Awhile back last year I went on a bit of old-fashioned toy run one Saturday and "retail therapy"-ed at a bunch of Targets. I then promptly set the bags aside... until now!
Hasbro: Marvel Legends - Classic Loki
The reveal of this Loki was probably the most successful "post credits' sting for me since the reveal of Thanos at the Avengers 1, but a figure seemed a long shot. Thankfully I was wrong! The costume design is a remarkably perfect balance of classic comic design and real-world texturing (no overdone patterns here!), and the casting of Richard E. Grant is one of the most inspired choices of all time! He totally would have been Loki in the '80s! Everything about this has the feel of a "bringing back someone from an old movie" without it actually being that. This figure really does him justice, too, with not just an all-new sculpt but two heads and two sets of hands (one of which is all-new), plus the standard magic wisp effects. I was surprised the alternate hands have sculpted-on magic and are cast in translucent green; all things considered they are pretty rad but I do wish his "regular" hands didn't also have splayed fingeres. The two heads, serious and smiling, both have excellent likenesses and recreate the horns fantastically. One benefit of this being in a windowless packaging series is that the alternate head is packed in a little cardboard box that protects the horns perfectly! I'll be happy to hold onto that (plus it's sort of a fun reference to the cover of REG's book With Nails).
Hasbro: Marvel Legends - He-Who-Remains
Season 1 of Loki has so far been my most enjoyed Disney+ thing, so I am always happy to get more figures from it. He-Who-Remains was a very fun reveal and sequence so getting a figure of him makes sense, even if it's not the most exciting design (not to mention problematic and fired actor issues). The all-new sculpt is pretty good, fortunately, and has an excellent likeness. The right knee on my figure seems like might have some casting issues from the pin-less mold (the bottom joint appears to be permanently fused), but that doesn't seem to impact the stability of the figure or anything. He comes an apple, which I figured was doomed to be lost easily but he holds it shockingly firmly - excellent work, Hasbro team!
Hasbro: Marvel Legends - Ms. Marvel
Iman Vellani is so much fun as Ms. Marvel, and the first episode of the Disney+ show was so relatively fresh and just as energetic (before quickly devolving into the formulaic MCU mold) that I'm happy to add the character to the shelf. This figure isn't bad, but seems to be proportionally off in the arms/hands, and really could have used an unmasked head let alone magic effects. At least it uses some pearlescent plastics for a nice, shiny, metallic look to set her apart on the shelf.
Hasbro: Marvel Legends - Zombie Scarlett Witch
Can't say I particularly wanted more zombie figures, but this is a nice colorful one and I certainly do recall the character standing out as a good "oh s**t" gag in that episode of What If...? (I'd never read the comics so it never really occurred to me til seeing it that the zombies would retain their super powers) so she's a fun addition to the collection. The hair is predictably super back-heavy and the legs aren't the most stable, so I'll probably end up popping her on a floating stand. While not the most exciting figure for me, they really did do a great job with her, all things considered (so I kind of wish I cared more).
Mattel: Masters of the Universe Origins - Pig-Head
I'd never heard of Sun-Man or any of that stuff until these figures were revealed, but I basically immediately fell in love with this Pig-Head character thanks to his gorgeous colors. The lime-ish green against the rich blue with the violet trim is just really doing it for me! Plus, he's a villain!? And a beasty!? Fuhgettaboutit! My only drawback is that I'm not crazy about the asymmetric tusks, but by no means is that a dealbreaker. The figure looks good in this Origins format, and thanks to that has more articulation that I'd expect too! Plus a mace, shield and a mini comic... aaaah, when toys are fun! What an utter delight!
McFarlane Toys: Batman Classic TV Series - Egghead
Now THIS is the guy I've been waiting for! Ever since the onslaught of Batman '66 product began, Egghead has felt like a crucial cornerstone for the collection. Nothing quite sums up the topsy-turvy-dom of that show quite like Vincent Price in an elongated bald cap making ovum puns! I'm shocked it took McFarlane this long to get to him but am very thankful that they did! He seems to reuse the same arms, legs and waist as all other suited figures (which is fine, aside from the super-tight joints kind of limiting poseability) with a new torso sporting an appropriately frilly shirt and new head. McFarlane has never been great with likenesses, so it's hard to tell if this one is licensed or not; but it's passably Price for the line. The head does feel under-scaled to the rest of the body's proportions, though. He comes with a couple of the lines' signature clip-on sound effects (CRRAAACK and SPLATT! Both in yellow on blue). The dalliances into the modern comics for this line following this figure's release have been plenty fun, but I for one really hope they get back to the show with future figures (suited Riddler, Bookworm, Eli Wallach and/or George Sanders Misters Freeze, John Astin Riddler, not to mention Alfred and proper Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, etc. etc. etc.)
NECA: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon) - Grund & Jersey Red
Bonkers, just utterly bonkers! I mean, it really feels like the cuts don't get deeper than this (especially Red who doesn't even have a mutation)! Both figures are excellently sculpted and covered in paint, which really makes a world of difference for both sense-of-value and cartooniness, which turned out pretty clean. They come with the standard assortment of interchangeable hands and a couple of blasters, but the real star here is Grund's swappable upper half allowing us either Human or Mutant looks! Indeed, the lizard-man mutation is super cool and probably my favorite of the whole gang (sorry, Scrag). And best of all, both torsos have standardly articulated arms and neck, so are full poseable! Heck, the bandoliers on both are even separate rubber pieces over the plastic torsos, so could be removed if that's your bag! My only complaint here is that Big Red has no alternate look. I'm sure the alternate torso really ate up the budget on this set, but an alternate head would go a LONG way to justifying doubling up to have both versions of Grund on display.
NECA: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon) - Tall Thug & Short Gangster
These two sets are entirely my jam; growing up with lines like Star Wars and Star Trek made me exceedingly fond of deep rosters, so... again you don't get much deeper than Bebop & Rocksteady's other gang members! Both these figures are just what we've come to expect from the line in terms of quality, sculpt, paint and articulation. We get a couple fun accessories for each and the standard swappable hands (though I got duplicate sets for Short Gangster unfortunately [they're hidden by the packaging so I had no idea until it was open]). The highlight here though, of course, is the interchangeable parts to have both human and mutant versions - a little Sloth guy and tall elephant man (I think). Neither of these are terribly exciting mutants, I must confess, but they complete the team AND fulfill the dream of having two complete looks each: my well-known Achilles heel! But, between Big Red having no alternate look, the $60 pricetag and only having one Scrag from the pretty limited (among other things) LootCrate program I've fought the dragon and stuck to one set each.
Playmates Toys: Teenage Mutant NinjaTurtles Ninja Elite Series - Triceraton
Playmates' 6" Turtles stuff has been a real mixed bag over the years, and this latest line of a couple villains was a real surprise which included this all-new figure. The Triceraton was one of my favorite figures as a kid so I couldn't help but pick up this $20 figure... and you know what, it's actually quite cool! The sculpt is pretty darn good for line, with great scaling for the skin and wrinkles for the pants. The colors here are also terrific; the darker orange and blues here pair wonderfully and the light and metallic grays compliment them perfectly. I was particularly surprised by the little communications backpack they gave him, a separately tooled (and glued in) piece that is really just there for the "storytelling" of the figure! A surprisingly unnecessary expenditure for Playmates! He also comes with new versions with the iconic weapons from the classic toy, also in a nice metallic silver. It feels like this guy is just a couple paint washes away from excellence. I do feel that there is something subtly "off" about the head, though... like it's a bit too cartoony given the rest of the sculpt, or the use of blue on the beak, or something... but given what we've come to expect from Playmates nowadays it's not really a problem.I must say I quite dig this figure!
Pig-Heads are in my local Five Below so it's a damn cheap figure if you want to army build.
That's hilarious about the book cover.
I've pretty much given up on NECA's animated TMNT figs, but those gangsters nearly pulled me back in, especially with the mutated alternate parts...