CAPTAIN AMERICA — SYMBOL OF TRUTH MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO) “Sam Wilson takes the mantle of Captain America to new heights, combining the iconic shield with his signature wings versus threats near and abroad.” So, like, not to be that guy who critiques the bios again, but, umm, I’m gonna do exactly that, because there’s an irony to this particular Sam Wilson Cap figure calling out his use of the iconic shield, when, umm, this one doesn’t?  I mean, I guess the spirit of the thing is still there, right?  Sure, let’s go with that. Shortly after introducing Sam Wilson as the Falcon in the ..read more

APRIL O’NEIL TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE MOVIE (NECA) “Also following the city’s unprecedented crime wave is intrepid Channel 3 reporter April O’Neil, who eventually finds herself face-to-face with the Turtles when Raphael rescues her from Foot Clan ninjas.” NECA and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles go together like…two things that sort of go together, but there are sort of complications to it, and also one of those things also goes with a bunch of other things, so it’s not really all that special when you get down to it?  Okay, admittedly not the cleanest metaphor there.  Back in ..read more

IRON MAN (MODEL 01 – GOLD) MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO) “When Tony Stark decides that Iron Man needs an outfit upgrade, he faces off against the hypnotic Gargantus wearing golden armor” In his first appearance, Tony Stark’s Iron Man armor was a simple, dull grey.  Realistic for a suit of armor, especially one bearing the name “Iron Man”, but perhaps not quite as heroic.  This issue was, in fact brought up, even in story, leading to Tony’s first proper upgrade to his armor, where he grants his armor its golden hue for the very first time.  Though short-lived, the armor is notable for ..read more

AQUAMAN TOTAL JUSTICE (KENNER) “Born in the underwater world of Atlantis, Arthur Curry leads a dual life as Aquaman, protector of the world’s oceans. He is able to “breathe” water, swim at speeds up to 100 miles per hour, and communicate with most sea life. Though his strength diminishes after prolonged exposure out of the water, Aquaman’s Fractal Techgear allows him to remain on land and battle villains with his blasting hydro spear for extended periods of time.” Aquaman seems like he’s in this perpetual state of bouncing back and forth between everyone thinking he’s lame and the people resp ..read more

SNAKE EYES G.I. JOE: REACTION FIGURES (SUPER 7) Super 7’s ReAction branding is dedicated to filtering properties through the lens of vintage Kenner figures.  It’s a concept born out of they releasing the un-released Kenner Alien figures, which is a very authentic set-up.  There’s been other follow-ups, which also fit the aesthetic, but then there’s also this whole sub-set of, like, other toy properties that are in a *different* toy style, I guess?  G.I. Joe has to be one of the most egregious, since they were even in the same scale, but still in a very diffe ..read more

SHE-HULK MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO) “With incredible strength and a passion for justice, Jennifer Walters fights evil as both a lawyer and the Gamma-powered Super Hero, She-Hulk” Sometimes a character is created because there’s a solid idea, or an undying need for the character.  Sometimes, they’re created to claim a trademark before your competition does.  Jennifer Walters, alias She-Hulk, was the latter, made to prevent Universal Studios from creating their own Hulk spin-off from their own live-action Incredible Hulk show.  The character’s actually grown to be far more than ..read more

CAPTAIN AMERICA MARVEL FIGHTING ARMOR (SENTINEL) Isn’t it funny that so very many of the import figures I look at here on the site are Captain Americas?  I mean, a notable swath of the Figuarts here on the site are Cap, but I didn’t want to just leave it all to Bandai.  There’s plenty of other companies out there, looking to get in on the action, right?  A company  I haven’t yet looked into here on the site is Sentinel, who have gotten into the Marvel license with a couple of lines in the last few years.  Their more wide-reaching line is their Fighting Armor ..read more

EVIL BIZZARO SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (KENNER) While Kenner’s tie-in line for Batman: The Animated Series was far from lacking in made up variants of its main character, it still did an okay job of filling in the villains and supporting cast. For Superman: The Animated Series, things were a touch less balanced, especially notable given how much harder it was to make variants of Superman. The third assortment of the line was *just* Superman variants, which led to it being skipped at mass retail. Kenner tried to course correct for the next set, which had a whole three non-Superman figures ..read more

THE END MUTANT X #32 (MARVEL COMICS) “In another place–in another life–Alex Summers led a team of mutants in a battle against oppression. His methods were extreme, his tactics questionable, but–in his soul–he knew that he was fighting for the greater good. Now that soul has been transferred to another world, and Summers, also known as Havok, has found himself living a lie, allied with a team of mutants who are sinister, parallel versions of his friends and family. It is to this dark, new place that Havok has come, where he stands as a man alone… a mutant alone. Alex Summers is Mutant X. Fear ..read more

CAPTAIN AMERICA — AGE OF ULTRON MOVIE MASTERPIECE SERIES (HOT TOYS) I said I might break the hiatus for the odd review, didn’t I? Well, I’m cashing in. Why? America, that’s why. Okay, specifically Captain America. It is his birthday after all. Also America’s too, but can America do this all day? Depends on how you define “this” I guess. Well, Captain America is a better fit for review here on the site than just America, so I’m going for him. I’ve reviewed a lot of Hot Toys Caps here, but I’ve got one more, so guess what we’re doing today! …did you guess “reviewing a Hot Toys Captain America ..read more