McFarlane Toys Genestealer - Warhammer 40k

While I did like the colour scheme and look of the Blood Angel Space Marine chapter and made them my primary sci-fi models when I started the miniature hobby, I did think the other armies also looked pretty cool. The Tyranid race is a cool, dangerous look space alien that likely inspired things like the Zerg from Starcraft. A foundational footsoldier of that army of colonizing aliens is the genestealer, a many-armed clawed creature who is fast and deadly at close range. They reproduce by using their tongue as an ovipositor into victims, directly injecting their viral DNA into the host. The DNA slowly takes over, converting the (usually human) into a Genestealer cultist, a sort of part human part Tyranid that continues to spread the virus across the planet. 

I love the dynamic attacking look, and I needed some kind of enemy for the one Space marine I had for battle! I'm not keen on necessarily doing army building or collecting the other 40k offerings McFarlane has, but I would probably buy a cool Aeldari or something like a Terminator if they did come out with them. 

This figure does the many armed thing well and has good paint application. You can get it into all kinds of interesting dynamic poses! I love it even though it's not, particularly my favourite army in 40k! 

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Titan Joker - Arkham Asylum

 The more I think about the first couple of Arkham games, Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, the more I think it's just a giant warning message about going straight to human drug trials. Most of the boss fights in Arkham Asylum directly involve the use of the Titan formula, kind of an untested mix between Bane's strengthening venom and poison ivy's control poison. The result is a crazy hypergrowth that creates insane henchmen. Joker, being the chaotic evil person he is, tries it on himself as a last resort to take down Batman, and becomes Titan Joker, a massive, clawed, mohawk-touting monster who also managed to grow like 10 feet tall. 

Not everyone loved the Arkham Asylum boss fight, though to be fair many of the boss fights were pretty simple in their attack and dodging patterns. I just thought it was funny to introduce this bane-ish Joker, then they manage to make it near tragic after-effect for the rest of the next game. This Joker is an absolute beast of a figure, and being a Megafig it doesn't come with anything but a card. No stand is going to hold this thing, are you kidding. It is EXTREMELY top-heavy, and I like the paint but the finish is so extremely glossy, it reflects a bit too much. I love the detail, but some joints are useless, like the diaphragm. I can't move mine at all. The elbow double joints are appreciated, but the plastic they used for them is really weak. Mine snapped off with just a couple of careful turns. They of course ratchet everything, which I get in practice since it makes it so big limbs don't just flop, but it was a bit too much. It grabs the joints to the point where moving it leads to weakening. I had to boil and pop the pin and rebuild the joint, and now am not too sure I'll be able to move it much at the elbow again unless I want to risk the same problem. 

Overall, it's a decent figure and I'm glad I got one that isn't a crazy aftermarket price like the original DC collectibles one. That one is like 300+ dollars everywhere I look, so it is nice this was made. 

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Batwoman - Batman Beyond: Futur'es End Build-a-Fig

 

The daughter of Dick Grayson, Mayor of Bludhaven, is Elainna Grayson. Through involvement with Matt McGuiness, Terry McGuinness (Batman), Bruce Wayne and her father, she became aware

and involved in various crimefighting plots. Though she promised her father she wouldn't become involved in the hero's life, she eventually took up the Batsuit when Terry McGuiness had his identity stolen by False Face. She's had some combat training in the armed forces, and is also a bit of demolition expert! She demonstrates this in her fight with Blight where she levels a building on him! 

I like the style of the suit's shoulder pads, belt and eyepieces. The wings have the exact same problem as the Terry McGuiness Batman figure. The figure has a bit more range even than the Batman figure in the build-a-fig wave, and the diaphragm joint has an improved back bend. Nice!

Overall a really nice figure, the alternate figure has the unmasked head and jetfire for the boots, which is very tempting! One criticism I have is the same I have for many female figures, the FEET. They are very human barefoot shaped at the bottom as well as being small which makes them hard to balance and pose. DAMMIT. I need toy companies to listen here, stop doing this. In fact, all figures except big, animals, and bare-footed figures, make the bottoms of the feet flat. I don't care canonically what it is supposed to be, make it FLAT. 

Mafex Medicom Bane - The Dark Knight Rises

I'm a big fan of things Batman in general, and The Dark Knight trilogy is one of my favourite live-action Batman films (yes, I did also very much enjoy The Batman as well). The first film was great, the second was even better, and the third was...ok. Despite wanting to collect this Bane figure played by the very talented Tom Hardy in the film, this was more for the completionist's sake than my love for how they wrote Bane. Overlooking the interesting voice he uses for the film, this Bane is far less imposing and threatening than your average venom-roided Bane. He is portrayed as a clever villain, which fits his character, but he just wasn't that interesting to watch in Nolan's Batman universe. 

That said, Mafex absolutely nailed this figure's rendition. His articulation is great, the digital face printing and paint details are very accurate, and he comes with pieces to swap out his jacket for bare arms. I can't think of any way they could improve the figure honestly. 

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Batman - Batman Beyond: Future's end Build-a-figure

 

Bruce Timm's Batman: The Animated Series is probably one of the most beloved animated Batman shows of all time. I certainly loved it as a kid, even though at the time I wasn't actually super into Batman (TMNT and Xmen was more my thing at the time). The show was followed up by New Adventures and then eventually Batman Beyond, a futuristic sci-fi cyberpunk setting 20 years later. That means 2019. Oh dear, if only they knew what we know now! 

Terry McGuiness is the new Batman under the tutelage of a very old Bruce Wayne. The themes of the show are much darker than the first two shows despite being developed by the same people. I quite liked the show, and am in general fond of when shows take characters ahead in time to tell different stories of how they've grown and changed. The new Batman of the future has a suit that conforms to his body, has thrusters and gliding wings for flight, and is generally immune to bullets, lasers, electrical shocks etc. Pretty supped up! It isn't hard to make a good figure out of this iteration of Batman, and for the most part, McFarlane nails it.

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Lobo - Rebirth

 Lobo first appeared in comics in the 80s, as a bounty hunter alien from the planet Czarnia. He was shelved for a while and came back in the 90s. From the animated shows and movies I've seen, he is a mix of personalities between Wolverine and Punisher. I'm not even 100% sure of his abilities all the time, except maybe super strength and regeneration. Is he immortal...I think? Perhaps he's a bit Deadpool-like as well? At any rate, he rides around space in his space hog motorcycle, taking contracts. Sometimes he sides with the heroes and other times takes the villain's money. 

Every time Lobo has shown up, he's been kind of a badass. I sort of like this figure as something that could be good, evil, an alien biker gang leader, or whatever! He fits a few niches. They did an awesome job of the biker look, kneepads, facial expression and special mention for the awesome back of the biker vest! He comes with his signature hook and chain which is done fairly well. He's got a good heft to him and can get in some decent poses. This purchase for me was sort of out of left field, since I know very little about the character, don't have a lot invested in buying him, and wasn't even planning on buying him when I first saw the release. That said, I'm happier with him than I am with some other McFarlane figures! 

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Red Robin (Tim Drake) - New 52

 

Who is the best Robin? Well out of the primary 4; Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne, my favorite often changes but I quite like Damian Wayne's brutal intensity alongside Batman. One thing is for sure, Tim Drake is the most analytically intelligent. He spent the shortest time as Robin before he was deployed to do his own thing as Red Robin. Then going back to Robin. Because comics! 

McFarlane Toys Sokka - Avatar: The Last Airbender

 

Sokka is one of the most hilarious characters in the show. He's a smart, tactical warrior of the Northern Water tribe who spins out endless jokes, witty sarcastic remarks, and overblown dramatic reactions. He's one of my favourites and is still a respectable and intelligent fighter. This is a really good representation of his appearance throughout most of the show. They put him in with all his weapons which is cool and the colours and sculpt are well done. His facial expression is animated enough in style, but his smirk seems more on the smarmy side than the coy side. His eyes should have been bigger. Anyway, still good. 

McFarlane Toys Aang Avatar State Gold Label - Avatar: The Last Airbender

 

Aang being the titular character of the show has a lot to do from the very start. First, his entire nation of Air monks has been completely wiped out by the Fire nation, so does he rebuild? He has been in a hibernating state for the last 100 years, allowing the Fire Nation to take control and commit atrocities when left unchecked. How does he deal with his guilt over running away from his destiny? Finally, how does he restore balance to both the physical world and spiritual world while also finding masters to help him learn to bend the other elements? I love how despite his changes in the show, he maintains a peaceful and harmonious outlook no matter how awful things become. 

McFarlane Toys Zuko Book One: Water Unhelmeted - Avatar: the Last Airbender

 

Avatar the Last Airbender is one of my favourite shows of all time. I have watched it from beginning to end at least 10 times, and have never stopped enjoying the great world-building, dialogue, and analogies to real-life societal issues. The "magic" system of bending is great, and they really explore what it is to be able to use those abilities creatively in the show. All the main characters build and develop throughout the 3 seasons, and there's a lot of other great lore out there in comics and the next story, The Legend of Korra. I've been hesitant in buying this line for a few reasons, most of which are that the sculpts end up being pretty sloppy and the poseability of the figures isn't generally very good.