Bartman
Simpsons (Jakks Pacific) - Basic Series
Rated 4.30 stars by RMaster007
Jakks Pacific's Simpsons line has had a pretty good start, with well-crafted figures in two different scales, containing a nice variety of characters right out the gate, and more. The show itself has been home to a variety of outfits and unique appearances for its cast, just look at how much Homers and Barts Playmates did. Super7 jumped right to variants and deep-cuts, and it ultimately cost them the license, but Jakks has done a good balance of regular versions and variants. Case in point, we already have a Bart variant in Bartman. Sure, Super7 put out one earlier this year, but did they ever making a regular Bart? Nope, so Jakks gets the advantage. Bart's Bartman disguise solely consists of him putting a purple mask and cape on him, which isn't surprising given that he came up with it...[See More]

Keno (Foot Training) / Foot Soldier
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - 1990 Movie (Neca) - Secret of the Ooze
Rated 4.55 stars by RMaster007
NECA may have been going all out with TMNT figures as they relate to the original cartoon (and soon, the 2012 one) and comics, but the New Line movies they've been handling at a slower pace. There's only so much they can do from those films now that they've gotten through the major players, including the long-awaited Tatsu, but I assume they still have some plans for the first two movies before moving onto the third film. Last year gave us Keno from Secret of the Ooze, albeit as a SDCC exclusive, whereas Walmart got a "Foot Training" version. This look for Keno is a specific one, coming from when he infiltrates the Foot Clan with Raphael's assistance, and has to engage in combat to prove his worth. Trevor Grove, one of NECA's best when it comes to real-life people, provided the portraits...[See More]

Leonardo (2003 Series)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Classic Collection (Playmates) - 2003 Reissue
Rated 3.70 stars by RMaster007
For much of the 80s and 90s, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were a household name, with comics, a cartoon, movies, toys, and everything else. By the end of the 90s, however, Turtlemania had dried up, with the toyline going on hold after Next Mutation's short run, and a forgettable run of comics by Image. A few years into the 21st century, the Turtles were making their way back into the mainstream with both the return of the Mirage comics and a new cartoon. After two failed pitches, the turtle teens were back on the air thanks to Fox and 4Kids, with the end result obtaining a long run and a big fanbase, thanks to a closer tone to the comics whilst remaining quirky and kid-friendly. This gave Playmates the opportunity to put out a new toyline, with plenty of unique variants and...[See More]

Captain Shiner
ThunderCats (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 4.85 stars by RMaster007
The world of Thundercats is quite expansive, with plenty of unique characters and species. The old LJN line did much of those characters, but there were still some left unmade in figure form that now have ones thanks of Super7. I thought Captain Shiner was S7 only since he only appeared in two episodes, but no, LJN did him too. Both of his appearances showed he was a mercenary for hire employed by Mumm-Ra, but he was willing to help out the heroes in his debut, so in a way, he's the TC Ultimates line's first "neutral" character. Shiner's face reminds me a bit of a Sphynx cat, especially with the pinkish skin. The ears aren't very catlike, though, being rather small and pointed. I'm not sure if he's supposed to be a catman not associated with the Thundercats, but one thing's for sure, the...[See More]

Snarf
ThunderCats (Super7) - Ultimates
Rated 4.45 stars by RMaster007
A few days ago, I finally started watching Thundercats after leaving it sitting in my Hulu watchlist for over a year or so, and it's damn good. As in, probably the best 80s cartoon I've seen (yes, even more than the old TMNT cartoon). It was a well-written and occasionally surprisingly dark show for the time, and the anime-like style helped (mainly cause it was animated overseas). We all know about Super7's Ultimates lines, and I unfortunately didn't get into it soon enough to get some of the figures, like the super-popular Slithe or the Ghost Jaga exclusive that makes more sense in a display, but I've been getting what I can find, starting with Snarf, the… snarf. The packaging is fairly simple in design, making use of black and red colors, alongside the slip cover (which is no longer...[See More]

Vacation Bebop / Vacation Rocksteady
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Classic Cartoon (Neca) - Adventures
Rated 4.50 stars by RMaster007
Now that we're in September, summer is drawing to a close, bringing an end to hot weather and beach vacations and resuming school and college for many a young man. Despite this, NECA has been able to preserve the summer spirit for a bit longer with another release of Bebop and Rocksteady. They already filled their quota of the two for the year with an updated reissue of the standard two-pack, but now… remember when I talked about Colossus Napoleon and how I hoped the B&R outfits on the box art would become figures? Well, my wish has been granted! It seems like these guys get different sculptors whenever they get new figures now, and Tony Cipriano and Tomasz Rozejowski are responsible for them this time. While the heads Paul Harding did for the superhero versions matched the cartoon more...[See More]

Leonardo
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mutant Mayhem (Playmates) - Basic Series
Rated 4.20 stars by RMaster007
Even though almost everyone's seen it already, it wasn't until like last month or so I saw the latest TMNT movie, Mutant Mayhem. I loved everything about it, from the unique interpretations of the characters to the grungy art style, it competed with the 2007 Imagi movie as my favorite Turtles film. If you've seen it already, then I'd recommend watching its follow-up, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; the first season was pretty short, but you can get through it in a day, and it's an equally fun ride. But enough praise for those, we all know new Turtles media means more figures from Playmates, and it's a good thing I held off on these for a bit, since now the Turtles themselves are hitting half-price at Target. The cardback motif is nearly the same with every figure, having a...[See More]

Rat King (Eastman & Laird)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.85 stars by RMaster007
You'd think with his common presence in the TMNT franchise, the Rat King was a regular in the old Mirage comics, but no, he wasn't. Like Shredder, his appearances were sparse, first appearing in issue #5 of the Tales of the TMNT side-series, then appearing in the main comic during the City at War arc, where we eventually learned he died right after his first appearance. Nevertheless, he was an effectively creepy character whenever he appeared, and his inclusion in the NECA line is fully welcomed. The Rat King viewed himself not as a man, but rather as a monster, and the default head certainly has a monstrous look. The head is near-completely covered in yellow bandages, with his eyes and mouth exposed. The skin is kept mostly hidden, and the crazed expression makes him someone you don't...[See More]

Radioactive Man
Simpsons (Jakks Pacific) - Premium
Rated 4.40 stars by RMaster007
Despite his status as a famous comic superhero in the Simpsons universe, Radioactive Man has gotten surprisingly little merchandise. He's at least gotten a plush, a Kidrobot figure, a Bearbrick, a Funko POP, and two figures of resident Schwarzenegger expy Rainer Wolfcastle dressed as him. Earlier this year, Super7 gave him his first true action figure that isn't Wolfcastle, but it turned out pretty bad. Thankfully, Jakks Pacific has come along with something both better and cheaper. Setting him apart slightly from Matt Groening's usual style is the slightly more realistic proportions of RM's face. The eyes and nose are a little smaller than average, but that's pretty much it. The little bumps on the sides of his head are supposed to be his ears, and I'm not sure how well he can hear with...[See More]

Leatherhead (Stump Wrestling)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Neca) - Adventures
Rated 4.50 stars by RMaster007
After a good variety of characters, it seems as if NECA's TMNT Adventures line is currently focused on the contestants of the intergalactic Stump Wrestling ring. We got the Turtles themselves, but there's also Cryin' Houn' and Leatherhead, both of whom are hitting mass-market retailers now, in addition to two upcoming wrestlers, El Mysterio (just Houn' in another costume) and Ace Duck. I haven't gotten Houn' yet, and the $50 price is making me hesitant to get him, but Leatherhead you shouldn't have too much difficulty finding at Target. Often times, Adventures had a very cartoony look, and not even the '87 show at its best animation quality could compare. Mitchroney was one of those "cartoony" artists for the comics, and as with most of the figures we've seen so far, Leatherhead adapts...[See More]