Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Brian Pillman

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Brian Pillman

Mattel WWE Then Now Forever basics (Wal-mart)

It's the battle of the Hollywood Blondes!  Just kidding...still waiting on that Mattel tag team 2-pack.  Here we have the Texas Rattlesnake, Stone Cold Steve Austin with a set of gold knee braces and "smoking skull" belt. 

 Nice accessories for a basic figure ($10 and less articulation than the $20 Elite figures), as most basics get zilch.  I know the origin of the custom "smoking skull belt" but I'm having a hard time remembering when he had the gold braces and for how long.  Anyway, cool figure, even with the lack of Elite articulation.  I even like this head scan better than the Hall of Fame Target exclusive one I have.  The only gripe I have here is that the belt would look better with the shiny, vac-metal plastic.  That is the only time you will ever hear me say that about a toy...I hate vac-metal on my Transformers!

Next up, Flyin' Brian Pillman!  No, it's Loose Cannon Brian Pillman!  The tights on this figure are from his brief time with the 4 Horsemen in WCW.  He comes with a crutch accessory, which I assume has something to do with the ankle injury sustained from the car accident he had right before coming over to the WWE.  He was still in the action while laid up, feuding with his former WCW tag team partner Stunning Steve Austin...er...Stone Cold Steve Austin.  Which brings me to much-needed-but-lacking accessory:

Oh, yeah!  Now that's pure Attitude era there!  Stone Cold coming to Pillman's house, Pillman threatening to shoot him, a scuffle, shots fired, camera goes to black...pretty extreme stuff for the time.  Weird and exciting, but still just an angle, folks.  I know it's a big departure from seeing Ultimate Warrior run around and do the same 3 moves over and over, but calm down.

This figure came in a 2-pack with Dean Ambrose as a "loose canon" themed set.  I've seen Dean Ambrose wrestle, but have not been all that impressed or excited.  The set was a $20 Wal-mart exclusive, but I got it for $5 after Christmas clearance.  

Sorry, Dean...you're just a cheap accessory/bonus here.  Get in the bucket of misfit toys!

Random Marvel Legends

Random Marvel Legends:

Captain Marvel, Spider-Woman, Enchantress

There are so many figures out there that divide my attention (and funds), that I have to pass on a few every now and then...especially in the realm of comic book heroes.  Though, if you play the cards right, you can wager which ones will be giving you a second chance to pick them up...and usually at a discount.  Here are a few recent pickups I made at $9 a figure in the Wal-Mart clearance aisles:

I have the Carol Danvers Ms Marvel figure that Toy Biz put out a decade back...as Warbird?  Kinda looks like old-school Meg Ryan? Whatever.  Like most of their figures, the push for maximum articulation leaves them all gangly looking and barely able to stand.   Hasbro has made just the right adjustments.  

This version, Captain Marvel, has just the right balance of articulation to get some great action poses.  She also has an alternate, unmasked head and and energy effect that fits over her fist.  For my display, I'm sticking with the Kree mohawk!

Spider-Woman is from a different wave, but shares the same body as Captain Marvel.  This is fine for standing, but you won't be able to get her into any Spider-Man-like poses.  She's got a new head, of course, and some creepy posing hands.  She also comes with two types of underarm webs:  flared out and closed.  These plug into slots in the figure's triceps, but not as easily as they should.  Both options limit mobility above the waist, and tend to fall out with the slightest movement. 

Enchantress has a different female body sculpt.  One that is better suited to show off her *ahem* powers.  Yes, she comes equipped with two, huge...magic power thingies?  Hasbro is really getting some mileage out of this particular accessory with Dr. Strange, Dazzler, Scarlet Witch....just mold it in a different color and call it a day!  

Anyway, back to the sculpt.  She shares the same body type that Hasbro used on their Scarlet Witch.  And bringing things back around to the beginning, things have only improved since the Toy Biz days.   Yeesh!

WWE Mystery Minis

WWE MYSTERY MINIS

FUNKO

Yep, I fell for another "blind box" line.  Sort of.  I mean, these figures come in a case of twelve that are all packed the same way.  And somebody online is always kind enough to share the packing order to save you the headache of searching for your favorite Superstar and ending up with Roman Reigns over and over again. (BOOOOOOOO!)  Also, someone had already opened all the boxes when I found this crop. These are a little under six bucks at Wal-mart.  Not bad for sturdy, cute little caricatures.  They stand at an average of 3 inches high.

Bret "the Hitman" Hart is the most colorful of this second wave.  (So much black throughout.)  There are some nice details on his tank top and tights.  Also, pretty rad that his shades are translucent plastic, and they actually painted his eyes back there.

It's strange that they went with a more classic Dusty Rhodes over his yellow polka dot look he had during his time in the WWF.  A missed opportunity to bring some color to this series.  I would also take this variation, but I'm sure that's off the table.

"The Million Dollar Man" Ted Debiase at least has the Million Dollar Championship belt over his shoulder to brighten things up.  The black suit might be his standard, but there are other choices that would have been better here.

I guess if you gotta go with "Crow" Sting, the only real color variation would be Wolfpac Sting.  No thanks.  I'm gonna hold out for multiple Surfer Stings!  Oh well...at least the paint on the face and scorpions is crisp and clear.

I've seen Wave 2 on shelves at most Walmarts now, with remnants of Wave 1 scattered here and there. There are supposed to be a couple of exclusive minis in assortments at Target, but I have not been able to find these in my area yet.  They're holding Razor Ramon, Sgt. Slaughter, and Jake the Snake ransom at my most hated of chain stores?!  Ugh...character exclusives...

Marvel Legends Icons - Spider-man and Captain America

Marvel Legends Icons

Spider-man and Captain America

Hasbro - 12-inch figures

It's been over 10 years since Toy Biz introduced their 12-inch line of Marvel Legends Icons, and just this last year, Hasbro brought them back!  The sculpting and quality have improved, as have the accessories...but is it enough to ease the jump in price from $20 to $50 a figure?  Nah.  I have some of the older figures, so these were a "pass" until I saw them on clearance for $20-25 at Wal-Mart and Amazon.  For that price, make mine Marvel!

It's your friendly neighborhood Spider-man!  Just a little bit bigger!  This is an up-size on the 6-inch "pizza" Spidey that Hasbro released last year, so the sculpt and articulation are comparable. You get the half-masked head and interchangeable hands, but instead of a slice of pepperoni, you get a fully unmasked Peter Parker head.  The only other change would be that the shade of blue on the 12-inch figure is much darker, almost navy.

(What the hell?  I didn't know Zack Snyder was doing Marvel now?!  ...Oh no?  Thank goodness. If there is one character that shouldn't have the joy sucked out of him, it's Spider-man).  Anyway, at least the smaller figure is the appropriate true-blue. 

Captain America's blue is a little dark, too.  That might be appropriate with this more modern costume choice for all I know.  The detail on the lines and scales is great, as is the metal scuffing paint job on the kneepads. Accessories: extra hands, unmasked head, and separate headpiece to hold.  The shield has straps to hold it on his arm.  It can also be plugged into his back.  To do so, you press the star on his chest to pop out the star on his back, revealing the hole to plug the shield...yeah, it's almost a weird action feature. Careful: I almost threw away the star from his back, as I apparently pressed the star on his front while I was unboxing him. I didn't notice the back-star drop out, but, luckily, found it on the floor later.

The biggest complaint I have with Cap, aside from the blue, is that both heads are kind of dead-eyed.  Not even a hint on the mouth that he could be capable of smiling and...oh no!  Damn you, Zack Snyder!  

Must...combat...grim...superhero....syndrome.....

Whew!  That's better!  Thanks, big-noggin Spidey!

The Legend of Zelda: Bokoblin, Shadow Link, Breath of the Wild (Wii U)

The Legend of Zelda

Bokoblin, Shadow Link, Breath of the Wild

Bokoblins are prevalent enemies in The Legend of Zelda:  The Wind Waker.  They are smaller offshoots of the classic Zelda baddies, the Moblins.  They don't go into the evolution (or de-evolution) of these creatures in the flooded future of Hyrule (*see the convoluted timeline of Zelda games), but it really doesn't matter.  They may be smaller, but they still work for Ganon...and now they are nautical pirates!  Cool!

They are smaller, but a bit bigger than the figures here.  These are a little undersized as they come from the World of Nintendo 2.5-inch line...I'm just fudging it to stand in with the 4-inch line.
They're pretty nice as far as the smaller figures go.  They have movable arms and heads, and ball-jointed tails.  The only disappointment here is that their hands are molded as if they should be holding something:  swords, torches, or sticks not included, unfortunately.  At about $4 a piece, I bought 3 to give my Ganon figure some backup on the toy shelf.

Another item I recently picked up, on a similarly Zelda-ish theme, is Shadow Link.

Shadow Link may be a repaint, but he's also a completely different character that has appeared in several Legend of Zelda Games.  This version is from Ocarina of Time where he is the only saving grace of the horribly designed Water Temple.  This figure is a Spencer's Gifts exclusive priced at $19.99.  He comes with the same sword and shield accesso...what?!  Spencer's Gifts?!!  Twenty bucks?!!   Aside from the bizarre choice of retailer, that's a huge markup for a line where figures range from $8-12.  Would it have killed them to have thrown in a Biggoron sword or something?

Ah, well...he is evil incarnate after all.  I only got this one because I scored a couple bucks off on Amazon with a damaged package warehouse deal.

Wait a minute...the packaging said "Shadow Link," but the Zelda Wiki said he is not to be confused with "Dark Link"... the character this toy actually looks like.  What?  So an officially licensed product got it wrong?  Way to go, Big N!  Boy, I really hope somebody got fired for that blunder. (*pushes up nerd glasses*)

And finally, in this all-Zelda post...

I purchased Breath of the Wild on its release date for Wii U.  I didn't preorder it (as I kinda hated the last Zelda game, Skyward Sword), but glowing, early reviews gave me the itch.  I stopped at almost every one of the nine Walmarts and (I don't know how many) Gamestops before I found a single copy for Wii U left on the shelf (at the scabbiest Wally in town).

I get that they want you to buy the new Nintendo Switch on its launch day, but that's ridiculous. There were plenty of copies of the game for Switch at every store.  And I understand that Wii U was a lackluster system -- but it's no secret that this game was developed several years ago for the Wii U....and now Nintendo deliberately short supplies it for that system?  *Sigh*...They make it really hard to be die-hard Nintendo fans.

Anyway, it is as good as all the reviews made it out to be.  The big, open world...freedom to choose your own path...exploration blah blah blah.  It's great.  However, I do have a few nitpicks. The boss battles (various forms of Ganon) are pretty weak.  Weapon durability and food crafting can be tedious, at least starting out.  There aren't proper "dungeons" and most everything is on the surface world.  But hey, they couldn't give us all that in one game...what would they have left for next time?

Minor gripes aside, it's definitely worth the sticker price.  You could explore the world for months and months before taking out Ganon and still not experience everything the game has to offer.   I probably put in about 70 hours before I called it quits.  Not that I was tired of it, I just wanted to leave something for the next playthrough.

Also, it's worth mentioning that I suffered from withdrawal for a week or so after I put down the controller...and that's a good thing.

Goldust vs Rowdy Roddy Piper

Goldust vs Rowdy Roddy Piper

Mattel - WWE Elite and Entrance Greats

Goldust is a future WWE Hall of Famer.  To me, it's hard to believe he's not in the HoF already.  Dustin Rhodes, son of the great Dusty Rhodes, struggled to make a name for himself in early on in WCW and WWE.  He definitely had the skill and ability, but his overall ring persona was lacking.  Boy, did he pull a 180 on that one!  Goldust debuted in September of 1995 looking very much like this figure here. Like a Hollywood drag queen armed with an arsenal of sexually suggestive mannerisms, taunts, and movie references, "the bizarre one" helped usher in the beginning of the Attitude Era.  Goldust is still wrestling today, as tried-and-true and just as weird as ever!

They really nailed the head scan on this figure. The expression is just perfect!

He comes with a removable soft-plastic wig and robe.  Unlike most figures with removable goods, both the wig and robe look great on the figure...not ill-fitting at all.  He will most likely always be displayed with them on in my figure displays.  He also came with a plastic stand and cardboard backdrop that forms a bigger backstage area when combined with other figures in the series.   

This figure is a part of WWE Elite Series 47.  I picked him up on Amazon at the standard price of $19.99.  If you love the Attitude Era or just colorful wrestling gimmicks of old, you've gotta have this Goldust in your collection!

As a bonus in this review, and a throwback to their Hollywood Backlot Brawl in Wrestlemania XII, I'm tossing in a Mattel Entrance Greats Rowdy Roddy Piper that I picked up off of Ebay pretty cheap.  He is a basic buck (not Elite articulated) and comes with removable shirt and kilt, a set of bagpipes, and a stand that plays his entrance theme. Mattel hasn't made a great deal of Piper figures.  Most are gear-no gear variants of this.  In my opinion, this head scan is the best of the two out there and that alone makes it worth tracking down.  Fingers crossed to see more Piper variants in years to come! (Leather jacket with panther shirt and half-n-half body paint to name a few...okay, so that one's probably not gonna happen.) 

The Mad Hatter and 89 Batmobile

The Mad Hatter and 89 Batmobile

DC Collectibles - Mattel/Hot Wheels

Today we're looking at another figure from DC Collectibles' 6-inch scale Batman: The Animated Series line, The Mad Hatter. He comes with a Queen of Hearts Guard battle ax and mind control console; and also comes with two additional sets of hands and an adjustable stand that is standard to the line.  He's got similar articulation problems to the Scarecrow I previously reviewed.  The big, rubber coat makes joints from neck to ankles pointless.  Does it look like the character on screen?  Sure. But I have to ask again, is this a huge step up from the old Kenner line?  If you missed out on that line, you should be buying in...Batman: TAS is still the best Batman universe outside of the comics. And now, to discuss another loosely-related toy...

Batman (1989) was THE blockbuster movie of my childhood. You couldn't escape that golden bat-symbol that summer: t-shirts, posters, toys, Taco Bell cups...it was everywhere! I will never forget my dad taking my younger sister and me in our Batman t-shirts to meet the caped crusader at a local mall (though I had the suspicion that it was not Michael Keaton under the cowl.)  Despite a few flaws, I will always have a soft spot for that movie.  Not that it under-delivers by any means...if the story wasn't perfect, at least the design was. And the one design that refuses to fade away in the toy aisles is the 89 Batmobile.

I will buy any version of this car I see on shelves.  This particular one is the Hot Wheels 1/64th scale.  It's a little more detailed than your standard 99 cent Hot Wheels -- which it should be, since it costs about 4 bucks more.


Now, you might be thinking that I just happened to throw these two toys together because they are Batman related toys I happened to have purchased recently. Yes. But there is one more connective thread: I happened to recently stumble across an audiobook of Batman ('89) on YouTube that is read by the actor who voiced the Mad Hatter on The Animated Series, Roddy McDowall! You should listen to it! It's weird! (I would not have pegged Bookworm to tolerate audiobooks...)