Wrapping Up 2025: Catwoman (Batman Returns) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   Christmas was a month ago but I'm just getting around to checking out a few action figures that I received as presents from my family. I had bad luck finding the Batman Returns action figures from McFarlane Toys but my Mom and Dad didn't! No, indeed. On Christmas evening when we went to my parents house I found three of the four figures I was looking for from McFarlane Batman Returns subset of their DC Multiverse line underneath the tree (still no Penguin Commandos yet). I've talked many times before about Batman Returns and Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman (I think we even did an episode of the Confirmed Epic Podcast about the film) but in a film that is absolutely insane and wonderful, offering an incredibly strange take on Batman and the denizens of Gotham City from Tim Burton at the top of his craft and including a killer circus gang, an army of rocket launching penguins, Danny DeVito as the most terrifying Penguin you could imagine who literally bites a guys nose off, Keaton in his best Batman performance ever using gadgets galore, and Christopher Walken being delightfully evil, Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman is still the high point of this film. As someone who can debate and critique different Batman media interpretations all day, this film is still pretty high on my list even though it's just so strange and unlike the comics. It's just a wild, Elseworlds take on Batman that works oh so well.

   2026 might be the end of McFarlane Toys' time with the main DC license (it seems like they may still be involved, perhaps with the DC Direct license) but they seem to still be intent on putting out a massive amount of product. They've done a pretty solid job with getting out most film versions of Batman and most of the villains from said films but Batman Returns was what I've been really wanting for some time. These have been released with the moniker "Deluxe Theatrical Release," which seems like a marketing blurb, but they were also released for $35 bucks each. Yikes! That's a heck of a jump! McFarlane has done figures at higher price points, sure, but usually they came with some significant extras. That's not the case for these Batman Returns figures, though. Is this to cover licensing fees, tariffs, or because McFarlane may have (incorrectly) expected these to sell fewer figures? Who knows? This Catwoman has a solid likeness and is a long awaited release but do I feel she's worthy of a higher price point? I don't know. What I do know is that I feel so much yummier. Did I try to hard to force that line in? Maybe. Well, let's check out Catwoman after the break....

Wrapping Up 2025: Ghost Viper & D.I.R.E. (Dread-Inducing Responsive Energy) Beasts from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

   With this chilly winter weather affecting most of the United States this week I decided to offer up something else that will send a chill down your spine: The Ghost Viper & D.I.R.E (Dread-Inducing Responsive Energy) Beasts from Hasbro's G.I. Joe: Classified Series. This has been an incredibly strong year for the Classified Series, quite possibly the best to date, and this might be the best new concept/ new character that Hasbro has brought to the line. The Ghost Vipers utilize the research of Crystal Ball to emit experimental ectoplasmic extradimensional energies (try saying that five times fast) to create terrifying gaseous projections or even corporeal forms. They're the strangest and most unconventional subdivision of the Cobra Vipers but no less deadly. The Ghost Viper was a Walmart exclusive (with a limited number sold on Hasbro Pulse) and proved to be quite popular and rather hard to acquire. I found mine on Walmart.com shortly before Halloween and originally wanted to review the figure but I ended up just getting backed up. Well, here we are, about 3 months later, but I'm no less excited by this release. Let's check out the Ghost Viper & D.I.R.E. Beasts after the break...

Wrapping Up 2025: Portgas D. Ace (Fire Fist) from S.H. Figuarts: One Piece by Bandai/ Tamashi Nations

 

   Today I'm wrapping up my reviews of my 2025 S.H. Figuarts: One Piece purchases with a look at "Fire Fist" Portgas D. Ace, the adopted brother of Monkey D. Luffy. I'm not too far into the anime (still in Water 7) but my wife has watched it through a few times now and I'm well aware of most of what happens past where I'm at in the show. I really love Ace, especially his dynamic as Luffy's big brother. Despite not being related by blood, it's amazing how similar they are, though Ace is far more refined than Luffy. Then again, he has a few more years on him than Luffy. Ace is a popular character for One Piece merchandise and while it's no surprise that Tamashi Nations wanted to get him out to collectors, it's surprising we got him in hand before so many of the Straw Hats themselves. Still, like I said, Ace is a popular guy and a pretty dynamic character and this figure goes all out, giving Ace lots of accessories and alternate looks. I don't have many Figuarts figures in my collection but Ace is probably the most complex one I own that I can think of off of the top of my head. Ready to check out Fire Fist Ace? Then join me after the break...

Wrapping Up 2025: Moss Man from Masterverse: Masters of the Universe New Eternia by Mattel

 

   Can you believe it has been around 8 months since my last Masters of the Universe review? At one point nearly every other review I wrote was a Masters of the Universe item but that's not the case right now. Maybe I'm just very content with the collection I have? I also think I'm not particularly excited by much of what Mattel has been releasing as of late. Origins has become rather stale to me and now most of the vintage figures are locked behind the "Club Grayskull" paywall. Many other products, like anything from Mezco, just seem arbitrarily expensive and we usually get the same assortment of 6 to 8 characters over and over again. I'm excited (and optimistic, I think) for the upcoming film and I still have a deep and abiding love for the property, I'm just not thrilled with much of what's out at the moment. Moss Man is my favorite character, though, and I was thrilled when he showed up in the Masterverse: New Eternia series. The "Heroic Spy & Master of Camouflage" is available online through Mattel Creations and was easy to get. Heck, you can still order him and he went up for order back in August of 2025. My first figure had a defect and I had to send him back and receive a new one. That's why I'm reviewing this guy so far after release (though let me say that Mattel Creations has very good customer service)! He's an incredible Moss Man figure and one that really leans into the Green Man/ Eternian nature spirit side of the character. I love Moss Man as some sort of cross between an ancient Eternian nature demi-god, an Ent, and an urban legend like Sasquatch or Bigfoot. Ready for some more of Moss Man? Then join me after the break...

Wrapping Up 2025: Iceman from Marvel Legends Retro Collection: Secret Wars by Hasbro

 

   I enjoy Marvel's Secret Wars comic just for the fun of the team-up of so many different characters but the toyline itself was before my time and I don't really have any nostalgia for it. The only Secret Wars toy I ever owned was a vintage Tower of Doom playset I scored at a vintage shop in the mid-late 2000s. As a primarily X-Men focused collector I didn't buy too many of the figures from Hasbro's Marvel Legends Retro Collection line this past year, either; just the new characters, Titania and a Beyonder I scored at Ross. When Iceman popped up for preorder I did jump on him, though. Not only is he one of the OG X-Men but he was one of my favorites as a kid. I excitedly looking for and finding the 1992 Toy Biz figure that came with a large ice slide. It was also molded in transparent plastic and really stood out to me at the time. This one jumped out at me too because of that, though in hand I'm a bit conflicted. Still, while so many Marvel Legends figures as of late have come with fewer accessories, Iceman feels like a fairly well equipped release. There's a lot I like about this figure and some I'm conflicted on. Ready to check out the latest take on Iceman? Then join me after the break...

Wrapping Up 2025: Lt. Griffin "The Eraser" from Operation: Monster Force by Big Bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction

 

   I'm still wrapping up 2025 purchases since the end of the year is usually just absolutely packed and the first month of a new year is usually a pretty slow time for new toys. Today I'm checking out a figure I was incredibly excited for from Big Bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction's Operation: Monster Force: Lt. Merrick Griffin, known "The Eraser," a descendant of the original Invisible Man, Griffin (Jack Griffin in the James Whale's 1933 film). The backstory for this guy is incredibly cool: In their inheritance from their grandmother, Merrick Griffin and his two siblings received a journal belonging to their ancestor, Dr. Griffin, the original Invisible Man. The siblings soon disappeared with Merrick's brother being murdered and his sister never being seen again. Merrick set off on a crime spree using his new powers of invisibility but was apprehended by MII-6 and forced into a role as an assassin. Injected with a neurotoxin that will kill him if he doesn't receive a regular suppressant from the British government, the Eraser can infiltrate the most secure locations and eliminate the most sensitive targets. Unfortunately, he's disappeared from sight as of late, though a string of murders targeting museum curators, antiquities dealers, and other persons of note in the fields of archaeology and such seem to suspiciously point to Griffin. It's likely he's now working for the Forgotten King, which is bad news as any one can see. This figure has so much going for it, though I do have to admit that there are some weird quality control errors here that, while fixable, did kill my excitement a bit. Ready to check out this cool new take on the classic horror icon? Then join me after the break...

Wrapping Up 2025: Monkey D. Luffy (Future Island Egghead) from S.H. Figuarts: One Piece by Bandai/ Tamashi Nations

 

   Since I just reviewed the S.H. Figuarts Tony Tony Chopper (Future Island Egghead) this past weekend, today I'll check out one of his fellow Straw Hat crewmates: Monkey D. Luffy (Future Island Egghead). I've reviewed a couple Luffy's previously this year but this one is quite different, featuring Luffy in his futuristic red coat from the most recently completed arc in the anime. As I've mentioned previously, I'm not there yet in watching through the series but I'm going to slip ahead and jump in there or in the Wano County arc when my wife finally decides to tackle it. S.H. Figuarts is currently focusing on releases from early in the show (this year saw releases of first appearance versions of Zoro, Shanks, and Ace with upcoming early versions of Usopp, Chopper, Mihawk, and Sanji), the Future Island/ Egghead arc (Chopper, Luffy, and Jewelry Bonney), and upcoming releases from the Marineford Arc (Luffy and Boa Hancock so far). It'll be interesting to see how they round out these rosters in the next year with the show seemingly becoming more popular, especially with the second season of the live action One Piece Netflix series coming. For now, though, let's enjoy this slick version of Luffy. Join me after the break...