Category Archives: Top 10

Top 10 action figures of 2019

January 2, 2020 darrahdesigns

It’s that time of year again. We’ve just ushered in 2020, so let’s take a look at some of my favorite figures from the past year.

These are MY favorites. I’m not saying they are better than others, these are just the 10 I was the most excited to get in 2019, and the ones I continue to mess around with even now.

In no particular order, let’s get started.

Mezco One:12 standard Popeye
I grew up watching the old cartoons on reruns, and always wanted articulated figures of him when I started collecting. I never got any of the previous lines that were made, either because I never saw them, or didn’t know they existed. Even though this is a slightly more realistic take, it embodies everything I love about the character.

Hasbro ML Beast
I wasn’t a huge X-Men fan before the Jim Lee era, and I’m fine with that, but the launch of X-Men #1 got me into the universe pretty deep. I had the old Toy Biz figure, and considered it one of the figures that held up with Hasbro figures for a while, but this figure takes that idea and throws it out window. The extra hands are great. The only thing he’s missing is a neutral head and a pair of gripping feet.

1000 Toys Hellboy
I am far from the biggest Hellboy fan, but the Del Toro movies got me into the comics, and when this figure was first shown off, I knew I had to get it. The rubber torso covering does hinder the articulation a little bit (I would prefer a sculpted body with ab crunch or torso swivel), but overall the figure can hit most poses I need it to. The bigger issue is the LEGO looking fingers on his Right Hand of Doom. He’s never looked like that in the comics, and it throws the look of a bit. I would have preferred swappable hands like his left hand, over the articulated fingers that have been known to pop off according to other people. I am looking forward to seeing the completed Abe Sapien figure and what they plan to offer him for, cost wise, as that will determine how deep in I go with this line.

Mattel JP Amber collection Velociraptor
I have always loved dinosaurs, and the Jurrasic Park movies made me want articulated figures of those dinos even more. It took many years, but Mattel started giving us some of them with the first of the 3 new JP films. I love what they’ve done with the smaller articulated T-Rexes, and the larger colossal Rex was a much needed articulated figure for 6″ scale figures. The new Amber Collection Velociraptor is the figure I’ve been waiting for seemingly forever. It scale beautifully with 6″ figures, and has most of the articulation you could ever want for one of the most action oriented dinosaurs in the franchise. I would love for Mattel to give us an Amber Collection T-Rex with the same kind of articulation, but the size of the colossal Rex.

Hasbro MMPR Lord Zedd
I was already a teenager when the Mighty Morphing Power Rangers first debuted in the states, but I did occasionally watch the show after school during my senior year, and on Saturdays when it was on then. I was also a Godzilla fan, so the rubber suits of the monsters and the Zord battles were something I got a kick out of watching, for the cheese factor, if nothing else. That said, I tried to keep aware of what toys were out, and I noticed there were never great figures of the biggest baddie on the show, Lord Zedd. I should say, none that actually looked like how he did on the show. When Hasbro acquired the property, I was hopeful we’d finally get some amazing figures, and boy did they deliver. THEN they showed off Lord Zedd. This looks like the big baddie that was nothing but muscle with tubes sticking out of him. They followed it up with the Game Stop release of Goldar, and the variant Putty with the variant Green Ranger. If they can continue to release great villain figures from the MMPR era, I will continue to be a fan.

Hasbro MMPR White Ranger
Everything I said about Zedd above, also applies to Tommy in his white suit here. I was always more of a fan of Tommy in the show, and loved him as his versions of the Green Ranger, so when he got a new suit that was inspired by a tiger, I was stoked. This figure hits all the notes I would need for the character, and he comes with extra hands, an unmasked head and a power effect for his sword.

Mezco One:12 PX Sovereign Knight Batman
I have been a fan of the Mezco One:12 line since the start, and being a huge Batman fan, I have been eagerly watching as each new version of the Mezco “Batman trilogy” figures have been revealed. I chose the black and gray version of the first Batman, and I decided to go with the blue and gray PX exclusive version of the second figure in the trilogy, since I grew up with this color scheme in the late 80s/early 90s. I could do without the appliqué, but the other details on the rest of his outfit helps to make it actually work.

NECA 1990 TMNT SDCC Shredder
I established earlier that I was in my teens in the 1990s, so I was obviously a child of the 1980s. Having said that, I was a huge fan of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon growing up, and as I got older, I started to look into the comics that inspired the toon. When I first saw the commercials for the live action movie, I just about lost it. These were realistic looking versions of the characters I had grown to love, and the Jim Henson Creature Shop suits were amazing. In the film, Shredder embodied the evil that I remembered from some of the comics I’d read, and his entire look, even though it was different, was striking and looked dangerous if you were caught off guard. This figure gives me the same feelings. I love all the figures from this set (the Foot ninja and Splinter especially), but having the big baddie from the film is great. Even better is the fact that we didn’t have to wait over 10 years like we did for the Mirage Comics Shredder.

DCC Batman VS TMNT Shredder
As I mentioned above, I have been reading TMNT comics for years now. I’ve followed a few of the different iterations over the years, but one of my favorite versions has been the current IDW run. There were a series of Batman VS TMNT comic crossovers, and this past year, WB media put our an animated version adapting the first crossover. The entire line (SDCC Mikey in Batman mask), as well as the 2 packs with a Batman character paired with a TMNT character sold exclusively through Game Stop, have ALL been amazing. Dealing with their website was an issue unto itself, but getting figures that looked close to the IDW designs, even if with a slightly animated bent, has been great. Getting the Shredder though, in one of my favorite designs, we the icing on the cake for this wave. He comes with a nice fabric cape, 3 sets of hands and a sword to boot. I hope DCC will give us a second wave in 2020, possibly with some Bat villains from the Arkham sequence.

Mafex comic Spider-Man
Besides Batman, Spiderman has to be one of my absolute favorite comic book characters. As mentioned, I was a teen in the 90s, so the Todd McFarlane, Erik Larsen and Mark Bagley runs on Spidey back then were some of my favorite runs of comics growing up. I haven’t been a big Mafex collector due to the properties they were covering for most of the last decade. I had some of the early Bale Batman figures, but QC on some of them made me sell them off, and I never saw the appeal of buying import figures of the MCU or Star Wars characters I could usually get from Hasbro. Once it was revealed they were doing comic book figures, and Spiderman and Deadpool were announced, I knew I had to get them. I don’t know the artist the Deadpool figure is based on, but this Spidey is clearly based on the Bagley Amazing Spiderman era, and hits all the notes I want in a figure from that time. Hasbro has plenty of amazing Spiderman figures, but they seem to lack a little something for me. The recent Venom is still on my radar as a potential companion to this figure, and I just got the comic Wolverine Mafex made, but that will likely be on the best of 2020 list.

Top 10

Top 10 Action Figures of 2016

January 4, 2017 darrahdesigns

It’s the end of one year, and the beginning of another. You know what that means; it’s time for a best of list. There were many amazing action figures released this year, too many in fact, for me to reasonably collect them all without going broke. Star Wars fans had choices beyond Hasbro and Hot Toys, with both Bandai’s SH Figuarts line, and Medicom’s Mafex line producing many outstanding figures that top domestic releases. On top of that, you have Mafex figures for WB’s Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice, and DC Collectibles’ Batman the Animated Series/The New Batman Adventures line of figures. Then you have figures that are just making it out at the end of the year like the Figuarts WWE Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, and a new line of Mortal Kombat figures by Storm Collectibles, of which their Scorpion is just squeaking out.

This article will cover my top 10 action figures of 2016. There aren’t any real criteria to determine this list. There’s nothing like the faithfulness to source, articulation, or the number of accessories to make me love a figure. These are just figures I’ve purchased this year, that make me happy to have them, and are consistent ‘hand candy’ on display.

Kayodo Revoltech Figure Complex Movie Revo 003: Stitch Experiment 626

‘Lilo and Stitch’ was a Disney movie I loved, and continue to hold in high regard years after it was released. While there have been items related to the film made over the years, there was nothing on the level I wanted. That changed with this figure. He had swappable upper faces to change expression, as well as extra arms to change him between his normal alien experiment and ‘dog’ looks. He also came with sunglasses and an ice cream cone from the great scene from the movie. Not to mention the articulation on the relatively small body.

4 Horsemen Mythic Legions Asterionn

The 4 Horsemen have been putting out amazing figures for years, between working on Mattel’s DC line, to working on their direct to consumer Masters of the Universe and Thundercats lines. What I’ve liked most from them has been their creator owned properties. The Mythic Legions line was their second Kickstarter campaign that ran last year, and saw the finished product released this year.
While they had about 20 characters offered, I focused my vision on their army building skeleton soldiers, their Barbarian builder set, and their Minotaur figure Asterionn.
Generally speaking, among all fairytales and mythic stories, I gravitate towards the monsters. It’s the reason I enjoy the Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm St. and Halloween films more than many recent gore fest horror films. This figure tickled that fancy, scratched that itch, however you want to put it. I also picked up 4 of the skeleton builder figures, but this guy’s armor that pops with color, selection of customizable weapons, and the fact that he becomes a kind of kindred spirit with my 4 Horsemen Xetheus Minotaur pushed him over the top.

8. Bandai SH Figuarts Freddie Mercury

Queen was a band I grew up loving, and Freddie Mercury was a big part of that. His vocals were one major selling point of their work, but his visual flair on stage and in videos helped cement him who would capture my attention. With the included extra parts, you can also recreate a variety of Freddie’s poses or moments from videos. This figure is honestly as close to a real person I think I had seen to that point, and makes me wish Bandai would release figures of David Bowie, Axel Rose and Slash, and Jim Morrison (of the Doors) just to name a few. To me, that is a major selling point for a line, when it makes you want so many other items in the same vein.

Yamaguchi Revoltech Deadpool

Poses! While the Hasbro Marvel legends Deadpool that was also released this year (he made the honorable mentions list) was great, he couldn’t hit some of the wild, often off the wall poses you can get with this import figure. I understand that not everyone is a fan of the Revoltech ball joint system, or the way they can look in ‘vanilla’ poses, but this figure was MADE to be put into as many crazy, off the wall poses you can think of. The included swords and guns fit in his hands well, and the swappable eye pieces only add more fun to the poses you can pull off. They were even clever enough to include speech bubbles on the box that you can cut out and use with the figure. I also admit that I can never have too many Deadpools, even if he does rub some people the wrong way. I look forward to seeing the first in hand pictures for the upcoming Spiderman and Venom figures they’ve been showing off.

NECA NYCC box set Mirage Shredder

This is a figure I have been waiting for since 2008. I made the trip to SDCC from New York back in 2008, mainly to experience the show at least once, and to meet some friends, but I was able to see the prototypes for this box set (Shredder, Kraang brain, Foot soldier, elite Foot soldier, and another Foot soldier with a headband) in NECA’s display cabinet. At that point, they were promoting the April O’Neil figure that was out, and hoping to release this planned wave, as long as the sales were good enough. Sadly, the line died well before they ever made it out, and NECA had to deal with fans CONSTANTLY asking when they would release those figures. Jump to the summer of this year, and NECA showed off a set of video game pixel decorated Ninja Turtles on new bodies, and this set in the same game deco.

Coming into the end of summer, and New Your Comic Con, NECA revealed that they would FINALLY be releasing the Mirage deco of Shredder and the Foot ninja set, and this one, unlike the SDCC set, was available to order online without the same kind of issues. I sadly had to pass initially, due to funds, but when they came up again when NECA was running a website sale, I happened to have some eBay funds available, and I jumped at the chance to finally complete my Mirage TMNT set (minus an April, but who’s complaining, certainly not me). Shredder (and the others, actually) live up to the anticipation. Shredder is quite poseable, and comes with a set of alternate hands that can hold any of the weapons that come in the set, and the elite Foot Ninja’s cape can be thrown on old chrome dome if you want a more ‘cartoon’ looking Shredder.

Bandai SH Figuarts Bruce Lee
I love kung fu and action movies, so it should come as no surprise that I am a fan of Bruce Lee and his films. I also loved his son’s performance in ‘The Crow’, but that would be another article entirely. I have one of the Hot Toys Bruce figures, but have always wanted one in my favorite 6 inch scale, so when it was announced that both Figma AND Figuarts were making Bruce Lee figures (of the same version, even), I was ecstatic. I ordered both, and while the Figma version isn’t bad per se, the Figuarts version just hits a few more points on the fun list than the other. He comes with alternate faces, hands and a choice of weapons. He’s able to get into amazing poses, and even comes with outstretched thumb hands to pull off one of his taunts in his films. He’s a great figure to have on hand to throttle any number of other figures if they get uppity. There is also a yellow jumpsuit ‘Game of Death’ version coming, that I cannot wait for.

Mezco One:12 Collective Star Trek Mr. Spock

I wasn’t old enough to see the original Star Trek when it first aired, or even first his syndication, but I had seen some of the films, so I was familiar with the cast and crew of the show. That said, I am also a big fan of Leonard Nimoy’s portrayal of Spock, and having loved Mezco’s The Dark Knight Returns Batman from last year, I was more than interested in having a real life actor immortalized in my new favorite line. I waited to see some reviews and in hand responses, just to make sure the figure wasn’t going to fall apart, or that the outfit wasn’t fraying right out of the box. Thankfully Mezco seems to know what they are doing, and they knocked Spock out of the park. The 2 head sculpts look like Nimoy shrunk down to toy size, and the tailoring on the uniform is fabulous. He comes with a tri corder and phaser that both look straight out of the show, and a series of alternate hands. I have his shipmates Kirk and Sulu, and am eagerly waiting to see who Mezco shows off as the next crew member to see release.

Bandai SH Figuarts Classic cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (all of them)

I grew up in the 80s, so the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon and even the first Jim Henson suited live action movie played a big part in my early fandom. I had already purchased the Playmates Classic TMNT cartoon figures, along with the Beebop and Rocksteady they put out, as well as their version of the first movie figures, so I was happy to just skip the turtles themselves, and get the Shredder figure that was shown at one of the conventions this year. Then I started seeing the reviews, and the pictures of the brothers in action, and my resolve broke. I currently have all of them but Michelangelo, whom I will be getting soon enough.
These are as close to a perfect representation of the cartoon looks of any articulated figure I can think of. The selling point of the guys is the solid metal lower legs and feet, which allow for amazing stability in posing them in basic standing positions, or more dramatic action poses. They come with a selection of extra hands, an alternate head, their signature weapons, and an accessory exclusive to them. I already had the Revoltech figures of the new Nickelodeon TMNT figures, so I wasn’t on these as well, but everything I kept seeing made me happily change my stance. Now I can’t wait to see what Bandai has in store for this line, as I have a list of figures I would love to see made.

Mezco One:12 Collective SDCC Classic Captain America

After the release of Mezco TDKR Batman, the online toy community hoped and prayed that they would eventually get the chance to tackle some Marvel characters. The collective prayers were answered when the first few Marvel characters were revealed, and the first figure to be released would be a classic inspired Captain America. The only drawback was that he was a SDCC exclusive figure, with a special metal shield tin package, which raised the price over the then fairly normal $80 price point. I loved the reviews of the figure I saw coming out of the convention, from people who got him there, but was hesitant with the price, as the tin wasn’t a real selling point for me. I eventually came across a seller who had him for a little less than what he was going for at the con, so I but the bullet and ordered one.

What I had experienced with Batman, Judge Dredd and the Star Trek crew was brought even further forward with the good Captain. He took everything Mezco learned with all their previous releases, and improved on it. Cap’s suit is quite detailed, with each scale on his upper body apparently glued on 1 piece at a time, with the star inserted through a small hole in the shirt into a hole in his chest. The rest of the outfit is kind of a modern take on what his WW2 gear might have looked like, so there are no flared gloves or boots. His left glove has magnets that allow the shield (which also has magnets) to hang on his arm without Cap having to physically hold the handle. The magnets aren’t quite as strong as the magnets that were used by Dredd for his shoulder pads, but they were a cool idea. The shoulder harness he comes with also has a magnet that allows you to display him with his shield slung over his shoulder. Between the Trek crew, this figure and my choice for #1 below, it cemented my decision that this line will likely be my main focus for the new year.

Mezco One:12 Collective Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice Batman
I still own my fair share of Batman figures. With that said, I think I can safely say that the Mezco One:12 Collective Dawn of Justice Batman is the best version of the character made in the 6 in scale. While there might be more popular depictions of the character in either comics, television, movies or video games, as far as bringing the look of Batman to this scale, I feel this guys nails it. The textured suit is tight, but doesn’t really restrict the movement like you would think. The cape is sort of a pleather material that drapes almost as well as the TDKR Batman that Mezco first made, which is impressive considering it’s an entirely different material. He grappling gun actually attaches to his belt, the first time I can ever recall that being a feature on a figure. The articulation is amazing, with the only real drawback being that he can’t really get into a deep crouch, but there hasn’t been a Batman yet that could do it.
I understand that the Snyder films haven’t been everyone’s cup of tea, but I have enjoyed the films, and I absolutely loved Ben Affleck’s portrayal as Bruce Wayne/Batman. This is a grizzled Batman that has seen some crap go down. The 2 head sculpts on the figure have a great likeness to Affleck at this scale. I’m eagerly waiting for the Superman to see release, even after the last minute delay in December by Mezco. That’s the one hang up with the One:12 line, delays. If it was related to quality control issues, I wouldn’t mind, as long as Mezco said they weren’t happy with what they were seeing, so they had the factory go back and make fixes. Despite the delays, every release has lived up to expectations, so I eagerly await the next figure coming in the One:12 line.

Honorable mentions:

Mezco Star Trek Captain Kirk
Mezco Star Trek Sulu
Bandai SH Figuarts Iron Man 3 Tony Stark
DCC Icons Harley Quinn
Hasbro ML Wolverine
Diamond Select Muppets line
Diamond Select Ghostbusters
Diamond Select Gotham figures
Hasbro ML Deadpool

Thanks for reading.

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Reviews, Top 10

Top 10 Action Figures of 2014

August 28, 2016 darrahdesigns

Top 10 Action Figures of 2014

A Happy New Year to all of my dear readers. The New Year means it’s time for my Top 10 action figures of 2014. I know I haven’t had many reviews the past year, but my 1 resolution for 2015 is to get back to bringing you as many new reviews or news pieces as possible on a consistent basis. With that out of the way, I will say that choosing the figures this year was more difficult than I thought it would be. That’s a good thing, as it means many companies put out some worthwhile product. I’ll preface this list with the fact that some of these figures weren’t purchased locally for one reason or another.

So let’s get down to it.

Starting off the list at number 10 is The Star Wars Black Series Storm Trooper. The cannon fodder of the Star Wars universe gets the 6 inch treatment. If you’d already gotten the Sand Trooper, you already know the majority of what this figure holds. The only big difference is the helmet, one of the shins, the belt, and the clean paint job. Due to the army building potential of this figure, they were quite hard to find for a while, especially when many local stores are choking on figures from older waves.

Coming in at number 9 is The DC Collectibles Crime Syndicate Ultraman figure. This guy is one of the most articulated DCC has ever produced, and whet the appetite of many figure fans for the same treatment to be given to his ”real” counterpart, Superman. He just about all the articulation you could want, a softer rubber cape that doesn’t hinder his posing too much, and sculpt that matches the source material near perfectly. The only drawback to the figure was a pungent plastic smell, which has dissipated over time. Sadly, we are still waiting on a Superman and Batman that truly match the standard this guy set.

Next on the list is The Bandai FiguArts Mario, a figure that many fans of the property have been waiting for since the 80s. There have been plenty of static mini statues of the Italian plummer, his brother, and other characters from the various games, but this was the first truly articulated version. He also came with some blocks to interact with, and coins that you could display as if they popped out of the “?” blocks. This guy, along with 2 different diorama sets were first released in Japan, but eventually made it to US online retailers, as well as local Barnes & Noble stores. The line is continuing with the just released in Japan, Luigi, as well as a prototype shown of dino buddy Yoshi.

Coming in at number 7 is the BAF of Groot from the Hasbro Guardians of the Galaxy series. If you saw the movie, you likely ended being a fan of Rocket & Groot, whether you knew who they were from the comics or not. In general, the entire set of figures from this wave was wonderful, but Groot evokes the look of the movie model like many of the others don’t quite. His headsculpt and expression allow you to mimic many emotions with just a head title and turn. While ALL the figures weren’t ideal (space armor Iron Man), I gladly bought them all to get this guy.

Roaring into the number 6 spot is The Star Wars Black Series Chewbacca figure. Chewie was one of the figures from the 2014 wave 3 assortment that I didn’t see much of locally, so I ended up getting him, Luke and Darth Vader through Amazon. I’m not the kind of Star Wars fan who has to have every character who appeared in the films, but Chewbacca is one my must have figures for the line. The headsculpt is amazing, even though he has more of a growling expression with the open mouth. The fur sculpt around his hands looks best with his arms down, but he has enough articulation that he can get into most of the poses you’d see him in throughout the trilogy. There have been leaked images of a new version with closed mouth, so I’m hoping he could come with the mesh bag and “broken” C-3PO to go on his back.

Coming in at the halfway point is NECA’s Bad Blood Predator figure. NECA has been going strong with the Predator line for some time, and even had other amazing figures from the same wave as this guy, including the “Shredator” Enforcer Predator figure. This guy is unique due to the comic book style deco he sports, which is a more vibrant, flat paint job. He sports a three bladed wrist blades, various skull and bone trophies adorning his armor, and 2 severed heads that hang from his belt. He ships in a solid case all by himself, and has been seen at Toys R Us as recently as stores begin their after the holiday restocks.

Slashing his way into the number 4 spot is NECA’s Ultimate Freddy Krueger figure. This is the articulated figure fans have been asking for since NECA began making product from the film franchise. Besides the articulated legs, Freddy comes with 2 alternate heads, an alternate hand with green “blood” spurting out of the chopped off finger, a skinned face “mask” and the telephone with the tongue sticking out of it. He also has a soft rubber sweater overlay that allows for his waist and torso articulation to get a better than average range of motion. NECA has noted they are going to do other ‘Ultimate’ figures, so I eagerly wait to see what they will be.

Swooping in to the number 3 spot is NECA’s 8 bit NES/Blu-Ray bundle 89 Batman figure. This entry is sort of a twofer, as they are technically 2 releases, but only one of them was sold by itself. The figure is actually a shrunk down version of NECA’s amazing ¼ scale Keaton Batman, which we thought was all we could get, at the time. It turns out that NECA found a loophole in their contract that let them release a version from the NES Tim Burton Batman movie. Towards the end of the year it was revealed that they managed to find a way to release an actual film version of the figure, but it was bundled with the Diamond-Luxe Blu-Ray version, and sold on ebay. That sold unbelievably fast, and NECA kept fans up to date on progress of it being released elsewhere. That ended up being to TRU, where it was only sold with the standard Blu-Ray of the film, with a sticker signifying that. For fans old enough to remember, the figure is packaged as homage to the old Toy Biz Batman figure from when the first movie toys originally came out. The scarce availability aside, the figure is amazingly articulated, like all of the best NECA figures have been, and comes with a second pair of hands, Batarang, and grapple gun.

Number 2 is a figure (and variants) that just slid into the list for 2014, though some people won’t actually receive theirs until sometime this year, The Four Horsemen’s Gothitropolis Raven figure. The figure, and all his variants began as a Kickstarter campaign back in July of 2013, which ran until August of that year. The campaign exceeded everyone’s expectations, and all the stretch goals that were revealed, were met and surpassed. The figures arriving would end up being a mystery due to the sheer number of backers, and some reasons that only the Horsemen know for sure. Despite any drama that might have caused, the figure lives up to the very high standards that the Horsemen have strived for in each of their creator owned properties. The sculpting and paintwork is phenomenal, and the articulation is incredible. Some of the figures received by other backers had stuck joints, but a quick heat with a hair dryer or a dip in boiling water will loosen them right up. The base figure comes with an amazingly detailed staff weapon, and 2 alternate sets of clawed feet; 1 pair of closed, and a pair of grasping feet. The Horsemen’s online store had some figures for preorder, but they have been sold out since they went up. Nobody knows for sure if there will be more, but if you are interested, your best bet is to check ebay or other online locations for people who might be selling some of the figures.

Topping the list at number 1 is not just 1 figure, but all 4 of The Revoltech Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figures from Kiayodo. These are import figures, so you won’t be able to find them in any of your local stores, unless you happen to have one that imports figures from the Far East. If you are a fan of the new TMNT show on Nickelodeon, then these are the figures for you. The Playmates figures are great for a mass market retail line, but if you want figures as close to the show’s model sheets, then you want these. Each of the turtles has a moveable eye system activated by moving the back of their bandanna, an alternate head, their signature weapon, and a display base of some sort. The articulation on the figures allows for some amazing poses, and their wide feet allow them to balance on 1 foot unassisted, which is great for ninja running poses. These guys sold fast, so you might have to spend more than you’re comfortable with, but Amazon and Big Bad Toy Store have some in stock, if you are inclined.

That wraps up the top 10 for 2014, but I would like to give mention to some figures that just missed the cut this year.

DC Collectables Thrasher Armor Batman
NECA Enforcer Predator
Star Wars Black Biker Scout and Speeder Bike
NECA Planet of the Apes Gorilla Soldier
NECA Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Caesar
DC Collectables The New Batman Adventures Batman
DC Collectables Batman the Animated Series Catwoman

As you can see, last year had an amazing array of figures, and with what’s solicited for this coming year, we look to have stiff competition for the top 10 next year.

Thanks for reading.

I’ll see you in the toy isles.

Reviews, Top 10

Top 10 Toys of 2015

August 28, 2016 darrahdesigns

Top 10 toys of 2015

As we close out 2015, it’s time to take a look back at the top action figures of the year. These types of lists are always subjective, but out of all the things I’ve gotten this year, these are the 10 items I’m most impressed with. As you go down the list, you might notice a theme, which just happened to be the way the year in toys went for me, but it doesn’t discount a lot of other amazing figures.

I will actually have some reviews coming up of some of these figures, so you will be able to get a more in depth look if anything here peaks your interest. Without further ado, let’s begin.

Funko Legacy Rocketeer

While Funko’s Legacy line has been plagued with issues among the 2 Game of Thrones waves, the Firefly wave, the lack of paint details in their Magic the Gathering line, and even some people’s experience with this figure itself, he makes my list. The Rocketeer movie came out in 1991, so I was sophomore in high school at the time, but it was one of the more faithful adaptations of a comic book to film that had happened yet. While the initial promo images suggested the rocket pack and the front flap to the jacket were going to be removable, the production figure did not. The swappable heads might require a little heat to avoid breaking the neck, and the hips could be an issue, but I have never had a problem with mine. I am happy to have a figure of a movie I loved (and still love), that I can display with a Hasbro WW2 era Captain America, so they can fight for the USA.

DC Collectibles CW Arrow v 2.0 >

I have been a fan of the CW’s Arrow since season one, so when DC Collectibles announced they were making figures, I was excited. We first got the season one look with the grease paint in a 2 pack with “Deathstroke”, everyone wanted the season 2 look with the domino mask and compound bow. This figure represents it fairly well, and comes with the bow and a few arrows. While the articulation does limit the poses he can get into, for instance he can’t get into a full draw of the bow pose, he can be displayed in some fight scenes with other figures in his scale. I am anxiously waiting for the next figure in his season 4 “Green Arrow” look.

NECA Aliens series 5 Ripley

The Alien franchise was another series that helped influence my early teenage years. I was only 10 when Aliens came out in theaters, so I experienced it on television at home later, but it left an impression on my tastes in sci-fi/horror films. This look for Ripley, is the one I think of the most when I think of the character. The other obvious look is her in the bra and panties, but the likelihood of that being done in figure form is slim to none, so I am happy to have the version in the collection. Ripley has all the articulation that you would come expect from any of the newer NECA figures, especially any of the “Ultimate” figures. While I think the facial expression is a little vacant, I prefer it to some always angry/screaming face.

Mezco One:12 Collective Judge Dredd

Mezco’s One:12 Collective line wowed the online toy community last summer con season when the initial figures were shown off. My exposure to Judge Dredd has been limited to a few of the Batman/Dredd comic book crossovers and the dreadfully panned Stallone Dredd movie. With that said, when I saw the initial prototype of the Mezco Judge Dredd figure, I knew I had to get him. He scales really well with other 6 inch figures, and if you have any of the ThreeA WWP 6 inch figures from Ashley Wood, you have some readymade dregs for Dredd to bust. His shoulder armor pieces are held in place by small magnets, as is his badge. This is an amazing idea, and works pretty well, as it allows them to shift when you move his arms. The suit it tight, and is a faux leather like material, so he can’t really get into any deep crouches or extreme poses, but for some typical Dredd poses, he’s more than capable, and he looks like he’s come straight from a comic. The next question is, do I really need his upcoming Lawmaster motorcycle?

NECA Ultimate T-800 Terminator

If you’re reading this, you might wonder why I included this figure when NECA already released basically the same figure 3 times before. While I have some of the original figures, this “Ultimate” version comes with 3 heads, is loaded down with assorted weapons, and has articulated legs. That last bit was the biggest selling point for me. While I liked the previous figures, they had static legs in a single pose, so you couldn’t make any little adjustments, or even pose him on a motorcycle, which was a big set piece from the film. There were comments online that the Terminator didn’t need to be getting into Spiderman poses, but I have 2 pictures in the gallery to show why this update was needed. Both from scenes that are integral to the story progression in the film. I’m happy to have him, and I can now retire the cobbled together “custom” I made a few years ago.

Hasbro Transformers Devastator

Growing up in the 80s, you had to have at least a passing knowledge about the Transformers, even if you weren’t a fan. I was a fan, and had quite the collection of the “Generation 1” toys growing up, and the combing group of evil Decepticons, the Constructicons, were among some I wanted. I don’t remember if I had them all as a kid, but I know I had a few of them. Just ahead 30 years and some of the independent “third party” companies created their own updated versions of the combiners and the combined form, Devastator. It wasn’t until last year that we found out that Hasbro was going to release their own version of the Decepticon stalwart, but he was going to be at Toys R Us. The figure is huge, practically dwarfing small children. While he does have a few issues, he is an imposing figure that you can find at retail if you’re lucky, for less than the “third party” versions cost.

NECA 7″ Christopher Reeve Superman

When I think of Superman, Christopher Reeve’s version is the one I usually think of first. While I have the Hot Toys version, I was hoping for a version that would fit in with my DCC Arrow figures, as well as the Michael Keaton Batman figure NECA snuck out last year. As it turns out, NECA and WB were working on something, because NECA announced on Twitter that there would be a bundle with assorted DVDs, of not just a shrunken down version of their 1/4 scale Christopher Reeve Superman, but their Heath Ledger Joker, and Adam West Batman figures. They were first available through ebay, but eventually started to show up on Toys R Us stores. Those were the only 2 options, and unfortunately for those looking and not aware, NECA has their own reps who go to TRU to stock the shelves, so their products don’t show up in TRU’s system. That was only part of the problem, as we found out that in the rush to get these figures out before the holidays, the first batch of Superman figures (and in some cases the other 2 figures as well) suffered from some weak plastic/molding issues, and were breaking right out of the package, and in some cases, IN the package. I grew up with this as MY Superman, so I was willing to risk the issues to get an in scale movie Superman to go with my other similar figures. I have 3 of them, all of which have no issues, so that should attest to how much I love this figure.

DC Collectibles Batman The Animated Series Batman

Coming after the bombastic success of the Tim Burton Batman movie, this animated series took the gothic feel of the movie and combined it with an amazing design sense and incredible storytelling. The series debuted right before I graduated from high school, but it didn’t stop me from fully enjoying it, and even getting some of the old action figures. Over the years, fans would wonder aloud if we would ever get 6 inch, updated figures inspired by the series. Cue DC Collectibles, who announced figures of not just the original series, but of the New Batman Adventures slight reboot. There are many amazing figures thus far in the line, depending on your preferred animated look, and DCC has even listed to fans and improved the figures as they have gone forward. While the figure itself suffers from some limited articulation due to the design, he looks amazing just standing there with Robin next to him, and the Batmobile behind then.

Mezco One:12 Collective TDKR Batman

Frank Miller’s Batman The Dark Knight Returns reinvigorated Batman after a lull in the 70s, and following the Batman craze of the Adam West Bat era. While action figure and comic fans have gotten occasional figures of some of the characters over the years, we never got anything truly amazing. That all changed when Mezco announced and showed off their One:12 Collective TDKR Batman figure. He was a 6 inch figure in a cloth outfit, with sculpted head, hands and feet. This was new territory, and looked like an attempt at pulling off Hot Toys style in a 6 inch format. There have been 5 versions (black and white 2015 NY Toy Fair, standard back & gray, Previews (comic shop) light blue & gray with bat oval; a Mezco exclusive dark blue & gray; and a battle damaged version with the Mutant Leader at this year’s SDCC. He comes loaded out with extra hands, an extra head, flight stand on a bat symbol base, and depending on the version you get, a hand gun or even a sniper rifle from a pivotal scene from the book. The articulation is outstanding, and the tailoring on the costume is almost Hot Toys level. I have 2 versions myself, and hope to eventually see a TDKR Superman, Joker and Carrie Kelly Robin in this style. Based on release schedule though, might be waiting a while. They might make a best of 2020 or beyond list, if it happens.

DC Collectibles Batman The Animated Series Batmobile

Yes, I know you’re saying to yourself: “This isn’t an action figure.” You’d be correct, but it is a vehicle FOR action figures, and an amazing one at that Those of us who collect figures are used to the cheap, generally undersized vehicles that mainstream companies trot out to “appease” fans who ask for them, just look at the retail shelves right now. Occasionally companies with throw us a bone, but that doesn’t always work either, look at the Matty Collector Ghostbusters Ecto-1 that Mattel announced in 2013. That item had some of the same ingredients this Batmobile has, but was being sold for quite a bit more. The Batmobile has rubber tires that rotate, front wheels that you can steer right/left, fights 2 of the DC Collectibles Batman figures, and has several light up features for about $100. The thing is massive, made of a nice sturdy plastic, and looks like it drove straight out of your TV. This is a centerpiece to any collection for Batman fans, and I am certainly happy to name it my toy of the year.

Darrah Designs

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