Action Figure Review: Fabian Cortez from Marvel Legends Series: X-Men by Hasbro

 

   

   I'm moving slowly through latest X-Men series of Marvel Legends figures and today I'm checking out a villain from the set: Fabian Cortez. Fabian Cortez has certainly had some more recent appearances in the comics as part of S.W.O.R.D. and during the Krakoa era of X-Men but most folks will remember him from when appeared in 1991's X-Men #1 or his appearance in the animated series. A mutant who can enhance the powers of other mutants (or hamper them),  Fabian Cortez (sometimes known as The Power) is a complicated character. He's also never had an action figure before, so he's another figure in this series that not just new to Legends but new to any Marvel line. This version of Fabian is based on his look as the founder of the Acolytes which he also sported in the animated series. Ready to check out Fabian Cortez? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Batman (Batman 1989) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   If you haven't been paying attention lately, Mattel has won back the rights to the DC license beginning in the second half of 2026, leaving things up in the air for McFarlane Toys and Spinmasters. Personally I'm not optimistic about Mattel's upcoming DC product as I like McFarlane's DC Multiverse toyline and how it blends well with most of DC Direct and DC Collectibles' releases from the past. I still have favorites from Mattel's years with the line but I don't find that most of their figures have held up all that well. Their last few years with the line were pretty rough, too. I'm optimistic, though, that since DC/ Warner Bros. still has the DC Direct brand, that McFarlane could still continue to release a more limited range of product through there. Things like Page Punchers and the figures with the digital counterparts. Maybe even online exclusive types of things. That being said, it makes the news of McFarlane losing the main DC license when we get excellent figures released like the Michael Keaton version of Batman from Tim Burton's 1989 film take on the Caped Crusader. Back in 2023 McFarlane Toys did release two takes on Keaton as Batman from The Flash as well as a 1989 Batman and Batmobile 2-pack and a Keaton Bats with the 6-figure Batman: Ultimate Movie Collection. I skipped those two larger sets, though, holding out for a single release, and I'm glad that I did. This is an excellent figure with plenty of gadgets to really make for lots of fun display options. Ready to check out this very classic Batman? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Scarecrow (Batman Begins) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   

   Hello there, action figure fans! Today is a day that you might want to mark on your calendars as it's sort of a big deal. Know what it is? Today is the day I'm reviewing my first McFarlane Toys Red Platinum Edition figure, and I believe it's actually the first Red Platinum Edition figure released: Scarecrow from Batman Begins. What's a Red Platinum Edition (or a Platinum Edition, for that matter)? Glad you asked. While I love McFarlane's DC Multiverse line, it's still stuck in the 1990s in a couple ways, one of those being the love of chase figures. In DC Multiverse, there are standard figures, Gold Label figures (which are typically exclusive to a particular store), and, until this year, there were just Platinum Edition figures. Platinum editions were essentially "chase" variants and came short packed in a case. Usually the Platinum figures were variants of another figure in the series and initially they were simpler things like all grey "artist proof" figures or silver and gold variants. Later on we started seeing palette swaps, head swaps, and then full on different characters. Last year there were even unique characters who were Platinum Editions (The Question and Shining Knight come to mind). For 2025, any figures who aren't a variant of another figure but are just a more short packed figure of a character are now classified as Red Platinum Editions. Make sense? OK, good. While we've had a Batman Begins version of Scarecrow already (back in in 2023), this version is a bit more basic like, like we see him in most of the film and in The Dark Knight. He's wearing his mask but just sporting a standard suit. Ready to check this guy out? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Batman (Batman Begins) (Gold Label) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

  Batman Begins is getting ready to turn 20 years old this year. I easily remember that because it came out less than a month after my wife and I got married and we're about to celebrate our 20th anniversary. Imagine that, right? McFarlane has really leaned heavily into the Christopher Nolan directed film series and there are a few new releases so far this year: The Scarecrow in a regular suit, the standard Batman from Batman Begins, and the Gold Label Batman I'm looking at today, which is actually the fear gas induced hallucination that the Scarecrow sees. Surprisingly, I actually found this figure (and Scarecrow) before I found the standard version of Batman. This is a pretty crazy looking Batman figure and while it's not a look Bruce sports for long in the film, it is a pretty memorable moment. Ready to check out this Gold Label Batman (he's exclusive to Target)? Then join me after the break...

Statue Review: Nami from One Piece: Battle Record Collection by Bandai/ Banpresto/ Bandai Namco

 

   I'm in no way a One Piece expert but my wife has been nuts about the show for a couple years now and I've really been getting into it as of late. Last week I was browsing at GameStop when I saw this really nifty Nami statue. I think I still had my monthly $5 bonus coupon, plus I had my Pro-Membership discount, so I decided to scoop her up. She looks to be about in the same scale as the S.H. Figuarts line and maybe close to the Bandai Namco Anime Heroes line as well, so I thought she'd scale well with the few figures I have in those lines. I haven't seen this outfit in the anime yet but it's apparently from the Egghead or Future Island storyline, which is pretty recent. I'm nowhere near that far in the show! I like the somewhat futuristic look of this outfit, though, plus the sculpt makes Nami look like she's just about to whack someone with her Clima-Tact. This statue is from the One Piece: Battle Record collection which means that the statues are in dynamic, battle ready poses, hence the cool "about to whack someone" pose. Ready to check out Nami, navigator extraordinaire? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Skelcon from Masterverse: Masters of the Universe: New Eternia by Mattel

 

   The Masterverse New Eternia Skelcon was released at the end of 2024, but I found mine at retail at a toy shop local to me just last month, so I'm just now getting around to him. It's pretty cool to have a new army builder for Masterverse. Who doesn't love the Skelcons, right? Originally appearing in the Masters of the Universe picture books from Ladybird released in the UK in the 1980s, the Skelcons made their way into the 2012 DC Comics series, the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline (paired with the Roton), and Netflix's Masters of the Universe: Revelation. I love these weird, creepy guys and I'm pretty sure that this version of the creature is the creepiest yet. This guy seemed to be exclusive to specialty market retailers and e-tailers and, surprisingly, you can still find them available. Ready to check out Skeletor's malicious foot soldiers from the Dimension of Infinita? Then join me after the break...

Two-Face (DC: The Silver Age) Platinum from McFarlane Toys Digital: DC by McFarlane Toys/ DC Direct

 

   I've reviewed a bunch of DC Multiverse figures (and I've got a handful waiting to be reviewed soon) but, technically, this guy is part of a separate line. Like McFarlane's DC Page Punchers, the McFarlane Toys Digital figures are often stocked in a separate location at stores that carry them and they're listed as being released by McFarlane Toys and DC Direct. What separates these figures from DC Multiverse? Well, figure-wise they're no different but they do include a card which includes a download code for a digital figure on the McFarlane Toys digital app. I'm going to be honest and say that a digital figure does nothing for me. I did buy the Rebirth Batman with the alternate Bruce Wayne head and the Silver Age Joker last year, but I never even redeemed the digital rewards. The line-up for this line seems to be filled with some classic heavy hitters, so it's certainly still worth the attention of folks not interested in the digital codes. I was surprised to stumble upon the newest series of these this week and I grabbed Two-Face. While the figure is listed as a Silver Age Two-Face, that's actually for the standard version, which I didn't see (he comes in the orange and purple suit). This version is the Platinum version and is a more modern take (though not that modern, since Two-Face first wore black and white in Batman: The Animated Series). Batman villains are probably going to usually be my go to picks in any DC line and I'm glad to have a traditional Two-Face figure from McFarlane. Ready to check this guy out? Then join me after the break...