Michelle Pfeiffer CATWOMAN!

DC Multiverse: Batman Returns (1992) - Catwoman - Mattel 2014

I feel like I've been waiting for a good Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman figure my whole life.  For such a major character in such a hit movie, she's received very little merchandise over the years.  That's why this figure was such a surprise to everyone visiting the Mattel booth at last year's NYCC.  Sure, the Batman '66 resurgence had proven that there's a market for this kind of stuff, but I don't anyone could have predicted this line.  The only gripe I heard about the figures was the scale.  And it's not even that 3.75" figures are a bad thing.  It's just that the majority of DC figures have been produced in the 6-7" scale so it was a shame she wouldn't fit in with all the other Catwomen in our collections.  I have been searching for this figure for about a month now and I finally found her this evening at Toys R Us.  They had several of her - all with pretty extreme paint defects.  This was just another disappointment after such a long wait for this figure.  Luckily I'm good with a paintbrush so I was able to clean her up nicely (before and after pics below).  Without further ado, let's check out Catwoman below!

Alien ReAction ELLEN RIPLEY!

ReAction Figures: Alien - Ripley - Super7/Funko 2013
 
Few things in the action figure world have made me as giddy and nostalgic as Super7's amazing ReAction line.  This is literally a concept I have been hoping for since I began in this hobby 12 years ago.  For the uninitiated, or those living in a cave, ReAction is a line of modern action figures done in a vintage style.  To make it an even sweeter deal, this initial Alien series is made from original unproduced prototypes from the late 1970s.  The future series are not derived from actual prototypes, but they stay very true to the vintage style.  Upcoming waves I'm especially excited about are Firefly, Terminator, Pulp Fiction, and Universal Monsters.  After the initial solicitation of the Alien line (at $20 each), Super7 formed a partnership with the fine folks at Funko for the production and distribution of ReAction Figures.  This meant lower prices and the chance to actually find them in a brick and mortar store.  I'm sure access to Funko's numerous licenses was a huge added bonus as well.  Let's check out this retro Ripley below!

The Women of INDIANA JONES!

Marion Ravenwood, Willie Scott, Elsa Schneider, and Irina Spalko - Hasbro 2008

The fourth movie in the Indiana Jones series, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, was pretty much a dud.  I personally loved it, but the box office numbers and diehard fans didn't share my appreciation.  One positive thing that definitely arose from that film, though, was a major resurgence of Indiana Jones merchandise in the toy aisles.  In one short year we received figures based on each film in the series (and in multiple formats, too!)  Just like the famed "Bond Girls," the women in the Indiana Jones films are really integral parts of the plot.  Whether they play a vile villain, a tough ally, a devious double-crosser, or a typical damsel in distress, each character is very memorable and really set the tone for each movie.  It was hard for me to get on board with collecting these figures when they were first announced because I knew Hasbro would never produce all four ladies, right?  Wrong.  Each of the ladies received a 3.75" action figure as well as a 2" figure in their Adventure Heroes line (not to mention all the Lego minifigures produced).  Let's take a look at all these amazing figures below!

Marvel Legends Infinite Series - BLACK WIDOW!

Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Series 02 - Hasbro 2014

Whew I thought I would never get my hands on this figure.  Between being an absolutely gorgeous rendition of Scarlett Johansson, a short-packed female, and the placeholder for the Mandroid build-a-figure torso, this Black Widow has become quite the holy grail for Marvel collectors lately.  All props go to my new geek-buddy Carl who snagged me an extra (the best part was the clandestine toy swap out of the trunk of a car in the grocery store parking lot!)  This figure is everything she's cracked up to be.  Utterly gorgeous headsculpts, great articulation, and amazing detailing on the costume.  I haven't seen the movie yet so I can't speak to accuracy, but I have a hunch she's spot-on.  The only minor let-down is her lack of personal accessories (i.e. guns).  She has extra hands with gun-gripping poses, but no guns aside from those sculpted into her holsters.  Although I will gladly sacrifice all future weapons for alternate heads like Black Widow comes with.  They are equally fantastic and I'm tempted to hunt down another figure just to display them both.  Let's check Black Widow out below!

Game of Thrones - Legacy Collection DAENERYS!

Game of Thrones: Legacy Collection #5 - Daenerys Targaryen - Funko 2014
 
Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons!  Daenerys really shines out among the amazing ensemble of characters in HBO's Game of Thrones.  She is introduced as a meek and feeble highborn girl who is being traded into a political marriage by her domineering brother. Throughout the course of five (massive) books and three seasons of the show, we've seen her grow into a powerful character.  She is strong-willed, intelligent, deceptive, compassionate, and angry.  The mainland of Westeros is basically unaware of this young girl a continent away amassing a huge army and raising three dragons in order to invade and reclaim her throne.  Her storylines are some of my favorites amidst the complex web of characters in the series and I can't wait to read what happens next.  Funko made a huge leap with this introductory Legacy Collection.  While I had some technical issues with this figure, the detail and execution is admirable.  It's very exciting to have a new company in the action figure arena.

The Walking Dead's MAGGIE GREENE!

AMC's The Walking Dead: Series 05 - Maggie Greene - McFarlane Toys 2014

In honor of new episodes starting up again this past Sunday, I wanted to review the third amazing lady in the McFarlane Toys The Walking Dead (TV Series) line so far.  This show has a surprising amount of fantastic female characters.  My future wants are Carol and Sasha.  And judging by the momentum that show and toy line is currently holding, I think there's a very good chance we'll see both of them in the next few years.  Maggie Greene is the tomboyish farmer's daughter (of Hershel) introduced early in Season 2.  I was instantly intrigued by her character.  She was strong, self-sufficient, a bit rebellious, and smart.  Over the course of the next few seasons we've seen her grow into one of the most formidable characters on the show.  If I had to pick a crew for a supply run into walker territory, Maggie would definitely be on my list.  McFarlane has hit yet another figure out of the park.  While the likeness isn't perfect, she's still instantly recognizable to any fan of the show.  Let's check out Maggie below!

Star Wars: The Black Series - PRINCESS LEIA!

Star Wars: The Black Series #05 - Princess Leia (Slave Outfit) - Hasbro 2013

Princess Leia is the Queen of Geekdom.  I personally was a fan from the moment she first she mocked Luke on screen, but for the moviegoers who might have been withholding their adoration, the moment she emerged in her infamous Frazetta-styled metal bikini as a slave in Jabba's lair hooked the rest of the world.  The bikini even has its own wikipedia page.  Despite her high status in geek culture and my own love of her, it's pretty surprising that this is my first Leia action figure ever (not counting a few Galactic Heroes I found in a dollar bin).  I guess I was holding out for the best... and honestly I think that was a great decision.  This figure is beautiful.  I'm not a fan of the sloppy cloth skirt or the too-stiff chain and ponytail, but overall those really aren't big detractors.  I'm excited for the future of this line.  Hopefully we see many more figures in this scale and level of detail, but knowing this franchise, any more females will be far far away....  Let's check out Leia below!

Batman '66 Julie Newmar CATWOMAN!

Your Purrrfect Feline Fatale - Batman Classic TV Series 2 - Mattel 2013
 
It's hard to imagine a time when Catwoman wasn't an everyday name in pop culture.  Everyone knows her now.  Even my Mom knows her.  Girls who have never picked up a comic or watched a geeky movie want to dress like her for Halloween.  I have no solid proof that Julie Newmar is the woman who catapulted the character to stardom, but I'd be willing to bet my Catwoman collection she is.  Julie was definitely my first exposure to the femme fatale.  The 1966 Batman Television series was in heavy syndication all throughout my childhood.  So although I'm a child of the eighties, this sixties property is totally nostalgic for me.  This figure itself has made me very happy.  The original paint masters were unexpectedly stunning, but I honestly don't think anyone expected the finished product to really look like it.  And honestly, it doesn't come close.  But back at NYCC there was a production figure displayed that just looked disappointingly bland.  I was very very let down after seeing that sample.  But then I layed my hands on this figure this week and I am suddenly happy again.  Let's check her out below!

Lord of the Rings GALADRIEL ENTRANCED!

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring - Series 5 - ToyBiz 2005

One of my favorite scenes in the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy is when even the angelic elf Galadriel shows weakness when exposed to the tempting dark power of the One Ring.  No other scene in the films epitomize the power of the Ring than that short glimpse of its corruptive power.  It was brief, but really made an impact on me.  That's why I was really excited that ToyBiz produced a figure of her in this form.  Full confession:  I saw the trilogy for the first time about 3 years ago, and I only started collecting the toys in 2012.  I've been looking forward to including this figure in a Halloween review all year.  She doesn't necessarily look like Cate Blanchett, but she does look like your everyday spooky witchy spirit lady (the kind that might burst out of your tv at night).  The figure has a cool action feature of light-up eyes, but unfortunately those kind of battery-powered action features are a pretty short-lived novelty when left sitting on a shelf for eight years.  So, yeah, no cool light-up eyes for me...  Anyway, let's check out Galadriel (Entranced) below!

NECA's CARRIE WHITE (Prom Queen Version)!

Your Favorite Tormented Telekinetic Prom Queen - Carrie - NECA 2013

I'm a huge fan of Stephen King, but not always the biggest fan of the movies based off his work.  Carrie was the first of over 100 film adaptations of his writings and is arguably one of the most acclaimed of the lot.  I was never the hugest fan of that original 1976 movie.  The climax was phenomenal, but I always felt the lead-up to that dramatic conclusion was a bit lackluster (I'll be watching it again later this week and may have a different opinion now however).  The 1999 sequel The Rage: Carrie 2 was interesting but forgettable.  Then there was a 2002 remake that had a lot of positive buzz at the time, but I have never seen it (again, give me a week).   This brings us to the current Carrie film in theatres now.  It's kind of funny that I've been seeing this toy for quite a while now, but had no idea there was a new movie.  My most recent realization is that the titular character is played by Chloë Grace Moretz who I love from Kick-Ass and 30 Rock.  I guess that says a bit about this figure's likeness to the actress.  That said, the Kick-Ass toys don't look like her either so maybe she has one of those difficult-to-capture faces.  Let's check her out!

Vintage Goodness: HOT LIPS HOULIHAN!

M*A*S*H - 3.75" Action Figures - Major "Hot Lips" Houlihan - Tristar 1982

M*A*S*H was an unavoidable part of growing up in the early eighties without cable (or Satellite Dish as it was back then).  The show ran from 1972 to 1983 and its finale became the most watched television episode of all time.  Early on in the show's career, there was a series of Mego-type dolls released for the show, but it wasn't until many years later that Tristar jumped on the fledgling 3.75" figure bandwagon and released this series, just a year before the long-running show concluded.  Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan was the primary female character on the show throughout its run, so luckily she was a shoe-in for inclusion in the toy line.  The character was played by Loretta Swit (who I actually met once!)  The likeness is actually very good for an early-80s figure in this scale.  Of course, I think it's a little odd that they made figures of television shows like this in the first place, but I think it's great that classic TV culture can be represented in my collection.  Let's check out Hot Lips below!