Action Figure Review: The Agent/ The Enemy from Soldiers of Fortune by Big Bad Workshop

 

   One of the companies who I'm most excited to see new releases from is Big Bad Workshop. They're most well known for Operation: Monster Force, their collaboration with Fresh Monkey Fiction, and other lines that are out or coming up such as Order of the Crimson Moon, Agents of Omega, C.O.P.S. & Crooks, more. Today I'm checking out another new project from Big Bad Workshop: Soldiers of Fortune. This is a brilliant line as it's simply an assortment of generic characters that cover a variety of different archetypes that blend well with other 1/12th scaled toylines. You've got secret agents, tactical soldiers, mercenaries, masked terrorists, and more. With swappable heads and hands, these guys can easily be worked in to your other 1/12th scaled toylines to add more hero or enemy troop builders or even to make your own versions of popular characters. I own three so far, receiving the first two figures back in February and the third just last week. Today I'm checking out The Agent/ The Enemy, the blue suited figure that is probably the most popular release from this series. Why's that? He's a blue suited generic agent. Is he a secret agent? A CIA operative? A member of the US Secret Service? An enemy from some secret, shadowy agency? That's up to you. His popularity is due to his versatility, no doubt, and probably not at all related to the fact that he comes with a head sporting a blue hood. I guess that some folks might want a blue hooded maniac for their action figure collections. Right? I mean, we have white hooded Snowtroopers in Star Wars: The Black Series, purple hooded Baron Zemo figures, and red hooded.... Red Hood figures, but it seems like there is some sort of untapped market for blue hooded action figures. I have my top investigative agents on this right now. Could other buyers really all want this guy? Collectors often bypass retail assortments and find ways to purchase action figures and accessories they want to create their favorite characters or characters that major companies ignore, so it seems like BBW is just giving collectors some more tools for their toolboxes. The Agent/ The Enemy offers up a fair assortment of extras to blend in well with G.I. Joe: Classified Series, Action Force, Marvel Legends, and other popular 1/12th scaled lines. Let's check out this guy after the break...

Figure Review: Koby from One Piece: The Shukko by Bandai Namco/ Banpresto

 

   It's time for another RossCon pickup! Back in February I was out at my nearest Ross and found this cool statue of Koby from One Piece. I'm not this far in the anime but my wife certainly is and she kind of keeps me up to speed on what's going on. She's pretty much always watching One Piece, so I'm definitely aware of many of the character developments. I know who Koby is and I've enjoyed seeing him grow and change in the series, even if he has joined the Marines. This version of Koby is a new release showing Koby post-timeskip dressed in his long Marine coat after being promoted to captain. Koby is part of a series of figures called The Shukko, means which apparently refers to  act of departure, taking off, or setting sail. It seems that this series of figures depicts characters in motion, as if they are walking, presumably heading out to sea. Interesting, right? It's not a full on action pose like the Battle Record Collection or just a neutral character pose like the Grandline Series; it's the Shukko, baby! Ready to depart to the high seas with Koby? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Kitty Pryde and Colossus from Marvel Legends Series: Astonishing X-Men by Hasbro

 

   I've mentioned during a number of Marvel Legends reviews that most of my familiarity with the X-Men in comics is from books prior to the year 2000. Those years are where I've read most of what was published (largely thanks to Marvel's excellent Epic Collections), though I certainly read bits and pieces of some post 2000s books here and there. While I'm not terribly familiar with the storyline of Astonishing X-Men, I definitely know the specific team-up and have collected them as they were released over the past couple of years. While there are always characters that could be added (like Armor, who is long overdue a figure), with this latest 2-pack of Kitty Pryde and Colossus we now have a complete "main" Astonising X-Men team: Cyclops, Emma Frost, Wolverine, Beast, Kitty Pryde, and Colossus. Oh, and Lockheed, who is included here as well. Ready to check out this new 2-pack? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Night-Viper from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   1989 might be my favorite year of the vintage G.I. Joe line. In terms of the characters themselves I'm more a fan of the characters between 84-87, when it comes to the quality, design, and engineering of the figures, I find it hard to beat 1988 through 1990. 1986 and 1987 figures were the first years I was collecting G.I. Joe but b7 1988,  was actively picking out figures on my own and I can recall looking for certain figures. The Cobra Night-Viper has always been one of my favorites and I'm thrilled to finally have one in the Classified Series. These guys have such a cool aesthetic; they're loaded with the gear they need to move around undetected at night while being completely aware of their surroundings due to both their extensive training and the image intensification equipment they carry. Is this guy going to be a complete win for me? Let's check him out after the break and find out...

Action Figure Review: X-23 from Marvel Legends Series: Deadpool and Wolverine by Hasbro

 

   I'm not crazy familiar with everything X-Men comic related post 2000 but you'd have to be pretty oblivious to all things Marvel to not recognize how successful X-23, AKA Laura Kinney, has been as a character. Initially introduced in the 2003 X-Men: Evolution animated series as a clone of Wolverine, Laura appeared in the comics within a year and has now become even a recognizable character in the movies. First appearing in the movie Logan, Dafne Keen reprised the role of X-23 in Deadpool and Wolverine as one of "The Others" banished to the Void. Last year Hasbro released an updated version of the X-Force X-23 (packaged with Warpath) so technically they've released two X-23 within 12 months. That's pretty impressive and definitely seems to show that Hasbro sees the popularity and potential in the character. I received X-23 along with Cowboypool as a gift recently and I have to say I've been quite impressed with this series of figures. The unique sculpts and the amount of accessories with most figures is pretty good, definitely more impressive than most comic based Marvel Legends figures. Ready to check out X-23? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Mole Rat [Stage 2] from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   I'm over halfway through the last series of G.I. Joe: Classified Series releases (only the Night-Viper remains) and many international fans already have the latest series in hand with Airtight and Overkill. Hey, I'm not the fastest and I'm OK with that. Today I'm checking out a "repaint" from the most recent series, though it's a figure that offers a bit more than the original release did: The Cobra Mole Rat. The Mole Rat was originally released in 2023 as a Walmart exclusive and he was one of the highlights of that year for me. Hasbro has included a Mole Rat [Stage 2] in this series and he's just as impressive as the first figure. Sure, the body is mostly a repaint, but there are some cool new deco designs and a brand new portrait, now giving this troop builder three different head sculpts. I know repaints used to be the bane of many collectors' existences back in the day but it's hard to get too worked up about them in the Classified Series since figures are no longer sold in waves or cases by any e-tailers I'm aware of (in the past you often had to purchase full cases to guarantee a set), they're rarely included with multipacks (ala the 25th Anniversary Joe line and so many multipacks from the late 1990s through the mid 2000s), and Hasbro's Joe team seems to put some solid though into these. The Mole Rat isn't a cheap figure these days, either, so the Stage 2 variant is a pretty welcome addition. What happens when you leave a Mole Rat infected by Dark Energon to fester? He really starts to mutate, turning into something that seems even beyond a zombie. Let's check this spooky fellow out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Cowboypool from Marvel Legends Series: Deadpool & Wolverine by Hasbro

 

   I've been a sucker for Deadpool figures ever since I was a kid and received the original Toy Biz Deadpool figure for Christmas in 1992. I'm not snapping up every figure from Hasbro Marvel Legends Deadpool & Wolverine line but there are definitely a couple that have really intrigued me. I recently received Cowboypool and X-23 as gifts and I'm pretty excited to have them. Cowboypool is a cowboy themed Deadpool; what's cooler than that? Voiced by Matthew McConaughey in the movie, Cowboypool is part of the Deadpool Corp that was formerly banished to the void. Need some more Deadpool figures to battle your standard Deadpool and Wolverine? Here's another one! Let's check out Cowboypool after the break...