Tis the Season: The Ghost of Christmas Past from Figure Obscura by Four Horsemen Studios

 

   As of writing this review, I'm starting on Christmas Eve (I ended up finishing after Christmas). I took the pictures a few days ago but things have been busy with giftwrapping, church, helping my daughter clean and rearrange her bed and playroom in anticipation of getting a TV of her own for Christmas, cleaning for both my parents and my wife's parents, shopping for Angel Tree kids and such, and playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. My daughter and I have been reading through A Christmas Carol in the evenings before bedtime, though with school out bedtime has been getting pretty late. I'm really excited that the Four Horsemen are continuing with action figures from A Christmas Carol and while I kind of expected them to jump right to The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come or Ebenezer Scrooge himself, I like the commitment to form. Growing up I had the version of A Christmas Carol illustrated by Greg Hildebrandt yet to come, so while his take on the Ghost of Christmas Past was probably my first exposure to the character, it's not one of my favorites. The character is so mysterious and ethereal, constantly changing while also seeming to be multiple things at once (youthful and old, masculine and feminine, winter and summer imagery) that it's hard to capture. I really like the take on the character the Four Horsemen have done. Some folks seem to consider it plain but I think it's quite brilliant, taking some of the best elements of the book description. Last year we received the Ghost of Jacob Marley. Ready for a visit from the first spirit? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Declan Van Helsing from Operation: Monster Force by Big Bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction

   I've reviewed multiple versions of Count Dracula lately! Christopher Lee, Marvel, and the Operation: Monster Force Dracula. Plus, with Robert Eggers' Nosferatu just released; we're in need of a Van Helsing more than ever! I've had Declan Van Helsing from Operation: Force for well over a month now and I think he's one of the strongest figures in the first series. While Count Dracula was a cool figure, he was a bit light on accessories for being a $37 dollar figure. Most of the other figures in series one are loaded with accessories and Declan Van Helsing definitely delivers a modern military action figure with loads of gear for fighting vampires, zombies, mummies, werewolves, and anything else that comes his way. Declan is a descendent of Abraham Van Helsing and the man who is called to help fight against the Forgotten King, the main villain of the story. It's Declan's decision to, against the wishes of his family, release Dracula from Vault 13 to combat the Forgotten King. Declan's the main hero of the line and a great example of the really cool gear and weapons this line is capable of producing. Let's check out Declan Van Helsing after the break...

Tis the Season! Jacob Marley #39 from POP! Books: A Christmas Carol by Funko

 

   Advent is coming to a close and Christmas is almost here! Fittingly, it's time to take a look at a few action figures that are perfect for this time of year and today I'm starting with Jacob Marley from Funko's A Christmas Carol series. Last year Funko released characters from A Muppet Christmas Carol but this year they've gone with their own take on the timeless Christmas classic and have released these vinyls under their Funko POP! Books series. As a child my dad and I read A Christmas Carol every year from the version with illustrations by Greg Hildebrandt, so this is the first version of Jacob Marley I remember. While so many different actors, animators, and illustrators have put their own touch on the character, Funko's POP! vinyl really captures the most typical, recognizable take on the figure. I found the entire set of these back in early October at a GameStop while they were on sale and ended up scooping up the entire lot. Ready to receive a visit from Jacob Marley? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Jean Grey and Phoenix Force from Marvel Legends Series: Phoenix by Hasbro

 

   This year most of the Marvel Legends I've purchased have been X-Men related as that's been the focus of my Marvel Legends collecting for a few years now. I have grabbed a few figures here and there whom I really liked but didn't get around to reviewing (Ghost Rider, the S.H.I.E.L.D. 3-pack, the classic Ant-Man and Wasp set), but most of what I picked up was X-Men related. There were some very welcome, long overdue releases this year along (Patch, Destiny, Wolfsbane, X-Cutioner, Lilandra, and Goblin Queen) along with some well deserved redone characters (Sabretooth, Cable, Warbird, Ka-Zar, and Zabu) who hadn't been visited since the Toy Biz or early Hasbro eras. Today I'm looking at Jean Grey and the Phoenix Force, a new take on one of the most well-loved Marvel characters from one of the most well-known X-Men storylines. Interestingly, this take on Jean Grey, who is really the Phoenix Force having taken on the persona of Jean Grey while Jean Grey was safe in a cocoon of sorts underneath Jamaica Bay, is presented as something of a two-pack. The entire set is given the subset label "Phoenix" and the two included figures are listed as Jean Grey and Phoenix Force. I actually preordered this set when it went up immediately from Big Bad Toy Store for $34.99, which seemed right for a deluxe release. It turns out that was an error but BBTS honored that price. I do think I'd feel different about this set at $50 dollars than I do at $35 dollars. Jean Grey is one of my favorites, though, and I usually pick up any Legends of her that get released. How's this one? Let's find out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Dracula from Marvel Legends Series: Strange Tales by Hasbro

 

  Ready for another Dracula review? Because that's what I've got planned for today! Today's review is Count Dracula, yes, but based on the Marvel Comics take on the character. Dracula has been part of Marvel since 1950, but I'm not sure I've ever read any Marvel books with Dracula in them. The only reason I knew Dracula was part of Marvel was because of the Toy Biz Marvel Legends Monsters set (which also included Zombie, Frankenstein, and Werewolf by Night) and because Dracula shows up in Blade: Trinity, though that's a pretty different take on the character. his is too, though. Why'd I grab this guy? Honestly, it's because of the cool red and black armor. I love the movie Bram Stoker's Dracula and the red armor that Gary Oldman's Prince Vlad wears is just so darn cool. This definitely reminds me of it. The Strange Tales series definitely has some deep cuts in it, though the only other figures I picked up from it were the Wolverine variant "Weapon of Vengeance" and the Storm variant "Bloodstorm" due to their unique takes on some X-Men. Ready to check out Vlad Tepes Dracula, the Dracula of the 616? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Count Dracula (Horror of Dracula) from Hammer House of Horror by NECA

 

 He's not Jason Voorhees, but I didn't want to let Friday the 13th pass without giving you something spooky... 

  NECA's focus on classic horror (let's say pre-Halloween) has been one of my favorite things over the past year and I'm really excited to see it continue. They've released plenty of Universal Monsters action figures, have been delving into other horror icons in their Classis Monsters range, and now they're getting into the Hammer films! I've seen a few Hammer films over the years but not all of them. After I finish my watch through of the Universal classic horror films (my most recent watch was 1946's House of Horrors) I'm thinking about making my way through either Vincent Price's filmography or all of the Hammer releases. One of the films I've certainly watched from Hammer's expansive catalog is 1958's Dracula, or Horror of Dracula, as it was titled in the United States. Starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Melissa Stribling, and Michael Gough (Alfred Pennyworth!), the film was a success with eight sequels, six of which saw Christopher Lee returning to the role of Count Dracula. If NECA goes all in for the Hammer House of Horror line, they could produce some incredible figures. I'm pretty sure Peter Cushing as Van Helsing is on the way and I'd surely be down for Ingrid Pitt and Madeline Smith from The Vampire Lovers, Raquel Welch from One Million Years B.C., Cushing and Lee as Baron Frankenstein and the Creature, and perhaps the Collinson twins from Twins of Evil. Plus Hammer's takes on a variety of horror standbys like the Phantom, Dr. Jekyll/ Mr. Hyde, and the Mummy? This line could really have some legs. I think Christopher Lee's Dracula was absolutely the right choice for an initial figure, though. Sir Christopher is no stranger to action figures with multiple Saruman and Count Dooku action figures out there, as well as a few previous Dracula figures based on his portrayal. Ready to discover the Horror of Dracula? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: The Question (DC Classic) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

    When Mattel was in the heyday of their DC Universe Classics line it seemed like a possibility that they were going to get around to releasing all of the Charleston Comics characters which DC Comics acquired in 1985 and who Alan Moore originally planned to use in Watchmen. Mattel never got past half of them (The Question, Blue Beetle, and Captain Atom), though they did get to the full roster of the main Watchmen. Will McFarlane get any further or ever get to the Watchmen? They've done a film version of Peacemaker and a Super Powers figure, so they're a bit further than Mattel got. Old Vic Sage, AKA The Question, was the inspiration for Rorschach. Of course, Vic's been through a lot through the years. He's gone from an Objectivist detective to an individual with mystical Buddhist abilities to a government agent separate from the mystical Question. He's also even passed the mantle of the question to Detective Renee Montoya. Appearance wise, this is a pretty classic version of The Question and quite similar to the figure Mattel produced in 2010. This is one of McFarlane's Platinum figures, even though it oddly enough is a unique character rather than a repaint or variant. McFarlane Toys has been doing that more frequently this year, which sometime is quite frustrating, though I didn't have much trouble tracking The Question down. Ready to check out The Question? Then join me after the break...