ActionFigure Maniac Reviews: Mattel: DC Comics Multiverse: Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice: 6 Inch Batman

DC Comics Multiverse: Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice: 6 Inch Batman
Mattel
Retail: $19.97 @ Walmart

I still haven’t seen Batman v Superman, but I am having fun reviewing the figures.

Batman is one of four in the first series of collect & connect 6 inch figures. The others are Superman, Armored Batman, and Wonder Woman.

He comes packaged in a nice window box. He is prominently displayed and looks nice in the box. On one side, we get a brief overview of the movie’s premise with a view of Batman. The back of the box features the collect & connect piece – Batman’s grapnel blaster, gives a description of the Multiverse line, and shows the first four figures in the series.

Batman looks pretty good. I am not a big fan of the oversized bat symbol on his chest, but as it is screen accurate, I won’t hold it against the figure. He’s got decent size and feel in the hand, though, and the rest of the costume looks nice.

There is some really cool texture on his cowl, bat symbol, and gauntlets. The bat belt isn’t very impressive, but I’m sure I am just nostalgic for an Adam West, even holds shark repellent belt.

He has 19 points of articulation:

• Ball-and-socket joint at the neck (x1)
• Rotating hinges at each shoulder (x2)
• Swivel joints at each bicep (x2)
• Hinge joints at each elbow (x2)
• Swivel joints at each wrist (x2)
• Hinge joint at mid-torso (x1)
• Swivel joint at the waist (x1)
• Rotating hinges at each hip (x2)
• Swivel joints at each thigh (x2)
• Hinge joints at each knee (x2)
• Hinges at each ankle (x2)

He looks nice up against Wonder Woman (see my last review). I hope that they are in scale, because both figures are the same height.

As accessories go, he only comes with a piece of the collect & connect grapnel – part of the base. This is disappointing, especially as one of his hands looks like it was sculpted to hold a miniature grapnel or gun.

Breakdown:

• Playability – 3 out of 5. He is nice and solid, but DANG, give me some of those cool Batman devices!
• Collectibility – 4 out of 5. The window box display is really nice, but a bio would have been a great addition.
• Paint and Sculpt – 4 out of 5. While the colors are a bit drab, Mattel did what they could to add some small touches – weathering on the belt, bits of color on the boots and gloves, texture on the cowl/symbol/gloves, and some texture/veining on the costume.
• Standability – 4 out of 5. A rocker ankle would have given him a perfect score. I was able to get decent poses, but he is a bit cape heavy.
• Articulation – 4 out of 5. 19 points if a decent amount, but he needs rocker ankles.
• Accessories – 0 out of 5. I hate to do it, but this was my biggest disappointment. Yes, he comes with a collect & connect piece, but with Aquaman (who is out at retail) being so hard for me to find, I am afraid I won’t be able to complete it. Also, Batman is almost nothing without his gadgets.
• Affordability – 5 out of 5. $19.99 is affordable in the collector’s market. I think casual fans would be able to handle it as well.

Overall impression: 24 out of 35. Not a horrible figure, but not as good as he could have been. Batman fans, and fans of the film, may find him worth picking up. He’s a nice display piece, but not very play worthy.

 

** Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Aquaman, and all related characters belong to DC Comics. Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice is owned by Warner Brothers. These images are for hobby only. Also, the background images were found on the internet. If one of the images belongs to you, I will gladly give credit.

Action Figure Maniac Reviews: Mattel: DC Comics Multiverse: Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice: 6 Inch Wonder Woman

DC Comics Multiverse: Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice: 6 Inch Wonder Woman
Mattel
Retail: $19.97 @ Walmart

The Dawn of Justice is upon us! Batman v Superman is in theaters this weekend, but the toys have been on shelves several weeks. Mattel has a vast selection of different toys, but I bought into the 6 inch DC Comics Multiverse figures because I prefer larger figures.

The first four in a series of collect & connect figures from the movie are Superman, Batman, Armored Batman, and Wonder Woman.

Today, we look at Wonder Woman.

The packaging is a pretty decent window box. Wonder Woman is nicely displayed with her sword and shield viewable. One side panel gives us a nice look at Wonder Woman and a brief synopsis of the movie. The back gives a description of the Multiverse line, a picture of the collect & connect piece, and a line up of the available characters.

Wonder Woman is a decent enough figure. She has a pretty face, her costume is nicely detailed, and the colors are good. Something about this figure throws me off though. She seems too “square” to me. You can see the female form, but something says “masculine.” Maybe that’s OK, though. She is Amazonian after all.

I like the detail on her forearm cuffs and boots. There is a scabbard for her sword on the left and her lasso is sculpted onto the right side. The leather straps across her chest and midriff do not come off and hide some of the detail of her costume.

She has 20 points of articulation:

• Ball-and-socket joint at the neck (x1)
• Rotating hinges at each shoulder (x2)
• Swivel joints at each bicep (x2)
• Hinge joints at each elbow (x2)
• Swivel joints at each elbow (x2)
• Swivel joints at each wrist (x2)
• Swivel joint at the waist (x1)
• Rotating hinges at each hip (x2)
• Swivel joints at each thigh (x2)
• Hinge joints at each knee (x2)
• Hinge joints at each ankle (x2)

It’s important to note that her hair is sculpted solid so any movement at the neck is negligible.

She comes with three accessories: a sword, a shield, and a piece of the collect & connect grapnel blaster.

There is no lasso accessory!

I like the little details on the sword. Her shield’s face is absolutely beautiful, but the handles are poorly designed. They are placed for right hand grip, but with her sword scabbard on the left side, her right arm is her sword arm. Plus, the handles are small, and getting her hand in and out of them is really difficult.

I’m indifferent about the collect & connect piece right now as there are only four out of eight figures readily available. We get the stand piece with Wonder Woman.

Breakdown:

• Playability – 4 out of 5. I can definitely see Wonder Woman battling along side her super hero companions, but I NEED A LASSO!
• Collectibility – 4 out of 5. I like the way she is displayed, but I would have liked to see a bio.
• Paint and Sculpt – 3 out of 5. What is it about this figure??? I want to love the way she looks, but Wonder Woman shouldn’t seem butch. Also, there was some paint slop that was a little disappointing.
• Standability – 4 out of 5. I was able to get some fairly nice looking poses, but a rocker at the ankle would have made this a 5.
• Articulation – 3 out of 5. 20 points good, but a rocker at the ankle would have made it better. The solid sculpted hair and the limited neck articulation are disappointing.
• Accessories – 3 out of 5. I am giving points off for no lasso, but adding points back in for the detail on the sword and shield. I like collect & connect, but I can’t get excited about this one yet with my search for Aquaman ongoing. I am afraid I might not be able to complete it.
• Affordability – 5 out of 5. $19.99 is a nice price. She’s affordable for most folks.

Overall impression: 26 out of 35. I don’t dislike this figure, but I can’t love her. I am at a loss as to why she looks odd, and she lost some big points on accessories and articulation as well. She is nice and solid. She displays nicely. Pick her up, you might not be as disappointed.

 

** Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Aquaman, and all related characters belong to DC Comics. Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice is owned by Warner Brothers. These images are for hobby only. Also, the background images were found on the internet. If one of the images belongs to you, I will gladly give credit.

Action Figure Maniac Reviews: Mattel: MOTUC: Club Grayskull: He-Man

Masters of the Universe Classics: Filmation: He-Man
Mattel
Retail: $30.00 @ MattyCollector.com

Mattel is not disappointing me lately. As the MOTUC line winds down, they have offered a new subscription service called Club Grayskull. This line will offer characters we’ve already seen, but stylized after their Filmation counterparts.

The most recent release is He-Man himself!

The packaging on this one is REALLY awesome. He comes packaged in a window-box display with a slip-cover designed to look like Castle Grayskull. When you remove the slip cover, you see He-Man beautifully displayed in his “I have the POWER!” pose inside the mouth of Grayskull. The back shows an image of Filmation He-Man and gives a brief description of the line.

The eyes and nose of Grayskull are part of the window box and look really cool.

He-Man looks really nice out of the box as well.

The buck is similar to the original release and most of the differences come from his costume. His chest armor is less ornate with no orange squares, raised panels, or divots. The cross is bigger and more screen accurate. His belt and wrist cuffs are missing the spherical embellishments. His loin cloth is smoother and less detailed. Finally, his boots are missing the straps from the original release and the fur at the top is softer.

He also has a scabbard on his back to store the Sword of Power.

I’m sorry, I couldn’t find my original release He-Man for comparison pictures.

The biggest difference is the head and face. You can definitely see the Filmation inspiration here. The hair is more in the style of his 80’s pretty-boy style and the face looks more like the cartoon character we all knew and loved. My only complaint is that it seems a bit more rough than cartoon He-man.

He has 20 points of articulation:

• Ball-and-socket joint at the neck (x1)
• Rotating hinges at each shoulder (x2)
• Swivel joints at each bicep (x2)
• Hinge joints at each elbow (x2)
• Swivel joints at each wrist (x2)
• Hinge joints at each wrist (x2)
• Swivel joint at the waist (x1)
• Rotating hinges at each hip (x2)
• Swivel joints at each thigh (x2)
• Hinge joints at each knee (x2)
• Rocking hinges at each ankle (x2)

The most awesome of these is the hinge joints at each wrist. They allow you to recreate his famous “By the POWER OF GRAYSKULL!” pose!

He comes with only two accessories: the Sword of Power and a sword stone.

Breakdown:

• Playability – 5 out of 5. Club Grayskull/Filmation He-Man is pretty awesome! I loved the original release, but this one is straight out of the cartoon. I can’t wait to have him battling Skeletor!
• Collectibility – 5 out of 5. Wow! I am an out-of-box collector, but this packaging blew me away. I almost left him alone.
• Paint and Sculpt – 4 out of 5. I love Mattel’s approach to these Filmation figures! I have no complaints other than the “roughness” of his look.
• Standability – 5 out of 5. His joints are solid and he stands even in dynamic poses.
• Articulation – 5 out of 5. 20 points is nothing to sneeze at. With the addition of the wrist hinges, I almost want to give him a 6!
• Accessories – 2 out of 5. Booo! This could have been so much better! A sword and stone? Really? He-Man could come with so much more. Plus, I had to look up what the stone was for … that’s why there are no pictures of the sword in it.
• Affordability – 4 out of 5. $30.00 is a little steep. I know collectors will shell it out, but casual fans might a bit of trouble justifying it.

Overall impression: 30 out of 35. Not bad Mattel! Club Grayskull/Filmation He-Man is a great figure! His nostalgia and build make him very playable! I can’t wait to see the other offerings in the Filmation style – and make them fight!

 

** He-Man, Masters of the Universe, and all related characters belong to Mattel. These images are for hobby only. Also, the background images were found on the internet. If one of the images belongs to you, I will gladly give credit.

Action Figure Maniac Reviews: MOTUC: Serpentine King Hsss

Masters of the Universe Classics: Serpentine King Hssss
Mattel
Retail: $20.00 @ MattyCollector.com

I was a HUGE He-Man fan as a kid! So, it pleases me to no end that Mattel has offered an adult collectors line of Masters of the Universe figures.

Their most recent offering is Serpentine King Hsss. He was highly sought after and the way Mattel approached his release was a high point of contention among collectors, BUT the wait and having to purchase outside of the subscription were well worth it!

His packaging is similar to the rest of the line. Its a beautiful blister pack that prominently displays the figure and some of the accessories. The colors are bright and nice to look at. The back is reminiscent of the 1980s line showing other characters in the line and giving us a bio of King Hssss.

King Hssss is a pretty amazing figure. He is more ornate than the original torso that Mattel offered. We get a total of eight snakes with this one (including his main head) compared to the five on the original. We also get a new lower body that gives us snake-type legs. The scales on the body are fantastic and the way the snakes wind through each other at the mid-torso is a nice touch.

Articulation points on this figure are a little lower, but for good reason – six of the eight snakes are bendable and poseable. Standard articulation count is 10:

• Swivel joint at base of neck (x1)
• Swivel joint at waist (x1)
• Rotating hinges at each hip (x2)
• Swivel joints at mid thigh (x2)
• Hinge joints at each knee (x2)
• Rocking hinges at each ankle (x2)

The joints at the ankle are a bit soft. So, dynamic poses can be a bit tricky, but can still be done.

He comes with five accessories: a Snake Men shield, a spear, a mace, a sword, and a newly sculpted snake head that can be used on the original King Hsss figure.

Compared to the new Club Grayskull He-Man, he looks really good.

Breakdown:

• Playability – 5 out of 5. King Hsss is a definite hit when it comes to playability. The bendable articulation of the snakes and his size make him a formidable opponent for the Masters of the Universe.
• Collectibility – 5 out of 5. The blister pack on these figures is great! The figure looks beautiful, you can see some of the accessories, and the bio is awesome!
• Paint and Sculpt – 5 out of 5. Very nice. I don’t find any glaring problems. The scales are nicely done and I love the way the snakes wind around each other.
• Standability – 4 out of 5. His soft ankles give him a bit of a deduction here, but I still wasn’t disappointed.
• Articulation – 5 out of 5. Although he only has 10 points of standard articulation, the bendable snakes are a home run!
• Accessories – 5 out of 5. All of the accessories are character appropriate and the inclusion of the new snake head was nice.
• Affordability – 5 out of 5. $20.00 is a decent price for a collector’s figure these days.

Overall impression: 34 out of 35. Ohhhhhhh! Just shy of a perfect score! I think King Hsss is a great addition to the collection. He definitely appeals to hard core fans and casual fans should be able to afford and enjoy him too.

 

 

** He-Man, Masters of the Universe, and all related characters belong to Mattel. These images are for hobby only. Also, the background images were found on the internet. If one of the images belongs to you, I will gladly give credit.

Action Figure Maniac Reviews: Transformers: Masterpiece: Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod)

Transformers: Masterpiece: Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod)
Takara
Retail: $74.99 @ BigBadToyStore

I am SUPER excited about this review! Takara’s Masterpiece Transformers line has been the Transformers collection of my childhood dreams. I never owned Hot Rod as a kid, so I love that I now have this one!

This Hot Rodimus, aka Hot Rod, is the second release of this figure from Takara. The first version was bigger and, with a few adjustments, became Rodimus Prime. I, unfortunately, do not that version yet.

This version is smaller and is designed to fit into the newer scale AND into Optimus Prime’s trailer. Sadly, he does not convert into Rodimus Prime.

The packaging is fairly standard for the Masterpiece line. It’s dark and sharp. The front gives great views of the figure in robot and car modes. The back is in Japanese and shows a lot of the figure features and accessories.

Hot Rod himself is pretty amazing. He’s fairly detailed in both modes.

In car mode, he is pretty screen accurate as far as I can tell. His colors are bright and vibrant. The chrome pipes, chrome engine, and orange headlights are really cool. The blue windshield is see-through and you can see some kibble through it.

Transforming into robot mode was easy enough I could figure it out without the instructions. He looks beautiful! His face looks really nice and I like the way he comes together to make a screen-accurate Hot Rod. My complaint here is mostly at the chest and shoulders. Some of the pieces don’t fit flush and stand out.

He has 33 points of articulation (these do not include articulation for transformation):

• Swivel joint at the neck (x1)
• Hinge joint at the neck (x1)
• Hinge joints at each shoulder (x2)
• Swivel joints at each shoulder (x2)
• Swivel joint mid-bicep (x2)
• Hinges at each elbow (x4)
• Swivel joints at each wrist (x2)
• Hinge joints at each wrist (x2)
• Hinge joints to each hand (x2)
• Swivel joint at waist (x1)
• Hinge joints at each hip (x4)
• Hinge joints at each knee (x4)
• Hinge joints at each ankle (x2)
• Hinge joints at each heel (x2)
• Rocking ankle hinges (x2)

He comes with a few cool accessories. He has two guns, a circular blade hand attachment, and a fishing rod. The guns can be attached in car mode in two ways.

To top things off, he has a couple of built in features. He has a fold down visor and his chest opens to hold the Matrix of Leadership (not included).

He looks nice next to the other figures in the line. He stands just a bit taller than the other Autobot car figures, but is smaller than Optimus Prime.

Breakdown:

• Playability – 5 out of 5. Hot Rodimus is amazing! His playability knows only the bounds of the imagination. He is easily posed and his transformation is fairly easy.
• Collectibility – 4 out of 5. The packaging is nice. The multiple images give some nice shelf appeal. It could only be improved by book-style type packaging displaying what’s inside the box.
• Paint Applications – 5 out of 5. Beautiful! The colors are awesome and they duplicate the screen character well enough that I can’t find any obvious differences.
• Standability – 5 out of 5. I love it! His rocking ankles make for easy standing and dynamic battle poses.
• Articulation – 5 out of 5. You can’t complain about 33 points! I like when a figure can move freely enough to be fun and life-like.
• Accessories – 4 out of 5. He only comes with 4 accessories. They are character appropriate, but he would have been awesome with his own Matrix.
• Affordability – 4 out of 5. $74.99 is a little more pricey than some might like, but this is a high-end, well-made figure. He’s worth it!

Overall impression: 32 out of 35. That’s a great score! Hot Rodimus is a good, solid figure. The upgrades the Masterpiece line give him are well worth the effort for collectors. Casual Transformers fans would be happy to have him too.

 

** Transformers and related characters belong to Hasbro and Takara. These images are for hobby only. Also, the background images were found on the internet. If one of the images belongs to you, I will gladly give credit.

Club Third Earth is a Hooooo!

I received this message from Mattycollector.com today!

The subscription period has ended and we definitely heard your roar!

ThunderCats™ ho! Club Third Earth is happening, and four amazing new figures plus the club-exclusive Mumm-Ra™ will be coming your way.

This confirmation email lets you know you’re all set. We’ll email you again around August so you’ll have plenty of time to contact Customer Service with any updates to your address or credit card. September is when things start!

 

Action Figure Maniac Reviews: Mattel: DC Super Hero Girls

DC: DC Super Hero Girls
Mattel
Retail: $9.99 each, Target Exclusive

The newest additions to my collection are the Target exclusive DC Super Hero Girls figures. If you aren’t in the know, DCSHG is a franchise created by DC Comics that centers around some of our favorite female DC characters as they grow up and face the challenges of youth and having super powers. There is a series currently on YouTube and toy lines are on the way.

Target stores are offering some exclusive toys based on the franchise. They will have 12″ dolls and 6″ action figures. The first series of figures includes Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Bumblebee, Batgirl, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn.

The packaging is quite attractive. The front of each card gives a beautiful picture of each super hero and the figures are nicely displayed in action poses. Each character gets a unique stamp in the lower right hand corner. The back of the cards gives a brief series description and a bio for each young lady.

Each of our heroes comes fairly detailed. They have beautiful, Disney-like faces. Their costumes, while not comic book accurate, are really cool and character appropriate.

Each figure has 13 points of articulation:

• Ball-and-socket at neck – x1
• Rotating hinge at each shoulder – x2
• Rotating hinge at each elbow – x2
• Swivel joint at each wrist – x2
• Rotating hinge at each hip – x2
• Rotating hinge at each knee – x2
• Swivel joint at each ankle – x2

First up, Wonder Woman!

She’s a pretty nice looking figure. Her costume is fairly simple, but the stars down the sides of the leggings and the wings on the boots are awesome! She comes equipped with her Lasso of Truth which if nicely sculpted to look as though she is about to lasso someone. It attaches to her belt, but disappointingly, the sculpt makes the rope stick out behind her.

Next up, Bumblebee!

Bumblebee might possibly be my favorite of the series. Her costume is pretty cool and she come with a backpack from which her soft-plastic wings spring. The bits of blue contrast with the yellows and look nice. She doesn’t come with any accessories, but the backpack is removable.

Next, Batgirl!

Batgirl is neat. Her costume is fairly reminiscent of her comic look. I am not sold on the hood/cowl. It looks odd, but is removable. She also comes with a bat-shaped removable backpack. She has no other accessories.

Supergirl comes next!

She is easily my least favorite. Her costume is full-on Supergirl and her soft-plastic cape is removable. My biggest complaint with her … she WILL NOT stand up. I was lucky to get these pictures. Even with the cape removed, she is difficult to stand. I think she is hair heavy, and then with the cape attached, she falls like crazy. There is also something about her face I don’t like. She looks doofy.

The first villain is Poison Ivy!

I really like Ivy. She seems to have the most Disney-esque look of all the figures, but she has some nice detail. Her hair is beautiful and the “vines” on her legs and her rose belt are nicely done. She comes with a really cool soft-plastic climbing vine accessory that can be moved where you want it.

Last, but not least, is Harley Quinn!

Harley doesn’t disappoint. It’s not my favorite look for the character. I like the jester look best, but this fits for a teenage girl better. Her face is really pretty and her shirt is done really well. In true Harley fashion, she comes with an over-sized mallet, which is pretty sturdy.

My favorite feature on these figures is their hands. All of them have soft-plastic, yet sturdy, hands. On some, the fingers are beautiful and really delicate looking.

Breakdown:

• Playability – 4 out of 5. These are awesome action figures! I like the feel of the figures, but getting some nice, dynamic super hero poses can be difficult.
• Collectibility – 5 out of 5. The packaging is so attractive on these. The figures are nicely displayed and the colors are really sweet. I like the individual bios.
• Paint Applications – 4 out of 5. Paint is pretty solid, but if you look, you’ll see some uneven lines, especially on faces/masks.
• Standability – 2 out of 5. Supergirl RUINED this one. Some of the others were only slightly difficult to stand, but she was awful. Considering the back of the card explicitly states they stand on their own, I am disappointed.
• Articulation – 4 out 5. 13 points is nothing to be bummed about, especially considering the audience for these figures. Ankle articulation would have been a really great addition so you could get action poses. Also, the neck joints are a bit stiff.
• Accessories – 2 out of 5. The figures have only a few accessories between them. I really like the ones included, but a group of young girls needs more to do!
• Affordability – 4 out of 5. $9.99 is a good price point. It might be a little steep for younger children who are fans though.

Overall impression: 21 out of 35. Mattel’s DC Super Hero Girls are really nice action figures. I would have been a bit more happy if I could pose them better and … SUPERGIRL! I really like these. They will look good in any collection and the kids will like them too!

 

** DC, DC Comics, and related characters belong to DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Entertainment. These images are for hobby only. Also, the background images were found on the internet. If one of the images belongs to you, I will gladly give credit.