DC Icons - Supergirl (Rebirth)

Kara-Zor El is the cousin of Superman and has undergone a death, retcon and many redesigns over the years. She has the fully matured powers of Superman but with less of the fine control he has had from years living under a yellow sun.

This is the Rebirth version of Supergirl which means she is primarily based off the TV show Supergirl starring Melissa Benoist. Her costume design is a mix of some previous costume elements from other comics. I am really not big into the Superman/Kryptonian storylines but this figure and the Super Sons comics caused my figure-addicted brain to DEMAND I buy this figure.

I really like the proportions and look of this figure. I try on occasion to buy female figures that aren't overly sexualized, which can be quite difficult! Now she does have a skirt but consider for a moment that she doesn't have an exposed midriff, cleavage and isn't wearing actual red underwear with nothing else (unlike the other iterations of Supergirl). This version has a strong facial expression and comes with a few nice accessories. The cape that overhands the shoulders is a tiny big annoying if you want to get her shoulders up, but the material is very thin plastic that does have give to it.

Funko - Batman '66

Funko has existed since 1998 (wow) but didn't really get big into the game until 2005 when they signed a TON of licensing deals with other companies like Marvel, DC Comics and Lucasfilm, to name a few! Funko is most well known for their bobble-headed POP figures, but they have increasingly made lines of nostalgia toys for some iconic movies and films.

A wave of figures was released for the 1966 Batman tv show starring Adam West (R.I.P.) as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. This included Batgirl, Batman, Robin, King Tut, Bookworm, Catwoman, Mr. Freeze and the Batmobile! I haven't watched a ton of the 1966 Batman tv show, but I have seen enough to know it was campy, funny, ridiculous and fantastic all at the same time.

This figure and other Funkos are certainly not designed for their wide range of articulation or playability. They more serve as a static collector's pieces to be remembered fondly.
That said, the head has surprising articulation, and his little batradar is a neatly made and painted accessory that fits fairly well in his hand. This is not a typical figure to my collection, as it was a gift, but a welcome addition nonetheless!

DC Icons - Green Lantern (Dark Days)

There are a lot of Green Lanterns, and I like them all, except maybe Guy Gardner...he's kind of a jerk! I enjoy the whole theme of the emotional electromagnetic spectrum, the emotions that manifest the powers, and all the other associated lore. It's neat seeing artists and writers get creative with the kinds of aliens and people that join the various Lantern corps as well.

This particular Lantern is Hal Jordan, maverick air pilot turned Lantern who reminds me a bit of Tom Cruise in Top Gun in personality. They take the design and accessories from his stint in "Dark Days", an 8 issue series that sees Hal Jordan become the leader of the Green Lantern Corps to figure out why the power rings from every colour of the rainbow are dying out.

I'm generally pretty happy with this figure*. It comes in a deluxe set, and unlike Cyborg, I feel there are actually enough parts and pieces that make for a lot of fun photography and display options.
He is an earlier creation in the DC Icons line though, so while his articulation is decent, he doesn't have the drop down hips, and for whatever reason, the ball peg to the head is difficult to turn.
He is painted fairly well, though the ring lacks detail.

*Note: I had a hard time deciding between the Jon Stewart, Hal Jordan and 7 pack Green Lantern figures..but in the end, decided to go with more accessories! 

Update: Rating System Upheaval!

So remember how I mentioned how I wasn't completely satisfied with the rating system and it would be subject to change? Well, here is another subject to change!

Problem #1: Even though a particular figure is actually very good, the verdict often ends up being quite a bit lower than I feel it deserves given how high it scores in most areas. 

Problem #2: The system is unbalanced since the last update, since now a good Accessory and Fun Factor rating can be swamped by a bad Price/Availability score. 

Solution #1: Set the Price/Availability down to a 5 point system (which is easily manageable). 
Problem #3: A 35 point Verdict system seems clunky and not very translatable into a %, or equal part system.

Solution #2: Re-balance EVERYTHING by changing all categories to a 5 point system, thereby making a Verdict rating of 25 points. Seems like this would work while allowing for a bad Price/Availability score not to ruin a whole verdict score. It also is perhaps true that the amount of variance in the sculpt and articulation doesn't really need a 10 point range for evaluation purposes.

Ok, so here is the revamped system!

Sculpt&Paint:  /5
1 - Little /No paint. Sculpt work is very basic molding and is missing details in many places. 
2- Some paint work. May have shading. Sculpt is passable but missing details.
3 -Decent sculpt work, decent painted parts, some decent shading. 
4 -Very well done sculpt and paint work, many eye-catching details, very character accurate. 
5- Excellently done paint and sculpt, spot on to the character represented. 

Articulation:  /5
1 - 5-10 points of articulation: No special joints, primarily swivels
2- 11-15 PoA. Some ball joints. Limited range. No or few doubled joints.
3 - 16-20 PoA. Improved range. Ab joints and ankle articulation present. 
4 - 21-29 PoA. Doubled wrist, ankle, knee and elbow articulation. May include toe and butterfly joints. Good range of movement in most joints.
5 -30+ Joints. Amazing poseability and range. May include extras (eyes, clothing items). 

Price/Availability:  /5 
1- You are made of money and can find one or two sources that even sell online! Damn scalppers.... 
2 - Hard to find. Available online or from the rare collector. Easily 200%+ of its original value.
3 - Mostly available online only from few sellers. Expect to pay 125-150% of original value. 
4 -Available most places at standard price, or fewer places at a decent discount (10-50%). 
5- Either available everywhere at standard price, or heavily (50%+) discounted. 

Accessories:  /5
1 = No accessories, or 1 accessory. It may be lacking in some detail or paint. 
2 = 1-3 Accessories, usually extra weapons. Decent detail and/or paint. 
3 = 2-5 accessories. This may include extra hands or effects/swap-able pieces. 
4 = 5+: Extra hands, maybe a head, weapons and other good pieces.
5 = Nearly everything you could want given the character! All well done. 

Fun Factor: /5
1 = Figure is poorly balanced, many QC issues, difficult to pose in anything other than the standard standing "vanilla" pose. Likely to break with "over-play"
2 = Figure can balance, has some variety in poses. Solid, and unlikely to break with play. 
3 = Figure can balance in a variety of poses. looks good on the shelf, compares well to other figures in its line or universe. Very good aesthetic look and mix of glossy and matte.  
4 = Lots of fun, the way the sculpt and paint work out create a dynamic, solid figure that balances in tons of poses. May even be able to balance on one foot! 
5 = This is a top 10 figure. Tons of fun, great poseability. You'll probably never get rid of this figure, according to me anyway! 


Verdict:  /25
1-5: Poor: Not a good figure, even if you like collecting this particular type or line of figures. 
6-10: Limited: Fine for the completionist/hardcore collector, but basically you got a statue.
11-15: Okay: Some decent poseability or paint/sculpt and accessories. Limited options. 
16-20: Good: Pretty nice figure on its own merits, even if you lack interest in the line/character.
20-23: Great: Great aesthetic with lots of play, options and more. Get it right meow! 
24-25: Amazing: Is this what action figure Nirvana feels like?

This makes more sense and maybe my readers can more easily translate this into a % figure and/or something that is easier to think about than out of 40! 

SH Figuarts - Naruto Uzumaki

I love anime. I don't love ALL anime, and certainly not all mainstream anime but I have invested a lot of time and money into the Naruto anime series. For those of you that don't know, that's 300 some episodes in the first series, and 500 episodes in the Shippuden series!

The thing I enjoy about Naruto is the show has some colorful characters, there are lots of great fights to watch, and the main character, Naruto Uzumaki, has a charm that really rubs off on you. You just want him to succeed! If you know nothing about Naruto, he starts out in the series as a young boy raised in a Ninja village. He has been given an unusual burden upon the death of his parents: his body holds part of a beast called the Nine-Tails, a massive and destructive chakra monster. He grows up over the course of the series, seeking to prove himself and make lasting bonds along the way.

This particular figure is the very first figure in the Naruto line released by SH Figuarts and was my first Japanese import figure. No matter how many newer versions SH Figuarts releases (they've already got another one plus another Sage Mode Naruto up for pre-order), this one will always hold a special place in my collection! As is the way with Japanese import figures of any kind, whether they be Figma, SH Figuarts or Revoltech, he comes with a LOT of accessories. His articulation is pretty great. There are complaints that his likeness isn't accurate to the show, but with the exception of one of the faces, it looks close enough to me! The paint and sculpt of the figure is pretty good, and unlike many other SH Figuarts, he actually does have some darker shading in the folds of his orange clothes. Ok, down to brass tacks!

Update: New Set up and Return!

Sorry readers that it has been so long (months!) since my last post. I recently moved to a new house and have finally got a fully dedicated hobby room! With some new shelves and a new lighting set up, I give you the new and improved Jay's Toy Shelf (Shelves even!). Expect some more regular posts to follow! 

Not one, but two Detolf shelves! 

SH Figuarts Naruto Collection (Minus Naruto as he is under review!)

DC Icons Shelf

Arkham Rogues Gallery shelf!

All the Batmen..plus allies!

First figures I started collecting after a few Arkham ones! 

Some random DC Collectibles and DC SH Figuarts!

My tiny tiny weensy Marvel Legends shelf!