Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

 Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Fright Features, Ecto Collection, Goo Jitsu

Blame the 2020 pandemic all you want, but Hasbro did their fair share in judging the demand for new Ghostbusters products.  Several successful GB-related Haslab crowdfunds and one successful movie relaunch later, they are getting another chance with Frozen Empire heading toward theaters in March.  With only a couple month away, how has Hasbro done with the toy aisles?  Well, about as good as they did with Indiana Jones:  not much.  And what little there is out there is mainly available at Target and online retailers.  Sigh...post 2008 movie launches...

So far its all been geared toward younger audiences with the continuation of the Real Ghostbusters inspired "Fright Features" movie line.  I dig them for what they are:  toon representations of the actors along with their signature gear.  They do get away with some body reuse, but they have added a few more paint apps (name tags, undershirts, elbow pads).  Best part about these, just like the original RGB figures, you get a hero and a ghost in one pack.

Gone are the action feature ghost gimmick from last time.  Now we have hollow rubber ghosts intended to be stretched over our Busters.  I feel they cheaped out on this plastic-wise, but the sculpts on the ghosts are pretty good.  Slimer in particular.  He looks just like the real deal!  Ghostbusters prime, even!  Since he was omitted from the 6-inch figure line, he makes a great stand-in.

Speaking of the 6-inch "Plasma Series" line...no word yet if we're getting anything new.  Maybe just because of the risk of spoiling the movie?  I would like to believe that, but we've seen how behind Hasbro gets in delivering demand waaaay into the cooling off period of a property (BABY YODA, anyone?).  Still holding out hope for some GB II in this scale.  Hope, but not my breath.

Beyond action figures, Hasbro has skipped the marshmallow goo gimmick and has gone with pure blind box gimmicks for their Slimer and mini-Puft Ecto Collection.  They are more substantial hunks of plastic than the previous pufts, but get off cheap by swapping out varying face plates, heads, and apps.  12 figures here, but really only 6 unique sculpts.  If they are your thing, there is a letter code faintly stamped on one side of the box to help you determine which figure you're getting. 

What else...a revamped play proton wand...redecoed car...some sort of interactive Slimer doll things...oh, and a stretchy Stay Puft.  Good for stress relief if anything else, especially while we wait to see if Hasbro, and the movie itself, drops the ball this time.

The Gobbledy Gooker

 The Gobbledy Gooker

Mattel WWE

    Mattel serves up quite a Thanksgiving feast with this "Jaw-Dropping Debuts" two-pack.  Of course, we get a great first-appearance Undertaker as the dressing, but the main course is the Gobbledy Gooker.    

It's a crime the likes of Johnny Knoxville, Zodiac, and the Shockmaster got figures before this one.  He's a 24/7 champ, for crying out loud!  And even a spectacular fail like this turkey is, he definitely stands out in memory. 

He's appropriately goofy and brightly colored.  Mattel did a great job on the rubbery overlaid costume pieces.  And just look at those feet!

The accessories really take it the extra mile.  Who would have expected his giant egg?  Or an alternate head featuring his modern look?

The Gooker is a welcomed obscurity on my WWE shelf.  He can also stick around and hang with my growing collection of holiday figures.

Boo Berry

Boo Berry

Monster Cereals - Jada Toys

He's a year behind his brethren, but he made it home in time for Halloween!  My favorite of the General Mills' Monster Cereals, Boo Berry is ready to "Monster Mash" a complete an balanced breakfast.

Naturally, he's smaller than Frankenberry and Count Chocula.  He's lighter in articulation as well.  Of course, he ain't got no legs!  He does have a flight stand that keeps him floating like a phantom and eye-level with the others.

Aside from the stand, he comes with his mini cereal box.  No additional head or hands like the other monsters.  Not that he needs them, but what about compared value?  

It's all in the paint.  He's got a nice, ghostly blue that fades into his special feature:  He glows in the dark!  I love glow in the dark figures!

Unfortunately, he doesn't hold his glow for very long before needing recharging at your nearest light source.  Still, it looks nice and spooky for the short time one should be sharing at toys in the dark.

It must be the paint blend that keeps the glow down, because look at the cereal box:

Wowsers!  You can see every detail, even the tiny "GM" logo.  It's bright, and it lasts quite a long time!  The box he came in (one I will save, like the rest) also comes with a healthy green glow.

The gangs all here...well...not really.  Frute Brute is a must, and I'm partial to Yummy Mummy.  Poor Mummy got left out of the cereal prize promos last time around.  And now Carmella Creeper is here to take their limelight!  

Wendy's DC Super Heroes

Wendy's DC Super Heroes

Kid's Meal Toys

I couldn't even venture to guess the last time we got a Wendy's kids meal toy that wasn't at least half comprised of cardboard and stickers.  This DC Super Heroes promotion takes us back to days of old in more way than one.  Aside from getting our money's worth in plastic, these figurines are reminiscent of 80s/90s properties we love.  MUSCLE, CUTIES, Monster in My Pocket...sure they are cheap to produce, unpainted minis, but they are so much fun to collect!

The exaggerated, toony sculpt are right up my alley.  Refreshing to see an original take not tied to a horrible movie promotion.  Though, that's probably why I only heard about these through word of mouth.  (Coincidently while reading a retro article on Monster in My Pocket.)

You get three figures per box...three!  Unheard of value there!  Each set is a themed group with six sets to collect.  Well, to be a completist, you would be collecting 24 sets, as each set comes in one of four colors: red, blue, green, and purple.  It is a bit strange having a purple Flash...who do I look like?  Geoff Johns?!

Wendy's did us a solid by not sticking to true the "mystery box" gimmick.  There is a sealed box involved, but there is also a number and color for the set inside on the bottom of the box.  As an added bonus, there are mini trading cards for each figure!

I would like to see this theme return in the future.  The villains are way outnumbered and some DC staples are noticeably absent.  How about a whole Batman promotion to get a good chunk of his rogues gallery in this style?  

I imagine this promotion will carry on through Halloween. Don't sleep on these if you are a DC fan and/or fan of 80s/90s toys.  

Titan Hero Sentinel

 Titan Hero Sentinel

Marvel, X-Men '97 - Hasbro

Everyone's favorite comic-adapted cartoon is back!  No, not Batman: The Animated Series.  Okay, everyone's second favorite comic-adapted cartoon is back!  X-Men '97 is on the way with some new toys to boot!  Marvel Legends six-inch scale will be later, but the four-inch Epic Hero scale is beginning to hit stores now, along with a compatible Blackbird jet and and one big baddie:  the Sentinel.  

These "Titan" figures are about fourteen inches tall and can be good enough to stand in with Legends figures.  (Thank goodness for the Arcade Game and fighting games for allowing us to fudge scale on these army builders.) 

They aren't super articulated, but sport more than standard, twelve-inch scale Hasbro offerings.  Paint and detail are minimal, but they match the cartoon and the comic source material.  Big, solid robots...nuff said.

As for army building, I went in for two...for now.  I've already got the Haslab Sentinel as Master Mold, a couple of Marvel Universe, one Toy Biz build-a-figure, and two re-released/upgraded 90s Toy Biz.  Robots get upgraded all the time, so my head canon changes to explain the size and design differences.

These new ones are $22 each, but I got mine as Amazon Warehouse steals for $15 (damaged packaging).  I like them enough to add a few more down the line, but will also keep my eyes open for another deal before I jump.  

If you don't have any Sentinels to menace your mutants, you cant lose with these.  If you like army building, they are worth picking up as well, even if you have more advanced "machs."  Grab them now to reenact the soul-crushing opening from the original series where (spoilers) Morph bites it and Beast gets incarcerated for several seasons!