Splinter
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.85 stars by RMaster007
The Mirage Turtles line has given us plenty of unique characters in figure form, such as Renet and the Shredder clones, but it's still making sure to incorporate the characters everyone knows. One of those characters is the Turtles' sensei/father figure, Splinter. Splinter's design stayed pretty consistent for most of the comic's run; the only difference between him in the first and second issues was that he had pupils in the first issue. The figure stays true to his regular design, with his head sporting no pupils, but a calm, stern look. The sculpt, I assume, was done by Tim Miller, with Geoff Trapp and Mike Puzzo on paint duties like always. Said paint has very nice black wash mixed in with the brown fur, giving him both a realistic and comic-accurate look. So far, Splinter is the...[See More]

Deadpool
Marvel (Neca) - Epic
Rated 4.80 stars by RMaster007
I think I said it before, and I'll say it again: I'm not a Marvel superfan. While the 90s X-Men cartoon was pretty good, I just stopped watching it, though I'll have to pick it back up one of these days. Another thing I definitely need to watch at some point is the Deadpool movie; I caught a bit of it and it was a wild ride, but until then, I can live out all the crazy Deadpool mayhem with NECA's first - and only - 1/4 "Ultimate" figure of the merc with a mouth. The packaging graphics are simple, but effective. The sides showing the accessories can flip open to reveal various shots of the figure, and when you get all the tape and twist ties out of the way, you'll find everything is easy to take out. There's also a plastic sleeve that slips on over the box, and while it's not much, it...[See More]

April O 'Neil (Mutant Interest Storm)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Classic Cartoon (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.65 stars by RMaster007
It's been a few years since we got a regular cartoon April from NECA. She was one of the first releases from the line, but at the time, the figures were hard to get ahold of, especially in MD. Now, NECA has listened to fans and brought her back, better than ever and easier to get! The original April came in a two-pack with a battle-damaged Foot Soldier, but the new version is a single release, coming in one of the FHE-inspired boxes. The artwork isn't anything too special, with April on the Turtles' TV on the front and her interviewing Aunt Aggie on the back, but it fits the character, and looks nice overall. As usual, there's a lot of plastic ties to cut out, so get your scissors ready. The main issue everyone had with the original April was that her head was way out of proportion with...[See More]

Triceraton Zog
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.70 stars by RMaster007
While the TMNT cartoon line NECA's been doing is fun, I feel the relaunched Mirage line is shaping up to be my current favorite, thanks to the great sculpts and unique character selection. We've already gotten a few Triceratons in the toon line, but the Mirage line has one that tops all three of them. The Triceratons appeared in a short story arc early on in the comic, but one of them, Zog, reappeared in the "Return to New York" three-parter. The sculpt for him was provided by Gurjeet Singh, in what appears to be his first work for NECA, and he nailed it. The skin has a scaly texture like a dinosaur would have, along with various bumps and warts. He looks very menacing with red eyes and gritted teeth, and the hinged jaw allows for more expressiveness to the sculpt. The paint on the skin...[See More]

Olive Oyl (with Sweet Pea)
Popeye (Boss Fight Studio) - Basic Series
Rated 4.50 stars by RMaster007
Come on, I couldn't grab Popeye without getting his main squeeze. The comic I picked them up from had Bluto as well, but I had spent enough money that day, so I left him there. Olive, like Popeye, is sculpted by Paul Harding, in case you forgot who was doing the sculpts for this line. Granted, he's not credited on the box, and it's only through his socials would you know he did them. Anyways, Olive looks great, with a nice expression and painted line to fit the comic look. The paint for the hair zig-zags beyond the sculpted lines, but I think that was intentional. Olive gets two heads to use: one is a natural happy face, and the other is more ticked off, perfect for when someone's pushed her buttons. Her skin tone is a little more tan than I feel it should be, and like Popeye, it's...[See More]

Alf
ALF (Neca) - Ultimate
Rated 4.90 stars by RMaster007
The 70s and 80s were a time when cheesy sitcoms were huge, but there wasn't a lot that starred an alien or made use of puppets. ALF was a show that made use of both. Although the series has a good following, I'll admit I haven't dabbled in the franchise much. I've seen a bit of the show, read a few of the comics, but my exposure to the Melmacian was minimal. When NECA announced they got the license and would be bringing the character to their 7" ultimate line, my interest was piqued. The packaging carries a very 80s-90s theme to it, combined with shots of the figure and some of the alien life form's wit. It fits the character very well, and may be one of my favorite boxes for a NECA figure. While you will need to cut a few plastic ties to get the figure out, all of the accessories are...[See More]

Road Hauler
Transformers - Legacy - Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection (Hasbro) - Voyager Class
Rated 5.00 stars by Karl T. Face
Why didn't somebody tell me this mold was so good!? Okay, Hauler. A bit of a cipher for many years, he got a single name mention in the first season (and was obviously meant to be Grapple) and a quick shot of his vehicle mode, and that was that. It fell to E-Hobby's parade of G1 redecoes to explain him back in '03, and now he's here. As support staff for an important race on an alien planet. Okay then. The altmode is quite nice. Not quite the old Fuso, but close enough. It's nice and solid. The wheels roll well, and the crane arm has a decent range of motion, plus a decent extension. The hook folds away to reveal a 5mm socket, which can take either a log grapple or laser/fire nozzle. There's also a rifle stored on the side. Transformation is just complex enough to be satisfying. Robot...[See More]

Popeye
Popeye (Boss Fight Studio) - Basic Series
Rated 4.50 stars by RMaster007
One of the most iconic characters in pop culture history, Popeye has been around for decades, nearly spanning a hundred years of his debut. Whether you know him from the long running comic strip, the theatrical shorts, or even the Robin Williams movie, you've certainly heard of him one way or another. Back in the early 2000s, Mezco put out some rather nice figures, and they're still doing a few things with the license today, but Boss Fight Studios has recently been putting out a new line dubbed "Popeye Classics." The packaging on the series is great, utilizing a yellow and blue motif combined with a nice illustration and a "Popeye's Journal" feature on the back, describing the character through the sailor's point of view. The box is also very collector-friendly; no twist-ties holding in...[See More]

Spay-C
Go-Bots (Tonka) - Super Go-Bots
Rated 4.25 stars by Karl T. Face
I unapologetically love Go-Bots. They are indeed mighty, as their tagline suggests. Spay-C (not the most original name) was a sort of action politician, a council member who sometimes aids the Gobots directly. She was female in the cartoon universe, but male everywhere else. Depends on where you know her from, I guess? As a space shuttle, this is quite impressive. A little simplified, but a well-built Challenger-era shuttle. Not having to worry about a purple train mode, they used correct wing colors. We even get retractable wheels! Transformation is solid but worrisome; the hips are terrifyingly stiff. I thought I broke it 3 times. I'm not used to that with this much die-cast construction; not sure if that's a point in its favor or not. Robot mode looks pretty good too. Most Super...[See More]

Tall Thug and Short Gangster
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Classic Cartoon (Neca) - Multi-Packs
Rated 4.50 stars by RMaster007
It's been a great toy weekend for me. Yesterday was the Maryland Toy Expo, and I managed to pick up quite a haul there, along with a few things outside of the event. One of those things was another NECA Turtles two-pack. I know some new items are hitting Target right now, but I didn't find any of them, though I did find something I've been trying to get my hands on. Like the Scrag I covered some time ago, the "Tall Thug" only appeared in the first season of the 80's TMNT cartoon. His name's actually Dopey, but I guess they had to change it to avoid stepping on Disney's toes. Eric Barnett provided Dopey's sculpt, and he looks very spot-on to the show. He wears a big hat covering up his beady little eyes, along with a gray jacket and tall boots. His head has exaggerated features, such as a...[See More]