Today I've got a figure I've been searching for literally for over a quarter of a year: Star Wars Movie Heroes Anakin Skywalker! You'd think for all the effort I put in, the figure, would be, well... good. But, well... read on...

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my new daily toy blog blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

The Right:

• It's the first 100% all-new Tatooine Anakin Skywalker released in a decade! I bugged Hasbro for years--years--to give us a new kid Anakin in their now-defunct Q&As, so it's pretty exciting that we got not one, but two kid Anakins this year! (I reviewed Vintage Padawan Anakin back in January.)
• The head sculpt on Anakin is the polar opposite of the awful Vintage Padawan Anakin we got earlier in the year--while that figure didn't look anything like Jake Lloyd, this is one of the best Jake Lloyd likenesses we've ever gotten.
• The new Podracing helmet released earlier in the year with a multipack is repackaged here. I didn't need the figures in that expensive multipack, so I'm really pleased to get the Podracer helmet here for cheap.
• Anakin's Podracing helmet is highly-detailed and has a ton of sculpting intricacies and paint deco on it. This is unquestionably the best Podracing helmet Hasbro has released.
• The paints on the Anakin figure itself are absolutely terrific. His skin, hair, and clothes all look exactly as I picture them in my mind, and Hasbro used just the right amount of paint wash.

The Wrong:

• The main gimmick of this toy is that lil' Jake Lloyd Anakin can now fly around space, blowing away all manner of Sith Lords, women, children, and Jedi younglings with his missile-firing jetpack! I must have missed this scene in my many, many viewings of The Phantom Menace. This is just so ridiculous it defies words.
• Lil' Anakin comes with the game die and card game card that get packed in with all the non-Vintage Star Wars figures. I just don't believe that children care enough about the Galactic Battle Game that resources are still being used on it three years later. I'd rather the MSRP on the figures go down by a dime than we keep getting these little inclusions.
• Because of the jetpack, Anakin has a big peg hole in his back, which unfortunately ruins him for a lot of positions in dioramas. I wish the jetpack strapped on or something so it didn't damage the integrity of the figure itself.
• It can be a real pain getting Anakin to stand up in your display. He just doesn't want to stand up stably. But that's probably because of...

The Ridiculous:

• Kid Anakin has five--count 'em, FIVE--points of articulation. Yes, in 2012, a year where a single Star Wars figure will cost you a $10 bill at Target, all Hasbro is giving us is 5 points of articulation. Ball-jointed head with swivel hips and shoulders. Unbelievable.
• $10 (~$9+tax) is a pretty high price for what you're getting here. This figure would be a whole lot more appealing for $6-$7.

Overall: The best things I can say about this figure are that it really looks like Jake Lloyd, the Podracing helmet rocks, and the paint deco is well-done. But that's all this figure has going for it. His missile-firing jetpack is downright ludicrous, the peg hole in the back limits his diorama usefulness, he's expensive, and his articulation is straight out of the POTF2 days. Even as a huge fan of Jake Lloyd Anakin Skywalker, even I kind of regret paying $10 for this figure, and I really can't recommend him.

GRADE: D+

Today I've got something I've been waiting for all my life--I just didn't know it until a couple years ago: my first LEGO Lord of the Rings set...

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy blog blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

The Right:

• The new LEGO horse introduced in this set ROCKS!!! It can stand on its hing legs, kick back, move its head forward and backward--awesome. I know some people are upset about the classic LEGO horse being retired, but this one is just such an advancement. Great stuff.
• Gandalf comes with a beard, staff, wizard hat, and cape. The accessories are pretty standard, but what's really special is how astounding the Ian McKellen likeness is on the Gandalf head when you take the beard off. Seriously--it's like Magneto is cosplaying Gandalf!! Crazy fun. Love it, love it.
• Frodo utilizes the "little-people" legs without articulation, so he can't sit, but he does look ever-so-adorable. LEGO Frodo is in his Shire attire rather than his iconic traveling clothes. He has an oversized copy of Bilbo's book and a reversible head that's happy on one side and worried on the other.
• The cart itself isn't anything particularly exciting, but it comes loaded with accessories like three fireworks (including a red snake "dragon"), a carrot for Gandalf to feed the horse, and a postal letter.
• This is the smallest and most budget-priced of the LEGO Lord of the Rings sets.

The Wrong:

• I have only one complaint about this set and it's the price. $16.99 at Toys R Us and $12.99 everywhere else lands this set at 16-20 cents per bricks, depending where you buy it. I consider 10 cents a perfect value and 12 cents acceptable, so this is WAY out of that range.

Overall: I want to give LEGO a huge hug and kiss for getting the Lord of the Rings license. The Gandalf and Frodo figures aren't exactly what I always pictured in my mind--they're even better (particularly the Ian McKellen head on Gandalf). The new LEGO horse is a thing of beauty, and is totally loaded with play value. Lots of great and fun accessories with this set, and it really warms my heart and brings me back to Fellowship of the Ring. I'm a little perturbed with the value being somewhat low on this set, but that's really the only drawback to a fantastic introductory set. Highly, highly recommended.

GRADE: A-

I hate spiders with a passion, to the point where I won't even kill them--I have to ask my wife to relocate them from the house for me. (Really.) So you'd think the giant spider from Lord of the Rings, Shelob, would horrify me beyond belief. And you'd be right! But when it comes to LEGOs, I just can't help myself, even if the source material is something dreadful. And that's pretty lucky, because Shelob Attacks is another outstanding LEGO entry!

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy blog blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

The Right:

• Unlike Gandalf Arrives 9469, Shelob Attacks 9470 is an incredible value for a licensed LEGO set! 227 pieces for just $19.99 = less than 9 cents per LEGO brick! Great deal.
• Shelob is around 7" long, which makes her more than large enough to tower over every LEGO minifigure.
• Four points of articulation on every one of Shelob's legs makes her one of the most articulated buildable LEGO figures ever. Despite being long and thin, Shelob's legs are very sturdy and don't break apart easily at all.
• The big gimmick for Shelob is her retractable string "web" with a hook at the end, which has a generous length to it and is strong enough to hang Shelob from your door like a wreath! I will totally be taking advantage of this feature around Halloween.
• Shelob Attacks comes with three minifigures: Sam, Frodo, and an exclusive Gollum. I'm surprised that LEGO gave Gollum a new mold, but it makes sense and looks awesome. Sam is nothing special, but the alternate face for Frodo is fantastic and represents when Frodo is paralyzed/catatonic from Shelob's sting in the movie!
• Every figure includes at least one accessory. Frodo has a cape, Sting, and a shiny One Ring. Sam has the Elven Light, an Elven Sword, and a cape. And Gollum has a, uh... fish.
• "Shelob's Lair" is just a small archway three-inches long with a catapult attached. That said, it's cool posing Gollum staring on from the archway, and launching Gollum at the hobbits is even better.

The Wrong:

• Shelob's face looks STUPID. The way they've drawn her eyes with the destroyed eye looking like a black eye looks far too cartoony to me. We got a wicked cool shark in the Atlantis line that was as far from cute as you can get--why can't Shelob be as scary?
• This set has 3 minifigures but only 8 total points of articulation. That's below the norm for a LEGO set, and I think they could have done a tiny bit better with Gollum.

Overall: As much as I loved the Gandalf Arrives set, this set is even better. For $20, you get the best LEGO spider ever made, who's totally loaded with articulation and a great . You get three adorable minifigures including alternate faces for Frodo and Sam and a totally-new Gollum figure. You get a small mini-diorama entrance-way that can catapult your minifigures into battle. And you get a load of great accessories like the One Ring, the Light of Earendil,and even a dead fish. Value, minifigures, accessories, playability--this LEGO set is the total package, and comes highly recommended.

GRADE: A

It takes a lot to get me to pull the trigger on a MOTU Classics figure that'll cost me $30+ after shipping, but Matty found my weakness with their most foul-smelling figure ever. Today I've got a new review of my all-time favorite He-Man villain: Stinkor!

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy blog blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

The Right:

• It's Stinkor!! Stinkor is one of the figures I really, really wanted from the 200x line, and I'm excited that Matty gave him to use this time before there was any chance of the line being canceled.
• Stinkor is mostly black and white, which is a superb contrast to the brilliant, radioactive orange of his armor. I know some aren't major fans of the orange, but everything from my clothes to my backpack to my phone is neon orange, so I'm pretty much in heaven with Stinkor's orange added to my Masters of the Universe Classics display.
• Despite their on-and-off hatred of alternate heads, Stinkor comes with a second head in addition to his default awesome modern 200x head: a vintage-inspired, repainted Merman head. To be truthful, I hate the vintage head, but I know a lot of fans wanted it for its authenticity to the original figure, so I'm really glad the head is included here for those fans!
• A whopping 6 accessories! In addition to the alternate head, you get a 200x-inspired air gauge attachment for the armor, an air tanks backpack, the infamous stink gun, a gas mask, and Stinkor's shield! Every accessory attaches firmly where it's supposed to on Stinkor and looks excellent.
• 27 points of articulation including ankle rockers makes me a happy He-Man fan! I've had a lot of issues with loose joints in the past with this line, but Stinkor is totally free of looseness or any other quality control issues.
• I've been told by my wife that I must say that Stinkor smells like hippie. Whatever that means. To my knowledge, he smells like patchouli AKA old lady, and he does indeed stink most wretchedly. Bravo, Mattel.

The Wrong:

• Other than the air gauge and alternate head, Stinkor's accessories have zippo paint apps on them. As in: none. The stink gun, the shield, the backpack are all totally undetailed. That may have looked okay in the 1980's, but in the here and now it makes Stinkor look cheap. I know this happened because of "cost" issues, but I'm certain Matty could have found a way to make up the pennies they'd lose on adding some deco to at least one of the neon blue accessories.
• The white mailer box has "Lieutenant Spector" written on the bottom. I almost had a minor heart attack thinking Matty had sent me that... interesting... figure instead of Stinkor.

Overall: Stinkor is just a flat-out terrific action figure. The biggest concern with a MOTUC figure is usually quality-control, but Stinkor is all aces: perfect paint, tight joints, no defective parts. The articulation is everything I had hoped for and even includes the ankle rockers I'm infatuated with, and he Stinkor has every accessory you could reasonably expect him to come with (sorry Oedipus fans). I'm let down by the lack of any paint deco whatsoever on any of the main accessories, but Stinkor is such a fantastic figure I'd feel remiss awarding him anything other a high recommendation.

GRADE: A-

There aren't many butler action figures you could get me to buy (besides TC-14 and the robot butler from EPCOT Center), but Alfred is at the top of that very short list! Today I've got the first movie Alfred figures ever, from the Dark Knight Rises Movie Masters line!

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy blog blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

The Right:

• Hey, Mattel is giving us a Movie Masters Alfred, and it's not even an impossible-to-get convention exclusive! Huge "Right"! He's shortpacked, but that's a smart move as he's not exactly the most kid-friendly figure ever.
• Alfred has far, far more articulation than your typical butler action figure with 21 points. He has T-Crotch hips, but in this special case that's really not an issue.
• Alfred's suit looks terrific. Very detailed with folds and wrinkles and cufflinks, but also looking appropriately neatly-pressed.
• The tie is a separate piece permanently attached to Alfred's shirt and not just a part of the shirt mold. It adds depth and dimension to the figure, and I love that the tie has a little pattern on it.
• Alfred's jacket is made of a flexible plastic that allows you to open it up and see Alfred's shirt and tie and belt without obstruction.
• Alfred comes with the body of the Bat-Signal, the largest and best part of the Build-A-Bat-Signal. Alfred is the least-enticing character in the Dark Knight Rises line to all but diehard fans, so this was the right choice for sure.

The Wrong:

• The resemblance to Michael Caine is only passable. I can sort of see it--because I'm looking for it--but the facial sculpt just isn't quite right. I can also see George Bush in Alfred's face, but my wife says I'm crazy.
• Alfred has no accessories of his own at all. No serving tray, no med-kit, no phone, no teapot... nothing. For a butler, there's not a whole lot for Jarvis to stand around doing with no accessories whatsoever.
• My Alfred's tie was attached to the figure off-center and keeps pushing itself back to sitting diagonally across the figure's shirt a minute or so after I force it back into position. I don't want to boil the whole figure to try to fix the tie, but that seems like the only solution.

Overall: Alfred is far from a bad figure. He has much more usable articulation than you'd expect from a butler figure, his body sculpting and paint applications are excellent, and he comes with the largest piece of the Build-A-Bat-Signal. On the major downside, the likeness to Alfred's actor, Michael Caine, could be a lot better. Couple this with the no individual accessories the figure comes with, and it brings him down to being only slightly above average. I have no doubt that this is the only Movie Masters Mattel is going to ever make, so I'm happy to have him, but I really wish he looked a bit more like the actor.

GRADE: B-

I haven't exactly been blown away by Hasbro's recent Marvel movie offerings, but I came across a fresh reset of Amazing Spider-Man movie figures on Monday, and I couldn't resist bringing a couple home. Today I'm reviewing Reptile Blast Lizard, the only (for now) release of the movie's villain!

Also, I'm giving Movie Lizard away! Make sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to have him sent home to you for free!

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy blog blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

The Right:

• Lizard is the lead villain in the Amazing Spider-Man movie, and his figure is packed pretty heavily in the case assortment I saw (I had six to choose from). Considering what a pain certain Marvel movie figures are to get (I mean YOU, Lady Sif), I'm thrilled Hasbro made Lizard easily-accessible.
• Paint deco on the Lizard is terrific. I love the paint wash and how the green fades into the tan-green of the stomach. I don't think this figure could have had any better paint even if it was in the larger Marvel Legends scale.
• The sculpting detail is extremely impressive. The scales on the Lizard look great, and I love his spindly claws that are ready to strike and his stone-cold killer facial expression.

The Wrong:

• Lower-body articulation on this figure is terrible. Swivel hips and ball-jointed knees just aren't good enough for a character like the Lizard who should be able to take a variety of stances including crawling. Lack of ankle articulation makes him, hard to balance, and the non-bendy tail gets in the way of standing him up in many positions.
• Upper-body articulation is nothing to write home about either. No upper torso joint or swivel waist or swivel wrists or ab crunch.
• Lizard is about the same size as the movie Spider-Man figure, though from all the screenshots and footage I've seen I got the feeling Lizard should be noticeably larger than Spidey.
• The "Reptile Blast" missile launcher is ridiculous. Period.
• The missile launcher is actually too heavy, and I haven't been able to get the Lizard to stand up at all while holding it, rendering it useless as well as stupid. With better lower-body articulation it might have been possible, but I can't get it to work with what he's got.

Overall: Reptile-Blast Lizard is barely--barely--above average in my eyes. He has some stellar sculpting and paint deco, which really saves the figure. In addition, I'm pleased Hasbro is packing Lizard heavily enough that he won't be a total pain to find at retail. On the downside, his upper-body articulation is merely adequate and the lower-body articulation is poor. Lizard seems to be smaller than he accurately should be, and it can be tough to pose him due to his limited lower-body articulation (and near-impossible with the missile launcher attached). Overall, I think this Lizard figure is merely okay--I don't mind having him on my shelf for the moment, but I know Hasbro can do much better and hope we get a larger, more-articulated Lizard sooner than later.

GRADE: C+

And don't forget to enter the giveaway for a chance to have your own Reptile Blast Lizard for free!

Completely by accident and with no intent, I stumbled across and picked up the entire series of 6" Avengers Studio Series movie figures this weekend! I'll be reviewing them all over the next week, but I wanted to start off with the heaviest-hitter in the set: the incredible Hulk!

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy blog blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

The Right:

• Hulk is a true MONSTER, coming in at a mammoth nearly 8 inches tall! Hulks towers over all of the other Avengers figures and is even slightly taller than Terrax, Piledriver, and Thunderball from the revived Marvel Legends.
• Sculpting and paint are both amazing, plain and simple. I cannot find fault with the sculpting or paint detail on this Hulk figure in any way. It's just awesome.
• You might expect a giant of a figure like Hulk to have lackluster articulation, but he actually has a sensational 30 points including the coveted ankle rockers. Thanks to the ankle rockers, Hulk can easily pose and support his own weight in various walking, running, crouching, or bounding poses.
• Hulk comes with both a fist and a grasping hand, a fact for which I'm most grateful. I can't stand figures that only have two fists or two open hands when logically the character needs both.
• A collector's display figure stand is included with Hulk. It's unnecessary since his ankle rockers make him so stable, but it's always nice to have another figure stand for the collection.

The Wrong:

• Despite being quite possibly the most in-demand figure of the Avengers Studio Series 6" movie figures, Hulk is shortpacked at just one per case, compounding the difficulty of finding this store exclusive. I have a hunch Hulk is going to turn out to be a huge pain for a lot of collectors to hunt down.
• With all the articulation Hulk has, I'm surprised he has no swivel waist.
• The plastic used for the elbow and knee joints on Hulk feel very cheap and rubbery. I'm concerned about them degrading too much over time and causing the joints to become loose.

Overall: I found some aspects of the 6" Avengers Hulk to nitpick (I always do), but I really do enjoy this figure. While some of the plastic feels just a bit too cheap and I'm irritated that Hasbro made such a desirable figure a shortpacked store exclusive, this figure comes ever-so-close to being a real masterpiece. The sculpt, the paint deco, and the articulation on Hulk are all pure gold, and his gargantuan size is a sight to behold next to all his Marvel Legends-scale figures kin. While Hulk may take some time and effort to track down, he's absolutely worth the effort and comes highly-recommended.

GRADE: A

I'm back today with an in-depth review of the Marvel Universe's greatest archer: Hawkeye!

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy blog blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

The Right:

• The costume on Hawkeye is spectacular. The textures on the sculpt, the paint deco chosen, everything--purely perfect. Short of a Hot Toys Hawkeye, you're not going to get a better-looking Hawkeye figure than this, in my opinion.
• Hawkeye has been scaled appropriately with the rest of the figures in the Avengers Studio Series. He's MUCH smaller than Hulk as he should be), and obviously smaller than the God of Thunder as well.
• The head sculpt on Hawkeye is actually really strong. I thought the face wasn't that good at first, but it's actually just that the hair is a touch off--the facial sculpt itself is pretty lifelike to Jeremy Renner.
• Like Hulk, Hawkeye has terrific articulation with 30 points of flexibility including the much-loved ankle rockers. Thanks to the ankle rockers, Hawkeye can pose much more effectively than my DC Universe Classics Green Arrow figures can.
• Hawkeye has another interlocking display base figure stand, and while he doesn't need it to stand stably (thanks to the aforementioned ankle rockers), another figure stand is always welcome for the collection.

The Wrong:

• Hawkeye's accessories are largely disappointing. While the bow is great, the quiver has a "cap" at the top and thus no arrows sticking out. There's no arrow sculpted to the bow, and no loose arrows for Hawkeye to hold or shoot with the bow. Hawkeye is an archer with no means of attacking whatsoever.
• I totally loathe that almost every piece of merchandise from the Avengers movie has him wearing those sunglasses, as if he was wearing them throughout every scene of the movie or something. By and large Hawkeye is glasses-less, so it's a total pain that the sunglasses on the headsculpt are completely non-removable and there's no alternate head.

Overall: Basically, I love this Hawkeye action figure--except for the aspects that I completely hate. The body sculpt itself is terrific, and I even think the head sculpt is very good. Unfortunately, the product as a whole is brought down for me by the lack of any arrows in the quiver or for Hawkeye to hold at all, plus the silly non-removable sunglasses. I hope (and expect) Hasbro to put out a superior Hawkeye retool without the glasses and with a better, more accurate quiver in the coming years, but for now this one will do for my collection.

GRADE: B+

Today I have a review of the Avengers' second heaviest-hitter, the God of Thunder, Thor!

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy blog blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

The Right:

• I love the new Chris Hemsworth head sculpt. The helmeted 6" figure from the Thor line just didn't do it for me, but the Chris Hemsworth likeness is much better here. I really see the resemblance, and that's a good thing as it's literally the only new thing about this figure.
• The scale on Thor is just right. He's around 7" tall, making him noticeably larger than Hawkeye yet smaller than Hulk. For a figure that wasn't developed alongside those two, it's turned out rather well.
• The 29 points of articulation Thor has is nothing to balk at. While he isn't quite as poseable as Hulk or Hawkeye, due to being far less massive than the Modern Thor from Marvel Legends Series 1, he's far more poseable. Articulation isn't perfect on this Thor (no swivel waist or ankle rockers), but it's still better than 95% of what's in the action figure aisle.
• Thor comes with Mjolnir and another Avengers interlocking base. Unlike the other figures, the figure stand is actually very helpful this time for getting Thor to stand up, so I'm pleased with its inclusion.

The Wrong:

• Thor wears an altered costume in the Avengers movie, but someone must have "forgotten" to tell Hasbro. This is the same mold exactly (besides the head) as the 6" Thor from the Thor movie. If you want a Thor that's authentic to his appearance in the Avengers movie, you'll have to keep on waiting.
• Thor's cape is made of a heavy, rigid plastic. It makes him back-heavy and also makes it impossible for him to get into stable crouching poses. The lack of ankle rockers that Hulk and Hawkeye have compounds the problem, making Thor much less flexible.
• The paint isn't as good on Thor as on my other Avengers 6" figures. There's definite pain bleed and uneven lines.

Overall: I like this 6" Thor infinitely better than the one from the Thor movie, but that doesn't change the fact that this is a pretty cheap retool. Hasbro didn't update Thor's costume to reflect the differences in the Avengers movie at all, which is a pretty tough thing to get past. The hard plastic cape, coupled with the lack of ankle rockers, severely limits the posing potential for this Thor figure, and the paint isn't quite as good as it was on Hulk and Hawkeye. It's still a "good" figure, but it's a lazy release by Hasbro and not really up to the same level as the figures I've previously reviewed from the Avengers Studio Series 6" line.

GRADE: C+

In the penultimate review in my series of Avengers Movie 6" Studio Series figures, I'm covering what just may be the most uninteresting figure in the set: Iron Man!

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy blog blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

The Right:

• The "battle-damage" deco on this Iron Man figure looks sensational. The blast damage is some of the most realistic-looking battle-damage I've seen on an action figure. We've really come a long way from the laughable battle-damaged Spider-Man and Wolverine figures that Toybiz put out in the 1990's.
• The Mark VI Iron Man sculpt was spectacular two years ago, and it still is now. I love the tread-like joints, the smooth curves of the armor, and the overall accuracy of the sculpt.
• 33 points of articulation is pretty insane for a repaint of a figure that's two years old. Iron Man's joints are all extremely tight and usable, and I love the way that the shoulder pads are a separate piece so that they don't inhibit flexibility on the rest of the figure.
• I don't mind the two-per-case packing of Iron Man at all. He's the most popular Avenger with the general population (by far), and I think there's a much better chance of Iron Man selling through at two-per-case than Loki or Hawkeye.
• Iron Man has another collector's base included. They're interlocking, so you might as well accumulate a bunch of them.

The Wrong:

• It's somewhat of a disappointment that we get this 100% repaint in the Avengers line instead of the new Mark VII Iron Man. Hopefully a proper 6" Mark VII Iron Man figure is forthcoming (with Black Widow!!) in a second assortment of Avengers Studio Series movie figures.
• I hate the sticker that represents the Arc Reactor. It looks cheap and out-of-place among the glossy colors of the Iron Man figure. There has to be a way to do the Arc Reactor better than that.
• No accessories beyond the figure stand! Gone are the multiple sets of alternate hands and the clip-on blaster that we got with this figure in 2010. Very, very lame.

Overall: I'm pretty divided on my thoughts on this Iron Man. The 6" Iron Man Mark VI action figure was great in 2010, and still is. Even so, we're getting this straight repaint for 30% more money than in 2010, and now he comes with none of the worthwhile accessories the original release had. I wish we'd gotten a Mark VII instead (like everyone else), and I just don't like how the Arc Reactor is executed. This Iron Man is not a bad toy--it's actually really great--but it's not a good value for a well-done repaint with no true accessories. I got it because I was completing the set, but I'm not sure anyone else who has the original Mark VI will really want this one.

GRADE: B-

For my final review in my series of Avengers 6" Studio Series action figures, I'm covering "The First Avenger" (the movie subtitle said it, not me), Captain America!

If you missed any of the previous reviews in this series, you can find them all below:
Avengers 6" Studio Series Hulk
Avengers 6" Studio Series Hawkeye
Avengers 6" Studio Series Iron Man
Avengers 6" Studio Series Thor
Avengers 6" Studio Series Loki

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy blog blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

The Right:

• I daresay the Avengers Captain America movie designs looks better on this toy than it does in the actual movie. Hasbro's sculptors outdid themselves, adding textures and details to every molecule of Captain America, from his boots and gloves to his belt and the stars on his torso. Captain America ties Hawkeye for the award of having the most sculpted detailing of any figure in the Avengers 6" Studio Series line.
• I let out a huge groan when I took Captain America's shield out of the package and saw the flexible plastic straps on the underside. Now I love them. It took me a couple minutes to familiarize myself with the workings of the straps, but now it's a ton of fun extending and retracting the straps in order to properly attach Captain America's shield in any position I want on his forearms or back. I wouldn't want flexible plastic straps on every Captain America figure's shield, but they work very effectively in this instance and I really do enjoy them.
• Hasbro did a great job with the scale in the Avengers Studio Series line. Captain America is dwarfed by Hulk and Thor, and is just barely taller than Hawkeye. The team looks great complete and lined up together (although maybe I dreamed that there was a woman on the Avengers roster).
• Articulation on Cap is purely awesome, as it is with every figure in the 2012 Marvel Legends style. His ankle rockers let him take on any pose you can imagine and still stand stably, while he has ample upper-body articulation to fight some Nazis or alien soldiers. I'd prefer ball-jointed wrists to just having swivel forearms, but by and large this Captain America's articulation is excellent.
• Captain America includes yet another collector's base interlocking figure stand thing. I'm not using these for the Avengers figures, personally, but I understand the value of a free 6" action figure stand and am more than happy to keep it around for future use.

The Wrong:

• The quality-control on this figure is simply horrible. I don't know if I'm unlucky or if they're all like this, but the blue plastic on my Captain America feels rubbery, cheap, and awful. The red plastic is solid, but that actually makes things worse as the blue plastic doesn't support it properly. The whole figure feels wobbly and loose whenever I pick it up and move it around, and I have a sneaking suspicion that somehow the blue plastic making up the balls of the hip joints is going to rip or break. This plastic is very worrisome to me, and certainly the worst on any of the Avengers 6" figures.
• Captain America also had the worst paint apps of any Avengers Studio Series figure I purchased. There's silver paint bleeding off the stars on his chest and black, more silver paint splotches on his ball-jointed shoulders, red and black splatter on the white stripes of his lower torso... it's just sloppy. I've seen much worse, but I expect better from my $17 action figures.
• It's not a huge deal, but I really would've liked a paint wash of some kind on Captain America's costume. It's so well-sculpted and detailed that I think a subtle paint wash would have really drawn out all of the details and made all of the great sculpting more obvious.

Overall: Captain America pulls off a pretty big feat by making me like a character design that I hated in the actual Avengers movie. It genuinely looks much, much better on this action figure than it does in real life. The toy itself is no slouch, as it has an outstanding amount of sculpting detail packed-in, and features the perpetually-awesome articulation all of the 2012 Marvel Legends-style figures by Hasbro have. Even the engineering of the plastic straps on the shield that I expected to hate won me over completely. The quality-control on this figure (at least the one that I got) is truly awful, however. The blue plastic is so poorly-made and terrible-feeling, and I legitimately worry about his hip joints ripping. The paint applications on my Cap are sloppy, and I really would have liked an added paint wash to bring out the superb detail of the Captain America figure. Overall, I think that this Captain America is a terrifically designed figure that would greatly benefit from being produced again at a better factory and with an added paint wash. If you want to complete your Avengers display, this Captain America is a necessity and earns a solid recommendation.

GRADE: B

I finally had a nice day with beautiful weather for building and photographing my Brute Chieftain Charge set outdoors, so I took full advantage of it and wrote up one of my favorite reviews I've done in a while!

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my Halo toys blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

Pros:

• The Brute Chieftain figure is all-new and all-awesome. He's much bigger than either of the Brutes released before him, and I believe the largest Halo Mega Bloks figure out there (besides the Hunters, obviously).
• The brand new Gravity Hammer looks really terrific, especially when the Brute Chieftain is holding it two-handed. We'll have to wait until we get the Gravity Hammer in a Drop Pod or special set to get a painted version (I really want it with both black and silver), but it's a huge and impressive weapon as it is.
• Just so the Brute Chieftain isn't useless at long-range, he also includes a standard Spiker, which is also molded in black.
• The Brute Chopper looks more stylish than the original, and I love the sparkly flecks in the dark red plastic on it.
• The set as a whole is a simplistic build. It took me under 15 minutes while taking photos of the assembly. No tricky parts or problems to worry about whatsoever.
• There are NO STICKERS with this set! The colored details on the Brute Chopper are all painted on. Thank you, MEGA Brands!!
• Set seems like it might be a ripoff at about 17 cents per piece (72 pieces for ~$12), but in actuality you're getting two great new molded items in the Brute Chieftain and Gravity Hammer, as well as the printed-pieces on the Brute Chopper. Well worth a couple extra dollars, in my opinion.

Cons:

• The armor on the Brute Chieftain isn't the fully black color that we usually see on Brute Chieftain action figures--instead, it's dark grey. To me, the grey just doesn't look as nice--it blends a little bit too much with the Brute Chieftain's body color. I'm hoping we get this figure repainted with totally black armor a little later in the line.
• I would've liked a peg or wrench piece or some other way of attaching the Gravity Hammer to the Brute Chieftain's back. Not a dealbreaker--at all--just something I think would have been fun.

Overall: The Brute Chieftain Charge is a brilliant little $12 set. The new Brute Chieftain figure is fantastic and easily the best Brute figure that MEGA Brands has ever released, and the Gravity Hammer is an essential weapon that I'm glad to finally see added to our Mega Bloks armories. I'd like the Brute Chieftain's armor to be black and more paint applications on the Gravity Hammer, but both items are still terrific as they are. The Brute Chopper looks better than the original released in 2010, and makes a fine accessory for what collectors are really buying this set for--the Brute Chieftain and his Gravity Hammer. The Brute Chieftain Charge set is all-around excellent and is highly-recommended.

GRADE: A

Today I'm reviewing a figure three decades and change in the making: Star Wars Vintage Collection Grand Moff Tarkin!

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy review blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

Pros:

• It took three decades-plus, but fans finally got a figure they've always dreamed of: Grand Moff Tarkin on a Vintage Cardback!
• This Tarkin puts all other Tarkins to shame in the articulation category. He has T-Crotch hip articulation, but almost every other joint on the figure is a ball-joint. Great range of motion and articulation.
• The Peter Cushing likeness on this figure's head sculpt is uncanny. By far, by far the best Grand Moff Tarkin head sculpt I've ever seen in this scale, and possibly worth the price of this figure alone.
• Tarkin includes a blaster and a MOUSE DROID! This is the first time Hasbro has released a Mouse Droid with real working wheels, so that gives this MSE-6 a pretty big advantage over the SDCC Mouse Droid selling online for astronomical amounts of money.

Cons:

• Uh, Tarkin is green. REALLY GREEN. Like, dark green Hulk green or darker-skinned Kit Fisto green. I could half-understand if Hasbro had tinted this figure slightly green, but the super-green seems ridiculous. This looks horrible to me. I don't have any other movie Imperials in green outfits (because they don't exist), and I'd much prefer this one not be in a gross green color either.
• As much as I wanted Grand Moff Tarkin on a Vintage cardback, this green version isn't what I had in mind. At all.
• The green soft goods skirt on the figure really jumps out at you, unfortunately. There's a time and place for soft goods, and it's not here on this Grand Moff Tarkin figure.

Overall: On the bright side, collectors finally got a figure they waited 30+ years for in Vintage-carded Tarkin. On the dark side, he's green and has a froofroo miniskirt. It's really a shame because the Peter Cushing head is sensational and the sculpt and articulation are both extremely solid, but the other aspects of the figure get drowned out by green paint and cloth. IMO, this is a below-average figure, and I will be waiting patiently for Hasbro to repaint this figure into a less jarring color and mod the skirt into something less silly.

GRADE: D+

Nice reviews Max. Did I miss your Hoth Luke review?

Keep them coming. I'll be linking you on my new Facebook project.

Hey Brian! What's your new Facebook project?

I didn't get to Hoth Luke yet. In fact, I forgot he was in the case. I stuck him back in the closet with the repacks like Barriss. Oops.

I'll get to him this week!

Today I've got the first-ever figures of two members of my favorite team of all-time: Mirage and Magma of the New Mutants!

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy review blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

Pros:

• These are the first-ever action figures of Dani Moonstar (Mirage) and Magma! While Wolsbane, Magik, Cannonball, Sunspot, Warlock, and Cypher (soft of) had action figures by Toybiz back in the day, this marks the first time Magma and Mirage have been immortalized in plastic!
• With this two-pack, Diamond Select Toys/Art Asylum is the first company to EVER complete the New Mutants team! I thought Bowen Designs might do it first, but Minimates have beaten them to it.
• Dani Moonstar has been wonderfully detailed to have her unique Native American-styled boots and braided hair, along with her blue woven-style belt. For an alternate appearance and to standardize your New Mutants, she also includes a red "X" belt that can be switched out for the blue one.
• For accessories, Dani Moonstar has a bow with the great clip that the Hawkeye figure had which you can attach an arrow to, as well as a Valkyrie spear from Dani's wild Asgardian days.
• Magma is molded in transparent yellow like Sunspot, but it works much better here. Maybe Magma should be opaque since she's made of lava, but I think she looks great as is.
• Magma comes with two clear yellow energy fist attachments, as well as a big tower of lava figure stand that's perfect for putting her in the back row of your New Mutants lineup.

Cons:

• I kind of wanted a human Amara head to stick on one of the Karma bodies I have from my extra NYCC New Mutants Four-Packs (yes, I bought several just for this. I'm crazy.).

Overall: This is practically a dream set for me, so I had very high expectations, but I am totally floored by the outstanding job Diamond Select Toys did with these New Mutants Minimates. I actually really wanted to be able to make both versions of Mirage both with her blue belt and X-Men belt, but never, ever expected there would be such a thing--the amount of effort involved in these Minimates figures Diamond Select is putting out lately is just phenomenal lately. Dani Moonstar and Magma look exactly as I imagined though would as Minimates, and the accessories are out-of-this-world awesome. This is probably the only complete set of New Mutants that will ever be produced and it looks incredible altogether. I don't like to throw around "A+"s, but Diamond Select has earned it with this release and their excellent set of New Mutants Minimates in general.

GRADE:A+

It took almost half a year, but I found the variants I needed to complete Marvel Legends Series 2! The "black"-and-green (but mostly green!) Big-Time Spider-Man is up first!

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy review blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

Pros:

• Big-Time Spider-Man is an all-new design that only debuted in the Spider-Man comics about a year ago. This is some fast turn-around time on a great costume from Dan Slott's Amazing Spider-Man run, and I'm excited to see two new Spidey costumes (this and Future Foundation) in the same Marvel Legends set.
• As with FF Spider-Man, this figure uses my favorite Spidey sculpt ever. Big-Time Spider-Man looks lean and aerodynamic, and ready to strike.
• Big-Time Spider-Man has over 30 points of articulation, and the built-in ankle rockers make it possible to really do a lot with him and get him into some cool poses, including one-legged ones, crouches, kicks, crawls, and so forth.

Cons:

• The paint deco on this figure is ridiculously horrible. It's so bad it almost defies belief. Instead of being black with green as a complementary color, Hasbro painted the majority of Big-Time Spidey all green with a brighter neon green on top. It looks really, really awful. He doesn't match the artwork for the character or the prototypes I saw--he just looks really freaky and not Spidey-like at all.
• Big-Time Spider-Man's entire upper-back has the dark green paint on it with the bright green for the Spider-symbol, but the rest of the back of the figure is painted the proper black. This'd be good except his upper-back looks ridiculous being mismatched from the rest of the figure, and when you turn the figure sideways he's bisected vertically color-wise. It's crazy jarring and I can't believe Hasbro approved this visual.
• The Spider-Men are the only figures in Marvel Legends Series 2 without an Arnim Zola part, despite being among the smallest figures. Not an awesome value for ~$17.
• I'd like the web-shooting hand a lot more if there was an alternate hand of any kind to swap it out for.

Overall: I love Spider-Man and I love the Big-Time costume design, and I think that actually works against my feelings for this figure. This figure just does not accurately portray the Big-Time costume--it's far too green and the neon lines don't have the "feeling" of the Tron-like comic book design. As a figure this Spider-Man figure is still tops in articulation and sculpt, as far as I'm concerned, but it fails spectacularly in its purpose: to work as an authentic representation of Big-Time Spider-Man. It's a conversation piece figure to be sure, but it doesn't look right to me and I'm really not sure I'm going to keep it in my collection.

GRADE:D+

When it was announced that MEGA Brands had the license to do World of Warcraft Mega Bloks sets, I wasn't sure what to think. My knowledge of World of Warcraft is pretty much the equivalent of my knowledge of football--absolutely nil. But I do know that I have a growing love and appreciation for Mega Bloks, so I went ahead and ordered the summer/fall introductory wave of Mega Bloks World of Warcraft toys. The small figure-centric sets just came this weekend, and I'll be starting off with the Ragerock Orc Warrior 91003...

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy review blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

Pros:

• One thing that surprised me when I first started buying Mega Bloks is how great the figures are. Ragerock continues that trend with 12 points of articulation including a ball-jointed head, shoulders and hips. Far more flexibility and posing opportunities than you'd typically expect from a 2" figure.
• Ragerock has one weapon: a jagged sword. According to the official Mega Bloks website it's a "two-handed" sword, but anyone who can get Ragerock to hold it with both hands is a better man than I. The sword looks especially dangerous, and the two-tone purple of the sword makes it very cool to look at. There's also a piece on Ragerock's back that you can attach the sword to for storage.
• As in the game, customization is going to be a huge part of this Mega Bloks World of Warcraft line. Ragerock has removable spiked shoulder pads and a removable chest plate armor piece. I actually like him best without any of the armor, as he looks more like the Hulk, but I have a hunch that customizing figures with all the different pieces of armor we get in this line is going to be a blast.
• The buildable envionment Ragerock comes with is completely unsophisticated, but that makes complete sense given that Ragerock is a brutish Orc. The rock bricks that build the structure look natural, and I think you could definitely amuse yourself having Ragerock throw the giant boulder around at enemies. I like the idea of changeable faction plates that can be placed in the environments as well, to simulate the territories being invaded and claimed by rival groups. This is simple, but I like it a lot.

Cons:

• The packaging isn't newbie fan-friendly at all. Unlike Halo Mega Bloks, you get no descriptor text of any kind and no explanation for who or what exactly Ragerock is, his affiliations, his story, any background on Orcs--nothing. Since this is the beginning of this line and not every person who buys a set will be a WoW player, some expository information on the packaging would have been really appreciated.
• The MSRP on these smaller figure sets is $7-$9, and a little bit higher than I think they should be. At $5-$6 retail, Ragerock would be perfect.

Overall: I'm not a fan of the World of Warcraft games, but if this figure is any indication, I'm going to be big into World of Warcraft Mega Bloks. Orc Warrior Ragerock is an outstanding 2" figure with loads of usable articulation, fun customizable accessories, and a suitable diorama backdrop. In short, he's every bit as good as any figure in the outstanding Halo Mega Bloks line. This isn't a huge set and isn't going to take you a long time to build, but as a figure Ragerock is just plain fun. If you think you might enjoy this line at all, I urge you to give Ragerock a try and to prepare to be impressed with how good a LEGO-sized figure can be. Highly recommended.

GRADE:A-

I went on an insane quest to find the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles last week, and after a ridiculous number of trips to Target and Toys R Us, I finally found the whole series. I wasn't planning on opening Splinter first, but that was the way things worked out, so he's the first of the new TMNT to get a review as well. Unfortunately, I have a hunch he may end up having the worst review of the whole first set...

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy review blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

Pros:

• Master Splinter is a mainstay of the TMNT, so he is rightfully in the first series of figures. He's packed 2-per-case, so he hopefully won't be too difficult to find at retail.
• Splinter's fur has had a drastic redesign and he looks unlike any Splinter that we've seen before, with red, black, and white fur! I hated this at first glance, but I actually think it's very striking and stylish after I looked at it a little bit. I can live with the new design.
• The sculpting on the figure is very good, and I love his long "Kung-Fu Master" goatee. The sculpting on the feet, wrists, robe, and bandages on his forearms is also nice.
• Splinter has 13 points of articulation, which sounds pretty decent on paper. (More on this later.)
• The packaging for Splinter is super-bright and extremely eye-grabbing. You get an old-style bio card for Splinter on the back. I'm a sucker for biographies on cardbacks, so I love this--I wish more companies still included this kind of thing.

Cons:

• Splinter's lower-body articulation is pretty useless because of the plastic robe. If you try to turn his swivel waist too much, it keeps knocking his tail off. And if you try to move his ball-jointed hips, he has a horrible time balancing due to the lack of any kind of ankle joints.
• The upper-body articulation isn't much better. Maybe I'm spoiled, but most lines give you a ball-jointed neck now and at least hinge elbows or swivel wrists or something. Just the ball-jointed shoulders, swivel neck, and swivel forearms isn't enough to get dynamic ninja poses--especially without any weapons...
• Splinter only includes one accessory, and absolutely no weapons. The sticker on the bubble says he includes a "ninja arsenal", but none of the Splinters I've seen so far in stores have included anything besides Splinter's walking stick.
• The walking stick is molded in a crazy transparent green! What the heck, Playmates?! This looks really wrong to me, and the radioactive walking stick makes zero sense.

Overall: This Splinter figure is unfortunately just not that good. He has no true weapons, and the only accessory he does have is an awkwardly-colored walking stick. His lower body articulation is terribly compromised by the plastic robe, and it can be hard to get his legs positioned so he can stand firmly in place. I really like the new design for Splinter, and the packaging and bio card are both really nice, but I just can't get behind this figure. As much as I love Ninja Turtles, this Splinter figure is definitely below-average compared to most of the big toy lines on the market today, and I really can't recommend him.

GRADE: D

I was not impressed with Splinter (at all), so I wanted to move right on to one of the high points of the first series of new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: the Turtles themselves! Today I've got everyone's favorite reptilian nerd, Donatello!

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy review blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

Pros:

• Donatello is one of the four essential TMNT characters, and comes packed at 4-per-case. Once these hit retail, you're not going to have a hard time tracking Donnie down.
• The facial expression chosen for Donnie seems like it totally fits his personality. He's not pissed-off or goofy looking--he looks like he's quietly and sternly analyzing the situation and determining the smartest course of action. Perfect.
• Donatello is one of the most-articulated Ninja Turtles ever, as he's got ball-jointed shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and head! The articulation doesn't all work to its potential (more on that shortly), but this is definitely a step in the right direction for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys. These certainly blow away anything in the 2003 TMNT line.
• Donatello's bo staff looks good, and he has the upper-body flexibility to hold it in a variety of ways. It can be stored on his back as you might expect, and it fits firmly either on his back or in his hands.
• Unlike Splinter, Donatello literally has an arsenal of weapons! The classic "tray o' weapons" from the vintage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line returns here, and you get several great alternate weapons for Donnie. The bladed bo staff is my favorite, but the extendable nunchuk-like bo staff is also extremely fun. What a great character-specific set of weapons! This tray really, really improves the Donatello toy as a whole.

Cons:

• Despite having all the articulation built-in that Donnie has, it's less usable than you might hope for. His legs only go up part-way, so you can kiss any dreams of high-flying ninja kicks goodbye. The articulation comes ever-so-close to being outstanding, but it just isn't at the level I want for a "ninja" action figure.
• The "gap-tooth" design for Donatello, as seen on his bio card, is, uh... interesting?

Overall: Even though this is one of the best figures in the new TMNT action figures line so far, I can't really justify giving Donatello an 'A'. He's pretty good, but he just isn't up to the high standard of articulation or paint that 'A'-lines like Marvel Legends 2012, MOTU Classics, and so forth are at. What Donatello is, however, is a very good figure with respectable articulation, a fun sculpt, and a ton of great weapon choices. This is one of the better Donatello figures ever made, and if you're itching for a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy, he's quite worth a purchase for the low cost of just around 10 bucks. Recommended.

GRADE: B+

I've been passing the time by spending a kajillion hours building LEGO and Mega Bloks sets lately, but I finally sat down to review my long-neglected April O' Neil action figure today!

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy review blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

Pros:

• I have to admit--this new April O Neil design has really grown on me. I loathed it at first, but I think that the young, spirited, athletic look for April may really be able to win over a lot of nay-sayers in the cartoon. The yellow shirt is an excellent homage to April's yellow outfit from the vintage cartoon, and her thin and fit look makes April look like the type of girl who could legitimately learn ninja skills.
• The paint apps on this figure are absolutely killer. No flaws or imperfections of any kind whatsoever--every line is clean and expertly applied, and there's no hint of slop anywhere. Much better than the paint on any of the figures that I've reviewed or discussed so far.
• While her articulation isn't the greatest, April does have passable flexibility. April's best joints are her ball-jointed neck, shoulders, and hips, though she also has swivel forearms and a swivel waist. She can't handle all of her weapons perfectly, but she can look all around and she has one mean high kick.
• April O' Neil comes with TONS of awesome weapons!! Besides the training bo staff she comes packed next to, she has an entire sheet of ninja weapons, just as the Ninja Turtles come with. But April's weapons are all training weapons, which makes them really fun and special. I never thought I'd see the day that a figure would come with a wooden sword or a kendo stick, but Playmates Toys has really surprised me with their super ideas here! Love--love--April's weapons.

Cons:

• I'm not taking the 5 ball-joints on April for granted, but all of the articulation that is lacking on April is a real downer. No wrist articulation? No elbow articulation? No knees? No ankles? This is a real problem for a girl who's training to be a ninja. The points April has are great, but what she's missing is impossible to overlook.
• April O' Neil is shortpacked at just one-per-case, which I'm never a fan of. I had a hell of a time finding the original April O' Neil figure like 20 years ago because of her being shortpacked, and I think April has earned at least two slots in a case of 24 by now.
• Is it me, or does April look a little too much like Pippie Longstocking in the art on her character bio card?

Overall: April O' Neil is hardly the greatest figure ever or even one of the best of this year, but she is definitely a better figure than the Splinter and Foot Soldier figures I've previously reviewed, and also far superior to most April O' Neil toys ever released. The new character design for April is a real winner, IMO, and the execution of the paint work is just perfect here. April may have the absolute strongest selection of weapons of any figure in Series 1 of Nickelodeon's TMNT, and I totally love her kendo stick. However, her articulation is a real hindrance, and really limits what this new April O' Neil figure can do. April earns a recommendation, but be aware of the limitations that hold this figure back from being anything really extraordinary.

GRADE: B

It sounds nuts, but I've never reviewed a single 2012 single-packed Marvel Universe action figure on my toy review blog that launched January 1st. Not because I don't love Marvel Universe figures or buy them--but because Hasbro hasn't released any since the white Iron Fist wave I got last December. So it was with loads of excitement and anticipation that I got the new Miles Morales Ultimate Spider-Man Marvel Universe figure and sat down to review him. But maybe I was a little too excited...

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy review blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

Pros:

• The best thing about this figure is that it's a Miles Morales toy the very next year after Miles' debut in the comics. That's a super-fast turnaround time for a comic book character, and I am amazed Hasbro got to him so quickly. I love Miles, I love this costume, and I love that we got a toy of both so fast.
• You get a web backpack full of teenage student stuff with Miles. It fits naturally over his shoulder, and can hold Miles' shoes and, uh, camera while Miles is web-slinging around the city. (This is the same accessory as the non-variant Peter Parker Ultimate Spider-Man includes, which explains the camera, by the way.)
• The Rocket Raccoon jokes on the back of every figure's package are most welcome and most awesome.

Cons:

• Virtually everything about this figure is messed up in one way or another. This was a blatant rush job to get a Miles Morales figure to the market, and it shows.
• The back of the Ultimate Spider-Man costume has been left a totally-unpainted black. No, seriously. I don't know if Hasbro didn't know what the back of the costume was going to look like or what, but this blank, undecorated back of the figure looks inauthentic and just awful.
• Miles is slightly shorter than the regular figures in the Marvel Universe line, but he's still much too big. You can't repaint nearly-adult Peter Parker into tiny, middle school child Miles Morales and have it look okay. I wanted to believe it wasn't going to be an issue, but this toy is just way too tall and grown-up for this iteration of Ultimate Spider-Man.
• Besides the paint that isn't on the figure (ie the whole back of the figure), the paint that is there hasn't been especially well-applied either. There's a huge difference in the depth of the paint on one of the mask's eyes, so it looks like a chunk of the eye is chipped off up-close. The other eye has a thin red line splotched on it and silver bleeding off the eye and onto the mask. Not good at all.
• One grasping hand, one web-slinging hand, no fists. Ugh.
• Articulation is a lot worse than it should be on a 2012 Marvel Universe figure. Miles has 21 points, but his range of motion and posing potential are both far less than they should be. Bad head range of motion, no wrist joints, terrible ankle joints... Miles is one unlucky kid.
• Hasbro is still wasting trees and ink on "collectible comic shots". Please no more, Hasbro.

Overall: I'm sure I sound like a total crotchety jerk about this figure, but that's just how disappointed I am in it. I love that I own a Miles Morales Ultimate Spider-Man figure, but this figure is not good. At all. It's not even average--it's one of the worse Marvel Universe figures I've bought in the past year-plus. When the best thing about a figure are the source material it comes from and its accessory, something is wrong. Articulation, design, paint deco, paint applications, scale... pretty much nothing is right about this figure. It's not a failure, but it's pretty close in my eyes. I'm just really discontent with this Ultimate Spider-Man figure, and I can't recommend him at all.

GRADE: D

In my last review, I totally trashed the Miles Morales Ultimate Spider-Man variant figure. I took no joy in that, as I really wanted to like that figure. To make it up to the poor Marvel Universe line, today I'm covering a figure that takes everything Miles did wrong, and does it at a superior level...

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy review blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

Pros:

• I hated almost everything about the Miles Morales Spider-Man I reviewed previously, but I love almost everything about this Beast figure.
• The biggest and most amazing feature of this Astonishing X-Men Beast is his plethora of articulation that's far beyond almost any figure in the Marvel Universe line (the Daredevil and Bullseye figures from the Comic Pack earlier in the year were close).
• Beast has close to 30--yes, 30--points of articulation. The craziest part of his articulation scheme is his double-jointed ball-joint ankles with ankle rockers that come complete with a hinge joint in the middle of the foot. I don't think I've ever--ever--seen that level of ankle articulation on a 4" figure. Crazy!!
• The carefully-sculpted hands on Beast combine with the design of the wrists to create a figure that can (theoretically) stand on his head, upside-down, in a variety of poses! Really fun to work with, although my Beast has a problem that gets in the way of this (which I'll discuss later).
• As he should be, Beast is ever-so-slightly larger in scale than most of the adult Marvel Universe figures.
• The sculpting on Astonishing Beast is fantastic--far more detailed and intricately sculpted than I'd expected. Everything from the texture of the fur to the wrinkles on the costume are great, and though I hate the cat-like Beast interpretation, the head sculpt looks really terrific here.
• Paint can make or break a figure, but in Marvel Universe Beast's case it just makes a spectacular figure even better. Wonderful color choices, well-done paint washes, clean paint applications--I couldn't ask for anything more.

Cons:

• My Astonishing X-Men Beast figure is cursed with one of the most obnoxious flaws imaginable on a figure so articulated: incredibly loose, floppy joints. His hips and thighs and especially his ball-jointed upper torso are all some of the loosest and most irritating joints I've ever had on a figure from any company. Ever.
• Due to the quality-control issues mentioned above, Beast collapses under his own loose joints and out of the cool poses I get him into. Constantly.
• The ubiquitous "collectible comic shot" waste of natural resources is still present.

Overall: Considering I've only reviewed two new single-carded Marvel Universe figures this year, it's a little silly to say that Beast is the best one I've reviewed all year. But, well--Astonishing Beast is the best new single-carded Marvel Universe figure I've reviewed all year. Marvel Legends-level articulation in a figure only 2/3 the size and half the price is quite a feat, and the sculpting and paint deco are nearly as good. I had some quality issues with the actual Beast figure I received, but I still enjoy this figure immensely despite the fact that he falls over at the drop of a hat (in another room). I hope the quality-control issues I had aren't widespread, but even if they turn out to be, this Astonishing X-Men Beast figure is still great enough to earn a strong recommendation.

GRADE: A-

Great reviews as usual Max!

I'm just catching up niw on your reviews and had missed your question prior..the new ICON project is a modernized version of Ring of Collectors that evolved from a project I had been working on at a few other sites to help get the Dollar General Joes into Collector's hands.

Check this out:

https://www.og13.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?98-ICON-%28Invitational-Com...

Join up and gfeel free to share your review

I've been a little bit consumed lately by my wife getting a new job and our subsequent moving from NY to Boston, but I found time to squeak out a rare Mattel WWE Review today. The subject? The impressively enormous Money in the Bank Ladder, as well as its accessory--the ONE MAN ROCK BAND, Heath Slater Elite action figure!

[I can't post the full version of this review here without Google flagging me for duplicate content, but you can access the prettied-up version of this review on my daily toy review blog with the full photo gallery by clicking right here.]

Pros:

• Bravo to Mattel for pairing one of the most unpopular and dangerous selections for the Elite lineup this year with one of the most-wanted items ever in their WWE line: the Money in the Bank ladder! That oughta sell otherwise unsellable Heath Slater figures!
• The MITB Ladder itself is very nice, with a gigantic 10" height and authentic silvery-grey color scheme. It's large, it's sturdy, and it can be folded up and used as a weapon. What's not to love?
• As an Elite WWE figure, Heath Slater is majorly poseable. He has the ball-jointed shoulders standard to all Mattel WWE figures, along with the Elite-only ball-jointed hips. This articulation scheme is aging, but is still more than good enough for Heath Slater to bust out all of his best moves (whatever they are).
• The deco on WWE Elite 16 Heath Slater is absolutely outstanding. From the bands on his thumbs to the flaming guitars on his tights and studs on his boots, Slater looks incredible. I'm not always pleased with Mattel's paint, but it's beautiful here.
• Sometimes Mattel will miss a tattoo or two, but both of Heath Slater's shoulder tattoos are authentically included on this figure, as they should be.

Cons:

• Lack of ball-jointed upper torso irritates me. I've always found the upper torso ab crunch joint to be really ugly and distracting on figures not wearing shirts, and I hope Mattel evolves beyond that joint soon.
• The red hair on this figure is a shade too light--it just doesn't quite give the right feel of Heath Slater.
• Despite his weaknesses as a competitor (and a personality), One Man Rock Band has a fairly charismatic personality and can make some great facial expressions, so it's a monumental letdown that this figure's face is so bored looking. It just doesn't seem like an appropriate choice for the OMRB at all.

Overall: I'm so excited about the Money in the Bank Ladder that it was seriously tempting to give this figure an 'A' based solely on its inclusion, but I need to consider the Heath Slater figure as well. While the One Man Rock Band is looking good attire-wise, his head sculpt is really uninspired and downright "meh"-worthy. In addition, I don't think his hair is the right shade, and the ab crunch joint still bothers me. Even so, the MITB Ladder makes WWE Elite Series 16 Heath Slater a total must-buy, and the strong value of including both the huge ladder and a figure for the regular price of an Elite figure earns this figure a strong recommendation.

GRADE: B+

I posted a full review of the Marvel Legends Series 3 Mystique over on my blog this afternoon. I'm in the process of moving and most of my good equipment is packed up, so the photos' quality isn't the best and I didn't have any of the prior series Marvel Legends figures available to photograph her with.

Overall, I'm really pleased with the aesthetics of this Mystique figure and her wide variety of guns, but as a toy she's pretty lousy. I totally despise the lower-body on this female mold and its wretched articulation scheme. I love this particular Mystique costume design, but the figure itself is really passable unless you absolutely want a more modern Mystique.

Here's some of the photos of Mystique, with more available with the full review on my blog:

Iapreciate the little ponies review as my daughter is big into the ponies right now and sucking me in as well. We just got Zakura and I would love to see Dr. Whoves or Mare Do Well for myself

I reviewed Neo-Classic Iron Man on my blog over the weekend. I hadn't really intended to bash the figure, but as I got writing about different aspects of it, I ended up really roasting him.

Pretty much everything about Neo-Classic Iron Man disappointed me. He's way too small and not properly scaled to anybody, and it's so stupid to see Mystique and Punisher looking down at him.

The diaper crotch looks awful when you use his leg articulation, as do the shoulder flaps when you move his arms up. And his "ankle" joints are just terrible, making standing him up in any kind of interesting poses a real pain. No removable helmet, no build-a-figure part, no weapons or energy attachments... this guy was just a huge disappointment to me.

Here's a couple of the photos from my review...

Finally got around to reviewing X-Force Deadpool on my blog.

I was underwhelmed with Mystique and found Neo-Classic Iron Man pretty horrendous, but I'm mostly okay with this Deadpool. I know the mold has been used three times now and is several years old, but it still holds up nicely. I desperately wish Hasbro has retooled the ankles into ankle rockers, but he's still good without them.

I am horribly frustrated that he can't hold his swords properly, though! The right hand is a lost cause for holding a sword, but I was pretty shocked even his left hand can't hold it tightly without it wobbling around. Anyone else have this problem?

Overall, I like him. Unless Dani Moonstar turns out to be worlds better than Mystique, X-Force Deadpool is probably going to get my vote for the best figure in Marvel Legends Series 3.

Finally got around to reviewing Dr. Doom on my blog over the weekend...

This is a pretty standard repaint, but it just happens to be of the best Dr. Doom toy ever made. Overall, I think this is a pretty great Dr. Doom. Sculpt and paint are both awesome, and I LOVE the removable helmet and the best holster ever (though I wish his gun still had paint apps). He's missing some points of articulation that would really piss me off in other characters, but Doom gets a pass here as legitimately not needing as many "action" points as other characters. If you already have the old Fantastic Four Legends Dr. Doom you can probably pass on this one, but I prefer the paint on Doom here to what the old figure had.

Finally got around to busting open and reviewing the Kraven figure I've literally had sitting around for the last two months, and I am surprised to say that he is awesome.

On my list of most favorite Spider-Man villains, Kraven is right below Rocket Racer and Hypno-Hustler for me, but this figure does the character right. The clothing add-ons to the sculpt look incredible, and the spear is a lot more detailed and fun than I was expecting it to be. The necklace being too small is a pain, and I think some of the wrist/ankle articulation is a bit out-of-date, but this is no doubt the best Kraven action figure ever. I don't like Kraven, but this figure is going to be a permanent fixture in my Marvel Universe Spider-Man display.

GRADE: B+

It's been a little while since I wrote a My Little Pony review, but I finally got the Toys R Us/Comic Con exclusive Zecora toy, and I was so excited I decided to do a full photo shoot of her and review her in full!

The full review and photo gallery is on my blog, but here's my general thoughts on Zecora...

PROS:

+It's Zecora! Considering how stingy Hasbro has been with supporting characters from the cartoon, getting Zecora at all is a huge, major victory.

+The braid in Zecora's tail is really lovely. I think Hasbro did a great job engineering Zecora's tail in order to get the braid to look so good.

+I think Hasbro did an excellent job translating Zecora's eyes and cutie mark onto the toy mold. They give this a real feel of being Zecora and not just a pony painted like her.

+Great packaging for Zecora! It makes her feel really special and not "just another release".

CONS:

-For some insane reason, Hasbro decided Zecora should GLOW IN THE DARK. As a result, the plastic used for Zecora is transparent-esque, and also completely the wrong color for Zecora. It looks terrible, and I can't imagine what Hasbro was thinking with this.

-Zecora's only jewelry is painted on. Her necklace looks alright, but her bracelet only goes partially around her leg. She has no earrings of any kind, which is a huge downer since they're so integral to her design.

-The hair is too long and not quite right on Zecora.

-My Zecora has spots that are missing black paint, which looks really weird since the glow-in-the-dark plastic shows through where it shouldn't.

-Zecora's head glows in the dark a lot dimmer than her body. Looks pretty strange.

Overall, I'm very pleased to get a toy of this character, but I think Hasbro did a pretty mediocre job on the actual design of the Zecora toy. It's average, but just barely.

GRADE: C

You can check out the full review and a ton more pics over on my blog by clicking right here.

Finally had time to really play with the Wave 19 She-Hulk figure and review her for my blog, and I'm much more impressed than I'd expected to be!

The female figures I've gotten in the past from the Marvel Universe line have always been straight-up terrible like Black Widow or just horribly-articulated like X-23. She-Hulk, however, far exceeds my expectations. With 27 points of articulation and great paint deco on her modern costume, this is the She-Hulk figure I always wanted from Marvel Legends but never got. Thanks, Hasbro!

I've been busy with my other blogs, so it's been a long time since I wrote something just for Toy Review Daily. But, well--I was lucky enough to pick up some G.I. Joe Kre-O blind bags last week, and I was so excited about the Kreo Jinx, I decided to write about her!

GI Joe Kre-O Jinx Kim Arashikage Series 1 Figure Blind Bag Review