figures are noticeably larger than Marvel Legends at around 7" tall and give me the height variety I want in my collection. The production level is much slower than other companies - There were only 8 females in the Select line in the past five years. Meanwhile Hasbro has had more than that since November. But every DST character released is definitely one I need for my collection (so far at least). I also love that I get to run to my comic shops on release dates to pick these up. I miss the days of DC Direct and Collectibles releasing to specialty shops. This Wanda is the first Select lady in more than two years, but she's a good one. Let's check her out below!
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Marvel Select - CAPTAIN MARVEL!
I think the Carol Danvers Captain Marvel suit is one of the coolest modern costume upgrades in a long time. I love how it has all the features of the original Mar-Vell's design, blends it with the classic Ms. Marvel look, then gives it modern edge with a more techy helmet and mohawk. And I also think it's one of the most successful looks to be translated into the live-action universe. It's often hard to tell if a product is representing the comic or MCU style. when we received the Marvel Select Starforce Captain Marvel in her green suit last year, I think we all knew this classic-colored re-issue was inevitable. I was considering skipping this purchase due to sheer repetition in my collection, but when I saw her in person (in the Disney Store) I found her hard to resist. I figure it won't be long until we get a slew of products featuring her Avengers Endgame design (which I think it the same costume sculpt, just different coloring and a bad haircut). I already predict I will cave and buy more. Let's check out Carol below!
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Marvel Select - CAPTAIN MARVEL (STARFORCE)!
The Marvel Select line from DST has had an amazing year. This Starforce Captain Marvel marks the fourth Marvel Select female in 9 months. And I only hope the momentum continues. There's potential for so many more great figures. I know we're very likely to see a new Storm and Black Widow next, but I have hopes for so many more. This Starforce Captain Marvel figure is terrific. She's articulated beautifully and the sculpt is great. The only downfall is the unmasked head has pretty lackluster paint apps and looks almost nothing like Brie Larson. This same issue existed the with Marvel Legends figure from Hasbro. Maybe she has a tricky face to scan or a unique color palette that has to be precise to look right, but either way the problem seems to be consistent across multiple product lines. Luckily (for me at least), I could care less about unmasked alternate heads. If a character has a mask or helmet, that's always the way I will want to display her. And Carol's masked head is perfect. Let's check her out below!
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Marvel Select - PSYLOCKE!
I've always loved Betsy Braddock. There was something about her early appearances that really appealed to me. The lavender-haired, pink-garbed psychic never really got her proper dues. However, the Jim Lee / Chris Claremont run on X-Men in the early nineties changed her look (race), attitude, and costume and suddenly she became one of the most popular mutants out there. I was happy to see her finally get that well-deserved recognition, but it was a bit of a bummer that she had to transform so much to get there. But in the past few years her character has been reverting to her pre-ninja past in the comics. And in October I believe she is reclaiming the mantle of Captain Britain in the new Excalibur title. I do really love the 90's ninja look and all the toys we get of her, but for a character that has had many different looks over the years, I want some of that variety reflected in plastic. My fingers are crossed for a good retro figure. In the meantime, I think this Marvel Select Psylocke is the best so far. Let's check her out!
Monday, May 20, 2019
Marvel Select - ROGUE!
I love a good villain-turned-hero. One of my first exposures to Rogue was her appearances in ROM: Spaceknight when she was my favorite member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. I also had a few random issues of Dazzler when she was being all villainous. All my comics in the mid-to-late eighties were from 25¢ boxes so I was living 3-5 years in the past. I didn't even realize she joined the X-Men until way late in the game. Then the double-whammy of the X-Men the Animated Series and the Lee/Claremont run in the comics launched her into superstardom. To this day I still run into people who aren't even into the genre, but if comics or X-Men come up, they inevitably start gushing over Rogue (and Storm). The Marvel Select line is really impressive lately. This Rogue figure is the second of four females due out this year (Psylocke and Captain Marvel are still coming). And the quality is getting better and better, so DST reveals at SDCC are something I'm really looking forward to. Let's check out Rogue below!
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Marvel Select - THE WASP!
This year is set to be a record-breaking year for female figures in the Marvel Select line. Between now and June we should have a Captain Marvel, Psylocke, and Rogue in addition to this terrific Wasp. Up until now, the most females we've seen in a single year has been three (in 2005 & 2017). And considering the 17-year run of the line, 6 years had no females, and 7 had only one. So having four figures in the first six months is a great sign. It's also pretty amazing how far the quality of these figures has come. Back in the day they tended to be fairly pre-posed with limited (and often awkward) articulation. But now they are right up there (and sometimes better than) Hasbro's Marvel Legends. This Wasp figure is great. The Legends figure was pretty terrific so I wasn't particularly eager for another. But in all honesty, I like this second one better. The wings are nicer, the body seems more cinematic, and I love how smooth the ribcage articulation is (it makes for really dynamic poses). Let's check her out below!
Friday, December 22, 2017
Marvel Select - SPIDER-GWEN!
It's amazing how quickly Spider-Gwen has become an A-list hero. I've already decided not to be a completist with her merchandise because it's coming out at a very rapid pace. Considering that her first toy, a TRU exclusive Minimate came out only two years ago, that's a very impressive rise - especially considering she hasn't been in a film, or even had a significant role in a cartoon yet. The Marvel Select line from DST has been blowing my mind recently. Back in the day, I felt that these figures were awkwardly pre-posed and had awkward articulation and diorama pieces (I remember being very disappointed in She-Hulk). But between this Spider-Gwen and the recent Lady Deadpool, I am now super impressed with the line. The sculpt, articulation, and scale is just great all-around. The only thing that keeps me from being a die-hard fan is the very slow release schedule. Lines like Marvel Legends are much more satisfying purely due to the speedy production. I'm thinking we will eventually get a (movie) Gamora and an apology She-Hulk, but any figures with this level of quality will easily find a spot in my collection.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Marvel Select - GAMORA!
I adore the ripple-effect of movie popularity. Never in a million years would so many cool comic-based characters be getting quality action figures if not for the success of the movies. I haven't always been a fan of Marvel Select figures. The larger 7" scale, the historically minimal articulation, the focus on bulky diorama pieces (a personal non-preference), and the higher pricetags were all turnoffs for me. But the sculpts, paint, and plastic quality has always been great. I think this Gamora marks a major turning point for these figures though. The costume choice is unexpected (Marvel Now) and the articulation suddenly rivals Marvel Legends. I have a lot of high hopes for future Marvel Select ladies now. I'm guessing that after Spider-Gwen and any movie-based GOTG figures on the horizon, the next heroine we are likely to see is Captain Marvel. Between the movie and her A-list comic roles lately, she's kind of a shoe-in. I can't wait to see her. Let's check out the Marvel Select Gamora below!
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Marvel Select SPIDER-WOMEN!
In honor of my giddy excitement for the Marvel Legends Spider-Girl reveal earlier this week, I decided to review three variations of my favorite Spider-Lady sculpt to date. Jessica Drew was a hasty creation by Marvel Comics in the late 1970s in order to secure the copyrights for a female spider-powered superhero. (I read once that word of Filmation's Web Woman cartoon reached the Marvel camp and they quickly created and published the first Jessica Drew story before her first episode aired). I was never a huge fan of Spider-Woman as a kid. I saw the cartoon a few times, but preferred Firestar from the Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends series. It wasn't until 2006 in the pages of New Avengers where Frank Cho drew two amazing Jessica Drew-centric issues (#14 and #15). Coincidentally, Diamond Select Toys released their fantastic Spider-Woman action figure that same year in their Marvel Select line. There have been multiple variations released since, and I've purchased almost all of them. Let's check them out below!
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Marvel Select's Retro MARVEL GIRL!
This costume of Jean Grey's is my absolute favorite. I love the retro styling, I love the bright colors, and I love the overall simplicity of it. This was actually the uniform that she wore when I was first exposed to the her (on the cover of Classic X-Men #43). I was always into cartoon culture as a kid, but I didn't get bit by the comic bug until I was 10 and my family moved into the center of a small town with three active comic shops. It took me a couple of year to get hooked. I started with properties I was familiar with, like G.I.Joe and Batman, but before long I was desperately seeking employment (which for a kid meant raking leaves and delivering newspapers) just to fund my newfound addiction. This Marvel Girl costume brings me such a wave of nostalgia for that time. She first donned the yellow domino mask in the iconic X-Men #39 from 1967 and kept it until Issue #101 when she became Phoenix. This Marvel Girl has received a decent amount of merchandising, but I think this is the only piece I'll own (too many pricey statues). I'll spotlight the rest below though. Let's get on to the review!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Marvel Select's Classic STORM!
I think everyone loves Ororo Munroe. Even if Halle Berry gets on your nerves, she's still pretty kick-ass. My first two memories of her are from guest appearances on Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends in the early 80's and from my older brother's copies of Classic X-Men that we always strewn about our shared bedroom. It was her overwhelming power to control the weather that made me realize early on that women have disproportionately greater powers, yet overall less influence in the comics genre - so I credit a lot of my current obsessions to her. There have been a lot of Storm action figures over the years. I'd argue that she is the third most merchandised female comic character behind Wonder Woman and Catwoman. Perhaps she's tied with Invisible Woman, but it would be close. Yet surprisingly, this classic costume of her's gets very little love from the toy industry. To me this is quintessential Storm and I am very excited to finally have a great figure of her.
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