I remember very fondly when the Python Patrol faction was released in the Hasbro G.I.Joe toy line. I was just about losing my interest in all things 'Joe (it was 1989 and I, along with the rest of the world, was renewing their obsession with Batman). But those Python Patrol repaints sucked me right back in. It seems silly considering how young I was at the time, but I found the nostalgia for those re-used original sculpts irresistible. The cartoon explanation of the faction was pretty generic (magically-induced camouflage) and the actual deco with yellow (geometric) diamond patterns and splashes of red, wasn't very snake-like at all, but the alliterative name, Python Patrol, and seeing all those old figures again was all my young brain needed to get me fully obsesssed. This Python Patrol Vypra figure is a repaint of the Cobra Blue Ninja. It's amazing to get a female character in the faction, even if we had to wait 34 long years. I hope they repaint one of the Classified Valkyries now too. Let's check out Vypra below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Asian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Asian. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
G.I.Joe Classified - PYTHON PATROL VYPRA!
Monday, September 29, 2025
Super7 Reaction+ O-Ring - JINX!
G.I.Joe was the first action figure line that captured my attention as a youth.. mostly because it included a decent amount of the female characters from the cartoon. Then when I was in my twenties and made a conscious decision to start collecting action figures, my first goal was to assemble all the female G.I.Joes. It wasn't terribly hard to get them all back then, but I quickly realized many of the characters didn't really resemble their animated counterparts. A major one for this was Jinx. She has several very iconic scenes in G.I.Joe the Movie, but her toy just looked different. Mainly, she never wore the generic ninja mask that her toy sported. She was either completely unmasked or blindfolded (this figure really should have come with a blindfold). So seeing this figure so early in the Reaction+ O-Ring line really brought me joy. It's not quite as exciting as a never-before-seen vintage figure (like the just-released Pythona), but she is still super cool to have. Let's check out Jinx below!
Monday, April 21, 2025
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - KARAI SHREDDER!
I don't know very much about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. When I was a kid I was very turned off by cartoon properties that overused stereotypical "hip" language like "radical" and "cowabunga." I was in elementary school but a little beyond my years and I felt that shows like TMNT and The Simpsons were made by adults who were pandering to kids in a cheap way. I may have disapproved, but I was pretty much the only one because shows like this were always wildly popular and impossible to ignore. I knew there was a rich history from the early Mirage Comics, but I never explored that history. The Karai I know from later animated iterations of the TMNT franchise is sometimes the daughter of Shredder and sometimes just raised by him. I was unaware that she actually ever became The Shredder until leaked images of this toy hit the internet last Summer. I love female versions of existing iconic male characters, so this was a figure I was instantly obsessed with. Let's check out Karai below!
Sunday, March 16, 2025
Marvel Legends - MANTIS!
I have a serious backlog of toys to open. Sometimes I forget what is buried in the back of my closet until a series of random events forces me to go digging. In this case, I found the new Ghost-Spider Epic Hero Series figure at Walmart last week. That made me think of how few female characters have been in that line so far - Rogue and Storm from X-Men '97 immediately spring to mind. But also that random Mantis from the third GOTG movie. I had her somewhere. But I couldn't review her until I also unearthed her Marvel Legends figure. Truth is, I didn't enjoy Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3, so although I always love Mantis and these figures are great (I didn't hesitate to buy them), I was just unmotivated at the time. But a few years later, with almost zero memories of the movie, I can fully appreciate these toys on their own merit. I even like the blue and red "Rawhide Kid" uniforms that disappointed me so much in the theatres. Time heals all critiques I suppose. Let's check out GOTG3 Mantis below!
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
La Borinqueña - LÚZ LA LUMINOSA
I've been aware of La Borinqueña since 2018 when I ordered a comic and a vinyl figure featuring the titular character emblazoned with the Puerto Rican flag. I can readily admit I'm pretty ignorant of the culture, language, and social issues of Puerto Rico, so this comic was exposing me to a whole new world (and I'm not even referring to the superheroics in the story). I enjoyed the comic quite a bit, but it quickly got buried in my stacks of weekly comics and (nearly) forgotten. I would pick up the occasional one-shot comic at my lcs, but somehow I missed out on the expanded La Borinqueña universe with all the new costumed heroes until a few years ago when this toy line by Boss Fight Studio was unveiled. I now have a shopping cart full of backissues on my browser as I type this, and am intrigued by a hardcover collected edition supposedly hitting stores in two weeks. But in the meantime, I have to judge this character, Lúz La Luminosa, purely on aesthetics. In short, she looks awesome and tough as nails.
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
G.I.Joe Classified - JINX!
Jinx was one of the first female action figures I ever owned (I think I got her and Zarana around the same time). I had taped the G.I.Joe the Movie episodes as they aired on afterschool television and was obsessed. Pythona was above and beyond my favorite character. But Jinx was a close second. When she snapped that training staff in half, spun them like dual propellers, and took down Beach Head, my adolescent jaw hit the floor with wonder. I was many years into my martial arts career at the time, and interest was waning hard, but Jinx rejuvenated that spark for a few more years. Interestingly, 25 years later, the hasbrotoyshop exclusive Kim Arashikage (and specifically my inability to acquire her) killed my interest in G.I.Joe for a decade until Classified started. So Jinx marks both highs and lows of my collecting hobby. I actually think this Classified figure is the nicest representation I've seen. I love her unmasked head - it's so reminiscent of the cartoon design (but with a realistic flare). Let's check her out below!
Wednesday, May 29, 2024
POP Funko - CASSANDRA CAIN BATGIRL!
It has been five long years since Funko has had a new comic-based DC Bat-character that got me excited. Back in 2019 they released a Batwoman and Huntress that gave me high hopes that we'd finally start seeing all the cool Bat-family characters that had been ignored up till then. But my hopes were dashed. There was nothing for years. I was still happy to get live-action versions of Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Batwoman, but the comic stuff was always my favorite. In 2020 there was a comic (that I haven't read yet) called Batman: The Joker War Zone that featured Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown teaming up on a side adventure. I always liked their friendship dynamic ever since Cass handed the Batgirl mantle to Steph way back in 2009. And I've been enjoying the current ongoing title, Batgirls, featuring Steph and Cass patrolling the city (with Babs in their earpieces). But this Joker War Zone story is what cemented their adventuring partnership and inspired these long overdue Funko Pops. Let's check out Cass!
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Batgirls - CASSANDRA CAIN BATGIRL!
One thing I have always loved about Cassandra Cain is that she is the first Bat-female to be unmistakably badass. As a specific sub-genre of comicdom (that I am wholeheartedly obsessed with), the female characters in the Batman universe are always strong, independent, and capable. But the comics community is inundated with fanboys who think Wolverine, Deadpool, and Lobo are the pinnacle of cool. And trying to convince them that characters like Barbara Gordon were deserving of their respect was always a tough task. But then Cassandra Cain took on the mantle of Batgirl from Huntress in 1999's No Man's Land storyline and changed all that. Cass was a violent assassin with a deadly pedigree (she is the daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva). She was raised to be as lethal as possible, even foregoing verbal communication to dedicate all senses to body language. She was awesome, and her costume was cool. And she has remained as a consistent, but underused, character ever since.
Thursday, April 11, 2024
DreamWorks Dragons - JUN (with WU and WEI)!
DreamWorks Dragons is a very impressive franchise. Since the first movie came out in 2010, there has been a non-stop flow of continued media. In fourteen short years, there has been: two additional movies, six animated shorts, thirteen video games, comics, novels, theme parks, live stage shows, and three animated series totaling 223 episodes. (Plus there is a live-action movie coming in 2025). DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms is the most recent addition - the series just ended in December 2023. The show featured five young Dragon Riders in modern times, 1300 years after the first film. Jun Wong is one of the main characters who is passion about myths and fantasy stories. She eventually becomes a love interest for the main character Tom. Her older brother Eugene also becomes a main character in Season 3 (of 8). These toys had almost no announcements and never really showed up in stores. Luckily I searched to see if Spin Master still had the license - and bingo! Let's check out Jun below.
Saturday, April 6, 2024
Marvel Legends - ARMORED PSYLOCKE!
Of all the X-Men, I've always felt that Psylocke has had the most interesting and extreme design changes. The fact that she was quite literally body-swapped in the 1990 Acts of Vengeance storyline just increased her number of unique appearances. Prior to 1990, Betsy Braddock was a lavender-haired British psychic telepath. But then she was brainwashed by The Hand and body-swapped with the East Asian assassin Kwannon and refined her powers to now present as her signature "psychic knife", a pink dagger-like energy spike emanating from her fist that can scramble someone's brain. Her first appearances with her new body and powers were costumed in this Lady Mandarin battle armor. She only used that name and costume for a few issues, but they were featured on the first two covers of the iconic Jim Lee run on X-Men (issues #256-257). Even though this is my least desired Psylocke design to have in the Marvel Legends line, I can't deny how iconic it is. Let's check out Armored Psylocke below!
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Batwheels - BATGIRL!
In late 2022 a new animated show debuted on HBO MAX called Batwheels. I was intrigued because I am drawn to all things Gotham. But I knew it was completely geared towards kids and wouldn't become a true obsession of mine - and I was mostly right. The show has a great concept: essentially mashing together the worlds of Disney/Pixar's Cars with the Batman Universe. There are so many outlandish character-themed vehicles in Gotham, it doesn't seem that crazy to actually give them voices and fully flesh out their personalities. I found it very clever. But I wasn't expecting to be so drawn to the human characters. They have really fun designs and the roles are filled by interesting characters - namely Duke Thomas as Robin and Cassandra Cain as Batgirl. I've been wishing for action figures, but all the official toys have been (predictably) vehicles. But then I was surprised by some Burger King figures from December that totally scratch that itch. Let's check out Cassie Batgirl below!
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Mirrorverse - MULAN!
Mulan (1998) is easily my favorite animated Disney movie. Most animated Disney movies feature a strong female lead. But Mulan was explicit in highlighting gender roles and cultural stigmas (which, although were presented as specific to an unspecified dynastic era of China's history, had many relatable modern parallels). I genuinely love the story and the music. I also love the respectful handling of the music, with no songs played after the discovery of General Li's fallen army. This movie arguably dealt with the heaviest subject matter of the theatrical animated Disney movies - others technically had a higher death rate, but in Mulan the setting was relatable historical fiction and we actually saw the deaths. It required a tactful mix of playful music and solemnity. I have always wanted to add Mulan to my collection. Someday I might dive deep into the 1997 Mattel line. But in the meantime, this McFarlane Disney Multiverse figure from the Amazon-exclusive 3-Pack is a great first figure. Let's check out Mulan below!
Saturday, January 13, 2024
Transformers - WINDBLADE!
I just realized that it's been five years since we've had the last official Windblade figure. Since her debut in 2014, she was quite the fan favorite. In four years she had eight action figures, appeared in several animated series and games, and was the titular character in two different comic mini-series. She was just everywhere. She was so prevalent for so long that I didn't even notice that she was taken a step back until right now when I realized her last official figure was in November of 2018. The current Transformers Legacy line (and all its sub-groupings like Evolution and United) combine characters and designs from various chapters in Transformers history under a unified style. I can admit I was a little hesitant to get behind this idea, but after the recent Strongarm, Shadow Striker, and now Windblade, I can really see the appeal. I'm really curious to see who might be next. It seems like the sky is the limit and there are a ton of cool potential characters. Let's check out Windblade below.
Thursday, December 28, 2023
Invincible - DUPLI-KATE!
The Invincible Select action figure line from DST is very impressive. When it started a few years ago I expected there to be a handful of core releases before quietly fading away. (I'm a little jaded and scarred by past toy lines based on indy comics). But after just a couple years there is already an impressive assortment of characters with at least two more on the way (Rex Splode and the Mauler Twin (single figure with alternate heads)). This Dupli-Kate figure gives us a similar multi-figure purchase. By giving us alternate heads and swappable chest numbers, we can army build as many Kates as we want. Dupli-Kate is a homage to Triplicate Girl of the LOSH with the ability to create (seemingly endless) copies of herself. But in an interesting secondary homage, Kate has a twin (evil) brother named Multi-Paul and together they visually remind me of the Wonder Twins. In the cartoon, Paul is incarcerated and will likely never get a toy though. But I can't wait to see who is next. Let's check out Dupli-Kate below!
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
LooseCollector - DARNA!
When this figure first showed up in my social media feeds back in 2020 I was immediately covetous. I had seen imagery of this character seemingly all my life, but didn't know her name or anything about her. I went on a googling spiral and became obsessed with getting this toy. Unfortunately I was seeing pics of collectors actively receiving their preorders and she had been sold out for months. But after a few years she popped up on the LooseCollector again in very limited quantities and I finally snagged her. Darna is the most famous of the Pinoy comic superheroes. She was created in 1950 by Mars Ravelo with inspiration from Superman comics brought to the Philippines by American solders during WWII. She is a kind of mashup of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Shazam. She has since transcended the comic world and has appeared in fourteen films between 1951 and 1994, four television serials, and several animated TV shows. Truly an iconic character. Let's check out Darna below!
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Marvel Legends - LADY BULLSEYE!
In 2008, a new adversary was introduced in the pages of Daredevil. Lady Bullseye was inspired by the Lady Snowblood manga from 1972 (which also inspired Kill Bill), but firmly rooted in Daredevil lore since the character modeled herself after Bullseye. When Maki Matsumoto was a young girl in Japan, she was imprisoned by the Yakuza and faced a grim and dire future. On an unrelated mission, Bullseye entered the Yakuza stronghold and slaughtered her captors. That vision lit a spark in her. Flash forward to adulthood, and Maki is the assassin Lady Bullseye working with The Hand and living a civilian life as a lawyer working in close proximity to Matt Murdock. The first time I heard of this character is when a Marvel Legends prototype of her was displayed at conventions in 2009. But I didn't really embrace her until a picked up a TPB (Daredevil: Lady Bullseye) about 10 years later collecting her first story arc. She's an interesting character that I'm glad finally got a figure. Let's check out Lady Bullseye below!
Sunday, July 9, 2023
League of Legends - AKALI!
Yet another surprise figure from Spin Master's League of Legends Champion Collection line. Last September, a reader clued me in to the first female figure in the League of Legends 6" line, Ashe. She had shown up in a multi-figure Amazon listing at full price with three discounted shelfwarmers that we had been seeing at Target for years. And she was the hidden fourth figure that you couldn't see unless you opened the listing and selected the fourth "style option." The figure was impressive and I hoped for even more product. Then a few months ago in May I discovered the awesome Senna figure and was thrilled that this line wasn't dead as I had feared. Then to my utter surprise less than two months later a listing for this Akali figure popped up. Akali is a rogue assassin who had left the Kinkou Order and her title of Fist of the Shadow to protect her people on her own terms. I like that her design is very reminiscent of the early fighting games like Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct. Let's check out Akali below!
Sunday, July 2, 2023
Marvel Legends - JUBILEE!
Somehow is seems wrong to put Jubilee in a uniform. As the token spunky young upstart of the 1990's X-Men, she always marched to the beat of her own drum. She got into trouble, was the catalyst for many team adventures, and always wore her own unique outfits. Usually colorful, haphazard, and fun. We've seen her in a few official uniforms in the years since, but in 1991's Uncanny X-Men #275 we first saw her conform to a group aesthetic in this modern take of the classic X-Men uniform. But surprisingly Jubilee seemed to love this phase and almost accepted it as a badge of honor, like she was suddenly a full-fledged member of the team instead of a nuisance tag-along. Of course, she pretty much immediately went back to her signature yellow raincoat, but this uniform was still a cool blip that still resonates enough to inspire action figures 32 years later. I'm assuming the red-jumpsuit Generation X version is next (her only other iconic uniform). Perhaps an SDCC reveal? Let's check out Jubilee below!
Friday, June 30, 2023
Marvel Legends - PSYLOCKE!
With all the amazing classic Marvel Legends coming out in 2023 (Outback Rogue, Mojoverse Dazzler, Mockingbird, Monica Rambeau Captain Marvel, updated Tigra, Moonstone, Vertigo, etc), I have been reassessing my wish list. And one character I keep coming back to is Psylocke, specifically in her various 1980's costumes. She was a blur of multi-tonal purples and pinks and I loved it. I would love to see both the lavender-haired, puffy-sleeved outfit, as well as the hooded and masked version. But when all these variations were released in Mini-Mates form over the years, it made me desire a complete representation of Psylocke's many looks. And to me, a key example is those few months around 1991's Uncanny X-Men #275 when she donned this modern homage to the original X-Men uniform. The X-Men characters seem to thrive on individuality, both in personality and appearance, but it was cool for a brief moment to see them unified in matching costumes. Let's check out X-Men #275 Psylocke below!
Monday, June 26, 2023
TMNT Cartoon - LOTUS BLOSSOM!
In Season 3, Episode 28 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1989, Krang once again prompts some villainous in-fighting by introducing the kunoichi Lotus Blossom to challenge and overthrow Shredder for leadership of the Foot Clan. She is successful, but in a very typical plot point for female characters in this show, her romantic interest in one of the turtles prompts her conversion to the good side. In this case, Leonardo is the lucky ninja who shows her the light. Lotus appeared in only two episodes of the original series roughly a year apart, but in both episodes she was a focal character and even had her name featured in the episodes titles (Beware the Lotus and Farewell, Lotus Blossom). Despite being a repeat character, I think this action figure caught everyone by surprise. NECA has been showing no restraint with the deep-dive characters in their cartoon TMNT line, and I am here for it. I can't even imagine who the next female figure will be, but I'm excited for the reveal. Let's check out Lotus below!
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