Marvel Legends - TIGRA!

West Coast Avengers Box Set - Tigra (Greer Grant Nelson) - Hasbro 2023

Once again, I must sing the praises of the West Coast Avengers Marvel Legends box set. A little under two years ago we got a long-awaited modern figure of Tigra in the Marvel Legends Vintage line. While not the most A-list of characters, she has an iconic look and has been a regular feature in various Marvel titles since the mid-70s. The 2021 figure was beautiful and amazing, but not perfect. The color was distractingly vibrant and the hairsculpt on the calm-faced head looked good, but didn't really capture her comic look. For all we know, those design decisions might have been meant to reflect the Tigra & Dazzler (2020) animated series that was cancelled by Hulu before it was ever produced. But either way, I was satisfied, but secretly hoping to get a first appearance redeco with lighter hues and black hair with a widow's peak. While that version hasn't been made (yet), this updated figure presents her classic comic look with lighter yellow-orange fur and skin and long reddish-brown hair. She looks amazing.

Marvel Legends Vintage - TIGRA!

Marvel Legends Vintage (Toy Biz) - Tigra (Greer Grant Nelson) - Hasbro 2021

This is proving to be an insane year for classic Marvel Legends figures. Several of my most-wanted figures have already been produced. Firestar, updated White Queen and She-Hulk, Silver-Age Jean Grey in her green costume (short legs and all), and of course Tigra have all entered my collection (as well as amazing modern characters like Ironheart and Captain Carter). This Tigra is surprisingly stunning. Her face sculpt and all the fur details on her body are terrific. The potential for the fur-textured limbs alone make me giddy with anticipation of who we will see next (Wolfsbane, Feral, and Hepzibah in 2022, please!) The only potential issue with this Tigra figure is that her coloring is super-saturated and bright. I wouldn't mind a redeco someday with lighter yellowy skin, dark orange stripes, and the classic voluminous black hairdo with pointy bangs. FYI There was a highly enjoyable Tigra: The Complete Collection TPB (2019) that collected 424 pages of her classic stories. Go read that then buy this toy!

Marvel She-Force - TIGRA!

Marvel Superheroes: Marvel Hall of Fame - She-Force - Tigra - ToyBiz 1997

I love buying inexpensive action figures from the 90s and opening them fresh. It's like a time machine to the infancy of the toy collecting hobby. I really wasn't into superhero action figures back when these were coming out (I was really into collecting monster toys!), but honestly I'm kind of glad all these Marvel figures were off my radar, because I don't think I would have had easy access to actually buy any of them. I had three comic shops in my little town when I was a kid, but by the late 90s they were struggling (if not closed already). Same with the Kay-Bee Toys at the local mall. And I didn't discover eBay until 1998. Plus, my taste in superheroes was probably suspect. I think Tigra is awesome now, but back then I just knew her as the cat-girl that was always in those weird Marvel Swimsuit Special magazines. So all-in-all, I'm glad I unintentionally waited 23 years to start collecting them. The timing lets me overlook the aesthetic and engineering faults and just focus on the fun. Let's check out Tigra below!

Marvel Legends - TIGRA!

Marvel Legends - Nemesis B-a-F Series - Tigra - Walmart Exc - Hasbro 2009

I had a conversation with a friend the other week and he started scoffing at this old Tigra figure. I agreed that it wasn't terrific, but that it's also not that bad. The sculpt is decent and I have no complaint about the paint application. The only problems are a bland facial expression and the awkward articulation (this was about 5 years before Hasbro perfected the female Marvel Legends buck). So I thought I would dig out my figure and give her a little love with a photo shoot. Especially since I have a hunch we'll be getting an updated figure very soon. She's definitely one of the Marvel characters most deserving of an update, and the recent Tigra: The Complete Collection TPB (that was released today!) is a definite sign that the character has something brewing. It would be especially interesting to see her get some attention at the same time that Cheetah has a starring role in Wonder Woman 1984.  It could be a clash of the felinoid women, and I would love every second of it. Let's check out this 2009 Tigra below!

January 2017 Collection of MARVEL MINI-MATES!

Marvel Mini-Mates Series Series 69 and Blind Bag Series 01 - DST 2017

This has been an amazing month for Minimates. It's uncanny how they come in such surges (at least the interesting female characters). We can go through an eleven month dry spell only to have six new figures come out within a week of each other. It can be pretty overwhelming. I'm combining the Marvel Series 69 releases with the first series of Marvel Blind Bag figures for this review. The Mini-Mates Series 69 is dubbed "Most Wanted" and is definitely impressive for including both an Enchantress and Tigra. (Indeed two of my most wanted figures). The Series 01 Marvel Bling-Bags offered us amazing figures of Silk and X-23 Wolverine, a cool unhooded variant of Spider-Gwen, and an unexpected Deadpool 2099. I'm really excited to see what other figures they squeeze into future blind bag assortments. I'm hoping we'll see a Gwenpool, Moongirl, and Riri Ironheart at the very least. Toy Fair always has a few fun reveals and I'm certainly looking forward to it. Let's check out all the ladies below!

Marvel Mini-Bust - TIGRA!

Marvel Mini-Busts - Tigra (Greer Grant Nelson) - Bowen Designs 2006

Tigra is one of the characters most deserving of a modern Marvel Legends treatment in my opinion. All she needs is a cameo in one of the Marvel TV shows and I'll bet we get her within the year. Greer Grant started her career as The Cat in 1972.  Back then she wore the yellow and blue costume later adopted by Patsy Walker as Hellcat.  After a few years in that original costume, Greer was mortally wounded while protecting the Cat People from Hydra. They saved her life by transforming her into Tigra, the mantle of their legendary protector. She has gone on to be an consistent, but underutilized hero in the Marvel Universe. She has been a member of the Avengers and teamed up with the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Spider-man, etc.  She's received a decent amount of merchandise over the years, but in my opinion this mini-bust is the best.  Her Marvel legends figure from several years ago was passable, but I think a new one with the new female bucks would be amazing.  Let's check out the Hellcat bust below!