Character Spotlight on BIG BARDA!

A Small Collection of the Grand Dame of the Female Furies: Big Barda 2007-19

I wasn't always a fan of Big Barda. In my less-enlightened youth I thought all superheroines had to fit a cookie-cutter body type and wear a nondescript spandex costumes to be worthy of my attention. But as an adult I realize that this large woman in a glaringly bold costume is all-around awesome (and a terrific example of non-conformity). And to add to my infatuation, I just learned Big Barda's look was inspired by Lainie Kazan (who I will always adore as the mom from My Big Fat Greek Wedding). I also appreciate her classic Jack Kirby geometric designs and her bold primary colors (all the primary colors to be exact.. I love it!) She is also currently starring in the comic Female Furies, which is her first (sort of) lead role in her 48 years, so the timing of this Character Spotlight seems pretty appropriate. Her merchandise makes for a fun-looking collection, like an exploded box of crayons. It's been a few years since I've done one of these posts, but it's really fun and I'm already brainstorming my next one. Let's check out the Bardas!

Character Spotlight on CARRIE KELLEY (AS ROBIN)!

A Small Collection of Carrie Kelly (as Robin) from Dark Knight Returns

This time last year I didn't own a single Carrie Kelley toy, but I was just learning about all the new figures about to be released and decided that I needed to assemble a small collection of the most popular female Robin in the DC Universe. I started by picking up the old DC Direct figure from 2004 and within a few months I was hunting the Mattel Multiverse Robin. Now a year later I've added three new Carries to my collection: an Eaglemoss figurine, a Funko POP! vinyl, and an animated-style DC Collectibles figure. There is also a recent mini-bust from DST in her animated style, but I've decided to pass on that particular item along with a few of the higher-end statues that have come out over the years. I somehow doubt that we'll see much more Carrie as Robin merchandise, but with the Dark Knight themes in the Multiverse line, there's a slim chance we could see her as Catgirl (from Dark Knight Strike Again) or Batgirl (from DKIII: The Master Race). Maybe there will be some surprises at SDCC. Let's check out Carrie below!

Spotlight on Adventure Time's FLAME PRINCESS!

A Collection of Little Orange Oligarchs - Funko & KidRobot 2015-2016

A great thing about being a collector is that sometimes you can let yourself be compulsive and buy things just because they're pretty - and no one in your life will think to question it. I've never seen a single episode of Cartoon Network's Adventure Time (despite years of friends pleading with me to do so). One thing I appreciate about the show though is the abundance of princesses. Princess Bubblegum, Marceline the Vampire Queen, and the Lumpy Space Princess are just a few of the colorful regular characters. My favorite visually was always Phoebe the Flame Princess. There's something about a monochromatic color scheme that just thrills me. Especially when it's applied to an elemental character like water, plant, wind, or fire. These Funko and Kidrobot products actually make the Flame Princess looks even cooler than her cartoon self. I bought the first one as a random item when trying to fill up a shopping cart to the free shipping threshold. But once I had her in hand I needed more orange goodness.

Character Spotlight on SNOWBIRD!

A Collection of Alpha Flight's Most Mysterious Inuit Demi-Goddess Snowbird

I discovered Alpha Flight very late in the game. I believe I was in college in the late nineties and I won an eBay auction for the first 50 issues for like ten dollars. I had become a fan of John Byrne through all his Legend titles and realized that he was the man behind Alpha Flight. I loved this series. The characters were interesting and weird, the stories were compelling, and the art was on point. I liked all the characters, but Snowbird always stood out to me. I always leaned towards Sorceress-type characters. Wise, powerful, mysterious, and animal-themed - it's like she was custom-made for me. Snowbird is the daughter of the Inuit Goddess Nelvanna and a mortal man. She is tasked with protecting Canada against the Great Beasts and is mystically bound to Canadian land. She can transform into any native animal, albeit snow-white in color. I always thought she was an odd addition to the team, but she captured my imagination like no other (except maybe Marrina). Let's check out her collection below!

Character Spotlight - DOVE!

A Collection of DC's Beautiful Avatar of Peace: Dove (Dawn Granger) 2011

As enjoyable as it is to bask in all the Liefeld vitriol on the internet, I never take it too seriously. I'm secretly a fan. That's because in the late eighties I was obsessed with Rob Liefeld and his first Hawk & Dove miniseries. Those five issues are some of the most nostalgic pieces in my unwieldy comic collection. Traditionally Hawk & Dove was composed of the brother duo Hank and Don Hall as the avatars of war and peace. Shortly before the 1988 miniseries, Don was killed and a new female Dove named Dawn (a rather confusing homonym) took his place. I was pretty young and such a self-explanatory yin/yang type dynamic for a comic series was perfect for me. Add in the bird theme and I was hooked. I followed the subsequent Hawk & Dove ongoing series for years, got ecstatic when they briefly joined the Birds of Prey, and even found the 2011 New 52 reboot very enjoyable. I especially enjoyed those couple issues of Teen Titans that Liefeld drew which featured Dawn with her sister Holly as Hawk.

Character Spotlight in LIVEWIRE!

A Collection of Metropolis' Most Electrifying Shock-Jock: Livewire

I've always considered Livewire the Harley Quinn of Superman's world. They're both formidable villains created by Bruce Timm for the DC Animated Universe.  Since their unassuming beginnings they've both become pretty popular in mainstream comics and video games.  Livewire has also appeared on television in Smallville and very recently in Supergirl. Harley is way more popular obviously, but Livewire has always had my attention. Just to clear up her first appearance dates: She debuted in the comic Superman Adventures #5 (March 1997) and her first television appearance was in Season 2, Episode 5 of Superman: The Animated Series ("Livewire" - September 1997).  Leslie Willis was a shock-jock hosting an outdoor concert in Metropolis during a dangerous storm.  Superman tried to get the concert to disband, but Leslie refused and was struck by lightning. Her hair turned blue, her skin turned white, and she gained crazy electrical power - irrationally blaming Superman for all of it. Revenge-based villains thrill me.

Character Spotlight on STAR SAPPHIRE!

A Collection of Various Violet Lanterns - DC Direct & Mattel 2001-2012
 
I really tried to get this post completed in time for Valentine's Day but the fates were against me.  Star Sapphire is a longtime villain in the DC Universe first appearing in 1947.  Originally she was a foe of the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick (although this early character was much different than the scantily-clad pink ladies we see today).  The most popular character to hold the mantle was Carol Ferris, the girlfriend and boss of Hal Jordan.  Back then, the role of Star Sapphire was granted to women who resembled the Zamaron Queen (the Zamarons are basically an alien race of Amazons).  In the mid-2000s, the history of the character was revamped to be a title embraced by an entire corps of Violet Lanterns.  Their role in the "emotional spectrum" was love.  This led to a notable interlude when Wonder Woman became a Star Sapphire as well.  There has been a lot of excellent merchandising of this mantle in recent years.  I certainly don't have them all, but the ones I do have are great (of course I stole eBay pics to fill in all the gaps).  Let's check them all out below!

Marvel Select's Retro MARVEL GIRL!

Jean Grey as Marvel Girl - Marvel Select - Hasbro 2009
 
This costume of Jean Grey's is my absolute favorite.  I love the retro styling, I love the bright colors, and I love the overall simplicity of it.  This was actually the uniform that she wore when I was first exposed to the her (on the cover of Classic X-Men #43).  I was always into cartoon culture as a kid, but I didn't get bit by the comic bug until I was 10 and my family moved into the center of a small town with three active comic shops. It took me a couple of year to get hooked.  I started with properties I was familiar with, like G.I.Joe and Batman, but before long I was desperately seeking employment (which for a kid meant raking leaves and delivering newspapers) just to fund my newfound addiction.  This Marvel Girl costume brings me such a wave of nostalgia for that time.  She first donned the yellow domino mask in the iconic X-Men #39 from 1967 and kept it until Issue #101 when she became Phoenix.  This Marvel Girl has received a decent amount of merchandising, but I think this is the only piece I'll own (too many pricey statues).  I'll spotlight the rest below though.  Let's get on to the review!

Character Spotlight on BATWOMAN!

Gotham Socialite Kate Kane as One of Gotham's Greatest Vigilantes
 
Batwoman's Modern incarnation is one of my favorite all-time developments in DC Comics.  I adored the original Kathy Kane Silver Age Batwoman, but she never quite evolved out the cheesy campy character whose sole purpose was to butch-up Batman.  I loved her, but I accepted her as a goofy figment of the past.  Then in 2006 we met this new version of the character.  There aren't really many parallels between the two characters aside from her title, real name, and penchant for red.  I personally feel that Kate got off to a rocky start.  Her first few years were pretty boring and clichéd.  There didn't seem to be any depth to the character beyond her sexuality, religion, and social standing.  But then she took over as the title character in Detective Comics in 2009 and suddenly she was awesome.  She suddenly had motivation, backstory, personal conflict, and believable fighting skills.  She was one of the very very few characters that was left unchanged by the upheaval of the DC: The New 52 revamps in 2011.  Kate Kane has received a decent amount of merchandising in her brief seven years, let's check, it all out below!

Identity Crisis ZATANNA!

The Resident Magician of the DCU - Identity Crisis: Series 1 - DC Direct 2006

When prepping this review for inclusion in my Halloween lineup, I had it in my head that Zatanna was a witch.  But then I realized that witches and magicians are very different things, even though the lines between the two are pretty blurred.  Even more interesting was the new tidbit I just learned; that Zatanna isn't necessarily even human, but rather a member of an ancient race called the Homo magi.  Zatanna first appeared in the pages of Hawkman in 1964 and has been a regular (and often understated) character ever since.  She also maintained a lot of her trademark costume details; the fishnets, jacket, and tophat to name a few.  There was however a stretch of time in the early-to-mid eighties when she donned a blue and white getup with a lobster-looking thing perched on her head.  It was a very weird look but I kind of loved it.  The costume was brought back in the 2004 Identity Crisis miniseries which luckily spawned this cool action figure.  Let's check her out below!

Character Spotlight: BLACK QUEEN (JEAN GREY)!

Your Favorite Brainwashed Dark Mistress of the Hellfire Club

Jean Grey seems to be the guinea pig for character transformations in the X-Men continuum.  She's been alive, dead, possessed, reincarnated, cloned, and everything in-between.  The impressive thing is that each new chapter in her dramatic life tends to create a wholly new character.  In the early 1980s and in the midst of the Dark Phoenix Saga, Jean was possessed by Mastermind and took on the role of the Black Queen in the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club (a clandestine group of evil mutants who liked to dress in inappropriate period costume).  The members were named after chess pieces.  The White Queen obviously being Emma Frost, the Black King being Sebastian Shaw, the White King being Magneto, and Donald Pierce being the White Bishop, just to name a few notable members over the years.  This possession of Jean Grey didn't last very long, but it definitely made an impact on the comic community and we've seen a small amount of merchandise released as a result.  Let's check them out below!

Mutant X - The GOBLIN QUEEN!

Madelyne Pryor's Demonic Alter-Ego - Mutant X: Previews Exclusive - ToyBiz 1998
 
Madelyne Pryor has a very confusing past.  Comic readers originally met her as a non-mutant Jean Grey lookalike who Cyclops met soon after Jean was killed during the Dark Phoenix Saga.  The writers' intentions were for Scott to rebound with Madelyne, retire from the X-Men, and move to Alaska to settle down and have kids.  But then the concept of re-establishing the original X-Men team as X-Factor was brought to the table and all those plans were scrapped.  Madelyne was dumped for the resurrected Jean and got really ticked.  Readers then found out that she was actually a clone of Jean created by Mr. Sinister in order to seduce Scott and produce the powerful Jean & Scott offspring that would have been difficult after Jean's original death (spoiler: they had Nathan Summers aka Cable).  During the Inferno storyline in the late 80s, Madelyne's Jean-like powers were unlocked and made susceptible to demonic forces (just like Jean was effected by the Phoenix force) to become the reality-warping Goblin Queen.  This incarnation has remained popular and still surfaces as an X-Men villain (or ally) every few years.

Character Spotlight on LADY SIF!

The Plastic History of Thor's Main Squeeze - Hasbro, DST, Eaglemoss, NECA

Lady Sif was first introduced in a 1964 issue of Journey Into Mystery as a love interest of Thor.  To my eyes, she never quite fit the image of the golden-haired Norse Goddess she is named after, but I actually just learned that early on, Loki had cut off her blonde hair and replaced it with black enchanted hair made by the dwarves.  I'm glad for this because a third blonde Asgardian (Valkyrie & Enchantress being the first two) would be a tad too much.  The 2011 Marvel film, Thor, featured Jaimie Alexander as Sif and really gave her a huge popularity boost.  Although the role in the film failed to highlight her feisty personality, she still came across as tough and formidable.  Since that movie, there's been an explosion of merchandise dedicated to this character. Before the first movie figure in 2010, there was nothing.  But now I have a small collection of Sif toys, with many in her classic look (which I love).   Hopefully we'll see more Sif love when Thor: The Dark World comes out.  I have hope.  Let's check out her figures so far!

Character Spotlight on SUPERWOMAN (The Evil One)!

The Crime Syndicate's Evil Amazon from DC Direct, Mattel, and Heroclix

I know this character is more of a Wonder Woman homage than a true member of the Superman family, but there's no denying her a spot in this lineup with a name like that.  The Crime Syndicate first appeared in a 1964 issue of Justice League of America (#29) and quickly became classic JLA rogues.  This super-team is an other-dimensional version of the Justice League where all heroes are bad and the villains are good.  Superwoman is the anti-Wonder Woman, complete with a lasso and Amazonian heritage.  The backstory and design of the Crime Syndicate has changed a few times over the years, but the essence of the group has remained consistent.  Superwoman and her evil teammates have received very little merchandising over the years, which is a little surprising considering how "iconically evil" they look.  Any kid or mom would recognize them as evil versions of the the JLA, and I think that's always a recipe for a successful villain (ie. Knight Rider's K.A.R.R. and Garth, Goateed Spock, Bizarro, etc.  Plus my favorites: New Mutants vs the Hellions).  But I digress.  Let's check out these Superwoman figures below!

Marvel Universe MEDUSA!

Your Favorite Lunar Lady - Marvel Universe: Inhumans 3-Pack - Hasbro 2013
 
I get the feeling that we're never going to get another single-carded female in the Marvel Universe line.  Sure, they say we're getting Elektra and Dagger, but until I see them on the shelves I'll hold on to my doubts.  I actually don't mind buying the team packs and comic sets though, because I have a pretty quick turnaround time unloading my unwanted figures on eBay.  But at the same time, I'm not going to keep buying extra characters forever.  This is fair warning Hasbro:  Stop hiding the good heroines in multi-packs!  Okay rant over.  Medusa is a pretty interesting character.  I feel like every story I've read with her portrays her differently.  Sometimes she's regal, sometimes snotty, sometimes flirty, and more recently, kind of devious.  She's currently a replacement member of the Fantastic Four in FF and I have a gut feeling I'm not going to like her character very much in the coming months.  This figure is a massive improvement over the recently released (and reviewed) Mockingbird.  Medusa is better proportioned and articulated, and that makes a world of difference.  Let's check her out below!

Women of Halloween Part 16 - EVIL LYN!

A Long Overdue Character Spotlight on Eternia's Evil Sorceress

Villianesses from 1980's cartoon culture are just about my favorite thing ever.  They were wicked, over-the-top, larger-than-life characters that both frightened and thrilled me as a child.  I think the male villians were required to have a softer (aka "bumbling idiot") side so they wouldn't completely terrify the kiddies.  But the women, perhaps simply because they are stereotyped as the gentler, fairest sex, were often portrayed as ruthless and cunning with no kid gloves whatsoever.  They were fantastic.  Evil Lyn is a prime example of that new wave of bad girls.  She never completely sided with Skeletor and often masterminded her own plots to overthrow him and rule Snake Mountain on her own.  From the very first episode of He-Man, she stood out as a force to be reckoned with, and in every incarnation since, she has been an A-list baddie that fans can't get enough of.  Surprizingly, there have been very few action figures of her produced.  If you compare her to the Baroness from GI Joe, who has had roughly 16 different figures produced, Evil Lyn has been extremely shortchanged.

Character Spotlight on BATGIRL (CASSANDRA CAIN)

A Darker, More Deadly Batgirl Than We Ever Expected!

In 1999, nearly 10 years after Barbara Gordon was paralyzed by the Joker, the mantle of Batgirl was taken up by this very unique young girl.  Cassandra Cain is the daughter of the assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva.  She was raised with no reading or writing skills, just combat.  Her only language was body language and her dependency on subtleties and instincts as her sole form of communication made her an extremely deadly assassin.  She came into contact with Oracle and Batman during the No Man's Land storyline and was eventually adopted into the Batman family as the new Batgirl.  I was a latecomer to the Cass bandwagon.  It wasn't until near the end of her 10-year run as Batgirl that I began to appreciate her.  I liked the personal obstacles she had to overcome; a murderous lineage (and personal history); a severe communication handicap; and struggles with teamwork.  Plus I love that her Eurasian heritage added some much-needed racial diversity to the Bat-universe.

Character Spotlight on VIXEN!

JLA, Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey - Meet the African Queen of the DC Universe

It always surprised me that the DCU has so few black female characters.  Vixen was introduced in 1981 in the pages of Superman's Action Comics and was slated to have her own title early on.  This would have made her the first titular black female character in DC history.  Unfortunately this title was axed before it ever saw print, but the character has stayed strong and has been popping up as a regular character in a multitude of comic titles ever since.  Vixen has the power to mimic any wild animal, adopting the senses, abilities, and strengths of that creature.  In the past few years we have seen a handful of nice figures representing the character.  I actually don't own any of these items, but they are all on my radar.  I felt that Vixen needed a place in my series of Black History Month reviews, so I hit the internet for images of all the figures.

Character Spotlight on HUNTRESS!

Helena Wayne to Helena Bertinelli and back again.

I first discovered Huntress in the backup stories of Wonder Woman when I was a kid in the 80's.  I had never heard of her before, but I was instantly sucked in to the mythos of the vigilante daughter of Catwoman and Batman; Helena Wayne aka the Huntress.  Unfortunatley, it wasn't long before that character was written out of existence and replaced with Helena Bertinelli, mafia-entrenched vigilante out for justice.  While the new version still had a lot of the same elements as the original, I was acutely aware of how much the original Huntress' heroic lineage had contributed to my fascination with her.  (That, plus the fact that I really really really disliked the 1989 Huntress series.)  I was sad that the original was gone, but better to have a revamped Huntress than none at all.  Recently DC Comics has announced a new series, World's Finest, to begin in May, supposedly featuring the return of Helena Wayne.  I'm excited but I have no idea what to expect.

Character Spotlight on FIRESTAR!

X-Men, Avengers, Young Allies, Hellions, New Warriors... She's Been Everyhere!

Angelica Jones was one of the first super-heroes I became enfatuated with as a young boy.  I remember watching Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends and eagerly anticipating her change sequence when a wall of flames would wash over her and suddenly she'd be costumed in that awesomely retro yellow and red outfit.  It's interesting to read all the creation stories about this character and how she came to be.  According to most tales, they originally wanted the trio in the cartoons to be Spider-Man, Ice-Man and the Human Torch, but either the legal rights to the human torch were tied up or they thought a boy engulfed in flames would send a bad message, so they had to create a substitute character in a hurry.  Apparently they took inspiration from Spidey's longtime love interest, Mary Jane, and viola!  (oh yeah, and she's apparently named after the creator's ex-girlfriend).  No matter how she came to be, I love her in all her microwave glory.