Wrapping Up 2025: Red Sonja from Red Sonja by Boss Fight Studios

 

   Happy New Year! 2026 is here and while the calendar has already made a fresh start, it's unlikely that you'll see too much new in the toy aisles for a bit. January is usually a fairly dead time for new releases as most companies try to ship out their product well in advance of the Christmas and holiday gift buying season. Because so much new stuff makes its way out during the last quarter of the year and because I scored so many new action figures for Christmas, I usually spend January playing catch up. To start, let's check out Red Sonja, the She-Devil with a Sword! Boss Fight Studios has been announcing quite a few Red Sonja figures in various styles and scales but this one is part of their Epic H.A.C.K.S. (Highly Articulated Character Kit System) range, so it's a 1/12 scale figure with lots of swappable parts. Loosely inspired by the Robert E. Howard character Red Sonya of Rogatino, this Red Sonja was created by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith. She was part of the Marvel Universe for quite some time though for a the past twenty five years or so she's been owned by Dynamite Entertainment and is still one of their major stars. Whether you're a Marvel Legends collector, a Dynamite comics fan, a Conan the Barbarian enthusiast, or just someone with a passion for swords & sorcery warrior women, this figure is probably on your radar. Ready to see if this take on Red Sonja is worthy of your shelf? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Metaluna Mutant from Universal Monsters/ Classic Monsters by NECA

 

   2025 is almost over and while I will still be reviewing 2025 figures during January of 2026, I thought I'd wrap the year of with one last Universal Monsters release from NECA: The Metaluna Mutant from the 1955 film This Island Earth. This Island Earth, while the subject of a good riffing during Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie, is actually a pretty good film. It has quite a few twists and turns, the production values and special effects are very impressive for the time, and the movie just holds up quite well overall. It's a nice change from the standard alien invasion films of the era, though it can be a bit dull in spots. Interestingly, the Metaluna Mutant is what most people know of or remember from the film, and yet he only shows up briefly at the end. He's long been a favorite for the more robust Universal Monsters toylines since he mixes things up a bit by nicely adding some color to the crew and is just a recognizable pop culture alien.  NECA's version is a very well made figure with a completely unique sculpt who stands out in the Universal Monsters/ Classic Monsters toyline. Ready to check out the Metaluna Mutant? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Nosferatu (1922): Black & White Edition from Silent Screamers One:12 Collective by Mezco

 

 
  Merry belated Christmas!

   I'm not sure there's any direct connection between Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror or Dracula and Christmas, but there have been a few versions of the story that were released around Christmas (last year's Nosferatu was released on Christmas day) and it was quite common to tell and read spooky stories during Christmas in the Victorian era, so I think we've got a bit of a connection here. This version of Count Orlok is based on the F.W. Murnau's classic 1922 silent film and does come in a mostly black and white color scheme. It's the third version of Count Orlok that they've released in the One:12 Collective line with the other two being a version in color (called the Symphony of Horror Edition) and a sepia toned variant (called the Silent Screamers Edition). I missed out on the earlier ones, though this one is certainly a very ideal release as well with plenty of extra portraits and other goodies. I've loved Count Orlok since I was quite young and saw clips from Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror on television. He's still one of the most unnerving and disturbing characters in horror cinema, an impressive feat considering Max Schreck's performance is now over 100 years old! Ready to check out Mezco's most recent take on Count Orlok? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Dial-Tone from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   I've got another review lined up today; can you guess what line it's from? I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count. Wait? Did you guess Hasbro's G.I. Joe: Classified Series? Ding ding ding! Listen, this is my favorite ongoing series of action figures (probably one of my favorites of all time at this point) and Hasbro keeps cranking out good releases, so expect to keep seeing them around. Dial-Tone was originally released much earlier in 2025 but, oddly enough, a few Dial-Tones shipped out and then he pretty much disappeared until this fall. It turns out that his production was affected by a switch in factories. He's pretty available now, though, and I've had him in hand for at least a month or so. He's another part of the 1986 crew which is getting pretty close to complete as well (Sci-Fi is already out, Lifeline is coming, and Iceberg has been announced, which just leaves a few drivers and Claymore from the Special Missions: Brazil set). Someone at Hasbro loved Dial-Tone back in the 1980s and early 1990s as he had four figures in the vintage line. This one is based on the most memorable, original version, though. Ready to see how Dial-Tone has adapted to the 21 Century? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Kyle "Budo" Jesso from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   While 1986 and 1987 were my first years collecting G.I. Joe, 1988, 1989, and 1990 were probably the best. While there are fewer characters who became iconic to the brand, the design and engineering during that time was just incredible and those were the years during the vintage line when I was the most invested in picking out who I wanted during trips to the store. Budo was part of the 1988 line and was a very cool figure that offered something different; G.I. Joe had a few ninjas by that point so a Samurai was a cool change. Earlier this year I reviewed the Action Force Night Ops Senshi figure and I was pretty impressed by that guy, even mentioning that he felt like what a Classified Series Budo could be. At that point Budo hadn't been revealed, so I'm pleased to report that Budo does feel like he's been modernized, like Senshi, but he also has been given some very traditional armor and gear so he feels like a historical action figure, too. While the initial toyline for G.I. Joe: Retaliation wasn't that impressive, Hasbro eventually started releasing some incredibly impressive figures that had little to nothing to do with the film, including this very well made traditional take on Budo. I love that this Classified Series version of Budo captures all of these elements. He's one of the most impressive Classified Series figures of the year. Let's take a look at Kyle "Budo" Jesso after the break...

Action Figure Review: Cobra Desert Scorpion & SKRP10N-25 from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   More G.I. Joe: Classified Series figures? Yup. More G.I. Joe: Classified Series figures. I've been looking at a bunch of 2-packs lately and today we're getting another one: Cobra Desert Scorpion & SKRP10N-25. Desert Scorpion was originally a 1991 release in the vintage line and is a character I never owned as a kid. Heck, I've never owned any Desert Scorpion until now. I didn't have a lot of 1991 figures as a kid (only five of them) as I was pretty much just obsessed with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles during that time. I remember Desert Scorpion and always thought he was a cool looking figure so I'm very glad that this troop builder has shown up in the Classified Series. And the simple plastic scorpion the original figure came with? Well, it's been upsized into a massive mutant creation. This is pretty cool stuff and I'm glad to have some more desert troops. There were Desert Vipers in the G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra line, desert Cobra operatives in the 25th Anniversary Extreme Conditions set, and five different Sand Vipers in the Spy Troops and Valor Vs. Venom eras. The Desert Scorpion? He was the first Cobra desert specialist, though. Let's take a look at the Desert Scorpion and his bio-engineered pal, SKRP10N-25, after the break...

Action Figure Review: Kurnn Ray from Cosmic Legions by Four Horsemen Studios

 

   It's been well over a year since I last reviewed a Cosmic Legions figure from Four Horsemen Studios though, to be fair, there haven't been many released until this fall (just a few convention exclusives) when OxKrewe, Book One: Thraxxon dropped. Ever since these were first revealed well over a year ago (PowerCon 2023!), I knew that Kurnn Ray was going to be my first purchase. What can I say? I love the characters like this who appear like scavengers, bounty hunters, or just space drifters. There is a loose story in Cosmic Legions and the most recent series centers on the OxKrewe, a team of six survivors of the Qorgonox, a ship that has crashed on the planet Thraxxon. Kurnn Ray isn't a member of the OxKrewe, though; she's a member of the mysterious Scapehaven, apparently a crew of bandits and scavengers operating in the wastelands of Thraxxon. We know little about the group but it seems they're the villains of this series of releases. Ready to check out Kurnn Ray? Then join me after the break...