Otherground Dwella (Gray) (Ecko Unltd)
Citizen Urban Icon (X-Concepts) - Tin Cases
Rated 4.75 stars by RMaster007
I'm a guy who every now and then likes to pursue more niche stuff, be it a DVD of random animated shorts, or some unusual licensed SpongeBob merch like a toothbrush holder. When it comes to toys, I sometimes look into lines not everybody knows about, such as X-Concepts' Citizen Urban Icon line, featuring a variety of stylized characters wearing clothes by real brands. I heard of at least one of them before, the Eckō rhino “Thug,” and when I saw him in-person, I was in love. No, not in that way. The figure comes in a tin container with a window on the front. The graphics are simple, but I feel it really fits the nature of this line. They made sure the container was protected enough to keep people from opening it in-store, covering it in plastic and using a "collector's seal" to keep the...[See More]

Pizza Tossin' Leo
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Classic Collection (Playmates) - 90th Reissue - 2022
Rated 4.00 stars by RMaster007
While most of the best TMNT figures this year have come from NECA, Playmates, the originator of Turtle toys, has been keeping up as well. In addition to their Mutant Mayhem line, they've been reissuing certain older figures, including the unexpected return of 3/4 of the Pizza Tossin' Turtles. I covered Raphael a while back, and now it's high time I cover the remaining two. As discussed with Raphael, the turtles in this sub-line have very strange designs. Like him, Leonardo has bug eyes and a big grin, but with his tongue sticking out. There's a lot of shared tooling with not just Raph, but the other turtles. I assume that's why they chose to reissue these, as the shared parts likely keeps costs down. Aside from the head, Leo has a few other unique parts, with his pizza launcher...[See More]

Scarecrow
Batman - Animated Series (McFarlane) - Basic Series
Rated 4.35 stars by RMaster007
Batman has gathered himself quite the rogues' gallery over the years, with a variety of unique villains for him to face off against. We all know faces like the Joker, the Penguin, Two-Face, amongst others, and we certainly can't forget the terrifying Scarecrow. In his first appearance in the 90s animated series, "Nothing to Fear," the Scarecrow had a rather goofy look, but his second appearance, "Fear of Victory," updated him to look more sinister. The regular look is included with this figure, and it's nicely captured, with a good expression and some decent paint, but it did notice a few areas of clumping or inconsistent coloring. And if you want Scarecrow with the mask off, a Jonathan Crane head is included. I like this one as well, primarily due to the equally sinister face, and much...[See More]

David Xanatos
Gargoyles (Neca) - Ultimate
Rated 4.80 stars by RMaster007
In addition to the titular creatures, Disney's Gargoyles had plenty of human characters that were just as interesting, such as David Xanatos. He started out as your typical evil businessman, but he later developed into a more neutral character. That's the thing with continuity-driven series, you can have characters change and develop as they go on. NECA's figure of Xanatos comes in their usual five-panel window box, with the front having a painting done by Djordje Djokovic and Raph Herrera Lomotan of the man overlooking a chess board with various characters as pawns. This signifies his position as the show's "chessmaster": one who uses those around them to their advantage. Everything else is no different from the other figures, but I wish NECA would stop using the same generic text for...[See More]

Cyclops
One:12 Collective (Mezco) - Marvel
Rated 4.85 stars by RMaster007
Mezco's One:12 line has been putting out a lot of cool figures, ranging from licensed to original, but I'll admit I haven't been picking up anything from it. I have been thinking about getting the Ghostbusters set and Alien (especially because I can get the latter for cheaper now), and the upcoming Mask looks great, but for now, I only own two. I already covered Jason Voorhees long ago, and the other one is Cyclops from X-Men. As with most One:12 figures, the packaging is very simplistic with blue and yellow colors, along with figure photos and an accessory layout on the back. This is the slip cover, and underneath it is a window box that makes use of various trays to hold everything inside; no tape or ties to be removed. It's all collector-friendly, but if you don't plan on keeping the...[See More]

Wanderer
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.60 stars by RMaster007
The original TMNT comic book had plenty of unique, interesting stories, but one of my personal favorites is issue #17: "Distractions." Penned by the kind-hearted turtle Michelangelo himself, this in-universe story depicts him as a lone warrior separated from his brothers, facing off against a crooked warlord and his army. Sounds a lot like The Last Ronin, doesn't it? Anyways, I loved the story, and was hoping NECA would did a figure of that specific Mikey. I guess dreams do come true. Like the Mirage turtles four-pack that came out earlier this year, Michelangelo the "Wanderer" was sculpted by Paul Harding. However, as the four-pack matched Jim Lawson's designs, the Wanderer was drawn by Eric Talbot, bearing a slightly different head shape. He's captured pretty well in plastic, with a...[See More]

Batman
Batman - Animated Series (McFarlane) - Basic Series
Rated 4.15 stars by RMaster007
I am vengeance, I am the night, I… am Batman! For many, there's no denying that the 90s Batman cartoon was the one that defined the character for generations to come. The noir theme combined with great stories and casting made it a show that holds up well today. It's gotten plenty of figures, including an expansive line by DC Direct/Collectibles before they went under. McFarlane Toys has since revived the brand with both re-releases of select figures and new ones, but now they're putting out a newly-sculpted line of characters. It seems to be Target-exclusive, but it shouldn't be too hard to get ahold of them. The figures come packaged in mostly-red window boxes with a city background, along with stock art and a cross-sell on the back. It's simple, but it suits the license well. While...[See More]

Ralphie
A Christmas Story (Neca) - Clothed Retro
Rated 4.30 stars by RMaster007
Christmas is drawing near, which means it's time to watch all the appropriate holiday films. My favorite is A Christmas Story, so much so I'd be happy to watch it outside of Christmastime. With plenty of funny and memorable scenes, it's no doubt a classic. NECA's done a couple things with the license, including some 8" scale figures of Ralphie and the "Old Man" that I believe come out every holiday season. Both figures are packaged in window boxes, with a red/green color scheme and plenty of Christmas and movie-themed graphics. I'm fairly certain WB mandated this style, but it's quite attractive and fitting for the license. You will need to cut out a few ties on the inside, but other than that, it's easy to get them open. Let's start with Ralphie, played by a young Peter Billingsley....[See More]

Marsellus Wallace
Pulp Fiction (Diamond Select) - Basic Series
Rated 4.15 stars by RMaster007
You'd think for a movie as well-known as Pulp Fiction, there'd be a lot more figures out of it. There's been only a few, but they're all quite nice, and the ones I personally favor are the Diamond Select figures. Granted, they only got to do three characters, but they're are major players. I got Butch Coolidge a long while ago, and it was recently that I got my hands on a character that complements him perfectly: Marsellus Wallace. Portrayed by Ving Rhames, Marsellus Wallace is usually a calm man unless someone, namely Butch, crosses him. His expression is befitting of his personality, being a tight-lipped, stoic look that feels like his mood could change at any moments. Gentle Giant handled the sculpting, and they nailed Rhames' likeness near-perfectly, but the problem is that it looks...[See More]

Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Man (Bandai) - S.H. Figuarts
Rated 4.90 stars by RMaster007
If you haven't read or watched Chainsaw Man yet, you really should. It's a fun, gory ride with a well-written story and characters, and it's proven to be incredibly popular. With the announcement and premiere of the anime came plenty of merchandise, including a line of figures under Bandai's S.H. Figuarts label. The box is somewhat simple in design, but the graphics are fitting considering the license, with a mix of orange and very dark red, along with some yellow and green splatters. There's also plenty of shots of the figure itself, showing off some of the many poses possible. It's also very collector-friendly, as all the contents inside are easy to remove and put back. Of course, the first release in the line is the main character, Denji, but in his "Chainsaw Man" form. When he pulls...[See More]