Action Figures

Review of Diamond Select Toys Marvel Select Avengers: Infinity War Captain America

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Captain America
Avengers: Infinity War
Marvel Select
Diamond Select Toys
Sculpt by Gentle Giant
Retail: $22.99

Captain America is about as iconic as they come. He represents the best of humanity and is a hero in every respect.

The Diamond Select Toys Marvel Select Infinity War Captain America figure is very well done. He is a hero in his own right.

He comes in the Marvel Select bubble packaging that we are accustomed to. The figure is well displayed in the packaging and most of the accessories are visible as well. The back of the card gives us a synopsis of Infinity War and a brief description of the figure.

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The figure itself is rather nice. The face sculpt is decent, but is a little soft. The bearded face is a new look for Cap in this movie and I think Gentle Giant did a good job sculpting the facial hair. I also like the little details like the battle damaged areas on his uniform.

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I really like the articulation on this figure. The packaging states 16 points of articulation, but I am going to be a bit more generous as some of the points are double jointed. I am saying 23.

  • Ball-and-socket joint at the neck (x1)
  • Swivel hinges at each shoulder (x2)
  • Swivel joints at each shoulder (x2)
  • Hinge joints at each elbow (x4)
  • Swivel hinges at each wrist (x2)
  • Ball-and-socket joint at mid-torso (x1)
  • Swivel joint at waist (x1)
  • Swivel hinges at each hip (x2)
  • Swivel joints at each thigh (x2)
  • Hinge joints at each knee (x4)
  • Rocking hinges at each ankle (x2)

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Accessories are fairly standard here, but there are a few character specific items that are really cool. He comes with four sets of interchangeable hands, two retracted shield cuffs, two expanded shields, and a stand.

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The expanded shields are kinda cool as they have can extend and retract as well.

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He can be displayed without the shields and shield cuffs, too.

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Breakdown:

  • Playability – 5 out of 5. I think Cap has some really great playability! He does run a bit on the collector end of things, but I can totally see him battling Thanos.
  • Packaging  – 5 out of 5. The bubble packaging is fairly standard for Marvel Select, but everything is well displayed within the bubble, the images are nice, and the breakdown on the back is neat.
  • Paint and Sculpt – 4 out of 5. The face sculpt is a bit soft. He reminds me more of Jake Gyllenhaal, but the likeness is almost there. I do like the facial hair sculpting and the little details in the uniform.
  • Standability – 5 out of 5. I am happy to say this guy has some good standabillity. His legs are solid and the ankles are tight. Plus, he comes with a stand.
  • Articulation – 5 out of 5. 23 is a good number. It makes for some really nice displayable poses.
  • Accessories – 5 out of 5. While fairly standard, the swap-ability of the shields/cuffs and the expandability of the shields is really cool.
  • Affordability – 5 out of 5. $23.99 is a nice, affodable price point for such a detailed figure.

Overall impression: 34 out of 35 is a home run for DST on this figure. I would highly recommend it for collectors and players.

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** Captain America, Avengers, and Thanos are owned by Marvel and Disney. 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. **

Review of Diamond Select Toys Marvel Select Avengers: Infinity War Captain America

Action Figure Maniac Reviews: Mattel: Batman v Superman: 6 Inch Aquaman

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DC Comics Multiverse: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: 6 Inch Aquaman
Mattel
Retail: $19.99 @ Target

It seems all of my lamenting about not being able to find Mattel’s Batman v Superman 6 inch Aquaman was for nothing! I found him, and then I found him again, and again. He’s everywhere now!

Aquaman comes in the second wave of 6 inch BvS figures from Mattel. The other two are ‘Nightmare’ Batman and Lex Luthor.

As with the others, Aquaman comes in a fairly attractive window box. The only difference between the package from this series and the first is the inclusion of the new wave of figures on the back of the packaging. We also get teased with a yet-to-be-revealed 8th figure in the line. The silhouette is very reminiscent of Superman.

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Aquaman is easily a diamond-in -the-rough in this line. Although he had little actual screen time, Mattel put a lot of effort into him. He has a great likeness to Jason Momoa, including the scar in his left eyebrow.

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Again, we get a lot of detail on the body of this figure. The tattoos look really solid and all of the gold armor looks good. Weird fact: I am obsessed with the stitching on the inside of his gauntlets.

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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)
  • Swivel joint at the waist (x1)
  • Swivel joints at each hip (x2)
  • Hinge joints at each hip (x2)
  • Swivel joints at each thigh (x2)
  • Hinge joints at each knee (x2)
  • Hinges at each ankle (x2)

The bits of disappointment with the articulation have been seen in other figures in the series: neck is hard to articulate because of the solidly sculpted hair, no mid-torso articulation (he’s a swimmer for goodness sake!), and no rocker ankles.

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Compared to the others, he looks really cool. Seeing them together makes me excited to see what the team looks like in the Justice League movie.

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He comes with his trident, which is silver, not gold, and with two articulating grapnel hooks for the collect & connect piece.

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Breakdown:

  • Playability – 4 out of 5. He’s a good looking figure. A bit more articulation would make him a perfect play piece.
  • Packaging  – 4 out of 5. I’m still disappointed that we don’t get some type of character bio, but it looks really nice.
  • Paint and Sculpt – 5 out of 5. Home run for Mattel on this one! He looks like Momoa and all the tattoos are cool. He is a little hunch-backed, but I can overlook it.
  • Standability – 4 out of 5. No rocker ankles means that truly dynamic poses are difficult, but he still stands well enough.
  • Articulation – 3 out of 5. Missed some points here for the ankles, torso, and hair – although his neck is more forgiving than Wonder Woman’s.
  • Accessories – 1 out of 5. He has an accessory! Yes! But it’s silver! Dang! I feel better about completing the grapnel now, but it adds no true value to the figure in my opinion.
  • Affordability – 5 out of 5. $19.99 works well here. He is very affordable for collectors and fans alike.

Overall impression: 26 out of 35. Not bad, not bad at all! I like this figure a lot! If it weren’t for the points off on accessories and articulation, he would have made one of my top figures lately. I wish Mattel had taken him to the next level, but he’s still a great figure!

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And just because I was getting creative:

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** 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: Batman v Superman: 6 Inch Aquaman

Action Figure Maniac Reviews: Mattel: DC Comics Multiverse: Batman v Superman: 6 Inch Superman

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

Well, Batman v Superman has been out in theaters for over a week now. The reviews have been mixed, and so have my reviews of Mattel’s 6 inch movie figures.

Up next is the 6 inch Superman figure. He is one of the first four figures released. The others are Wonder Woman, Batman, and Armored Batman

The window box these figures come packaged in is fairly nice. Superman is very visible in the center of the window. The back shows us the collect & connect Batman grapnel gun and the other figures in the series. One the side, we get a nice picture of Superman and a movie synopsis.

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Superman looks quite nice, but for some reason, Mattel cannot get Cavill’s face correct. He looks squished up.

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They do add a lot of detail to his costume though. There is texture everywhere and the details on his belt, flanks, wrists and boots are well done.

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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)
  • Swivel joint at the waist (x1)
  • Swivel joints at each hip (x2)
  • Hinge joints at each hip (x2)
  • Swivel joints at each thigh (x2)
  • Hinge joints at each knee (x2)
  • Hinges at each ankle (x2)

I don’t understand why, when Superman is a flying character, he didn’t get mid-torso articulation. It would have made for better flight poses. As with the other figures in the line, there is no rocker ankle. I can get some dynamic poses, but not as good as I would have gotten with the rocker.

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The trinity looks quite amazing all together.

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There are no character specific accessories, which is a bummer. He does come with the pistol grip for the collect & connect grapnel.

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Breakdown:

  • Playability – 3 out of 5. I really like the feel of this figure and he is one of my favorite DC characters. That said, a figure alone, does not make a very playable figure. Some sort of accessories would have been nice and limitations in the articulation are a little disappointing.
  • Packaging (formerly Collectability) – 4 out of 5. My only complaint about the the packaging is there is no bio. It is very displayable and quite attractive otherwise.
  • Paint and Sculpt – 3 out of 5. I love all the little details on the costume, but Mattel can’t seem to get a good sculpt of Cavill as Superman.
  • Standability – 4 out of 5. He stands pretty well, and, in a weird shift, the cape actually helps with some poses on this figure.
  • Articulation – 3 out of 5. 20 points is really nice, but without rocker ankles and a mid-torso articulation (which is more appropriate here than on Batman), I can’t get too excited.
  • Accessories – 0 out of 5. Another miss for Mattel. I am less concerned about finishing the collect & connect now, but it adds nothing to the figure itself.
  • Affordability – 5 out of 5. $19.99 is a good price point. He is affordable for collectors and casual fans alike.

Overall impression: 22 out of 35. Another low score for this line of figures. I really love Superman, and this figure isn’t horrible by any means. There just seems to be a lack of going the extra mile to make these knock-out figures. He does look awesome with the others and will make a decent addition to a collection.

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** 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: 6 Inch Superman

Action Figure Maniac Reviews: MOTUC: Serpentine King Hsss

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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** 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

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

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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** 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.

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

Action Figure Maniac Reviews: Mattel: DC Super Hero Girls

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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** 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.

Action Figure Maniac Reviews: Mattel: DC Super Hero Girls

Action Figure Maniac Reviews: Eaglemoss: Star Trek: Future Enterprise NCC-1701-D

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Star Trek: Future Enterprise NCC-1701-D
Eaglemoss
Retail: Varied, Secondary Market

I sang the praises of Eaglemoss in my last review. So, I will only mention here that the selection of ships in their Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection has me a happy geek!

This review will cover another of their premium subscription offerings – the future Enterprise NCC-1701-D. From what I have read, this was a free item offered to subscribers in the UK only. There might be two version. I am unsure which this is.

The Future D comes in the standard OSC packaging. A blue box with a molded clear plastic cover.

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The ship itself is quite beautiful. There are some really nice details. The aztec pattern is a bit dark for my tastes, but it is a nice edition.

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The added structural details: strut fins, phaser banks, third warp nacelle, phaser canons, and phaser lance are all well done.

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My only complaint about this offering, and it could be unique to mine, is that there are gaps in the nacelles near the Bussard collectors.

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When compared to the regular Enterprise-D, you can see the darkness of the aztec pattern, but the ship looks nice next to its younger self.

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Breakdown:

  • Playability – 5 out of 5. The future Enterprise-D has good weight and feels nice in the hand as you fly it around your room.
  • Collectibility – 5 out of 5. The packaging on this one makes for an awesome display and, as it is a subscriber gift, not everyone has it.
  • Paint Applications – 4 out of 5. I really like the paint apps on this … except for the dark aztecing.
  • Standability – 5 out of 5. She comes with a stand specifically designed to hold her in place. I forgot to take photos, sorry.
  • Articulation – N/A
  • Accessories – N/A
  • Affordability – 4 out of 5. As this is, for non-UK customers, a secondary market item, the price will vary. I paid a little less for this than the Borg Cube.

Overall impression: 23 out of 25. Eaglemoss’s future Enterpise-D is a solid piece. My only complaints are the aztecing and the gaps at the nacelles. The playability and details are really nice. If you are collecting this line, or are a fan of the future D, you should pick this up!

 

** Star Trek and related characters belong to CBS and Paramount. 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: Eaglemoss: Star Trek: Future Enterprise NCC-1701-D

Action Figure Maniac Reviews: Eaglemoss: Star Trek: Borg Cube

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Star Trek: Borg Cube
Eaglemoss
Retail: Varied, Secondary Market

Eaglemoss has been wowing me with their Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection. The detail and selection are amazing! I never thought we’d get a collection of Star Trek ships so vast.

One of their offerings is the Borg Cube! It was offered as a premium subscription gift. There are two version: UK release and Japanese release. This review is for the UK version.

You won’t see pictures of packaging here. It was a simple white box and I couldn’t see myself taking photos of a white box. That would be ludicrous.

Out of the box, the Cube is fairly nice looking. It has grey panels with sections cut out that display white backgrounds. The white sections are a bit disappointing, but they do have a purpose.

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When the Borg Cube is turned on, it has a really cool light-up feature.

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The panels are a bit flimsy, but when I picked up the Enterprise-D for comparison photos, I was reminded that many of the ships have light, flimsy plastic sections. I was afraid to apply too much pressure when unscrewing the battery cover none-the-less.

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There is no true scale in this line, but the Cube is quite a bit larger than the Ent-D.

Breakdown:

  • Playability – 5 out of 5. This has play written all over it, despite it being a collector’s piece.
  • Collectibility – 3 out of 5. The plain, white box packaging is disappointing. The other ships come in nice display boxes. That said, this is an exclusive offering and I had to find mine on eBay.
  • Paint Applications – 3 out of 5. The grey is appropriate, but there is no shading or variation. They could have made the paint apps a little more dynamic. The white, cut-out sections are distracting when the Cube is off, but are brilliant when on.
  • Standability – 4 out of 5. It’s a cube, it stands well. Ha! A stand would have given this a boost though.
  • Articulation – N/A
  • Accessories – N/A
  • Affordability – 3 out of 5. This is, for non-UK customers, a secondary market item. I found the price I paid affordable, but you may not.

Overall impression: 18 out of 25. Eaglemoss’s Borg Cube is a nice piece. There could have been some improvements, but the lights make it a really cool display when turned on. Collectors will be pleased.

 

** Star Trek and related characters belong to CBS and Paramount. 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: Eaglemoss: Star Trek: Borg Cube

Action Figure Maniac Reviews: Sideshow Collectibles: Star Wars: C3PO

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Star Wars: C3PO
Sideshow Collectibles
Retail: $229.99 @ BigBadToyStore

What can I say? I love droids! My favorites are the Astromech droids, but no R2D2 is complete without his C3PO. I was super excited to see Sideshow Collectibles offering him to accompany their R2D2 release.

This C3PO figure will not disappoint!

He comes packaged in a book-end style box. His pictures are prominently displayed on all sides, except the top and bottom, and when you open the magnetically attached front cover, the box displays C3PO in all of his glory. None of his accessories are viewable, though.

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Has an amazing 43 points of articulation thanks to is articulating fingers:

  • Ball-and-socket at the neck (x1)
  • Swivel joints at each shoulder (x2)
  • Hinges at each elbow (x2)
  • Swivel joints at each wrist (x2)
  • Finger hinges on each hand (x28)
  • Ball-and-socket at mid-torso (x1)
  • Ball-and-socket at waist (x1)
  • Ball-and-socket at each hip (x2)
  • Hinges at knees (x2)
  • Ball-and-socket at each ankle (x2)

The great thing about this figure is the crazy amount of detail Sideshow put into him. The dents, rust, and weather add a bit of realism. All the little gears, pistons, wires, and sensors look really nice. My favorite feature though … his light up eyes.

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There aren’t many accessories here. He comes with a comm device, two restraining bolts, and a stand. There is, according to the instruction manual, an exclusive version of the figure that has a damaged arm. I didn’t know about him, or I would have sprung for him. The restraining bolts are magnetic and will attach to 3PO’s chest. Getting him to hold the comm device is difficult, but with a little patience, you can make it happen.

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Breakdown:

  • Playability – 4 out of 5. C3PO offers a lot of nice play features, but he is meant for adult collectors. The tiny pistons and some of the senors seem a bit fragile.
  • Collectibility – 4 out of 5. I like the book-end packaging on collector’s figures, and this one is nice. The magnetic feature is cool, but I would have liked to see the accessories displayed better.
  • Paint Applications – 4 out of 5. Beautiful! As I said above, the weather and rust effects are so cool. I was a little disappointed that there was some packaging wear on his back end. The paint had rubbed off just slightly.
  • Standability – 5 out of 5. He stands well. The ball-and-socket joints at his ankles makes standing him easy, but the inclusion of the stand was a good choice.
  • Articulation – 5 out of 5. 43 points! Whoop! How often do you get articulated fingers?
  • Accessories – 2 out of 5. I was really disappointed here. 3 accessories (0ne of which is a duplicate) and a stand do not make for a happy figure collector. He could have come with a ton of other accessories. Plus, finding out I missed out on the exclusive bummed me out.
  • Affordability – 2 out of 5. $229.99 is steep. Note that this category is affordability, not worth – he is worth every penny. Hardcore collectors expect to pay these prices, but the tag is hefty for casual fans.

Overall impression: 26 out of 35. C3PO is a solid, well done collector’s figure. He stands nicely next to R2D2 and hardcore collector’s will be glad to have him.

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** Star Wars and related characters belong to Disney. 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: Sideshow Collectibles: Star Wars: C3PO

Action Figure Maniac Review: Diamond Select Toys: iZombie: Liv Moore

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iZombie: Liv Moore
Diamond Select Toys
Retail: $17.99 @ BigBadToyStore

I have never read the comic, but I am definitely digging the show. If you haven’t seen it, iZombie is about an up-and-coming young doctor turned zombie named Liv Moore. She isn’t your typical zombie though. She is smart, she works in a morgue for cover, eats the brains of the cadavers, and absorbs the memories and personality traits of those whose brains she eats. Its a lot of fun!

The Liv Moore figure from Diamond Select Toys is pretty nice!

She is nicely displayed on blister card packaging with all of her accessories prominently visible. The back of the card gives a great character description and photo of the figure itself.

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She is a fairly detailed figure and has 20 points of articulation:

  • Ball-and-socket at the neck (x1)
  • Rotating hinges at each shoulder (x2)
  • Rotating hinges at each elbow (x2)
  • Rotating hinges at each wrist (x2)
  • Rotating waist (x1)
  • Hinges at hips (x4)
  • Rotating thighs (x2)
  • Hinges at knees (x4)
  • Rotating hinges at each ankle (x2)

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Her face is beautiful and painted in her pale skin tones, the hair allows for amazing head positioning, and there is some great detail on her shirt and jacket.

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She comes equipped with two extra sets of hands, a hand holding chopsticks, a cup of pricey coffee, a bottle of hot sauce (its the only way she can taste her food), an emesis basin full of brains and ramen, a lead pipe, and a base.

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Breakdown:

  • Playability – 5 out of 5. She is pretty awesome. Her articulation and accessories make for a very playable figure.
  • Collectibility – 5 out of 5. The packaging is highly displayable. The colors are a little subdued, but it fits the character.
  • Paint Applications – 4 out of 5. Overall, the paint apps are really good. There was a bit of clumping at the face and the lines on the clothing could be cleaner. Also, there was paint wear at the elbow when I articulated the arm.
  • Standability – 5 out of 5. Static and action poses are totally do-able, especially with her base.
  • Articulation – 5 out of 5. 20 points makes for a solid, highly poseable action figure.
  • Accessories – 5 out of 5. DST surprised me on this one. She is chock-full of fun accessories.
  • Affordability – 5 out of 5. $17.99 is pretty affordable in the collector realm these days. No complaints.

Overall impression: 34 out of 35. She is pretty impressive overall. She could easily be a display piece or a fun action toy for the more imaginative.

iZombie007

 

Action Figure Maniac Review: Diamond Select Toys: iZombie: Liv Moore